Posted on 08/19/2003 9:50:35 PM PDT by Cinnamon Girl
Dozens of families who had gone out to view the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem (MY NOTE: They were praying at the Kotel, the Western Wall, not "looking at it") were on Egged bus 49 when a suicide bomber blew himself up Tuesday night. All of the windows on the bus were shattered, and segments of the bus were blown out, leaving gaping holes.
"I saw young children and adults leaving the bus burnt," said a yeshiva student who studies in the area. He said that he saw a little girl lying on the street who said, "Take me away from here."
"I had just come home from praying at the Western Wall and
was heading home," said Zvi Weiss, an 18-year-old Jewish seminary student from New York City who sat in the front of the bus and escaped unharmed.
"The bomb went off at the back of the bus. Everything went black. I climbed out of the broken window and started running. All around me there were people covered in blood, screaming, some with limbs missing."
Ariel Cohen, who lives close to the site of the attack said, "I heard an explosion, I went outside and saw people in the street who were helping the wounded, and going inside the bus.
"I saw a mother and her two-year-old son sitting at the center of the bus, and one of the seats on the bus was on top of them, due to the force of the blast."
About 100 meters away, youths were celebrating the Bar Mitzvah of one of their friends. They had tried to board the bus, but the driver refused to let them on because the bus was already full of passengers.
International condemnations
The United States condemned the attack, and urged the Palestinians to dismantle the terrorist organizations.
"We condemn this act of terrorism in the strongest possible terms," White House spokesman Sean McCormack said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and the victims."
Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, who was meeting with Islamic Jihad representatives at the time of the blast, also condemned the attack and said he instructed the Palestinian security forces to investigate.
"I want to declare my full condemnation for this terrible act, which cannot serve the interests of the Palestinian people," he said.
Abbas decided early Wednesday to cut off connections with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, according to a top Palestinian official in Ramallah speaking under condition of anonymity. The Palestinian PM intends to take steps against both organizations, holding them respo nsible for damaging Palestinian national interests, the official said.
"We strongly condemn the attack and we are completely against putting the lives of civilians into danger," said Palestinian Minister of Information Nabil Amr.
He said the timing of the suicide bombing attack was very critical, coming at a time that efforts were being exerted to save the hudna.
The European Union's top foreign policy representative, Javier Solana, condemned the bombing and urged all sides to "to exert maximum influence on armed groups to stop all attacks."
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan condemned the suicide bombing, calling it a totally reprehensible terrorist attack, and extended his condolences for the families of the victims.
Annan urged Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas to “take decisive action” to arrest the instigators of the attack and prevent future violence. He also called on Israel to “act with restraint in the face of this provocation, and not to contribute to a renewed cycle of violence and revenge.”
Rescue workers carry an injured boy on a Jerusalem street Tuesday night, Aug. 19, 2003 after a suicide bomber blew himself up on a packed bus, killing at least 13 people and wounding 80, authorities said. Nobody immediately claimed responsibility. (AP Photo/APTN)
Prove it.
The time is now to take draconian measures and fix this crap.
Stay Safe CG !
This is the heart of the problem. Hudna isn't a lasting peace, it's a temporary pact to offer while the muslim regains his strength to fight on for Allah.
We're driving the roadmap for a temporary peace. It just can't be.
Isn't it time to fumigate?
They're too busy screaming.
And shame on Bush for tying the IDF's hands. He's losing my confidence and respect. You Bots don't like it - tough, get me banned!
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