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Health Officials Scramble to Contain Ebola; 19 Dead in Airstrike on U.N. School; Putin's Popularity over 80 percent in Russia

Aired July 30, 2014 - 10:30   ET

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

DR. MARTY CETRON, CDC: Airline carriers, crew members, airports can be a very important partners in that front line.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Since March, the disease has spread across several nations borders with more than 1,000 cases being reported in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. More than 600 of those infected have died. The problem is current tests detect ebola only after a person shows symptoms. And most of the early symptoms are common ones -- fever, sore throat, chills, muscle aches and nausea.

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BROWN: And unlike the flu, Ebola is only spread through contact with bodily fluid, not through the air. And officials here say because of the way it's transmitted there's very little risk for the U.S. population.

But that said, Carol, Washington is hosting the African summit next week with African leaders coming from some of the places where ebola has been detected and U.S. officials are saying they are taking every necessary precaution and anticipation of that summit -- Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Pamela Brown reporting live for us this morning. Thank you.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, the propaganda machine is in full force of the bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas. New reports saying that Hamas is encouraging its supporters to act as human shields -- when is enough, enough? We'll take a look next.

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COSTELLO: We are now more than halfway through an Israel-declared four-hour humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza but with one big stipulation. The cease-fire does not apply to areas where Israeli soldiers are already operating. At this point, Hamas says it's not going to abide by the cease-fire because it figures this is just a PR move on Israel's part.

In the meantime the violence that raged over night has led into the day. The United Nations says 19 people were killed, 126 others injured as shells rained down on crowds gathered for morning prayers.

In an early review, the Israeli military says it was responding to a Hamas rocket fire in the area. Earlier today, Gaza residents looked up to see this -- leaflets falling like snow. We don't know what they say yet but in the past they warned of future missile attack as Israeli military targeted Hamas.

Now, we showed you what IDF is saying to its people, but Hamas certainly has its own propaganda machine pumping out videos like this one this morning which supposedly shows an operation by Hamas fighters tunneling into an Israeli facility just east of the Gaza Strip. According to el-Aqsa TV, the Hamas run television network, 10 Israeli soldiers were killed in the operation, but the video appears to have been edited, and CNN can't confirm its authenticity.

But it's just the latest example of propaganda from el-Aqsa TV which at more times looks like some kind of macabre entertainment network.

There's theme music setting the stage for the near constant message of Hamas rising up against Israel. The station is also used to broadcast images directly from Hamas leadership, even encouraging residents to act as human shields.

It's the concern about residents becoming human shields that has Lindsey Graham and Chuck Schumer reaching out to their fellow senators this morning with a "Dear Colleague" letter which reads in part quote, "While the Israeli Defense Forces uses text messages, leaflet drops, phone calls and other methods to clear out areas before an attack, the Hamas interior ministry has called on Gaza residents to ignore these warnings. We hope that the current conflict ends soon however Israel must have the ability to take whatever steps are necessary to protect its citizens from brazen terrorist attacks."

So let's talk about this. Joining me now are Senators Lindsey Graham and Chuck Schumer. Good morning gentlemen.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: Good morning.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Good morning.

COSTELLO: Good morning. So Senator Graham, what are the steps you are talking about?

GRAHAM: Well, we're trying to inform our colleagues and quite frankly through your network and the world and the American people what Israel faces. You have one group as you explained trying to avoid civilian casualties, giving notice of an impending attack, trying to give people a chance to avoid being hurt.

You have the other group, Hamas, urging their citizens through television appearances to go to the fight, stand on the roof, bury your chest to the Zionist occupiers. In other words become human shields. And I think it's important to understand this dynamic, to understand the conflict.

COSTELLO: And Senator Schumer, what do you hope this letter accomplishes?

SCHUMER: Well, we hope it shows, you know, the reason there is a war is Hamas. Here's what Hamas did. First, they stored rockets in civilian areas, in hospitals, in mosques, in people's homes. Then they provoked war by sending rockets to Israel and kidnapping and killing those three Israelis on the West Bank. And third they tell their citizens don't runaway from the missiles, stay as human shields. If the world -- if the world --

COSTELLO: Gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen -- can I interrupt you for just a second because there are explosions happening right now in Gaza so I have to break in with CNN International and check in with John Vause. But if you could stand by, I'd appreciate it. Let's listen.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And as far as they are concerned they believe that they are winning. They are continuing to fire rockets despite what has been a very intensive escalated Israeli military offensive here in Gaza and they are defiant.

We heard from Mohammed Diaf (ph) who is the commander of the Hamas military wing on Hamas television last night. It was an audio recording only. Very rarely does he make any kind of public statement. He said there would be no cease-fire with Israel until the blockade, as he called it, is lifted. That is an opening of the borders, a reopening of the sea port and allowing Gaza some kind of control over their airspace. For the Israelis right now, that just seems to be non-negotiable.

COSTELLO: All right -- John Vause reporting. And there are several explosions over Gaza. Supposedly we were in the midst of this four- hour cease-fire for humanitarian reasons. Israel was obeying the cease-fire. Hamas never said it would. In fact, the rocket fire continued from the Gaza side. So I suppose Israel responded in turn.

I want to go back to Washington and Senator Graham, I know that Senator Schumer had to left. Thank you so much --

GRAHAM: Yes.

COSTELLO: -- for staying. I appreciate it.

So you know that this electrical plant has been destroyed in Gaza, which means most people don't have electricity, they don't have clean water. What's the end game, do you think here?

GRAHAM: I think the ultimate end game is to take the security that the Palestinians have found in the West Bank and impose it on Gaza. I think the ultimate end game is to empower the Palestinian authority who has been a good partner with Israel regarding West Bank security and commerce and replace Hamas with a better partner for Israel

But the reason I'm glad you are showing the videos is I want people, you know, people are trying to figure out what is the right thing to do here. You know, what should America do? I'm just trying to explain to the American people and the world at large that Hamas is intentionally putting its people in harm's way. They celebrate every time an Israeli rocket hits civilians. And Israel is trying everything it can do to minimize casualties but the ultimate end game is to bring security, peace, and tranquility to Gaza. COSTELLO: Well, I'll ask you what more can the United States do or

should do? Should it stay out of this, should it connect more with the Palestinians? What should it do?

GRAHAM: I met with a Palestinian representative yesterday who likes the idea of having Palestinian control over the transfer points at Gaza. You can't open up the borders as long as a terrorist organization runs the other side of the border.

But if you could get the Palestinian Authority into Gaza and they behave responsibly like they have with the West Bank, Israel could move forward to going back to a more normalized relationship but you can't do business with a group of people called Hamas not only who try to kill your children, Israeli children, they put their own children at risk. So once you change that dynamic, then everything is possible.

You have to demilitarize Gaza. Israel can't do this every two years, allow Hamas to rebuild and you can't give aid to Hamas, because they turn it into tunnels for terror rather than schools and hospitals.

COSTELLO: So in your view, sir, do you think Israel should go ahead and crush Hamas and not, you know, achieve its stated goal of getting rid of these underground tunnels?

GRAHAM: Yes, ma'am. I think they should neutralize the tunnel threat. How could any Israeli leader tell their people that this is a successful operation unless you neutralize the tunnel threat? But the end game to me is have the Palestinian Authority replace Hamas in terms of the security control inside of Gaza.

It works in the West Bank. Can you transplant the working relationship between the Palestinians and Israel and the West Bank to Gaza? But you have to neuter the Hamas military threat because Israel cannot tolerate in perpetuity.

And look what it's doing to the Palestinian people. The most innocent people in the world are children and they are dying in large numbers in Gaza and that breaks all of our hearts and the way you stop this is to have a better partner for Israel to deal with.

COSTELLO: All right. Senator Lindsey Graham, thank you so much for being with me and for waiting around. I appreciate it.

GRAHAM: Thank you.

COSTELLO: I'll be right back.

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COSTELLO: Checking some top stories for you at 46 minutes past. That is not a water fall or fountain, those are actually stairs. Take a look. What looks like a cascading river is actually massive flooding at UCLA after an old water main burst. The ruptured 90-year-old line sent a geyser spewing some 30 feet into the air up 10 million gallons filled the school's athletic facilities and parking structures. Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl could be questioned as early as next week by a

general investigating his 2009 disappearance from his army outpost in Afghanistan and subsequent capture by the Taliban. Celebration over Bergdahl's negotiated release in May was overshadowed by accusations he deserted his unit. Bergdahl is now back on regular duty in north Texas.

The U.S. economy appears to be bouncing back. New government figures this morning show it grew at a 4 percent annual rate in the second quarter. That suggests the economy is on the right track and that a contraction in the first quarter was just a fluke of bad weather. This morning's GDP report cites a rise of exports, consumer spending and business investments.

I'll be right back.

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COSTELLO: All right.

We understand there have been some huge explosions in Gaza yet again this morning. There was supposedly this four-hour humanitarian cease- fire in place. Israel said it was abiding by the cease-fire. Gaza, Hamas, not so much. It told one of our correspondents that it believes these cease-fires are more of a PR move by Israel so why abide by them.

As you know, last night, the electrical power plant in Gaza, the only one, was taken out and that means that most of Gaza doesn't have electricity or clean water. I want to take you back about five minutes to a report John Vause did as those most recent explosions were going on in Gaza. Let's listen.

We don't have John. I apologize for that. While we get that together -- I'm going to go on.

As the United States and Europe impose stricter sanctions against Russia, they are expected to have little effect on Vladimir Putin's popularity at home. A Gallup poll published just before Flight 17 was shot down by pro-Russian separatists indicates that Putin's approval rating soared above 80 percent.

CNN's international correspondent, Diana Magnay tells us why Western politicians are worried.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Post MH-17, he's front page news, western media trying to get a sense yet again of just who Vladimir Putin is.

Snippets of his daily routine, late breakfasts always with cottage cheese says, "Newsweek," a regular daily swim and a sweat before the power day begins. In the "New Yorker", a tale from Joe Biden about this meeting. "I'm looking in your eyes", Biden recounted, "and I don't think you have a soul." Mr. Putin's reply, "We understand one another."

Putin's domestic critics have long since given up, expecting anything even resembling compassion from their president. From the fate of all aboard the nuclear submarine the Kursk in August 2000 dying as the Kremlin did it. To the Moscow Theater Siege in 2002 when Russian Special Forces killed 130 hostages alongside their Chechen hostage in a liberation which many say showed a crass disregard for civilian casualties.

These incidents quickly forgotten by a public seduced by their strong man president. When Moscow annexed Crimea, Russians cheered. His popularity now well over 80 percent, despite or maybe because of the dirty little war which Russia reportedly funds and arms in neighboring Ukraine.

GEN. MARTIN DEMPSEY, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEF OF STAFFS: If I have a fear about this, it's that Putin may actually light a fire that he loses control of. In other words, these ethnic enclaves, there's a rising tide of nationalism and nationalism can be a very dangerous instinct and impulse.

MAGNAY: So far the tragedy of MH 17 has met with Russian stone walling, a policy Mr. Putin seems to have carried over from his days with the KGB.

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST: There are a lot of people who feel --

MAGNAY: In an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria, Hillary Clinton said Russia would only understand tough action.

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: If the United States and Europe don't present a united front, I think Putin is the kind of man who will go as far as he can get away with. I think he is still smart enough and cautious enough to be pushed back, but there has to be a push in order to make that happen.

MAGNAY: So far, Mr. Putin has treated sanctions with a mixture of ambivalence and defiance, seemingly happy to take his country down the path of self-isolation and to risk losing fate with the West while in eastern Ukraine, the battle rages around the debris of MH 17.

Diana Magnay, CNN, Moscow.

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COSTELLO: Thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello.

"@THIS HOUR WITH BERMAN AND MICHAELA" after a break.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Let's start with that unilateral -- it's over, as you can tell. (END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: Several explosions heard in Gaza. Does this mean yet another cease-fire is over?

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN HOST: Israel meanwhile working to take out an elaborate network of Hamas tunnels.