Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Ferry From Libya Nears Malta; Wisconsin Dems Defy Deadline; Changing the Stigma About HIV; White House Warns Businesses About Volatile Mideast; Americans Arrive in Malta

Aired February 25, 2011 - 14:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. It is 2:00 p.m. here on the East Coast, 9:00 p.m. in the Libyan capital, the scenes of some bizarre and some brutal developments today.

(CHANTING)

LEMON: You're looking at new video just into CNN. Anti- government protesters taking to the streets after Friday's prayers are greeted by gunfire.

Now, this video set to be shot in a neighborhood in western Tripoli. Witnesses around the city have told us about plainclothes security forces firing live rounds and tear gas, about snipers perched on top of buildings, even artillery fire. Now, their accounts can't be independently confirmed since the Libyan government tightly controls access to Libya -- to Tripoli, I should say.

Now, meantime, Moammar Gadhafi popped up in public in the city center just a few hour ago. From a perch above Green Square, he told his supporters to prepare to defend Libya. "We will fight and we will kill them if they want." In the next breath, he told everybody to sing, dance, and be happy.

You've got to wonder what's going through the Libyan's leader's mind today. A week and a half into a popular revolt, he's lost control of one city after another along Libya's crucial coast. Now, all that area in red that you see taken by the opposition, now pushing toward Tripoli, his home and capital.

And a boatload of Americans and other evacuees are thrilled to have finally shoved off from the troubles in Tripoli. They're nearing the end of a 220-mile journey and should arrive in Malta later this hour.

And CNN's Diana Magnay joins us now live from the capital of Malta, Valletta -- Diana.

DIANA MAGNAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Don.

Well, that's right, they are due to arrive in 45 minutes. In fact, we're hoping, according to the captain of the ferry -- and bear in mind, this is that group who have been sitting in Tripoli Harbor for the last two days trying to get out of. But because of stormy weather, they haven't been able to set sail. So you can imagine how relieved they will be when they finally set sail on Maltese soil.

They will of course have missed all those latest developments in Tripoli, probably won't know about what has been going on there. But we have been speaking to some of them over the last few days, last night, while they were still in Tripoli Harbor, and they said even at that point, that they were extremely scared, which is why they've gone on that boat. But they did feel secure on that boat for those 36 hours that they were in the harbor.

What will happen to them -- and bear in mind, there are only about 200 Americans on board that catamaran. What will happen to them when they arrive is that there's a travel desk that's been set up here where embassy staff will be able to help them plan their travel arrangements to get from Malta back home, plan hotel accommodations for the night. We haven't met any relatives who are here to meet them, but they will be well looked after -- Don.

LEMON: All right. Thank you, Diana Magnay.

We want to get now to CNN's Ben Wedeman. He joins us now live from Benghazi, Libya, with the very latest.

Ben, what are you seeing where you are?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we saw today was a very large demonstration, Don, calling for the toppling of Moammar Gadhafi. Of course, that's become fairly routine here.

But what was interesting is that it's very cold, windy and rainy, but nonetheless, thousands and thousands of people came out to demonstrate and express their solidarity for the people in Tripoli who are trying to achieve that end. Many people, of course, worried that a massacre is afoot in Tripoli.

I spoke to a woman who told me that thousands of people had, in fact, gone onto the streets of the Libyan capital today to protest against Moammar Gadhafi, but it didn't take long before Libyan security forces opened fire on those protesters. We are hearing that there have been fatalities, but at this point it's very difficult to determine the numbers given that so much -- that they're going to hospitals that are under the control of the Libyan government -- Don.

LEMON: So, Ben, listen, we see the pictures, and you have covered this region for a very long time. Can you take us to the street and tell us what people are doing, how they're feeling, what they're thinking, what it looks like on the streets now?

WEDEMAN: Well, I think there's sort of a mixture here of elation and concern. Elation with the fact that they can finally come out and express themselves. And when they don't like something, they can actually complain about it.

In the past, they had to be very careful. Libyans telling me that they were afraid of their own children saying the wrong thing in front of them, that they might get reported. So they suddenly feel this ability to express themselves. They feel, in a sense, that their dignity has been restored.

And you see around the city people doing the sort of things that they normally wouldn't do -- cleaning the streets, sweeping garbage up, repainting houses and police stations that were burned down. There's this real blossoming of a sense of civic duty. Now that they're finally in control of their lives, they want to improve them.

At the same time, people are very worried that as long as Moammar Gadhafi stays in power, that there is the possibility that he could, for instance, send his air force over Benghazi to bomb it, as, in fact, he already has tried. This was several days ago, but of course the pilot ejected and ditched his plane into the sea rather than bomb his fellow Libyans. So you have this mixture of elation with profound concern about what Moammar Gadhafi will do next -- Don.

LEMON: All right. Ben Wedeman and Diana Magnay, thanks to both of you.

Want to move now to news closer to home.

I'm reminded of a line about law and sausages. You may like both, but you really don't want to see them being made.

Here's how a so-called budget repair bill got passed overnight in the Wisconsin State Assembly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of those in favor say "Aye." All opposed say "Nay." The ayes have it. The bill is in the Senate. The assembly is adjourned.

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Shame! Shame! Shame!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The people in red are Democrats who had been holding the floor and stalling a vote for 61 straight hours. It took just seconds for Republicans to act while most Dems were out of the chamber. But get this -- it's all for nothing unless and until the Wisconsin State Senate votes, which can't happen so long as all the Democratic senators are in Illinois.

The sticking point, as you may know, is bargaining rights for public employees. And it's not unique to Wisconsin, I should tell you. We're going to take you to Madison, Wisconsin, and CNN's Ted Rowlands in just a few minutes here on CNN.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We've been telling you about the hundreds of Americans who left Tripoli and they're headed on a boat to Malta. There's a new development here. We're just getting this from the State Department, from State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley. Here's what he's saying.

He's saying a U.S. charter aircraft departed Libya at 1:40 p.m. Eastern Time with additional American and international citizens on board bound for Istanbul. So the U.S. is trying to get as many people, as many of its citizens and workers, out of Libya as possible.

More details to come.

Let's talk about what's happening in this country. Protests right here in the U.S., they can hold up a vote, but Wisconsin Senate Democrats can't stop the clock with their out-of-state boycott. And the governor says today is the deadline for closing this year's budget gap and avoiding state layoffs. There may in fact be some wiggle room, but the Dems say there's no room for compromising on labor rights for teachers and other public workers.

And so we go to Madison, where CNN's Ted Rowlands tells us what's going on and what's not -- Ted.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, the stalemate continues between the governor and Senate Democrats who continue to hole up in the state of Illinois. And as you can see, people continue to come into the state capitol. They've basically taken over the entire building over the past week, sleeping here, holding rallies inside the rotunda.

Early, early this morning, the State Assembly did pass the version of Governor Walker's bill, but there was heavy drama surrounding it. Republicans basically called a quick vote when a number of the Democrats thought they were still arguing bill, and in fact 28 Democrats didn't get to vote at all. So a lot of drama there. You see the Democrats chanting at the Republicans as they left the chamber.

Meanwhile, the governor did leave Madison for a bit today to a town near Kenosha, near Milwaukee, and he did hold another one of those press conferences. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. SCOTT WALKER (R), WISCONSIN: And I'm not asking people to agree with me on every single part of this budget repair bill. But what I am asking for is for 14 state senators to do what their colleagues in the assembly have done over the last several days, and that's come back and have a vote.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLANDS: So, basically, Don, at this point, one of two things has to happen. Either one or more of the Democrats have to come back into the state to establish a quorum to move this bill through, or three Republicans need to switch sides. There are a number of them that claim they're on the fence. At this point, it doesn't look like there's going to be any movement either way anytime soon -- Don.

LEMON: All right, Ted. Thank you. On to other news now.

An Oklahoma sheriff says three children may never fully recover from the alleged abuse they suffered at the hands of their adoptive parents. John and Sonya Kluth are accused of beating, burning and forcing their 9, 11, and 15-year-olds to eat cat and dog food. Other allegations include confining the older child in a plastic dog carrier; burning the kids' tongues with a hot spoon for lying; beating them with a mallet, a can opener, and the buckle end of a belt.

The sheriff calls it the worst case of child abuse he's seen. He says all three kids have stunted growth and are illiterate. The Kluths were receiving $1,500 per child each month, but those payments have stopped at this point. And the Kluths are charged with three counts of child abuse and child neglect. They've each been released on a $9,000 bond.

Earlier on the show we asked you to join the conversation on Ali's blog about this abuse story, this abuse case. And here are some of your comments.

Here's what Steve says: "Nine thousand dollars bond is a slap in the face to those kids."

Alisha says, "This is disgusting. I believe the United States needs to take a serious look into their social services system."

And Joanna says, "What is at issue here is not only did they get out on a pittance bond, but the fact that they got out at all. Our justice system is not designed to protect children."

And Daryl says, "Just think about the kids this is happening to right now that no one knows about."

Great comments. Thank you for your comments.

If you want to join the discussion, go to Ali's blog, CNN.com/Ali.

Up next here on CNN, a church leader believed AIDS was a punishment from God until she became HIV positive herself. What she did next is why she's this week's CNN Hero.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: HIV and AIDS, a punishment from God? That's what Patricia Sawo of Kenya used to believe. But an unexpected revelation about her own health status not only forced her to reevaluate her beliefs, but to launch a crusade to end the stigma of HIV.

It's quite a story, and it's why she's this week's CNN's Hero.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICIA SAWO, CNN HERO: Back in the 1990s, I believed that AIDS was a punishment from God. When I personally tested HIV positive, it was oh, my God, how could this happen to me?

I fasted and prayed for years, hoping that I would be healed. When I went public, I lost my job. My husband lost his job. The landlord wanted us out of his house.

The stigma was terrible. I realized that I had been wrong.

My name is Patricia Sawo. My mission is to change people's attitudes about HIV.

All that you need is accurate, correct information.

As charity leaders, we need to shepherd the people. HIV is not a moral issue. It is a virus.

I do a lot of counseling. When I'm helping somebody else who is HIV positive, I want them to know that you can rise above this.

The 48 children at this center, most of them saw their parents dying of AIDS. My HIV status brings some kind of bond. I provide that motherly love and all their basic needs.

HIV, it's making me a better person. We want to be there for people. So if we have it, we share it out.

It's what I want to do because it's what I'm meant to do. God has his own ways of healing. So for me, I'm healed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And remember, every one of this year's CNN Heroes are chosen from people you tell us about. To nominate someone you know who's making a big difference in your community, go to CNNHeroes.com.

All right. Time now to check in on some top stories here on CNN.

Hundreds of Americans who have been stuck in Libya are headed out by sea right now. This evacuation ferry chartered by the U.S. State Department left Tripoli this morning with about 300 on board. Their destination is the nearby island nation of Malta. They're expected to arrive there very shortly.

And I want to tell you, moments ago, this just into CNN. A State Department spokesman tweeted that a U.S. charter aircraft just departed Libya, bound for Istanbul, with additional Americans on board.

Meantime, a defiant Moammar Gadhafi has addressed a crowd of people in Tripoli's Green Square. He told them he would defend Libya at all costs. The images were broadcast on state TV today. Earlier, witnesses told CNN that security forces aimed artillery rounds and sniper fire at protesters on the streets there.

Back here at home, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker says layoffs may start next week if a budget isn't approved. He had set today as a deadline, but the controversial legislation remains in limbo as Senate Democrats continue their standoff over plans to strip state workers of their collective bargaining rights. The bill did pass overnight in the State Assembly.

A new dinosaur species is found in Utah, and scientists give it a name -- Thunder Thighs. We have some incredible pictures of what the dinosaur may have looked like.

Thunder Thighs.

(LAUGHTER)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: You know what I like to do with you when I hang out over here? I like to go "Off the Radar." Can we do that?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We have two big "Off the Radars" today.

LEMON: All right. OK.

MYERS: One big "Off the Radar" is part of what weather back on the radar is going to do to the northern and central plains this spring. Flood it. There's going to be major floods again.

The Red River is going to flood. Big, big flooding, but there's not going to be any beer.

LEMON: What?

MYERS: Take a look at this can. Anheuser-Busch canceling production of beer in Atlanta today to make 600,000 cans of water.

LEMON: OK.

MYERS: And it actually takes them longer to make cans of water than it does making cans of beer. I don't understand that one, but anyway -- but they had canceled it because they know that people are going to need water this summer and this spring when the floods are there.

LEMON: Yes.

MYERS: They are packing this up and they are going to have it ready for the spring floods.

LEMON: Did you see everybody's face in the studio? What? But they need it. It's a good cause.

MYERS: It's a philanthropy --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Good cause. You said two things.

MYERS: And Thunder Thighs, a four-wheel-drive dinosaur.

LEMON: Dinosaur. I sound like a New Yorker, dinosaur.

MYERS: They found it in Utah.

LEMON: OK.

MYERS: Massive, massive shoulders, massive hips, big-time legs that were able to kick other dinosaurs out of the way. Defending itself only by whack, kick front and rear, boom, boom. And going up the mountains of Utah, a -- this is a brand new discovery, but literally the way they pronounce the dinosaur, it's Thunder and Thighs. So if you call him "Thunder Thighs," or her "Thunder Thighs," not going to be mad.

LEMON: Is it a female dinosaur?

MYERS: We don't know yet.

LEMON: Then we won't say, because those thighs don't make him or her look fat.

MYERS: You've got to go.

LEMON: Yes, I do.

We have some developing news. Some breaking news, as a matter of fact, here on CNN.

We want to go now to the region where there's been so much unrest.

And CNN's Ivan Watson joining us with new information.

Ivan, what do you have for us?

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Don.

Well, in a matter of minutes we're expecting the arrival of a catamaran ferry boat coming from the Port of Tripoli here to Malta. And it's carrying more than 300 passengers. Half of them American citizens, all fleeing that conflict that is leading to so much bloodshed in Libya right now.

And it's the first real delivery of American citizens trying to escape. The ship has been stranded at the port for at least two nights due to gale-force winds and terrible weather here in the southern Mediterranean. And they are just part of a much larger evacuation process that's going under way where tens of thousands of foreign nationals ranging from Chinese to Turks to British citizens to Americans are all trying to get out of that country with so much turmoil taking place now and in the future. And U.S. embassy staff are on the ground here. They've flown in diplomats from other embassies around Europe to bolster the numbers here to try to help these people coming out. We've spoken with some of these people who have been on this boat for two nights now, describing the chaos in Tripoli right now, having to go through checkpoints with armed men threatening them.

And chaos at the airports as well, Don, where there are thousands of people jamming, trying desperately to get into planes, throwing their luggage outside the airport, trying to find any way to get out of this country and escape this bloodshed -- Don.

LEMON: All right, Ivan Watson, stand by. We'll be watching the developments from there.

We also want to say we have another development that came in a short time ago. It concerns Americans, the American workers in Libya.

According to P.J. Crowley says, a U.S. chartered aircraft departed Libya at 1:49 p.m. Eastern with additional international and American citizens on board. That flight is bound for Istanbul.

Our Ivan Watson is in Malta waiting for Americans and others to arrive on that ferry. They should arrive shortly. We'll bring it to you here on CNN.

In the meantime, a defiant Moammar Gadhafi has addressed a crowd of people in Tripoli's Green Square. He told them he would defend Libya at all costs. The images were broadcast on state TV today and earlier witnesses told CNN that security forces aimed artillery rounds and sniper fire at protestors on the streets there.

At home, Wisconsin's Governor Scott Walker says layoffs may start next week if a budget isn't approved. He had set today as a deadline, but the controversial legislation remains in limbo as senate Democrats continue their standoff over plans to strip stake workers of their collective bargaining rights. The bill passed overnight in the state assembly.

In Texas, a college student from Saudi Arabia accused of plotting a terrorist attack appeared in federal court today. He's accused of buying chemicals online to blow up key U.S. targets including the home of former President George W. Bush.

Federal agents arrested him yesterday. He's charged with the attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. His next court date is set for March 11th.

Searches continue in Christchurch today where authorities in New Zealand where authorities say there is another grim day of searching, another day of searching. It turned up no survivors from Tuesday's devastating earthquake. The death toll has risen to 113 and more than 200 people are now missing. Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker has warned that residents that number could rise substantially in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Dramatic video of anti-Gadhafi protestors being fired on, we'll show it to you right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Some developing news coming from the White House briefing. You see Jay Carney there just announcing that the U.S. has decided to suspend embassy operations in Tripoli.

Let's take a listen.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: -- issued an advisory to U.S. financial institutions to take reasonable risk-based steps with respect to the potential increased movement of assets that may be related to the situation in Libya.

During this period of uncertainty, FinCEN is reminding U.S. financial institutions of their requirement to apply enhanced scrutiny for private banking accounts held by or on behalf of senior foreign political figures and to monitor transactions that could potentially represent misappropriated or diverted state assets, proceeds of bribery or other illegal payments, or other public corruption proceeds.

Additionally, the United States has suspended the very limited military cooperation it had with Libya. The U.S. military began to cautiously reengage with Libya, as you know, in 2009 following Libya's decision to halt its weapons of mass destruction programs and compensate victims of terrorism.

Prior to the recent unrest and sales -- prior to the recent unrest, sales of spare military parts were pending. They have been frozen. Bilateral military events that were in the planning phases have also been frozen.

The United Nations Human Rights Council held an emergency session today in Geneva, where it adopted by consensus a resolution that condemned the gross and systematic human rights abuses now being committed by the government of Libya, established an international commission of inquiry to investigate these abuses, and recommended -- and recommended accountable -- accountability measures for those responsible and also recommended that the U.N. General Assembly suspend Libya's membership on the council.

The United States strongly supports these efforts and is already closely working with our international partners to carry out this suspension, which will be acted on by the General Assembly early next week.

In addition, as the president announced earlier this week, Secretary Clinton will travel to Geneva on Monday to speak at the Human Rights Council and to discuss with her international counterparts further measures on Libya as well as events in the broader Middle East.

On Monday, the president will meet with U.N. security -- U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Washington, and will discuss the diplomatic, legal and other actions needed to put a stop to violence against civilians in Libya. He will also discuss the range of activities that U.N. agencies and the international community can undertake to address the significant humanitarian needs created by this crisis.

The United States is involved in ongoing negotiations today at the UNSC, the U.N. Security Council, on a resolution that could include a weapons embargo, individual sanctions against key Libyan officials, and an asset freeze.

Finally, the United States is utilizing the full extent of its intelligence capabilities to monitor the Gadhafi regime's actions, and we are particularly vigilant for evidence of further violence or atrocities committed against the Libyan people.

With that, I'd like to take your questions.

QUESTION: Obviously a lot there. Let me go back to what you said at the top about unilateral and multilateral sanctions. Can you just describe them a bit more? What are we talking about here when you (inaudible) about sanctions?

CARNEY: We're finalizing the sanctions that we will pursue. Rather than enumerate them, I can tell you that they will be finalized soon, and you will know specifically what we're going to do.

I think the universe of effective sanctions is pretty well-known, the kinds of things that we're considering. So, you know, a lot of that has been discussed.

But I don't want to specify which ones now because we're -- we're still just finalizing those and we'll get them to you soon.

QUESTION: Finalizing today or in coming days or?

CARNEY: In the near future.

QUESTION: Can you explain what gives the United States confidence that sanctions work against someone like Gadhafi (inaudible)?

CARNEY: We are initiating a series of steps at the unilateral level and the multilateral level to pressure the regime in Libya to stop killing its own people.

This is a first step, and obviously we continue to review our options going forward and the steps that we take in the near future are not the only steps we're prepared to take if -- if other steps are necessary.

QUESTION: Gadhafi today or in the last few hours was calling on his followers to continue fighting protesters. Militias that were loyal to him were still gunning down protesters. So I guess I'm wondering as these things unfold how is it that sanctions, as you see it, directly can affect that kind of inciting of his people to -- to continue to kill?

CARNEY: Sanctions -- targeted sanctions that affect the senior political leadership of a regime like Libya have been shown to have an effect. We are also, as I mentioned, pursuing actions that will ensure that the perpetrators of violations of human rights are held accountable and there is certainly a history of those kinds perpetrators being held accountable in the international community.

And again, we will take these substantial actions and leave other potential actions on the table and -- and evaluate as we go.

Yes?

QUESTION: At the top, you mentioned the U.S. embassy in Tripoli has -- has been withdrawn. Is that right? Have you evacuated?

CARNEY: It has been shuttered.

QUESTION: OK. The power of sanctions to stop violence immediately is pretty weak. What other steps and forceful steps could you take? How quickly could they come? Would more steps have to wait until Secretary Clinton goes to Geneva on Monday?

CARNEY: Well, let me just say that there has never been a time when this much has been done this quickly. The United States has acted in concert with our international partners and with great deliberation and haste.

I know that in the past few days, it's sometimes been frustrating when you've been able to question American officials about what we're doing and maybe haven't gotten all the answers you want. I discussed this with the president just a few hours ago or an hour ago.

The purpose -- the focus that he has is on our obligation to the security of American citizens and also getting the policy right. And I can assure you that that has been the -- those have been the guiding principles as we've proceeded over the course of the last week.

QUESTION: Just -- there's been reports that (inaudible) Gadhafi has taken control of some parts of Tripoli. What is your sense of events there today? And do you believe that Gadhafi is still in control of the capital?

CARNEY: Well, I -- I don't want to be in a position of giving a play-by-play commentary on, you know, very dramatic events happening quite a long way away that we're all watching on television.

What I -- what I can say is it's clear that Colonel Gadhafi has lost the confidence of his people. He is overseeing the brutal treatment of his people -- the -- the fatal violence against his own people. And his legitimacy has been reduced to zero in the eyes of his people.

So, you know, that's what I'll say about him.

QUESTION: Just one more thing. Does the president agree with French President Sarkozy that Gadhafi must leave?

CARNEY: We have always said that that is a matter for the people of Libya to decide. Both -- I would repeat what I just said, and -- and because it is a matter for the people of Libya to decide, I think it is also clear that the people of Libya have expressed that his continued use of deadly violence, his clear violations of human rights, are totally unacceptable anywhere in the world.

And the status quo is simply not -- neither tenable nor acceptable. The Libyan people deserve a government now that protects the safety of its citizens, is responsive to their aspirations, and is broadly representative.

Yes, Jake?

QUESTION: Colonel Gadhafi does not seem all that tethered to reality right now. He has been accusing -- he's been -- and experts on Gadhafi say he actually believes that the protesters in the street are -- have been fed hallucinogens.

How does the United States deal with a government -- this isn't -- this isn't your typical dictator losing power. This is a man who by many accounts seems to be legitimately unstable and perhaps willing to burn the house down with him.

How does that affect the policies that you go forward with?

CARNEY: Well, we -- we make our policy

(INTERRUPTED FOR LIVE COVERAGE OF A NEWS EVENT)

LEMON: All right, we have some breaking news.

This is the catamaran or ferry, whatever you want to call it, arriving in Malta from Libya. It is just getting into port there. We told you about hundreds of people, most of them Americans, on board that vessel. And then we told you about a plane as well that was leaving Tripoli headed to Istanbul.

So again, this is live pictures coming now from Malta.

CNN's Ivan Watson is on the scene.

Ivan, it was expected to arrive at about 2:45 Eastern time here in the United States, and it appears to be right on time, and no doubt the people on this boat are happy to have left Libya.

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm sure they're going to be very relieved, Don, because these people have been, many of them -- and there are more than 300 passengers -- have spent two nights aboard the ship after a harrowing week in the Libyan capital. They were stuck at port in Tripoli aboard the Maria Dolores because it could not depart due to the enormous storm that has been buffeting the southern Mediterranean Sea.

And these are but a fraction of the tens of thousands of foreigners who are struggling to get out of Libya right now and escape the bloodshed right now. They're traveling by land, by sea and by air. They're swarming the airport in Tripoli. They're swarming the border gates as well. And there are other ferryboats headed here to Malta and also heading to other ports around the Mediterranean.

Now, more than half of the passengers on board this vessel are American citizens, some of them are U.S. embassy personnel, and there are also a number of other citizens also involved in this. And you may be able to see -- we're going to pan down here -- there are a number of ambulance that's are awaiting the arrival of this ship and the people who, we've been in touch with, some of them terrified, stranded in Libya as violence, gunfire, in the streets, groups of men, armed men, gangs roaming the streets firing in the air, firing on demonstrators. We've heard repeated accounts of that as well.

And the airport, by all accounts, has been a complete madhouse, Don, with thousands of people camping out there, desperate to catch any flight out -- Don.

LEMON: Ivan, if I could just jump in here for a second, because the camera, you know, has a tendency to compress things. So you have this vessel arriving behind you.

How far away are you from this vessel, and do you know -- do you have any idea how long it will be before these Americans will depart this vessel and you'll have some sort of contact, you'll be able to talk to them?

WATSON: Well, the vessel is only a couple hundred yards away from the wharf where I'm standing right now. And there are a number of American diplomats on scene who have been brought in to help welcome what have effectively become refugees now. There are ambulances here as well.

I anticipate the process of processing everybody will take some time, but it's clear that the diplomats on the scene are prepared. They seem to have residences set up, temporary residences, here in Malta. And the Maltese airport authorities, also, Don, tell me they are already preparing, they tell me, flights out of the country to take them to other destinations.

This island very close, about 220 miles, Don, from the coast of Libya. It's one of the main evacuation points. We've seen British military planes bringing out other British nationals yesterday, flying into here. Daily commercial flights coming out as well.

But, from my sources, they're describing a real mess at Tripoli airport right now, and even saying that at times there is nobody to answer the phone in the traffic control tower at the airport, just to give you a sense of the chaos taking place at that international hub.

LEMON: Ivan, I hate to interrupt you, but because we're able to see maybe a bit better than you on the scene there, your photographer has zoomed into this vessel that's bringing the people over to Malta from Libya, and you can see inside the boat.

Ivan, Michael Holmes here, our international anchor, joins us, which he usually does about this time.

This story has really reached a pivotal point.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely.

LEMON: You hear Jay Carney, in the press briefing saying, we've shuttered the embassy in Tripoli, warning financial institutions in the United States and beyond to be careful when it comes to political leaders from that region in dealing with any transaction financial; asking the general assembly to suspend the membership of Libya into the United Nations, saying Secretary Clinton is going to go next week and speak with the Human Rights Council and that the president is going to meet with Ban Ki-moon next week as well.

A pivotal point in the story as we watch these Americans and others arrive in Malta -- Michael Holmes.

HOLMES: It really is like a last stand we're seeing in Tripoli at the moment, Don.

And, you know, it's interesting to hear what we just heard from Jay Carney because a lot of what is being said is diplomatic, the sanctions idea, all this, it's not going to do a lot in the very short term. I mean, sanctions take a while to get into play. What's it going to do to have an arms sanction on Libya right now? The shooting is happening right now.

So it's a pretty delicate thing. What is the U.S. and the international community going to be able to do to stop what seems to be an awful lot of bloodshed in the streets of Tripoli?

LEMON: All right, Michael Holmes, stand by.

I want to tell our viewers that you're looking at live pictures now from Malta, this vessel arriving from Libya. These people, hundreds of them, most of them Americans, are happy, been waiting for days to get off of Libyan soil.

Our Ivan Watson is standing by at this port and he will speak to some of those people momentarily, as soon as they get off the boat.

In the meantime, stand by, Ivan; stand by, Michael Holmes; stand by, viewers. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: If you're just joining us, we have breaking news. You're looking at live pictures now from Malta and the Port of Valletta. There are 300 people on board of this boat, this ship. They have arrived from Tripoli. One hundred and sixty-eight Americans have been waiting for days to get out of the country and to arrive on safer shores.

Michael Holmes from our international bureau here, CNN International, he's an anchor here, he joins us to talk about this very pivotal moment in this story. We've been talking about the embassy in Tripoli being shuttered for now.

And also joining us live here in Malta is Ivan Watson. And, Ivan, we're standing by and we're understanding it's just a few minutes before this people de-board or get off this ship.

WATSON: That's right, and the ship is just pulling up right now. Don, this is normally a hub for tourists coming in on cruise ships, a half million a year come to visit Malta. But here, of course, we're getting very different passengers coming. More than 300 very afraid, probably very relieved foreigners, half of them American, some of them embassy staff and family members who have all been waiting for days to escape from Tripoli.

Some of the people we have spoken to, Don, say that they were trapped inside their houses for days before finally making the trip to the port in Tripoli to try to catch this boat. They were too scared to set foot into the streets because of the gangs of armed men who, according to some Libyan eyewitnesses, were simply attacking anybody they saw out on the streets, Don.

LEMON: It will be interesting.

Stand by, Ivan Watson. I'm going to go now to Michael Holmes here.

It will be interesting to hear what these people have to say, especially the Americans, given the developments we've just heard in the last couple of minutes, Michael.

HOLMES: Absolutely. I was talking to somebody who just got back from Tripoli just a few minutes ago before I came up here. And he was just describing the terrifying nature of, particularly nights there, with the gunfire, the helicopters overhead. Now you're hearing the U.S. saying that they're using all their assets to look out for human rights abuses.

LEMON: All right, stand by, Ivan. Stand by, Michael Holmes.

We're going to continue to follow this developing story here on CNN. You're not going to miss any of it. We're going to take a short, short break and we're back here in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Breaking news here on CNN.

You're looking at a port in Malta, the Valletta port, 300 people on board this vessel, the Maria Dolores. They are just arriving and about to get off the ship.

CNN's Ivan Watson standing by. He is going to talk to them shortly, as soon as they get off.

Ivan, what are you seeing there?

WATSON: Well, we see right now, Don, the people, the passengers clustered by the windows, clearly very excited probably about the chance to come back to dry land, a chance to come back to a stable country after being trapped in the middle of what some might describe a revolution, what some might describe a civil war right now.

Some of these people, Don, have been aboard the vessel for two nights at the harbor in Tripoli because it could not depart due to the high seas, 16-foot waves and swells, that were here in the southern Mediterranean.

And they're just a fraction, Don. They're really some of the first Americans to escape with the help of the U.S. State Department, but they're just a fraction of the tens of thousands of foreign citizens who have all been desperately trying to escape from Libya by land, by sea, and by air.

There are other ferryboats trying to evacuate people, especially from the second city of Benghazi as well as from Tripoli. There are other planes trying to come out. All of the indications that we've gotten are that Tripoli airport is a complete zoo, a complete nightmare where even the air traffic controllers are not always at their posts to guide in incoming planes.

LEMON: CNN's Ivan Watson standing by in Malta.

Ivan, don't go anywhere. This is going to be continuing coverage here on CNN.

Thanks for watching, my colleague Brooke Baldwin in Washington takes away the coverage now.