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CNN Saturday Morning News

Israel Expands Attacks Against Hezbollah Militants in Lebanon; Presidents Bush and Putin Meet Face-to-Face; Advertisers Watching How We Watch Sports

Aired July 15, 2006 - 07:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hezbollah attack on an Israeli ship. Live reports from Israel and Lebanon are just minutes away.
Tackling nuclear terrorism. President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin announce an agreement to combat the threat. The two leaders spoke less than three hours ago in Russia and they met ahead of the G8 summit.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Arriving today in St. Petersburg, Japan's prime minister and other leaders of the world's major industrialized nations. Now, they've gathered for the first G8 summit to be held in Russia. Details ahead in a live report from St. Petersburg.

Also, in Southern California's Yucca Valley, two major wildfires have merged into one, and together they now cover more than 100 square miles. There's not much relief in sight from the weather. Officials fear lightning could spark more blazes, like the one you see right there.

We're going to have more on this developing story coming up in 15 minutes.

HARRIS: The Space Shuttle Discovery heads home. Moments ago the shuttle successfully undocked from the International Space Station. Astronauts closed the hatch between the two spacecrafts and Discovery slowly pulled away.

CNN will have live coverage of the shuttle's return to Earth Monday morning.

And good morning, everyone.

From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

It is 7:00 a.m. here in Atlanta and 2:00 p.m. in Jerusalem.

Good morning again.

I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen.

We want to take you for being with us on this very busy Saturday morning. So let's get right to it.

Bridges bombed, rockets raining down -- the crisis in the Middle East grows deeper this morning.

Here is what we know right now.

Israel expands its attacks in the fight against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. Israeli forces have struck targets in Northern Lebanon for the first time since the fighting erupted Wednesday.

And Lebanese security forces say a minibus carrying about 15 civilians was hit in the south. Hezbollah militants responded with another barrage of rockets into northern Israel. Several landed near the border town of Nahariya.

And we are just getting late word of rockets fired at the town of Tiberius on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. And Israeli forces say they have found the body of a sailor missing after Hezbollah attacked an Israeli warship. Three other sailors are still unaccounted for.

HARRIS: Israel says it won't back down. Hezbollah threatens an open war. We have correspondents all over the region covering the Mideast crisis.

We begin this hour with CNN's Alessio Vinci in Beirut and Paula Newton in Jerusalem.

Let's go first to Alessio -- and, Alessio, I understand you're reporting on a minibus that was attacked. And there may have been as many as 15 deaths involved.

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's correct, Tony.

Let me just first start reporting on what is happening here in Beirut.

Within the last few seconds, we heard three loud explosions in rapid succession. Again, Beirut is the capital of Lebanon, coming under attack. Those three rapid explosions preceded, in the last 45 minutes, by another three explosions in intervals of about 15 minutes each.

It does appear the capital of Beirut now, of course, is under attack again. We understand from Lebanese security sources that at least one of the targets was the Hezbollah General Command, that same building that was hit yesterday that provoked those inflammatory remarks by the leader of the Hezbollah militia group, Hassan Nasrallah.

As to the minivan in the south, we understand from Lebanese security forces that in the south, this minivan was carrying 20 civilians traveling from the coastal town of Shamaa directly to Bayada. That minivan, according to these Lebanese sources, took a direct hit, a direct hit. And we understand of almost 20 people traveling on board, 15 have been killed. Now, if this report is confirmed, it would dramatically rise the number of casualties so far. Eighty-two people would have been killed from the beginning of this conflict, more than 200 injured.

So, Tony, as you can see, there is no let up as far as Lebanon and as far as the military offensive here against this country is concerned -- Tony.

HARRIS: OK.

Alessio Vinci from Beirut for us.

Alessio, we appreciate it.

Thank you.

NGUYEN: And we do want to move to the south, to Israel. Israeli forces are stepping up their offensive, while more rockets land in northern Israel.

Let's go live now to Jerusalem and CNN's Paula Newton -- Paula, what's the situation on the ground there?

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're still getting reports that there are rockets from Lebanon heading into northern Israel. Most worrying for the Israeli government is that now they are hitting further south, deeper into Israel. And that means that they could really do some damage in large cities, like the port city of Haifa, where a quarter of a million people live.

Israeli military sources told CNN that right now they can confirm that they are seeing missiles hit further and deeper into Israel that they've ever seen before. They claim that they have Iran's footprints all over them. You're talking about a range of about 60 miles.

But those military sources don't rule out the fact that they could, in fact, have rockets in their possession that would hit centers as big as Tel Aviv.

What's going on here, Betty, is that the Israelis are now starting to feel the effects of this war, as well. You've already got about a fifth of the population heading for safe rooms or bomb shelters. And people here are starting to note that this is going to be a long, protracted engagement and that at this point it will affect them and affect them in a really, you know, something that's going to affect their economy, their tourism. Everything is just going to be dragged into this conflict -- Betty.

NGUYEN: No doubt.

Paula Newton joining us live from Jerusalem.

Paula, we'll be checking in with you again a little bit later.

Thank you for that -- Tony.

HARRIS: All right, the G8 summit gets underway about four hours from now in St. Petersburg, Russia.

We will get back to that story in just a couple of moments.

While we have a moment, let's sort of reset exactly where we are in the crisis right now in the Middle East.

As you just heard from Paula Newton, the new Katyusha rockets are a real concern now for folks in Israel because these rockets have increased range. They are longer-range missiles, Betty.

NGUYEN: They go farther south.

HARRIS: And they're being fired and are penetrating further south into Israel. So that is something of real concern for Israel now and something that will be watched closely. Paula mentioning that they now have a range of 60 miles. Haifa is about 40 miles, about 30 miles from the southern border of Lebanon.

So this is a situation that's going to be watched very closely.

Let's get you now to the G8 summit, which gets underway in about four hours from now in St. Petersburg, Russia. But we must tell you that the explosion of violence in the Middle East is challenging the scheduled agenda. Presidents Bush and Putin did meet face-to-face on other issues, oh, about two-and-a-half hours ago.

White House correspondent Ed Henry is live in St. Petersburg -- Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Tony.

That's right, the tense situation in the Mideast has obviously vaulted to the top of the agenda here for the G8 summit. Presidents Bush and Putin meeting for a one-on-one session this morning. And they really touted their personal friendship and how they believe that unity can help bring some solutions to the Mideast and other issues.

But some of their sharp differences are also stealing the show so far.

During this one-on-one meeting, they announced and forged a deal on a global initiative to combat nuclear terrorism. They're also trumpeting their joint determination to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

But when they took questions from reporters, it's clear they are still not actually agreed on U.N. sanctions against both Iran and North Korea.

And on the Mideast, President Bush focused his attention on Hezbollah and their responsibility in this, but did not mention Israel and whether they should show restraint, as he has suggested in other forums.

Mr. Putin, meanwhile, did blame both sides and said in point he believes that Israel's use of force "should be balanced." And then on the thorny issue of whether Russia is backsliding on the move toward democracy after Mr. Bush touted the progress toward democracy in Iraq, Mr. Putin offered this dig.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I talked about my desire to promote institutional change in parts of the world, like Iraq, where there's a free press and free religion. And I told him that he a lot of people in our country, you know, had hoped that Russia would do the same thing.

I fully understand, however, that there will be a Russian style democracy.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We certainly would not want to have the same kind of democracy they have in Iraq, to be quite honest here.

BUSH: Just wait.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: You heard at the end there Mr. Bush saying, "Just wait," that there will be progress in Iraq. A pretty tough job when you consider Mr. Bush gave Mr. Putin a lot of breathing room on the issue of democracy in Russia and, also, Mr. Bush, in recent days, has said he would not publicly lecture Mr. Putin, didn't want to embarrass him and would only push him behind closed doors.

Mr. Putin did not quite do the same -- Tony.

HARRIS: Our White House correspondent, Ed Henry, traveling with the president at the G8 summit in St. Petersburg.

Ed, we appreciate it.

Thank you.

And we will go more in-depth on the G8 summit we will talk live with White House Counselor Dan Bartlett, coming up at the bottom of the hour.

NGUYEN: Let's get you to some Stories Across America this morning.

In Tennessee, it is back to jail for the former elementary teacher convicted of having sex with a 13-year-old student. Twenty- nine-year-old Pamela Rogers had served six months in jail after pleading no contest to having sex with the boy. Now, she has been released on probation, but allegedly violated it by contacting the boy on the Internet and reportedly sending him nude pictures of herself.

Well, flashing lights and stalled traffic on Interstate 10 through downtown Phoenix. This after an unusual police chase that put police cars in pursuit of a stolen motor home, of all things, which was also towing a truck. The chase ended with the motor home catching fire, which you see there. Two people got out. Live TV pictures showed a man apparently holding another person hostage as they walked down the highway. The man was later shot and the hostage freed.

Longing to locate loved ones in Lebanon -- that is the quest for many Americans this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUSAN ALSAWALHI, HUSBAND & SON TRAPPED IN BEIRUT: I am a desperate woman, a mother, a wife who needs to know that these people are alive and safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: A mother cries out for her family, stuck in the Mideast crisis. How the State Department is trying to help reunite families.

Plus...

HARRIS: Raging wildfires merge in the West. That was the fear. Threatening more California homes. Steep terrain is just one of the many elements hindering firefighters. We will take you there -- Bonnie Schneider, good morning.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Tony and Betty and everyone.

Temperatures are very warm in the desert Southwest already this morning. They're also going to be soaring in cities like Chicago, where the current temperature is 75 degrees. This is a live look at Chicago this morning. It already looks hazy, hot and humid. Get ready for the heat to just soar.

Stay tuned to CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

Your full forecast is straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Ten years later, we look back on the crash of TWA Flight 800. What really happened still remains a mystery. Was the flight shot down by a missile? One man reflects back on the conspiracy theory and the loss of his sister, a TWA flight attendant.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, this is the view from space of California's Yucca Valley, where two large wildfires have joined. Actually, this is more a Google Earth map.

But more than 100 square miles have burned so far and it's likely to get worse today. The National Weather Service says a fire this large can generate its own lightning, sparking even more fires.

Here's the new video coming in from our affiliate KABC. Look at that fire, with mountains blanketed and dead wood, there is little that property owners can do.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're terrified. We're watching out for our home right now. We've been watching this fire move and it's coming through the valley. We just watched it break the hill over here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: So the question is when are they going to get some much needed relief in that?

This has been burning for quite some time now.

HARRIS: Well, and Bonnie can speak to this. This is almost kind of the stew of conditions that you need for this fire...

NGUYEN: Deadwood, wind, no rain.

SCHNEIDER: Absolutely.

HARRIS: And heat, extreme heat.

SCHNEIDER: Yes.

HARRIS: Temperatures are over 100 degrees.

So any change in that -- in that cocktail today, Bonnie?

SCHNEIDER: Not today and not for tomorrow. But Monday and Tuesday we might see some relief in sight.

We're watching a system that will kick up some moisture from the Gulf of Mexico-and that may enhance the humidity and bring some relief to the area.

The problem is that's two days away. Today, we're looking at hot temperatures, even right now, across parts of Southern California, Arizona and Nevada at this time, already climbing into the 80s, 90s, and today they will top out in the triple digits, maybe even up to 110 degrees.

As far as winds go for today, mainly out of the south or west, 10 to 15 miles per hour. But yesterday in Yucca Valley, we saw wind gusts of 31 miles per hour in the afternoon. That is still possible this afternoon, as well. We could have some isolated wind gusts.

So it's something we'll be watching, certainly, as we work our way through the day today.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: And updating our breaking news from the Middle East, Lebanese security officials say 15 civilians has been killed in an Israeli air strike on a minibus. Officials say 20 civilians were on board the bus when it was hit. Loud explosions rocked Beirut within the last few minutes. Israel has intensified its attacks on Hezbollah militants, also striking targets in Northern Lebanon.

And Hezbollah is striking back. More rockets were fired into northern Israel this morning.

In less than 15 minutes, we will go live to one of the Israel towns hit by Hezbollah rockets. Our Paula Hancocks is there and she will have the very latest.

NGUYEN: Still, there is much more news ahead on this very busy Saturday morning.

HARRIS: Still to come, we will tell you why these guys are tearing up the turf at Berlin's World Cup stadium and how you can get a piece of soccer history.

NGUYEN: Also ahead, forget I want my MTV, I want my sports instead. And America is paying for it more than ever before. We'll tell you how.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, Americans love sports. And we are spending more than ever before on them, whether it's attending games, watching on television or now, downloading to cell phones and iPods. Advertisers are watching how we watch our sports.

Sports superstars, well, they are just cleaning up when it comes to sports endorsements. And sports and entertainment are come up with new ways to cross-promote.

All told, total spending on sports advertising will exceed $12 billion -- that is billion with a "B," folks -- and that is up $2 billion since 2004.

So says Rick Horrow, author of "When the Game Is On the Line."

Rick is at his usual perch in sunny West Palm Beach -- good morning to you, Rick.

RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: Oh, sorry.

I was just looking to see if...

NGUYEN: What are you watching? Are you watching us on the phone?

HORROW: No. I'm trying to get cell phone video of you. You haven't made it yet, apparently. So we'll just have to do this.

NGUYEN: Apparently not.

HORROW: No. NGUYEN: One of these days.

HORROW: One of these days.

NGUYEN: Well, let me ask you, because consumers and advertisers spending more these days, but it's not really on thank you very much stuff. It's mainly on those cell phones and iPods.

HORROW: Well, it's shifting. But we're OK with TV. You know, this is not news to your listeners and viewers, but this is a sedentary country. We spend four hours and 44 minutes per day per person in front of the tube, as opposed to less than four hours 15 years ago. So television advertising is clearly safe -- $9 billion of ads written up for the fall season this year.

But it's shifting a little bit. ABC put "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" on streaming video. And 85 percent of the people who saw it remembered the advertisers, which is good.

Now, Nielsen is able to measure iPods and cell phones and Internet and videogames.

NGUYEN: See, that's important. That's very important.

HORROW: Which is very important and it is shifting. That's why the $2 billion increase in advertising from the year before, Betty, sports and non-sports.

NGUYEN: All right, so is it true that the amount of superstar endorsements is up, but the number of superstars getting those endorsements, well, it's not as high as it used to be?

HORROW: Well, Betty, as usual, when you ask me the questions, as opposed to your friend Tony, it is absolutely true, OK?

NGUYEN: All right.

HORROW: And the bottom line is the volume is decreasing. But the big guys still move product. Dwayne Wade's increase in Converse sales nearly 100 percent since the "Heat" won the championship. And it's the usual suspects -- Tiger is up there at $80 million. And Andre Agassi, just retiring, but at $44 million. Phil Mickelson, the golfer, at $24 million. Lebron James right up there, as well. Serena Williams, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. tied at $20 million.

But an interesting phenomenon. The longer you're away from the game, the more you're viewed as an icon. Michael Jordan is up there with your Texas buddy, Nolan Ryan, right there.

NGUYEN: Yes.

HORROW: Cal Ripken right there. People like Muhammad Ali and George Foreman and Greg Norman are known now as businessmen and not just sport.

And, by the way, it doesn't hurt that they've got a lot of money either.

NGUYEN: Yes, that's true.

You know, I'm thinking, when you add all this up, we're in the wrong business, Rick. We -- I should have stayed with those tennis lessons or something.

HORROW: I understand that you would have had a long way to go. So maybe we ought to leave that alone, huh?

Uh-oh.

NGUYEN: All right, well, Rick, we are simply just out of time. I wish we could talk more. You know, if it was Tony, he'd probably take it, but I can't. I've got to go with the producers today. It's a busy day.

Thanks for your time, though.

HORROW: Yes, absolutely.

Have a good week.

I'll talk to you next week, OK?

NGUYEN: You, too.

Take care -- Tony.

HARRIS: Good. Good. Good. Yes, good. Cut him off.

All right, still ahead, not quite seeing eye to eye at the G8 summit -- there is some accord and then some discord as the U.S. and Russian leaders meet face-to-face in St. Petersburg. A live report is coming up.

First, we'll go live to northern Israel, where rockets are falling.

Our Paula Hancocks joins us for that live in about five minutes.

SCHNEIDER: I'm CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider and it's time now for your Fairway Forecast.

The Ford senior players championship is underway in Dearborn, Michigan.

Let's check out the weather for the weekend. Looking good. Saturday, a slight chance of thunderstorms, with a high of 72. Winds will be out of the north. And as we look toward Sunday, you'll find a similar set up -- 73 degrees, less chance for rain. Winds will be out of the northwest at five to 10 miles per hour.

That's a look at your Fairway Forecast.

Stay tuned. A look at your national weather is coming up. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And good morning, everyone.

Now in the news, fresh attacks and retaliation as the Mideast crisis grows deeper this morning. Israel widened its attacks against Hezbollah militants. Lebanese security forces say an Israeli strike hit a minibus carrying 20 civilians. They say at least 15 people were killed.

Also, the body of one Israeli sailor found. Three others still missing after a Hezbollah attack on an Israeli ship.

Live reports from Israel and Lebanon are just minutes away.

Three hours ago in Russia, President Bush blamed Hezbollah and Syria for violence in the Middle East. Russian President Putin criticized Israel. Meeting before the start of the G8 summit, the two leaders agreed on a plan to combat nuclear terrorism. They did not agree on Russia's joining the World Trade Organization.

NGUYEN: Now to Southern California.

Extreme heat from this large -- you can see it right there -- it's huge. This wildfire in the Yucca Valley could produce its own lightning today. Fire officials say that it not only possesses the threat of additional fires, but also to crews on the ground.

Now, the greatest concern is that the flames will spread to populated areas in the San Bernardino Mountains.

Well, it was a false alarm at the "New York Times." A white powdery substance found inside an envelope tested negative for anthrax. No word on whether investigators know who sent that envelope. Now, it was addressed by hand to the "New York Times." No return address and a Philadelphia postmark.

HARRIS: And just over an hour ago, Shuttle Discovery undocked from the International Space Station. The nine day visit saw three spacewalks and major repairs on the space outpost. About 90 minutes from now, Discovery's crew is set to begin a final inspection of the shuttle. Discovery is due to return to Earth Monday.

For complete coverage of breaking news and today's top stories, stay with CNN, the most trusted name in news.

NGUYEN: Let's get to the Mideast.

The crisis grows more tense by the hour.

Israel steps up its attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hezbollah fires more rockets into Israel.

CNN's Paula Hancocks joining us live from Nahariya, Israel -- so, Paula, bring us up to speed on what has developed just in the past few hours. PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, we are having continued rocket attacks against all the northern Israel towns very close to the Lebanese border.

According to the Israeli military, more than 300 rockets have landed in this particular area since Wednesday, since this huge escalation in violence and tensions between the two countries.

Now, we know that many people are being treated for injuries. Four people has been killed so far. And these rocket attacks really are worrying people in this particular area. Many people are moving out of the area, moving down to Tel Aviv, further south, hoping that the Hezbollah rockets can't actually reach that far.

Also, we know that Tiberius, on the Sea of Galilee, is one city that's just been hit by five rockets. That hasn't been hit since 1973, according to Israel media.

So these rockets are reaching places they haven't reached before.

And the public here are very worried.

But at the same time, the political message is that this will continue. President Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, decided on Friday with his senior officials, the senior security officials, military action would continue. So whilst that is continuing, we can certainly expect Hezbollah to be retaliating by throwing rockets onto residential areas in this northern Israeli border strip -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Paula, do a couple of tings for me, if you would.

You're there in Nahariya. Show us around where you're standing. And also talk to us about the folks there, the people there and in the surrounding areas. You talk about these rockets that have reached areas that they haven't reached before in many decades.

Are mandatory evacuations being put in place? Are shelters being made available?

Tell us what's going on.

HANCOCKS: Well, many people do actually have their own bomb shelters in this particular area because about 20,25 years ago, they were needed when Israel first went into Lebanon.

But in this particular area, it's very quiet. It's very deserted at the moment. There's very few people on the streets. Now, it is the Jewish Sabbath, so there would be fewer people on the streets. But what the police are telling everybody is to stay out of exposed areas. So you see very few cars going past. People only driving if they absolutely need to and only going to the shops if they absolutely need to.

Now, a couple of people I was speaking to over the past couple of days did say that they had moved their children, they'd moved their elderly -- their mothers and fathers further south, out of the way of these rockets.

So the public here is very worried. And they're also split between wanting Israel to continue with this military action to make sure that Hezbollah cannot perform these kind of rocket attacks again. And there are others that are staging peace rallies, saying that Israel should not be in either Gaza or Lebanon.

NGUYEN: Paula Hancocks joining us live from Nahariya, Israel.

Thank you for that report, Paula.

HARRIS: All right, we're going to take a moment now. We want to get you a shot -- Ron, get us a shot of our International Desk that's working right now.

The International Desk here at CNN full of journalists, interpreters, analysts closely following all of the developments in the Middle East right now.

Our Anand Naidoo is bringing it all together for us and he is there at the International Desk for us now -- Anand, good morning.

ANAND NAIDOO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi.

Good morning, Tony.

As you mentioned there, we are watching this 24-7. We have a team of people here behind me which are watching Arabic language television stations coming out of the Middle East to give us the bigger picture, to give us some perspective on what is being reported in the Middle East about this fast moving story as it develops over there.

We're getting pictures from Al-Jazeera. We're also getting pictures from Israeli television. And we're also monitoring what Hezbollah Television is saying. We cannot show that to you, because Hezbollah is a banned organization in the United States. But we are getting pictures from Israeli TV, which we are showing to you right now.

As we had mentioned earlier on, Israeli towns in the north of Israel have been the targets of Hezbollah rockets.

Meanwhile, the Israeli attacks against targets in Lebanon have continued. And for the first time, Israel has now been hitting targets in the northern part of Lebanon, near the Syrian border. They hit a bridge near the town of Hermel overnight and that we're hearing from Lebanese security sources.

And Hezbollah militants, for their part, of course, have continued firing their rockets into northern Israel, towns that are up near the Lebanese border.

Other air strikes by the Israelis continued around the area of Tripoli. That's south of Beirut. And -- or rather southeast of Beirut. And on the coastal road near the port city of Tyre. Now, these areas are strongholds of Hezbollah, the organization that operates there in Southern Lebanon. And Israel has continued to hit them over there.

Now, just one other thing I want to tell you about, Tony, and that there are plans underway right now. These plans have been made some time ago, but they're now in some way being implemented, to evacuate -- they're looking at evacuating Americans out of Lebanon.

There are about 25,000 Americans in Lebanon and the United States is now looking at using aircraft and taking them to the island of Cyprus, which is off the Lebanese coast. They will be using civilian planes because they think that will be the safest way to get them out. An estimated 25,000 Americans in Lebanon as I pointed out.

Now, in a worst case scenario, they would also use American aircraft, which would get into Beirut to move these Americans out. There could also be an amphibious landing on the Lebanese coast. That would be by Marines off the Iwo Jima, which is currently at anchor off the Lebanese coast.

And these plans, none of them have been implemented yet. The Americans have not taken anyone yet. But these contingency plans are there.

Now, if you are looking -- there are telephone numbers that you could look at, that you could call if you want to find out about relatives, about friends, people who are over there. For Americans who are over seas, they should call this number. It is 01-202-501- 4444. Now, that's if you are over seas. So that area code is 202- 501-4444.

And if you're in the United States, you can call toll-free at 1- 888-407-4747. That's to find out about the fate of Americans who are in Lebanon.

At the International Desk, though, we will continue to monitor the latest events and bring it to you as we get it -- Tony.

HARRIS: OK.

I appreciate it.

Good work.

Thank you, sir.

There was accord as well as discord today before the start of this weekend's G8 summit. Both occurred a few hours ago at a face-to- face meeting between President Bush and Russian President Putin. White House Counselor Dan Bartlett joins us live from St. Petersburg, Russia.

Dan, good to see you.

Thanks for your time. Appreciate it.

DAN BARTLETT, WHITE HOUSE COUNSELOR: Good to see you.

HARRIS: Well, Dan...

BARTLETT: How are you doing?

HARRIS: Good. Good. Good.

Dan, the president was strong on Hezbollah being to blame for this latest crisis, but the president, we noted, didn't call -- at least this time around -- for restraint from Israel.

Why not?

BARTLETT: Well, the president has made very clear his position on this issue. And first and foremost, it is important that we recognize why we're at the point we are in this conflict. And that is because Hezbollah, with the support, it appears, of Iran and Syria, attacked a sovereign nation. They went across their borders. They killed people. They took hostage soldiers. They have been lobbing rockets into civilian neighborhoods.

So it's important that we understand from the start. And the international community and key partners in the region like the Saudis have all recognized that Hezbollah is the reason why we are here.

Now, the president has also made very clear that the Israelis have the right to defend themselves. They also must take into consideration the broader context of their actions. Because one thing we don't want, the president doesn't want -- and he believes the Israelis don't want -- is for the young Lebanese government, this young democracy that is trying to get a foothold there -- to crater.

HARRIS: Got you.

BARTLETT: And so we have made that very clear, as well.

But it is very important that we have clarity on why we're in the situation we're in, and that's why President Bush put an emphasis on that today in the press conference.

HARRIS: And, Dan, Hezbollah -- you mentioned that we're here because of what Hezbollah has done and Hezbollah is here because of what Iran has done, what Syria has done in supporting Hezbollah.

What is this program going to do about Iran and Syria's meddling?

BARTLETT: Well, I think it -- you have seen it over the course of not only the last week, but of the last couple of months. And what we have seen is a coalition of international countries coming together and speaking with one voice, whether it be about Iran's nuclear ambitions, the E.U.3 and Russia joining together in a very strong, solidified voice that we are willing to negotiate, but not until they give up their enrichment capabilities. We've made very clear that their support of terrorist organizations is unacceptable.

And what we've seen in this case, which we may have not have seen in past cases, is leaders in the Middle East, whether it be Saudi Arabia or other members in Europe, as well, saying that Hezbollah is the person -- is the entity that started this. And people are seeing the influence that Iran and Syria are having on it. And clarifying the stakes and clarifying the line and who's on what side is the important first step before you solve this.

So what President Bush will do, what Secretary Rice will do is continue to work with these key partners in the region, talking to all of the people on the ground there to make sure we can do everything we can to end the violence, but also to address the root causes of this, and that is terrorist organizations trying to stop the advancement of peace...

HARRIS: OK.

BARTLETT: ... and there's no ambiguity to that.

HARRIS: Yes.

BARTLETT: And that's why it's important that we state it that clearly.

HARRIS: Dan, before I lose you, has the president given Israel a blank check to do whatever it deems necessary against Hezbollah?

BARTLETT: Well, as I've already stated is that we're making it very clear to the Israeli government that while we recognize that they have a right to defend themselves, that they also have to exercise some restraint, to make sure that we do not jeopardize or collapse the Lebanese government there in Beirut.

So it's something that we have been very clear about both privately and publicly, and we'll continue to express those concerns.

HARRIS: OK.

White House Counselor Dan Bartlett for us, joining us from St. Petersburg, Russia, the site of the G8 summit.

Dan, we appreciate it.

Thank you.

NGUYEN: Well, Americans are told to leave Lebanon, but many have no way out. The crisis in the Mideast has families stateside worrying about trying to get their loved ones home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALSAWALHI: At the airport, the last thing that I said to my husband is keep our son safe. You all know I'll be worrying. I always do, every time you go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Well, coming up, a mother pleads for contact with her family.

We have her story.

Plus, how you can register for updates on your loved ones -- good morning, Bonnie.

SCHNEIDER: Good morning, Betty.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Ten years later, we look back on the crash of TWA Flight 800. What really happened still remains a bit of a mystery.

Was the flight shot down by a missile?

One man reflects back on the conspiracy theory and the loss of his sister, a TWA flight attendant.

We'll be right back.

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NGUYEN: We are monitoring all the developments in the Mideast, including watching the local stations there. This right here, Israeli TV, and it obviously showing some of the damage from the rockets that have been fired back and forth between Israel and Lebanon.

And we will be monitoring many of these stations throughout the day as our International Desk is all over this story. Not only Israeli TV, but Hezbollah TV, as well, something that is banned here in the U.S. but, of course, we are watching all of it for any developments to come out of the Mideast as we stay on top of this story for you -- Tony.

HARRIS: And updating our breaking news from the Middle East right now, Lebanese security officials say 15 civilians has been killed in an Israel air strike on a minibus. Officials say 20 civilians were on board the bus when it was hit. Loud explosions rocked Beirut within the last few minutes. Israel has intensified its attacks on Hezbollah militants, also striking targets in Northern Lebanon.

And Hezbollah striking back. More rockets were fired into northern Israel this morning.

NGUYEN: An estimated 25,000 American citizens are still in Lebanon, trying to get out. Family and friends in the U.S. well, they are frantic, as more violence is being reported.

Rebecca Cooper of CNN affiliate WJLA spoke with a Virginia woman whose wife and son are trapped in Lebanon. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REBECCA COOPER, WJLA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tonight, family and friends in Manassas gathered to comfort one another, as Susan husband Mohammed (ph) and 13-year-old son, Hassan (ph), alive -- July 5th, when they left to visit family in Beirut with other relatives from Virginia, including a 14-month-old baby.

ALSAWALHI: At the airport, the last thing that I said to my husband is keep our son safe. You all know why I be worrying. I always do, every time you go.

COOPER: All that changed this week. Now, this Virginia woman can't reach her son and husband. When she last spoke to them on Wednesday, they were with relatives less than two miles from the airport in Beirut, the same airport that's being pounded daily, as Israeli rockets, mortar and gunfire hailed down from the air.

ALSAWALHI: I am a desperate woman, a mother, a wife who needs to know that these people are alive and safe.

COOPER: As the violence in Lebanon continues to worsen, Susan has contacted the State Department, members of Congress and multiple embassies, all to no avail. She says what many Lebanese are now saying, that the country is under attack because the militant group Hezbollah has used Lebanon as a staging ground to attack Israel.

Now, she worries about her 13-year-old son's mental and physical well being.

ALSAWALHI: I love you. I pray that you're safe. And I won't rest until I know that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, hopefully that woman whose husband and son are in Lebanon is watching this morning. And for those of you who do have loved ones in the area, how about you grab a pen and something to write on right now?

Now, if you have someone in Lebanon and you're watching, the U.S. from over seas, you can call these numbers on your screen. Now, if you're over seas, call 01-202-501-4441. If you're right here in the U.S. call 1-888-407-4747 or you can access this information online by going to www.travelregistration.state.gov.

Let me say that one more time -- www.travelregistration.state.gov.

HARRIS: And if you didn't get those numbers, you can also find them online -- Veronica de la Cruz is here with more on that.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right.

We also have those numbers posted on CNN.com, the Web address, as well as all those phone numbers. And coming up next, breaking down the conflict in the Middle East. We've been tracking the story online, as well.

I've got more details next from the Dot-Com Desk.

SCHNEIDER: I'm CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider.

It's time now for your Lawn and Garden Forecast.

If you're heading out to do some gardening this weekend, remember, when cutting the grass, mow at heights around three inches. This helps shade out weeds and maintain cooler roots and deepen root growth.

That's your Lawn and Garden Forecast for Saturday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: As the violence in the Middle East escalates, CNN is covering it from every angle, including online.

Veronica de la Cruz here from the Dot-Com Desk with more on how we're handling it online -- Veronica.

DE LA CRUZ: Yes.

Good morning.

HARRIS: Good morning.

DE LA CRUZ: You're absolutely right, we're covering it from every angle -- on TV, online, CNN.com, CNN Pipeline.

And, as you know, Tony, Israel launched air strikes and sent troops and tanks into Southern Lebanon Thursday after Hezbollah guerrillas kidnapped Israeli troops.

We're going to take a look at a map that highlights Beirut's International Airport, where the first air strikes by Israel forced aviation officials in Beirut to close the airport and divert flights to Cyprus.

As you know, the airport was bombed again the next day.

Hezbollah retaliated by firing rockets from Lebanon into the northern Israeli city of Haifa. Israel and Lebanon are witnessing their worst hostilities now in the last 24 years.

You can find an image gallery and a time line that will take you through the moments as the violence grows.

Now, officials from both sides say the latest attacks amount to acts of war. Hezbollah is on the U.S. State Department's list of terrorist organizations, but holds seats in both the Lebanese parliament and cabinet. This list has a few facts on the organization. You can also follow the crisis with our broadband network, CNN Pipeline, Tony. We've been streaming live feeds of both Al-Manar TV, which is run-by Hezbollah, and Israeli TV Anarpipes (ph), as well as Ramatan (ph).

Just point your browsers to CNN.com, as well as CNN.com/pipeline.

HARRIS: Beautiful.

Veronica, thank you.

DE LA CRUZ: Of course.

HARRIS: We're going to take a quick break.

We'll come back and we'll get you back over to the International Desk, where we're learning...

NGUYEN: Some news happening.

HARRIS: Yes -- of a new threat to Mumbai's rail system. We'll send you over to Anand Naidoo right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NAIDOO: Hi.

Good morning again from the International Desk.

We are continuing to monitor the situation in the Middle East. Our staff behind us are monitoring every second as that drama unfolds over there.

But we have breaking news out of another part of the world right now, this time from India, from the city of Bombay. This just coming into CNN.

We're hearing that sections of the Mumbai commuter train network have been shut down because of an anonymous bomb threat. That's what we're hearing. CNN's sister network in India, CNN IBN, has been told by a senior police official that the caller had said that the bomb had been placed at a specific station on that network.

As a result, they shut down that station and they've evacuated people out of that station. It's not immediately clear, of course, whether there is a bomb there or whether this is just a hoax.

This follows, of course, those seven bomb blasts that took place in Mumbai on the rail commuter network last Tuesday. Seven bombs that ripped through packed commuter carriages at peak hour, killing almost 200 people and injuring almost 800 people.

So the latest we have out of Mumbai right now is that an anonymous caller has called into the police and warned that there is a bomb placed at a specific station on the Mumbai rail network. Police have taken precautions. They've evacuated the station and they have shut down sections of the Mumbai rail commuter network.

We'll bring you more information on this development as we get it here at CNN.

Now, there's also been developments in the Middle East.

We're hearing, or, rather, the Associated Press is reporting or quoting a senior Israeli intelligence official as saying that it was Iranians -- Iranian troops -- that helped Hezbollah launch a missile that hit an Israeli Navy boat off the Lebanese coast. Four sailors were missing after that incident.

Israel said afterward that they had recovered the body of one of those sailors that had been missing. But now, a senior intelligence official telling the Associated Press that Iranians have helped Hezbollah launch that missile. The official, who was not named, he was speaking on condition of anonymity, said that about 100 Iran soldiers are currently in Lebanon. They helped Hezbollah launch that rocket and the rocket was a radar-guided rocket -- it's a C102 onto that ship that killed one and left three of those soldiers missing.

Other developments, Israel continues its onslaught on Lebanon. The latest is that we heard that 15 people have been killed on a strike on a minibus. And that was in the central part of Lebanon. We're hearing that from Lebanese security sources. And for the first time, Israel has now targeted areas which are in the north of Lebanon, which is very close to the Syrian border. This is the first time that they've moved that far north, targeting -- they were targeting a bridge over there and a road.

We're getting these from Israeli -- or, rather, from Lebanese security sources.

Now, so far, more than 60 Lebanese have been killed in the violence since it broke out. More than 200 have been injured. And on the Israeli side, four civilians and eight soldiers has been killed. And, of course, as I mentioned, those four Israeli sailors who went missing, the body of one of them has been found.

That's the latest that's taking place in the Middle East.

We continue to follow these developments in Mumbai.

We'll have more at the top of the hour -- back to the desk.

NGUYEN: Now in the news, Israel strikes on multiple fronts. The Mideast crisis grows deeper today. Israeli forces struck Gaza City this morning. Israel says the target was a building used by Hamas militants to store rockets. Palestinians say a house was hit, killing at least two people. Now we're going to go live to Gaza in about six minutes, so stay along with us for that.

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