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CNN International: U.S. Marine Rapid Response Force Heads Closer to Lebanon; IDF: Israel Fighter Jets Hit Hezbollah Infrastructure; Israel Pounds Northern Gaza as Troops Move In; Ultra- Orthodox Jews Enlist in IDF. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired October 30, 2023 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: We have been watching very closely as the U.S. has sent considerable forces to the Middle East, to U.S. Central Command. That includes not only the land forces, nearly 1,000 troops, as well as patriot battalions and a THAAD battery -- those are air defense systems. But of course the Naval troops as well. One carrier strike group with the Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Carrier is already in the Eastern Med. Another carrier strike group passed to the Strait of Gibraltar a couple days ago and it's on its way in that direction.

We've also been watching an amphibious ready group, the USS Bataan, which is an amphibious assault ship And a Marine rapid response force, The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, or MEW for short. Over the course of the past several weeks, they've been operating in the waters of the Middle East, but according to two U.S. officials, they're now in the Red Sea on their way to the Eastern Med. First, that it's a tremendous show of U.S. power in the waters off the coast of Israel and Lebanon. A clear message to Iran and Iranian proxies not to get involved. And that message we've seen said explicitly from President Joe Biden on down -- in the U.S. national security chain essentially.

But the MEW, that Marine Rapid Response Force also serves another purpose. It is special operations capable, which is certainly notable and worth remembering, but it's also a critical force in a non combatant evacuation operation or a NEO. That's one of its mission essential tasks.

Now the U.S. said last week that there was no indication or execution for a NEO, an evacuation right now, but John Kirby, the National Security Council's spokesperson, said it would be irresponsible and imprudent not to plan for contingency operations, including an evacuation. Since he said that the U.S. has said the risk of this conflict spreading wider in the region is growing and remains a serious consideration for the U.S. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department, the embassy in Beirut has advised Americans to leave now before a crisis has begun there.

There has been some contact between Israel and Hezbollah along the Israel Lebanese border. It has not escalated too much, but any contact, any exchange of fire on that border -- which is already volatile as is -- is certainly noteworthy. And that's what the U.S. is watching to see if that escalates. If it does, those are the situations in which things can quickly get out of hand and where the conflict in Gaza, which the U.S. is trying to keep separate, can quickly and violently spread to the rest of the region. So that perhaps one of the reasons that Marine Rapid Response Force is there in case the U.S. looks at the situation and looks at the possibility of the necessity for an evacuation. If the situation deteriorates.

Oren Liebermann, CNN, at the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: Israel's ambassador to the U.S. says he's glad the Pentagon is relocating at the unit. CNN spoke to Ambassador Michael Herzog earlier about this move.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL HERZOG, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: That I believe it sends a very strong deterrent message to Iran. I think they are listening and I think this could very -- be very helpful in deterring Iran, Hezbollah and the other Iranian proxies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: And as Oren mentioned, tensions are flaring along Israel's northern border. Israel says its fighter jets struck Hezbollah military infrastructure in southern Lebanon on Sunday in response to shelling toward northern Israel. It's just the latest in a series of cross-border clashes over the past few weeks, as CNN's Jim Sciutto reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST (voice- over): Towns like Arab Al-Aramshe along Israel's border with Lebanon are mostly deserted now. Evacuated due to fear of attacks by Hezbollah.

Makes is one of the few who stayed behind, and from his roof he shows us where Hezbollah fighters attempted to cross the Israeli border just a few days ago.

SCIUTTO: And eventually they broke through the wall.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): Minutes after we arrived, we see the threat is constant. Hezbollah shells fired from across the border land on the hillside just opposite us.

SCIUTTO: We are on a border town between Israel on this side, and just beyond the fence is Lebanon. And as we've been standing here, if you see the smoke off in the distance, that is the result of Hezbollah artillery fire from Lebanon into Israel. You can see the smoke rising in the distance. And speaking to residents here, this is a regular event. It's happening every day. SCIUTTO (voice-over): Makes and his twin brother sent their families south for safety but stayed behind themselves to protect their homes. The question for them and others like them is how long before this area is safe again.

SCIUTTO: Does anybody talk about how long people will have to leave here?

MAKES AHMOOD, LIVES IN ARAB AL-ARAMSHE ALONG ISRAEL-LEBANON BORDER (through translator): He hopes that a month, other people think it's the end of the year.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): As the shelling picks up, we head back south. Minutes later Israeli soldiers block the road warning of more incoming Hezbollah fire.

SCIUTTO: We're very close to the Lebanon border in Northern Israel, and soldiers have just blocked the road here in both directors. We can't go either way. You can hear mortar and artillery fire going out, that is going from Israel towards Lebanon. We've also heard artillery fire coming from Lebanon. And the concern is, the soldiers telling us, that there are possible infiltrations across the border from Lebanon by presumably Hezbollah fighters. And that's why the level of concern is so great.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): The Israeli military is focused on Gaza, but the northern front now faces daily attacks. On Sunday, a rocket fired from Lebanon landed in the city of Kiryat Shmona, setting this home ablaze.

[04:35:00]

Hezbollah also claimed this strike on an Israeli tank a few days ago, with the IDF responding by targeting Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. All the while the constant exchange of artillery fire rumbles across the frontier.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: For more on the risk of regional spillover, I'm joined by Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst of defense strategy and capability at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Thanks so much for joining us this morning -- this evening where you are, Sir, I'd like to start by discussing what you think now, the risk of horizontal escalation is, especially as we've been hearing from the IDF about, according to them, Israel striking targets of military infrastructure in Syria now, as well as Lebanon.

MALCOLM DAVIS, MILITARY ANALYST: Well, that horizontal escalation term basically means the spreading of the war geographically to bring in other participants. And I think the risks are going up quite high. I think if Hezbollah intervenes in a significant level beyond what it's doing now, then I think it's almost unavoidable to see the war spread geographically beyond what is currently the focus on Gaza. You would see then northern Israel come into play. You would see Iran come into play and Iranian controlled militias and terrorist organizations across the region come into play. So we go very quickly from a war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza to a

regional Middle Eastern war that potentially would then bring in the United States directly on the ground.

NOBILO: What in your view could prevent that regional spillover and escalation at this stage, what would need to happen?

DAVIS: I think what would need to happen would be a combination of Israel and the United States working together, potentially with some other U.S. allies to deter Iran. To make it clear to Tehran that any intervention by Hezbollah or by their -- the Iranians sponsor controlled militias and terrorist organizations would be unacceptable and bring about a devastating response.

And then it really gets down to the calculations of the government in Tehran as to are they prepared to risk that wider war. They talk about an axis of resistance. Well, are they really prepared to go to war with the United States, with Israel, potentially with other U.S. allies and probably see the end of their regime. Or are they prepared to back down and avoid such a conflict? So it really does come down then to what the regime in Tehran decides.

NOBILO: Let's return to the issue at the heart of this for a moment, which is Israel's stated objective to destroy Hamas. In your view as a counter terrorism strategy in terms of eradicating this group, how effective is Israel's retaliation? Because I'm constantly reminded of that analogy. The Hydra head in terms of the anatomy of terrorism. You know, you get rid of certain terrorists and then that just generates more in their place because of anger and tragedy and frustration.

DAVIS: Yes, look, from a purely military perspective, Israel can certainly do immense damage to Hamas. They can destroy their fighting forces on the ground, which are limited in numbers. They can attack their leadership and their command and control. They can attack their logistics. So they can rip apart Hamas as an organization. But if they in doing so, if they then inflict heavy civilian casualties amongst the Palestinian population, that's only going to radicalize the Palestinian people and you could see the, the, the emergence of new heads in that Hydra.

So I think that essentially what the Israelis have to do is somehow defeat Hamas. Deter Iran and deter Hezbollah and at the same time engage with the Palestinian people at a humanitarian level to try and ensure that a son of Hamas or a son of Islamic State doesn't reemerge. That's going to be almost impossible to do given the circumstances. I can't see any path really to achieve that goal. So sadly, I think that even if Israel is successful against Hamas, they don't necessarily win the peace.

NOBILO: Precisely and this is one of many, many concerns about what we're seeing unfold. Has the alignment of any countries on this war surprised you?

DAVIS: Well, look, I I'm not surprised at the sort of the language and the -- and the vibes I guess coming out of Moscow and Beijing. I think that from Putin's perspective, this war is opportune in the sense that it distracts attention of the United States and Europe from Ukraine and potentially diverts funding and weapons away from Ukraine.

[04:40:06]

So, for Putin, this is a good opportunity that, you know, I think he's probably fully exploiting as best as possible. For China, I think that the same thing is happening here. If the U.S. gets drawn into another Middle Eastern conflict directly as a result of Iran coming into the conflict against Israel, then that will take U.S. attention away from the Indo-Pacific and the need to deter China in threatening Taiwan.

So the two main U.S. peer adversaries, China and Russia are gaining from this conflict and exploiting this conflict. And I am sure that Moscow is coordinating with Iran and Hamas and Hezbollah in some way. And I think we need to be conscious of that and try to mitigate the risks posed by that sort of coordination.

NOBILO: Just lastly and very briefly to you, if I may, what do you make of President Erdogan's comments, his recent comments this morning, I think.

DAVIS: It is worrying there in the sense that President Erdogan is essentially seems to be aligning with Hamas, which is, you know, not a good sign. He seems to be referring to Turkey's past in the Ottoman Empire and seems to be seeking a return to those days in the same way. For example, that Putin seeks a return to the glory of the former Russian Empire.

So if Turkey has, you know, see an imperialist opportunity here, they need to think twice. Because any move by Turkey to support Hamas -- and by definition, extension Iran -- could seriously destabilize NATO's southern plank at a really crucial point in terms of Ukraine. So I think that it is worrying that Erdogan is making the sort of nationalist statements that he's making.

NOBILO: Which is another reason why Russia, in addition to the distraction from the invasion of Ukraine, would also -- probably be seeing this as a as a strategic opportunity to divide NATO further. Malcolm Davis, thank you very much for joining us. Appreciate your time.

DAVIS: Thank you very much.

NOBILO: We'll have much more for you after this short break.

[04:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NOBILO: Welcome back. We'll have more coverage of Israel's war on Gaza in just a moment. But first, some other news that we've been following.

The Los Angeles County medical examiner is releasing the remains of actor Matthew Perry to his next of kin, even as the agency continues to investigate his cause of death. The star was found unresponsive in the Jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home in an apparent drowning. He was just 54. CNN's Camilla Bernal has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating his death, but a source telling CNN that no foul play is suspected here. The 911 call came in at 4:07 p.m. on Saturday as a water rescue emergency at 4:10 p.m., LAPD responded and characterized it as a death investigation.

The "Los Angeles Times" reporting that he was found unresponsive in his hot tub and citing law enforcement sources, but no official cause of death has been released. His body is now with the LA County Medical Examiner's office and an autopsy is pending. But normally a complete autopsy and toxicology report takes several weeks.

Now Perrys family released a statement to "People" magazine saying they're heartbroken by the tragic loss of a beloved son and brother. They went on to say that he brought joy to the world as an actor and also as a friend. Matthew Perry wanted to be remembered as someone who helped people, and it's part of the reason why he shared his addiction struggles in his memoir that was released in November of 2022. He said he wanted to help people individually or as a group and shared this in many interviews that he'd done.

He also said that he wanted to be remembered as someone who lived well and someone who loved well, someone who was a seeker. But many of course remember him by his acting career. He started with small roles and then landed more prominent roles. But it was really, his role as Chandler that made him famous. It was that funny, very sarcastic character that many are remembering today.

The cast of Friends very close on and off the screen. And many here in Hollywood remembering him and reacting saying they are devastated, that they are heartbroken and that they are in shock. And many saying this is a big loss for Hollywood, but also for his fans.

Camila Bernal, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: Now to the aftermath of a mass shooting in Maine. Troubling new details share with CNN, reveal authorities were warned about the gunman weeks before his rampage that left 18 dead. Police tried to conduct a welfare check on Robert Card after concerns he would, quote, snap and commit a mass shooting. The shooter had a history of mental health issues and violence and his family and the Maine National Guard had shared disturbing details with law enforcement.

Still to come, you'll hear from some Ultra Orthodox Jews who've changed their opinion on Israel's mandatory military service. They're now rushing to enlist for the first time.

[04:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NOBILO: Ultra Orthodox Jewish men are sometimes exempt from military service in Israel, but now some are volunteering for duty after the October 7th Hamas attack. Here's CNN's Sara Sidner.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Moti Leitner reads the Torah at least an hour every day. His family is one of the 1.2 million Ultra-Orthodox Jews or Haredim who live here in Israel. For decades, many in his community have fought against Israel's mandatory military service for every Jewish Israeli man and woman, as soon as they turn 18. This year, the Ultra Orthodox tried to get a law passed to exempt them from having to enlist. A major source of friction in Israeli society. Then October 7th happened.

SIDNER: Have you ever fired a weapon? Picked up a weapon before?

MOTI LEITNER, IDF ENLISTER: No, I never held the gun or something like this.

SIDNER (voice-over): That is about to change.

LEITNER: In a few days I will go to the Israeli Army.

SIDNER (voice-over): Leitner enlisted after the murderous attack by Hamas on men, women and children in Israel.

It completely shook us, broke all conceptions, he says. We thought we had the privilege to stand at the side and not be part of, and now we realize it's just not sustainable.

He says most of the Ultra-Orthodox here believe their jobs are to keep the Jewish religion alive and well, spending their days studying the Torah.

The Israeli military reported between 2019 and 2021 only about 1,200 or so Ultra-Orthodox Jews were conscripted annually. That's out of 12,000 potential applicants.

SIDNER: Why did the Hasidim, the Ultra-Orthodox, do not want to serve in the army?

SIDNER (voice-over): The Ultra Orthodox people in Israel have an ethos according to which studying Torah gives the nation a metaphysical layer of defense, he says. But he says, he cannot see how that is enough now. And he says he knows many other Hasidim feel the same.

I personally sat in my living room and just cried for a day. We can't just go on with our daily lives. We said never again after the Holocaust. And if we want to be able to say that again to next generations and promise our children a sustainable future, we have to solve this issue.

SIDNER: In Hebrew, this sign says together we will win.

[04:55:00] It's very rare to see this kind of nationalistic language in Ultra- Orthodox neighborhoods like this one in Israel. You're also seeing a lot of Israeli flags plastered all over the place. That just doesn't really happen during normal times. It gives you some sense that opinions among the Ultra-Orthodox have changed.

SIDNER (voice-over): Leitner's wife's opinion has certainly changed, but she does worry about one thing.

AYALI LEITNER, WIFE OF IDF ENLISTER: I worry more if he don't know how to hold the weapon. And I also want to know how to -- I want a license for a gun also. We know we are not in Switzerland.

SIDNER (voice-over): There is one more difficult thing he has to do with his family before he goes to serve. Tell his children Yahuda, Elizabeth and Abigail, nine, seven and six years old. They play oblivious to the changes they're about to experience at home due to war.

Sara Sidner, CNN Beit Shemesh, Israel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: Tens of thousands of people turned out in cities across Europe this weekend to demonstrate against the war and show the support for the Palestinian people of Gaza. In Rome, marches carrying the Palestinian flag rallied near the Colosseum. In Berlin, protesters filled the streets demanding a ceasefire in the conflict. London saw its third straight week of protests. Marchers there criticizing the Sunak government stance on the war. It stopped short of calling for a formal ceasefire. The Prime Minister says he's in favor of specific pauses to allow more aid to get into Gaza.

That does it here for our coverage this hour. I'm Bianca Nobilo in London and "EARLY START" is next. Do stay with CNN.