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American Morning

Rocket Attacks; Israeli vs. Israeli; Fatal Tiger Attack

Aired August 19, 2005 - 07:29   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's just about half past the hour on this American Friday morning. I'm Miles O'Brien.
COSTELLO: Happy Friday. I'm Carol Costello filling in for Soledad.

Coming up, back to the developing story from Jordan of this series of rocket attacks aimed at a pair of U.S. Navy ships.

O'BRIEN: It brings to mind what happened to the USS Cole, October of 2000. We'll talk to a Navy commander about new security procedures for American vessels in the Middle East. We'll get an update on the situation there.

But before we do that, let's check the headlines. Kelly Wallace here this morning.

Good morning -- Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: A busy, busy news morning, right?

O'BRIEN: Yes, it is.

WALLACE: All right. Good to see both of you. Good morning, everyone.

And here are some of the other stories "Now in the News."

Pope Benedict XVI on a history-making trip to Germany, reaching out to the Jewish community there. Pope Benedict called for -- quote -- "sincere and trustful dialogue between Christians and Jews" during a visit to a synagogue in Cologne. The visit is part of a trip to his homeland for World Youth Day events. He is following in his predecessor's footsteps, John Paul II, who was the first pope to visit a synagogue back in 1986.

The antiwar protest in Texas is going on without Cindy Sheehan -- for now. After nearly two weeks, Sheehan has left Texas for California to be with her ailing mother.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CINDY SHEEHAN, SON KILLED IN IRAQ: We just had a terrible phone call, my sister and I. My mom just had a stroke. So we'll be going back to Los Angeles. I'm going to assess the situation. If I can, I'll be back. If I can't, I won't be back. But I will be back as soon as possible. Until then, we have other gold star moms here, gold star family members, military families to speak out, and they'll continue the mission while we're gone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: And Sheehan had vowed to remain at the Texas camp until President Bush met with her or until his month-long working vacation ended.

Coretta Scott King, the widow of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., has a long road to recovery. An Atlanta doctor confirms King suffered a major stroke and a mild heart attack earlier this week. She's apparently not able to speak or fully move her right side, but does recognize her surroundings. The 78-year-old will remain hospitalized for at least several more days.

And people in southern Wisconsin are cleaning up after a deadly tornado. Just take a look at some of this amazing footage. One person was reportedly killed, several others injured. Dozens of homes were damaged. State officials are expected to survey the damage today.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: A mortar attack aimed at the U.S. Navy and an Israeli resort town this morning. Three rockets fired in all. One hit the Israeli resort town of Eilat. Two more crossed the port of Aqaba in Jordan, where two U.S. ships were moored in the midst of a training mission.

U.S. Navy commander Jeff Breslau on the phone now from Bahrain.

Commander, good to have you with us. Just bring us up to date on the basics of what happened and when it happened.

CMDR. JEFF BRESLAU, U.S. NAVY: Sure. Good morning, Miles.

Actually, we're only reporting that one rocket was fired in the direction of the two U.S. ships there. One was USS Ashland, and the other is USS Kearsarge. Fortunately, no U.S. sailors or Marines were injured in the attack that occurred at approximately 8:45 local this morning. The rocket missed the Ashland and impacted on a warehouse on the pier.

O'BRIEN: And tell us a little bit about the USS Ashland and the USS Kearsarge. These are both amphibious assault ships, correct? And they were there on a training mission. I think we have a picture of the Ashland. Quite literally a shot across the bow here. How many sailors and Marines on board?

BRESLAU: Go ahead.

O'BRIEN: Commander, I'm just trying to get a sense of how many sailors and Marines would have been on board the Ashland.

BRESLAU: OK. Both the USS Ashland and the USS Kearsarge are part of an expeditionary strike group that deploys with Marines embarked. And the Marines that are embarked aboard these ships are part of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. They all deployed through this region in support of the global war on terrorism, Operation Iraqi Freedom. And while they're in the region, they also conduct engagement opportunities, exercises with our regional partners and allies.

The Kearsarge has a total compliment, just on the Navy side, of around 2,000 personnel. The Ashland is a little bit smaller than that. But both travel together and compliment each other's mission.

O'BRIEN: And they have both left port, correct?

BRESLAU: Correct. That's the prudent thing to do in a situation like this, is account for your personnel and then just get under way and assess the situation from that point.

O'BRIEN: Ever since the USS Cole was attacked October, 2000, 17 sailors killed, a suicide attack, a lot of changes in how the U.S. Navy does business, particularly in the Middle East. And security, obviously, uppermost. I know you can't go through specifics. But at this juncture, were those ships properly secured? Were all of those security measures which were employed after Cole actually used in this case?

BRESLAU: Yes. And they always are. And when we pull in, we work very closely with the host nation to conduct a threat assessment in the area prior to the ships pulling in. And then extensive force protection measures are implemented, both with people and with sensors, while the ships are in port. And, obviously, there's never a 100 percent guarantee, and I think it's unrealistic to expect that. But in this case, everything that should have been done was prior to the ships pulling in and while they were there.

O'BRIEN: Commander, if this had been a direct hit by one of these mortars, how much damage would one of these things do.

BRESLAU: I don't know. I don't have the specifics on the mortar itself, on the rocket that flew over the ship, so I wouldn't be able to accurately describe, depending on where it impacted to the ship, how much damage, based on what it possibly would have hit. There's really no way for me to accurately describe that.

O'BRIEN: All right. We're looking at pictures, by the way, of Aqaba today. You saw a picture of the USS Ashland, which was some file picture. Commander Jeff Breslau, thanks for your time.

BRESLAU: You're welcome.

O'BRIEN: Carol.

COSTELLO: Most of the Jewish settlers in Gaza have now been evacuated. Israeli forces won't force any more of the resisters to leave until Sunday, after the Jewish Sabbath.

In the meantime, psychologists are counseling soldiers. Many lived and worked in Gaza, and some of the settlers they had to evict are friends and neighbors. CNN's Matthew Chance now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For Israel's security forces, the toughest orders to carry out, evacuating Jewish settlers from Gaza, evicting their own. For them and this country, a wrenching task.

Officers like Rafi Ron, part of a special evacuation unit trained for this, but are torn by it all the same.

RAFI RON, ISRAELI OFFICER: It's hard. It affects you. I won't tell you it, you know, goes next to you and you don't hear it. But we try to do what we can. I mean, we try to, you know, step aside, I mean, in your mind, and just focus on what you have to do.

CHANCE: And emotions here are fever pitched. Jewish settlers venting their fury. The forces they depend on for security in Gaza seeming to turn against them now.

"You're like Nazis," some shout, just carrying out orders. Others pleading for their young families, whose only home has been these settlements, to be allowed to stay. Guilt among those charged with removing them is widely felt.

RON: The little children, because they've been taken out from the toys and little bicycles and stuff like that. I mean, I'm thinking of my own son and my own daughter. It's hard.

CHANCE: Hard, but now unstoppable.

(on camera): These are traumatic scenes for the people of Israel. Israeli against Israeli in pitched battles of wills as this Gaza disengagement plan is enforced. And when this is over, many are concerned about how the divisions that have been opened here will ever be closed.

(voice over): A wound in Israeli society, many like Rafi pray can heal.

RON: I can just hope. It's going to be hard. It's going to be difficult. It's going to take time. But I hope one day they will understand that. I mean, I just did what I had to do, and that's it. That's my job.

CHANCE: But for those whose dreams of a Jewish Gaza have been shattered, it may be impossible to forgive.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Shirat Hayam, Gaza.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: The disengagement is difficult for the rest of Israel as the country watches soldiers wrestle settlers in Gaza.

Ari Shavit is a columnist for the Israeli newspaper, "Ha'aretz."

Welcome.

ARI SHAVIT, COLUMNIST, "HA'ARETZ": Good morning.

COSTELLO: You know, we're seeing these riveting pictures of Israeli soldiers removing settlers from Gaza, from their homes and synagogues. But you say this is necessary. Why do you say that?

SHAVIT: First of all, this is a real Israeli tragedy. Israel is evacuating 8,000 people. For the United States, that would mean evacuating 400,000 American citizens, who have been living in a certain territory for generations. Evacuating God-loving, hard- working, decent people after such a long time is a real tragedy.

But actually, there is a real Israeli triumph here, because what you see behind these difficult pictures is really Israel's willingness to become a truly moderate and rational state. You see a real determination on the part of Israel, the majority in government, to try to deal with the settlement problem and to really come clean as far as our relationships with the Palestinians are concerned.

And therefore, there's real tragedy here, but in many ways, something really promising for the future as far as Israel is concerned.

COSTELLO: You know, it's interesting. Iran's supreme leader came out and said today that this is actually a defeat for Israel. He says it shows negotiation will never solve a territorial dispute. What do Israelis feel about that?

SHAVIT: This is the task ahead, because, if this really benign Israeli act will be interpreted throughout the region as an act of surrender and defeat, if this will encourage violence and Islamic Arab radicalism, that will be a real tragedy not only for Israel, but for the region.

Therefore, I think there is a real danger there, and many Israelis are concerned about the future. But the concern is not only Israeli. I think it's up to the United States and the international community to make it very clear to Palestinians and radical Arabs throughout that they must not misinterpret this act, and that the step coming after the disengagement must be a step that proves that the Palestinians can deal with their radical minority in the same way that Israel dealt with its extremists. And therefore, it's really, really...

COSTELLO: How can the United States do it that? How can it help?

SHAVIT: I think that really, first of all, Israel must be hugged and supported, because it is going through a national trauma. It is going through a real difficult, deep, painful experience.

We just saw the pope in Germany. Jewish history is the history of being uprooted time after time. And for Israelis, for Jewish Israelis, to uproot their brothers now is really a deep trauma, going to the source of Israeli and Jewish identity.

The world must understand this tragedy, this sorrow, and that Israel is going this trauma, I would say, Israel is going through, and must be much more supportive in coming years and must address its justified concerns. And I think that, if together the international community, Israel, moderate Israel work together, I think there is a chance that the more productive, more constructive forces in the Arab world and in Palestine would have the upper hand. And then we will not see more rocket attacks like the one we saw this morning...

COSTELLO: You know...

SHAVIT: But we will see more constructive forces.

COSTELLO: And I did want to ask you about the rocket attack this morning. Are you hearing any more about it?

SHAVIT: I think it's still unclear. But what is obvious and what is serious here is that Jordan, which is a very pro-western country, it has a peace accord with Israel. It has a very close relationship with America. Jordan now has extreme Islamic cells in it.

This is the bottom line here, and this proves to all of us that there is simmering terror throughout this region, not only because of American occupation of Iraq, not only because of Israeli occupation of the West Bank, but because there is a deep problem of terror throughout this region. And I think this is troubling news. But, again, it puts the burden on the west, on Israel, to be at the -- on the one hand, generous in its relationships with Arab countries around, but very firm in not surrendering to terror and not accepting violence as part -- as diplomacy and as something that is really affecting the future of this region in a dangerous way.

COSTELLO: Thanks so much for your comments this morning. Ari Shavit of "Ha'aretz" -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Still to come on the program, a teenager attacked and killed by a tiger during a photo shoot at an animal sanctuary. We'll tell you the story next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: A small Kansas community shocked and saddened this morning after a Siberian tiger mauled a 17-year-old girl to death. Haley Hilderbrand was taking her class picture with the animal yesterday when it suddenly lunged at her and killed her. Today, Haley's classmates return to school for their first full day of classes since the attack.

Labette County school superintendent Dennis Wilson is joining us now from Altamont, Kansas.

Good to have you with us. Dr. Wilson. I can only imagine how difficult a day at school it's going to be. How is everybody doing, the family in particular? DENNIS WILSON, LABETTE COUNTY SCHOOL SUPT.: Thank you, Miles.

The family is doing quite well under the circumstances. I think today the students are going to have a very sorrowful, tearful day, however.

O'BRIEN: I should say so. Tell us about this custom or practice. How common is it for high school kids, in your part of the world, to get pictures taken with these rare animals at this sanctuary?

WILSON: Well, I think it's become more common here in southeast Kansas, because of the fact of the sanctuary's existence. And the trainer has some tigers and probably other exotic animals that he has reared from their birth. And being a trainer, he has allowed young people to take pictures with the animals, and that's what occurred yesterday.

O'BRIEN: OK. I don't know that this is the particular animal. These are just file pictures that we're looking at as we speak to you, Dr. Wilson. Let me ask you this. The idea of taking a picture with something as dangerous as a tiger, as a parent, I don't think I would allow my child to do that. Do you condone this practice?

WILSON: Well, Miles, it's not a school activity, so we don't condone it or not condone it. It's strictly up to parents and the young people who have their senior pictures taken. So, like I said, there's an increased number of young people, particularly for senior pictures, that have had their pictures taken with a tiger.

O'BRIEN: So the school doesn't take a stand on this, because this is completely outside the school system.

WILSON: This is completely outside the school system.

O'BRIEN: But the pictures end up in the yearbook, is that right?

WILSON: The student has a choice of what picture from the shoot, their senior picture shoot that they would like to have put in the yearbook. That's correct.

O'BRIEN: All right. And as I understand it, you have a yearbook with you. Is that correct?

WILSON: Well, I don't right now.

O'BRIEN: OK. All right. So you don't have an example of these kinds of shots.

WILSON: No, I don't.

O'BRIEN: OK. This is Haley Hilderbrand from a previous yearbook. Obviously, this is not the picture in question.

WILSON: That's correct. O'BRIEN: I'm just curious, going forward here, will the school take a stand on this and just say, this is not a good idea, and we do not condone this? And as a matter of fact, we should stop this practice? Or has the sanctuary already done that? Or is this a moot issue because no parent at this point would allow this?

WILSON: Well, I don't know, to tell you the truth, Miles. I haven't thought at this moment about what position the school should take. I think parents should be very aware and think very carefully and critically about having a picture taken with a wild animal. And knowing the owner of the sanctuary, I think he will self-police, and this is probably the last time we will see pictures taken with tigers.

O'BRIEN: I suspect so. I wonder how they are doing there. It's got to be a terrible thing in the wake of all of this. Tell me a little bit also about what you plan for students today. Is there going to be some special counseling, a special period of time to think about what's gone on here?

WILSON: Yes. This is our first full day of school with 9th through 12th graders. Yesterday it was a half a day for freshmen. We have approximately 12 counselors, 8 of whom are crisis counselors from local school districts that will be here to visit with students and staff. This has impacted our staff, because the young lady, Haley Hilderbrand, her stepfather is our technology director in the district. So he's worked with many -- well, he's worked actually with everyone in our school district. So it's shocking to everyone.

O'BRIEN: I should say so. Dennis Wilson, school superintendent of Labette County in Kansas. Thanks for your time. Good luck today.

WILSON: Thank you, Miles. Thank you.

COSTELLO: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, we are "Minding Your Business." Find out why the nation's theater owners are fired up over comments by Disney's new CEO. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Oh, Disney's new CEO is already getting some nasty reviews from theater owners. That and what we can expect when the market opens today.

Ali Velshi in for Andy today. Oh, what did he say?

ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bob Iger, I mean, he's largely been well-received by...

COSTELLO: He's kind of a quiet guy, isn't he?

VELSHI: Yes. And he hasn't quite taken the helm of Disney yet. And the analyst called, because he's the incoming CEO. He said, and I'll tell you what he said. He said, I don't think it's out of the question that a DVD could be released, in fact, within the same window as a theatrical release, although I'm sure we'll get a fair amount of pushback there from the industry. Guess what? He got a pushback from the industry.

COSTELLO: So he wants to release the DVD and the movie at the same time?

VELSHI: Yes. Right. And...

COSTELLO: And people can choose.

VELSHI: ... the theater industry has responded the way you would think they would respond. It's like, what are you talking about? Obviously the idea is they would...

COSTELLO: Well, he's going to make money either way. So what is...

VELSHI: Yes. And then why would you -- if you know that the DVD is coming out as close to the theatrical release as it is, you would probably wait unless you really like the movie-going experience, which costs more.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

VELSHI: So Bob Iger might be right. I don't know how you get more revenue out of that, though, because, you know, I think if you release the movie and then the DVD comes out later, maybe you liked the movie and you bought the DVD, but if they're both coming out in the same window, I don't know. I haven't seen a movie in a long time, so...

COSTELLO: People aren't going to movies that much anymore.

VELSHI: No.

COSTELLO: So you have to change your way of thinking, right?

VELSHI: Did you see that penguins movie?

COSTELLO: Yes.

VELSHI: That's the last thing I saw, because everyone was talking about it. But you're right. That's exactly the point. People aren't going to movies the same way they used to.

COSTELLO: Exactly. OK. A check on the markets.

VELSHI: The markets are doing -- well, they're expected to do a little better right now. Oil is up on this rocket attack from Jordan. And the Dow closed yesterday 4 points higher, the Nasdaq 9 points lower, and the S&P is off just about flat. We'll see how it opens in a little while.

COSTELLO: You didn't like the penguin movie, did you?

VELSHI: It was fun for 10 or 12 minutes. It's the same thing. It's an hour-and-a-half of penguins waddling about. And that's kind of cute. But it eventually gets a little bit... O'BRIEN: A 10-minute movie in that two hours.

VELSHI: That's right. That would have been a nice vignette.

O'BRIEN: All right.

COSTELLO: I knew he didn't like it.

O'BRIEN: Thank you very much. Yes, that was a pretty good waddle you got going there, by the way.

VELSHI: Two hours of watching, and you'll get it.

O'BRIEN: Yes. In a moment, we are "Paging Dr. Gupta" for a look at exercise-related injuries for the not so young. Who are we speaking of this morning, I should say?

COSTELLO: Ali.

O'BRIEN: Ali. Well, he'll have advice on what you can do to stay fit without getting hurt.

VELSHI: Do you think it was a penguin?

O'BRIEN: Stay on the couch. I don't know. Waddle. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Breaking news this morning out of the Middle East, rocket attacks aimed at U.S. Navy vessels. Fortunately, just a close call. We'll keep you posted. We'll go live at the Pentagon. We have reporters all throughout the region as well. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

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