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CNN Live Saturday

Israeli Operations Continue

Aired July 15, 2006 - 16:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The Middle East on the brink. More air strikes, rocket attacks and condemnation today as the death toll rises. We have reporters all over the region covering every angle, including an exodus from Lebanon to safety in Syria. And what ordinary citizens have to say.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want from President Bush some justice from you, Mr. President. Because the American is a very big country in the world. We need some justice looking for us, because we need peace. We need peace. We want to live in peace. We hate war.

WHITFIELD: Hello, and welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And we'll get to the Middle East in a moment, but first another major story unfolding this hour. A warning to North Korea to suspend its ballistic missile program. Moments ago, the U.N. Security Council finally spoke with a single voice to Kim Jong-il.

The vote, 15-0 on a measure introduced by Japan after last week's missile test. We expect to speak live at this hour to the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., John Bolton, who is speaking right now. Let's listen in.

JOHN BOLTON, U.S. AMBASSADOR THE U.N.: It's appropriate for us to show this flexibility on timing and allow diplomatic efforts a chance to succeed. Those efforts are now exhausted, however, and the continued intransigence and defiance of the North Korean leadership demanded a strong response from this council.

The resolution we have just passed does just that. It also sends a much stronger signal than the weak and feckless response of this council in 1998, which only issued a press statement. In condemning the multiple launches of these ballistic missiles, the council is affirming in this resolution that these launches threaten international peace and security.

It is not just launching of these missiles that poses a threat, but the propensity of North Korea to proliferate this technology. North Korea is the world's leading proliferater of ballistic missile technology, so it was entirely appropriate for this council to reaffirm its resolution 1540, which states the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, as well as their means of delivery, constitutes a threat to international peace and security.

This resolution also demands action. It sends an unequivocal, unambiguous and unanimous message to Pyongyang, "Suspend your ballistic missile program, stop your procurement of materials related to weapons of mass destruction, and implement your September 2005 commitment to verifiably dismantle your nuclear weapons and existing nuclear lab program."

It is not just Pyongyang, though, that must act. The resolution also requires member states to do what they can to prevent the transfer of resources to the DPRK missile program and cease procurement of missile-related items and items relating to WME programs from the DPRK.

The United States expects that North Korea and all other U.N. member states will immediately act in accordance with the requirements of this resolution. This is the first Security Council resolution on North Korea since 1993, reflecting the gravity of this situation and the unity and determination of the council.

We hope this resolution will demonstrate to North Korea that the best way to improve the livelihood of its people and end its international isolation is to stop playing games of brinkmanship and restore its missile moratorium, return to the six-party talks and implement the terms of the joint statement from the last round of those talks.

We look forward to North Korea's full, unconditional and immediate compliance with this Security Council resolution. We hope that North Korea makes the strategic decision that the pursuit of WMD programs and threatening acts like these missile launches makes it less, not more, secure.

We need to be prepared, though, that North Korea might choose a different path. That is why it is important that if the DPRK does not comply with the requirements of this resolution, the United States and other member states have the opportunity at any point to return to the council for further action.

In closing, I would like to thank all members of the council for their efforts in helping us secure a strong and unanimous resolution.

WHITFIELD: You've been listening to U.S. ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton reiterating the importance of this unanimous resolution that is now demanding that North Korea suspend all activity relating to its missile testing program.

And John Bolton saying the nuclear, biological and chemical weapons programs as well would have to cease. He also reiterated that the resolution would require that all member states would have to end any kind of delivery of materials to help North Korea continue any kind of missile testing that is taking place recently.

This is the first resolution involving North Korea in 13 years. Now, I'll have a live interview with John Bolton later on in this hour. Stay tuned for that.

Now on to the crisis in the Middle East. Here's what we know right now. For the first time in this four-day conflict, Israel bombed targets in central Beirut, including the city's port. Meanwhile, rocket attacks by Hezbollah landed more than 20 miles inside Israel.

And this just in, Israel has declared a state of emergency in northern parts of the country, effectively shutting down all public facilities. In a televised speech to the nation, Lebanon's prime minister praised -- or rather raised the possibility of deploying the army against Hezbollah guerrillas. And U.S. officials say they're studying ways to evacuate American citizens from Lebanon. They're talking about flying people from Beirut to Cyprus.

We have CNN teams all around the region in that area, and we're monitoring Middle East broadcasts to get you the very latest, most accurate information. We'll start our live coverage in Beirut. Standing by there, CNN's Nic Robertson.

Nic, all sort of missiles being fired there in Beirut, primarily, Israel says, to target Hezbollah and Hamas headquarters. How much of that is right?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's what we've seen so far. The Hezbollah headquarters have been targeted here. Just 24 hours ago targeted again. This day, the Hamas headquarters here targeted for the first time.

And also, there are reports, unconfirmed at this time, that the spiritual leadership of Hezbollah, Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, that his premises have also been targeted. That is an unconfirmed report at this stage.

But what we have seen, 85 people now killed so far in Lebanon, 229 injured. Fifteen of those people killed today when a missile struck a minibus that was taking them away from their town very close to Lebanon's southern border with Israel.

And we've seen targeting of a number of coastal facilities up and down the Lebanese coast, Sidon, the port there targeted, and a Lebanese army facility there targeted. In Beirut, a number of locations along the seafront targeted. Jounieh, north of Beirut, facilities on the coast there targeted.

It appears as if the Israelis have specific targets on the coast that they're looking for, possibly connected with the attack on their ship 24 hours ago.

WHITFIELD: All right, Nic, thanks so much.

ROBERTSON: Fredricka -- sorry.

WHITFIELD: Not a problem. Thanks so much. We'll check back with you later.

And now to the second front of the conflict. Israel launched new attacks against targets in Gaza today. Standing by for us in Gaza City, CNN's Ben Wedeman. Where, Ben, it is relatively quiet now. And that's what's so ghostly about Gaza City, right?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is correct. And, in fact, at the moment, the electricity is off in Gaza City, a situation that is often the case, actually. In fact, I can show you, if we pan the camera across the street -- I'm holding my microphone now so maybe you can hear it a bit.

But there are not really that many people or stores that can afford that sort of power. The reason the power is off is because just several weeks ago, Israeli planes took out Gaza's only power plant. So for much of the day in many parts of the Gaza Strip, there simply isn't any electricity.

Now, Israel actually does provide some power to the Gaza Strip under longstanding agreements. But with 1.4 million people living in the Gaza Strip, that just is not enough. Now, we're going up to show you some places that do operate by candlepower. This is a bakery which is selling pizza and other things. In fact, I had one of those pizzas this evening.

But as you can see, they're working on candle power. [speaking foreign language] This gentleman is saying that about nine, ten hours, oftentimes even 12 hours a day, there simply isn't power. Now, the lack of electricity has a knock-on effect because if there's no power, they can't, for instance, run water pumps that provide water to all the people here.

So there are certain parts of town that simply don't have water so people have to buy it from private vendors. So it's a very difficult situation here in Gaza. Been the case for about three weeks now following the June 25th kidnapping by Hamas militants of Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit.

Now, on his case, we understand from sources in the Egyptian capital Cairo that there are representatives of Hamas there discussing with Egyptian mediators some sort of solution to this crisis. Of course, the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit is what sparked the current crisis which has led to what's the situation in Lebanon as well. So very much, the problem began here in Gaza -- Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Well, Ben, I have to wonder whether any current concerns involve any kind of encroachment on Gaza when it comes to these missile attacks that are going back and forth involving southern Lebanon and Israel.

WEDEMAN: Well, our understanding is that Israel really has its hands full in Lebanon fighting with Hezbollah, that the situation in Gaza, they can afford really to put it on the back burner. And all you have to do is really look at the kind of weaponry available to Hezbollah compared to what Hamas has.

And Hezbollah is much better trained, equipped. It's got all sorts of capabilities that Hamas simply does not have. Ah, it looks like the electricity has gone back on again -- Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, that's good news, at least temporarily. Ben Wedeman, thanks so much, from Gaza City.

Well, Israel has rolled out its missile defenses today. And within the past hour the government declared a state of emergency in parts of the north in range of Hezbollah rockets. CNN's Paula Newton has the story from Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the word we're getting from the Israeli army and the israeli defense forces is that the massive air strikes will continue unabated. In the meantime, here in Israel, they're trying to shore up their defenses. Patriot anti- aircraft missile batteries were sent up to Haifa, that's the port city that is now directly in the line of fire of some more medium-range Hezbollah missiles.

What is going on here right now is that the Israeli military is trying to prepare the Israeli population for knowing that, look, this could take weeks, maybe even months. And that means many people in northern Israel will be caught in a crossfire. They need to stay indoors in safe rooms, even in bomb shelters.

In Tiberias, they had two rocket attacks today. And those were really unexpected. The Israeli army confirmed that it took even them by surprise. They hadn't told people in Tiberias, by the Sea of Galilee, to stay indoors. That is a tourist town. And now they tell us that tourists are fleeing Tiberias.

What they have to do now is reexamine exactly how many people are at risk in northern Israel and try and get some kind of plan going there so that people aren't in a panic and feeling that deep anxiety about what is going to fall next from the sky.

The Israeli army admits that there isn't much they can do to protect their civilian population except for themselves to take precautions. Also, what has happened today is the Israeli navy has had to tow in their battleship that was damaged in a missile attack last night in Beirut.

A very embarrassing event. The missile hit the ship and four Israeli soldiers -- sorry, Israeli sailors were missing. One body has been recovered. And the Israeli defense forces confirm that they're still searching for the other three.

Any way you slice it, though, that was a very important symbolic victory for Hezbollah, and the Israeli army knows it. They say that this event is under investigation.

Paula Newton, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: In Beirut and other parts of Lebanon, thousands of Americans stuck. Their families worrying here at home. What the State Department is doing to get them out of harm's way.

Plus, how the crisis will hit you at home. Be prepared to pay more for gas in part because of this crisis. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Violence and casualties are mounting in the Middle East. Here's what we know right now. Israeli air strikes again targeted Lebanon today, including central Beirut and cities of Tyre and Sidon. Hezbollah militants fired dozens more rockets across the border into Israel.

Residents of northern Israel are hunkered down in homes and bunkers waiting out the attacks. Israel has just declared a special situation -- that's the language they're using -- in the region, effectively closing public facilities.

And Lebanon's prime minister is calling on both Israel and Hezbollah to put down their arms. Fuad Saniora also blasted Israel for what he called collective punishment of the Lebanese people.

A chief concern for the U.S. government, getting Americans out of harm's way. But it could take days. Israel's bombing of Beirut's International Airport complicates the task. Other options are surfacing. Gary Nuremberg is in Washington with the details.

What are some of those options, Gary?

GARY NUREMBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, first of all, we're talking about as many as 25,000 Americans who are in Lebanon right now. The State Department spent much of the day planning the best way to execute a voluntary evacuation for those who do want to leave.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

Getting Americans out of Lebanon is a bigger challenge the summer.

C. DAVID WELCH, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR NEAR EASTERN AFFAIRS: There are quite a number of Americans in Lebanon because, as you know, we have a big American-Lebanese community, and many are there for the summer.

NUREMBERG: With Beirut's airport and some major roads knocked out, the State Department is trying to find the safest way to evacuate Americans who want to leave. It issued a statement saying it's working with the Pentagon on a plan to get Americans to the island of Cyprus, where they could get commercial flights home. The French are also looking at Cyprus.

BERNARD EMIE, FRENCH AMBASSADOR TO LEBANON (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We're thinking of a system that could help in leaving the country through a ferry that links Lebanon to Cyprus.

NUREMBERG: Other countries have already begun to help their citizens leave. Swiss citizens boarded buses in Beirut. So did some Saudis. Some Americans who were told by the embassy to register online and to wait for instructions are scared.

CAROLINE SHAMOUN, LEBANESE AMERICAN: There's a lot of stories (ph). We're all afraid. We don't know what to do here.

NUREMBERG: Military sources tell CNN the Pentagon is making contingency plans that could include getting Lebanon's permission to fly Americans to ships off shore. Many of the Americans in Lebanon have dual citizenship.

BRIG. GEN. JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS, U.S. ARMY (RET.): I just don't know that 25,000 will willingly want to be a part of the evacuation. And I can't even begin to guess what percentage of that will come forward and say, "We want to leave."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NUREMBERG: No decisions have been announced, but the State Department says it is working around the clock to come up with plans. That could still take several days. General Marks says if all 25,000 Americans wanted to go, the evacuation could last a week -- Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right. A tedious task, indeed. Gary Nuremberg, thanks so much.

And if you're trying to find out about relatives visiting or living in Lebanon, contact the U.S. State Department hotline. Those of you overseas can call 0-1-202-501-4444. If you are in the U.S., you can call this 1-888 number, 407-4747. U.S. citizens can register with the State Department online. And details about possible evacuation plans can be found on its website, travel.state.gov. Look under the heading "Travel Warnings" on the left side of your page.

Fleeing the violence will take to you to the Syria-Lebanon border where scores of Lebanese are crossing over saying they don't want to die.

Plus, laying blame. Why President Bush is pointing his finger at Syria.

And we'll get you live into Beirut where Israeli aircraft continue to wallop targets there. All that when CNN LIVE SATURDAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The best way to stop the violence is to understand why the violence occurred in the first place. And that's because Hezbollah has been launching rocket attacks out of Lebanon and Israel and because Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers. That's why we have violence.

And the best way to stop the violence is for Hezbollah to lay down its arms, to stop attacking. And, therefore, I call upon Syria to exert influence over Hezbollah.

(END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: President Bush pointing a finger at both Syria and Iran for their role in the escalating crisis. CNN's Aneesh Raman is in Yabouss, Syria, along the Syrian-Lebanese border.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the gateway between Lebanon and Syria. And amid this crisis, it has seen an influx of people like this, carrying what little they have, leaving most of it behind in Syria as simply fleeing the violence.

We're told by officials here on the border that the majority of those who are coming through are Syrians. The majority of the Syrians are poor Syrians who were working in Lebanon. They do not have cars. They simply have what little they can carry. They've walked for a few hours to just get back to Syria.

Now, beyond this is the main access road that has been hit by air strikes. People are telling us they're able to drive around that; they're still able to come through. Besides the Syrians, others ex- pat Arabs have been making their way. Other tourists within Lebanon have found their way outside of the country.

This is where the humanitarian face of what's taking place is coming through, the stories of what is happening within Lebanon. A man that we met, his 5-year-old daughter, he said he simply could not bear for her to see the sights there, the bombs that are dropping.

Many are simply fleeing, they tell us, for their lives. You can tell how many people are coming in. Very few people are going the other way, going into Lebanon. Most of those, obviously, are coming through to escape the violence. And the Syrian authorities say that over 100,000 Syrians have already crossed through.

Aneesh Raman, CNN, on the Syrian side of the Syrian-Lebanese border.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And in a moment, we'll get back to the Middle East crisis. Right now, the other big story, the U.N. resolution condemning further missile testing in North Korea. Right now, the North Korean ambassador so the U.N. is speaking. Let's listen in.

PAK GIL YON, NORTH KOREAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: The same can be said of the moratorium on the long-range missile test fire which the DPRK agreed with Japan and the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang declaration in 2002.

In the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang declaration, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea expressed its intention to extend beyond 2003 the moratorium on a missile fire in the spirit of the declaration. This step was taken on the premise that Japan move to normalize its relations with the DPRK and redeem its past.

The Japanese authorities, however, have abused the DPRK's good faith. They have not honored their commitment, but internationalized the abduction issue through (ph) the United States hostile policy to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, although the DPRK had fully settled the issue.

This behavior has brought the overall DPRK-Japan relations to what was before the publication of the declaration. It is a manifestation of the DPRK's broad magnanimity that it has put on hold the missile launch so far under this situation.

The joint statement of the six-party talks on September 19th, 2005, stipulates that commitments to be fulfilled by the six sides of the talks to the nuclearize (ph) the Korean peninsula.

But no sooner had joint statement been adopted than the United States applied financial sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and escalated pressure upon it and various fears through them.

The United States, at the same time, has totally hamstrung the airports of the implementation of the joint statement through such threat and blackmail as large-scale military exercises targeted against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

It is clear to everyone that there is no need for the DPRK to unilaterally put on hold the missile launch under such situation. (inaudible) It is far-fetched assertion closely fortifying the reality for them to claim that routine missile launches conducted by the Korean people's army for self-defense strained the regional situation and it broke the progress of the dialogue.

It is a lesson taught by history and a stark reality of international relations proven by the Iraqi crisis that the upsetting of the balance of force is bound to create instability and crisis and spark even a war.

But for the DPRK to retain those deterrents (ph) for self- defense, the United States would have attacked the DPRK more than once, as it had listed the former as part of an axis of evil and a target of preemptive nuclear attack and a peace on the Korean peninsula and the region would have been seriously disrupted.

The DPRK's missile development, test fire, manufacture and deployment, therefore, serve as a key to keeping the balance of force and preserving peace and stability in northeast Asia. It is also prosperous for them to term the latest missile launches a provocation and the like for the mere reason that the DPRK did not send prior notice about them.

It would be quite foolish to notify Washington and Tokyo of the missile launches in advance given the United States, which is technically at war with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, has threatend since eight (ph) months ago that it would intercept the latter's missile in collusion with Japan.

We would like to ask the United States and Japan if they had ever notified the DPRK of their ceaseless missile launches in the areas close to it? Mr. President, the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea remains unchanged in its will to de-nuclearize the Korean peninsula in a negotiated peaceful manner, just as it committed itself in a September 19 joint statement of the six-party talks.

The latest missile launch exercises are quite irrelevant to the six-party talks. The Korean people's army will go on with missile launch exercises as part of its efforts to bolster deterrents for self-defense in the future, too.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea will have no option but to take stronger physical actions of other forms should another country dare take issue with the exercises and put pressure upon it. I thank you, Mr. President.

WHITFIELD: Following a 15-0 unanimous vote in the U.N. Security Council to condemn further missile testing in North Korea. North Korea, by way of the North Korean ambassador to the U.N., Pak Gil Yon, rejects the resolution.

We will find out what the potential ramifications are now in an interview with U.S. ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton coming up later here on CNN. We'll have more on this U.N. resolution as well as the ongoing crisis in the Middle East right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: We continue to watch the crisis in the Middle East. Here's what we know right now about the intensifying crisis there. Israel expands its offensive in Lebanon, hitting Hezbollah targets in the north and south near the Syrian border in Beirut and other port cities.

A short time ago, Israel declared a special circumstance -- a special situation is the terminology they're using in northern Israel. Hezbollah has fired more than 75 rockets into the region. The declaration gives the Israeli government authority to close public institutions in the north.

The U.S. is making plans to evacuate thousands of Americans stuck in Lebanon. Air and sea evacuations to the nearby island of Cyprus are a possibility.

From the G8 summit in Russia, President Bush is blaming Iran and Syria to helping to flair up the Middle East conflict. Joining me to talk about what neighbors may be influencing whom, John Alterman. He is director of Middle East programs at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Good to see you, Mr. Alterman.

JOHN ALTERMAN, DIRECTOR OF MIDDLE EAST PROGRAMS, CSIS: Good to see you again, Fredrick.

WHITFIELD: Well, Syria and Iran, how influential of Hezbollah are they? ALTERMAN: Well, they certainly have a lot of influence. They help supply Hezbollah; they help finance Hezbollah. But whether they actually pull all the strings or not is really something that nobody quite understands.

Whether they directed the recent attack, whether they let it be known they wouldn't mind it, or whether they're just enjoying the fact that in many ways this advances their interests is something people can speculate about, but very few people can know.

WHITFIELD: So whether Iran supplied any sort of weaponry to Hezbollah does not necessarily make them equally culpable?

ALTERMAN: Well, you can argue about culpability. That's sort of a different issue. But it seems to me that whether Iran directed this attack, whether Iran is involved in command and control issues, or whether they just created a strong Hezbollah which is acting autonomously, I think, is the question that people are trying to understand right now.

My guess is that Iran is far enough away that it's not going to bear the brunt of an Israeli response. My guess also is that over the coming days, we're going to see some sort of Israeli strike against Syrian interests or possibly into Syria itself.

WHITFIELD: Why do you anticipate that?

ALTERMAN: Israel's done it before. It can do it with impunity. Israel doesn't attack downtown Damascus; it attacks things like training camps.

WHITFIELD: Why would it want to do that? Wouldn't that simply escalate the problem? It doesn't sound like it would help bring about any real resolution. It would only make things worse.

ALTERMAN: Well, I think that their sense is that the way you get Syria to back off and to tell Hezbollah is back off is that you let the Syrians know that you can hurt them.

At the very beginning of this, Israel buzzed the presidential palace where Bashar al-Assad was staying and broke some windows with the sonic booms just to let him know that Israeli jets can attack anywhere in Syria they want to. Again, the past history is that Israel has taken action against Syrian interests as a way to tell Syria to back Hezbollah off.

WHITFIELD: All right. So if Syria were involved -- let's talk about some of the other neighbors here with Israel and Lebanon. We're talking about Jordan, Egypt, all neighbors. Do you see that this conflict is likely to grow into a regional one involving most of these neighbors?

ALTERMAN: I don't, because all the governments in the region really want to live side by side with Israel. I think Syria ultimately wants to be in negotiation to get back some of the Golan, or get back all of the Golan in their view, and live side by side with Israel.

Nobody wants this thing on the governmental side to spin out of control. It's these nongovernmental groups that are pushing that way. My guess is that the governments are going to help contain this, but the streets are going to be angry.

WHITFIELD: So broader than that, the international community, you have Bush, who is condemning Hezbollah, and you've got Putin at the G8 summit who is condemning Israel. As a whole, the international community can influence this conflict how?

ALTERMAN: You can have sort of an international framework. You can send a mediator. But the fact is, it seems to me, that this conflict still has some escalation in it because each party to this conflict, both in Hamas as an overt (ph) in Gaza and also in Hezbollah and with the Israelis, they all feel that a little more force will improve their bargaining position.

My guess is we have at least another week, possibly more. And then you're going to see more international mediation. Ultimately, some sort of mediator will get everybody to put it down. But the parties have to be ready

WHITFIELD: Is it your belief that the Lebanese government is not directly involved in that, just that the southern part of that country is being used by Hezbollah attacks?

ALTERMAN: Well, there are different parts of the Lebanese government. Lebanon has lots of different sectarian groups. There are 18 recognized minorities in Lebanon. And some people say it's great that Hezbollah is tough in the south. Other people say, "We need national authority. We need to have the Lebanese army there."

I think this is one of the things that splits Lebanon. Generally, many Lebanese wants to have a stronger central government. And this is one of the things that may either help that happen, or in the argument of some, will actually weaken the central government.

WHITFIELD: What's the risk that Lebanon sees as taking a more direct approach in all of this? When we heard from the prime minister earlier, he didn't even want to mention the word Hezbollah.

ALTERMAN: Well, the risk is that Hezbollah's actually stronger than the national government, that when they get into a fight, Hezbollah shows itself to be stronger and the national government's weakened rather than strengthened.

WHITFIELD: John Alterman, director of Middle East programs, thanks so much, of CSIS. Good to see you.

ALTERMAN: Thank you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Back now to our other major story this hour, the U.N. Security Council's unanimous passage of a resolution on North Korea. Washington's U.N. ambassador is John Bolton. He's standing by in New York. Good to see, Mr. Bolton.

JOHN BOLTON, U.S. AMBASSADOR THE U.N.: How are you?

WHITFIELD: North Korea's ambassador to the U.N. is saying that they flatly reject this resolution. So if that's the case, what are the ramifications, given that it was a unanimous decision.

BOLTON: Well, this was a very strong resolution by the Security Council and, as you say, unanimous. And I think that the fact that the North Koreans, with less than 45 minutes from the adoption of the resolution, have already rejected it says in pretty clear terms just what they think of the concern of the international community.

Obviously, we're now going to have to consider and consult with others what the next step might be. But this is the kind of action by North Korea that has led to its isolation and led to the resolution that says that their actions are a threat to international peace and security.

WHITFIELD: But clearly, there had to be some sort of ramifications that the U.S. and the Security Council have already laid out knowing, anticipating, that North Korea may be reticent about this. So what would happen? Would there be sanctions involved? What kind of punishments, possibly?

BOLTON: I certainly think that has to be considered. Because, as you know, it's not only the launch of North Korean missiles which occurred on the Fourth of July. But it's their underlying nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs that we're concerned about.

These missiles weren't launched because of an abstract interest in physics. They were launched because they could potentially carry payloads of weapons of mass destruction. That's why we have taken the efforts by North Korea these weapons and increase their ballistic missile arsenal so seriously.

WHITFIELD: What do you suppose was the real breaking point? Or what was the issue that brought everyone together when, earlier in the week, and just after July 4th, it seemed like China and Russia were not going to be on board completely?

BOLTON: Yes. We had an overwhelming majority of the council to support the draft resolution that Japan had introduced. And I think, for a considerable period of time, it looked like China would have to act in isolation itself and veto the resolution.

I think the pressure of probably a 12 or 13-vote majority in favor of the resolution led China to reconsider. And with a relatively small number of modifications, we were able to reach unanimous agreement.

This is a very strong resolution. It's the first resolution that the Security Council has passed on North Korea since 1993. So I think this is a very clear signal about how concerned the members of the council were and, indeed, the entire world. This is not a situation of North Korea versus the United States. This is really North Korea versus everybody else.

WHITFIELD: And the other huge issue that the international community is asking the U.N. to address is the ongoing Middle East crisis, which is bubbling out of control right now. What kind of discussions are taking place in the Security Council about what to do next?

BOLTON: We're having a briefing this afternoon on the situation in Lebanon, in particular. But, you know, the Secretary General has just sent a high-level team of three senior U.N. officials out to the region.

We certainly think that team needs to get around and consult with the governments there. Obviously, with President Bush and Secretary Rice in St. Petersburg for the G8 summit, they are very active at the moment, too. So our diplomacy is quite tense and will continue.

WHITFIELD: And has the U.S. been at all outspoken as of yet on the Middle East crisis, Lebanon's involvement, Hezbollah's involvement, or perhaps even Israel?

BOLTON: I think we've said unmistakably that Hezbollah should release the kidnapped Israeli soldiers, that the governments of Syria and Iran are directly responsible because of their long-term support for Hezbollah and that if there's ever to be a reckoning with Hezbollah, there has to be one with Syria and Iran as well.

Secretary Rice has also called on restraint by all the parties in the conflict. And, as our say, our diplomacy is very active at the highest level of the U.S. government.

WHITFIELD: So now there are at least two issues that the U.N. -- or at least the U.S. representation of the U.N. -- wants to address with Iran, its participation in the Middle East crisis as well as its nuclear ambitions. Where do you stack it up in priority when trying to address Iran on these two issues?

BOLTON: Well, having dealt with North Korea at least momentarily with this resolution, really Iran is the next subject up. We want to take care of their rejection of the very generous offer that the United States, Europe, Russia and China made to them on the nuclear front.

We're going to move to make mandatory the requirement that Iran suspend all of its uranium enrichment activities. And if Iran continues to be intransigent, we will impose sanctions in the Security Council on Iran.

But the threat posed by Iran is not just its nuclear program, but the fact that it is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, in effect, the central banker of terrorism, and is therefore directly responsible for the Hezbollah and Hamas kidnappings in Lebanon and Gaza Strip.

WHITFIELD: And where is Iran recently now on this resolution or this stack of proposals that it was looking over and making a decision on things that they didn't mind included and things that they wanted to eliminate?

BOLTON: Well, they have effectively rejected the offer that was made to them, the very generous offer that was made to them, which is why the foreign ministers of the five permanent members of the Security Council and Germany agreed last week to return this matter to the Security Council to begin to go down the path of sanctions.

I think Iran's isolation, North Korea's isolation, are a kind of pattern. This will now be, in both cases, a test for the Security Council to see if it can deal with this critical threat of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Not in the abstract, but in two concrete cases, North Korea and Iran.

WHITFIELD: And so now, bringing it full circle, if North Korea is saying, "We reject this resolution," might this make it a bit more difficult? It's already been tricky with Iran. But might Iran follow suit and say, "We agree. We're with them"?

BOLTON: If that's the case, then I think the Security Council is really confronted with this test in an immediate way. Can the council deal effectively with these threats by North Korea and Iran? Or will it be sidelined because of disagreement within the council?

We don't know the answer to the test yet. The grade is incomplete. We're going to be working hard to make the council effective. Whether that's possible remains to be seen.

WHITFIELD: U.S. ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton. Thanks so much for your time.

BOLTON: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Following this historic resolution, now, the first resolution addressing North Korea in 13 years. When we come back, more on the Middle East crisis. We'll have a live report from Jerusalem where Israel is now declaring a special situation. We'll be right back.

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WHITFIELD: Israel is calling it a special situation, also a state of emergency, all of the above. Let's go back to Jerusalem now. Live for us there, CNN's Paula Newton.

What is the situation?

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Special situation means that it falls just short of a state of emergency. But what it does is it allows the authorities to say to people in those cities and towns right now in the line of fire, "Look, stay in your homes, go to bomb shelters, don't open your store, don't go to work." And it allows them to get some kind of control of the situation.

They feel that they've been able to keep civilian casualties low because a lot of people are staying in their homes, off the streets, and obviously, in some extreme cases, some young children and elderly people have been sent south in Israel.

What really caught the Israeli army off guard here today, Fredricka, were those rocket attacks on a town called Tiberias. You know, that's a very, very tranquil place; it's a tourist town. And two rocket attacks there, although there were no injuries reported -- the army admitted to me and said, "Look, we really weren't expecting that. We always thought that Haifa was in the line of fire." That is a population center of about 250,000 people.

Israel has now moved the Patriot anti-aircraft missile battery up there to shore up its defenses. But they really feel that at this point in time, they have to change the rules of the game, as it were, because they always thought that there were certain parts of northern Israel that everyone expected to be in the line of fire.

With Hezbollah having missiles that can reach further and deeper into Israel, they want everyone on the ground there to be sure that they understand the risks involved and know that they, too, are in danger.

Earlier, we spoke to an army spokesperson who assured us that they felt that, in fact, Hezbollah had been weakened in the last few days. They said to us that, in fact, they believe it will take years for Hezbollah to recover just from the damage that they've done so far. But the Israeli army promises that there will be more to come.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPTAIN JACOB DALLAL, ISRAELI MILITARY SPOKESMAN: If the Lebanese government won't take responsibility -- the strategy is to put Hezbollah out of business. We're not going to allow a terrorist organization from Lebanese sovereignty to come across the border to kill our soldiers, to abduct other soldiers, and then to rain 400 missiles in 72 hours on cities all across the northern part of our country.

People are in bomb shelters now. Over a million people are targets. And we are going to have to take a very heavy hand against Hezbollah if Lebanon won't do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Certainly, the point here by the Israeli army has always been that the Lebanese government has allowed this terrorist organization, Hezbollah, to flourish in the south and that now they are taking the opportunity to make sure that it's weakened.

What they're telling the people on the ground in northern Israel is, "Look, this will be some pain in the near term," but there is going to be some gain, some security for the people in those regions in the weeks to come.

WHITFIELD: Now, Paula, we spoke with an analyst, a Middle East affairs analyst, a short time ago who said almost certainly, Syria might get involved in this by way of, perhaps, Israel targeting Syria or some other means. On the ground there, is there any kind of discussion about that being a real possibility?

NEWTON: They're very, very sensitive to it here, Fredricka. At this point, they've certainly mentioned Syria as being an agitator in the situation. But they are very sensitive about whether or not they will strike anything in Syria.

Right now, the Israeli government says, "No, it's not in the cards," their focus is on Lebanon. And we had some rocket fire and some missiles hit on the Lebanese side of the Lebanese-Syrian border. And both Syria and Israel very quickly wanted to correct the fact that, look, Syria is not on the target list, and we were not hit today. Everyone understands exactly how high the stakes will be if Syria does get involved.

WHITFIELD: All right. Paula Newton, thank you so much. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Atlanta. We will continue to watch the developments there in the Middle East as well as developments now involving the U.N. Security Council's resolution asking -- demanding that North Korea discontinue its missile testing.

Also, "THIS WEEK AT WAR" with John Roberts is coming up in three minutes right after the headlines.

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