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CNN Sunday Morning

Five Bombings in Five Days

Aired March 31, 2002 - 10:12   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well five bombings in five days. Two happened this morning. The first in Haifa, a port city there in Israel and that's where we find our Ben Wedeman now. He arrived there not long ago. Can you set the scene for us Ben?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes right now I'm standing right next to this restaurant, the Matza (ph) Center Restaurant and it is a scene of incredible destruction. Its blast essentially took out a large segment of the roof. It blew out the back part of the restaurant as well. It's incredible that one person can carry so much -- so much powerful explosives.

Now according to hospital sources at this point, it looks like 14 people were killed in the blast in addition to the suicide bomber. More than three dozen are in hospitals. Three of those apparently in critical condition. Now we had the opportunity to speak with the owner of the restaurant who is an Arab-Israeli. He said that this was a very popular restaurant in a mixed Arab-Jewish neighborhood. A neighborhood that never really experienced any problems before. It's quite harmonious.

Now interesting among some of the injured are Arab-Israelis. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) there's an owner of a pharmacy just behind the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) restaurant who is an Arab-Muslim Israeli. He apparently is still unconscious in the hospital. He had gone to have lunch in the restaurant with his wife and two-year old son, both of them were injured as well. But they have subsequently been released from the hospital.

Now this blast has been claimed by the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Brigade. That's the military wing of the Hamas, the Islamic resistance movement. But we don't as yet have any idea about the actual identity of the suicide bomber.

PHILLIPS: Ben, I apologize, I had some producers there giving me some information and talking to me. You mentioned the folks that -- or the people that were injured within that restaurant, and I apologize. Did you mention if there are any known Americans that were in the restaurant? I know this is a popular place to visit. I myself have even visited Haifa. I know it's a nice resort area along the water there, a university there. Any details if any Americans were in the -- in the restaurant or in the area?

WEDEMAN: Not to the best of my knowledge. We don't have a breakdown of the identities of those who were killed in the incident. This is not -- actually this is between hills, not on -- near the seafront exactly. More of really a working class neighborhood where it just likes people from the area come here on an ordinary day just to have a simple meal, nothing fancy.

PHILLIPS: Our Ben Wedeman live from Haifa. Thank you so much. We will check in with you again within this hour.

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