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American Morning

Israel Storming into Lebanon; India on Edge

Aired July 12, 2006 - 08:00   ET

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

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news from the Middle East. Israel storming into its northern neighbor, Lebanon. We're live on this story for u.
BRIANNA KEILER, CNN ANCHOR: And India on edge, the country trying to go back to work after those deadly commuter train bombings. And this morning, still no claim of responsibility.

O'BRIEN: Fierce fires out West. Evacuations underway as we speak. And those fires are spreading. A state of emergency there.

KEILER: And preparing and protecting this hurricane season. Boarding up getting more sophisticated on this AMERICAN MORNING.

O'BRIEN: Good morning to you.

I'm Miles O'Brien.

KEILER: And I'm Brianna Keiler in for Soledad today.

O'BRIEN: Some breaking news in the Middle East this morning. A dramatic escalation of violence on a new front. It's happening on Israel's northern border with Lebanon. Israeli forces have crossed the border, pounding Hezbollah fighters. The invasion coming after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers, apparently an attempt to prompt a prisoner exchange.

CNN's Paula Hancocks live now from Jerusalem with the latest -- Paula.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.

Well, this is the second border that Israel is now carrying out a serious military operation on. We know that just a few hours ago, Israeli ground troops moved into Southern Lebanon.

Now, this is the first time Israeli troops have been in Southern Lebanon since they left Lebanon in May, 2000.

Now, we know that two Israeli soldiers have been kidnapped by Hezbollah guerillas and the Israeli military has said that they've been given the green light -- this according to the defense minister's office -- the green light to do whatever necessary to try and make sure that these two soldiers are released safely.

Now, we know that the Israeli Air Force, amount, is pounding bridges and also roads. The Israeli military trying to make sure that these militants cannot take the soldier any further, any deeper into Lebanon. They want to make sure that it is just in the southwestern tip of Lebanon that this soldier is kept in. And that is where they are operating at the moment.

Now, very strong words from Israeli's prime minister, Ehud Olmert. He says that he holds the Lebanese government responsible for this attack and also for the safekeeping and the safe release of this soldier.

Now, very similar to what he said about the Palestinian Authority after Gilad Shalit, the 19-year-old corporal, was kidnapped on the Gaza-Israeli border just two-and-a-half weeks ago.

So very similar situations. Troops, at the moment, in Southern Lebanon to try and release this soldier -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Paula, give us a sense if there's any likelihood there'll be any sort of negotiations for these soldiers. It's not what we saw in the case of Gaza, at least publicly.

HANCOCKS: That's right. Publicly and behind-the-scenes there are very different things going on.

Publicly, with Gilad Shalit in Gaza, we have seen Ehud Olmert saying no negotiations with terrorists, there will be no prisoner swap. And he's likely to say a very similar thing if Hezbollah militants say that they want the Hezbollah militants in Israeli jails to be released. This is likely to be what they will be asking for.

So, publicly, Ehud Olmert is being very strong and saying there will be no negotiations. But there are always back channels in this region. There are always behind-the-scenes discussions ongoing, even between the Israelis and the Palestinians, often with mediators helping -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Paula Hancocks in Jerusalem.

Thank you -- Brianna.

KEILER: It's late afternoon in Mumbai, India. The evening commuter rush is going on now, a day after seven bombs killed 185 people and injured 700 more in the city's train system.

Let's get more on the bombing aftermath and the investigation.

We go now to CNN's Seth Doane on the phone.

He joins us from Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay -- Seth, good morning.

SETH DOANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Brianna.

Yes, we're standing on an overpass actually, here, a very, very busy evening commute, early evening commute here. And under the overpass, from time to time, we're seeing a rail train going in and out of subway stations here. So, while ridership is down a bit today overall and the subway schedule is not exactly as it usually is, people are going back on these trains -- Brianna.

KEILER: Seth, give us -- Mumbai is sort of like New York City, is it not, where people rely, obviously, on this public transportation.

How much of the necessity is this for them?

Do they have any choice to not get on the trains?

DOANE: Yes, it is -- it's quite a necessity. The transit is the lifeblood of this city. This is a city of somewhere around 16 million people and it's estimated that throughout the entire city and suburbs, some 10 million people ride the train everyday. In the western part of the suburbs, where these attacks were focused last evening, something like four, four-and-a-half million people are estimated to ride the subway everyday.

So it is, indeed, a lifeblood to this city and these terrorists struck at a very key time, in terms of creating maximum casualties and issues.

One thing just, that I did want to make sure we were very clear on. I have spoken with a number of police in this region and they are not confirming any links to any terrorist organizations. The Indian government has been very careful throughout the day. The Indian media is very, very aggressive here, the local media, so there is a lot of pushing of these guys and sometimes what is being reported, coming out of news conferences, is not exactly what they will confirm to CNN directly -- Brianna.

KEILER: Seth Doane live on the phone from Mumbai, India.

Thank you, Seth -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: In Chicago, the trains are back on track this morning, but expect some delays following yesterday's derailment. It wasn't terrorism, but it was terrifying. Hundreds of subway passengers chased from the tunnels by smoke and fire in the afternoon commute.

CNN's Keith Oppenheim live now from Chicago with more -- good morning, Keith.

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.

And city officials won't let us get too close. But across the street from me is an emergency exit where 1,000 passengers came up a stairwell from a subway tunnel and onto this street for safety.

And take a look at this video. Overnight, we got pictures of a subway train, the subway train that caught fire in a subway tunnel. And at the back of it, the last car is charred from fire and smoke.

City officials say that in the middle of rush hour yesterday, the last of an eight car train derailed, caught fire and filled the subway tunnel with smoke.

Again, about 1,000 folks on that train. They walked about 300 yards to safety. Passengers said inside the tunnel as they were escaping, it was sooty, dark, hard to breathe and many said they feared for their lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because you didn't know what happened. Some people were screaming. Some people were yelling. Some people were telling other people to be calm. Some women were saying they were going to pass out, that they were feeling faint.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OPPENHEIM: Miles, there were more than 150 passengers out of the 1,000 that were taken to nearby hospitals. And we know of at least two in critical condition -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Keith Oppenheim in Chicago.

Thank you very much.

President Bush winging his way to Europe as we speak. The main event, a Group of Eight summit meeting in Russia.

But first, Mr. Bush headed to Germany for a few days. While there, he'll meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel. They will be talking about strategy on Iran and North Korea. They'll also deal with the thorny issue of Germany's opposition to the terror prison at Guantanamo Bay that the U.S. is running.

CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is in Rostock, Germany.

That's where Air Force One will be wheels down a little bit later today -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Miles.

And, of course, President Bush and Angela Merkel, Germany's new chancellor, really hitting it off since the very beginning. They first met back at the White House in January. She's been tomorrow twice since then. They've been on the phone many different occasions.

It is a very important relationship coming before, of course, the G8 summit, the president signaling just how important it is with the diminished role of other European leaders, there is a new strategic partnership between the United States and Germany.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

MALVEAUX (voice-over): President Bush's outreach is part of a strategy aimed at improving U.S.-German relations, which soured over the Iraq War under Merkel's predecessor, Gerhardt Schroeder. CHARLES KUPCHAN, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: There was no personal chemistry at all. With Merkel, there seems to be not just an agreement on policy, but a friendship that is developing.

MALVEAUX: That friendship is considered key to Mr. Bush's influence in the larger Europe.

KUPCHAN: Bush has focused on Germany, now that chancellor Merkel is in office, as the key link to Europe.

MALVEAUX: Not only is Merkel Germany's first female chancellor, but she is the first to come from the former communist East Germany. Like Mr. Bush, she operates from the political right and identifies with his focus on freedom.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm talking to a very sophisticated leader who knows what it's like to live in a world that isn't free.

MALVEAUX: Unlike President Bush, Merkel is wildly popular at home, enjoying an 80 percent approval rating. Merkel has also scored points at home for publicly criticizing the Bush administration, specifically over the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay.

KUPCHAN: Merkel can only go so far in appearing to be a close ally of the president.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

MALVEAUX: And the Iraq War, of course, remains highly unpopular here in Germany. But Germany is helping train, at least, Iraqi forces, the police in the United Arab Emirates.

Also, Miles, to let you know that Germany has taken the lead, along with the leaders of Britain, and, as well as France in that get tough against Iran, offering sanctions, and, of course, in line with President Bush's thoughts on that.

We'll have a lot more about that when official meetings begin tomorrow -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Suzanne Malveaux in Germany.

Thank you -- Brianna.

KEILER: Dangerous wildfires spreading in Southern California this morning. A state of emergency there now, worth more than 1,000 people evacuated overnight.

CNN's Kyung Lah live in Yucca Valley, California for us this morning -- good morning, Kyung.

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Brianna.

The biggest challenge for firefighters this morning is the terrain and the weather in battling this very large wildfire you see burning behind me. That orange glow back there visible for several miles in this region. You can see here where hilly that area is. It's very difficult for firefighters to access. It's also very windy at times, 40 mile per hour gusts, extremely low humidity and the daytime temperatures are near 100 degrees.

Now, the -- according to the firefighters, it is 30,000 acres so far. One hundred thousand acres is the potential growth for this particular wildfire.

Thirty structures have burned to the ground, according to the California Department of Forestry. At this point, they expect that that will grow. That is a preliminary figure.

A thousand people in this area have been told to flee their homes, to get out. Those who have say that it is those winds that have been most frightening, as far as the evacuation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And the winds came 60 miles. And suddenly the wind turned the fire and you're inhaling smoke and fire. And it's -- you can't even describe it. And the air turned to flame. And I couldn't go any which direction without being in flame. And I thought I was going to die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAH: Now, there is a lot of dry brush out there. That's what's causing all this fuel as far as this very powerful fire. And what firefighters tell us is that at this point they believe that this is the largest wildfire since those devastating Southern California wildfires in 2003 -- Brianna.

KEILER: Kyung Lah live from Yucca Valley, California.

Thank you, Kyung.

And now for a check on the forecast, Chad Myers is at the CNN Center.

He's going to let us know if maybe there's any good news or not for those firefighters -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, not really. Except the wind won't be as bad today as it was yesterday. But if you look already, it's -- it only got down to 94 in Phoenix. That's the morning low so far. Eighty-four in Vegas. And this whole area here that's in red, that's all above 90 degrees. And the fire right there above the G in San Diego, about Twentynine Palms, Yucca Valley out there. If you want to get out an atlas, you can take a look at where that is.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Coming up, the death toll rising in Iraq. No end in sight for that tit for tat violence that is based on religion.

Are U.S. troops in the middle of a civil war?

We'll ask a U.S. senator just back from the country.

KEILER: Also, Phoenix on edge. Simultaneous crime sprees and a serial rapist and killer on the loose. We'll ask police if they have any leads.

O'BRIEN: Plus, storm-proofing can be a pain. But if you take the time to make your windows storm ready, you may save a lot in the long run. We'll have some tips, if you stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILER: Phoenix, Arizona is a city living in fear right now. Police now see a pattern linking a current series of shootings to an earlier one, meaning one person or group is responsible for 38 attacks in the last year.

Joining me now from Phoenix, police Sergeant Andy Hill.

Sergeant Hill, let's first begin with -- there's two things going on. There's a serial rapist and killer. But, also, let's just talk about these serial shootings that are going on.

On Monday, you told us there were two investigations, you were looking into the possibility that there -- these were unrelated. Today, we're hearing that they appear to be related.

What has changed?

SGT. ANDY HILL, PHOENIX POLICE: Well, Brianna, not much, really. What we have been saying is they have been two series of shootings. And what we've done is combined those series of shootings together into one investigation, based on a lot of things that we've been doing over the last year or so, as we look at each and every incident that occurs.

Now we believe we have enough similarities in M.O. to go ahead and put those two serious of shootings together, that we probably have one suspect that is responsible for those shootings.

KEILER: Those similarities in M.O. is there anything you can say about that? Are you guys disclosing that at this point?

HILL: Well, what it begins with is a series of random shootings. That's number one.

The second thing is we have no witnesses to those shootings.

The other thing is that all of the victims have been alone when they've been shot.

So there are certain things about those shootings and the way they've taken place that indicate to us that it probably is one shooter. We also believe that the suspect is probably in a vehicle. We're pretty sure of that. And so we've really gone out to the community significantly recently to try and just get those calls to come into us.

KEILER: So these victims, do they appear to be similar in any other -- in any other way than that they were just walking alone? Is that all it is?

HILL: They've either been walking by themselves or riding a bike or pushing a bike. There is no connection to race or gender or sex that would indicate to us that anybody is being targeted specifically.

However, it is obvious that this suspect is driving around. It's probably a light-colored sedan. That's the best description we're putting out right now. But anybody that might have information, regardless of whether that matches the vehicle description or not, is encouraged to call us. You can call our Silent Witness tip line at 602-261-8600 or just call 911 for a suspicious person.

KEILER: And we've heard from some people living in Phoenix that they're scared. No doubt they feel vulnerable.

What are you telling them?

HILL: Well, we're doing a lot of community talking right now. We have a big meeting planned for the community tonight. We've been encouraging people to understand that they can be empowered, that they be cautious out there and careful and take the time to call us with information because we want to drive this person back away so that we don't have any more victims.

KEILER: Sergeant Hill, let's talk now about the serial rapist.

Is there any more information you can tell us about that?

And explain to us how this is differentiated from the other serial killer that is on the loose.

HILL: Well, Brianna, as CNN reported this morning, we do have a sixth homicide that occurred last September in the city of Tempe that we became aware of and have been working with the Tempe Police Department. We now believe that that homicide is connected to our series of homicides regardless -- we regard to the serial killer that we have here in Phoenix.

KEILER: All right, Sergeant Hill, thank you so much for joining us.

Sergeant Andy Hill of the Phoenix Police Department.

Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Coming up on the program, tips on protecting your home in the storm season. We'll show you how spending just a few bucks on your windows could save you thousands down the road.

And the Space Shuttle astronauts -- that's a live picture, helmet cam, as they get to work in space this morning. We'll show you how what they're doing today may one day save a life of a shuttle crew. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: time now to shed some light on windows. You can't live without them, can you? But in a big storm, they might very well be your home's Achilles' heel. Doing a little work right now will save you a lot later, we suspect.

And this morning, Gerri Willis, continuing her special series on how to get your storm -- yes, storm -- your house ready for the storm -- which is also the house -- oh, forget it.

I'm just getting everything messed up -- is the host of "OPEN HOUSE."

GERRI WILLIS, PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: That's right.

O'BRIEN: Easy for you to say, undoubtedly -- Gerri, good to have you with us.

WILLIS: Good morning.

Good to see you, Miles.

Windows, as we're saying, are usually the first casualty during a storm, especially a severe storm. And protecting windows is a much simpler process than you might think. In the long run, you could save a ton of money.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

WILLIS (voice-over): High winds and heavy rain do the most damage to a house during a hurricane or major storm. But all it takes is a little bit of work to keep your home as safe as possible when wild weather strikes.

(on camera): Windows are a big vulnerability.

How do I keep my family safe?

ROB DAVIS, FLASH.ORG: We like to see code approved shutters. There's tons of options these days. That's the good news. You can do metal corrugated shutters, clear plastic shutters so you can look out during the storm, satisfy some curious homeowners.

WILLIS: Wow!

DAVIS: Absolutely.

It prevents you from cracking a door and letting something in that you don't want.

WILLIS: Absolutely.

DAVIS: Also, impact glass is a great way to go. WILLIS (voice-over): If shutters aren't in your budget, use plywood to prevent shattered windows during a storm.

(on camera): Now, I know you could cover this up with wood.

Why wouldn't we just do that?

DAVIS: Wood, it's only good for temporary emergency board-up procedures. And there's a couple of things you need to remember with that. You need to make sure you have the correct thickness. 5/8 inch plywood is sufficient. And unto fasten it, install it correctly to the side of the house. Otherwise...

WILLIS: Don't you need a pretty good margin around the edge of the window, too?

DAVIS: You absolutely do, because you have to remember that whatever protection you put up there is going to move. It's going to bow in and out with the wind. And if you have it too close, your window protection could actually break your window.

WILLIS (voice-over): And be careful of the materials you pick to protect those glass windows and doors. Some will actually disintegrate when wet.

(on camera): This is not a great material for protecting your home during a hurricane?

DAVIS: No. No, that's right. When this gets wet, it's going to turn to oatmeal and just dissolve, which...

WILLIS: So this is OSB?

DAVIS: That's OSB, short for orient strand board. It's really just a lot of wood particles glued together.

WILLIS: But this is the plywood. This is what you want?

DAVIS: This is your 5/8 inch plywood, absolutely. That's what you want to look for for window protection.

WILLIS (voice-over): Leave a 2-1/2 inch margin around plywood used to board windows. That way, when the wind picks up, your window protection doesn't accidentally break your windows.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WILLIS: So just how much would you save by adequately protecting your windows?

Well, if a severe storm knocked out all the windows in the average home, it would cost at least $10,000 to replace them. And that's just the average home. Homes with more windows, or if you have a regular special sized windows, you could have double or triple the cost in damages -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Well, plus, once all that stuff gets in, everything else just goes, you know...

WILLIS: Comes with it. You're absolutely right.

O'BRIEN: Yes, comes with it. So, you want to take care of those weak spots. And windows, of course, are the place.

All right, what's next?

WILLIS: We've got a lot of fun-coming up tomorrow.

So often you hear about the planning before a storm, and that's certainly what we've been talking about.

But what about the dangers after the storm?

We'll walk you through the process of returning home safely.

That's tomorrow.

O'BRIEN: Gerri Willis, our doyen of domesticity, the hostess of "OPEN HOUSE," prepare and protect tips, by the way, are on our Web site for more information. And this is where you should go to get all these tips absolutely there, so you know what to do. And you will be ready for the storm if you go to cnn.com/openhouse. All one word.

Coming up on the program, are U.S. troops in Iraq stuck in the middle of a civil war?

We'll ask a U.S. senator just back from Iraq what he thinks.

Plus, Israel rolls into Lebanon after two soldiers are kidnapped by Hezbollah. A closer look at whether this escalation of violence is leading to even more trouble in the Middle East.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Welcome back to the program.

I'm Miles O'Brien.

KEILER: And I'm Brianna Keiler in today for Soledad.

A new attack this morning in Baghdad. A bomb exploded in a crowded marketplace just hours ago. At least two people were killed. And a gruesome discovery -- the bodies of 20 people found northeast of Baquba. They're believed to have been kidnapped earlier today by gunmen.

Meanwhile, another unannounced stop in Iraq for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. But he wasn't ready to talk troop withdrawal, saying instead that the Iraqi government wasn't ready to decide its own security issues.

CNN's Barbara Starr live at the Pentagon this morning -- Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Brianna.

Very important what we are not hearing from Secretary Rumsfeld, as you say. No discussion of an actual decision on reducing troop levels in Iraq.

Secretary Rumsfeld has just concluded a joint press conference with General George Casey, the top commander in Iraq. And General Casey talking about what he calls Shia death squads that he believes are responsible for many of the recent sectarian attacks, especially in Baghdad.

You know, it was just a few weeks ago that we were hearing about the 75,000 Iraqi security forces in Baghdad that were being put on the streets to try and stem the sectarian violence there. By all indications, that really has not worked. Of course, we have seen a number of very brutal attacks on the streets of Baghdad in recent days.

Now General Casey, when asked what is going to done about all of that, says he is talking to Iraqi leaders about it. He was also asked at this press conference, could all of that mean more U.S. troops on the streets of Baghdad, and he said, it just might mean that. So clearly this, Brianna, this latest spate of sectarian violence perhaps catching commanders a bit off guard as they try and decide what to do about it -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Barbara Starr, live at the Pentagon for us. Thank you, Barbara.

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