Militant Palestinian Groups Criticizing Attack on Americans Today
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We've told you time and time gain about Israelis being the targets of Middle East terrorism. Today it was Americans riding in a diplomatic convoy through Gaza. Is this a change in tactics for those bent on blowing up the peace process? CNN's Chris Burns now from Gaza City -- Chris.</s>CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles. Condemnation from all the Americans, Israelis and Palestinians. But take a look at this. This is condemnation from a number of Palestinian militant groups who say and criticize this attack as being the wrong thing to do and do, some of them commend the Americans for trying to take a leadership role in the Middle East peace process. This very, very disturbing event for many people here in this region. The mangled, twisted image of a Chevrolet SUV completely obliterated by this blast digging a three-foot hole in the ground here in Gaza. What had happened according to officials on the ground is there was an escort by Palestinian police who were escorting this three- vehicle U.S. convoy. The front American vehicle that was blown to bits had security, private security in it. They -- among them three killed and one seriously injured. He's in stable condition. The other two vehicles had diplomats in them. According to U.S. ambassador Daniel Kurtzer at least one of their missions today was to go talk to Fulbright Scholarship applicants among Palestinians here in Gaza. So that has disturbed the Palestinian leadership. It has disturbed, of course, the Israeli leadership. And the Americans calling for justice as well, this being the first attack that is directed at American officials during this three-year-old Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation. But up to now, so far, no group has been confirmed to have taken responsibility for this. So if this is a new tactic, it's not by the main militant groups, at least so far -- Miles.</s>O'BRIEN: Chris, the U.S. has been critical of Israeli reprisals, singling out leaders of these terror groups. Will it be likely that perhaps the Israelis might offer up some sort of volley in return on behalf of the Americans?</s>BURNS: Well there might very well be, but it has not been expressed explicitly. And according to Daniel Kurtzer, the U.S. ambassador in Israel, he seems to imply that they want to bring these people to justice in sort of a legal way, to try to arrest them and bring them to justice. There's no talk about eye for an eye here and actually going after, striking at militant groups. This appears -- and also you might see this as putting pressure on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to finally agree to his government to consolidate the security forces so they can get a handle on these militant groups. So it does appear that the strategy by the U.S. is more of a diplomatic and legal response, at least so far -- Miles.</s>O'BRIEN: Chris Burns in Gaza. Thanks. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com Americans Today>