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American Morning
New Violence in Middle East
Aired June 10, 2003 - 08:02 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: New violence in the Middle East. Israeli helicopter gunships fired missiles at a busy road in Gaza City this morning. The target was a senior Hamas leader who is believed to have survived the attack.
John King is at the White House with reaction -- John, good morning.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.
Near silence, virtual silence here at the Bush White House, a reflection of the sensitivity. This attack comes, of course, at a key moment. President Bush voicing some confidence as recently as yesterday that he had the Israeli-Palestinian peace process back in motion. This attack coming this morning.
The question is whether the White House will say it is a justified Israeli response to a terrorist threat or whether the White House will say it is disproportionate or inappropriate. But there is no official reaction at the White House as yet. We have been making phone calls all morning and officials say they are still analyzing what happened, hearing from the Israelis and others.
As what usually happens in situations like this is the State Department and the National Security Council will make phone calls and collect information. There, no doubt, will be some reaction later today.
But one of the reasons the White House not saying anything officially just yet here is because, of course, of the delicate nature of all this. President Bush has promised to do whatever it takes personally and with his team to keep the peace process on track. Everyone here at the White House expected developments like this. They were hoping, of course, there would be a period of progress before there was any violence. The key question now is how will the Bush administration characterize this Israeli strike this morning?
We might hear from the president later this afternoon but, Daryn, I can tell you, this morning they say they simply want more time to assess what happened. They realize whenever they say anything publicly, it will only add to the very delicate nature of this situation -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Let's bring up another delicate situation and that's the search for weapons of mass destruction inside of Iraq.
Any new word from the president on that matter? KING: Just what the president said yesterday. He is continuing to voice confidence that in time more evidence will be found, not only that Iraq had weapons programs, but the president voicing confidence that actual weapons, chemical and biological weapons, will be found inside Iraq. This is a search under way in Iraq, of course, and it is a political debate increasingly here in Washington, as key members of Congress say they want to look at all of the materials the president used to make his intelligence assessments.
He was, of course, the president was so certain before the war that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, some saying perhaps the president exaggerated what was in those intelligence reports. The White House is continuing to insist that is not the case and that in time there will be plenty of evidence to back up the president's assertions -- Daryn.
KAGAN: John King at the White House.
John, thank you.
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 June 10, 2003 - 08:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: New violence in the Middle East. Israeli helicopter gunships fired missiles at a busy road in Gaza City this morning. The target was a senior Hamas leader who is believed to have survived the attack.
John King is at the White House with reaction -- John, good morning.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.
Near silence, virtual silence here at the Bush White House, a reflection of the sensitivity. This attack comes, of course, at a key moment. President Bush voicing some confidence as recently as yesterday that he had the Israeli-Palestinian peace process back in motion. This attack coming this morning.
The question is whether the White House will say it is a justified Israeli response to a terrorist threat or whether the White House will say it is disproportionate or inappropriate. But there is no official reaction at the White House as yet. We have been making phone calls all morning and officials say they are still analyzing what happened, hearing from the Israelis and others.
As what usually happens in situations like this is the State Department and the National Security Council will make phone calls and collect information. There, no doubt, will be some reaction later today.
But one of the reasons the White House not saying anything officially just yet here is because, of course, of the delicate nature of all this. President Bush has promised to do whatever it takes personally and with his team to keep the peace process on track. Everyone here at the White House expected developments like this. They were hoping, of course, there would be a period of progress before there was any violence. The key question now is how will the Bush administration characterize this Israeli strike this morning?
We might hear from the president later this afternoon but, Daryn, I can tell you, this morning they say they simply want more time to assess what happened. They realize whenever they say anything publicly, it will only add to the very delicate nature of this situation -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Let's bring up another delicate situation and that's the search for weapons of mass destruction inside of Iraq.
Any new word from the president on that matter? KING: Just what the president said yesterday. He is continuing to voice confidence that in time more evidence will be found, not only that Iraq had weapons programs, but the president voicing confidence that actual weapons, chemical and biological weapons, will be found inside Iraq. This is a search under way in Iraq, of course, and it is a political debate increasingly here in Washington, as key members of Congress say they want to look at all of the materials the president used to make his intelligence assessments.
He was, of course, the president was so certain before the war that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, some saying perhaps the president exaggerated what was in those intelligence reports. The White House is continuing to insist that is not the case and that in time there will be plenty of evidence to back up the president's assertions -- Daryn.
KAGAN: John King at the White House.
John, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
