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CNN Sunday Morning

Israel Expands Anti-Terror Campaign to Syria

Aired October 05, 2003 - 07:01   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.


MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: All right, now let's get the latest on our top story. Israel expands its anti-terrorism campaign launching an attack deep inside Syria.
CNN's Jerrold Kessel is following all of the latest developments now from Jerusalem.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Marty. And in the wake of that devastating suicide bombing in northern Israel in the port city of Haifa yesterday in which a female suicide bomber from the West Bank killed 19 people and wounded more than 50, Israel has been in action with its Air Force attacking a base, what Israel says is a training base used by various terror organizations, so say the Israelis deep inside Syria.

The base at -- Ein Saher, near northwest of Damascus, was used (UNINTELLIGIBLE) by Islamic Jihad, say the Israelis. And since Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for yesterday's attack, that is why the Israelis say they have attacked this particular base inside Syria.

But they're saying that their action, which they're describing as limited in scope, and not a major operation, targeting various facilities in that camp, was directed more as a message, they say. A message to Syria, a message to what the Israelis call the terror organizations, a message to other states, which abet and support terror organizations.

That's the Israeli message. The Syrians and Islamic Jihad are denying that this base was being used. The Israelis have put out footage now. The Israeli army has put out news clippings which they say are from Syrian and Iranian television over the last several months, showing that base in operation, but the pointedly do not put out material from recent days, nor from their action this -- during the night by their war planes in bombing this facility.

The big question, and the Israelis have pointedly in their statement of why they went after this particular base, and saying it's a message, referred specifically to the fact that the base was supported financially. Particularly they say in their statement by Iran.

So that certainly does lead to the presumption that this is at least an expansion for now of the war between Israel and the militant Palestinian groups. But much will depend now on what will be the reaction from Syria, from Iran, and perhaps above all, from the United States of whether this is indeed an escalation or simply a one time operation in that direction. Or will it be, as the Israelis are saying, some of their spokesmen are saying that this is the start of a new direction in that ongoing campaign to counter the activities of the Palestinian militant groups -- Martin?

SAVIDGE: Jerrold, give us an idea of the historic significance here of an attack on Syria.

KESSEL: Well, it's very interesting that there has been no real overt direct hostilities between Israel and Syria. There is, of course, no love lost between them for a long period. But for 20 years, you really have -- or more, you have had no direct military operations involving the two countries.

But since Syria has a major role to play in Lebanon, there's been ever sparring between Israel and the -- what they say are the support -- the organization, Hezbollah, that is supported by Syria.

But over recent months, Israel, backed by the United States, has insisted that the Syrians remove their support for the Palestinian militant organizations, shut down the offices of groups like Islamic Jihad and Hamas, which the United States also designates as terror organizations.

The Syrians say they do not allow those organizations to operate out of their territory. That is disputed very much by Israel, to a degree by the United States. There's a lot of ongoing diplomatic to and fro'ing. And this could perhaps step up the pressure in one way or another on the Syrian government to decide how it will act with respect to the militant Palestinian organizations.

SAVIDGE: All right, Jerrold, don't go far away. I'm sure we're going to be in touch with you all morning long. Thank you very much, Jerrold Kessel in Jerusalem.

Shortly after the attacks, CNN spoke to Israeli government spokesman Dr. Ra'Anan Gissin in a telephone interview conducted by our sister network, CNN International.

Gissin said the Israeli offensive sends a message to Syria and Iran to end their support for terrorism against Israel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BA ANAN GISSIN, SHARON ADVISER: The attack that took place in Syria was again deep -- I would say deep in Syrian territory. It was in a base called Ein Saher. OK, about 10 miles north of Damascus. And this base served to train all the terrorist organizations which are still operating in Syria, despite the fact the Secretary of State Colin Powell has called on Syria to oust these terrorist organizations and training camps and their headquarters.

And so, we will not tolerate -- I think this is a very clear message -- we will not tolerate the continuation of these axis of terror between Tehran, Damascus, and Gaza to continue to operate and kill innocent men, women and children. And therefore, the operation that took place early morning today was intended to send that message, both to Syria, as well as to the leaders of the Islamic Jihad and the Hamas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: That was Israeli government spokesman Dr. Ra'Anan Gissin in an interview that aired earlier this morning on CNN.

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 5, 2003 - 07:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: All right, now let's get the latest on our top story. Israel expands its anti-terrorism campaign launching an attack deep inside Syria.
CNN's Jerrold Kessel is following all of the latest developments now from Jerusalem.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Marty. And in the wake of that devastating suicide bombing in northern Israel in the port city of Haifa yesterday in which a female suicide bomber from the West Bank killed 19 people and wounded more than 50, Israel has been in action with its Air Force attacking a base, what Israel says is a training base used by various terror organizations, so say the Israelis deep inside Syria.

The base at -- Ein Saher, near northwest of Damascus, was used (UNINTELLIGIBLE) by Islamic Jihad, say the Israelis. And since Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for yesterday's attack, that is why the Israelis say they have attacked this particular base inside Syria.

But they're saying that their action, which they're describing as limited in scope, and not a major operation, targeting various facilities in that camp, was directed more as a message, they say. A message to Syria, a message to what the Israelis call the terror organizations, a message to other states, which abet and support terror organizations.

That's the Israeli message. The Syrians and Islamic Jihad are denying that this base was being used. The Israelis have put out footage now. The Israeli army has put out news clippings which they say are from Syrian and Iranian television over the last several months, showing that base in operation, but the pointedly do not put out material from recent days, nor from their action this -- during the night by their war planes in bombing this facility.

The big question, and the Israelis have pointedly in their statement of why they went after this particular base, and saying it's a message, referred specifically to the fact that the base was supported financially. Particularly they say in their statement by Iran.

So that certainly does lead to the presumption that this is at least an expansion for now of the war between Israel and the militant Palestinian groups. But much will depend now on what will be the reaction from Syria, from Iran, and perhaps above all, from the United States of whether this is indeed an escalation or simply a one time operation in that direction. Or will it be, as the Israelis are saying, some of their spokesmen are saying that this is the start of a new direction in that ongoing campaign to counter the activities of the Palestinian militant groups -- Martin?

SAVIDGE: Jerrold, give us an idea of the historic significance here of an attack on Syria.

KESSEL: Well, it's very interesting that there has been no real overt direct hostilities between Israel and Syria. There is, of course, no love lost between them for a long period. But for 20 years, you really have -- or more, you have had no direct military operations involving the two countries.

But since Syria has a major role to play in Lebanon, there's been ever sparring between Israel and the -- what they say are the support -- the organization, Hezbollah, that is supported by Syria.

But over recent months, Israel, backed by the United States, has insisted that the Syrians remove their support for the Palestinian militant organizations, shut down the offices of groups like Islamic Jihad and Hamas, which the United States also designates as terror organizations.

The Syrians say they do not allow those organizations to operate out of their territory. That is disputed very much by Israel, to a degree by the United States. There's a lot of ongoing diplomatic to and fro'ing. And this could perhaps step up the pressure in one way or another on the Syrian government to decide how it will act with respect to the militant Palestinian organizations.

SAVIDGE: All right, Jerrold, don't go far away. I'm sure we're going to be in touch with you all morning long. Thank you very much, Jerrold Kessel in Jerusalem.

Shortly after the attacks, CNN spoke to Israeli government spokesman Dr. Ra'Anan Gissin in a telephone interview conducted by our sister network, CNN International.

Gissin said the Israeli offensive sends a message to Syria and Iran to end their support for terrorism against Israel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BA ANAN GISSIN, SHARON ADVISER: The attack that took place in Syria was again deep -- I would say deep in Syrian territory. It was in a base called Ein Saher. OK, about 10 miles north of Damascus. And this base served to train all the terrorist organizations which are still operating in Syria, despite the fact the Secretary of State Colin Powell has called on Syria to oust these terrorist organizations and training camps and their headquarters.

And so, we will not tolerate -- I think this is a very clear message -- we will not tolerate the continuation of these axis of terror between Tehran, Damascus, and Gaza to continue to operate and kill innocent men, women and children. And therefore, the operation that took place early morning today was intended to send that message, both to Syria, as well as to the leaders of the Islamic Jihad and the Hamas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: That was Israeli government spokesman Dr. Ra'Anan Gissin in an interview that aired earlier this morning on CNN.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com