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CNN Live Sunday
White House Urges Israel, Syria, No More Violence
Aired October 05, 2003 - 16:38 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.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: The White House is closely monitoring the developments in the middle east. President Bush today phoned Israel's Prime Minister to discuss the suicide bombing and the strike that followed it.
Let's turn now to CNN's Kathleen Koch at the White House. Kathleen, I think some folks were surprised at the relatively restrained reaction that came from the White House today.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Andrea, you know, here at the White House they had indeed been anticipating that after that type of suicide bombing that Israel would take some sort of retaliatory strike, though, of course, striking out at Syria does carry this to a new level.
But the Bush Administration has been very critical, pretty much since it came into office, of Syria for its continued support of terrorist groups. For allowing both arms and militant fighters to flow across its border into Iraq. So in a regularly scheduled phone call today to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Mr. Bush refrained from criticizing Israel's attack.
A spokesman says that both men, though, did agree on the need to continue fighting terrorism but at the same time take every effort to avoid heightening tensions in the region. And the White House as well as many U.S. lawmakers insist that Israel does indeed have a right to defend itself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CARL LEVIN, (D-MI) ARMED SERVICES CMTE: All countries will consider what's next. But Israel has a right of self-defense like we would. If we knew where terrorists were being trained to come after us, we'd go after them. As a matter of fact, that's exactly what we did in Afghanistan when we went after the Taliban and Al Qaeda. We went after them in Afghanistan.
SEN. ARLEN SPECTER, (R) PENNSYLVANIA: The response by Israel in going into Syria is unprecedented, but I do believe that Israel can only take so much and we have 19 more Israelis massacred, and Israel has cause to identify the training camps inside of Syria. I would analogize that to the doctrine of hot pursuit. You can go across a line.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: The Bush administration is urging both Israel and Syria to refrain from any further actions that could lead to violence in the region. That of course seen as very critical, with tens of thousands of U.S. military troops on the ground right now in the middle east -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: And we know that White House officials, the entire administration, must be watching what's going on in New York there. Still no word as to whether or not the U.S. would veto a resolution if it was put forward. Kathleen Koch at the White House tonight. Thanks so much.
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 - 16:38 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: The White House is closely monitoring the developments in the middle east. President Bush today phoned Israel's Prime Minister to discuss the suicide bombing and the strike that followed it.
Let's turn now to CNN's Kathleen Koch at the White House. Kathleen, I think some folks were surprised at the relatively restrained reaction that came from the White House today.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Andrea, you know, here at the White House they had indeed been anticipating that after that type of suicide bombing that Israel would take some sort of retaliatory strike, though, of course, striking out at Syria does carry this to a new level.
But the Bush Administration has been very critical, pretty much since it came into office, of Syria for its continued support of terrorist groups. For allowing both arms and militant fighters to flow across its border into Iraq. So in a regularly scheduled phone call today to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Mr. Bush refrained from criticizing Israel's attack.
A spokesman says that both men, though, did agree on the need to continue fighting terrorism but at the same time take every effort to avoid heightening tensions in the region. And the White House as well as many U.S. lawmakers insist that Israel does indeed have a right to defend itself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CARL LEVIN, (D-MI) ARMED SERVICES CMTE: All countries will consider what's next. But Israel has a right of self-defense like we would. If we knew where terrorists were being trained to come after us, we'd go after them. As a matter of fact, that's exactly what we did in Afghanistan when we went after the Taliban and Al Qaeda. We went after them in Afghanistan.
SEN. ARLEN SPECTER, (R) PENNSYLVANIA: The response by Israel in going into Syria is unprecedented, but I do believe that Israel can only take so much and we have 19 more Israelis massacred, and Israel has cause to identify the training camps inside of Syria. I would analogize that to the doctrine of hot pursuit. You can go across a line.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: The Bush administration is urging both Israel and Syria to refrain from any further actions that could lead to violence in the region. That of course seen as very critical, with tens of thousands of U.S. military troops on the ground right now in the middle east -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: And we know that White House officials, the entire administration, must be watching what's going on in New York there. Still no word as to whether or not the U.S. would veto a resolution if it was put forward. Kathleen Koch at the White House tonight. Thanks so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
