To the Point

Yassin Assassination Sparks Another Crisis in the Middle East

For Israelis, Sheik Ahmed Yassin was -the godfather of suicide bombings,- but to Palestinians, the paraplegic religious leader was a symbol of helplessness, and his death has sparked outrage in the rest of the Arab world. The UN and the European Union have condemned Israel-s -targeted killing,- and it-s put the Bush administration in a very awkward position. With Israeli security services on high alert, Hamas has vowed to avenge the death of its spiritual leader, even as Israel promises more to come. Will Yassin's death make the terrorist group Hamas weaker or stronger? Will Israel suffer a new wave of violent attacks? Does President Bush-s -road map- have any future? Warren Olney looks at this latest Middle East crisis with Israelis and Palestinians, experts in Arab-Israeli relations, and a spokesperson for the European Union. Making News: 9-11 Hearings If one final diplomatic effort failed to get Osama bin Laden thrown out of Afghanistan, the Bush administration had decided to overthrow the Taliban. That-s from a preliminary report by the independent commission investigation September 11, which says the decision to use force was made on September 10, 2001. Michael Isikoff has been covering today-s public hearings by the commission for Newsweek magazine. Reporter's Notebook: Interview with Pakistan's Musharraf Ignites Media Frenzy Late last week, there was worldwide media speculation that al Qaeda-s number-two man had been cornered in Northwest Pakistan. After three days, it turned out that no -high-level- figure had been captured, and speculation about Ayman al-Zawahari subsided. How did the reports get started? What are the lessons for coverage of international events? Aaron Brown is the CNN anchor who was at the center of the media storm.