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Multiple Israeli Strikes Hit Beirut; Trump's Return To Butler; Cajun Navy Relief Assists With Helene Aid. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired October 06, 2024 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ANNA COREN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to all our viewers watching in the United States and around the world. I'm Anna Coren live from Hong Kong.
Ahead on CNN Newsroom, Israeli strikes rock Lebanon overnight hours after a deadly Israeli attack in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promising to defend his country on a seven-front war.
Donald Trump returns to the site of his first assassination attempt and suggests his political opponents tried to kill him.
And how one volunteer group is rallying support to gather desperately needed supplies for North Carolina communities ravaged by Hurricane Helene.
We begin in the Middle East where fighting is raging on multiple fronts and fears of a bigger war are growing just as Israel prepares to mark the anniversary of the Hamas attack on October 7th. In Beirut, CNN crews reported near-constant explosions in recent hours as Israeli strikes pounded the city.
Israel's military says it struck Hezbollah weapons facilities overnight and suggested there will be more, but Hezbollah is fighting back.
Israel says about 30 projectiles crossed into Israel in recent hours on top of about 130 that came in on Saturday. Some of them were shot down but others got through. And we're also getting word of an Israeli strike on a mosque in Gaza overnight, which reportedly killed at least 21 people.
Well, the IDF just announced it has surrounded Jabalya refugee camp. Israel says it detected Hamas members in the area. That's happening as the IDF is on high alert for Monday's anniversary of the October 7th attack and as the region braces for the IDF's expected retaliation against Iran for its strikes on Israel this week.
Well, Salma Abdelaziz is monitoring those developments and joins us from London. Salma, those overnight strikes in Beirut, what more are you learning? SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, let's begin there. Fresh Israeli airstrikes overnight, particularly targeting the southern suburbs of Beirut. These are areas that are considered a stronghold of for Hezbollah. That's what Israel says it was targeting. But you can be sure that people are going to wake up in those areas to distressing scenes today.
Israel in this area in particular has been the target of an extremely extensive aerial bombardment campaign. In fact, one of the most extensive campaign seen in the world in terms of its ferocity in the face of this, of yet another front to this conflict. Of course, there has been dissent, calls for peace, calls for mediation, and Prime Minister Netanyahu has only met that with defiance.
His latest target, his latest antagonism was towards French President Emmanuel Macron, who has said he will no longer supply any weapons that directly go into the conflict in Gaza. Take a listen to what Netanyahu said.
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BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: As Israel fights the forces of barbarism led by Iran, all civilized countries should be standing firmly by Israel's side. Yet President Macron and some other western leaders are now calling for an arms embargo against Israel. Shame on them. Is Iran imposing an arms embargo on Hezbollah, on the Houthis, on Hamas, and on its other proxies? Of course not. The axis of terror stands together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABDELAZIZ: When you hear that tone, Anna, it is no wonder that mediation efforts have received no result so far. And now there are, of course, only heightened concerns because Israel is now considering its retaliation to Iran's ballistic missile strike, this barrage of ballistic missiles last week that were fired by Iran towards Israel. Serious fears about what that response will be coming from Israel.
The U.S. has called on Prime Minister Netanyahu not to target nuclear sites or oil facilities. Israel has provided no guarantee of that. So, serious concerns as to where this escalates to next, Anna.
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COREN: Yes. Salma, let's talk about that, because obviously Israel has vowed to retaliate against Iran. Are we any clearer on when this will take place?
ABDELAZIZ: There's a lot of fears and worries as to when, how, and where. The first, of course, tomorrow is the anniversary. State Department officials were asked by CNN yesterday if they believed that would be the time in which retaliation would take place. Of course, they said it is unclear, it is difficult to tell. Israel is not going to reveal its military plans publicly, of course. But there's two things to play out here. Is Israel going to respond to the intention of Iran's ballistic missile attack or the result, because those are two very different things?
The ballistic missile attacks was one of the largest fired by Iran towards Israel in its history, the largest ever in terms of scale and ferocity, but the result of it was minimal damage, one person killed. So, does Israel respond to the ferocity, the intention of that attack with something equally large in scale or is it limited in scope?
And then you have to remember, of course, when Israel responds, Iran has already promised to respond back. It is that tit-for-tat that has so many concerned that this continues to spiral further and further.
COREN: Salma Abdelaziz in London, good to see you. Thank you for the reporting.
Well, earlier I spoke with Ronnie Chatah, the host of The Beirut Banyan podcast and asked whether he believed the war in Lebanon would be temporary or lead to a larger, more deadly conflict. Take a listen.
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RONNIE CHATAH, HOST, THE BEIRUT BANYAN PODCAST: I think all indications are pointing to a prolonged conflict. And just to describe last night around midnight, these bombs, the explosions are terrifying. The way they're the way they reverberate around the city, let alone the smoke cloud that appears also the visuals that emerge later, this is terrible. And it seems like a petrol station as well blew up in the process too. So, it's a very bad time to be in Beirut.
And I don't think there's any shortcut to ending this conflict now. It seems like for better or worse, this is going to be a prolonged conflict, but at the same time, I don't think the Israelis are capable of delivering everything they need through military force at the end of the day, this will require some political resolution.
COREN: Ronnie, for those in our audience, unaware of your background, your father, Mohammed Chatah, a former Lebanese finance minister, was assassinated back in 2013. He was a vocal critic of Hezbollah. Will Israel's assault on Hezbollah destroy the group and the threat that it presents, in your opinion?
CHATAH: I don't think the Israelis are capable of destroying Hezbollah, at least the way Netanyahu describes his mission. I think it's impossible. And if I can just go back in time, you mentioned my father. In 2006, during a similar war, July in 2006, he was part of the Lebanese government's representation and trying to craft 1701, Security Council Resolution 1701, which was a ceasefire and it was a way for Hezbollah to come back from the brink and also end hostilities. And that war ended fairly quickly. That type of proactive diplomacy isn't happening at the moment, at least from the Lebanese side. Unfortunately, the Lebanese government right now is a bystander.
And I'll give you just an example. Two days ago, Iranian foreign minister visited Beirut. Our caretaker prime minister tried signaling at least the right message and uncoupling Gaza from Lebanon, and the foreign minister simply said, no. That's the type of situation we're in with the Lebanese state is a bystander. And I think that's an indicative of where things are going, because at the moment, at least, Hezbollah is not surrendering. There's no mechanism to rein in what is left of Hezbollah into the Lebanese state, which has to happen if there's going to be an inevitable disarmament of Iran's paramilitary force in Lebanon. At the moment, all of this is being dictated by the Israeli government and Israeli army.
COREN: Ronnie, let's talk about a diminished Hezbollah and what that represents to Iran and what it would mean to Iran's survival, of the regime survival, I should say.
CHATAH: I appreciate this question. I sense even at this stage when there's a degraded, handicapped, battered Hezbollah, it still remains Iran's primary security interest and primary defensive measure in the region, meaning Iran's security leverage is more or less established by Hezbollah in the region, and it's taken a hit.
I think Hezbollah long-term is more important to Iran than a nuclear deal. And I think this type of establishment in Lebanon is extremely important, even at this stage. And I don't know what Iran can do under these conditions to better protect Hezbollah.
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It hasn't been confirmed yet but has Hassan Nasrallah's replacement or de facto replacement, Hashem Safieddine, is presumed dead beneath the rubble, similar to Hassan Nasrallah, a bunker buster bomb that at least destroyed the bunker that he was in. He's probably dead. But that I don't think at the end of the day, I don't think Hezbollah can be destroyed through force. There has to be some political resolution that hasn't emerged. And I fear because there's a lack of proactive diplomacy right now, I really fear things are going to get worse in Lebanon.
And if I may add one more thing, just to describe Beirut at night, beyond the explosions, it's misery. Tens of thousands of Lebanese that are living on the streets of Beirut, ironically, doing what we're doing, looking at the news as well on their phones. We're all watching this disaster unfolding, but it's out of Lebanon's hands.
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COREN: Ronnie Chatah speaking to me earlier.
Well, thousands around the world joined demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza ahead of the anniversary of the October 7th attacks. In Rome, clashes broke out between police and some 5,000 protesters on Saturday, prompting officers to fire back with tear gas and water cannons. One demonstrator spoke on the importance of these protests despite a ban from the Interior Ministry.
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RIMM BOUGHANMI, PROTESTER: We came here to say no to war, to say no to genocide in Gaza, Lebanon, and Yemen, no more war and no more support from the Italian state. Even with the ban on this demonstration, we have the right to express ourselves. That's all. No to war, no to genocide. Long live Palestine, long live Lebanon, long live the whole world, the whole Arab world.
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COREN: In Cape Town, South Africa, thousands joined a march to parliament. They delivered a memorandum calling on the government to implement the international convention on the suppression and punishment of the crime of apartheid. And in the Philippines, activists clashed with anti-riot police in the capital on Saturday after they were blocked from holding a rally in front of the U.S. embassy in Manila.
Well, former U.S. President Donald Trump is vowing to prevent what he calls World War III if he's re-elected.
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DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I will settle the war in Ukraine. I will end the chaos in the Middle East and I will prevent, I promise you, World War III. We're not going to have World War III. And right now we're very close to having it.
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COREN: Well, Trump made the remarks at a rally on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he survived an assassination attempt back in July. During his speech, the former president honored the victims of the shooting, but he also suggested that his political rivals may have tried to kill him without providing any evidence.
CNN's Alayna Treene has more from Butler, Pennsylvania.
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Former President Donald Trump returned to Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, exactly 12 weeks after that first assassination attempt on his life in July. Now, one thing of note is they held it in the exact same rally as it was back in July, but some things were different. There was definitely heightened security. You could see more agents on the ground.
But the rally on Saturday was really about the honoring the victims, especially the man who had died in July. His name was Corey Comperatore. And Donald Trump spoke at length about him on stage. He actually paused his remarks at 6:11 P.M., the exact time 12 weeks earlier that the gunman had fired those shots for a moment of silence. Donald Trump also spoke about the victims who were injured that day and thanked local law enforcement on the ground.
However, part of this speech in Butler actually reminded me of the speech Donald Trump delivered at the Republican National Convention just days after that assassination attempt, when he had promised a message of unity and gave one for roughly 30 minutes, but then segued into a kind of the typical Donald Trump we know, by using a harsh rhetoric and attacking his political opponents.
He did the same thing on Saturday, as did his running mate, J.D. Vance. Take a listen.
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TRUMP: Over the past eight years, those who want to stop us from achieving this future have slandered me, impeached me, indicted me, tried to throw me off the ballot, and who knows, maybe even tried to kill me.
SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: First, they tried to silence him. When that didn't work, they tried to bankrupt him. When that didn't work, they tried to jail him. And with all the hatred they have spewed at President Trump, it was only a matter of time before somebody tried to kill him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TREENE: Now, both Donald Trump and J.D. Vance have in the past tried to claim that perhaps Democrats and their rhetoric arguing that he is a threat to democracy could have been responsible for the assassination attempt.
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Of course, there is no evidence to suggest that that is true.
And just one other moment of note on Saturday is that Donald Trump called up Elon Musk to the stage. This is the first time that we have seen Musk not only at a rally but to get up on stage and speak at one. Also worth noting, Musk first endorsed Donald Trump just moments after the assassination attempt in Butler on July 13th, so kind of a full circle moment there. And, of course, Musk has become really a top surrogate for Donald Trump on Saturday. He argued that this is going to be the most important election of Americans' lifetimes.
Alayna Treene, CNN, Butler, Pennsylvania.
COREN: Well, Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday. She met with volunteers at the Dream Center Primary Care Facility and helped with packing essentials to be distributed to hurricane victims. She thanked responders, rescuers and all the volunteers engaged in the work of aid and recovery.
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KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I have always found in my life and career that some of the people who are most generous have the least to give and give everything they can to take care of each other. And so we are seeing the heroes among us and I'm very grateful for all the folks who are doing this work on the ground.
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COREN: Well, volunteers and government teams from all around the country are working all out to aid victims of Hurricane Helene and speed the recovery. That and more when we come back.
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COREN: Less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida, the state is bracing for yet another hurricane, potentially a major Category 3 storm. Tropical Storm Milton, formed in the western Gulf on Saturday, is expected to quickly intensify and bring life threatening conditions to parts of Florida's west coast around midweek.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in advance for 35 counties on Saturday. The U.S. National Hurricane Center is also warning people in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and the Northwestern Bahamas to closely monitor this new storm system.
Well, the death toll from Hurricane Helene has climbed to at least 227 people. Well, that comes as federal, state and local responders continue search and rescue and recovery efforts under difficult and arduous circumstances.
CNN's Rafael Romo has the latest.
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Federal Emergency Management Agency released the latest information on Saturday regarding their response to this unprecedented disaster in the southeast. According to FEMA, the federal government has already provided more than 110 million in assistance for the affected states. FEMA also says that 6,400 personnel from across the federal workforce are deployed and that 13.2 million meals and 13.4 million liters of water have been distributed in the aftermath of Helene.
There are also teams from across the nation there, including the New York Fire Department, and, of course, the North Carolina National Guard. The FEMA official in charge of the response in North Carolina said search and rescue efforts are still ongoing.
Vice President Kamala Harris traveled Saturday to North Carolina to survey the aftermath of Helene in the southeastern state. She landed in Charlotte where she got an on the ground briefing of storm recovery efforts. She later thanked all those helping people in need.
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HARRIS: These moments of crisis bring out some of the best of who we can be and who we are. I've been seeing and hearing the stories from here in North Carolina about strangers who are helping each other out, giving people assistance in every way that they need, including shelter, food, and friendship, and fellowship.
And so I thank everyone for all the work that they've been doing, those who are in the room and those who are out there.
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COREN: Despite the efforts of the local, state and federal government, the crisis is far from over. According to Buncombe County officials, as of Saturday, there were still more than 74,000 customers without power in their area alone in Western North Carolina.
Buncombe County officials are still asking people to reuse water as much as they can, even if they have set up several food and water distribution centers across the area.
Rafael Romo, CNN Atlanta.
COREN: David Howell is the supply director for the Cajun Navy Relief, a New Orleans-based volunteer group currently assisting with disaster relief efforts across North Carolina. He joins me now from Brevard, North Carolina. David, thank you so much for joining us.
So, describe to us how bad the situation is on the ground. We know that there is an untold number of people still missing in North Carolina.
DAVID HOWELL, SUPLLY DIRECTOR, CAJUN NAVY RELIEF: Yes, I mean, what we're looking at is a lot of these communities are very rural. They are not able to be accessed right now, except by ATV, horseback or helicopter. And your normal flood, the water comes up over hundreds of miles. Right here, we're looking at where it is very concentrated and wiping out infrastructure on the ground starting at the headwaters and moving out into the other areas.
COREN: Yes. What have you managed to take to these hard hit communities? Explain to us how you're reaching them because as you say, I mean, these are isolated cutoff communities.
HOWELL: Absolutely. So, right now, I mean, we're our main distribution points are taking 18 wheelers, random cars that are showing up, bringing in supplies. We are then looting them onto ATVs, four wheelers. some into backpacks and we're hiking and driving and taking horseback into these people, getting them the help that they need, making sure that they have the supplies to survive until we could get roads cut into them.
COREN: Explain to us how misinformation is affecting relief efforts.
HOWELL: So, a lot of times when people are putting out this misinformation, it's harming us because people aren't realizing the damage that we're seeing.
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They aren't realizing the impact that we are having. And then they don't realize what we have going on. They are not seeing the numbers of bodies that are being out. You know, they're either making it too big and blowing it out of proportion, or they're underplaying the impact that the storm has had here in Western North Carolina.
COREN: So, what would be your message to those people spreading this misinformation?
HOWELL: That, you know, really verify your sources, make sure that the information you are having is correct. That way, the government, the nonprofits, all of us here helping are being told the right information.
COREN: David, it is going to take a long time before roads are opened or rebuilt, infrastructure as well, communications restored. I mean, how long do you think you will need to provide this aid to these communities?
HOWELL: Well, Anna, the big thing is, you know, right now, our immediate needs are being met, but we're looking at some of these communities are going to be needing supplies. They're going to be needing clothes through the winter. Temperatures are going to be dropping into the 30s here soon, and we're going to have to find a way to make sure that they stay warm enough through the winter, that we can look at what they're going to need in the spring to start rebuilding.
COREN: And, David, tell us about the role that the Cajun Navy has played and the other volunteers who have joined this relief effort. I mean, talk us through the sense of community that you have seen, this community spirit that has come alive.
HOWELL: Absolutely. It is overwhelming to say the least. I am here from North Carolina, so I'm not boots on the ground and to watch the communities from Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, come to my home and help my neighbors, help my people. It is fantastic. It is just amazing and overwhelming for all of us here impacted.
COREN: And the people that you're helping, I mean, what are they saying to you? I mean, they must be incredibly appreciative. I mean, you are volunteers. You are giving up your time to help these people.
HOWELL: Absolutely. And they are. They understand, you know, that we're coming in and that we're their one lifeline at that moment. We're bringing news of what's going on out in these communities. We're bringing them the supplies. It is so powerful to be able to sit there and have a conversation with somebody who has not seen another person in ten days or whatever the case may be because they are cut off from the real world.
COREN: David, explain to us why these communities weren't prepared for this natural disaster. Hurricane Helene, obviously Category 4, incredibly powerful, but was its power, its intensity underestimated in some of these areas?
HOWELL: I don't know if that's quite the case. This area, we're used to snow. If you drop a foot of snow, these communities know how to act, know what to do. We saw torrential rains. We saw flooding on an unprecedented scale that no one could predict. We saw water gauges go off the charts and shut down because of the amount of water being pushed through. I don't think there was really any warning that anyone could have given for the amount of disaster that we are seeing here.
COREN: Well, David, we certainly thank you for the work that you and all the other volunteers are doing to help these communities. David Howell, thank you for joining us.
HOWELL: Thank you. COREN: Ahead, fleeing the fighting, the struggle many people face trying to get out of Lebanon as Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut.
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COREN: Welcome back. Let's get you up to speed with our developing story in the Middle East. Israel's military just announced that its troops have surrounded the Jabalya refugee camp in Gaza. It says Hamas was detected in the area trying to rebuild its operational capabilities. The IDF says it's working to stop that from happening.
CNN crews also reported near-constant explosions in Beirut this morning as Israeli strikes kept pounding the city. We're also getting word of an Israeli strike on a mosque in Gaza overnight, which reportedly left at least 21 people dead. Well that's happening as the region is on edge over Israel's expected retaliation against Iran, while Israel's military is on high alert ahead of Monday's anniversary of the October 7th attack by Hamas.
Well, meanwhile, people who want to leave Lebanon because of the fighting are running out of options to be able to do so. Here's Jomana Karadsheh again with more on that part of the story.
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JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The road from Lebanon to Syria, so far used by hundreds of thousands of people to escape the Israeli bombardment just got a lot rockier. Hand to hand, rescuers from the Syrian Red Crescent passed bags, even small children over rubble near Lebanon's Masnaa Border Crossing, the main artery way near the border of Lebanon and Syria is now a crater. Israel says it conducted an airstrike in the location to destroy an underground tunnel to prevent weapons from being smuggled into Lebanon.
Lebanon says if that kind of activity is happening, it wouldn't occur at a main crossing like this. The destruction has halted traffic on both sides of the border, though some people are still traveling on foot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We wanted to transport people to Syria and to bring people from Syria also. You can see the road is closed in front of us and we don't know what they will do with the crater.
KARADSHEH: Back in Beirut, smoke rises in the sky near the airport. After a new round of Israeli airstrikes, a sign of the danger looming in the city that so many are trying to escape. For those lucky enough to have connections or dual citizenship, countries across the world are sending aircraft to evacuate their citizens.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm feeling happy but sad at the same time because I am leaving people behind in this sadness of everyday strike, innocent people dying, and it's very hard for to see this happening. And I am out and they're still in. KARADSHEH: But that's not an option for many people in Lebanon. Many commercial flights are booked for days in advance, and there are concerns how long the airport will remain open.
Beirut's waterfront, Corniche, is lined with tents housing people who feel like they have no safe place to go.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The situation is a disaster and we're living through it. What should we do? We can't go anywhere. We can't travel. All the country is at risk.
The United Nations says most of Lebanon's 900 shelters are full and many people have been forced to sleep out in the open or in public parks. With an estimated 1.2 million Lebanese already displaced by the conflict, the choice of staying or going is becoming increasingly desperate in Lebanon as options to leave narrow and shelter becomes harder to find.
Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Beirut.
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COREN: The Middle East remains on edge as the region awaits Israel's response to Iran's missile attack on October 1st. U.S. President Joe Biden says the White House is working closely with Israel to prevent a disproportionate retaliation.
Our Arlette Saenz has more.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Senior administration officials remain in constant contact with their Israeli counterparts as they try to assess what the next steps will be in Israel's response to Iran's ballistic missile attack earlier this week.
Now, U.S. officials do not know exactly when Israel will make their final decision or when they might plan to enact that, one senior State Department official telling CNN that it's hard to tell whether they might try to use the October 7th anniversary of Hamas's attack against Israel to retaliate. But President Biden has said he doesn't believe that that decision is imminent. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: The Israelis have not concluded what they're going to do in terms of a strike.
If I were in their shoes, I'd be thinking about other alternatives than striking oil fields.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: That last portion comes just a few days after President Biden had left open the possibility that Israel could target Iran's oil reserves as a response. But now he's saying that he does think that they should pursue alternative options instead.
The president has also ruled out the possibility or said that he opposes Israel trying to target Iran's nuclear facilities. But a senior State Department official says that the U.S. has not received any assurances from Israel that they won't go down that route. Officials have been speaking with their counterparts in Israel around the clock, trying to advise them about their response, hoping that ultimately the decision of how to respond will be a measured one.
But this all comes at a very complicated moment as the anniversary of Hamas' attack against Israel approaches on Monday. And President Biden is now dealing with this conflict on multiple fronts. He has tried to seek a diplomatic solution to end the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza for a year now, but so far that has not come to fruition. And at times, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has really gone against some of the advice that the U.S. has offered.
Now, they're also dealing with this conflict in the Middle East, really opening on two fronts between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as Israel in Iran. It comes as President Biden has really tried to spend the last year trying to prevent this conflict from spreading to a wider regional war, and it's something that he's still keen on trying to prevent in these coming days as Israel is assessing their response to Iran.
Arlette Saenz, CNN, traveling with the president in South Bend, Indiana.
COREN: Well, less than a month away from Election Day in the U.S. and former president Donald Trump returned to Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday for a rally at the same venue where he survived an assassination attempt in July. Trump honored the victims of the shooting with a moment of silence, 12 weeks to the minute that gunfire erupted.
Well, meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris visited North Carolina on Saturday to get a closer look at the devastation left by Hurricane Helene. The White House says she met with families affected by the disaster and thanked first responders for their relief efforts.
Richard Johnson is a lecturer in U.S. politics at Queen Mary University of London. He joins us now from Oxford, England. Richard, good to see you.
Obviously, this was an important moment for Donald Trump. You know, he wanted to take to the stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, projecting strength and defiance. Did he achieve that?
RICHARD JOHNSON, U.S. POLITICS LECTURER, QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON: I would say on his own terms, he probably did. Now, what he may not have been able to do was to project a message of unity and coming together. If you remember after the assassination attempt, there was some discussion that Trump would give a conciliatory speech at the Republican Convention, a speech about the American people, in effect, calling the temperature of the election and for people to see their commonalities. I mean, there was a moment at the start where he paid tribute to the first responders, the people who'd been injured, the gentleman who had sadly been killed. But even there, Trump couldn't resist in his kind of character vignettes of these people to emphasize their good character by saying what strong Trump supporters they were.
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So, even in those solemn moments, he wasn't able to kind of take himself out of the heat of the campaign.
COREN: Now, it is all about Donald Trump. Elon Musk, he also took to the stage obviously in support of Donald Trump, even jumping in the air a couple of times. Will his support have any impact on undecided voters?
JOHNSON: I think it's not likely to have a massive amount of support. I thought it was a curious decision to bring Musk to that particular event. I mean, he has no connection to Pennsylvania or, you know, had no particular role in that day that's been marked 12 weeks later. We haven't seen much of Musk on the campaign trial for Trump. He's done a few online events.
So, I suppose the reason why the campaign brought Musk out for this event is because this is probably one of the last big events before the eve of the election. And by all accounts, this was a very well- attended event. This was an event, a rally that got a lot of media attention. We're talking about it today.
And so I suppose the reason to bring out Musk to this particular event is to remind anyone who wasn't already aware that Trump is having (INAUDIBLE) individual who I think plays well particularly with young men who the Trump campaign are really targeting to turn out to vote in the election.
COREN: Richard, let's now turn to Kamala Harris. As we've shown, she was in North Carolina, obviously looking at the disaster relief operation that is underway. Before that, the day before, she was in Michigan, a key swing state and home to one of the largest Arab- American populations in the country. She met with Arab and Muslim leaders, obviously listening to their concerns about the conflict in the Middle East. Considering how quickly this war is escalating now on multiple fronts, how could this affect the Harris campaign?
JOHNSON: Well, in an election, that's going to be as tight as this one is expected to be. Any marginal shift among a significant group of voters could potentially flip the election. I mean, we're looking at an election where the margins in the decisive states could be even in the single thousands of votes.
And so although Michigan does have a sizable Arab-American population, it's not as large as, you know, say, the African-American population or Latino population or white population, but it's still a significant voter bloc that has been pretty loyal to the Democrats for the last few election cycles. And so even if those voters stay home, if the state is decided by a few thousand votes, that could make all the difference. I mean, we're talking about seven swing states. Six of those states, Trump won in 2016. Six of those states, Biden won in 2020. And I think that's basically the range of possibilities that we're looking at here is that the election is going to come down to somewhere between Trump winning six out of seven and Harris winning six out of seven and more likely somewhere in between that number.
COREN: Richard Johnson, we always appreciate your analysis. Thank you so much for joining us from London.
JOHNSON: Thank you.
COREN: New York has increased security near synagogues after several bomb threats targeted the houses of worship. Next, why they're taking those extra precautions
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[03:45:00]
COREN: New York City is on high alert following multiple bomb threats targeting synagogues. None were deemed credible, but this comes ahead of the grim anniversary of the October 7 Hamas terror attacks, and as Jews around the world prepare for Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.
CNN Correspondent Gloria Pazmino has the latest.
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And it is important to emphasize that we heard from New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Friday after several synagogues across the state received these bomb threats. None of the threats were deemed credible. But as a result of the upcoming Jewish holidays, as well as the first year anniversary of the October 7th attacks, the governor said that she was deploying state police to partner with local law enforcement agencies to make sure that communities across the state are safe.
Now, we are here in front of Temple Emanu-El in New York City, one of the biggest temples in the city and a really important symbol for Jewish people here in New York, but also outside of the city, New York is home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel. And we heard from the FBI, as well as the Department of Homeland Security last week, that the combination of the upcoming October 7th anniversary, as well as the ongoing tensions in the Middle East could be a reason for extremists to commit acts of violence.
Again, important to highlight that there have been no credible threats at this time. But the NYPD will continue their presence here and at other houses of worship across the city for the next two weeks as we approach the anniversary of October 7th on Monday, but also the Jewish holidays later in the week.
Gloria Pazmino, CNN, New York. COREN: You're looking at terrifying pictures. A fire broke out underneath a Frontier Airlines flight as it landed in Las Vegas on Saturday. A witness captured this scary video. Frontier says the pilots detected smoke as the plane arrived from San Diego. They declared an emergency.
Well, during the hard landing, the jet's tires blew. Fire and rescue officials on the ground managed to contain and extinguish the flames. No one was injured. All 197 passengers, I should say, and crew on board evacuated safely. The incident is under investigation.
Well, Paris Fashion Week wrapped with some magic. Just ahead, a French fashion house stages a fantasy runway show at Disneyland Paris.
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COREN: Welcome back. Well, Paris Fashion Week wrapped up earlier this week with a trip to Disneyland. French fashion house Coperni unveiled its latest collection with an afterhours show outside of Cinderella's European castle. And as you'll see, it was driven by fantasy and ended with a bang.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Coming to a fashion show, the last night of Fashion Week in Disneyland is quite amazing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They always make it very big, but this is like big.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The castle and the fireworks and the princesses.
ARNAUD VAILLANT, CO-FOUNDER, COPERNI: So many months of work and rehearsal, exactly what we dreamed about.
SEBASTIEN MEYER, CO-FOUNDER, COPERNI: Yes.
VAILLANT: It was phenomenal.
I'm Arnaud Vaillant.
MEYER: And I'm Sebastien Meyer and we are the founder of Coperni.
VAILLANT: We founded the brand about six years ago now, and it's a pretty magical adventure.
I think that technology is our main inspiration and passion, and it's true that we've seen it many times in our fashion shows and collections and everything.
MEYER: We love to propose things to people. We want them to be like, surprised, and excited, and to live like a beautiful moment. But this one, I have to say, has been probably the most inspiring one. I mean, hosting the show at Disney is beyond. I mean, we're so grateful, so lucky. It's like a childhood dream.
When you are young and when you watch the movies, it's a bit like your first inspiration, the clothes, the villains, the princess.
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VAILLANT: The dress of Sleeping Beauty, when they fight, it really like marked me forever.
I'm very happy and proud about what we've done because there are so many cute details that link both worlds of Coperni and Disney. I think we made it cool, which I'm very happy about.
MEYER: I hope so.
VAILLANT: Yes.
MEYER: You know, it's funny because when you live in France, when you go to Paris with your parents, you don't go to the Eiffel Tower. The first time you visit is Disneyland.
VAILLANT: It's true.
We are doing a show at Disneyland Paris. It's already big. So, this time it's probably more around the cast. The surprise will definitely be in there.
MEYER: And we also really want to represent what is the Coperni community. So, we wanted to do it like with our friends, you know, with models that inspire us.
VAILLANT: We really wanted the best experience possible. So, we're going to create different effects on the cast.
MEYER: Represent the different part of the collection.
VAILLANT: You know, all the fairy tales are inspired by going from childhood to adulthood. That's the way we treated the collection, the beginning, the innocence, the fear, and the strength, and then the evolution.
MEYER: I love when the inspiration comes from different place. There is something very magical, you know?
VAILLANT: Yes, it's a celebration.
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COREN: The backdrop.
Well, before we go, the skies of the South Korean capital lit up on Saturday night for the Seoul International Fireworks Festival. More than a million people turned out to watch the 90-minute spectacle. Some camped out for hours to get the best views.
The prime minister directed police and emergency services to be on alert for crowd control. Officials in the nation are extra cautious after 159 people were killed two years ago in a crush of people during a Halloween event.
Well, thank you so much for your company. I'm Anna Coren live in Hong Kong. CNN Newsroom continues with Kim Brunhuber after this short break. Stay with CNN.
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