Suicide Bombing in Israel; Progress Report on Iraq
ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Center, this is</s>YOUR WORLD TODAY. MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: A deadly suicide bombing rocks a busy marketplace in northern Israel. Islamic Jihad militants say they did it.</s>ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And Washington holds its breath. What will a special prosecutor find about whether anyone in the top levels of the Bush administration illegally outed a CIA agent?</s>HOLMES: And the wrath of Wilma. People across Florida and the Caribbean try to pick up their lives. 6:00 p.m. right now in Hadera, on the coast of Israel; noon in Washington. Hello, everyone. I'm Michael Holmes.</s>KOPPEL: And I'm Andrea Koppel. Welcome to ow viewers around the world. This is CNN International, and this is</s>YOUR WORLD TODAY. HOLMES: And we begin with terror in the Israeli coastal town of Hadera. Israeli police say a suicide bomber has killed at least five people and wounded 21 others. Some of them critically. For more, let's go to John Vause in our Jerusalem bureau with the very latest. This period of calm, as it's being called, John, has frequently been interrupted.</s>JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, very much so, Michael. The latest attack now coming in this open-air marketplace in Hadera. Just over two hours now since a suicide bomber walked into this marketplace in the town of Hadera and detonated the explosives which left five people dead. We now know that at least 21 people have been hurt. According to hospital officials, six people are listed in serious conditions. The others are described as moderately hurt. Earlier, the militant group Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for this attack, saying it was revenge for the death of a senior Islamic Jihad leader during an Israeli military raid in the West Bank town of Tulkarem on Monday. That militant leader, Louis Sada (ph), shot to death by the Israeli army during a shoot-out in that raid in Tulkarem. Thousands attended the funeral of Sada (ph). And at the time, Islamic Jihad vowed revenge. That claim of responsibility coming from Islamic Jihad in Gaza. A short time ago we understand all of the wounded had been taken to the hospital. The area was being cleared. CNN's Guy Raz joins us now from the scene of the blast. He's on the phone with us. Guy, what can you see? What is the scene there now in that marketplace as you see it?</s>GUY RAZ, CNN CORRSPONDENT: John, as you mentioned, CNN has been able to confirm that five people have been killed, but just 10 seconds ago another body was taken out of this site. And I'm not sure if that would increase the death toll in this suicide bombing. But John, as you've seen in so many of these instances and these events, a scene of absolute chaos and pandemonium. That marketplace that you described is absolutely devastated. Shards of glass and blood stains here right in the center of the town of Hadera. You can also see members of the emergency rescue teams known at ZAKA here collecting all the remains, any remains, human remains that are on site. Of course, under Jewish law, it's required that all bodies be buried with as many of the remain as can be recovered. Now, as you say, we still believe that five have been killed in this attack. But just a short time ago, another body taken from this site. And it's unclear whether that would make it six people who have been killed, or if it was one of the five who were originally accounted for. But absolute and utter devastation. As I say, shattered glass, broken glass. Cars with shattered glass, completely destroyed and damaged with hoods opened, completely blown open by the force of this blast which was clearly very strong, indeed -- John.</s>VAUSE: Guy, we're coming to the end of the Jewish holiday periods, the end of school holidays here in Israel. There were a number of general warnings issued, nothing specific for the area of Hadera. But what type of people would have been in this marketplace at the time of the blast?</s>RAZ: Well, about 3:45 p.m. here would have been people doing their sort of afternoon shopping. Now, this was a holiday in a sense for some religious Jews, a holiday known as Simchat Torah. Some observed it yesterday. So it wasn't really an official holiday in the country in the sense that things weren't shut down. Things were open. Markets were bustling, people were coming to buy things, bread, produce, clothing, for example. Hadera, as you know, John, is a middle class town. It's a heavily Russian town as well. Many immigrants from Russia live here in this town. Also, a sizable working class population community here. It's about 20 miles north of Tel Aviv. And I believe -- I believe this is the first time in the history of this community here that there has been such a devastating suicide blast on this scale -- John.</s>HOLMES: Guy, Michael Holmes here at CNN Center. Familiar, tragically familiar scenes of carnage. But as John reported earlier, Islamic Jihad saying that this is a response to the killing of one of their senior leaders. The cycle, that never-ending cycle of violence, it would appear, continues.</s>RAZ: It would indeed, Michael. Of course, it's impossible to speculate on what may happen next, whether there may be some kind of retaliatory or counter-retaliatory strike, whether this will continue further on and on. Now, of course it's been about six weeks since Israel withdrew its last soldiers from the Gaza Strip, formally ending Israel's 38- year civilian and military presence in that strip of land. But militant groups, particularly in the West Bank, believe that it was militant activity, believe it was attacks like this which throw the Israelis out of Gaza. And there has been some indication for quite some time that militant groups would continue their attacks and, in fact, might even step up their attacks beginning shortly after that Gaza withdrawal ended. It's possible we are seeing the beginning of that now -- Michael.</s>HOLMES: Yes. Now, as we pointed out, and as we cover, Israeli operations continue in the West Bank. And as we see, militant operations continue, too. In this case, killing innocent people in Hadera. But at the key, at the core of this, Guy, is the -- is the demand by Israel that the Palestinian Authority crack down on those who would carry out operations like this. The reality, it appears, is that, despite their good intentions of some within the PA, they are impotent when it comes to controlling groups like Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al Aqsa.</s>RAZ: Well, I mean, that's absolutely the case and the argument that the Palestinian Authority has been making. And there is a lot of evidence to suggest that, in fact, it's very, very difficult for Palestinian leaders like Mahmoud Abbas to control these groups like Islamic Jihad and Hamas, those two groups in particular. Where it becomes a bit poor complicated for Mahmoud Abbas, is when groups like the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades carry out these kinds of attacks. Because, of course, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades is loosely affiliated with Mr. Abbas' own fatah organization. Now, he may not have command and control over these groups, and it's very unlikely that he does, in fact, have any say over whether these groups carry out these attacks. So in these kinds of cases what generally happens, and what Mr. Abbas will likely do, is very rapidly disavow these attacks, and perhaps even disavow the groups that carry them out. But we do know that Hamas, for example, which does, of course, have a military wing that does carry out these kinds of operations, will be taking part in the upcoming Palestinian parliamentary elections. And this is something that the Israeli government has opposed, something the Palestinian Authority says is necessary for the continuation of democracy in the Palestinian areas -- Michael.</s>HOLMES: As always, Guy, thanks very much. Guy Raz there, giving us a very full report there on this suicide bombing in Hadera on the Israeli coast.</s>KOPPEL: Continuing with the story, Israeli officials say the bombing highlights the lack of action by the Palestinian Authority to prevent attacks by militants. Mark Regeve is the Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman, and he joins us now live from Jerusalem. Mark, obviously, the question that's going to be on the minds of many after the scene there has been cleaned up and people get to the hospital, is going to be, what is your government's next move? Can we expect some kind of retaliation?</s>MARK REGEV, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY: Well, obviously, Andrea, it's a very difficult day for Israelis. I mean, it's an especially difficult day for the people of Hadera, who in 2002, 2003, suffered a whole series of suicide bombings and had a period of quiet. And today they were attacked again. I think it just shows once more very clearly that there are groups out there, groups like Hamas, groups like Islamic Jihad, that don't want to see a process of reconciliation take place between Israelis and Palestinians, don't want to see a political process. All they want to see is violent jihad. And as your reporter, Guy Raz, said, I think very clearly, Israel's demand is that the Palestinian Authority take the guns away from these groups. Now, it's not Israel's request alone. You know, Andrea, that's the position of the U.S. government. That's the position of the Europeans. That's the position of the U.N. It's the position of the Russians. I think it's the position of the entire international community. Mr. Abbas has to take the guns away from these killers.</s>KOPPEL: Let's talk about that, Mark, because the last time that Secretary of State Rice was in Israel and went to the Palestinian territories I was actually with her. And I spoke to Palestinian officials. This was before the Gaza withdrawal. And we heard clearly from the Palestinian Authority, saying once Israel withdraws, once it withdraws its troops and its citizens from Gaza, there's going to be a vacuum there that is going to be filled by the militants, because their security forces, the Palestinian Authority security forces, don't have enough guns and cars and all the things you would need to actually patrol properly. Do you buy that?</s>REGEV: I think there are capabilities in the Palestinian Authority. I think the international community can work together to help enhance those capabilities. And Israel will play our part, too. But ultimately, it's a political decision. I mean, Mr. Abbas has said publicly he wants to see one authority, one gun. He wants to see these different groups disarmed. And he's made that statement today. He's condemned this terrible attack in Hadera. But we want to see the follow-through. It's not just Israel. The whole international community wants to see him follow through and take the guns away from these groups who do these terrible attacks. How can there be a peace process if we see attacks like this?</s>KOPPEL: So how do you propose that -- that President Abbas do that? How can his forces go in and disarm Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al Aqsa, all of these various groups which are clearly more powerful than Palestinian Authority security forces?</s>REGEV: I think the question is how can he not do it? How can he hope to lay the foundations for a future Palestinian state? How can he have elections that really matter? How can he have a Palestinian parliament that can really matter? How can he build a future state for the Palestinian people unless he deals with this rampant lawlessness? You have a situation today in the Palestinian Authority of organized anarchy. He has to act to fulfill his own commitment to his voters. I mean, what do Palestinian elections matter if every different group has a gun and has a policy of its own? You have organized chaos, organized anarchy. Those people who really want to see the best interests of the Palestinians advanced have to support the demand of the international community, that these murderous groups be disarmed.</s>KOPPEL: Mark Regev, joining us from Jerusalem on this extremely difficult day for the people of Israel. Thank you very much. Well, for all of the latest headlines, including the bombing in Israel, you can log on to the international edition of the CNN Web site. The address is cnn.com/international.</s>HOLMES: Well, attention is palpable, we're told, at the White House as a special prosecutor wraps up a two-year criminal probe into the leak of a CIA officer's identity. Two top aides to the U.S. president and vice president could face criminal charges. We're going to get some more understanding on this. We have with us there on the left of your screen Bob Franken in Washington. Dana Bash is at the White house. Let's start with you, Bob. This potentially could be explosive for the Bush administration.</s>BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Potentially it could be, if there are indictments levied, handed up against some of the top officials here. That is obviously politically explosive, to say nothing about the questions that it raises for those who would be involved. So here you have the special prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald, meeting with the grand jury today. Unknown whether he is going to come up with any indictments or not. We are told that there will be no announcement today, but that raises possibilities that there would be secret indictments, or no decision has been made, or that the grand jury, which has a deadline of Friday, could be extended, if he gets the judge to give permission. Meanwhile, the top White House aides leave their homes and venture into uncertainty. Karl Rove did that again this morning under the harsh glare of cameras as he got into his car without saying anything meaningful and going to the White House. The same is true to Lewis Scooter Libby, who is the vice president's chief of staff. Both of their names have come up repeatedly in disclosures about the grand jury and the direction of the special prosecutor. As charges are considered, that would either involve the naming of an undercover CIA operative -- that's the underlying law. Remember, this is an investigation almost two years old and to the disclosure that Valerie Plame was an undercover CIA operative. She's the husband -- she's the wife, rather, of a critic of the administration. So there would be a determination that this was done intentionally. Other charges, however, that the special prosecutor's been known to explore include the so-called cover-up allegations. It could include perjury, obstruction of justice, that type of thing, and the standby conspiracy. Lastly, there has been some discussion about the possible role of Vice President Cheney, discussion meaning that we know that the special prosecutor has on occasion asked questions about that. But right now, as you said, the tension is palpable at the White House. Outside the courthouse I think it's fair to say that the impatience is palpable.</s>HOLMES: From the courthouse, Bob Franken. Let's go to the White House, where Dana Bash is standing by. Dana, we talked a little earlier about the potential damage to the White House of this, the remainder of the administration's term. George Bush, we've heard him in the last few days really consciously staying focused on other issues and just referring to background chatter and the like. But how worried are people in the corridors there?</s>DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Very. Very worried. Certainly you just described it here, the scene. And that is, the MO is to sort of go on with business as usual. But I can tell you that the news this morning that there will likely not be any public news from Fitzgerald, any announcements whether there will be indictments or not, that actually is not necessarily a good thing for the mood here at the White House. They're just about ready to let the air out of the balloon here. I talked to one aide here just a short while ago who said, "Whatever happens, I wish it would just happen." Look, they have their TVs on. They see that the special prosecutor is going in to meet with the grand jury. They hear our reports that there have been late interviews yesterday with a former Bush official, talking about, asking questions about Karl Rove's role in this whole inquiry, in this whole leaks issue. So that is sort of what's going on behind the scenes. In public, you're right. We saw our president just a short while ago walk across the driveway, wave as he went to go on with a meeting with the congressional leaders. He had a bill-signing. He'll have several other meetings and a speech later on today. In a short while, we're going to hear from the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, who's here in the briefing room. So that's what they're trying to do in public. But I can tell you, Michael, behind the scenes, very quietly, they are planning for the "what ifs." What if something actually happens? What if a top official is indicted if there are announcements? They're planning for a presidential speech shortly after that happens.</s>HOLMES: Interesting times, as the Chinese would day. Bob Franken and Dana Bash, thanks to both of you.</s>KOPPEL: A new poll shows Americans are divided over whether the White House did anything illegal or even unethical in the CIA leak case. In a CNN "USA-Today"-Gallup poll, 39 percent of respondents said some Bush administration officials acted illegally. But the same percentage said they acted unethically but didn't act illegal. Ten percent of them say they did nothing wrong at all. Meanwhile, President Bush's job approval rating has rebounded a little bit after hitting an all-time low just last week. In the latest poll, 42 percent of respondents said they approve of the way Mr. Bush is handling his job. We're going to have much more on those -- on those numbers later in the program.</s>HOLMES: All right. Want to go now to the White House, I believe, where the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, is speaking to reporters. Let's listen in.</s>ZALMAY KHALILZAD, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: ... of the Iraqi people turning out to vote, and 78 percent of the voters casting their ballots in favor of the draft constitution. This is a landmark moment for Iraq. It places Iraq in the vanguard of nations in the broader Middle East, moving toward a system of government that is based on the will of the people and that will respect the rights of all individuals. Success in Iraq, both for Iraqis and for Americans, depends on whether the Iraqi leaders can agree on a national compact, a vision for the new Iraq that has the support of Iraq's communities. The ratification of the constitution signals major progress toward that goal. In negotiating the constitution, Iraqis on all sides of all major issues worked toward compromise. Sometimes the talks were difficult and some of the compromises did not come easily. We can take heart that the process of overcoming differences through negotiations, not conflict, has begun to take root.</s>KHALILZAD: Also, for those who voted against the document, an avenue exists for further changes that can be made by the next assembly. Like the U.S. Constitution, this is a living document that can be adjusted if necessary to reflect the values and needs of the Iraqi people. There were no winners or losers among the Iraqi people. By casting his or her vote, every Iraqi was winning a victory for democracy in Iraq. The only losers in this referendum were the terrorists and the Saddamists who want to destroy the democratic aspirations of the people of Iraq. Though more remains to be done to overcome the divisions in Iraqi society, the process of forging and implementing a national compact is under way. I will continue to work with the Iraqi leaders to facilitate this process as they move toward national elections in December and the formation of a new government. It's important to avoid becoming jaded about events as historic as this constitution. This is a breakthrough for this region. Never before has a major country in the Arab world freely elected representatives to draft a constitution that would then be submitted to the people for ratification in an open, free and fair process. Iraqis have vindicated the fact that the ideas of rule by the people and the sanctity of individual rights are indeed universal; that they can be the basis for politics and government in the Middle East, just as they have been in successful countries in the Americas, in Europe and parts of Asia. Americans should be proud of the role that we as a nation are playing in Iraq. We are supporting the needed political and economic transformation of the broader Middle East, because authoritarianism and repression breeds the kind of terrorists who struck us on September the 11th.</s>KHALILZAD: Yet we are fighting not just with armed forces, but also with the power of ideas, of freedom and democracy. It is in favor of these ideas and the hopes and the possibilities that spring from them that the Iraqi people have so resoundingly voted. Thank you very much. I'll be glad to take your questions.</s>QUESTION: You spoke about that more needs to be done to erase the divisions in the Iraqi society. What do you think is the biggest hurdle there?</s>KHALILZAD: Of course, there are several issues on which the Iraqis are divided at the present time. One is on the issue of federalism. Some Iraqis see federalism as a way to keep the country together; others see it as a pathway toward fragmentation. They have reached a compromise because there has been an acceptance in the constitution of the principle of federalism, but at the present time it's limited only to the Kurdish area. But the next assembly will decide whether and how many additional federal units will be formed. There's also a difference of view with regard to the role of Islam. And they have reached a compromise on that which respects the role of Islam but at the same time emphasizes that principles of democracy as well as the human rights...</s>HOLMES: All right. The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, speaking there to reporters at the White House, giving something of a progress report on developments in Iraq. We're going to take a short break. We will be back, however, with much more.