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From Baghdad to Bourbon Street; Israel Attempts to Rescue Kidnapped Soldier; Widespread Flooding Strikes Northeast; New Documentary Made by Soldiers in Iraq

Aired June 28, 2006 - 15:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour now.
In Pennsylvania, at least three people have been swept to their deaths and dozens more forced to their rooftops by water that is still rising. The Susquehanna could crest 17 feet above flood stages in some places, it banks no match for the heaviest rains in 200 years.

Many Pennsylvania roads and bridges are just a memory now. And evacuations are mandatory, up to 2,000 people, we're told, in Wilkes- Barre. We are going to have a live report from our Jason Carroll in just a few minutes.

In Wayne County, emergency management headquarters has already moved to higher ground once, and may have to move it again.

Rivers and lakes are rising. People who live around them are leaving. And mandatory evacuations across the Northeast are taking place, after some of the worst flooding on record.

Our national correspondent, Bob Franklin -- Franken, rather -- is in Western Maryland, where a leaky dam is causing a lot of fear.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Inside this high school, a lot of people who just want to go home -- they were rousted out of their residences along the low-lying Rock Creek area, after the word had spread that a dam, the Needwood Lake Dam that overrides Rock Creek, was showing signs of seepage.

There was worry that it could turn into a torrent. So, 2,200 people were rousted out of their beds, officials coming for a mandatory evacuation, between 1:00 and 3:00 in the morning.

RACHEL STANLEY, MARYLAND EVACUEE: Well, they knocked at my door at 3:00 this morning and said that we had to evacuate, that I had to get my medication, my pillow, my blanket, and that they were -- that I had to come down and go on the bus. And we were going to Wheaton High School. And that's all that they told us.

FRANKEN: There's one common feeling here. The people say they just want to go home. But officials say they have to make sure that the improving weather has also left behind a dam that has stabilized. They have structural engineers there who are running tests. And officials are hoping against hope that there is not more bad weather. It has been a record-setting period of time here, a 200-year meteorological event, say those who know about these things, with over a foot of rain registered since the weekend at D.C.'s Reagan National Airport. It has disrupted transportation significantly. It has caused all manner of problems in the District of Columbia with the government buildings, some which are still having water pumped out, including the Internal Revenue Service.

It has meant tragedy, children who were apparently lost by rain- swollen creeks and the like. And it has meant the disruption of over 2,000 people who live in this area. As they said, they just want to go home. They just want this to be over.

Bob Franken, CNN, Wheaton, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And, in Virginia, more than 200 roads are closed, and the state expects more to shut down as floodwaters rise. That search has resumed for the 8-year-old girl that we told you about, Nikki Godbold. She fell into a ditch and was swept into a creek yesterday afternoon. Search crews are out.

Upstate New York under threat -- as many as 15,000 could be loaded onto buses today and driven out of Binghamton, where cars are under water and homes are flooded. It's feared that a rising river could break the city's concrete flood walls. Nearby, floodwaters cut a 25-foot-deep hole in Interstate 88. Two truckers were killed when their trucks individually drove right into it.

Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf has more on the heavy rain and severe weather along the East Coast -- Reynolds.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, it is amazing, just seeing the transformation that has happened up in parts of New England and along the Eastern Seaboard over the last couple days.

One thing I would like to remind people is not just to really just focus on the big rivers. Obviously, you have to. But near the small creeks, that poses a tremendous threat, as -- as we have seen with some of the fatalities. That is a tremendous threat to places like Bull Run in Northern Virginia, Antietam Creek in Sharpsburg, Maryland. Places like that can be very dangerous as well.

And we talked about the heavy rainfall moving to the northeast. It is going to continue that track up into portions of Maine, eventually moving out into the Atlantic. Meanwhile, we still have the Grand, all back in parts of the Empire State and the Keystone State, even points farther south, that's completely saturated.

They don't need any more rain. This rain, as I mentioned, is moving off. But when you look farther back to the west, we are seeing the eruption of more strong storms. Some of these have the potential of being severe. But the deal is, we're not worried just about the severe storms. We are worried about any rain altogether. You don't need a single raindrop in parts of, as I mentioned, Pennsylvania, New York or other places that have been, again, saturated by heavy showers. Farther out to the west, we see even more strong storms that are developing.

All of this, the entire batch, is moving from the west to the east, which does not bode well for many places. Now, we're going to watch this area for the next couple of days, obviously. And it's really going to be a point of concern for this evening.

However, Kyra, if you look towards the next couple of days, we're going to be seeing some improvements towards the weekend. We are expecting dryer conditions, but, in the short term, we really have to be careful -- no question about it.

PHILLIPS: Reynolds, thanks so much.

WOLF: You bet.

PHILLIPS: Well, it wasn't the vacation that they had planned -- hundreds of tourists finally escorted out of lodges, cabins, and campsites on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. And, still, the wildfire that sent them packing is only partially contained.

The Grand Canyon fire has burned some 50,000 acres. It's one of 32 major wildfires in Arizona and seven other Western states.

And a state of emergency is in effect in Nevada, where 190 square miles have burned, and virtually every piece of firefighting equipment in the state is on the job. One fire has looped around the state capital of Carson City. And despite an ongoing threat, some evacuees have gone back to homes and businesses in Mound House. And that includes one of the community's more famous, or infamous, establishments, yes, the Moonlight Bunny Ranch brothel back in biz.

They believe he belongs to al Qaeda. They believe he's a bomber and a killer. Today, he's in custody in Iraq. This man from Tunisia has supposedly confessed to an active role in February's mosque bombing in Samarra. The man is not in good shape, seriously wounded, when he and 15 others attacked an Iraqi security checkpoint several days ago.

The other attackers were killed. The Samarra bombing gutted a Shiite mosque and triggered the current spate of spectarian -- sectarian violence.

Another al Qaeda suspect in coalition hands today, this one captured in Baquba, just northeast of Baghdad -- in the process, the military says troops killed a civilian who was later found to be a noncombatant. Also in Baquba today, a car bomb went off near a crowded coffee shop and a Shiite mosque. One person was killed, 14 hurt.

Well, from Baghdad to Bourbon Street -- as many as 300 troops from the Louisiana National Guard are done with the war, for now. But they're back in sometimes hostile territory much closer to home. CNN's Sean Callebs went on patrol for "ANDERSON COOPER 360."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It looks like it could be a roadblock in Baghdad, except this is New Orleans' Fifth Ward. But on, this night, it appears the National Guard troops are babysitting a block party -- that is, until a moment when our camera wasn't rolling, sounds of gunfire.

SGT. KENNERY FOSTER, LOUISIANA NATIONAL GUARD: You always got to keep your sixth sense. You always have to be alert. I mean, it's danger any time you get on the streets anywhere, whether it's Baghdad or New Orleans.

CALLEBS: These troops spent a year in Iraq and returned home months ago. Now they are bringing their combat savvy to the streets of New Orleans.

SPC. RICKY NICHOLAS, LOUISIANA NATIONAL GUARD: That's that sixth sense. When it happens, stop, look, and listen. See what the radio puts out. See if any screams -- see if anything's like that, you know?

CALLEBS: Troops call in a helicopter with infrared sensors, in an effort to pinpoint where the shots came from. No luck. But troops have an idea of what they are in store for during their months in New Orleans.

FOSTER: I'm kind of surprised that they need Guardsmen at this point. But as far as separating myself, I work for the state of Louisiana. I'm an Army National Guard, so, I love this state. I would do anything I can to get it back on track.

CALLEBS: Getting New Orleans back on track means doing their part to help prevent thugs, gangs and drug dealers from becoming entrenched in the city.

The troops were ordered to New Orleans by Governor Kathleen Blanco last week, after a bloody weekend, when five teenagers were killed as they sat in an SUV in a crime-infested area of the city at 4:00 in the morning.

Troops are trying to keep people from cruising in front of a late-night club called The Duck off.

NICHOLAS: As a police officer or as a soldier, you always have to be focused, have eyes on, stop, look and listen to see what's going on and be aware of what's going on around you.

CALLEBS: And if they catch a criminal:

FOSTER: We will call NOPD in and they'll come in and take over, because we're here to support them. This is their city. We want them to control their city. We're here -- we are only here to help them and support them. CALLEBS: Troops with guns, attack dogs, Humvees lining the streets again for the first time since right after Katrina, it's not the image the city wants to portray to the rest of the world. But the National Guard troops are needed. And, if they're successful, they won't have to put their combat skills to the test here.

Sean Callebs, CNN, New Orleans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And Sean Callebs is part of the team tracking the Gulf Coast recovery for "ANDERSON COOPER." "A.C. 360" airs weeknights at 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 Pacific.

Thousands battle rising floodwaters in the East -- in Maryland, the big question, will a dam hold? The governor of Maryland expected to hold a briefing on the situation in just a few minutes -- we will bring it to you live.

Stay with CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, imagine being stranded in your own home. That's what hundreds of people are going through right now in eastern Pennsylvania. Rising floodwaters trapped them. Rescuers are urgently trying to reach them.

And our Jason Carroll is in one of the hardest-hit cities of Wilkes-Barre.

And, Jason, we're being told now 200,000 people being asked to evacuate?

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, as you know, the rain stopped falling hours ago in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

But, as you can see, the problems still exist here. Why don't you take a look behind me? You can see where -- where we have ended up here. We arrived here just a few moments ago, Kyra. This is an area that runs underneath the Pier (ph) Street bridge.

What you're looking at is part of the swollen Susquehanna River. The dikes here hold up to 41 feet of water, but the river has already reached 38 feet. And the river still has not crested, even though the rain has not stopped falling, so -- falling -- falling.

So, obviously, this is a major problem for the folks down here in this area of southeastern Pennsylvania. Two hundred thousand people in the surrounding area near this river have been evacuated. The National Guard has had to rescue people from rooftops throughout the eastern portion of the state -- 500 people in shelters in Susquehanna County alone and counting.

Three people, we're told, have drowned in floodwaters at this point. And this isn't the only part of the state where we're seeing problems. The northeastern portion of the state is dealing with some problems as well, Kyra. That area, officials up there are worried in Bucks County about the Delaware River.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN DOUGHERTY, DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY SERVICES, BUCKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA: Right now, the creeks are starting to go down, but the problem is going to be the Delaware River. It's already starting over its banks. And the projections are looking that it's going to be worse than our '05 April flood, and it may be approaching a record level.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Many roads and bridges in this section of northeastern Pennsylvania have -- or southeastern Pennsylvania -- have really been affected, in terms of trying to get emergency crews out to people in outlying areas.

That's been a problem for emergency crews. But, again, what the focus here right now, Kyra, is on the Susquehanna River, the fact that it is swelling. It has not crested yet. You can see behind me once again how the water has drifted slowly underneath this particular area.

In fact, not just too long ago, an emergency crew came by -- a lot of looky-loos out here looking to see what's going on -- emergency crews coming by, telling people to get off the bridge, telling them that, right now, they're under a mandatory evacuation to leave the area -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Jason Carroll in Wilkes-Barre, thanks so much.

Well, a rude awakening for more than 2,000 people in Western Maryland. This leaky northern dam in Rockville forced them out of their beds and their homes early this morning. It's holding so far, but it might not be able to stand up to a quickly-rising lake.

Also in Maryland, three people died when floodwaters swept them from the bed of a truck, pickup truck. They had been rescued from a stranded car just minutes before. And, still, a search goes on for two teenagers who disappeared in a swollen creek. We expect to hear from the governor live. We will bring that briefing to you as soon as he steps up to that microphone.

Bombing, shelling and an unmistakable signal -- Israel is working on all fronts to bring home a kidnapped soldier, and its tactics are not limited to Gaza.

CNN's Paula Hancocks joins me now from Jerusalem.

What do we know, Paula?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra.

Well, we know that the Israeli defense forces have now started shelling in northern Gaza as well. They have been shelling parts of northern Gaza and southern Gaza, open fields they say, where there would not be civilians. But it is a very heavily, densely populated area in Gaza itself.

Now, it's interesting that we have heard over the past couple of hours that there were actually warplanes, Israeli warplanes, which flew past the Syrian president, Bashar Assad's home in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Now, the Israeli defense forces are telling us the motivation for that was because there are direct links between President Assad and the exiled Hamas political leadership led by Khaled Meshaal in Syria itself.

Now, Israeli politicians have been saying for the past couple of days that they firmly place the blame of this militant attack and the kidnapping of the Israeli soldier at the door of this -- this particular political leadership, Khaled Meshaal.

Now, also, we do know that troops at the moment are in southern Gaza, troops and tanks surrounding the area of Rafah, which is in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, fairly close to the Egyptian border.

We also know that, earlier, in the early hours of Wednesday morning, two or three bridges were taken out which connect northern to southern Gaza, so isolating southern Gaza, which is where Israeli intelligence sources believe their kidnapped soldier is.

And, in addition, there is very little electricity. Much of the water has been cut off from Gaza, as well as a power plant was targeted in the early hours as well -- Kyra.

ZAHN: Paula Hancocks, live from Jerusalem, sure appreciate it.

And this isn't the first time that Israel has buzzed the home of the Syrian president. What does today's flyover have to do with freeing a kidnapped Israeli soldier?

CNN's senior editor of Arab affairs, Octavia Nasr, here with some insights.

First, just from what Paula said, let's talk Khaled Meshaal just for a moment, a supreme leader of Hamas, correct, living in exile in Damascus. Is the president of Syria harboring this man? And is this man responsible for these hostage-takings?

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SENIOR EDITOR FOR ARAB AFFAIRS: Well, first of all, it's not a secret that Khaled Meshaal and other Hamas leadership live in Syria.

So, for a long, long time, not just Israel, but also the U.S., have criticized the Syrian leadership for giving shelter to Hamas leaders. Of course, since Hamas won the elections in the Palestinian territories, things have changed a little bit. You didn't hear much about him.

But there's the man, Khaled Meshaal, who does live in Syria. Actually, he's -- he's very free to hold press conferences. And he is on television a lot, actually, out of Syria. So, it's not a secret.

Now, the president of Syria's involvement with Hamas, I mean, is -- is obvious. It's allowing Hamas to operate out of Syria, and give shelter to its leadership. Now, we monitored Syrian TV as soon as we heard about those jets buzzing the residence, one of the palaces of the Syrian president.

And Syrian TV had nothing on the story, until here. You can see that red banner on the bottom. That's a news flash, basically. They have a different story to tell their viewers. Basically, they said that two jets, Israeli jets, flew over the shores of Syria. And, basically, the Syrian defense forces intercepted those jets and basically kicked them away.

PHILLIPS: But Syrian TV comes straight from the government, right?

NASR: Absolutely. Syrian...

PHILLIPS: OK.

NASR: ... TV is known to be the mouthpiece of the Syrian government. So, anything on Syrian TV is the position of the government.

But the interesting thing today is that they used media sources -- that's what they said -- with that piece of news. And, also, they called the Israeli jets flying over Syrian territory, they called it a provocation. They called it an unacceptable -- as a matter of fact, unacceptable, provocative, and hostile act.

And, you -- you know, a media source saying this is one thing, and an official source saying that is a different thing.

So, what CNN is doing right now, we're trying to get Syrian officials to confirm, you know, the position of the government on this, that this -- they considered this an unacceptable, provocative act, and -- and basically tell us how they would like to respond to it.

PHILLIPS: All right, Octavia Nasr, thanks so much.

Well, roads are rivers, and basements deluged, and waters are rising by the hour. We are still talking about this. The governor of Maryland is expected to brief reporters. We're going to bring it to you live, the latest from the flood zone -- straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Waiting for that live event that we have been telling you about with the governor of Maryland. As you know, there are massive -- there's massive floods that are taking place throughout his state, and a lot of fears of a dam breaking. We're following, of course, all the pictures live, and waiting for the governor to step up to the mike. As soon as he does that, we will take it live.

Well, the pictures have become a minor sensation on the Internet, a laptop bursting into flames.

Susan Lisovicz has been talking about it all morning. We have been waiting to see those pictures and get the rest of the story.

Susan, tell us the deal.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, it's being called online the incredible exploding laptop. Imagine you're attending a business conference in Osaka, Japan, minding your own business, when your laptop suddenly explodes into flames.

That's exactly what happened. And the photos will verify that. They were -- there it is.

(LAUGHTER)

LISOVICZ: They were originally published on the British technology industry news Web site, The Inquirer."

Witnesses said the laptop produced several explosions and was on fire for more than five minutes. Luckily, no one was hurt. Dell confirms that the computer was one of its own, but has declined to specify the model. You know, and a lot of folks are having good fun with this online, Kyra.

But had this happened, say, somewhere else, like an airplane, it could have been even scarier than it was now -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, first of all, has Dell said what's caused the explosion? And should people with Dell laptops be concerned that there's something faulty in these, and -- and they need to get rid of it?

LISOVICZ: Well, there's millions of people who own Dell laptops, myself included.

The company said it has captured the notebook -- its words, not mine -- and that it is launching a full investigation of the event. There is speculation that the explosion could have been caused by a faulty battery. Back in December, the company did issue a battery recall for some of its laptops, due to overheating issues.

Dell says it's too early to draw any conclusions, but that there's no evidence that it had anything to do with the battery issues related to the recall. And, obviously, it's a ferociously competitive marketplace. So, for all sorts of reasons, Dell wants to clear this up as soon as possible -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. What's happening on Wall Street?

LISOVICZ: Well, we have got a rally going on in the final hour of trading, Kyra.

You know, we're coming off a pretty ferocious sell-off, actually, from a day ago. Investors, however, are pretty cautious, not surprisingly. Tomorrow's decision, interest rates, Federal Reserve, you and I have been through that many times -- Ben Bernanke and company widely expected to raise rates by another quarter-percentage point. As usual, the focus will be on the statement that accompanies the move.

One of the reasons why is a lot of people here on the Street thought the Fed would have been done with the last rate hike last month -- so, trying to get some sort of idea as to where the Fed is going in its battle to contain inflation.

Right now, Dow industrials up nearly 38 points, or a third-of-a- percent. The Nasdaq composite, meanwhile, is up 8.5 points, or nearly half-a-percent.

And that is the latest from Wall Street, Kyra. Those pictures were worth waiting for, weren't they?

PHILLIPS: All right. Thank you so much, Susan.

And just as Susan was wrapping up that business report, I'm getting word that the governor of Virginia has now claimed -- or called for a state of emergency. We're waiting for -- actually, we are going to have a live picture here of the governor of Maryland, we are waiting to step up to the mike there.

We have been reporting on the flooding and the fear of a dam possibly not being strong enough to hold the rising waters there in Maryland. As soon as the governor steps up to the podium, we will take him live -- but, also, the governor of Virginia now coming forward and declaring a state of emergency.

Things not getting better, but we're staying on top of the story just to let you all know what's happening on the East Coast.

Well, the war in Iraq, U.S. soldiers front and center -- they're in a new film.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE WAR TAPES")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I may have already killed one or some of these bastards with the Mark-19 grenades or the (INAUDIBLE)

I have a reoccurring epiphany. This is happening and will have a lasting impact on me for the rest of my life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: It's called "The War Tapes." And we are going to talk with one of the soldiers who shot that video -- straight ahead on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: In Virginia, the governor has just declared a state of emergency. More than 200 roads are closed, and the state expects more to shut down, as floodwaters rise. The search has resumed, also, for an 8-year-old girl, this young girl, Nikki Godbold. She fell into a ditch and was swept away into a creek yesterday afternoon. Search crews are out.

A rude awakening for more than 2,200 people in Western Maryland -- this leaky earthen dam in Rockville forced them out of their beds and their homes early this morning. It's holding so far, but it might not be able to stand up to a quickly rising lake.

Also in Maryland, three people have died when floodwaters swept them from the bed of a pickup truck. They had been rescued from a stranded car just minutes before and still a search goes on for two teenagers who disappeared in a swollen creek. We're expecting the governor to brief reporters any minute now. We will bring that to you live.

Upstate New York under threat. As many as 15,000 people could be loaded onto buses today and driven out of Binghamton, where cars are underwater and homes are flooded. It's feared that a rising river could break the city's concrete floodwalls. Nearby, floodwaters cut a 25 foot deep hole in Interstate 88. Two truckers were killed when their trucks individually just drove right into the ditch.

In Pennsylvania, at least three people have been swept into -- have been swept to their deaths, rather, and dozens more forced to rooftops by water that's still rising. The Susquehanna River could crest 17 feet above flood stage in some places. Its banks no match for the heaviest rains in 200 years.

And many Pennsylvania roads and bridges are just a memory now. Up to 200,000 evacuations have been ordered in Wilkes-Barre. And in Wayne County, emergency management headquarters has already moved to higher ground once, and may have to move again.

Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf has more on the heavy rain and severe weather all along the East Coast. Reynolds, it just gets busier and busier.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: And we're waiting for Maryland's governor, Governor Ehrlich, to step to the podium here. We'll take it live as soon as that happens to get more information on what's taking place on that flooding that has hit that state.

Well, straight ahead, it's raw and it's real. A new documentary shot by soldiers serving in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: IED!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are we on fire?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: IED! IED!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Straight ahead on LIVE FROM, we're going to talk with one of the soldiers who lived these battles and helped make the movie.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Let's go straight to Fredricka Whitfield, working on a developing story for us -- Fred.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Kyra, some pretty frightening moments for people on board a chopper in Chino Hills, California, which is just outside of L.A., Anaheim, that whole Yorba Linda kind of area.

You're seeing the result of what took place, this chopper on its side. Well, initially, the folks on board the chopper while in flight thought they heard something abnormal, and then they had to make a forced landing. It turned out to be a rather hard landing.

Checked out everything on board, seemed like everything was OK. They proceeded to take off, and then suddenly this aircraft then rolled over. We understand that the pilot and reporter on board were able to escape serious injuries. That's the good news, but still under investigation why it happened in the first place, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Fred. We'll keep following it, those pictures coming to us from KABC. Appreciate it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: IED!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are we on fire?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: IED! IED! IED! (EXPLETIVE DELETED), IED!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, it looks like a movie, sounds like a movie. It is a movie, but it's also the real deal, and there's nothing Hollywood about it. The Iraq war, horrifying and raw, no actors, no fake blood, no digital effects.

You may see the war tapes as a riveting documentary. These three U.S. soldiers see it as one year of their lives. They shot the film themselves. One soldier's camera was rolling during a nighttime attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What was that? What was it? Answer me, soldier. Can't you (EXPLETIVE DELETED) what's going on out there?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was -- it looked like a mortar went off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two hundred yards ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, you've got to (EXPLETIVE DELETED) tell me.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to go back in my convoy because these idiots are stopped, and you've got to push on through. Come here, you. You (EXPLETIVE DELETED) job. (EXPLETIVE DELETED) if they don't respond, let me know, so I can (EXPLETIVE DELETED) security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, the man who lived through that attack, Staff Sergeant and cameraman Zach Bazzi joins us now live. Hi, Zach.

STAFF SGT. ZACH BAZZI, NEW HAMPSHIRE NATIONAL GUARD: Hello. How are you? Thank you for having me.

PHILLIPS: Well, it's great to have you. And actually, there were sentences there on the screen actually talking about that interaction among you and another one of the kids inside that tank and also the one that was in charge of that patrol, and it was really hard to understand.

But, basically, the communication among all of you, you saw fear, you saw chaos. You also saw -- some of you who were trying to take control of the situation, it was quite a reality check just seeing that and listening to this communication. It's not about a bunch of tough guys in this war, but you saw real emotion there.

BAZZI: Well, yes. It's a sporadic and a volatile and sometimes confusing battlefield, and it's tough on the leaders and the leaden. You've got to make quick decisions, and oftentimes these decisions have enormous consequences, so that's when your training and your leadership abilities and your skills that you've accumulated over the years kick in.

And you also notice the cussing. Infantry sergeants aren't usually known for their eloquence, and myself included.

PHILLIPS: Well, which was a big reason why we had to, you know, beep a another of the F-words out of there. But, hey, look, look at the situation you're in. I can understand.

BAZZI: Yes, you're in combat. Usually language is the last thing you worry about.

PHILLIPS: Absolutely. You know, but let's talk about the worry factor. You talk about the insurgents in this film. You talk about the fact that you somehow understand them, though. You grew up Shiite Muslim and in a way, you say, you get it. Explain to me what you meant by that.

BAZZI: Well, the first eight years of my life, I grew up in Lebanon. I'm not religious in any way. But if you sit there and analyze it, just from a military perspective, you understand what motivates them. Obviously, it's not unthinkable to think that, you know, some of them feel that we're in their country and they don't want us there. It's no different than if this happened in our country.

And I think as an infantry sergeant, to me it makes sense -- the more you know about the enemy, the more effective you become at hopefully capturing or killing him.

PHILLIPS: We're seeing all the drama here, but at the same time, you really capture how this affects your families. And I've got to talk to you about your mom, because I know how much you love her and I know how much she loves you. But in many times, when I watch the two of you interact in this film, it seemed like at times maybe she was creating a little too much drama. And you're like, mom, come on, stop, leave me alone. But I think when you really get to know her, you see it really kills her inside to see you having to do what you're doing?

BAZZI: Yes, it's a certain level of irony for my mother. She lived the entire Lebanese Civil War, and she was finally able to bring the family with her over here, only to have her youngest son join the army. I spent four years in active duty with the 101st, where I deployed to Bosnia and Kosovo. And both of those deployments were heart-wrenching for her. And then, of course, with the Guard, I went to Iraq. So it's ironic for her and definitely emotionally tough for her, just like it would be on any mother in America.

PHILLIPS: Well, she thinks you don't show enough emotion. Do you agree with that?

BAZZI: She's definitely very emotional. I can't say I'm the same way.

PHILLIPS: Now, there was a funny story that you said when she found out you were going over to Iraq, she knew it was really hot and what was this? She wanted to send an air conditioner?

BAZZI: My mother wanted me to -- she was, like, honey, you know, you can have the air conditioner and take it with you, I know it's really hot. Good intentions, bad judgment.

PHILLIPS: And as you said, you could see you there, going through the desert with your knapsack and then the A.C. hanging above your head.

BAZZI: Yes, the air conditioner. Pretty -- it would weigh me down just a little bit.

PHILLIPS: Let's -- you're Lebanese. You speak Arabic. And you have a lot of opinions about -- and understanding about Americans coming into a foreign land. Let's listen to this one clip.

BAZZI: Sure. .

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BAZZI: You take 150,000 U.S. soldiers out of America and you transplant them to Iraq for a year with absolutely zero training whatsoever about the culture. It don't take a shrink to tell you ignorance is one of the first steps towards prejudice. Occupation doesn't really come naturally for an infantry outfit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: So what did you have to teach your fellow soldiers about the culture?

BAZZI: Well, it was -- the statement made there -- it was not really a critique, it was an observation. I think, again, like I told you earlier, as a proud infantry sergeant, well -- first of all, we're indoctrinated to be a fighting machine and we're good at it. We're damn good at it. We're the best in the world at it.

But, also, you know, this is an occupation counterinsurgency context, where sometimes you have to use other means, some of them political and so on. The other thing I have to say is I think the more we know culturally about Iraq, the better we're able to win the hearts and minds of the population and the better we're able to bring our mission to close successfully and return home. So I think to me it's important. It makes us better soldiers to know about the enemy and the people we're occupying.

PHILLIPS: Well, Zach, you were great with the kids. Let's watch another clip right here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BAZZI: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) I told them I'm 25 years old. (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE). He's ten years old.

I was born and raised the first ten years of my life in Lebanon. So I guess naturally, I'm fluent in Arabic. Sometimes people come up to me, like, man, that's so cool, you know Arabic.

(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

BAZZI: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

He asked me if I had a donkey. I said no.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Did you -- how did you react to that? They wanted to know if you had a donkey. It's amazing when you look at the two totally different worlds.

BAZZI: Yes, he actually did ask me if I had a mule. And I told him, no, I have a Toyota Corolla, but not a mule. Now what to me was amazing about it is, you know, throughout all my deployments -- Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq -- kids are the same. They -- well, first of all, they want candy and they want to give you high fives and they just want to talk to you, especially if you're a soldier in uniform.

And I don't care how tough you think you are as a soldier -- and you know, we're grunts and we're known for that. But there's always, I think, in every grunts' heart, a soft spot for kids. They're just amazing little things.

PHILLIPS: Well, it's incredible insight. The documentary is "The War Tapes." It's shot by you and a number of other soldiers while dealing with all kinds of things, from culture to the terror. And I know you became a citizen two years ago. That must have been a pretty amazing moment for you -- Zach.

BAZZI: Yes, it was. A long time coming. And it was one of the happier days of my life. I'm a proud one, at that.

PHILLIPS: Understand. Sergeant Zach Bazzi. Appreciate your time today.

BAZZI: Thank you for having. And can I also just give a quick shout-out to unit? The Charlie Company, 3rd and 172nd Infantry out of New Hampshire, one of the best National Guard units out there.

PHILLIPS: No hoo-ha?

BAZZI: No.

PHILLIPS: OK. Zach, thanks a lot.

Well, roads are rivers and basements deluge. We've been talking about this all morning and afternoon. Evacuations have been ordered and we're waiting now for the governor of Maryland to brief reporters. We'll bring it to you live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: What if someone knocked on your door at 4:00 a.m. and made you get on a bus? Well, that's not hypothetical.

In Binghamton, New York, mandatory evacuations started well before dawn and are still underway. By the end of the day, as many as 15,000 people will have to be moved to shelters.

Patrick Bennan (sic) -- Brennan is the deputy county executive for Broome County, New York. He joins me with more on the state of emergency. Can you just bring us up-to-date on what this means for the people in your area?

PATRICK BRENNAN, DEP. EXECUTIVE, BROOME COUNTY, NEW YORK: Well, as you can see behind us, the two rivers that come together in Binghamton, the Chenango and Susquehanna, are at flood stage. We're near crest or maybe to receive a little bit more water, so we have to move people to higher ground.

PHILLIPS: Are you concerned -- I mean, is this something that you are asking people to do right now? And is this -- and how extensive of evacuations are we talking about, with regard to the area, the region?

BRENNAN: Well, actually, declared an emergency last night around 7:00 with several orders to follow to that. And we began evacuations and rescues last night, so they've been ongoing for about 20 hours now.

PHILLIPS: Do you have enough shelters for the people?

BRENNAN: And -- yes, we do.

PHILLIPS: So everyone is taken care of?

BRENNAN: Yes. So far we've moved about 3,000 people.

PHILLIPS: So tell me what's happening to try to bring the water levels down. Are you able to do anything physically?

BRENNAN: No. There's nothing physically we can do. But hope that there's no more rainfall for awhile so that the river drainage basin can just flow out.

PHILLIPS: Are you concerned about dams, bridges, just the structures themselves? Do you think everything is going to be able to hold?

BRENNAN: Well, I hope so. But the bridge right behind me here has got water over the deck. So I'm sure there's going to be some significant structural damage to that bridge when the waters recede and I'm sure we'll find a lot of damage.

PHILLIPS: Patrick, do you need any engineers there on standby, watching that bridge, paying attention? I mean, do you have these type of crews kind of monitoring these structures?

BRENNAN: Yes. We have the assistance of the state and even some National Guard units with engineering expertise.

PHILLIPS: All right. We're going to stay on top of that story and keep checking in with you. Patrick Brennan, deputy county executive for Broome County, New York, with more on the state of emergency there. Patrick, thanks so much.

BRENNAN: You're welcome.

PHILLIPS: Well we're going to stay on the story and we're waiting for the Maryland governor to brief reporters live. The news keeps coming, we're going to keep bringing it to you. More LIVE FROM next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Time now to check in with Wolf Blitzer standing by in "THE SIT ROOM." What's coming up at the top of the hour, Wolf? WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Kyra. An eye for an eye. Israeli jets buzzing the home of Syria's president while on the offensive in Gaza and threatening more to come. Is the Mideast reaching a new breaking point? We're covering all sides of the story.

Plus, insurgency truce offer. Some Iraqi groups offering to stop the violence if U.S. troops pull out.

Also, Democrats turning to faith. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton reaching out to Evangelicals. And good-bye fatigue. From Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric, Star Jones and Dan Rather -- the bittersweet and the just plain bitter. Jeanne Moos and the never ending good-byes. All that, Kyra, coming up in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

PHILLIPS: You're not going anywhere, right Wolf?

BLITZER: I'm right here.

PHILLIPS: You're sticking around. Big contract, together.

BLITZER: Together.

PHILLIPS: Our top story now. Imagine being stranded in your own home. Well that's what hundreds of people are going through right now in eastern Pennsylvania. Rising floodwaters trapped them. Rescuers are urgently trying to reach them. And our Jason Carroll in one of the hardest-hit cities of Wilkes-Barre.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: One foot of rain fell in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in the past 24 hours. The rain has come and gone, but the problems are still here. If you take a look behind me, you can see the results of the swollen Susquehanna River. The dikes here can hold 41 feet of water, but the river has already reached 38 feet in some parts and it still hasn't crested.

So that's a major concern for people down here: 200,000 people in the surrounding area have been ordered to evacuate. The National Guard has had to rescue people from rooftops who were flooded out in sections of eastern Pennsylvania. Five hundred people are in shelters in Susquehanna County. And counting, three people have drowned in floodwaters. In the southeastern portion of the state, there are problems there too. Emergency officials in Bucks County are keeping an eye up there on the Delaware River.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now the creeks are starting to go down, but the problem is going to be the Delaware River. It's already starting over its banks and the projections are looking that it's going to be worse than our '05 April flood and may be approaching a record level.

CARROLL: Many roads and bridges have been washed away. And that is making it difficult for some emergency crews to reach people in rural areas to check on them. Some of the locals out here who we've been talking to say from their point of view, it doesn't appear to be so bad as compared to what they saw out here in 2004 when the area flooded very, very badly. At this point they're just waiting to see how much more the floodwaters continue to rise. Jason Carroll, CNN, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And in Virginia, the governor has just declared a state of emergency. More than 200 roads are closed and the state expects more to shut down as floodwaters rise. That search has resumed also for an 8-year-old girl, Nikki Godbold, fell into a ditch and was swept into a creek yesterday afternoon.

And a rude awakening for more than 2,200 people in western Maryland. This leaky earthened dam in Rockville forced them out of their beds and they're homes early this morning. It's holding so far, but it might not be able to stand up to a quickly rising lake. We're expecting the governor to brief reporters any minute now. We'll bring that live to you as soon as it happens.

Upstate New York under threat. As many as 15,000 people could be loaded onto buses today and driven out of Binghamton, where cars are underwater and homes are flooded. It's feared that a rising water could break the city's concrete flood walls.

Ali Velshi is in New York watching the markets for us as we're watching the severe weather across the East Coast. You didn't have any problems getting to work, did you?

(MARKET REPORT)

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