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American Morning
Three American Diplomatic Personnel Said to be Dead Today
Aired October 15, 2003 - 08:03 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Three American diplomatic personnel said to be dead today, another seriously injured in a hospital in Israel right now. They were killed by a bomb along a roadside as they were traveling in a convoy through northern Gaza. There has been no claim of responsibility yet.
The Palestinian Authority condemning that bombing and offering condolences to the U.S. and the victims' families.
All of this happening two and a half hours ago.
For the latest at this moment, Fionnuala Sweeney is live in Jerusalem with more for us -- good afternoon there.
FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.
As you say, these Americans were apparently part of a security attachment to American diplomats. They were part of a three car convoy which was being accompanied by Palestinian cars for extra security. As the Palestinian cars drove by, it's understood that a bomb detonated on the first of the three car convoy, killing three Americans and injuring one other.
The injured person has been evacuated to Israel and is in hospital there. The bodies of the three Americans have also just left Gaza within the last half hour for the first stage on its repatriation to the United States.
Strong condemnation from the Palestinian Authority. The new prime minister, Ahmed Qureia, calling for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding this bomb.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AHMED QOREI, PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER: We are sorry about so much, sorry about what happened in, today in Eretz, against where the American diplomats. We condemn it strongly. We send all condolences to the families of those who have been killed there and we hope for those who are injured that they will recover very soon. And we will investigate from our side this from wherever. We condemn it from wherever it comes and we will investigate the case and we will see.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SWEENEY: And as you see there, no claim of responsibility so far for this bombing. In fact, quite the opposite. Hamas and Islamic Jihad going out of their way in the past hour to deny any involvement in these killings, saying that their first enemy is, first and foremost, Israel -- Bill.
HEMMER: Fionnuala, thanks.
Fionnuala Sweeney in Jerusalem.
Now, then, who's behind the bombing? How might it affect the troubled road map to peace?
Jamie Rubin, former assistant secretary of state, back with us live in London to talk about the latest here.
Jamie, off the top, your reaction to the news we're getting now?
JAMIE RUBIN, FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, it's a real tragedy. This is a crossing that American diplomats have gone over week after week for many, many years. During the height of the peace process, I would say dozens of American diplomats, accompanied by security officials, were passing the Eretz crossing in order to promote peace in the region. And they were doing the lord's work.
Let's remember, in much the same way that the bombing of the U.N. compound in Baghdad was an attack on those who were trying to help the Iraqi people, the American diplomats and security personnel operating in the Palestinian territories are trying to help the Palestinian people. And that is why the Palestinian Authority, although they disagree with us on so much, desperately want the Americans there and realize that it's an attack on them as much as it is a tragedy for the American diplomats involved.
HEMMER: What do you think is the appropriate U.S. response right now?
RUBIN: Well, at this point, until there is some claim of responsibility and some ability to determine who is responsible, the most you can do is what is going to go on, which is a very serious investigation to try to figure out who would do such a thing. Nobody seems to want to claim responsibility and we'll just have to see where the investigation leads.
But clearly one thing we've learned here is that there has been a complete collapse in the authority of Yasser Arafat and the Palestinians. Their ability to control the territory they have, to operate on that territory, to provide security for American or foreign officials operating through, has been severely impaired now and diplomats are going to be reluctant to come and -- or require extensive security procedures.
This is an attack on, obviously, the United States, but a demonstration of the complete collapse of authority in the Palestinian territories.
HEMMER: That answer is a bit dire. Now, will you take it just a step further. How do you get that control back, if that's the reality on the ground, with no control present?
RUBIN: Well, you have to, in order to build up the security services of the Palestinians again, you're going to have to do it in a much more careful, in a much more determined way that takes into account the very real possibility that there are other Palestinians who want to destroy that cooperation between the Palestinian Authority and the United States and that they are going to try to attack Americans.
So you're going to see more Kevlar. You're going to see more bulletproof vests. You're going to see more strict security procedures for the Americans operating on the ground.
But it's going to have a chilling effect and make it all the harder for us to play a role there, a role that I must confess has been declining in recent years, but is still important.
HEMMER: Take a different approach on that. Is this the type of event that can coalesce the three sides, the Israelis, the Palestinians and the U.S., against a common target?
RUBIN: Well, I don't -- I'm sure that all three sides will be condemning the bombing. If there is a ray of hope in such a terrible tragedy, it may be to shake up Yasser Arafat and the leaders in the Palestinian Authority. Chairman Arafat, for all his flaws, and there are many, has cared greatly about his relationship with the United States. He desperately wants to be returned into good favor with the United States. He misses his ability to work closely with an American government.
So this may be a wake up call for him, that in allowing the situation to deteriorate so far, he has allowed chaos to ensue in his area of responsibility and maybe will be a wake up call that he needs to work with the new prime minister, Ahmed Qureia, and develop a real security service that can stop these kind of things from happening.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jamie.
RUBIN: That's the best one can hope for as a result.
HEMMER: Thank you.
Jamie Rubin from London.
RUBIN: Thank you.
HEMMER: 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
Aired October 15, 2003 - 08:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Three American diplomatic personnel said to be dead today, another seriously injured in a hospital in Israel right now. They were killed by a bomb along a roadside as they were traveling in a convoy through northern Gaza. There has been no claim of responsibility yet.
The Palestinian Authority condemning that bombing and offering condolences to the U.S. and the victims' families.
All of this happening two and a half hours ago.
For the latest at this moment, Fionnuala Sweeney is live in Jerusalem with more for us -- good afternoon there.
FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.
As you say, these Americans were apparently part of a security attachment to American diplomats. They were part of a three car convoy which was being accompanied by Palestinian cars for extra security. As the Palestinian cars drove by, it's understood that a bomb detonated on the first of the three car convoy, killing three Americans and injuring one other.
The injured person has been evacuated to Israel and is in hospital there. The bodies of the three Americans have also just left Gaza within the last half hour for the first stage on its repatriation to the United States.
Strong condemnation from the Palestinian Authority. The new prime minister, Ahmed Qureia, calling for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding this bomb.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AHMED QOREI, PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER: We are sorry about so much, sorry about what happened in, today in Eretz, against where the American diplomats. We condemn it strongly. We send all condolences to the families of those who have been killed there and we hope for those who are injured that they will recover very soon. And we will investigate from our side this from wherever. We condemn it from wherever it comes and we will investigate the case and we will see.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SWEENEY: And as you see there, no claim of responsibility so far for this bombing. In fact, quite the opposite. Hamas and Islamic Jihad going out of their way in the past hour to deny any involvement in these killings, saying that their first enemy is, first and foremost, Israel -- Bill.
HEMMER: Fionnuala, thanks.
Fionnuala Sweeney in Jerusalem.
Now, then, who's behind the bombing? How might it affect the troubled road map to peace?
Jamie Rubin, former assistant secretary of state, back with us live in London to talk about the latest here.
Jamie, off the top, your reaction to the news we're getting now?
JAMIE RUBIN, FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, it's a real tragedy. This is a crossing that American diplomats have gone over week after week for many, many years. During the height of the peace process, I would say dozens of American diplomats, accompanied by security officials, were passing the Eretz crossing in order to promote peace in the region. And they were doing the lord's work.
Let's remember, in much the same way that the bombing of the U.N. compound in Baghdad was an attack on those who were trying to help the Iraqi people, the American diplomats and security personnel operating in the Palestinian territories are trying to help the Palestinian people. And that is why the Palestinian Authority, although they disagree with us on so much, desperately want the Americans there and realize that it's an attack on them as much as it is a tragedy for the American diplomats involved.
HEMMER: What do you think is the appropriate U.S. response right now?
RUBIN: Well, at this point, until there is some claim of responsibility and some ability to determine who is responsible, the most you can do is what is going to go on, which is a very serious investigation to try to figure out who would do such a thing. Nobody seems to want to claim responsibility and we'll just have to see where the investigation leads.
But clearly one thing we've learned here is that there has been a complete collapse in the authority of Yasser Arafat and the Palestinians. Their ability to control the territory they have, to operate on that territory, to provide security for American or foreign officials operating through, has been severely impaired now and diplomats are going to be reluctant to come and -- or require extensive security procedures.
This is an attack on, obviously, the United States, but a demonstration of the complete collapse of authority in the Palestinian territories.
HEMMER: That answer is a bit dire. Now, will you take it just a step further. How do you get that control back, if that's the reality on the ground, with no control present?
RUBIN: Well, you have to, in order to build up the security services of the Palestinians again, you're going to have to do it in a much more careful, in a much more determined way that takes into account the very real possibility that there are other Palestinians who want to destroy that cooperation between the Palestinian Authority and the United States and that they are going to try to attack Americans.
So you're going to see more Kevlar. You're going to see more bulletproof vests. You're going to see more strict security procedures for the Americans operating on the ground.
But it's going to have a chilling effect and make it all the harder for us to play a role there, a role that I must confess has been declining in recent years, but is still important.
HEMMER: Take a different approach on that. Is this the type of event that can coalesce the three sides, the Israelis, the Palestinians and the U.S., against a common target?
RUBIN: Well, I don't -- I'm sure that all three sides will be condemning the bombing. If there is a ray of hope in such a terrible tragedy, it may be to shake up Yasser Arafat and the leaders in the Palestinian Authority. Chairman Arafat, for all his flaws, and there are many, has cared greatly about his relationship with the United States. He desperately wants to be returned into good favor with the United States. He misses his ability to work closely with an American government.
So this may be a wake up call for him, that in allowing the situation to deteriorate so far, he has allowed chaos to ensue in his area of responsibility and maybe will be a wake up call that he needs to work with the new prime minister, Ahmed Qureia, and develop a real security service that can stop these kind of things from happening.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jamie.
RUBIN: That's the best one can hope for as a result.
HEMMER: Thank you.
Jamie Rubin from London.
RUBIN: Thank you.
HEMMER: 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
