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Isa Soares Tonight
The World Awaits Israel's Response After Iranian Attack; Eight Israeli Soldiers Killed in Lebanon; Vance-Walz Spar in a Vice Presidential Debate As the 2 Candidates Play the Blame Game Over Iran's Nuclear Development; Israel Vows to Retaliate Against Iran; Walz and Vance Faced Off in Vice Presidential Debate; No CNN Poll Clear Winner in Walz-Vance Debate; The Aftermath of Hurricane Helene; Biden Visits South Carolina; At Least 180 People Dead from Helene; Trump Backs Out of "60 Minutes" Interview. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired October 02, 2024 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, the Middle East on a knife-edge
following Iran's attack on Israel. We'll bring you the latest as the world awaits Israel's next move. Plus, eight Israeli soldiers killed, scores
wounded in Lebanon as heavy battles intensify.
Evacuation orders are in place as Hezbollah vows to keep fighting. And J.D. Vance and Tim Walz spar of a solution for the Middle East, as the two
candidates for Vice President play the blame game over Iran's nuclear development. We'll tell you what they said. But first tonight, Iran says
Israel is pushing the Middle East to the edge of an unprecedented catastrophe.
But Israel vows Iran will pay for a major missile attack raising fears, of course, of a wider regional war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(EXPLOSION)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, Israel says Iran fired some 200 ballistic missiles on Tuesday in retaliation for a series of high-profile assassinations. And Israeli
military sources, several missiles hit military basis, but insists there was no major damage. Iran says it's absolutely not interested in a broader
war, but it's vowing and even harsher response if Israel strikes Iran.
Israel is considering attacking a range of targets. The U.S. says it's coordinating a response with Israel, but President Joe Biden said he will
not support an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The answer is no. And I think there's things -- we'll be discussing with the Israelis what they're going
to do. But David -- and all seven of us agree that they have a right to respond, but they should respond proportionally.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, all this, of course, happening as Israel escalates a ground war in Lebanon. Fierce clashes are reported today in the south, Israel's
army says it clashed with Hezbollah at close range. It says at least eight soldiers were killed in Lebanon today. Israel is adding more troops to the
operation, despite, of course, calling -- if you remember, a couple of days ago limited.
It's also issuing more evacuation orders, urging Lebanese civilians to move dozens of kilometers north of the border. Hezbollah has vowed to continue
fighting until the war in Gaza is over. But there is no end in sight. Authorities in Gaza say at least 90 people were killed in multiple Israeli
strikes overnight.
The U.N. Secretary-General warns, quote, "the raging fires in the Middle East are fast becoming an inferno."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONIO GUTERRES, SECRETARY-GENERAL, UNITED NATIONS: We must never lose sight of the tremendous stall(ph) this is growing -- that this growing
conflict is taking on civilians. And we cannot look away from systematic violations of international humanitarian law. These deadly cycle of tit-
for-tat violence must stop. Time is running out, and I thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Antonio Guterres speaking earlier. Well, our Nic Robertson is live for us in Tel Aviv, Fred Pleitgen is following developments for us from
Berlin. Nic, let me go to you. We heard very strong language from Prime Minister Netanyahu saying that Iran made a big mistake that will pay
following yesterday's attack on Israel.
We've also heard President Biden say he does not support an attack on Iranian nuclear sites. So, give us a sense of what you are hearing on the
ground in terms of Israel's response and what that may look like, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, Israel's response is determined to be a strong signal of deterrence. Whatever they hear from
Tehran about not wanting an escalation, Israel will send a message that will try to deter Iran from a future escalation, and deterrence means
inflating damage to Iran.
Now, what that will be, will it run to the sort of limit, if you will, of what they could or has been discussed that they could consider including
its nuclear facilities which clearly President Biden says he disapproves of, or would it limit itself to huge and important economic installations
like oil infrastructure or refining, oil export infrastructure, putting financial pain on Iran.
[14:05:00]
It isn't clear, but what Israel has signaled very clearly is that they're means to achieve the strikes required to get the effect -- the deterrence
effect they have not been dented at all by those barrages. One of the air bases targeted is the base of operations for the long-range bombing
operations.
So, when Israeli officials say that all these bases are working as they should be fully functional, that means the long-range strike capacitors is
fully functional. And that's -- we know that President Biden has said that he'll talk relatively soon with Prime Minister Benjamin --
SOARES: Yes --
ROBERTSON: Netanyahu. Is he opting to wait until those strikes are completed? Unclear.
SOARES: And stay with us, Nic, because I do want to go back, and I want to talk Lebanon with you. Let me just go to Fred, because Fred, you were in
Iran, I think it was last month, and you've been there since six times or so, I believe. What are you hearing from those in the country in terms of
what Iran's retaliation, what they're preparing -- what Israel's retaliation, what they may be preparing for.
You've heard them say today it's absolutely not interested in a broader war. But how -- what are they preparing for? What kind of response are they
likely to see here?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think that they certainly are preparing for what could be some sort of response.
And I think you really see them bracing as well. One of the things that seems to indicate that, is the fact that a lot of the airports in Iran
remain closed, and air traffic right now is very limited through Iranian airspace, especially a lot of those international flights.
Obviously, Iranians believe that something could be in the works. But I also think, Isa, that the Iranians believe that they did send a very clear
message to the Israelis yesterday with those strikes that they carried out. They say that this was a limited strike. It was limited only to military
facilities. And they say that they believe that this was well within their rights, and that they were the ones who in the past couple of months had
shown restraint.
I think one of the interesting things and the justification of the Iranian sent after they carried out those strikes yesterday, was that they said
that this was in retaliation, not just for the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, of course, the leader of Hezbollah, but also for the killing of Ismail
Haniyeh, one of the political leaders of Hamas, which happened in July in Tehran.
And if you recall back then, the Iranians had already said that there would be retaliation, that they would not say what that retaliation would look
like, but they say that they showed restraint at the time or didn't do anything at the time because they believed that there could be a ceasefire
in Gaza.
Of course, that's something that never did materialize. And then after the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, the Iranians now say that they believed that
they needed to act, and they say that what they're essentially doing was a defensive act on their part. Now, what they're saying now is they're
warning the Israelis from any sort of retaliation, warning the United States as well.
In fact, today, the President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, he was in Qatar, and I want to listen into some of what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MASOUD PEZESHKIAN, PRESIDENT, IRAN (through translator): If the Zionist regime does not stop its crimes, it will face harsher reactions. If they
want to respond, they will face some more severe response.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: That's Masoud Pezeshkian there. And I think that the Iranians really believe that despite the fact that of course, a lot of these
missiles appeared to have been intercepted by the Israelis, of course, the U.S. saying they intercepted some as well, is that they did show that the
missile arsenal that they have is accurate and is very powerful, and it's certainly something that they could unleash at any point in time, Isa.
SOARES: Yes, we have seen queues of people, long lines, I should say of people queuing up for petrol, of course, and the fear of what that attack
or retaliation from Israel may look like. Let me go back to Nic, and Nic, let's focus on what has been unfolding in Lebanon. We've seen ground
operations intensifying, the IDF, I believe is reporting casualties in the last few minutes.
I'm also seeing that 47 people have been taken to hospital after being engaged with Hezbollah fighters. What more can you tell us about this, Nic?
ROBERTSON: Yes, they've been taken to three different hospitals, one of those hospitals in the relatively early hours today declared a mass
casualty event as it was taking in casualties. Hezbollah said that they targeted the IDF forces in three different locations. The IDF has said that
they engaged in a number of different fights at a number of different locations with Hezbollah.
It was always understood that the troops going in on the ground was going to be a much more dangerous mission than the airstrikes targeting the
Hezbollah leadership, the Hezbollah weapons stores and the other targets that the IDF has been going after inside of Lebanon.
And I think it's not -- I would not say catching people by surprise, but this high death toll, the eight dead, 47 injured across a number of
different engagements with Hezbollah is a relatively high number, that you can look at the conflict in Gaza. There have only been a handful of days
over the past years, over the past year with that many IDF soldiers have been -- have been killed and injured.
[14:10:00]
And it does reflect the warnings that people were talking about of a repeat of 2006 where Israeli troops went into Lebanon in 2006, they got high
casualties on the ground, when they went in, in 1982, left in 2000, there were high casualties on the ground. So, this is a stark sort of warning of
the political -- of the military cost, but also the political cost --
SOARES: Yes --
ROBERTSON: For Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as he and his cabinet make these decisions. Yes, this is of course, as we hear that U.S.
officials believe Israel has destroyed 50 percent of Hezbollah's arsenal. I will be speaking to Alex Marquardt there who's reporting this in just a
moment. In the meantime, Nic Robertson, Frederik Pleitgen, thank you to you both.
Well, people across Lebanon are bracing for the worst as Israel's war with Hezbollah intensifies. Our Ben Wedeman toured some of the devastation today
in southern Beirut. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): This is just one of the latest buildings struck by Israel here in the southern
suburbs of Beirut. Driving in here, we saw that this part of town is a ghost town. There are very few inhabitants still left here as more than a
million people have fled their homes in southern Lebanon, the Beqaa Valley, and of course, here in the southern part of Beirut.
As Israel continues its air and now ground campaigns inside Lebanon, news from Israel says that the Israeli military is deploying an additional
division to the northern front, indicating that what started as quote- unquote, "localized, targeted and limited raids" inside Lebanon may well become a full-scale invasion.
This as the region, the Middle East teeters on the abyss of full-scale war. After Iran's strikes on Israel overnight, Iran of course, bracing for some
sort of Israeli counter attack, while here in Lebanon, the death toll continues to rise, at this point, the death toll has exceeded the death
toll from the war back in 2006.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Ben Wedeman there in southern Beirut. Well, Iran's barrage of missiles marks its largest ever attack against Israel, fueling concerns, of
course, over a wider regional war. Not at least, due to Iran's -- of course, nuclear capability, you can see there. The U.S. government believes
Tehran could build a bomb in just weeks, should it decide to do so.
And all eyes are focused on how Israel might retaliate to yesterday's attack, including whether it will strike Iran's nuclear sites. For more
military analysis, I want to bring in Colin Clarke, a well-known face here on the show, he's a Director of Policy and Research at the Soufan Group and
authored the book, "After the Caliphate, The Islamic State and the Future of the Terrorist Diaspora".
Colin, great to have you back on the show. So, the focus, as you heard there from our correspondents on the ground is very much on Israel and how
it responds, right? To those 200 missiles that kind of rained down this time yesterday on Israel. What do you think that response, Colin, will look
like? What are the likely targets here?
COLIN CLARKE, DIRECTOR OF POLICY & RESEARCH, SOUFAN GROUP: Thanks for having me. Well, there's a range of options for the Israelis, and I think
they absolutely will respond, and I think they will respond forcefully. First, you're talking about missile production sites and missile silos,
that's I think, the most obvious target.
Beyond that, we could get into talking about oil and energy infrastructure, although there are the -- some real kind of second-order impacts on the
global economy. And again, think about the United States' position here, weeks out from an election, that would be fairly disastrous for the Biden
administration and Vice President Harris.
Lastly, we could talk about nuclear production sites, and that's really, I think, the big question, will Israel go after these sites? I think
Netanyahu sees a window of opportunity to do that or not, cooler heads prevail is yet to be seen. Biden has come out and said, he does not support
that, but it doesn't mean the Israelis won't go forward.
SOARES: That was going to be my question whether -- who knows whether the Israelis are listening. And just to add some context to this, we've heard
from former Prime Minister, Israeli Prime Minister, I should say, Naftali Bennett, who said this in a tweet -- if we can bring it up, and I'm going
to quote him here so it's clear, "we must act now to destroy Iran's nuclear program, its central energy facilities and to fatally cripple the terrorist
regime."
So, do you think then that it's likely that Israel will go after Iran's nuclear sites? Does Israel have the capability here to do so? Will that --
will that require U.S. military support even though we heard from President Biden that you would not support an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities?
CLARKE: That's really the million-dollar question right now. I think --
SOARES: Yes --
CLARKE: Logistically, it would be very difficult for Israel to proceed without U.S. support, you know, from logistics sense. Again, these are hard
and deeply buried targets, and so, if Israel goes in and attempts to do this, they need to do it thoroughly, they may not be able to do that
without U.S. help.
[14:15:00]
So, that's likely one of the key deliberations right now as pressure is mounting on the Israelis to respond. And I think there's widespread
support, at least, broader support than I would have expected for the Israelis to go and do this among some of the kind of, you know, national
security leaders in that country.
SOARES: Yes, I mean, we heard Prime Minister Netanyahu, you know, said that a couple of days ago, that taking out Nasrallah was a step forward in
changing the balance of power in the Middle East. So, let me just take it a step further if I could here, Colin. Do you think -- do you think that they
will try go after leadership and regime change here?
CLARKE: I don't think so, I don't think they'll target --
SOARES: Yes --
CLARKE: The supreme leader, this is an 85-year-old man, and you know, however odious his views might be, and you know, I think that could
actually, you know, be counterproductive. It could lead to sympathy for Iran, whereas right now, there's very little. That said, we could be
looking at targeted assassinations of some high-ranking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force leaders or other types of the regime.
But if you look at the kind of legacy and history of regime change in the Middle East, there's not many success stories, whether it's Iraq, Libya or
elsewhere. So, I think, you know, the Israelis would likely stop short of that action.
SOARES: Yes, interesting because the U.S. deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell calls the Middle East -- and I'm quoting here, "a situation, a
moment of real peril", but also some possibility. So, those words very interesting, again, given everything that you just highlight and what we've
heard also from Naftali Bennett.
Let's turn to what is happening in Lebanon if we could Colin, because we are seeing air and ground campaigns continue, we have learned that Israel
is adding an additional division to this operation, despite what, you know, if you remember, they called a limited. What do you make of the operations
so far? How effective do you think it has been in dismantling Hezbollah?
CLARKE: You know, we're still in the early stages. I think the key here is to avoid mission creep. And --
SOARES: Yes --
CLARKE: You know, this is a real concern, you think about the legacy of Israel's 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon. This could end up being a
gift to Hezbollah. You know, you're now playing on Hezbollah's home turf, anti-tank guided missiles, improvised explosive devices, a real opportunity
for Hezbollah to wage a campaign of guerrilla warfare, which is their specialty.
So, this is much different than conventional military operations. The IDF is aware of that, and so, I think these are going to be surgical strikes.
They're going to be quick, lightening-type strikes in and out, and I don't expect a prolonged occupation here.
SOARES: Colin Clarke, as always, appreciate your analysis, thanks, Colin.
CLARKE: Thank you.
SOARES: Well, so far we've heard about the challenges on the ground in Lebanon and the military angles at play. But where does diplomacy fit in
all of this? Next, I'll speak with Sir William Patey; a former senior British diplomat who served in the Middle East. That conversation is next.
Plus, the U.S. is responding to the growing conflict in the Middle East.
We'll have a live report with what the Biden administration is considering. Both those stories after a very short break, you are watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:20:00]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. The White House says President Joe Biden and the G7 are considering new sanctions against Iran after Tuesday's
missile attack on Israel. President Biden says U.S. is fully supportive of Israel, and that there is active discussion on an appropriate response.
The President also said he does not support an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites as we mentioned at the top of the show. Let's get Alex
Marquardt for more on this. And Alex, we did hear President Biden said he does not support an attack on Iranian nuclear sites. But what are you
hearing from your contacts, from U.S. officials here about the messaging and the language that is being conveyed to Israel regarding its response
and what that response should and ought to look like?
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isa, this is a very different moment than the one we had six months ago when Iran
first attacked Israel with more than 300 projectiles. And at the time, the U.S. urged Israel not to respond. The quote that we kept hearing back then
was, take the win, essentially, the deterrence of -- the deterrence, the balance of power had been re-established.
That is not what we are hearing this time from the President on down, we are hearing publicly and privately that the U.S. is supporting Israel's
right to respond. They're telling Israeli officials we know that you have the right to respond. They are not telling them this time, take the win.
So, essentially, the question now is, what is Israel's response?
When does Israel's response come? And of course, will Israel go after Iran's nuclear facilities. Now, the one indication of the U.S. attitude in
terms of the targeting that we have is President Biden saying that he hopes that Israel does not go after those nuclear facilities. Currently, we are
told the U.S. assessment is that Israel does not plan to, but of course, that remains to be seen.
I was told by one senior U.S. official that Israel is being smart, they're taking their time to figure out what the targets are going to be if there
was going to be an immediate response from Israel, that would have come last night. Now, we are entering the high holidays in Israel, Rosh Hashanah
is about to start for three days, so, that according to U.S. official buys Israel some time and space.
We have heard from President Biden and others that the U.S. expects to be consulted with, they expect to coordinate with Israel. But of course, it
remains to be seen whether the U.S. can restrain Israel from targeting those nuclear sites, if that is indeed what Israel would like to do in this
case, Isa.
SOARES: Yes, and relationship, as we -- as you and I have discussed on numerous occasions has being somewhat frosty. We have heard though from the
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, let me just play this and we can talk after this. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KURT CAMPBELL, DEPUTY U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: This is a moment of real peril, but also some possibility.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: So, a moment of real peril, but also a moment of some possibility. How does -- I wonder if you can shed more light in terms of the
conversations that they had in terms of the United States, in terms of how Israel may respond, and what role critically the U.S. will play here in
Israel's response, and whether red lines may be?
We heard what President Biden said, but obviously, we don't know if Prime Minister Netanyahu will follow through and listen.
MARQUARDT: Yes, there was a really interesting line from Kurt Campbell, and I think that the possibility that they see is kind of what Israel sees. And
this is a Middle East where Hamas is gone at least in terms of a military entity and a political structure, though they know the Hamas movement will
continue.
We have spoken to a number of sources who say that Hezbollah has been not only decapitated with the removal from the battlefield of Hassan Nasrallah
killed by Israel last week, but of his top commander. I mean, one Israeli official told me that as many as 80 percent of Hezbollah commanders have
been killed.
And so, I think they see a possibility in which Hezbollah is no longer -- has such firm control in Lebanon, where Gaza is not run by Hamas.
[14:25:00]
Certainly, the U.S. administration is not going for any kind of regime change in Iran. So, they're not quite as forward-leaning as say someone
like Naftali Bennett, but in Israel.
SOARES: Yes --
MARQUARDT: But you know, I was speaking with a U.S. official earlier today about Lebanon, and there was some discontent and frustration among the
Biden administration about that ground incursion into Lebanon. But at the same time, U.S. officials do support the removal of that Hezbollah
infrastructure along that border with Israel.
So, they are very much on the same page with Israel in many regards, but perhaps not as aggressive as some in Israel are and would like to be. So,
there is some sense that certainly there could be some reshaping of the Middle East, but per not -- perhaps not as dramatic as others would like.
Isa.
SOARES: Yes, I wonder very briefly whether the conversations that you're having with U.S. officials, whether they are also questioning a map. What
is the roadmap -- what is the plan from Netanyahu here after this? Because there's a lot of talk of military, but political solutions we're hearing
very little, which is some of the criticism we heard from the President, Biden, vis-a-vis Gaza, right?
MARQUARDT: Yes, and I really don't think they have a strong sense of where Netanyahu is going with this --
SOARES: Yes --
MARQUARDT: Because as you say, the relationship has been quite tense for some time. And the real difference, I think between the U.S. and Israel is
Israel sees this their path through things as this escalate to de-escalate, apply military pressure in order to get to the solutions that they want.
Whereas the U.S. would like to essentially see ceasefires on multiple fronts, and then negotiations to be able to get to those solutions. Isa.
SOARES: Yes, Alex, as always, appreciate it, thank you very much.
MARQUARDT: Thank you.
SOARES: As we take a look at the broader diplomatic efforts to ease tensions in the Middle East, this is what the key leaders in the region are
saying about the situation in the aftermath of Iran's attack on Israel. A spokeswoman for the government in Tehran said he had absolutely no interest
in a broader war.
This is something we heard from our Fred Pleitgen at the top of the show. As for Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, says his country is in the
middle of a tough war against Iran's axis of evil, and has vowed to fight back. Listen to his words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER, ISRAEL (through translator): Iran made a big mistake tonight and it will pay for it. The regime in Iran does not
understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to retaliate against our enemies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, I'm joined now by the former British Ambassador to Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, Sir William Patey. Ambassador, great to
have you back on the show. Given what we've just heard from Prime Minister Netanyahu, what do you think, Ambassador, Israel's response will look like?
WILLIAM PATEY, FORMER BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO AFGHANISTAN, SAUDI ARABIA & IRAQ: Well, I think it's clear that the Netanyahu government wants to take
the opportunity to weaken their enemies wherever they see them, whether their enemies are Hamas or Hezbollah or Iran.
They're ignoring what Kurt -- the Americans book and said that ignoring the peril bit, because this is a moment of both peril and opportunity, and I
think Netanyahu is focused on the opportunity to weaken his opponents. And I don't think he has a plan for peace at the moment.
There is no sign of him listening to President Biden over a ceasefire in Gaza or a ceasefire in Lebanon, and that we are at a moment of peril that
could lead to an even wider war if Russia decides to support Iran in some way, some shape or form.
SOARES: Yes, and this is the moment of course, Ambassador, that so many have been warning about right about this regional -- a regional
conflagration, that is the fear. And so, as you said, you know, he wants to weaken his enemies as Israel then tries to weigh its response. Do you think
it will go after Iran's nuclear sites?
Do you think an attack of that nature would have support from what we've heard from the United States, he won't -- he won't have from President
Biden, but what about from the U.K.?
PATEY: I don't think the U.K. would support that sort of attack, I hope it won't support any attack --
SOARES: Yes --
PATEY: On Iran. But the nuclear facilities will be well dug in, Israel has attacked nuclear facilities in the past, and the Iranians have spent time
digging those in. So, they're not so vulnerable. But that would -- that would require a massive strike on the part of the Israelis, which in turn
would lead to further Iranian strikes.
And we'd be -- I think we'd be in the realm of all-out war, which could even drag in Gulf countries because of Iranian attacks on American bases in
Gulf countries. So, there's a real moment of peril here, and I think that, you know, what we've seen so far is that the Netanyahu government doesn't
really listen to the Americans --
SOARES: Yes --
PATEY: The Americans have been unwilling to put the sort of pressure on the Israeli government that would require them to find a diplomatic solution.
So, even a little President Biden is saying no, I wouldn't rule it out, but I would be -- I would be surprised if they did attack the nuclear
facilities.
[14:30:01]
SOARES: Yes, and that's the fear. They haven't heard -- they haven't listened to President Biden so far. What's to say they will this time? We
have heard very clearly in the last 24 hours here on CNN, in fact, from the former Israeli prime minister, Neftali Bennett. Ambassador, just take a
listen to what he said and we can talk after this. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEFTALI BENNETT, FORMER ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: This is a once in a 50-year opportunity. What Israel needs to do immediately, we need to take out
Iran's nuclear program, we need to attack Iran's energy facilities, and we need to attack the regime itself, right away, because Iran made a fatal
mistake of shooting 200 ballistic missiles at the state of Israel. Enough is enough
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And that's a former Israeli prime minister, Neftali Bennett. But there are other voices, more right-wing voices in fact, within The
Netanyahu camp, you quite rightly said, Ambassador, that perhaps would back -- would support those words.
How real do you think these intentions are? And do you think they would be looking at regime change? Just speak to the risks here.
PATEY: I don't think the Israelis have got any opportunity of changing the regime in Iran through air power. I was ambassador in Iraq and Afghanistan
and I've seen the limits of air power. What worries me about the Israeli spokesman and Israeli commentators, they're talking about reshaping the
Middle East.
The last time we talked about reshaping the Middle East it's was when we invaded Iraq. And we certainly shaped it, but not in a way that we would
consider a positive. And I fear that that that may be the route we're headed down an all-out war. I don't think there's any chance of the
Israelis being able to topple the Iranian regime through airstrikes.
SOARES: And this is, like you said, I mean, extremely dangerous moment for the Middle East, where over almost a year now, we have seen red lines
rolled, trampled on. How do you assess, Ambassador, the diplomatic efforts from the U.S.? There appears, as we heard from our from our correspondents
now, some friction between Biden and Netanyahu, even, of course, as President Biden pushed for a ceasefire in Lebanon. Just speak to the
efforts and the failures here.
PATEY: Well, I think the problem is that, you know, we're in the tail end of the Biden administration. We're in the middle of a U.S. election, only a
couple of months to go. In the past, the U.S. has used real leverage by withholding financial assistance and threatening to withhold arms supplies
to Israel. Now, they're not going to do that in the face of an Iranian threat, and Netanyahu knows that. So, he's actually oblivious to any
American persuasion, and American pressure seems unlikely.
So, we're in the throes of the most right-wing Israeli government we've seen in -- well, ever, frankly, with very few restraints. And we're -- you
know, I was at a conference on the Middle East this morning, someone talked about this is the Sarajevo moment, when the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was
killed, nobody wanted a war, a wider war in the First World War, but that's what it led to.
And, you know, we're at that sort of moment of peril, I think. We could -- this could actually deteriorate into a much more significant war involving
outside powers.
SOARES: And that is incredibly true. A very dangerous moment, a moment that I know guests on my show have been warning about for months on end.
Ambassador, we, as always, always appreciate you coming on the show. Thank you very much for your time.
PATEY: Thank you.
SOARES: Well, high stakes discussions between Israel and the U.S. could come as we've heard relatively soon, according to U.S. President Joe Biden.
We'll take a closer look at the next steps Israel could take as it promises to retaliate after Iran's missile attack.
Plus, the U.S. vice presidential candidates share the stage and the spotlight as they make their pitch to voters ahead of an election that spot
too close to call. That's next.
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[14:35:00]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Democrat Tim Walz and Republican J. D. Vance faced off in last night's U.S. Vice Presidential Debate, less than
five weeks before election day. The debate started with a question about Iran's missile attack on Israel. The candidates were asked whether they'd
support a preemptive Israeli strike on Iran with the region teetering, of course, on the edge of a wider war. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN), DEMOCRATIC VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Israel's ability to be able to defend itself is absolutely fundamental. Getting its
hostages back, fundamental.
SEN. JD VANCE (R-OH), REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Look, it is up to Israel what they think they need to do to keep their country safe, and
we should support our allies wherever they are when they're fighting the bad guys.
WALZ: Iran is closer to a nuclear weapon than they were before because of Donald Trump's fickle leadership. And when Iran shot down an American
aircraft in international airspace, Donald Trump tweeted, because that's the standard diplomacy of Donald Trump.
VANCE: But when did Iran and Hamas and their proxies attack Israel? It was during the administration of Kamala Harris. So, Governor Walz can criticize
Donald Trump's tweets, but effective, smart diplomacy, and peace through strength is how you bring stability back to a very broken world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, Walz and Vance also clashed over the economy, immigration, and abortion. But the debate was largely civil, policy focused, and void of
any personal attacks. Things, of course, that are becoming increasingly rare these days in U.S. political discourse. We're joined now by Priscilla
Alvarez.
And, Priscilla, it was very cordial to surprise of many, but it didn't move the needle at all, Priscilla, here when it comes to undecided voters. Just
give us a sense of how it was received here.
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, according to the polls that have come out shortly thereafter, registered voters were closely divided on
who they thought did better. So, it doesn't appear to have moved the needle too much, again, in the hours after this debate concluded, but it was
notable, of course, because this is the last debate, the last likely debate until election day. There is not another confirmed. The vice president has
said she'd be willing to do it. The former president has not.
So, this was the last moment, big moment where the two campaigns could go up against each other to a large television audience. Now, as you pointed
out, it was civil. It was also -- there was quite a bit of substance on a number of issues. You have their foreign policy, that's where it kicked
off, as well as domestic issues like health care, immigration, and gun violence.
And again, one of the -- what I was hearing from sources going into this debate was that Walz was not as good of a debater as Vance. And so, aides
were prepared for that that did come through in some moments of the debate where Vance was more polished than Walz. But so far, the polls have showed
that voters thought pretty equally of the two over those 90 minutes.
[14:40:00]
Now, the Harris campaign is using one moment in particular from that debate to turn now into an ad, and that was on January 6th. Toward the end of the
debate, the -- they were -- Walz asked Vance who won the election, Vance could not answer the election in 2020. That is, in that moment, according
to multiple sources I've spoken with and the Harris campaign, I think that was the strongest one. So, that has been turned into an ad now moving
forward.
So, that tells you a little bit about where the -- what the Harris campaign thought of that debate and where they saw the significance in it. But of
course, now, it's the stretch to election day, and Walz is hitting Central Pennsylvania where he's doing a bus tour. He was going to be joined by the
vice president, but she scrapped the -- those events to go to a disaster area in Georgia after Hurricane Helene. She's actually just arrived there.
So, we'll get images of her surveying that damage.
And again, that, for her, is the reality of balancing what is her day job and campaigning. But certainly, we expect to see a lot more travel by her
and Walz moving forward, including more media interviews. So, certainly here in the home stretch, an intention by the campaign and strategy to make
sure that they are out there, that they are facing voters on trying to collect as many votes as they can and what, by all accounts, will be a
very, very tight race here.
SOARES: Yes, strategy to be seen, to be heard. Five weeks to go. Priscilla, always appreciate it. Thank you very much.
And still to come tonight, Helene's death toll is on the rise. U.S. President Joe Biden's story from the devastation. We'll have the story from
one of the hardest hit areas.
And we'll explain why a royal (INAUDIBLE) has been recognized, what's being called an animal's order over the British Empire. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. President Joe Biden's touring the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in the southeastern United States. He just arrived in
Greenville, South Carolina. The president is set to get an aerial tour of the intense damage in the state and meet with first responders. After that,
he's set to visit North Carolina.
The death toll from Helene has risen to at least 180 people across six U.S. states. This after 14 more deaths were announced in North Carolina just
earlier today. Helene is the second deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland in the last 50 years.
[14:45:00]
Our Miguel Marquez is live in Ryland, North Carolina, where the president is set to visit later today. So, Miguel, the president heading your way.
Just give us a sense of what he's likely to see, of course, as he surveys this damage, this devastation.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He is going to see utter devastation. It's hard to even put it in words. We were in Asheville
yesterday. He's flying over Western North Carolina right now, and it is so vast, the amount of damage and the amount of need, the immediate need that
people need right now. We saw one part in Asheville, and talk to people about how they think they will recover from this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: This is it?
DENISE MARKBRITE: Yes.
MARQUEZ: This is your first time seeing this?
MARKBRITE: Yes, this is my first time.
MARQUEZ (voice-over): Denise Markbrite peers into her print shop studio.
MARKBRITE: I don't think I can recover from this.
MARQUEZ (voice-over): Her sales table, it's enormous, hangs from the rafters.
MARQUEZ: How hard is it to look at this stuff?
MARKBRITE: It looks like a war happened.
MARQUEZ (voice-over): Asheville's River Arts District devastated, the waterline two feet or more above the second floor of many buildings near
the French Broad River.
MARQUEZ: Will you and your business survive this one?
PATTY TORNO, FOUNDING MEMBER, ASHEVILLE ARTS DISTRICT: I'm choosing to not survive this one. I will not continue here. I do not think it is right,
ethical for me as a landlady to rent these spaces. I will not put myself or anyone else through this kind of trauma again.
MARQUEZ (voice-over): Patty Torno, a founding member of Asheville's world- renowned Arts District has seen floods before. Nothing like this.
TORNO: In terms of putting water inside the studios here, the only other one that had happened was 20 years ago in 2004, Hurricane Francis.
MARQUEZ (voice-over): And this is just one area inundated by Helene that left a path of destruction for hundreds of miles.
PETER O'LEARY, CHIMNEY ROCK, NORTH CAROLINA MAYOR: I saw the pictures before I got here. I see the damage when I'm here. And I just -- it's just
hard to comprehend it.
MARQUEZ (voice-over): Getting help to everyone here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, so many roads and bridges washed out, going old school, packed
mules, sometimes the best way in.
GOV. ROY COOPER (D-NC): We have a beautiful, beautiful mountains in North Carolina, but they are rugged sometimes to get through even on a beautiful
day. After this catastrophic storm, it is very difficult to get to all of those places.
MARQUEZ (voice-over): The losses, unimaginable. The immediate needs, everything from water, food, gas, diapers, and medicine as overwhelming as
the rain and the flood itself.
Miguel Marquez, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARQUEZ (on camera): So, before the president even landed in Greenville, South Carolina, and now, he's in the air over Western North Carolina in the
area that's flooded out, he ordered up a thousand active-duty military in addition to helicopters, engineers, temporary elect generators, cell
phones, everything they can try to meet those immediate needs.
But, you know, one little anecdote. We were in Asheville yesterday, they're trying to get the electricity back on and they're doing a very good job. A
lot of it is coming back on. But there's no water in the system now. Either the water lines themselves have been destroyed, the debris in the water
just scrubbed away entire parts of towns, and in some cases, entire communities. So, getting water to people in the immediate days is going to
be one of the biggest challenges. Back to you.
SOARES: And, Miguel, you know, this time yesterday -- not yesterday, two days ago, in fact, we were speaking to our colleague in Asheville,
actually, and behind her, the roads were completely impassable, just muddy everywhere you looked. You barely would see a car move. Just speak to some
of the frustrations, if there are any, in terms of how the government has responded to this, as President Biden, of course, is expected to arrive.
MARQUEZ: I think people are still in shock and traumatized by what happened. If you have muddy roads, you're lucky, because most roads, or a
lot of roads, are completely washed out, or there is debris, you know, higher than me. You know, I'm six feet tall, and it's eight, 10, 12 feet
tall of debris that they can't get through.
There are those massive, high tension electrical wires, those have been smashed by the wind and the water that came down the river so fast. So,
people are being patient for now. There are very long lines for water. They want cell service. They want to let people know that they're OK. A lot of
people haven't been heard from.
But getting to some of these areas, it's really tough. This is the Appalachian Mountains. It's the Blue Ridge. It's beautiful. But it's really
tough. I-40, major freeway between here and Raleigh and Asheville, was washed out by a massive terrifying mudslide. They've gotten that back open
now. So, they are making progress. But, man, it is going to take a long time. Back to you.
[14:50:00]
SOARES: Miguel Marquez there for us in Raleigh, North Carolina. And thanks very much, Miguel.
Now, CBS says Donald Trump has backed out of an interview with 60 Minutes, the most watched news magazine show in the United States. The former U.S.
president last sat down with the program in October of 2020.
He abruptly ended the interview with Correspondent Lesley Stahl after objecting to her questions. The network says both Trump and Kamala Harris
had agreed to interviews this year, but Trump's campaign denies he accepted the invite. At a rally in Wisconsin, Trump said he wouldn't do the
interview without an apology from CBS. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If you remember Lesley Stahl, we got into a little bit of an
argument on the camera talking about that and other things and, you know, they really owed me an apology. I like to get an apology. So, I've asked
them for an apology. Let's see if they do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, the Harris campaign slammed Trump for the decision saying, quote, "Afraid of the debate stage. Afraid of 60 Minutes. And his campaign
team, after the last three days of increasingly unhinged and unstable ranting at his rallies is clearly afraid of exposing him beyond comfortable
confines."
Staying in the United States, rapper Sean Diddy Combs' legal worries, well, they just keep on growing. A law firm based in Texas says he's in contact
with more than a hundred men and women who intend to file civil lawsuits against him with complaints including rape, sexual abuse of minors, and
false imprisonment. The musician and businessman is currently in custody awaiting trial on federal charges, including sex trafficking. Combs has
pleaded not guilty. And we'll of course stay across the story for you.
Still to come tonight, find out why these brown bears are stocking up on sockeye salmon when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, a military horse that played a key part in the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II has been recognized with an award often called the
Animal's OBE.
Lord Firebrand, also known as Yogi, led the Queen's Coffin to Westminster Hall as part of a 10-year career, that included various royal events. The
Order of the British Empire is typically reserved, as you well know, for people, but Lord Firebrand is now the 55th recipient of the animal version
known as the PDSA Order of Merit.
It's awarded by a leading fraternity charity to animals that show outstanding devotion, And congratulations to him.
[14:55:00]
Now, a celebration of success, survival, and strength in our natural world. This year's Fat Bear Week kicks off. You've all been waiting for it. I know
about it. The competition in Alaska's Katmai National Park decides which of these brown bears best exemplifies fatness. I felt like we did this like a
couple of weeks ago, but clearly, the year's gone very quickly.
The bears feast on a tasty banquet of sockeye salmon as they build up their fat stores to survive winter hibernation. And you can have your say too by
voting for your favorite grizzly contestant online. Of course, we will tell you who won once the voting is done.
And finally, take a look at this. A junk dealer uncovered this painting in the depths of a cellar in Capri some 60 years ago. The artwork lived in a
cheap frame in the dealer's Italian home for decades with his wife denouncing it as a scribble. But experts say the portrait is actually an
original by none other than Pablo Picasso.
The distorted image is believed to depict Picasso's muse and mistress Dora Maar. Valuers estimate the painting is worth a whopping EUR6 million. So,
check your trash. That is the lesson.
That does it for us for this evening. Thanks very much for joining us. Newsroom with Jim Sciutto is up next. And I'll be back in about an hour
with Quest Means Business.
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[15:00:00]
END
