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CNN Saturday Morning News
Israel Hits TV Towers in Northern Lebanon; Reports of New Rocket Attacks in Haifa, Israel; Israeli Tanks Enter South Lebanon
Aired July 22, 2006 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, here's what we know. Israeli missiles have taken out a transmission tower north of Beirut. The air strike has disrupted both television and phone service throughout Lebanon, and that may stoke widespread suspicions that Israeli is planning a wider ground offensive into Lebanon. Israeli troops and equipment are massing along the border and Israel also unleashed an overnight barrage of bombs and rockets.
From the CNN Center this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING, it is July 22nd, 8:00 a.m. here at CNN headquarters in Atlanta. 3:00 p.m. in the Middle East. Good morning everybody, I'm Betty Nguyen.
RICHARD LUI, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Richard Lui from CNN Pipeline in for Tony Harris this morning. Also a very good morning to you. Thanks for being with us.
NGUYEN: We have CNN reporters all over the region, including Alessio Vinci reporting from Beirut on the air strike there just 90 minutes ago. Paula Newton is on the northern border were Israeli troops are massing. Karl Penhaul is in hard-hit Tyre, Lebanon and our Dr. Sanjay Gupta is in Beirut at the Mt. Lebanon Hospital, which is operating under fire. Paula Hancocks is live in the Israeli city of Haifa. And Chris Burns is in Larnaca, Cyprus where more U.S. evacuees are arriving.
LUI: All right, let's get the latest now on the situation inside Lebanon. CNN's Alessio Vinci joins us live from Beirut. Alessio, we heard reports earlier from you that transmission infrastructure was attacked. What's happening now?
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's correct. Four different antennas have been attacked within the last couple of hours, we understand, knocking telecommunication as well as television relays throughout the northern part of the country.
And we understand as a result of these attacks, several television networks in the north, all of it, as a matter of fact, have been knocked off the air including the National Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation signal as well as Future Television and the Al-Manar television station, which is as you know, run by the Hezbollah militia group.
We also understand that mobile telephones, as well as some land lines have been affected as a result of these latest strikes. And Lebanese television, which is still broadcasting here in the capital Beirut, is showing pictures of firemen trying to contain the fire. There's extensive damage there as you can see from these pictures. But we have no reports of casualties as of yet. Back to you.
LUI: All right Alessio on top of that story. Thank you very much in Beirut.
NGUYEN: Israeli troops along the border with Lebanon have not deterred Hezbollah from firing more rockets into northern Israel, it happened within the past several hours. Israeli ambulance services say the rocket volley wounded ten people. The world is watching the border to see what Israel will do next. And CNN's Paula Newton is there, joins us live. Paula, have you seen any movement so far?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've seen a lot of movement. And what you're looking at right now is a live picture of Maroun al- Ras, which is a Lebanese town. And right now, the Israeli forces are pounding it. You just heard that sound. We just had a shell go off behind us and we've had dozens actually land on that hill behind me.
If we see something, we will pull back over to it. What they're trying to do, the Israeli forces, is keep these positions, cleanse them they say of the Hezbollah weaponry of the militants themselves, and then take them and hold them. And what they want to do is do that for at least a half mile layer north into the Lebanese border, hold it until they believe it is clean of Hezbollah, clean of Hezbollah weaponry and then hopefully hand it over to either the Lebanese army or a multinational force.
I don't know if you can hear all these explosions. I think we're going to try and go over to them for you. The pounding has been absolutely relentless over the last hour or so. You can see that exploding right there. And what also they are trying to do is provide an umbrella cover for the soldiers that are up there right now. I repeat, Israeli soldiers are now in Lebanon on that hill right there.
And what they're trying to do is they continue pounding with shells and then they know that they've got some type of an umbrella cover for mortar rounds that Hezbollah has been shooting back in. But as I say, they also are trying to hit certain infrastructure targets of Hezbollah. Betty?
NGUYEN: Talk to me about those Israeli troops already in Lebanon. What do you know about what they're doing at this moment?
NEWTON: They are, as I say, trying to knock out Hezbollah positions, infrastructure, anything they have. Keep in mind Betty, that for the last six years all along the border behind me that stretches east to west, Hezbollah has built up their own posts as if they're a government, as if they're an army. And what Israel is trying to do is one by one, wipe them out, make sure that there isn't any military infrastructure there and there aren't any rocket launchers, missiles, anything else that could threaten Israel. Betty?
NGUYEN: Paula, if and when those troops do go in and it sounds like it's more a matter of when, once they get over that hill that we see behind you, what do they expect to see, what do they expect to encounter? NEWTON: They still expect to encounter Hezbollah. We're only talking right now about a half mile buffer zone, but they have been dropping leaflets to warn citizens to move as much as 20 miles north. That is, there's a river that kind of crosses the Litani River that runs across Lebanon at that area. That's the kind of optimum buffer zone that Israel wants. That is a huge swathe of land and it would be very difficult even to try and hand that over to an international force.
Right now they're working on that half mile perimeter and they continue to try and bring in tanks, armored vehicles, armored bulldozers to try and clean that area. And as I say, Israeli soldiers are already operating in Lebanon. They at this point though will stop short of a ground invasion. We do expect another decision from the Israeli government tomorrow at a cabinet meeting. Betty?
NGUYEN: All right, CNN's Paula Newton joining us live. Thank you for that update Paula, we'll be checking with you shortly. Richard?
LUI: OK we go a bit north now to the coastal Lebanese town of Tyre. It is among the places heavily punished by Israeli shelling and air strikes over the past week. CNN's Karl Penhaul is there and joins with us an update now. Karl?
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Richard we're about ten miles actually from the border with Israel. And as you say, the city has been taking a pounding over the last few days. According to the city's mayor, he told me this morning that approximately half the population has fled from this city of 80,000 normally.
He said about 40,000 of the inhabitants have since fled. But he also says that 30,000 other people have come into the city from surrounding villages to seek refuge here. In the course of the morning, we've heard Israeli planes continuing to pound areas east and south of the city.
But an interesting development, I was talking to some Lebanese army officers and they said that they have orders, if Israel does invade, to stand and fight. That's the Lebanese army and not Hezbollah. So that could widen this conflict, but of course, the impact, the biggest impact so far seems to have been on civilians. And yesterday, there was a mass burial for 87 of those civilian victims.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PENHAUL (voice-over): There are no mourners, no memorial service. Just the stench of corpses on this hot Friday afternoon. Israeli warplanes have stopped bombing for a few moments. The sound now is of Lebanese soldiers carrying the dead to their grave. Back hoes stand ready to cover the coffins.
The city mayor Kosan Husseine (ph) tells me all these victims from days of Israeli bombardments were civilians. More dead lie uncollected. There are hundreds, 200 or 300 more bodies lying in the villages, but we can't get them because the Israeli planes are bombing, he tells me. Husseine says he has no exact tally of casualties in and around this port city.
How do you think I feel, he asks me as he walks away to weep in private. Many are now fleeing after nine days of Israeli air attacks, against what Israel says are Hezbollah positions in residential neighborhoods. Israel's massing ground forces less than ten miles to the south and this town is well within the zone Israel warns civilians must evacuate. These people are heading north.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw death in my own eyes.
PENHAUL: But they have no time to share more details. Heading south, an international Red Cross aid convoy arrives. Volunteers unload blankets and rations for 500 people.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had enough insurance about the security to come.
PENHAUL: It's the first Red Cross mission here and the clerk says he has no clear picture yet of the humanitarian situation in south Lebanon. Inside the school that's now an aid center and shelter, I find 2-month-old baby Mohammed covered in blisters and burns.
With hand signs, his father Ishmael Ibrahim says the family went home a week ago, three miles south of here, when an Israeli helicopter fired a missile. He says Mohammed's burns were caused by a shower of scorching phosphorus. His wife Fauzi is still too upset to talk. The Red Cross medic says he can't tell what caused the burns.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know. I have no idea.
PENHAUL: Across the city, the back hoes get to work scraping earth over the shadows of the living and the remains of the dead. Then the air attacks crank up again. Israeli jets pound Tyre's suburbs. Many people here predict this may be only the beginning of mass burials.
(on camera): I've counted 87 coffins here and as you can see, the bulldozers are now moving in to cover them with earth. Each coffin labeled with a name and a number. In one case, I counted 22 people from a single family. Perhaps that's why there aren't many relatives here to say their last good-byes.
Karl Penhaul, CNN, Tyre, Lebanon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Want to bring you up to speed on what has just developed. Some new rocket attacks in Haifa. CNN's Fionnuala Sweeney is in that city and she joins us now with the latest. What are you seeing Fionnuala?
FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, in the last five minutes, air raid sirens sounded over this northern Israeli coastal port city for the seventh time today in the last four hours, and this time, there was an attack. Seven rockets landing, we understand in an open area. We don't believe there are any casualties.
But this has been a sustained bombardment of Haifa from Hezbollah which are in southern Lebanon just some 20 kilometers to the north of this city. And there were a number of injuries yesterday and about five rocket attacks that happened throughout the day.
So it is a very clear indication that the Hezbollah are still capable of firing rockets. We understand, as well, that there have been rocket attacks elsewhere in northern Israel. The pattern seems to be that the rocket attack is launched not just on one city but on several cities at the same time in a coordinated fashion. But just to repeat in the last five minutes, there has been another rocket attack on Haifa, seven rockets we understand to have landed in an open area.
We don't believe there are any casualties. It is Saturday here, the Jewish Sabbath in Israel. So things fairly quiet usually on the weekends here. But Haifa is a secular city, so even on a Saturday, there would be plenty of activity on a normal Saturday. But since yesterday, since there have been a number of rocket attacks and numerous casualties here in this city, everybody has been off the streets and I think today will be pretty much the same.
NGUYEN: And for good reason. Fionnuala Sweeney joining us from Haifa where rocket attacks were just reported just in the last few minutes. Fionnuala thank you.
LUI: Well, as Karl Penhaul was mentioning, Tyre has been in the crossroad since the Israeli offensive began. Later this hour, Karl Penhaul reports on the desperate conditions that doctors are facing there and this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This used to be the maternity ward, but it faces north, which means it faces Lebanon. Now, since rockets have been falling regularly on Haifa, that department has been moved further into the hospital. Doctors tell me that is the plan to try and leave as few patients as possible on this side of the building.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Hard choices in Haifa. CNN's Paula Hancocks joins Dr. Sanjay Gupta for a special edition of "Weekend House Call" taking a closer look at the growing humanitarian crisis. CNN SATURDAY MORNING continues in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LUI: OK here's what we know right now. Beginning with the growing death toll in the Mideast crisis for you. Lebanon saying at least 263 people have died in that country. Then to the south, Israel is reporting 34 people dead. Israeli missiles have taken out a transmission tower north of Beirut. That air strike has disrupted both television and phone service throughout northern Lebanon, that's helping to fuel suspicions that Israel is planning a wider ground offensive into Lebanon. Well no news organization has the global reach of CNN, which means we can bring you instant updates from anywhere in the world.
NGUYEN: That's right. CNN's Randi Kaye is anchoring from the international desk where the crisis in the Mideast is being monitored minute by minute. You can see the people behind her, they're staying on top of all this as well. Randi what do you know so far?
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Betty right now I can tell you that we're monitoring at least ten different networks there in Lebanon. And right now, we can tell you that Israeli soldiers have knocked down a border fence, and entered a U.N. observation post in Lebanon. A.P. is actually reporting this, the Associated Press. We're hearing that Israeli tanks, bulldozers, personnel carriers, have knocked down this border fence, entered southern Lebanon. They have some equipment with them, they're carrying about 25 soldiers.
Apparently they raced past a U.N. post according to the AP and headed into a village where other Israeli soldiers have already been in control. An artillery base inside Israel was firing into this area. So once again, the Associated Press is reporting that Israeli soldiers have knocked down a border fence and entered a U.N. observation post in Lebanon. We will continue to monitor here at the international desk and bring you the updates as they warrant. Back to you.
NGUYEN: Yes, this is preparations for a ground assault by the Israelis into Lebanon. Yes, we will stay on top of all of this. Thank you, Randi.
KAYE: You're welcome.
LUI: All right well the Bush administration says there is no quick fix to the latest Mideast crisis. Secretary of State Rice heads to the region tomorrow. The president is keeping a close watch on developments from his ranch in Crawford, Texas. CNN's Elaine Quijano is there with him and she joins us live. Elaine good morning to you?
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you Richard. That's right President Bush arrived here in Crawford last night. He's spending a short weekend here before returning to Washington tomorrow. In the meantime, in Washington, his Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, is in fact, preparing to leave for the Middle East tomorrow.
Now at a State Department briefing yesterday, Secretary Rice outlined her plans for her trip to the region. She'll be meeting with Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as well as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank.
She will also attend a conference in Rome that will include key European and Arab allies, the focus will be on humanitarian efforts in Lebanon and reconstruction, as well as the political and security situations there. Now, yesterday, Secretary Rice defended the United States' strategy of not seeking an immediate cease fire in the region.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: A cease-fire would be a false promise if it simply returns us to the status quo. Allowing terrorists to launch attacks at the time and terms of their choosing, and to threaten innocent people, Arab and Israeli, throughout the region. That would be a guarantee of future violence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, even before she heads out the Bush administration is already coming under some criticism from some key democrats. Yesterday, Senators Harry Reid and Senator Joe Biden sent President Bush a letter calling on him to appoint a high level envoy to the Middle East. The White House's response, they already are sending their top envoy Secretary Rice. Richard?
LUI: OK Elaine Quijano there in Crawford, Texas, with the president. Thank you.
NGUYEN: All right let's get straight to Randi Kaye at the international desk. Randi I understand some new video is coming in?
KAYE: We are getting new video Betty, we want to take you to that area that I was just telling you about where Israeli tanks, bulldozers and personnel carriers have knocked down a border fence along the Israeli-Lebanon border. You're looking at some pictures there of some shelling taking place. Associated Press is reporting that this border fence has been knocked down.
Troops have entered southern Lebanon. They have some equipment with them, they're carrying about 25 soldiers. They raced past a U.N. outpost according to reports and headed into a village where other Israeli soldiers already had control.
We have the desk here, the international desk here at CNN trying to work on exactly where this location is. We'll get that to you as soon as we can. But we are told by the folks here on the international desk that this is not a storming. That this area was already under control by Israeli soldiers and more have rolled through there. But once again, you're looking at some shelling. And this is the area where the bulldozers, the tanks from Israel have now crossed into Lebanon through that U.N. post. Betty?
NGUYEN: Beginning stages of what appears to be a ground assault into Lebanon. Thank you for that, Randi.
LUI: All right, practicing medicine in the line of fire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You've had explosions all around this hospital.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. GUPTA: You have a bridge over there which is a target, you've had actual explosions over there. We're two kilometers from Hezbollah. We're a target.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LUI: Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta is in Beirut where doctors there have gone underground to continue treating the injured. Sanjay hosts a special "Weekend House Call" taking a closer look at the challenges facing Lebanese and Israeli hospitals. That's coming up in just 15 minutes.
NGUYEN: And later, our Barbara Starr goes in with the marines as they return to Lebanon to rescue Americans trapped there. CNN SATURDAY MORNING continues in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right, I've got some breaking news to tell you about right now. Here are some pictures, appears to be inside Lebanon, with Israeli troops there. Randi Kaye joins us from the international desk. Randi, what are you being told?
KAYE: Betty, we can tell you right now, certainly what you're seeing here, you're looking there at live pictures of some shelling taking place there in southern Lebanon. We are told that the Israeli forces have knocked down a border fence at the U.N. observation post. We've been watching these live pictures come in here to CNN at the international desk. We've seen the live shelling, we've seen the tanks rolling through. Israeli tanks, bulldozers, personnel carriers have knocked down this fence, they've entered southern Lebanon.
About 25 soldiers along with equipment apparently raced past a U.N. post, according to the "Associated Press" and headed into a village there. We're trying to get an exact location there on the Israel-Lebanon border where this is occurring at that U.N. observation post. We're told that this is not a storming, that U.N. forces, according to our editors here on the international desk, have been in this area for quite some time, but we may be seeing the beginning here of the ground troops moving in.
We know that they've been massing on the border with Lebanon. The northern Israel border, the southern border for Lebanon and we may be seeing the beginning here of that. So once again, live pictures of Israeli tanks. And you can see right there explosions in the distance. Betty?
NGUYEN: Yes you can see the explosion just pop up there. Obviously we're going to be monitoring this very closely. In the meantime Randi, thank you for that. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is in Beirut.
LUI: That's right, 3:24 in the afternoon there. He visited Mt. Lebanon Hospital, the only one in the area refusing to shut its doors. Well today, he joins us live for a special edition of "House Call", as the Mideast crisis escalates. Sanjay?
NGUYEN: And there he is. Sanjay what can we expect?
GUPTA: Well, I'll tell you what, you know how do you take care of people in a wartime type situation? I mean how do you actually take care of the people who are injured and take care of people who already had some degree of illness or sickness beforehand? It's all very interesting here. Lots of hospitals in Beirut, lots of them unable to function like they normally do. It's a war out here in so many ways. We'll be telling you how that all works on a special edition of "House Call" coming up in just a few minutes.
NGUYEN: It's good information. I know that you were in a hospital near a Hezbollah controlled area. So obviously we'll stay tuned for all of this. Still ahead this morning --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know only one thing. As a mother, I know that all mothers suffering. All mothers want their sons back home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LUI: An Israeli soldier missing. His abduction, the spark for this latest conflict now in its 11th day. Next hour, we'll hear from the family still holding out hope for his safe return. Stay with CNN, the most trusted name in news.
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