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At least 10 dead in Jerusalem suicide bombing
At least 10 people were killed and 45 wounded -- many seriously -- Thursday morning when a suicide bomber detonated aboard a bus on Azza Street, near Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharonâs residence in Jerusalem, Israeli police and medical sources said. The bomber also died in the attack.Yeah, they usually do. Sharon was at his ranch at the time of the blast aboard bus No. 19 , traveling from the Hadassa Ein Karem hospital. The blast also happened near Cafe Moment, where a suicide bomber killed 11 people and wounded dozens of others in March 2002. The bombing came as Israel and Hezbollah were to begin a historic prisoner exchange Thursday at an undisclosed airfield in Germany. Israeli officials said the suicide attack would not affect the prisoner swap, which has begun. Anxious to get rid of them? The explosion also occurred a day after Israeli troops clashed with Palestinian militants in fierce, prolonged street battles across Gaza City, killing eight Palestinians. The eight deaths were followed by demands for reprisals at angry funeral processions. ...followed by demands for refunds for their crappy AK47s. Sharon adviser Dore Gold said Thursdayâs suicide attack had been planned for "weeks" and was not in response to the deadly Gaza raid. The suicide attack drew an immediate condemnation from chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat. "We always condemn targeting of civilians -- Israeli or Palestinian." he said. "This cycle can only end through the resumption of a meaningful peace process. I urge the [Mideast] Quartet to revive their role and provide monitors on the ground." Israeli officials said the attack proved the need for what Israel calls a "security fence," intended to block terrorists from entering the country. "Only the completion of Israelâs security fence -- which some are trying to stop using the U.N. and the International Court of Justice -- will finally provide security for Israelis against these kinds of attacks," Gold said. Next month, the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, will debate the legality of the barrier, which Palestinians call a "wall" and believe is an Israeli attempt at a land grab. Sharon senior adviser Raanan Gissin called Thursdayâs attack "the ultimate deposition to be sent to the international court... This horrendous terrorist attack is the ultimate proof that no one in the world has the moral right or authority to tell us how and in what way we should defend our citizensâ right to life." Erakat said the attack shows that the security barrier is useless. Hold on, it hasnât been electrified yet. "This just shows today that the answer to Israeli security is not going to be achieved through walls and settlements and incursions and the occupation," he said, blaming the barrier for "suffocating Palestinians, turning our villages, towns and refugee camps into big prisons." You can thank Arafat for that. The violence has complicated modest moves toward reviving the U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan and threatened another escalation in more than three years of Palestinian-Israeli violence. Posted by: Rafael 2004-01-29 |
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