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American Morning

19 Dead in Jerusalem Bus Bombing

Aired June 18, 2002 - 07:01   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: "Up Front" this morning, a suicide bomber striking on a crowded bus during rush hour in Jerusalem. At least 19 dead so far, a number of schoolchildren among the dead and wounded there.

Sheila MacVicar on the scene live from the southern edge of Jerusalem with us now live -- Sheila, hello.

SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. About six hours ago just across the road, that bus, very similar to that one you see behind me, suicide bomber got on board and detonated his device. As you said, 19 people, at least some of them believed to be schoolchildren on their way to school, have been killed. More than 50 others are wounded; some of them are in very serious condition.

Now, most unusually this morning, Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon paid a visit here to the scene. He very -- he examined the wreckage. He very slowly, somberly walked past the row of body bags lying next to the road, and he had these very strong words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (though translator): These terrible images of this murderous act, these terrible images that we are seeing now are stronger than any words can say. What Palestinian state are they intending? What Palestinian state are they talking about? This terrible act, the continuation of the Palestinian terrorism, it is this terrorism that we have to fight, and that is what we shall do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACVICAR: Bill, that reference there of Prime Minister Sharon talking about the expected statement from U.S. President Bush either later today or sometime this week, a statement which may include the notion that there should be an interim or provisional Palestinian state.

Now, leaving here, Prime Minister Sharon held a security meeting. That's ended. The army has made its recommendations, and the Cabinet meets later this afternoon at 4:00 p.m. -- Bill.

HEMMER: Sheila, there are reports that Israeli intelligence was seeing or hearing something. They put out warnings in Jerusalem, also the northern coastal town of Haifa. What were they seeing or hearing? Do we know that yet?

MACVICAR: The police authorities in this country have been on a very heightened state of alert for the last 24 hours. There were reports, they say, that one, perhaps more than one, suicide bomber who had made his way into Israel and was looking -- looking for a target, attempting to find a place where he could detonate his blast.

Now, Hamas has claimed responsibility for this bomb blast. We do not know if this was the bomber that authorities were looking for last night. But it underlines the difficulty that Israel has in trying to provide security for its people at a time when they knew there was a bomber on the way, and they were unable to intercept and stop this one.

HEMMER: Sheila, thank you -- Sheila MacVicar on the scene there again in Jerusalem.

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