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American Morning
Israel Responding to Sunday's Suicide Bombings
Aired January 06, 2003 - 07:17 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: Now to the Middle East this morning, where Israel is responding to Sunday's suicide bombings in Tel Aviv. The two attacks during the evening rush hour came just minutes apart and within a block of each other. Twenty-two dead, more than 100 others injured.
On the scene now in Tel Aviv is Kelly Wallace -- Kelly, hello.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill.
Well, the clean up continues here and you can see the shop behind me suffered some of the most extensive damage of all. This was a place where many of the immigrant workers in this area could come and call their loved ones around the world.
Meantime, overnight the Israeli government made a number of decisions. Number one, the Israelis have said they will tighten the travel restrictions on the Palestinians. A Palestinian delegation will not be allowed to travel to London later this month for talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The Israelis also say they will intensify their operations in the West Bank and Gaza, going after those Israeli forces say are responsible for terror.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE (voice-over): The explosions came just a half minute apart, witnesses say. Two suicide bombers striking terror on a crowded pedestrian mall in Tel Aviv, filled primarily with low income laborers from other countries. "When I arrived on the scene, I found pieces of bodies." This man from Ghana said what he saw was simply too horrible to put into words.
More than 100 people were injured and Israeli officials said they expected the death toll to climb. The officials said many of the injured refused to go to the hospital, fearing they could be deported because they don't have visas to be inside the country.
UZI LANDAU, ISRAELI MINISTER FOR INTERNAL SECURITY: We are going to see after it that they will be fully taken care of and we are, as any other Israeli citizen, they don't have to be really concerned about anything.
WALLACE: Israeli Prime Minister Sharon convened an emergency meeting Sunday evening and while that meeting was under way, Israeli Apache helicopters fired nine rockets at Palestinian targets in Gaza, part of what Israel calls its ongoing fight against terrorism and the Palestinian Authority's failure to control it. RA'ANAN GISSIN, SHARON SPOKESMAN: It just shows you that on the other side there is a broad consensus that the war of terrorism should continue against Israel, instigated and supported by the Palestinian Authority and their leader.
WALLACE: The Palestinian Authority condemned the suicide bombings and called for an end to attacks against Israeli civilians. The group went on to blame Israel, saying its military operations in the West Bank and Gaza are fueling the violence.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE: And Israeli officials do concede they are walking a fine line between responding to the worst suicide bombing in Israel since March and also not complicating any possible U.S. war with Iraq -- Bill.
HEMMER: Kelly Wallace in Tel Aviv.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 6, 2003 - 07:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the Middle East this morning, where Israel is responding to Sunday's suicide bombings in Tel Aviv. The two attacks during the evening rush hour came just minutes apart and within a block of each other. Twenty-two dead, more than 100 others injured.
On the scene now in Tel Aviv is Kelly Wallace -- Kelly, hello.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill.
Well, the clean up continues here and you can see the shop behind me suffered some of the most extensive damage of all. This was a place where many of the immigrant workers in this area could come and call their loved ones around the world.
Meantime, overnight the Israeli government made a number of decisions. Number one, the Israelis have said they will tighten the travel restrictions on the Palestinians. A Palestinian delegation will not be allowed to travel to London later this month for talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The Israelis also say they will intensify their operations in the West Bank and Gaza, going after those Israeli forces say are responsible for terror.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE (voice-over): The explosions came just a half minute apart, witnesses say. Two suicide bombers striking terror on a crowded pedestrian mall in Tel Aviv, filled primarily with low income laborers from other countries. "When I arrived on the scene, I found pieces of bodies." This man from Ghana said what he saw was simply too horrible to put into words.
More than 100 people were injured and Israeli officials said they expected the death toll to climb. The officials said many of the injured refused to go to the hospital, fearing they could be deported because they don't have visas to be inside the country.
UZI LANDAU, ISRAELI MINISTER FOR INTERNAL SECURITY: We are going to see after it that they will be fully taken care of and we are, as any other Israeli citizen, they don't have to be really concerned about anything.
WALLACE: Israeli Prime Minister Sharon convened an emergency meeting Sunday evening and while that meeting was under way, Israeli Apache helicopters fired nine rockets at Palestinian targets in Gaza, part of what Israel calls its ongoing fight against terrorism and the Palestinian Authority's failure to control it. RA'ANAN GISSIN, SHARON SPOKESMAN: It just shows you that on the other side there is a broad consensus that the war of terrorism should continue against Israel, instigated and supported by the Palestinian Authority and their leader.
WALLACE: The Palestinian Authority condemned the suicide bombings and called for an end to attacks against Israeli civilians. The group went on to blame Israel, saying its military operations in the West Bank and Gaza are fueling the violence.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE: And Israeli officials do concede they are walking a fine line between responding to the worst suicide bombing in Israel since March and also not complicating any possible U.S. war with Iraq -- Bill.
HEMMER: Kelly Wallace in Tel Aviv.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
