Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Crisis In The Middle East; Iraqi Prime Minister In U.S.

Aired July 25, 2006 - 07:00   ET

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

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The next hour of AMERICAN MORNING begins right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: It is time for a new Middle East. It is time to say those who do not want a different kind of Middle East, that we will prevail, they will not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Tough talk from the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, meeting right now in the West Bank with Palestinian President Abbas, wrapping up discussion this is morning with the Israelis.

Plus, terror on the streets of Haifa just a short time ago. At least 16 rockets hit, causing injuries and damage across that coastal city. We're looking at both these stories and much more on this AMERICAN MORNING.

And good morning. Welcome everybody. And you're watching a special edition of AMERICAN MORNING. I'm Soledad O'Brien in New York.

Good morning, Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Good morning, Soledad.

Miles O'Brien from Jerusalem.

2:00 p.m. in the afternoon here in Jerusalem. It's been a day of diplomacy and a day of further fighting. Of rocketing raining down in the north. The secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, currently making her way -- has made her way, we think, to Ramallah to meet with the Palestinian authority president, Mahmoud Abbas.

Earlier in the day got a much more warm reception than she received in Beirut yesterday, having met with the prime minister of Israel, the defense minister, the foreign minister, trying to discuss the timing of any sort of cease-fire, the makeup of some sort of peace keeping force that could somehow supplant the force that is Hezbollah and is causing such a menace to people in northern Israel, and also dealing simultaneously with the humanitarian concerns. More than 800,000 people in Lebanon displaced, in addition, upwards of 400 people killed. Hard to separate the civilian casualties from the Hezbollah militant casualties there. In any case, the secretary of state rejecting calls from many in the Arab world and from Europe as well, saying now isn't the time for an immediate cease-fire. Let's listen to her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: It is time for a new Middle East. It is time to say to those who do not want a different kind of Middle East that we will prevail, they will not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

M. O'BRIEN: The prime minister of Israel steadfast as well, showing no signs of letting up on the push into southern Lebanon and the air strikes focused on locations the Israeli defense forces believe are strongholds for the Hezbollah militants. Let's listen to the prime minister.

EHUD OLMERT, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Israel was forced into war on two fronts, simultaneously, both in the south and in the north. For over 12 days, more than 15 percent of the population of Israel is forced to live in shelters because of these continuous rockets and missile attacks coming from Lebanon into the major cities of Israel and into almost every village and little township (ph) in the north part of our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

M. O'BRIEN: There was a respite of the Israeli bombing in and around Beirut, particularly the southern suburbs yesterday as the secretary of state traveled to Beirut. As we say, it was a cool reception because the prime minister of Lebanon, Fouad Siniora, as well as the speaker of the parliament there, a very prominent Shiite leader with ties to Hezbollah, a bit of an alliance, although also a rivalry with Hezbollah, Nabih Berri, insisting on an immediate cease- fire. The secretary of state, along with the Israelis once again, saying now is not the time. The time not right for a cease-fire. The question is, when will that time be? Joining us live now from Beirut with more on what happened in Beirut yesterday and today is CNN's Brent Sadler.

Brent.

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state, put forward a very ambitious plan that would really change things on the ground considerably if it were to be accepted in Rome where a meeting of key international players, including the United States, core countries involved in the Middle East crisis, will look at this plan. Essentially what Condoleezza Rice put on the table here was a kind of rapid reaction force up to 10,000 strong, made up of countries including Turkey and Egypt, under a NATO or U.N. umbrella, coming in here to help stabilize the south, but only until such time if Israel, it seems, will have achieved at least phase one of a military offensive to stop rockets raining down on northern Israel. If that were to get off the ground, that would require a considerable military effort on behalf of the international community to deploy those kinds of numbers of troops on the ground in south Lebanon with air and naval support.

After that, it's envisioned (ph) under this U.N. idea, it that there could be a second force, perhaps 30,000 strong, that would then come into play for the long-term to help the government of Lebanon secure the country as a whole. This really is a dramatic change to anything that's been envisioned (ph) before. These ideas are being put to the Israelis. We may get some response from the Israelis today, more likely after Condoleezza Rice goes to Rome tomorrow to meet with other foreign ministers from the European Union and other countries to try and push forward with these ideas.

Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, you have to wonder if the secretary of state will come back as that meeting progresses and continue her shuttle diplomacy. But a question for you, Brent, that meeting with Nabih Berri, who is the speaker of the parliament there, a prominent Shiite who represents a different Shiite faction than Hezbollah. Is it possible that Mr. Berri could in some way, shape or form become a mediator in this crisis?

SADLER: I think that, according to political sources I've been talking to today, is unlikely. Nabih Berri speaks for the Syrian Hezbollah influences in this country, which are very strong, have been for a number of years. He is more, if you like, a P.O. Box, where the various sides can drop their messages and then discussions can move forward. Certainly an important interlocutor. In terms of a mediator, no, that's not likely to happen.

But he is an important player and he's saying quite clearly to Condoleezza Rice, cease-fire now, discussions later. The Israelis, and supported by the U.S. to a great extent, want to get conditions on the ground, stop those rockets hitting Israel before any mention of cease-fire. But at the same time, U.S. effort going at pace to try and help create inter humanitarian corridors in this country.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. So if he is the P.O. Box, apparently what Condoleezza Rice got was a return to sender yesterday?

SADLER: Absolutely given what we've heard from the ground here and what the Israelis are saying. The Israeli seem hell-bent on certainly getting as far as the Litani (ph) River, 20 miles north of the Israeli border, and really trying to stop those rockets coming down into Israel. That alone is a tough military challenge and this is all going to take an awful long time, Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Brent Sadler in Beirut, thank you very much.

South of the border, about 15, 20 miles south of the border of Lebanon and Israel, is the port city of Haifa, the third largest city in Israel. We've been telling you all through these two weeks how it has become a target for these Hezbollah rockets, despite the effort by the Israeli defense forces on the ground and by air to knock out these rocket positions. These rockets are small. They're very mobile. It's very difficult for the Israeli defense forces to pinpoint where they may be and take them out. And as a result, yesterday, 100 rockets rained down on northern Israel. Today we have reports of additional rocket strikes in the down area of Haifa. That's where we find CNN's Fionnuala Sweeney.

Fionnuala.

FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Miles.

Yes, within the last five minutes, the air raid sirens wailed again over the Bay of Haifa. The usual precautions. You know the drill from being up here. People just leave -- the reporters leave their live shot positions, they go and take cover in a nearby adjacent doorway and then wait for the sirens to end. And that is what happened, as usual, in this case.

This time, however, no rockets. But it's just an indication of just how people here in Haifa are on a trigger's edge. On a moment's notice, these air raid sirens going off. And as you know from talking to the mayor of Haifa a few moments ago, there have been rocket attacks, direct hits on this city, in and around it, on buildings. Sixteen people being injured and quite a lot of destruction, as you can see from the television pictures.

It's about the sixth time the air raid sirens have gone off today. And we know, as you said yesterday, 100 rockets raining down on north Israel. If you think that the Israeli military says that it has hit at least 1,200 sorties or missions or targets in southern Lebanon, you have could wonder with Hezbollah having something like 13,000 rockets in their capability, just how much they can still continue to carry out these rocket launches.

M. O'BRIEN: It is astounding to me, Fionnuala, they keep pounding and the rockets keep coming. In talking with the mayor just a moment ago, something struck me. He has the sense that more businesses are open there today and that, obviously, puts a lot more people in harm's way. Have you had a chance to get out and about to see if people are trying to get back to normal there?

SWEENEY: Yes, I mean a lot of the shops are closed, but then people do go back to work. And I think it's, you know, action and then reaction. If several people are killed, like happened here two days ago, then the things are very quiet then the following day. But because there weren't any injuries yesterday in Haifa itself, people felt it was beginning to be safe enough to open their businesses.

But the majority of people are still staying home. And the greatest danger is to those people who are out on the streets. And when these air raid siren warnings go off, they've got to get into buildings and take cover. But the question I think that has to be asked is, while people are taking cover in their own homes, often in those reinforced rooms that every Israeli building has, just how much damage is being done despite the mayor's optimism about how this city can keep carrying on as business as usual.

M. O'BRIEN: Fionnuala Sweeney in Haifa. Perhaps it is a bit of wishful thinking on the part of the mayor. Thank you very much. One of the places that has been a focus of the Israeli air force, in particular, as it's been trying to route out these rocket launching locations, is about 30 miles north of where Fionnuala is right now. Along the coast, Tyre, Lebanon. Also a port city in the southern part of Lebanon. The Israelis have done several air strikes focused on this region. Their intent was to go after these rocket launchers. And yet, as we say, with upwards of 1,200 sortis (ph), missions on the part of the Israeli air force, strikes trying to go after these rocket launchers, in some cases very small and very mobile, the rockets just keep coming. CNN's Ben Wedeman is in Tyre with that side of the story.

Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Miles, there has been a steady bombardment here to the east and to the south of Tyre throughout the morning. Some very large explosions in just the last half hour. I don't know if you can actually pick up on this, because it's a bit noisy at this live position, but definitely a fair amount of bombardment throughout the day.

Now we're hearing that the Israeli military is claiming that they hit a Hezbollah rocket launcher in the Tyre area. But, of course, we have no way of being able to confirm that with Hezbollah itself.

Now in addition to all this bombardment outside of Tyre, there's been some intense fighting in the hills about 20 miles inland from here, around the town of Bint Jbeil, which is in the southeastern part of Lebanon. There the Israeli army is trying to advance on that hilltop town, apparently running into quite a lot of resistance by Hezbollah fighters.

Meanwhile, the Israelis continue to call for the inhabitants of southern Lebanon to leave -- OK, we're going to pan over. I don't know if you can see that. Two large explosions over there. You can see the dust rising over on the top of that hill. And this is really what we've been seeing throughout the morning, since about 9:00 a.m. local time, which is about five hours ago. So yet it has been a steady, steady pounding of this area throughout the day.

Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Hey, Ben, can you tell us, you know, the routine in northern Israel is, the rocket firings and the rocket attacks are preceded by sirens and warnings. Is there adequate amount of warning there for the people of Tyre?

WEDEMAN: There is not an air raid warning system in place in Tyre at all. Basically there's no form of warning. They don't really have a system of air raid shelters or bomb shelters in the city either. Your only real tip to something that might be happening is the sound of Israeli planes in the air or the sound of drones. But drones are in the air all the time here. So basically people just have to -- it's a roll of the dice, really. And, like I said, there's no system that tells you that something's about to happen and so it can be very dangerous. Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: You know the military euphemism is collateral damage. That's when civilian get caught up in all of this. In the case of Hezbollah, it's particularly difficult, even when precision weapons are used because they are in such close proximity deliberately to civilians, human shields, if you will. How many civilian losses have you heard about in Tyre in the time you've been there?

WEDEMAN: Well, we understand from the hospitals we visited that most of the casualties, wounded and dead, are civilians. But having said that, we have to point out that Hezbollah's very secretive about the number of losses they're taking. For instance, we understand that they said that they lost three of their fighters in this fighting in the southeast corner of Lebanon recently. But really, there's no way to confirm that.

And, for instance, the other day I was speaking with one of the doctors in the main hospital here in Tyre, Jebed Omel (ph), who told me that he hasn't seen any fighters, no combatants. They're all civilians. But, as I said, we don't really have a way to get hard and fast and reliable information on the casualties Hezbollah is taking.

Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Clearly it's an enemy that operates in the shadows. Ben Wedeman in Tyre, Lebanon, where yet another series of air strike are continuing. We're watching all of this on both sides of the border for you.

Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: All right, Miles, thanks.

Coming up this morning, Arab leaders want an immediate cease-fire in the Middle East, but do they have a plan that works for both sides? We'll take a closer look at that.

And we'll take you live to Syria, home now to thousands of Lebanese refugees. We'll see how that country is dealing with the strain on their resources.

And later, the relief effort in Lebanon. We'll talk to an aide worker on the ground and find out what the biggest needs are. All that and much more ahead on this special split edition of AMERICAN MORNING. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: After one of the bloodiest weekends in Iraq in months, security is going to be a primary topic when President Bush welcomes Iraq's prime minister to Washington today. CNN's Suzanne Malveaux live at the White House for us.

Hey, Suzanne, good morning.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Soledad.

Despite the violence in the Middle East, really Iraq, President Bush considers is the central front in the war on terror. And even privately Bush administration officials acknowledge that it is not going well. That is why today is so important. Mr. Bush's last hope considered his guest today, Prime Minister Maliki.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX, (voice over): President Bush's legacy is on the line and it's tied to this man, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And I saw firsthand the strength of his character and his deep determination to succeed. To build a country that can sustain itself, govern itself and defend itself.

MALVEAUX: That was five weeks ago, after Mr. Bush's highly choreographed surprise visit to Baghdad. But this is now. On average, at least 100 Iraqis killed each day, according to the United Nations. Baghdad now a battleground between Shiite and Sunni-Arab militias. Maliki's security initiative, aimed at cracking down on the violence, has been disappointing to the U.S. military brass, who had hoped to draw down troops by the end of this year.

MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM CALDWELL, MULTINATIONAL FORCES SPOKESMAN: We must be realistic in measuring success and setbacks. There are serious challenges facing the new government and Iraqi people.

DAVID GERGEN, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: This is a classic civil war.

MALVEAUX: A war that threatens to undermine the centerpiece of Mr. Bush's foreign policy, bringing democracy to the Middle East.

GERGEN: Rarely have two leaders of nations needed each other more than at this moment. You know, Maliki, if it were not for Bush and the support of the United States, would be a dead man. On the other hand, President Bush's legacy is directly tied to the capacity of the Maliki government to deliver.

MALVEAUX: But Mr. Bush's June visit, meant to bolster that capacity, failed to make much difference.

GERGEN: The problems Mr. Maliki has is his rule does not extend much beyond the green zone. You know, this safe little enclave in Baghdad is where can he reign supreme. But you get much outside that and the militias have a heck of a lot more influence.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: And various military officials say that there will be more U.S. troops, as well as Iraqi troops, moving from the rest of the country into Baghdad to try to save that city. And really, Soledad, it is considered the key battleground in really trying to win back the country. We expect to hear more details about that from the two leaders later this morning.

Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: All right. We'll look forward to that. Suzanne Malveaux for us at the White House. Thanks, Suzanne.

Let's get right back to Miles, who is in Jerusalem today.

Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Soledad, the fighting continues about two and a half miles into Lebanon. Actually very fierce fighting. Bint Jbeil is the location. Bint Jbeil, by accounts here on the Israeli side of the border, is at least a headquarters for Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Some are describing it as the capital for Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. And, as a result, as you might suspect, it is heavily defended by Hezbollah fighters. Israeli defense forces have encircled that town but continue to meet with stiff resistance. CNN's Matthew Chance is just south of the border in northern Israel.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Israeli force still continuing to operate just inside Lebanon. A short distance from here, in fact, this is the Lebanese border. Lebanon is right behind me. And behind me is the village of Maroun al-Ras, which was secured by Israeli forces, they say, some days ago. It's pretty quiet there at the moment.

But just beyond the ridge is Bint Jbeil. That's where the real hard-core fighting is taking place at the moment. The Israeli soldiers that are coming back from that front line, telling us they're encountering very strong resistance indeed from those Hezbollah fighters.

Many of the roads and buildings in Bint Jbeil are booby-trapped. Hezbollah fighters are firing anti-tank rockets at the Israeli armored vehicles. And so it's by no means all going Israel's way.

In fact yesterday two tanks were taken out of action and at least two Israeli soldiers were killed there. We've not got any firm casualty figures of today's fighting, but it is still underway there. What the Israelis are saying is that they intend to carry out these "focused operations," as they're calling them, that are meant to disability the infrastructure that Hezbollah uses to carry out its strikes against Israel.

After they've disabled that, after they've inflicted casualties, they say, on Hezbollah, the intention is to come out. But what we've been seeing over the past several days, indeed the past several weeks since Israeli forces have been on the ground inside southern Lebanon in these small pockets, is that they're finding it quite difficult to get out because it's a very difficult judgments to make. As soon as the Israeli forces withdraw from a particular area, the Hezbollah fighters come back again. And so it is proving very difficult for the Israelis, at this stage it seems, to carry through that overriding strategy. But it does go on the overriding intent, of course, according to the Israelis, is to make the Hezbollah armed wing incapacitated so they can no longer carry out these attacks against Israel.

Matthew Chance, CNN, on the Israeli-Lebanese border.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: The fighting has created a humanitarian crisis in southern Lebanon. We're told upwards of 800,000 people are displaced as a result of all this. We've told you the story, of course, about the four nationals trying to make their way out. American citizens getting ferried out. Inside Lebanon, many people displaced, staying within Lebanon. And in addition to that, a migration of people who are displaced into Syria. And, as a result, a lot of problems being created there. And a big problem was people arrived not necessarily in good shape. CNN's Aneesh Raman is in Damascus with more on that.

Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, good morning.

We're at the main refugee center here in Syria, in Damascus. A rough estimates, conservative estimates I should say, that somewhere between 150,000 and 200,000 Lebanese refugees have poured into Syria since this crisis began. There seems no letup in the numbers coming across the border.

Behind me you see people who have been living here for four, some five days. Lunch has just finished. They're going to the rooms. This usually is a school. All the rooms here, some 50 of them, are now strewn with mattresses. Some 20 to 30 people are in rooms. The youngest person here is a 13-day-old child that was taken at four days old through the border crossing here into Syria. Also a 90-year-old woman who has six sons that stayed behind in Lebanon to say, as she said, fight for Hezbollah.

The other interesting trend they're seeing here is that really the people coming now are just women and children. The men are staying within Lebanon. They are staying at their homes. But for those that are coming here, there's medical care that's being given.

The Syrian government says it does not need any help, but the situation is, in its words, under control. Syrians have poured out their support. They have offered mattresses, food, shelter. The other centers were essentially just a transient point. People come and within a couple of hours they're linked up with a free house that's available that Syrians have offered up.

So the government, at the moment, is not saying that there is a refugee crisis here. But as the numbers continue and as no one knows how long this could go on, that is a very real concern, Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Aneesh, I'm curious, are people there angry at all with Hezbollah or is the ire focused strictly on Israel?

RAMAN: It's the latter. Those we've spoken to here, they are carrying the flag of Hezbollah. They are seeing their homes destroyed. They are angry at what they say was a resistance movement that came under attack from Israelis and they strike the broader issue, in their mind, as a Palestinian struggle.

They are essentially, completely coming to a country that has support for that and they've self selected, perhaps, on the Lebanese that will choose to come to Syria given the complex relationship between the two countries. But among those here, there is a sense of brotherhood and it could be of concern for the U.S. because there is growing support for Hezbollah, as well as for the Syrian government, as they come here with an unknown time as to when they can go back.

Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Aneesh Raman in Damascus.

The secretary of state is currently in Ramallah on the west bank, continuing her shuttle diplomacy. Damascus not one of her destinations on this trip. A very deliberate campaign by the United States to exclude Syria from direct negotiations. The other day the secretary of state said that the lack of diplomatic relations between Syria and the United States had been somewhat overstated. Nevertheless, the U.S. is insisting Syria needs to come up with further actions to help reign in Hezbollah as well, because they are suspected to be a big funder of Hezbollah, before any sort of negotiations of that nature can occur. Last night on "Larry King Live," the Syria ambassador to the United States weighed in on this issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IMAD MOUTSTAPHA, SYRIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: We do not believe that the United States today believes in diplomacy. We have not seen any diplomacy today in the Middle East. What we have seen was Secretary Rice dictating to the Lebanese, the Israeli demands and requirements. Nothing else. Diplomacy is about engagement, about finding creative solutions to crises, not about exactly telling one side, the underdog, the weaker side, what they are supposed to do without even trying to hear from them their complaints.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

M. O'BRIEN: That's the Syrian ambassador, Imad Moutstapha, Syrian ambassador to the United States on "Larry King Live" last night.

Back to you, Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: All right, Miles, thanks. We'll continue to check in with you in just a moment.

Ahead this morning, what are the chances of any kind of quick cease-fire in the Middle East? We'll check in with Egypt's ambassador to the U.S. about his country's plan to end the fighting. That's ahead on this special split edition of AMERICAN MORNING. A short break and we're back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com