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The Politics of American Evacuations From Lebanon; The Safe Haven of Cyprus

Aired July 18, 2006 - 13:59   ET

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

KARA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi criticizing the law calling for citizens to pay for their emergency transportation out of the Middle East. She's holding a live news conference right now.
We've been talking about getting out and paying up, how much it's going to cost. The U.S. government, as you know, is scrambling to get thousands of Americans out of Beirut, some of whom, though, may be billed for their transportation.

You just heard what Pelosi had to say. She's been very critical of this law.

CNN Congressional Correspondent Andrea Koppel joins me now with the politics of this evacuation.

And I know the State Department has come back saying, well, its policy says, if you look at the Web site, Andrea, right, there was a warning about the dangers of Lebanon. But is that enough when it comes down to such a large evacuation and a lot of money?

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. Well, Kyra, I spoke with a senior State Department official who said to me that this has been U.S. policy since, in his words, "forever." And also said that the bottom line is, that Americans who can't afford to pay are not going to be denied access.

And, in fact, he believes that Americans won't even see a bill for this, in fact. But they are obligated under law to do this. And where was the law made? Well, right here in Congress. According to Tony Snow, over at the White House, and according to officials here in Congress, this is based on the Foreign Policy Authorization Act from 2003.

What Nancy Pelosi is saying, what senators John Sununu and Senator Stabenow from Michigan are saying is, waive the restriction. They had left it up to the State Department to decide. They're saying there should be no fee charge -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Andrea Koppel on the Hill. We'll follow, of course, the developments on how much this is going to cost and who will be responsible to pay for these evacuations.

Meanwhile, as you know, U.S. troops and warships on a mission of mercy. They're stepping up the efforts to evacuate Americans from Lebanon and take them to the island of Cyprus. Brigadier General Carl Jensen is leading the efforts there. He joins me on the phone.

And I guess, General, first of all, tell me -- I know you're the commander of the Expeditionary Strike Group 3. We've been talking a lot about the assets moving into the area. Tell me exactly where you are right now and what you're orchestrating.

BRIG. GEN. CARL JENSEN, U.S. MARINE CORPS: Well, we're in Akrotiri, Cyprus, right now. This is where my headquarters is bedded down as we -- as we organize this.

And just let me lead off by saying that I'd like to really thank the people and government of Cyprus and Great Britain for -- for supporting our efforts in allowing us to operate from Cyprus. The people here have been absolutely magnificent to us.

This whole departure from Lebanon is at the request of the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, and our mission here is to assist American citizens who want to voluntarily depart the country. I would like to emphasize that many Americans are electing to stay in Lebanon, and this is not an evacuation of the country. Our embassy is open in Lebanon and will remain open in support of American citizens who choose to remain.

PHILLIPS: Well, General, let me ask you, those that -- I mean, obviously, there are a lot of efforts going on now to get those out that want to leave. Do you think it's a good idea? Do you it's a smart move, that they're making the decision to go?

JENSEN: Well, I think each family, each person has to evaluate that on their own, based on their unique circumstances. Certainly, I can absolutely understand if you had a family, small children, if you felt at risk. And I think that would largely be a factor of where you were in the country. But irrespective, if an American citizen decides that they'd like to voluntarily depart the country, it's my responsibility to help them fulfill that wish and get out in the most expeditious and secure means possible.

PHILLIPS: And sir, you've been in hostile territory, obviously, a number of times. You're in hostile territory now.

What type of precautions are you taking? What are you paying attention to? And are you -- are you concerned about the Hezbollah threat and that it may affect what you're trying to do?

JENSEN: Well, of course, we're concerned about it. It's in the nature of the military to be concerned about such things.

I will tell you that the Lebanese government has done an absolutely superb job in Beirut of taking care of not just American citizens, but citizens from every country. They are -- they are providing security. They are present. It's been quite impressive.

PHILLIPS: General, I'm going to -- General, please don't go away. I'm going to ask you to stay with me, because I know you'll be able to hear this. And you know this man all too well.

We're going to go straight to a Department of Defense video conference on the evacuations that you're involved with, sir. Vice Admiral Patrick Walsh, commander of U.S. Fifth Fleet from Bahrain, he's the one that commands all those ships we're seeing coming into the area.

Let's listen to what he has to say.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

QUESTION: Do you expect any of the Navy ships to take part in the evacuation?

And also, we've been told by the Military Sealift Command that they've already contracted with a ship, called the Rama (ph), which carries 1,400 passengers and it is en route to Cyprus. Can you talk about that?

VICE ADMIRAL PATRICK WALSH (USN), COMMANDER, U.S. NAVAL FORCES CENTRAL COMMAND: Rama (ph) does have a capacity of about 1,400. We'll see that in Cyprus here tomorrow, and I'll be able to update you once we get operations with it.

And I'm sorry, what was the other part of your question?

QUESTION: The other is, do you expect any of the Navy vessels to take part in the evacuation? Or is that just in case of emergency procedures?

WALSH: I do expect Navy vessels to participate in the authorized departure of American citizens out of Beirut.

I'm sorry. I'm getting a little feedback with this microphone.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) vessels taking part?

WALSH: We do -- I'm sorry. I was just going to complete the answer.

We do have to be prepared for any contingency. We have to be prepared for a range of operations for an extended period of time.

QUESTION: Admiral, what do you consider the threat level to this operation to be?

WALSH: The threat level today allows for us to move ferries back and forth, but it's not something that we take for granted. So part of the effort here is to plan for any contingency. That's our job, and that's the, sort of, mindset that we're going into with this operation.

So the threat level presently allows for to us move the ferry back and forth. We will take advantage of that to the maximum extent possible. But we'll also have warships positioned strategically and tactically in order to ensure the safe and secure passage of American citizens from Lebanon to Cyprus.

QUESTION: We know what ships are part of the Iwo Jima task group, but can you give us some detail on the EUCOM ships? Are they amphibs, or what kind of ships they are?

And also to follow up, if you could just -- a little more detail on how the Navy ships might participate in the evacuation. Are we talking about using helicopters from the amphibs to go into the embassy and bringing them back on the ships, or are we talking about service ships going back and forth? Can you talk a little bit more about that?

WALSH: Sure, I'd be glad to.

We have four amphibious ships with well decks (ph) that can take American citizens on board. There's a substantial number of people that we can take on board with the amphibious transport docks and dock landing ships.

The operation with EUCOM assets involve the Gonzalez, which is already on station, Barry, which is en route, and the Mount Whitney, which is the command and control ship afloat. Those assets are on the way to the operating area, as well.

And I might add that we're working with our U.K. allies here when it comes to this operation, and they have approximately six ships that are arriving in the operating area here tomorrow and the day after.

QUESTION: Admiral, how closely are you coordinating your operations with the Israelis now?

WALSH: We're working with European Command, who has contact with the coordination cell, and I'd like to just leave it at that.

We're deconflicting operations here.

Our sole purpose and focus here is the departure of American citizens out of Lebanon, and that's really the extent of our mission at this point. Any kind of coordination that we can take with the Israelis through European Command that can facilitate that departure and help us to expedite and to move quickly, we will work with them closely in order to make that an efficient operation.

QUESTION: Do you have any information if these operations would take place in the port of Beirut?

WALSH: Yes, we will use the port of Beirut for our amphibious operations. The advantage of bringing the amphibious capability is that if -- in the event that there is a deterioration of the conditions at the port, we're able to move either north or south as required in order to continue the departure of American citizens.

QUESTION: What role do you see the 2,200 sailors and Marines with the 24th MEU having in these evacuation efforts?

WALSH: Well, this is a rapid-response capability. They're capable of amphibious operations, day and night, all weather. They're also capable of operations that are conventional, in terms of an authorized departure like this.

And so this is a core of Marine competency. This is part of the effort here that Marines train to, to be able to handle and facilitate the movement of this large number of people over to Cyprus.

So, remember, they have an air element. That will be part of the effort. They have a ground element that we will have in ready reserve in the event that we need them. And they also have a support group that will be part of facilitating this mission.

QUESTION: Does that mean they won't go on the ground unless you need them?

WALSH: Remember, the environment right now allows us to use ferries.

WALSH: So when we characterize the environment, this is an environment that we would consider permissive. However, we're very much aware of the movement of weapons into the area and in how the situation can change rapidly.

So the benefit of having the Marine's expeditionary unit on board is that we can adjust to changing conditions on the battlefield.

At the moment, I'm going to continue to use the ferries, and I'm going to facilitate the mass movement of people as fast as we can using the amphibious transport that's available with the four ships that are here, part of the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group.

At that point, I don't think it would be helpful to speculate any further in terms of going ashore or future operations that may involve or may not involve the use of amphibious Marines ashore.

So let's leave it at that, and then we'll talk further in the event that the environment changes.

QUESTION: Admiral, two questions.

Has the U.S. military asked Israel to back off its targeting of Lebanon while these operations go on so they can go on safely and smoothly? That's number one.

And number two: Do you have an estimate of the total number of American citizens that will be evacuated eventually?

WALSH: I know the European Command is coordinating with the Israelis. They're aware of our movement. They're aware of our intentions. They know that we're on the way. And they will know that we're making best speed if we're going to operate as soon as we arrive.

To the second part of your question, we've got rough orders of magnitude. And, frankly, we're not going to know until we get there in terms of how many people are ready to leave. Some of the earlier estimates were 5,000, but we're prepared for that number to change in the event that conditions change. And so that's part of our level of planning and effort that's gone into this mission up until this point.

Israel is a part of European Command. Lebanon is a part of Central Command. That seam between the two commands, is that difficult for to you overcome?

WALSH: Well, as you can see, we have command and control afloat capabilities that are here from European Command. We have destroyers that are here from European Command and you have Central Command assets that are working as well. So I haven't come up against any seam issues.

I will leverage whatever relationships that EUCOM has with Israel. Remember that our sole focus in Central Command is really with a number of partner in the region that object to operations with Israel. EUCOM has a relationship with Israel. We'll work through that.

But up until this point, we have not had any issues that we consider seams or that limit our ability to operate effectively in the area.

QUESTION: Can you tell us which port the Orient Queen is going to return to in Cyprus?

And given that this is a mission with a turnaround maybe of about a day or so, is it your ultimate goal to have daily ferries going in and out of Cyprus? It seems right now that there's going to be a gap right now.

WALSH: We'll coordinate the number of times that we can get ferries back and forth alongside with the amphibious ships that will be moving people as well.

And let me get back to you in terms of the port and the port specifics that are part of your question. We'll get that for you. That'll be a matter of record.

QUESTION: Admiral, I just wanted to clarify one point: Is it the intention to put U.S. naval vessels into the port at Beirut?

WALSH: It is the intention to use U.S. naval vessels to facilitate the rapid transfer of citizens off of Lebanon and into Cyprus.

In terms of whether or not you're going to see ships tied up alongside or not, I don't know that that would facilitate the rapid use of amphibious craft, and recognize that we have a changing environment.

WALSH: So the way to answer your question is, I'm going to position those ships tactically in view of how the environment changes. And I wouldn't try and predict what that's going to look like tomorrow or the day after.

So if you can give me a little room here, what we're going to do is take advantage of all the capability that we have and then recognize that we're trying to move quickly, that we're trying to move large numbers of people as fast as we can, but at the same time we're charged with the responsibility for their security and safety.

So we'll take all that into account and then I'll be able to answer the question in terms of how close they're going to be or how far apart they're going to be.

QUESTION: Admiral, should Americans who are being evacuated be expected to reimburse the federal government for the cost of the evacuation?

WALSH: I have not considered reimbursement, but that is something that probably the State Department would be best positioned to answer.

QUESTION: Admiral, are you taking seriously the risk of any attack from the Hezbollah against your ships?

WALSH: I'm sorry, could you repeat the question? We're just having a little interference here.

BRYAN WHITMAN, DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS: The question was your concern about attacks by Hezbollah.

WALSH: I'm concerned about attacks on ships, you bet. That's our job, and that is our focus. And that's one of the reasons why the answers that I'm giving you tonight are the best I can give you conceptually, but they're not going to reveal a lot of specific detail.

And that's because this is part of the ongoing calculations here. We do not assume anything when we go into an environment like this, and so we'll make all preparations in our planning and deliberations so that we're ready for any contingency.

And that sort of scenario is something that we are planning for. It's something that, up until this point innocent vessels have been able to move freely back and forth, ferries are able to move freely back and forth. And so we're going to continue to manage and monitor the situation, and we'll take proactive steps to ensure the safety and security of the crew and the passengers.

QUESTION: Why is it that it's taken so long to order the amphibious warships to the Med?

I mean, we're six days into this crisis and it seems like a long time.

WALSH: That's a good question and thank you for it.

The order did not come six days into the crisis. Remember, we do have a time-distance problem here. We've got vessels coming all the way from the Indian Ocean, Jebal-ali (ph), in fact. You have vessels that were in exercises, in this particular case, on the ground in Jordan, prior to the events that took place here over the weekend, as well as vessels in the Red Sea.

So we're working against the environment. And we're making best speed. And we'll be ready on arrival.

QUESTION: In order to get the evacuees onto the amphibs, are you planning on heloing them from Beirut to the ships?

WALSH: I will use all means available to us. So that involves some of the landing craft units and it also involves helicopters.

QUESTION: Can you give us the capacity of the amphibs to take on evacuees, any sense of how many you can hold?

WALSH: What I'd like to do is just describe. It's a very large number. It would be in excess of 1,000. And what I'd like to do is give us a day of these operations and we'll see exactly how this plays out.

We're working closely with the Embassy. So the number that we actually take on board is a number that we've coordinated in advance with the Embassy.

And then what I'd like to do is to report to you at the end of the day just how that number has played out.

QUESTION: Has the decision, Admiral, been made to use U.S. Navy vessels to transport American evacuees out of Lebanon, or is that a contingency?

WALSH: No. The answer to your question is it's not a contingency.

We are going to use U.S. Navy vessels to transport American citizens out of Beirut and to Cyprus.

We will do that in conjunction with the ferries that are moving people back and forth -- the ones that we discussed earlier under contract with the military Sealift Command.

PHILLIPS: As you know, all morning we've been talking about various ships coming in to help evacuate Americans overseas right now in the middle of the Mideast crisis. And that's the man in charge of it all, Vice Admiral Patrick Walsh, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain.

Basically, he's in charge of all maritime security operations. He's given a live presser right now with reporters via DOD, the Department of Defense.

Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon right now. You know, Jamie, we've been talking so much about the ships, what they'll be able to do. The admiral clarifying what his mission is. But one thing that we haven't talked a lot about, and the question was raised, the threat of Hezbollah. Is it a concern?

Obviously, he said yes. And these ships not only are able to evacuate, many of them battle ready. They can retaliate if, indeed, a strike hits one of these ships. I mean, he has that on his mind.

MCINTYRE: Well, that's right. These are warships, and they do -- they are equipped, and they have -- they have fighting Marines on board as well.

But you heard him say he believes right now this is a semi- permissive environment. And clearly, what they want to do here is combine the capability of these warships, which he said can take about a thousand Americans, with the much greater capability of the commercial ferries, and use that to basically get people back and forth between Lebanon and Cyprus -- or basically to Cyprus.

Before you joined the briefing, the admiral said that he expects the Orient Queen, the first of those chartered ships, to leave tomorrow with between 800 and 1,000 Americans. The ship he said is now pier-side, and he said that there was contracts under way now for two additional ships, including one that can hold up to 1,400 passengers.

So, you combine that capacity of those commercial charter ships with the U.S. warships, which will be there by the end of the week to also transport people, and you can see that they'll be able to move a substantial number of Americans. Still don't know how many. They're working with the number 5,000, but they're prepared to go beyond that if that -- if they need to evacuate more people than that.

So -- and again, in response to the criticism that the U.S. ships are slow to get there, he basically called it a time-distance problem. The ships were not close by. Some of them were involved in exercises, and -- but they are under way now, and he said they will be there soon, and they expect to start seeing Americans leaving in big numbers by tomorrow -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: And a lot of them going to Cyprus. We're going to go there live straight ahead.

Jamie McIntyre, thanks.

More LIVE FROM right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Israel and Hezbollah dig in and Westerners are getting out. Here's what we know right now in this ongoing Mideast crisis.

About 120 Americans flew out of Beirut today on U.S. military helicopters. The U.S. ambassador in Lebanon tells the AP that 200 more are boarding a ship hired by Sweden, which is also taking hundreds of Europeans. A U.S. chartered cruise ship is due to arrive tomorrow, and a group of U.S. warships is heading to the region to boost security.

A new round of cross-border battles. Israeli warplanes struck a Lebanese army barracks today, killing 11 soldiers. And Hezbollah sent another barrage of rockets into northern Israel, killing one person.

Meantime, the White House is sending a message to Iran and Syria. Press Secretary Tony Snow called on them to pressure Hezbollah to stand down.

Well, for many people pouring out of Lebanon, safe haven is the nearby island.

CNN's Chris Burns is in Larnaca, Cyprus.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Cyprus' Port of Larnaca, growing signs that hopes of a quick end to the violence are dwindling. Hundreds of evacuees who fled in fear arrived from Beirut aboard an Italian destroyer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't want to feel that I have to teach them something I really don't want to teach them, and it's -- it doesn't have any meaning or any logic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sad for the country -- to see my country again in a painful period, but I think it will pass.

BURNS: With the war zone less than a half-hour away by plane or a few hours by boat, Cyprus has repeatedly served as a haven during conflicts in the region.

As he decompresses, this Lebanese-American recounts the wild ride he and his relatives took at top speed through the streets of Beirut to reach a private company that evacuated him.

JADE JURI, LEBANESE-AMERICAN EVACUEE: It felt like a huge impact, like the car shook even while it was going about -- weaving in and out traffic going between like 60, 70 miles an hour or something like that.

BURNS: And he's got pictures to prove it.

JURI: We heard that two rockets had hit a building. We saw like the smoke come up from a building maybe a block down from where we were passing by.

BURNS: Jade Juri is among thousands of visiting Americans in Lebanon, home to an estimated 25,000 U.S. citizens. How many choose to leave will indicate how much the violence has shaken or shattered the dream of Lebanon's rebirth 15 years after a devastating civil war.

(on camera): With the arrival of each ship the pessimism grows. The harbor master here says he hasn't seen an evacuation effort on this scale since the Lebanese civil war. He says the list of countries planning seaboard evacuations is getting longer since the land and air routes are either limited or getting more dangerous.

Chris Burns, CNN, Larnaca, Cyprus.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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