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Alabama Tornado Warning; Misery In Myanmar; The Race Goes On; Police Beating Probe; Lebanon Gunfire
Aired May 08, 2008 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning again, everyone. You're informed with CNN. I'm Tony Harris.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. And I'm Betty Nguyen, sitting in for Heidi Collins today.
HARRIS: And developments keep coming in to the CNN NEWSROOM on this Thursday, the 8th of May. Here's what's on the rundown.
NGUYEN: A tornado targets Alabama after slicing across northeastern Mississippi. We are working to bring you the first pictures from the scene.
HARRIS: Myanmar's military rulers finally bend. The U.N. aid flights land in the country. Fear now the cyclone death. That toll may reach six figures.
NGUYEN: Hillary Clinton keeps going. Barack Obama breaks for superdelegates. The Democratic duel in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: And, you know, it has been a difficult morning for our friends in the south, in Mississippi in particular. In and around the Tupelo area. With severe storms of tornado in and around Tupelo. Rob Marciano has been following all of the developments for us this morning. He joins us from the . . .
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Tony. Hi, Betty.
I just lost my I-feed (ph) but I can hear some of what you're saying just from across the room. I want to get you to the latest tornado warning that is it is in effect for the next 15 minutes for Franklin and Colbert County. The good news with this particular storm is that it really is weakening. You can see here on the radar screen, this pink polygon, that is where that tornado warning is for northwest Alabama and the cell itself really, really weakening here. So we look for that to be allowed to expire as we go through the next 15 minutes and it doesn't look nearly as nasty as it did just a few minutes ago.
Be aware, there is a line that still has to move through the same areas, including Tupelo, that got hammered earlier this morning. And there's some clearing out here that could very well stoke the convection. That tornado watch is in effect until 2:00 this afternoon local time.
All right. Fresh pictures coming in to us from the Fausts. Tom and Donna Faust. The parents of esteemed producer here on this show, Tom Faust, junior I assume. These are pictures of the Tupelo furniture market near the airport. A big furniture making area of the country. Probably second only to the Carolinas.
Five huge buildings. They have this market a couple of times a year. And, boy, it got torn up real good with this tornado that rolled through this morning just to the south of the airport. We thank Tom Faust for sending those I-Reports in.
Of course, we encourage you to do the same because you, in many cases, when it's away from the larger cities, are our eyes and ears to this storm.
A quick shot of Huntsville, Alabama, and then we'll wrap up on this. We have a live picture. This is an area, thanks WAAY, that we'll be concerned about later on today. Huntsville, northern Alabama, is really a hotspot for tornadoes, not only this time of year, but also in through the late winter. So we'll watch this for development as we go through the next few hours.
A tornado watch in effect for much of eastern Mississippi and northwestern Alabama until 2:00 this afternoon.
Tony and Betty, back to you.
HARRIS: Yes. And the best news so far out of the Mississippi area has been no injuries. We've heard no reports of any injuries from that line of storms.
We want to remind you again, if you would, to send us I-Reports. And our thanks to the Fausts in the Tupelo area of sending I-Reports. Your son is going to be sending you a portion of his paycheck this week. You did a great job. (INAUDIBLE) not so good.
But when the weather becomes the news, do send us your I-Reports. Go to cnn.com and click on I-Report. Or you can type I-Report at cnn.com into your cell phone. And, as always, we remind you in a situation particularly when severe weather is happening around you, be safe.
NGUYEN: Talk about severe weather, crisis in Myanmar. One hundred thousand people could be dead in the cyclone-ravaged country once known as Burma. But military rulers there have largely shut out the world. CNN is the only western TV network with a journalist in Myanmar and Dan Rivers has this exclusive look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): The situation here in southern Myanmar is continuing to deteriorate. There are reports of fist fights as people scramble to get food there. The remaining stocks of rice are beginning to run out.
There's still very little in the way of aid that we've seen here on the ground. There are army soldiers deployed by the Myanmar military junta. We're hearing dreadful stories of hundreds of dead bodies left lying in the fields, decomposing. Of people really completely at their wit's end.
As you can see behind me, the houses around these parts have been flattened by cyclones (INAUDIBLE). There is just a terrible, hopeless situation down here. And these people need help immediately.
Dan Rivers, CNN, southern Myanmar.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: International aid for Myanmar, we're learning this morning, the U.S. military is ratcheting up efforts to deliver supplies. But those plans are on hold, awaiting permission from Myanmar's military rulers. Diplomatic efforts also under way. CNN's Zain Verjee has the latest at the State Department.
Zain, good morning.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.
Well, U.S. planes still have not been given permission, no visas, to get on the ground in Myanmar. They're sitting and waiting in Thailand. Some of them are loaded with food aid. And there's one plane also, a disaster team, that's waiting to get on the ground and assess the situation so they can make some kind of analysis that will allow more U.S. aid to come to the people of Myanmar who need it.
Now the top U.S. diplomats in Myanmar says the whole problem is, is that we are dealing with a very paranoid regime. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says that this is not a time for politics. It is a humanitarian situation. And the government in Myanmar should accept the help.
And also, Tony, Secretary Rice is appealing to different countries in the region, like China, Thailand, Malaysia, that really have influence over Myanmar. She's going to be working on the phones, talking to her counterparts today and hoping that they can push the government to issue those essential visas.
Tony.
HARRIS: And, Zain, a quick question about sanctions. What about sanctions? Are there sanctions that prevent some U.S. aid to Myanmar?
VERJEE: Yes, there are some pretty tough sanctions by the U.S. and other western governments in place and that's because of Myanmar's appalling human rights record. But what the Treasury Department here has done is basically to say, OK, we can go around these sanctions and deliver the aid to the people that need it in Myanmar just because of the catastrophic situation there on the ground.
The U.S., Tony, has also given about $3 million in aid. They're likely to give a lot more if they're able to get that team on the ground. But that money is likely to be distributed through U.N. groups on the ground.
HARRIS: Got you. All right, Zain Verjee, our State Department correspondent this morning.
Zain, appreciate it. Thank you.
Let me direct you to cnn.com for a moment here because we're watching (INAUDIBLE) the story develop over the last five, six days now. My guess is many of you will want to help. We have a special page on the devastation in Myanmar, complete with links to aid agencies that are organizing help for that region. It is a chance for you to impact your world. Let us be your guide.
NGUYEN: Turning now to presidential politics and the Democratic race that just will not end. Barack Obama courting superdelegates in D.C. today. Hillary Clinton campaigns in West Virginia. And our Dan Lothian joins us now live from Charleston.
So, Dan, how is Hillary Clinton responding to that growing pressure for her to get out of the race?
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, she's still campaigning. She was campaigning here in West Virginia yesterday. She will be appearing here at a rally here in Charleston at the state capitol. And she's on the ground, so we're told that this should be starting any moment now.
Senator Clinton pushing hard. Telling folks here, voters here, that she is the strongest candidate to compete against Senator John McCain come November. Clearly, she's not going anywhere.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's a new day. It's a new state. It's a new election.
LOTHIAN, (voice over): Hillary Clinton stays defiant on the stump in West Virginia, despite a growing number of calls from within her own party to concede the Democratic nomination for president.
BOB SHRUM, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: There is no metric that's left, popular vote, pledged delegates, number of states won. There's no metric that's left by which she can win this nomination.
LOTHIAN: But the embattled senator from New York disagrees, hitting the campaign trail extra early Wednesday morning after her stinging defeat in North Carolina and her narrow win in Indiana. Now it's on to West Virginia.
CLINTON: West Virginia is one of those so-called swing states. Democrats need to win it in the fall. I want to start by winning it in the spring.
LOTHIAN: But while she was pushing ahead, her camp suffered another defection. Former presidential nominee and longtime friend of the Clintons, George McGovern, says he changed his mind. And for the sake of party unity, he's backing Obama.
GEORGE MCGOVERN, FORMER U.S. SENATOR: I hope that as soon as it's reasonably possible, and as soon as Hillary feels the time has come for us to all to get behind our nominee and win that election next November.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LOTHIAN: Well, Senator Clinton will also be campaigning out west, out in Oregon, later today. The former president, Bill Clinton, is also campaigning here in West Virginia today.
As for Senator Barack Obama, he is not out on the campaign trail. But our CNN cameras did catch a glimpse of him up on Capitol Hill. He was meeting and greeting some children. And, by the way, Senator Obama will be interviewed by Wolf Blitzer today on "The Situation Room" beginning at 4:00.
Betty, back to you.
NGUYEN: Yes, looking forward to that. Dan Lothian joining us live there from Charleston.
And speaking of Charleston, where you are, Dan, Senator Hillary Clinton is going to be speaking shortly today. The hour is actually to be determined. She's running a little bit late but we're hoping somewhere around the 12:00 noon Eastern hour. She's going to be holding a solutions for America rally there at the West Virginia state capitol. So we will be watching for that and bringing it to you.
Meanwhile, presidential politics and the Democratic race that just won't quit. Barack Obama courting superdelegates in D.C. today. And we mention that. And, right now, let's talk to you about what you just saw. John McCain. He is out there on the trail. Money and media appearances, atop the agenda for the Republican presumptive nominee. The GOP nominee in waiting takes part in television interviews and holds a fund-raiser in New Jersey at noon Eastern. Now yesterday McCain talked about the economy and protecting human rights during a speech in Michigan.
HARRIS: Grit your teeth and open your wallet. Gas and oil prices surge yet again. AAA reporting the average price of a gallon of regular at more than $3.64 this morning. Think about that for a second. $3.64. That is up almost three cents in one day, Betty. A new record high, of course. And, for the first time, the average price of premium is now more than $4 a gallon. Diesel continues to be just off the charts here at $4.25.
And look at what's happening with oil. Let's do that right now. Now trading at more than $123 a barrel. Those records set despite a poor showing increases in U.S. crude and gasoline supplies.
NGUYEN: Well, keep watching CNN. Our money team has you covered. Whether it's jobs, debt, housing, or savings. Join us for a special report. It's called "Issue Number One," the economy, and it's all this week at noon Eastern only on CNN.
Well, help for desperate cyclone survivors. Myanmar's rulers finally let U.N. aid into the country. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, there are new calls for federal intervention in New York. Reverend Al Sharpton among hundreds of people arrested during city wide demonstrations yesterday. Crowds demanded federal authorities investigate the shooting of Sean Bell in November. The unarmed man was killed in a 50-bullet barrage just hours before he was to be married. Three New York City detectives involved in the shooting were acquitted last month. Bell's fiancee was also arrested at the protest. She and Sharpton have been released.
HARRIS: More suspects due in court today from that drug bust at San Diego State University. Almost 100 people arrested in the undercover sting, including 75 students. Campus police started the investigation about a year ago after a student's fatal drug overdose. About five months ago, they brought in the feds. Authorities say they seized 50 pounds of marijuana, four pounds of cocaine, and 350 ecstasy pills. Along with guns and money, the drugs were worth more than $100,000.
NGUYEN: In Philadelphia, emotions, they've run high after an officer was gunned down. But the police commissioner says it's no excuse for officers to beat suspects. CNN's Jason Carroll has that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): The video captured by a Philadelphia news helicopter has stunned the city and shamed its police department. It shows what happened late Monday night after police stopped three men suspected in a shooting. At least a dozen officers repeatedly kicked and beat the men after pulling them from their car.
MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER, PHILADELPHIA: It is not acceptable, of course, to do anything less than the professional standards that we expect of our Philadelphia police officers. And they know that.
COMMISSIONER CHARLES RAMSEY, PHILADELPHIA POLICE: We certainly are concerned about what we saw on the tape. The matter is being taken very seriously. Even though emotions run very high in our department right now.
CARROLL: The beating lasts for more than a minute. City officials say the officers have been under stress ever since this weekend when one of their own, Sgt. Steven Liczbinski, was shot and killed responding to bank robbery. The suspect in that shooting is still at large. The mother of one of the men, Lionel Dyches, who was beaten Monday night by officers, says stress should not be an excuse.
LEOMIA DYCHES, SON BEATEN BY POLICE: There was no reason for beating him in that manner. The law is the law. A person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
CARROLL: The three men beaten by police are in custody, facing charges ranging from attempted murder, to aggravated assault in connection with the shooting. The attorney representing the three men say it's the officers who should be facing criminal charges.
SCOTT PERRINE, CLIENT BEATING BY POLICE: They should be dismissed from the police force and they should be charged as criminals because that was criminal behavior. That was not police work.
CARROLL: An internal investigation is under way. Several officers have been placed on administrative leave. Police officials expect more offices to be placed on leave once their investigation is complete.
Jason Carroll, CNN, Philadelphia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Myanmar. The cyclone was ferocious. The new killer, silent and relentless. Disease amid the devastation. Dr. Sanjay Gupta ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, Myanmar. Saturday's cyclone delivered the first wave of deaths. Time and disease are delivering the second. And the risks, they are rising as relief workers are prevented from fanning out across the country. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is CNN's chief medical correspondent and he addressed some of the concerns a little bit earlier right here in the NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are able to report back on some of what is needed in various areas, including the south, the delta region where Dan Rivers has been reporting. Some of it is exactly, I think, what you might guess. You know, there is a real concern about clean water.
Remember a couple of things, Betty. This was an area that was also hit by the tsunamis. So there was hardly any natural protection against this cyclone in certain areas. And as a result, a lot of the natural water stores have been contaminated. So clean water is, obviously, a big concern and the dehydration, diarrhea, dysentery, that might come in next several weeks if they don't get enough water.
Shelter. This is monsoon season there, as you know. It is hot. It is humid during the day. Simply providing plastic tarp can provide some relief, although, as you might imagine, not enough. All that standing water that we've been seeing the images of can lead to malaria.
And then they talk a lot about the cadavers. And, you know, cadavers may not be the public health risk that people often think they are. When a body has died, it is often not a repository of bacteria, but sometimes it can be a bit of concern when they get into the water supply and, obviously, the emotional concern is overwhelming.
Betty.
NGUYEN: Yes, aside from the water, which is a major problem, what about food shortages? That has to be an issue.
GUPTA: Yes. And, you know, it's one of those things as well where you might have enough food in certain areas but trying to figure out, trying to assess exactly where that food is needed most can be very difficult. So you talk about tons and tons of these biscuits. How do you know exactly where to give them? And that's where the assessment teams on the ground are so important. And they don't have. So a lot of it is a guess right now in terms of who needs it the most and making sure that people who are weak and who are truly starving can actually get their hands on this food.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Dr. Gupta is among the journalists trying to get into Myanmar to report on the need for international relief. The military government is blocking those efforts.
So to get your daily dose of health news online, you can log on to our web site. You'll find the latest medical news, the health library, and information on diet and fitness. The address is cnn.com/health.
HARRIS: And happening right now in Lebanon, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is expected to speak. And that is creating all kinds of concerns and fears of possible sectarian clashes. Our Cal Perry is on the line with us.
Cal, what are you seeing? What are you hearing?
CAL PERRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, I'm in downtown Beirut in what's called Sodoko (ph) Square. This is the former green line during the civil war. You'll be able to hear the gunfire shortly, I'm sure. It's been absolutely raging.
As you mentioned, Nasrallah actually just completed his speech. We think we're seeing the result of that now. This all started about two days ago when the government declared Hezbollah's telecommunications network illegal. Nasrallah came out and said that, in fact, he need this to protect Lebanon. That it helped, "win the war against Israel." And what we're seeing now are street clashes, exceptional amount of gunfire.
I'm actually with Christian Streib, our cameraman here. We're pinned behind a building with the Lebanese army. They have not deployed in force yet and will have to remain to see if that happens.
HARRIS: Well, Cal, is this firing between -- are these people firing in the direction of the military that's assembled or is this -- are we talking about clashes between neighborhoods?
PERRY: Right now I think it's probably clashes between neighborhoods. I'm right on the edge of the Sunni neighborhood. And on literally the other side of the street is a Shia neighborhood. Now the army is here sort of behind a building taking cover. They have not deployed yet.
The Lebanese army has a very difficult job here in Beirut. When these clashes -- sorry, Tony. You can here an RPG explosion there. When these clashes kick off, the Lebanese army is charged with basically standing between the anti-government protesters and the pro- government protesters. You can imagine what a terrifying job that is.
HARRIS: So they're situated effectively right in the middle of these battling groups from various neighborhoods. And what's the structure here? Have they set up checkpoints to keep there -- my goodness you've got a scene going on behind you. Are we talking about checkpoints that have been set up by the military to keep the neighborhoods separated?
PERRY: Well, exactly that. I mean Beirut, as you may know during the civil war, there was a green line separating the two factions. That green line has remained with troops, with APC carriers. And on any given day, you can see those APC carriers out on the corner.
That's changed now. Since the most recent crisis in the past two days, we've seen an incredible amount of army presence on the streets. I'm looking at about 30 soldiers right now. And as I said, they're taking cover behind a building. Nobody wants to go fully out in this neighborhood.
We've seen gunmen on the rooftops of this neighborhood. That's obviously terrifying for the army as -- a concern of snipers is something they're really worried about.
HARRIS: I'm also curious, as we continue to listen to the activity behind you, as the origin of this latest dustup. You mentioned -- I'm wondering, there was a strike. Was there a strike over minimum wages recently that might have something to do with what we're seeing? Or maybe not.
PERRY: That's how it started. You're exactly right. About 48 hours ago, there was a planned strike by the biggest labor union here in Lebanon over economic conditions and the minimum wage. You can, quite frankly, take that and just throw it right out the window, Tony, because what's happened is, since then, Hezbollah and the anti- government coalition has used the strike as an excuse to come out on to the streets.
In the meantime, the government here in Lebanon, as I said, declared this telecommunications network illegal. And Nasrallah's the leader of Hezbollah came out and said this is, "open war" against us and we're not going stand for it. The fear here is that what we're seeing now is the result of that open war.
HARRIS: And, once again, and I'll let you go, describe that -- what we hear behind you. It sounded like an RPG round just a few moments ago. But it sounds like pretty constant gunfire.
PERRY: Exactly right. There is a considerable amount of gunfire, as you can hear. I'm situated at what's called Sodako Square, which really is between a Shia neighborhood and a Sunni neighborhood. So if clashes were to kick off, this is right where they were. And it looks as though they have. Now the Lebanese army, which is charged with trying to keep peace, when you're talking about this much gunfire, when you're talking about RPG fire, it's absolutely ludicrous to think that the army is going to put themselves between these two factions.
HARRIS: Cal Perry. What an involved scene he is reporting on. Maybe let me just give it just a moment here. Gunfire all around his location right now. Two neighborhoods, seemingly at odds right now. And what you're hearing is the exchange of gunfire between these two neighborhoods. A Sunni neighborhood and a Shia neighborhood. Cal Perry reporting from Lebanon for us.
Cal, appreciate it. Find safety, my friend. Thank you.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. And we'll continue to follow that story and this.
It has been such a busy, busy day. Look at this. A tornado targets the Tupelo, Mississippi, area just a short time ago. And we now have pictures of the damage coming into the NEWSROOM from our I- Reporters. We are going to show that to you right after this.
Actually, I'm told that we're going to get back to Cal Perry in Lebanon.
Tony.
HARRIS: All right, Cal, we just want to stay with you a bit longer here because of the intensity of the gunfire. So maybe we can sort of -- we will play this by ear to give folks an opportunity to hear it for themselves and you describe -- take a moment to describe where you are in the activity. We're starting to see some pictures as well.
PERRY: I'm in the neighborhood called Sodako Square, which is in downtown Beirut. And it's right along what is formerly known as the old green line from the civil war. It's obviously called the green line because it separates Shia communities and Sunni communities.
Excuse me, Tony. You're hearing now another RPG. More automatic gunfire.
The Lebanese army is out on the streets. They've been out in force in the past few days since this crisis really started. The Lebanese army really has probably the worst job in Beirut, Tony, which is they try to keep calm in these neighborhoods. But as you can hear, how do you bring calm to this kind of stuff.
HARRIS: I'm going to try to sort of ride this just a little bit with you, Cal, because I just -- to hear for themselves. Let's just -- 30 seconds of silence here so folks can actually hear for themselves what's going on. Very close to your location there in Lebanon. PERRY: Tony, I'll give folks an idea of what you are listening to. You are hearing a loud explosion. We believe our RPG explosions were behind believe it or not a Dunkin' Donuts, a very large building here, taking cover with the Lebanese army. It is the kind of situation where you don't want to move. You want to stay where you have cover. You can hear an exceptional amount of gunfire. We have seen gunmen on the roofs. This is a serious problem for the Lebanese army because if you venture out from behind these buildings, you leave yourself obviously vulnerable to snipers. But that's right now what's happening. I have not seen them deploy yet.
HARRIS: All right. Let's listen for just a few more moments here. As you take a look at the pictures right now, you can see - I won't begin to describe who it is that's on the move right now, but you can certainly see armed men on the move. Also, Cal, we are seeing some of the images. Cal, let's take a moment and give our viewers a reset of what is going on now, the pictures that you're watching.
PERRY: Tony, I'm sorry. I'm having trouble hearing you, obviously. You are basically listening to the anatomy of a gun battle in downtown Beirut. This all started about 48 hours ago. The government came out and declared Hezbollah (INAUDIBLE) communications network illegal. That caused protests, sit-ins and (INAUDIBLE) declared open war. The concern here in Beirut is exactly what you are hearing right now which is that neighborhoods are going to turn on each other. We have seen this morning neighborhoods already separating themselves from each other. We saw armed gunmen on the streets, turning people away from the neighborhoods. I actually -- you can hear that Tony, another RPG going off. I actually walked from a Christian neighborhood this morning to work. And I got turned back about five or six times (INAUDIBLE) .
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: Cal, this is Betty in Atlanta. I want to ask you, as we are listening to this, this is an enormous amount of fire power. Is this something that folks on both sides have been preparing?
PERRY: I think in many ways, it is something that everybody in Beirut fears because of the bloody civil war that lasted 15 years. Everybody has memories of that civil war fresh in their mind. Beirut is an incredibly beautiful city, incredible beach. It is incredibly peaceful. I must say, I met with a friend of mine the other day who's lived here for years and he said it is quiet in Beirut until it is not and it only takes an instant and there is complete chaos. The fear is that that's what's happening.
NGUYEN: Were there any warnings at all for the people to stay indoors, to take shelter as this sparked about 48 hours ago?
PERRY: Well, there weren't warnings per se. But here in Beirut, people are incredibly politically astute and they did see this coming. All throughout the day, talking to people across the city, they would say we are just waiting with bated breath to hear what (INAUDIBLE) the leader of Hezbollah has to say. It's all going to depend on what he has to say. He came out with incredibly stringent words say that this was quote, open war on Hezbollah. That obviously (INAUDIBLE) what we're hearing now and seeing now in downtown Beirut. But people had pretty much given up on going to work in the past 24/48 hours. As I said, when you have armed gangs of young men from different factions roaming their own neighborhoods and protecting them, people simply obviously, don't want to go to work.
HARRIS: OK, live pictures from al Jazeera (ph). The sound being provided by, as you mentioned, armed gangs and an open running gun battle. Let's just have you listen in. Again, I will just jump in for just a moment to reset. In the middle of the explosion of gunfire here, just to give a bit of a reset, as we get another volley of gunfire there. Cal, it looks like while the military may not actually be on the move, it has certainly staged in some areas where we are able to see a couple of tanks, courtesy of the video we are getting from al Jazeera. Give me an idea of what the plan is if there is a plan, for the military to do something, anything, about what we are hearing.
PERRY: The military by and large is charged with trying to prevent these things from happening, if not prevent them to sort of calm them down. I think once it reaches a certain stage as it has in the neighborhood I'm at now, there is very little they can do. Obviously, the military may be, in fact, coming on the move in other parts of the city. But where I am, they are almost virtually pinned down by this gunfire and nobody wants to go on the street. You obviously can't blame them for that. It is one of the most difficult jobs in the country, if not the most difficult job, because the atmosphere is so politically charged here in Lebanon. Again, remember, this is a government that does not have a president right now. They've tried 19 different times to vote one in and they have been unable to do so. So tensions were high before this started, but of course, you can hear this is only going make things worse.
HARRIS: OK, again, just monitoring this situation for you. Beirut, Lebanon, right now an intense fight fire. We have been following this for at least the last 20 minutes. Cal, are you OK?
PERRY: I am. I'm actually just -- I'm remarking over the fact my cameraman that I spent four years in Baghdad. I've been here for two and we already have our flak jackets on.
NGUYEN: Cal, for our viewers, reset this. Help us understand why this gun battle is taking place in this particular area.
PERRY: Well, this all started about 48 hours ago. There was originally an economic protest that had been scheduled for quite some time, protesting minimum wage. The government came out Tuesday and declared that Hezbollah's telecommunications network, that is their own (INAUDIBLE) network, was illegal and a threat to state security. That really raised tensions here in Beirut and the economic protest turned into a political one. What's happened since then is we've had a speech from Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah. He declared that their telecommunications network was necessary for Lebanon's protection and referenced the fact that he believed part of the reason they won the war against the Israelis two years ago was because of this telecommunications network and added that this declaration was, quote, open war against Hezbollah. Hezbollah is incredibly an immensely powerful force here in Lebanon, over a million supporters. It is something that everybody feared (INAUDIBLE) the fact that we could see some kind of sectarian violence. The neighborhood I'm in right now the gunfire that you are hearing, is most likely the result of a Sunni neighborhood and a Shia neighborhood which lie next to each other. I'm right here along the green line with the Lebanese army which separates these two neighborhoods.
HARRIS: And Cal, is it true that just recently a Sunni Muslim spiritual leader actually criticized Hezbollah by saying that the group was using the idea of a strike as political fear, as political opportunism?
PERRY: You're exactly right Tony. The leader, the head cleric of the Sunni population here in Beirut basically lashed out against Hezbollah and the Shia militias by and large and said that that they were really holding Lebanon hostage with the telecommunication network and that it was a threat. That really also raised fears. This is a place, again, that has memories fresh in its mind from the civil war. Nobody wants to see sectarian violence break out. When that cleric said it, it brought back memories of civil war and made a lot of people scared Tony.
HARRIS: Cal Perry is hunkered down in Lebanon with the Lebanese army right now providing some cover for him and his team as the raging gun battle continues as (INAUDIBLE) all around his position, Cal and his team in flak jackets right now. But there is no indication that this gun battle raging between two...
PERRY: Tony, I'm sorry to jump in. We are actually going to move from this position so I will check back in with you shortly.
NGUYEN: Stay safe, Cal. As we hear gunfire off of his microphone there in Lebanon. Of course, this is a situation that's playing out as we speak, a battle in Beirut through the streets of Beirut no less. Large amounts of gunfire being exchanged there. Cal Perry on the ground. For safety purposes, he's moving momentarily and we will try to get him back on with the latest in Lebanon. This is breaking news at CNN. We will continue to follow this. We also are following a lot of other stories today as well.
HARRIS: Yes. Again, as is the case in the newsroom, it is a very, very busy morning for us. We have also been following the storms through the south and Mississippi, parts of Alabama. We know that eventually that system that's done some damage in Mississippi, in and around Tupelo, will make its way through Alabama and then possibly into Georgia as well as we continue to follow the forecast. It is a dangerous day of storms. As you see, the screen is split here. Two big stories for us throughout the day here in the newsroom. Again, on the right, you take a look at the radar picture there. That storm system, that line of storms, packing heavy winds, hail, a lot of rain and there is some spin, some circulation to some of those cells. That's a story that we are going to be following throughout the day.
NGUYEN: We are just being told there is a tornado warning at this hour in Lee and -- what was that, Tom - and Prentice counties.
HARRIS: Lee takes us back to Mississippi.
NGUYEN: And that warning is going to be in effect for another 20 minutes. As you mentioned, Tony, we were talking with the folks on the ground a little bit earlier near Tupelo and they really describe a lot of extensive damage from that tornado that blew through. You had cars in trees. You had a tractor trailer overturned. You had the Department of Transportation, the roof blown off of some of the buildings there. But amazingly enough, at this point we have not heard of any injuries.
HARRIS: That's right and that's the story we will continue to follow on the right side of your screen. On the left side of your screen, pictures from al Jazeera of a scene that has -- that has been amazing to sit here and witness to hear the intensity of the gun battle. Not only gunfire but RPG rounds being fired in this running battle between two neighborhoods, a Sunni neighborhood, according to Cal Perry and a Shia neighborhood at odds with one another. The gun battle playing out live right here on our air here at CNN with amazing clarity, amazing intensity. Cal Perry for a while, hunkered down with his team with the Lebanese army. Moving his position now, trying to find a safer position as that gun battle continues.
NGUYEN: We want to take you back to just moments earlier when we were speaking live with Cal Perry who is on the streets of Beirut. As you can hear that gunfire being exchanged, take a listen to that report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PERRY: There is a considerable amount of gunfire that you can hear. I'm situated at what's called Sodoko Square which really is between a Shia neighborhood and a Sunni neighborhood. So if clashes were to kick off, this is right where they were and it looks as though they have. The Lebanese army, which is charged with trying to keep peace, when you are talking about this much gunfire, when you're talking about RPG fire, it is absolutely ludicrous to think that the army is going put themselves between these two factions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Again, our Cal Perry from moments ago describing the scene in Beirut, Lebanon, an intense gun balance going on right now just minutes after a speech from Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah basically saying, declaring open warfare. Moments later, this is what we get. We get this incredible...
NGUYEN: The telecommunications network and the government saying Hezbollah's telecommunications network is illegal and a threat to state security. The leader of Hezbollah says no indeed, that network is needed for Lebanon security. There you've got the middle of this battle, essentially where it started within the past 48 hours. Then we are seeing what we have been hearing today. You can't hear it in this live picture but we definitely could moments earlier with Cal Perry as gunfire, large amounts of them, were being exchanged in the streets of Beirut. HARRIS: The city as you can imagine, virtual standstill right now, a soldier manning checkpoints, on street patrols. But as Cal was describing, essentially staying put, not wanting at this moment at least to get into the middle of that gun battle. Just trying to strategically to find a place where they could probably bring this to a close. That is their position right now. Hezbollah, we understand, has set up its own roadblocks, checkpoints throughout the city and at one point has staged a bit of a sit-in. As Betty mentioned, this was about a telecommunications system that was declared illegal, also about a planned strike over minimum wage. The other points they make here is that one of Lebanon's Sunni Muslim clerics, a spiritual leader there, actually came out in a rare move and criticized Hezbollah saying that the Shiite militia group was actually using this idea of the strike, using the speech from the Hassan Nasrallah today, to play a bit of politics, calling it political opportunism. And as a result of all of that, what we get is this raging gun battle in the streets of Beirut.
NGUYEN: We want to take you back to more of our interview with Cal Perry just minutes ago as he was literally ducking for cover outside ironically a Dunkin' Donuts. There on the streets of Beirut, to try to stay out of the gunfire. Here is his report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PERRY: The military by and large is charged with trying to prevent these things from happening. If not, prevent them to sort of calm them down. But I think once it reaches a certain stage as it has in the neighborhood I'm at now, there is very little they can do. Obviously the military may be in fact Tony on the move in other parts of the city. But where I am, they are almost virtually pinned down by this gunfire, nobody sort of wants to go out in the streets. You obviously can't blame them for that. But it is one of the most difficult jobs in the country, if not, the most difficult job because the atmosphere is so politically charged her in Lebanon and again, remember, this is a government that does not have a president right now. They've tried 19 different times to vote one in and they have been unable to do so. Tensions were high before this started. But of course as you can hear, this is only going to make things worse.
HARRIS: Again, just monitoring this situation for you. Beirut, Lebanon, right now an intense fire fight. We have been following this for at least the last 20 minutes. Cal Perry has been -- Cal, are you OK?
PERRY: I am. I'm actually just -- I'm remarking over the fact my cameraman that I spent four years in Baghdad, I have been here for two, and we already have our flak jackets on.
NGUYEN: Cal, for our viewers, reset this and help us understand why this gun battle is taking place in this particular area.
PERRY: This all started 48 hours ago. There was originally an economic protest that had been scheduled for quite some time protesting minimum wage. The government came out on Tuesday and declared that Hezbollah's telecommunication network, that is their own phone network, was illegal and a threat to state security. That really raised tensions here in Beirut and the economic protest turned into a political one. What happened since then is we've had a speech from Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah. He declared that their telecommunications network was necessary for Lebanon's protection. He referenced the fact that he believed part of the reason they won the war against the Israelis two years ago was because of this telecommunications network and added that this declaration was quote, open war against Hezbollah.
Now Hezbollah is incredibly an immensely powerful force here in Lebanon. It is about over a million supporters. It is something that everybody has feared, that tensions would rise to the fact that we could see some kind of sectarian violence. The neighborhood I'm in right now and the gunfire that you are hearing is most likely the result of a Sunni neighborhood and a Shia neighborhood which lie next to each other. I'm right here along the green line with the Lebanese army which separates these two neighborhoods.
HARRIS: Cal, is it true that just recently a Sunni Muslim spiritual leader actually criticized Hezbollah by saying that the group was using the idea of a strike as political fear as political opportunism?
PERRY: You are exactly right, Tony. The leader, the head cleric of the Sunni population here in Beirut, basically lashed out against Hezbollah and Shia militias by and large and said that they were really holding Lebanon hostage with the telecommunication network and that it was a threat. That really also raised fears. This is a place, again, that has memories fresh in its mind from the civil war. Nobody wants to see sectarian violence break out. When that cleric said it, it brought back memories of the civil war and made a lot of people scared Tony.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Here is new video coming in to CNN of the battle in Beirut through the streets in fact and our Cal Perry is live there on the ground. We spoke with him just minutes ago, as you just heard, that at this hour he's moving to a safe place. Getting out of the gunfire which we heard enormous amounts of it, between both the Sunni and Shia neighborhoods there. Again, this is taking place right now. We are going to continue to follow this and on the back half of this break, we are going to bring you live coverage from CNN international as they follow this as well. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Let's take you back now to the battle that's raging on the streets of Beirut at this hour. We have been speaking with our correspondent on the ground, Cal Perry who is seeking some shelter from the gunfire. In fact, I believe we have him back now with us on the phone. Cal, when we spoke with you moments ago, you could definitely hear the exchange of gunfire. At this hour, it doesn't sound like it is being fired as rapidly as we heard earlier.
PERRY: We actually decided to make a run for things and try to come back to our bureau, which we have done now. The gunfire was exceptionally loud where we were in the area of Sodoko which really is right along the former green line, separates Sunni areas from Shia areas. Where I am now is downtown Beirut where Hezbollah has had political protests ongoing now for more than a year. I can tell you there's over 100 Lebanese soldiers here now staged nearby to where these clashes are taking place. Right now I haven't seen a great deal of movement from them.
NGUYEN: What these Lebanese soldiers are doing is trying to help control the situation because there is fighting between Shiite and Sunni neighborhoods, correct?
PERRY: That's what we think right now. You can also separate it between anti-government protesters and pro-government protesters. Obviously, when there is an ongoing running gun battle, it is hard to find out who is shooting at who exactly. The Lebanese army here on the ground is charged with protecting the population and trying to keep things calm before they get out of hand. Obviously, people here are now worried that that's not happening, gunfire echoing throughout the city. The sound of RPGs as well, rocket propelled grenades, going off, I can tell you our senior international correspondent here on the ground Brent Sadler says he hasn't heard that for years in Beirut which is really saying something.
NGUYEN: And this started about 48 hours ago. Take us back to what sparked this.
PERRY: About 48 hours ago, there was an economic protest protesting the minimum wage. People here want the minimum wage to be higher than it is. What really happened is that protest was virtually hijacked by Hezbollah, the Shia militia here in Lebanon. The government came out on Tuesday and said that the telecommunications system that Hezbollah relies on, that is their own telecommunications network is illegal and a quote, threat to the state security. We heard from Nasrallah today, the leader of Hezbollah. He said that this telecommunications network is something that they need to protect the country and he took it a step further saying that this government has basically declared open war on Hezbollah. It's worth noting that this government has seen nothing but political turmoil in the past year since November. In fact, there has been no president here in Lebanon as the cabinet continues to try to approve somebody. So far, they have had no luck.
NGUYEN: Is this is same communications network that - there were allegations a little earlier that Hezbollah had installed cameras and other monitoring equipment at the airport?
PERRY: Exactly. This happened about the same time. The two are actually separate but they came in sort of the same volley of attacks against Hezbollah, that one, they had this telecommunications network and it was a threat to the state security. But two, they said that Hezbollah had cameras out at the airport and were monitoring Lebanese officials, Lebanese government officials as they came and went from the country. Now, Nasrallah today in a speech kind of brushed that off and said there are cameras everywhere. It is important to remember that Hezbollah here garners incredible support on the street, especially in the south section of Beirut and in the southern section of the country. People here really were waiting to hear what Nasrallah had to say. And it seems that things here, everybody is realizing their worst fears. Nobody here wants to see sectarian fighting because of course everybody remembers the brutal civil war. So everybody wanted to try to avoid that, but it doesn't look like it's happened.
HARRIS: Cal, you talk about worst fears. Let's drill down on that for just a moment when you see outbreaks of violence like this, running gun battles in the streets of Beirut, you are reminded, of course, that this is an incredibly dynamic country when you talk about the various religions and ethnic groups that make up the demographics of this country. So that when you start to see this kind of an escalation in violence, the concern is that it could spread to other areas of the population.
PERRY: That's exactly the fear Tony, exactly as you point out. Lebanon is an incredibly complicated place when it comes to the different sectarian groups, the different religions and the different political parties that make up Lebanon. Everybody's worst fear here is exactly that (INAUDIBLE) something sectarian. Nobody wants to see that. When you walk around Beirut, it is an incredibly beautiful city. It is right on the sea. The restaurants are filled. The cafes are filled. But as you walk throughout the city, you'll see beautiful French architecture and right next to it a whole building with bullet holes throughout the building from the civil war. So as you walk around the city, you are confronted on a daily basis with the fact that this place is built along sectarian lines and people here live with that fear every day. So as the political crisis continues to deepen and as tensions raise, everybody here is worried that something could spark off and once it does, they will be completely unable to pull it back.
HARRIS: The other notion that I'm dealing with in my own mind, as I watch these pictures is that I know this is a largely urban population. We are talking about city streets here and just imagine for a moment city streets with raging gun fire.
PERRY: It's really difficult to imagine. You take Lebanon. There are about five million live in this country. Nearly three million of them live here in Beirut. This is also a city and an economy that in many ways relies on expats, ex-patriots, foreign bank investments, that kind of stuff. So when you talk about this controversy right now over the airport and it's worth noting that the airport right now is a major flashpoint, completely shut down because of Hezbollah protests. Well when the airport is shut down, people can't get out and people can't get in. Unlike in other countries where you've got border crossings, land crossings, in Lebanon first to the south, you've got Israel. Nobody is going to cross into Israel from Lebanon. It's basically a demilitarized zone at this point. On its east you have Syria and depending on your politics, what you believe as a Lebanese citizen, you may or may not be able to get to Syria. So when you talk about not only this urban area being Beirut and how it feeds the rest of the country, it holds true for the airport. It holds true for this entire nation Tony.
