Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Car Bomb in Israel Kills 16

Aired June 05, 2002 - 07:03   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: "Up Front" this morning, a car full of explosives blows up during rush hour this morning in northern Israel, killing at least 16 people on a bus. The attack in the Israel town of Megiddo followed two days of separate talks between CIA Director George Tenet and Palestinian and Israeli leaders.

Just yesterday, Israel's intelligence chief warned Parliament that militants were planning a mega-attack in order to crush any peace efforts.

Let's turn to Jerrold Kessel, who is standing by with the very latest on this bombing. He joins us now -- good morning, Jerrold.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula. It has been a deadly morning here, as the final clean-up work is continuing here just at the site of this latest, deadly Palestinian bombing.

At first, it had been presumed that this was another suicide bomber aboard a bus, but then very quickly, the extent of the blast and the nature of attack became clear that this was something different. What happened was Bus 830 had set out from Tel Aviv; aboard, many Israeli soldiers heading back to their bases in northern Israel. And the bus approached this major crossroad, this trunk road in northern Israel, the Megiddo crossroad. Just as it was approaching the site, a small car, later the police proved that this was a stolen car, blew up alongside the bus.

The bomber had come alongside the bus. The car contained literally dozens and dozens of kilograms of pounds of explosives. The bus blew up, caught fire, careened, double somersaulted over the side according to eyewitnesses, came to rest on the side of the road beneath the military prison, where Israel is holding Palestinian prisoners suspected of involvement in terror activities, fire caught there (ph). There were some grim scenes, and there have been grim scenes of the clean-up since then.

The grim scenes such have been reported that one man and a woman were seen, according to eyewitnesses, embracing as they couldn't get out of the bus, the flames engulfed them.

One lucky man aboard that bus, the driver, he had been aboard three previous attacks when the buses have been attacked, survived them all. He survived again today. Miki, a lucky man, but not many who weren't so lucky; 16 Israelis killed. The Islamic Jihad, the radical Palestinian group, claiming responsibility for this latest attack.

And as you report, the Israeli intelligence -- military intelligence chief yesterday telling the members of Parliament that the Palestinian radical groups are trying a mega-attack or a series of major attacks to try to stifle any attempts to get back to negotiations. One such major attack right here at these crossroads early this morning -- Paula.

ZAHN: And, Jerrold, it has been confirmed that Israeli tanks have positioned themselves in the town of Jenin. Is there anything you have heard on the scene there from officials there?

KESSEL: We had just spoken moments ago to the Israeli army, and what we are being told now is that there has indeed been an incursion into the town of Jenin, which lies just about five miles away from here. The border between Israel and the West Bank, I should point out, just about two miles away from this junction, the crossroads behind me.

And we did hear indeed that Israeli tanks and armored personnel carriers have entered Jenin. However, the Israeli army saying this is just one of what they are now calling their regular -- they are almost calling it routine incursions. They call them preemptive attacks into Palestinian towns to stop would-be bombers. There is a big debate evolving now, is that the way to stop the bombers the best way -- Paula.

ZAHN: Jerrold Kessel, thanks for that live update -- 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.