Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Ten Die in West Bank Violence
Aired February 28, 2002 - 08:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Turning now to the violence in the Middle East, fighting broke out again overnight, as Israel defense forces were advancing into Palestinian territory in the West Bank. So far at least 10 people have died. The violence followed an apparent suicide bombing yesterday by a Palestinian woman, which killed her and injured two Israelis. It is believed to be the second time in as many months that a Palestinian woman was actually involved in a suicide attack. Bringing us to our big question of the day: Are women the new weapons in the Middle East?
CNN's Jerrold Kessel joins us now from Jerusalem with more on that. Good morning, Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN DEPUTY BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning, Paula. And, indeed, a warring development for the Israelis. That clear cut suicide bombing of a young Palestinian woman -- 21-year-old student from the West Bank -- who in an incident last night at a checkpoint right on the West Bank border -- she was approached as she had drew up with her car.
The policemen and soldiers on duty at that military checkpoint asked her to get out and identify herself. She got out of the car, and as she did so, she ignited the explosives that were on her body and blew herself up. Killed herself, wounded three of those Israeli policemen on duty there. The two men who were with her in the car, one was shot and apprehended, the other also apprehended. Not clear their identity. But this could be a very warring development.
For this, the first clear-cut case of a woman suicide bomber, although a young Palestinian was killed in such an incident in Jerusalem a couple of months ago. But then it wasn't clear whether she was out placing a bomb and that went off prematurely, or she set out to blow herself up. But this could be a warring development. And it comes as the fighting escalates to major proportions, a real major battle going on right now. And I mean major.
In the West Bank refugee camp of Balata, outside the town of Nablus, also near another refugee camp near Jenin, north of the West Bank, nine Palestinians -- most of them policemen -- have been killed in the exchanges of fire, as Israeli troops went in. One Israeli soldier -- the Israelis moved in with some tanks and with helicopter support. But because of the narrow allies of those refugee camps, the -- most of the fighting will be done by foot. The Israelis have -- I understand, took up positions in those refugee camps saying these are terrorist nets that need to be cleaned up. The Palestinians are saying this is Israel just trying to shatter a tentative calm that seemed to have come into the area. Either way you look at it, no calm at all. A major battle unfolding right now -- Paula.
ZAHN: Jerrold, you talked about this being a warring development, that you now have two female suicide bombers involved. And Michael Elliot of "TIME" magazine was on earlier this morning saying it represents the wide recruiting effort that have gone down in the West Bank to get not only men involved, but women involved in these attacks. How concerned is the Israeli government about this new development?
KESSEL: I think very concerned, because perhaps even the -- you could say recruiting, but it may even be self-recruiting. And I think that's perhaps one of the warring things the Israelis will be looking at this latest incident of this young student who blew herself up. Because according to the reports coming from her family, and ten that we've had -- we haven't been able to check them out, if they're authentic -- but they do sound to be quite authentic.
She was a supporter of the radical Islamic group Hamas. Now they didn't want to give her a bomb to go off and blow herself up, possibly for religious reasons, possibly because the radical Islamic groups don't believe that women should be involved in the fighting this way. She got the weapon, she got the explosives, we're led to understand, by one of the mainstream political groups -- the fatah group -- one of their brigades, who said, "We're taking responsibility." Now that could be a warring development of across the -- across the group's cooperation, as well as the fact that young women tried to get involved. And, as I say, not just being recruited, but also recruiting themselves to what they see as a cause.
ZAHN: Jerrold Kessel, thanks so much for that update. I appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
