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CNN Sunday Morning

Bush Condemns Suicide Attacks

Aired March 31, 2002 - 10:51   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: Before wrap up this hour, we're going to check in with CNN White House correspondent, Major Garrett. He joins us live from outside the President's ranch in Crawford, Texas.

He's been garnering -- or we're getting reaction from the President and his staff with regard to the situation going on in the Mid East right now.

Hello, again, Major.

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kyra.

Senior administration officials in Washington telling CNN the Bush administration condemns these brutal acts of terrorism.

We have made very clear what Chairman Arafat, meaning the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, needs to do to stop these attacks.

Bush administration official goes on to tell CNN, our sympathies and condolences go out to the victims and the families of these brutal terrorist attacks.

The terrorist attacks fresh this morning. Two of them mere hours after the President of the United States here in Crawford, again said that it was Palestinian terrorism that was at the heart of the current Middle East crisis, calling upon Mr. Arafat to do everything in his power, both in words and in deeds, to stop these terrorist attacks.

Specifically, the President said, if Mr. Arafat spoke out in Arabic against them, that might help the situation.

He did concede, however, that his security forces -- the very security forces the U.S. wants him to engage to stop Palestinian acts of terrorism -- are penned up with him at the Ramallah compound.

The President conceded that made things a little bit more difficult for the Palestinian leader, and yet he said that condemning these attacks in Arabic would be a helpful first step -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Major Garrett, thank you so much.

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