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CNN Live Saturday

Condoleezza Rice to Meet with Israeli Prime Minister; Hezbollah Expands Arsenal; Jewish Organizations Increasing Security After Seattle Attack

Aired July 29, 2006 - 12:00   ET

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

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: "Now in the News," this new video of U.S. secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice. She's just arrived in Tel Aviv, Israel and she's on her way Jerusalem where she's scheduled to meet with Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert in less than two hours. They'll be talking about ways to end the Middle East crisis.
This is Rice's second visit to the region, in -- pardon me, this week.

And a car bomb exploded in Kirkuk, Iraq today, killing four people and injuring 13 more. Also in Iraq, officials are reporting four more U.S. combat deaths. They say four Marines were killed in Anbar Province Thursday, bringing the total U.S. military death toll in Iraq to 2,572.

Authorities are calling it a hate crime. A U.S. Citizen of Pakistani descent is in custody in connection with yesterday's shooting spree at a Jewish center in downtown Seattle. He could appear in court later today. One woman was kill and five others were wounded.

British prime minister, Tony Blair, is in California today after meeting with President Bush in Washington yesterday. Mr. Blair flew to San Francisco last night and he'll spend time there and also in Los Angeles on what's being touted as an economic development mission. He'll fly home to Britain on Tuesday evening.

A plan to raise the U.S. minimum wage now goes to the Senate following a yes vote earlier this morning in the House of Representatives. It's sponsored by moderate republicans and the plan would raise the minimum hourly from $5.15 to $7.25.

Ahead this hour: More airstrikes in Lebanon and Israel. We're live from the region in just a moment.

Also, raging wildfires in the West. Will a break in the heat help the firefighters?

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Brianna Keilar in today for Fredricka Whitfield. Welcome to CNN LIVE Saturday.

Let's begin with a look at today's developments in the Middle East crisis. Here's what we know right now. Israeli troops have largely withdrawn from Lebanese border town of Bint Jbeil, at least for the time being. Sources say pinpoint operations there may continue.

Israeli military officials say there were 60 airstrikes against Hezbollah oppositions in Lebanon overnight and fears about airstrikes have flowed humanitarian aid convoys to south Lebanon, but Israel today rejected a U.N. proposal for 72-hour cease-fire, calling it unnecessary.

And the Southern Lebanese region around Tyre has been a magnet for airstrikes and refugees and CNN's Ben Wedeman joins us live now -- Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Yes Brianna, it's been a grim day for the town of Tyre, as it buried 34 people killed in the recent bombings. It's in a mass grave, a temporary grave set out for people, basically their relatives have all left town. When they come back, if they come back, some day, if they come back, they will take them to their villages in the outlying areas.

It was a very, sort of, traumatic scene for those who were there. Some of these bodies are in an extreme state of decomposition. They're being kept -- they were being kept in a refrigeration truck that didn't -- that wasn't working basically, so the smell was overpowering. The local morgue just doesn't have enough room for these people. A lot of emotion being expressed by the people who are there.

Now as I speak, we're hearing a series of explosions, thuds in the background as Israeli forces continue to pound the area. Just behind me in those hills are where some of the Katyusha rockets are being fired. Meanwhile, international relief officials are increasingly concerned about the welfare of those Lebanese living in the outlying towns and villages extending to the Israeli border. They're concerned by the fact that these people cannot get out because of the bombardment of the roads, the destruction of bridges, they're also worried by the fact that there's no electricity, therefore water can't be pumped. People are drinking dirty water, getting by on very little food at the moment, and it's very difficult for Red Cross, the U.N. to reach some of these towns -- Brianna.

KEILAR: So Ben, the Israeli government says it has set up these corridors for humanitarian aid to get in and for injured people, elderly children (SIC) to get out. But are the Lebanese in the area, are they taking advantage of that?

WEDEMAN: Well, I think we have to question whether those humanitarian corridors actually exist. We're here on the ground and as far as we know, there are none. Certainly yesterday, for instance, there was this convoy that went down to pick up people in the south and the convoy came under fire. Now, the people who are on that convoy, journalists say the fire came from the Israeli side and really if you look around, just the roads in this area, so many of them have been bombed, been made -- I'm sorry, there are more thuds in the background, we don't know exactly what. It's hard to say whether any humanitarian corridors at all -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Ben Wedeman, live for us from Tyre, Lebanon, thanks for that report, Ben.

Meanwhile, air raid sirens blare across northern Israel and it appears that there's something new in Hezbollah's arsenal. CNN's Matthew Chance reports from the Israeli-Lebanese border.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Israeli police say at least one of the missiles that struck the outskirts of Afula was more powerful than any of the rockets Hezbollah has fired at Israel before. Judging by the fires and damage, experts say, had a much larger warhead than a regular Katyusha rocket.

DOV LUTZKI, CHIEF OF ISRAELI POLICE IN AFULA: What we can tell about it, it's a new thing in the area. We didn't find it before. It's a bigger caliber than we're used to seeing in other areas. I don't know the name of it, but we can estimate that it has a longer range and it has more explosives inside it.

CHANCE: After the attack, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah appeared on the group's television station to boast his militia had launched what he called a Khaybar rocket into the Jewish state. Israeli air force released a video showing what it described as a strike on the missile's launch site in Southern Lebanon. One reason Hezbollah hasn't fired more big rockets into Israel, may be their vulnerability at launch to a quick Israeli response.

There's been mounting concern in Israel about Hezbollah's missile arsenal and Nasrallah has vowed to strike even farther south at Tel Aviv, Israel's biggest city. And the Israeli army's efforts on the ground in Southern Lebanon, to crush Hezbollah are meeting stiff resistance. Military officials say there have been more heavy clashes in Bint Jbeil. Helicopter gunships fired at Hezbollah positions, but establishing control over these strongholds near the Lebanon-Israel is proving difficult. Israeli officials say they determine to press on.

MIRI EISIN, ISRAELI GOVT. SPOKESWOMAN: We're determined to go the whole course here. But we're not walking into a trap. Israel is going to do it at our own pace and own time to make sure that when we go in, we go in carefully and that we don't walk into their booby traps. We want to stop the rocket fire, but we also want make sure that Hezbollah will not be there afterwards.

CHANCE: For now, the rocket launches continue from Southern Lebanon, more than 100 fired into Israel, at least one struck a hospital in the northern Israeli town of Nahariya. There were no injuries, most patients are already in underground shelters. On day 17 of the fighting, Hezbollah's ability to strike seems undiminished.

Matthew Chance on the Israeli-Lebanese border.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: And new threats in the Middle East crisis, Hezbollah's leader has just appeared in a television broadcast. Hassan Nasrallah says his group will strike deeper and hit central Israeli cities. He claims Israel has suffered a serious defeat. More on this developing story ahead.

And in about a half an hour from now, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is due to meet with Israeli's prime minister, Ehud Olmert, to broker a cease-fire, but President Bush says any strategy to end the violence must address the terrorist threat posed by Hezbollah.

Our Elaine Quijano joins us now from the White House with a little on what maybe we should expect today -- Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon to you Brianna. Well, en route to Israel, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice laid out her expectation of the upcoming Middle East discussions in very sobering terms. She made her comments after she left Asia where she was attending a conference.

She says she's going to into some, "fairly intense," she expects, "not easy give and take with officials." Now her return trip to the Middle East comes one day after President Bush announced he would be dispatching her once again there for talks with Israeli and Lebanese leaders. In his radio address this morning, the president echoed comments from Friday after his meeting with British prime minister, Tony Blair. Mr. Bush said the United States wants to see a multinational force to bolster the Lebanese army and help the Lebanese government reassert control within its borders. He also reiterated that he wants to see the United Nations Security Council come up with a resolution for a lasting peace. And that U.N. Meeting is set to take place next week.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will work with our allies to adopt a resolution that establishes a framework to end the violence quickly and mandates the multinational force. This approach will demonstrate the international community's determination to support the government of Lebanon. And defeat the threat from Hezbollah and its foreign sponsors. And this approach will make possible what so many around the world want to see, the end of Hezbollah's attacks on Israel, the return of Israeli soldiers taken hostage by terrorists, the suspension of Israel's operations in Lebanon an and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

KEILAR: Meantime as the violence continues, Secretary Rice did give an early read on a proposal by the Lebanese government, the secretary said she'd only read news accounts of it, but said that proposal appeared to, "have some very good elements" -- Brainna.

KEILAR: Elaine Quijano, live for us from the White House. Thank you, Elaine.

A suspect in the Jewish center shooting is in jail, was it a hate crime? We're live in Seattle next with the latest details.

And wildfires have scorched nearly 300 square miles in Nebraska. Will nature lend a helping hand? A check of your weekend weather is just ahead.

And later we look at the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut. What's changed in the 23 years since the attack? That, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Authorities in Seattle are calling a deadly shooting spree at a Jewish center a hate crime. A Muslim man is now booked on charges of murder and attempted murder after the attack in downtown Seattle. The latest now from CNN's Katherine Barrett.

KATHERINE BARRETT, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Brianna, Seattle police say they're confident that this gunman -- suspected gunman acted alone in these she shootings that he was not part of a larger terrorist organization or group, merely a disgruntled individual. Nonetheless, the shootings here, in the heart of downtown Seattle, inflicted initial panic and pain in these streets.

At the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle headquarters, behind me here, a small memorial has been started, a few scattered bouquets of flowers, cards and notes to the one victim who lost her life here. Five others remain in the hospital at this hour. Three of them, though, have had their condition upgraded from critical to serious, still Seattle's Jewish community will spend this Sabbath mourning the loss of one of its own and the loss of its own sense of security.

Witnesses say the suspect forced his way into this building at gunpoint and then reportedly saying he was a Muslim-American angry about the situation in Israel, began shooting. Police and Seattle's mayor are, as you said, calling this a hate crime. The suspect is in the King County jail awaiting his first court appearance and formal charges by a prosecutor. That's the very latest from here, we'll have more as the police update us on the situation and we'll be following reaction in Seattle's community as well -- Brianna.

KEILAR: All right, Katherine, thank you, we'll be checking in with you.

Meanwhile the hot, dry weather across the western U.S. is still causing some big problems. One of the hot spots, the Nebraska panhandle where half a dozen wildfires are burning. In the town of Chadron hundreds of people left their home after the blaze reached the town limits, several homes were damaged by the flames but so far no injuries are reported. Lightning is blamed for starting those fires.

And after nearly two weeks of relentless heat, California appears to be getting a little break. Triple digit temperatures are not in the forecast this weekend. The sizzling weather is blamed for at least 141 deaths. Most of the victims were older people who died in homes without air conditioning in the central valley. The temperature there hit 115 degrees, several days in a row.

And let's check in now with meteorologist Reynolds Wolf.

So Reynolds, those numbers seem really high. Is that what you would expect from a heat wave like this?

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Oh, absolutely. I mean, the problem is we're seeing this heat last, it just seems like forever, for such a long time. That's the real problem is the duration of those warm temperatures. But as you mentioned, places like say, California are getting back to normal.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KEILAR: Thank you so much Reynolds.

WOLF: You bet.

KEILAR: Were going to move on for in breaking news. We're on the phone now -- we're going to go on the phone now to Octavia Nasr she is in the Middle East, and she's going to talk to us about the statement from Hassan Nasrallah.

Octavia, what are your observations?

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SENIOR ARAB AFFAIRS EDITOR: Hello, Brianna. First of all, I am not in the Middle East, I'm in Atlanta, Georgia, but monitoring the -- about six networks from the Middle East, including al Manar, the Hezbollah television station, which aired the speech by (INAUDIBLE) just now. And the most important thing out of this speech is the tone that the secretary-general of Hezbollah has taken during the speech, basically calling on all Lebanese to stand together in support of his group, saying that a victory of Hezbollah here is a victory for all of Lebanon and entire region.

A very different tone from earlier. You know, we've heard since the beginning of this crisis, back in July 12, we've heard about four or five times from this -- the leader of Hezbollah and every time he was more the fighter, every time he was saying he is not going to budge, he is not going to move on his demands. Basically the whole thing started July 12 when Hezbollah members crossed over the blue line separating Lebanon and Israel, attacked Israeli soldiers and took two hostage. And before from that point on, Nasrallah has been demanding, saying that the only way for these soldiers to return home is indirect negotiations over prisoner swap. He wants some Lebanese prisoners and he was saying some Israeli prisoners as well, in Israeli jails to be released in turn for these two soldiers.

Well, the tone continued to escalate and basically he said that his militants are going to attack inside, in the heartland of Israel, which they did, they attacked Haifa, as we know. In his last speech, he said that he's going to take the battle beyond Haifa. As a matter of fact, yesterday, Hezbollah rockets reached Afula, about 10 kilometers away from Haifa.

So basically, when this speech was announced, we were waiting to see what kind of tone the leader of Hezbollah is going to take, whether he's going to be mentioning more going beyond Afula now or stopping and very interesting what he said. First of all, he admitted the authority of the Lebanese government, something that many, many Lebanese and Arab leaders have been asking Hezbollah to do, basically to accept the legitimacy of the government and allow the government of Fouad Siniora to take over negotiations with Israel through the United Nations or through the U.S. So a very important message.

At this point, basically, Hezbollah easing a little bit of the pressure on the Lebanese scene saying that although they see themselves as victorious all the way, they are willing to allow the Lebanese government to negotiate on their behalf and basically calling on a all Lebanese of all sects and all religions to stand with Hezbollah, also sending a clear message to these groups in Lebanon saying that they shouldn't fear a victory of Hezbollah because there were fears in Lebanon and the region, as a matter of fact, that Hezbollah, if it resists longer against Israel that it will basically want to turn the whole country into a Muslim state. So here's the leader of Hezbollah saying they shouldn't fear.

Very interesting right after the speech, Brianna, the commentary following, I was able to hear a few minutes of commentary and LBC, for example, had someone who would be a rival for Hezbollah, this man is a member of parliament belonging to the (INAUDIBLE) militia, this is a Christian Mennonite group, that is not seeing eye to eye with Hezbollah at this point. And what this member of parliament said, he said while he applauds Nasrallah for his speech and called it very conciliatory and basically called it positive, he says he still doesn't agree with the actions taken by Hezbollah, but understand not everybody -- as a matter of fact the majority of Lebanon stands in a critical position, you know, they criticize Hezbollah for starting this whole crisis.

KEILAR: And Octavia, we're going to check in with you a little later about this address that we've heard from Hassan Nasrallah. That's Octavia Nasr, or senior Arab affairs editor. And we're going to take a break and we'll be right back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, is taunting Israel today saying that Israel has not been able to reach a military victory. His remarks come one day after Hezbollah representatives met with Lebanese cabinet ministers to hash out a proposal to end the crisis. And about an hour ago, former Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, told CNN Hezbollah is the problem.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, FMR. ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: The reason you have these civilian casualties in Lebanon is because, as your own reporters have shown, Hezbollah places itself in residential housing, breaking every code in the book, every law of war they break. They commit war crimes left and right, targeting civilians, hiding among civilians, with a view of raising the civilian casualty tolls on both sides. So, any criticism on that score should be put squarely where it belongs, on Hezbollah's shoulders.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: With us from Beirut, is telecommunications minister, Marwan Hamadeh.

Mr. Hamadeh, thank you so much for being with us.

MAWAN HAMADEH, LEBANON TELECOMMUNICATIONS MINISTER: (INAUDIBLE)

KEILAR: And you give us -- the cabinet ministers -- Lebanese cabinet minister spoke with Hezbollah leaders. Can you give us any insight into these conversations?

HAMADEH: Well, I think the attitude of the Hezbollah ministers, our colleagues in the government, the day before yesterday, was clear and it announced a little bit the Nasrallah speech that we heard just a few moments ago, which was giving the Lebanese government the mandate to negotiate through third parties, essentially the U.N. and United States, for a settlement of the present crisis. I think now the hour of truth is approaching. It's either a new escalation of the war or some kind of settlement around the proposals present the Lebanese plan, exposing their own confidence a few days ago, a seven points plan that calls for a cease-fire, but also for the deployment of the international force in South Lebanon.

KEILAR: So just for a little background on you, Mr. Hamadeh, you actually escaped an assassination attempt, a car bomb in October of 2004, shortly before Syria pulled out of Lebanon. And that was after you threatened and or -- pardon me, you did resign because of Syria's control in Lebanon. Obviously, you are no fan of Syria and Syria is said to facilitate Hezbollah, but Israel is attacking Lebanon. So, where do you see the parties standing on this? How do you relate to Israel and Hezbollah?

HAMADEH: Well, of course, we believe that Israel's occupation of Arab land, either in Palestine or in the Golan -- Syrian Golan or the some -- the Shebaa Farms is a matter of perpetual conflict and we think that U.N. resolutions should be applied. So we are, of course, in conflict with Israel, but we were never fans or approving the Hezbollah tactics in Lebanon. But now we are in the government, we are facing systemic aggression by Israel, systemic destruction of our infrastructure and civilian centers and therefore we have, I think, a unique chance to get a settlement along the lines of the Lebanese proposal, which is, in my belief, a balanced one.

KEILAR: So Hamadeh, Benjamin Netanyahu pointing the finger at Iran and at Syria, also at Hezbollah but also at Lebanon saying that Lebanon is harboring Hezbollah. How do you respond to that?

HAMADEH: Well, I think Lebanon has been the battlefield for years and years. It's seven times we've been attacked by the Israelis, but I admit that we've also been used and infiltrated by Syria and Iran, recently and years ago, and this is probably why when I oppose that with my party and my group, I was exposed to a car bomb that preceded a few months the car bomb which killed former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. We've always been, again, criticizing Syria's involvement in Lebanon. But this does not push us to admit Israel aggression on our territory and our civilians. KEILAR: So the U.S. right now, Mr. Hamadeh, still saying that it will not agree to an immediate cease-fire, but Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in the region for more talks. What are you expecting to come out of these talks?

HAMADEH: Well, we met Mrs. Rice a few days ago, when she passed through the area and also in Rome. I think she's coming back with more elaborate plan that she will propose to the Israelis probably tonight, and probably maybe get back to Beirut. And I think, as I was saying at the beginning of our talk, that this is the ultimate chance between a choice for a war that would last and a chance to get Lebanon and Israel out of this crisis.

KEILAR: Mr. Hamadeh, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us. That's Marwan Hamadeh, the Lebanese telecommunications minister, live from Beirut. Thank you.

And Israelis overwhelming supports its army's operations against Hezbollah. The polls show it. In fact, many think their government should be even more aggressive.

That's what CNN's John King is hearing on the streets of Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The pre-Sabbath rush at the (INAUDIBLE) market, a staple of Israeli life. Crowded and colorful, full of life. And yet again, talk of war.

ETAN DIMANT, ISRAELI RESERVIST: I think that our war is a justified war. My grandparents are Holocaust survivors.

KING: Etan Dimant reports for duty this weekend, one of thousands of army reservists called up for possible duty. Hezbollah is the enemy, but like many Israelis, Etan sees this as something bigger.

DIMANT: Another Holocaust shouldn't happen, shouldn't appear again to the Jewish people.

KING: Andy Cohen (ph) has two sons in the fight, yet wants a more aggressive ground war, and suggests those accusing Israel of overreacting consider the source of Hezbollah's rockets.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I see Iran there, I do not see Hezbollah.

KING: An overwhelming 82 percent of Israelis backed the military campaign in a new Yedioth Ahronoth poll. If they have a complaint, it is that their government is being too soft; 72 percent of Israelis favor using more force.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's the first time for a long time that Israeli really feels that they are frightened for the existence of Israel. KING: Iran's president has talked of wiping Israel off of the map, and veteran pollster Mina Tesma (ph) says the Iran-Hezbollah relationship overrides, at least for now, traditional concerns about rising casualties or tactical missteps.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If it's a world (INAUDIBLE), you cannot -- cannot give up.

KING: Sarit Sphitzer and Manyan Levy (ph) are just back from visiting relatives in bomb shelters in the north.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Even if they totally destroy Hezbollah, I don't think our problems are going to end.

KING: Eating here is part of their defiance. Three years ago, Cafe Hillel was destroyed by a suicide bomber.

(on camera): You feel safe here? Do you think this is a war in the north, or do you think it could come to Jerusalem?

SARIT SHPITZER, ISRAELI: I think living in Israel, you live this. You know that this is life here. Like, you get used to it.

KING (voice-over): Even in tiny Israel, Jerusalem can seem far from the current fight, but Gila Rockman says Israelis know better.

GILA ROCKMAN, ISRAELI: It could come back. The people who killed -- I knew the doctor and his daughter who were killed here. I knew them very well.

KING: Her son Hillal (ph) was born a week into the fighting. His second name, Aviad (ph), chosen to make a statement.

ROCKMAN: Aviad (ph) was the minister of peace in the biblical times, and that's how we gave him his second name. Aviad (ph). In these times, these hard times, you just want peace in this country, and that's all we want.

KING: And yet, even amid the laughter, talk of war is once again part of their routine.

John King, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Now in the news, air raid sirens go off again in Haifa and other towns in northern Israel, as the Middle East crisis continues. Dozens of new rocket attacks reported in that region today. And across the border in Lebanon, Israeli forces have launched more attacks on Hezbollah targets.

Meantime, Condoleezza Rice makes a return trip to the Middle East. Just days after her last trip to the region, the secretary of state is back in Israel. She's scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem a short time from now, and there's no word yet on when she might travel to Beirut to meet with Lebanon's prime minister.

A Muslim-American man from Washington state now facing charges in what authorities are calling a hate crime. He's accused of killing one person and wounding five others in a shooting spree at a Jewish center in downtown Seattle.

And after meetings with President Bush on the Middle East crisis, Tony Blair continues his visit to the U.S. He's in California the next few days. On Monday, Mr. Blair is scheduled to attend an environmental roundtable with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

And if you make minimum wage, you may be a step closer to getting a raise. The House has approved a hike in the minimum wage, from $5.15 to $7.25 over a three-year span. But -- and there's always a but, right? -- a big hurdle ahead. The House bill includes cuts in the estate tax, and Democrats who oppose those cuts could help kill the measure when the Senate takes it up next week.

And we have some breaking news right now. We have a live news conference from a brigadier general, I believe from -- is this the Israeli Defense Forces? This is the general in charge of Israel's Northern Command. Let's listen in and hear what he's saying.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

BRIG. GENERAL SHUKI SHAHAR, ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCE: ... some that make a raid, and we turn back. And they were very successful in what they had brought back. And some of these I will show you later on the pictures over here.

So far, the Hezbollah on the ground suffered more than 200 losses. This is an estimated number. And sometimes we reduce this estimation to be on the safe side. But still, they are fighting in different sectors and they didn't lose yet the capabilities to continue to fight.

It is very hard to fight when the terrorists are involved among population. Even when most of the Southern Lebanon population evacuated the south, went to the north, listened to our calls on the media, and helped themselves and helped us to be able to fight the terrorists without hitting the innocent people.

And I want again to emphasize, this is exactly opposite to the way Hezbollah is behaving. He is shooting 1,700 rockets so far, including the rockets of today. All of them were addressed to the cities, to the settlement, to the villages, to hit the innocent population. And we are acting exactly the opposite. We address all the fire to hit the terrorists. We do the best we can to eliminate the losses of the population and to leave them out of the battle. Hezbollah is acting from hospitals, acting from mosques.

KEILAR: Well, Shuki Shahar, who is charge of Israel's Northern Command, talking about how his -- pardon me -- Hezbollah has been shooting rockets at Israel with no regard for innocent life. And saying -- reiterating again something that the Israeli Defense Forces have said, which is that Israel is trying to avoid hitting Lebanese Palestinians.

And straight ahead, we're going to hear from a major general, a U.S. major general, hear what he has to say about what's going on with the crisis in the Middle East.

Stay with us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Updating the crisis in the Middle East, here's what we know right now.

Another attempt by the U.S. to find a way for both sides to lay down their weapons. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is back in the region, and she meets a short time from now with Israel's prime minister. A meeting with Lebanon's prime minister is also expected later.

And along with the diplomacy, there's no let-up in the violence. On both sides of the Israeli-Lebanese border, more attacks and counterattacks today.

There was renewed concern about Hezbollah attacks inside Israel yesterday, when three rockets landed in Afula, southeast of Hezbollah. The attack coincided with the Hezbollah claim that it has a new long- range rocket it calls the Khaybar-1.

Now, let's bring in CNN military analyst, retired Air Force General Don Shepperd.

So General Shepperd, can you just tell us about the capability of this rocket? They claim they fired it. Does it appear to be a different rocket than what we've been seeing?

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, it's a different rocket than what we've been seeing, in the standpoint that it's a longer range and a bigger warhead. This will travel probably 45 to 60 miles. It's been called a Khaybar-1. It's probably a modified Fajr-5 Iranian rocket with a 100-kilogram warhead, about 220 pounds. It's much more powerful and longer distance than anything we've seen so far, Brianna.

KEILAR: So what does that mean when this rocket -- when this rocket hits an area? What is the difference going to be?

SHEPPERD: Well, it's going to destroy more. That's half of 500- pound bombs, such as those we've seen dropped by Israeli F-16s. So it can do one heck of a lot of damage. It splays shrapnel over an area, you know, 200 to 300 feet, about the size of a football field. Some of them are filled with pellets. I don't know if these particular three were or not. But it does a lot of damage to people and structures.

KEILAR: And do we have any idea of who makes these?

SHEPPERD: Well, they came from Iran, the Fajr-5 came from Iran, but the problem with the weapons in this area, there are so many available from so many places -- they are taken, they are bought, they are modified then by the people that use them. And so it's really hard to keep track of the players without a scorecard. But most likely, it came from Iran.

KEILAR: So let's talk about the name of this weapon, the Khaybar-1. This is not just a word. This is something that, say, if you were an Israeli, it's emotionally loaded, isn't that right?

SHEPPERD: Yes, it is. I'm by no means a historian, but from what I read on that, Khaybar was an oasis in western Saudi Arabia, about 100 miles north of Medina, opposite of Egypt. It was a site where reportedly in 1629, according to Islamic lore, Mohammad had a great victory over the Jews. In Jewish lore, this was a great betrayal, because they had a treaty with Mohammad and then were slain as a result of it. Again, I don't know the truth of any of this, but it has emotional meaning for both sides; thus, probably, the name.

KEILAR: So it seems like the conflict right now is kind of dragging on a bit. A little more than a week ago, we were hearing from the IDF that it could take another week. These were the whisperings we were hearing. But then a couple days ago, the head of Israel's Northern Command says, quote, "a couple more weeks." What do you see going on here?

SHEPPERD: I tell you, nobody can predict how this going to go, because it's going to be mixed with diplomacy, and diplomacy's going to be the settlement out of this. Hezbollah is proving an intractable foe. They're very, very difficult.

I'm positive that Israel would like to hit the terrorists without hitting the civilian population. It's impossible in war, especially when the -- your enemy is ensconced in the civilian population, in their buildings and what have you. And all of this works at cross- purposes with what Israel would like to do, which is increase its image and its legitimacy. They say hey, we left Gaza, we left Lebanon, and now we're being attacked. So this is tough on Israel, and of course, it's tough on Hezbollah and Lebanon.

KEILAR: CNN military analyst and retired Air Force general, Don Shepperd. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us.

SHEPPERD: My pleasure.

KEILAR: A Muslim-American man from Washington state now facing charges in what authorities are now calling a hate crime. He's accused of killing one person and wounding five others in a shooting spree at a Jewish center in downtown Seattle.

Robin Boehler with the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle is now with us to talk about the attack.

And can you just give us a sense, Robin, how are people responding to this? Is there fear? Do they think something like this could happen again? ROBIN BOEHLER, JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER SEATTLE: Absolutely. There's a fair amount of fear in our community right now. However, based on our conversations with the police, we are hoping -- and we have every reason to believe that this is an isolated incident.

At this time, our primary concern is with the women who were shot and the one woman who lost her life -- a friend of all of ours -- and women who spend their days everyday doing philanthropic work for the Jewish community and the general community, both locally here in Seattle and Israel and around the world.

KEILAR: So Robin, when a conflict like this involving Israel flares up in the Middle East, are there certain precautions that most Jewish-associated organizations are going to take?

BOEHLER: Yes, we have -- we are kind of -- our community is a bit on a higher alert than usual. We always are taking security precautions -- and Jewish institutions around the country, actually, not just in Seattle. And we have a very heightened sense of concern right now around security issues. And we are coming together, with the help of the ADL and other organizations, to look at all of the security issues in our community as a whole, both long-term and of course short-term.

KEILAR: And was anything done in particular at this particular Jewish center to take precaution?

BOEHLER: Yes. I mean, we do, of course, have a security system, yes.

KEILAR: Can you describe that a little for us?

BOEHLER: Actually at this time, I'm not really prepared to talk about the security issues around the Jewish Federation.

KEILAR: Of course. That makes complete sense. Talk about how communities -- all communities, obviously not just in Seattle -- how can Jewish communities who maybe fear some sort of isolated incident like this, what can they do to take precaution?

BOEHLER: Well, what they need to do is be in touch with their local law enforcement, of course, and also with the Anti-Defamation League to help figure out security plans for every single organization, every Jewish organization around the country. And that's exactly what we have done here and what we will continue to do, and at a bit of a more heightened way than we have done in the past, given that essentially our worst nightmare came true here.

KEILAR: Robin Boehler, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with. It must be very difficult being so close to what's going on there.

BOEHLER: It is, indeed, a very difficult time for us.

KEILAR: Thanks again for taking the time during this hard time. And we're going now to live pictures from Al-Jazeera, Israel is firing into Lebanon, into Bint Jbeil, looking for more Hezbollah arms. Another attack we're watching and monitoring. Our crews will bring you the very latest.

Meanwhile, Floyd Landis vowing to defend his honor after doping allegations tarnished his Tour de France win.

And did they or didn't they? Is she the new Mrs. Rock? It could be a wedding weekend for these lovebirds. And that story is straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Tour de France winner Floyd Landis is vowing to clear his name of allegations that he cheated to win the race. Days after a testosterone imbalance showed up in a urine test, Landis is on the defense. He says his body's natural metabolism caused the imbalance, and he will soon have the test results to prove it.

Landis spoke out on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FLOYD LANDIS, TOUR DE FRANCE WINNER: I'd love to continue this sport. It's been my passion and dream, and it's a beautiful sport. And I think the people that were watching, even if they're not cyclists themselves, were caught in the moment and I think it was something special to watch. It was certainly something special to be a part of. I would love to keep racing, and I'm going to do my best to defend my dignity and my innocence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Meanwhile a homecoming parade plan toured Landis next week in Pennsylvania is now on hold pending more test results.

And "LARRY KING LIVE" is on every weekday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, only here on CNN.

CNN is going global now.

The world's second face transplant recipient is back home today and apparently doing well. The 30-year-old Chinese farmer got a new nose, upper lip, cheek and eyebrow. A bear attack three years ago left him severely disfigured.

Today would have been the 25th wedding anniversary for Charles and Diana. But there, of course, was no happily ever after for the prince and princess of Wales. Their tumultuous marriage was riddled with affairs, and it ended in divorce after 15 years. Diana died in a 1997 car crash and Charles has since remarried -- or pardon me -- married long-time girlfriend Camilla Parker-Bowles.

Pam Anderson and Kid Rock, maybe a happy ending here, perhaps? They reportedly married today on a yacht on the French Riviera. The couple plans three more wedding ceremonies in the U.S. Kid Rock says it's all about kids and family for him, and Anderson, as you may know, has two sons from her stormy marriage to rocker Tommy Lee.

Finally, relief for San Francisco. The deadly West Coast heat wave appears to be over. A check on your weekend weather is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: It's been hot in many places across the U.S., especially out West, where triple digits have claimed the lives of dozens of people.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KEILAR: Today's top headlines in just a moment, but first, here's a preview of "IN THE MONEY."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks.

Coming up on "IN THE MONEY" today, the financial fire extinguisher. See if you can put out a fight like the one in the Middle East by throwing enough money at it. I don't think so.

Also ahead, long-term losses. Find out why short-term forecasts might be bad in the long-run for companies and investors.

And the color of money, or the money of color. We'll hear from an author who thinks black athletes are getting short-changed by professional sports.

All that and more, right after a quick check of the headlines.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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