Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Annan Issues Diplomacy Update on Mideast Crisis; Troops Launch Anti-Al Qaeda Mission Outside of Kirkuk

Aired July 20, 2006 - 15:30   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Back to the Middle East, here's what we know at the moment. New explosions in southern Beirut after another day of Israeli air strikes across Lebanon. Hezbollah fired more rockets into northern Israel today. More ground fighting along the Lebanese side of the Israeli-Lebanese border. Israel says it's looking for Hezbollah artillery hidden in caves, tunnels and basements.
The U.S.S Nashville is due in Cyprus in a little over two hours, carrying more than 1,000 American evacuees, but about 150 evacuees arrived on U.S. soil this more mornings at Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan issued an important diplomacy update on the Middle East crisis today. Let's bring in our senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth once again, Richard.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, Secretary General Kofi Annan said there's no chance at this time, too many obstacles for diplomacy to work in the Middle East. He repeated frequent marks to the Security Council that the hostilities must stop, safe corridors open for humanitarian workers and relief supplies to get to the people who are affected, 500,000 he says now by the outbreak in hostilities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: What is most urgently needed is an immediate cessation of hostilities for three vital reasons. First, to prevent further loss of innocent life and the infliction of further suffering. Second to allow full humanitarian access to those in need. And third, to give diplomacy a chance to work out a practical package of actions that will provide a lasting solution to the current crisis. I repeat, hostilities must stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: A team of negotiation dispatched to the region are back. They are back here at the United Nations. They will meet tomorrow with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. A plan they worked out that was aired by Annan to the full council starts off with the handover by Hezbollah of two abducted Israeli soldiers to Lebanese authorities with the red Cross helping out. But U.s. Ambassador John Bolton says some type of short term cease-fire is just not going to cut it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOHN BOLTON, U.S. AMBASSADOR U.N.: How do you hold a terrorist group accountable? Who runs the terrorist group? Who makes the commitment that the terrorist group will abide by a cease-fire? What does a terrorist group think a cease-fire is? You can use the words cessation of hostilities or truce or cease-fire. Nobody has yet explained how a terrorist group and a Democratic state come to a mutual cease-fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: Lebanon here said nothing will be achieved by Israel's continued aggression, only more rallying to support Hezbollah. Greece, a member of the Security Council, said it may be that patience is running out here for the full Security Council to say something but the U.S. remains in opposition, siding with Britain, that at the moment, it seems they'll let Israel proceed with attacks, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Richard Roth, live from the U.N. Thanks, Richard.

It was an explosion heard and felt throughout Beirut. Israeli war planes demolished a building they say was an enemy headquarters. Hezbollah says it was a house of worship.

Our Alessio Vinci went to see for himself.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is an area of Beirut where Hezbollah rules. It is off-limits to Lebanese army and police. You don't see anybody walking with me, because sentinels, stationed by Hezbollah, don't want to be filmed. But there are dozens of them, all constantly checking our documents and because it is a Hezbollah strong hold, this area of southern Beirut has taken the brunt of the Israeli bombing. Locals tell us that in rapid succession seven Israeli missiles hit this building, which they say was a mosque under construction. A sign on site suggests the same and from what was left standing here, there is no doubt that this was an unfinished structure.

Israel, though, says it destroyed the headquarters of the Hezbollah leadership.

(on camera): The Israeli military says it dropped 23 tons of explosives on this target alone, that would be about 100 times more than a 500 pound bomb, which is considered a large shell. Now, the attack took place between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Wednesday night. At that time, back in down town, we did hear a large explosion, perhaps louder than usual.

(voice-over): A CNN team, trying to get to this location shortly after the attack, was quickly turned back by edgy Hezbollah militiamen, suggesting perhaps the target was sensitive. The building under construction does have a large underground basement but nothing here suggests that the structure was being occupied by the Hezbollah leadership or by anyone else, for that matter. Locals say no one was killed as a result of the attack. Indeed, most residents left this area days ago. The streets are virtually deserted and the few who stayed behind, by their own admission, say they are Hezbollah sympathizers, ready to pick up a gun and fight, if necessary.

(on camera): Should the conflict escalate, you will be people who will be fighting on their side, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

VINCI: In the Middle East, the boundaries between war zones and civilian areas are often blurred. Alessio Vinci, CNN, Beirut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: A watchful eye from Iraq. Why Hezbollah is serving as a guide to al Qaeda. I am going to speak to the man who knows, Michael Ware, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: To stop the violence Iraq's most revered Shiite cleric urges his followers not to retaliate against Sunnis. It's the strongest call yet by the Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani to end weeks of sectarian bloodshed. More of it today, with four separate car bombings in and around Baghdad. At least 11 Iraqis were killed, two of them policemen. Thirty eight bodies also have been recovered in various parts of the capital, all showing signs of torture. The U.S. military acknowledges daily attacks are up 40 percent in this city under curfew.

Well, the rising violence means more Iraqis are becoming refugees in their own country. The government reports about 162,000 people have fled their homes, 32,000 just this month. That does not include those who have slipped across the border or who have moved in with relatives in safer areas.

Now, U.S. and Iraqi troops have launched an anti-al Qaeda operation just outside the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. It's a region known to be a safe haven for insurgents, one that CNN's Michael Ware knows all too well. He's been in Iraq for the past three years, one of the few Western journalists to travel to insurgent camps.

Now you're here in Atlanta. We thought we'd pick your brain. Good to see you. Nice to have you with us.

MICHAEL WARE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: And I know you're itching to go overseas. Hopefully that's going to happen soon.

WARE: We shall see.

PHILLIPS: You and I were talking just about Hezbollah and al Qaeda, and I want to get to sort of an interesting connection. But set up, sort of, for our viewers, what kind of inside look you've been able to have with factions on of Hezbollah. WARE: Well, Hezbollah is one of the most successful Islamic militant groups in the world. They've been able to achieve things that al Qaeda has not. Some of the very things that al Qaeda is hoping to do Hezbollah has already done. For example, they already have territory which is their own. They have become a state within a state. That is one of the very clear goals of al Qaeda, yet they've failed to do that.

PHILLIPS: And it's part of a legitimate government.

WARE: Absolutely. They have...

PHILLIPS: I mean, Hezbollah is within a governmental system.

WARE: And they have that active political arm which is legitimizing itself. Plus, Hezbollah is renowned for its ability to operate as a state that's delivering services to its constituents, to its people. Health care, education.

Now this is something that the U.S. military is greatly concerned about in Iraq, because we're seeing some very strong Shia insurgent groups in Iraq copying the Hezbollah model. And, in fact, according to U.S. intelligence, it's Iran that is facilitating this relationship between Iraqi groups and Hezbollah.

PHILLIPS: So what you're saying is not only is Iran supporting Hezbollah -- and we've talked about it supporting Hamas as well -- but now you're saying it could help legitimize al Qaeda in certain ways? Or make al Qaeda more like Hezbollah?

WARE: Well, al Qaeda is a different kettle of fish. Al Qaeda and Iran have a very prickly, very complicated relationship. Al Qaeda and Iran, in many ways, are diametrically opposed. One is from the Sunni sect, al Qaeda; one is from the Shia. Ultimately, their goals are different.

Yet, Iran is very careful in hedging its bets. It will support anyone who is in the race. Iran's main goal, according to most of the analysts, is to destablize the region and capitalize on the chaos and the anarchy. Now, to Iran's mind, al Qaeda can help with that in certain areas. And that's what we've seen. Even though in some ways they are opposed to each other, Iran offered sanctuary to Zarqawi's group in past, to Ansar al-Islam, and currently holds a number of key al Qaeda leaders under so-called house arrest.

PHILLIPS: So Iran giving so much to al Qaeda that al Qaeda could become as powerful as Hezbollah? I mean, they're sort of keeping al Qaeda in its place?

WARE: Yes, certainly not. And don't forget, al Qaeda has its own sources of power. Al Qaeda...

PHILLIPS: But nothing like Hezbollah.

WARE: No, nothing like Hezbollah, certainly not at this stage. But don't forget, al Qaeda taps into a rich vein of Gulf oil money from Sunni states, such as Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and other nations within the Gulf region. So it has independent sources of recruitment and money. In no way does al Qaeda rely on Iran, whereas Hezbollah...

PHILLIPS: Does completely.

WARE: ... is state-sponsored and it is propped up by Iran.

PHILLIPS: So do you think al Qaeda could ever become like Hezbollah, a legitimate part of a government, and be able to start providing governmental-type assistance to people? Like you said, helping with schools, health care, et cetera?

WARE: That's certainly a part of its strategy. And that's what we started to see it doing in a very early form in Afghanistan with the Taliban. I remember many members of the top levels of the Taliban government complaining to me how when they invited al Qaeda in, al Qaeda started taking over even ministries within their government. So that's something they want to do.

Don't forget, old guard al Qaeda, the leadership that surrounds Osama bin Laden, was very critical of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al Qaeda in Iraq leader, because he was destablizing their program to gain popular support in Iraq and thereby create the toehold. They want their own little mini-state from which they can grow.

PHILLIPS: Michael Ware, looking forward to getting your reports from overseas. We're glad you're with us, glad you're a part of the CNN family. Thanks for your time.

WARE: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: All right, a watchful eye from Iraq. We've got more out of there right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: From Beirut to Baltimore in two or three or a dozen not so easy steps, American evacuees are beginning to arrive back home, and CNN's Gary Nurenberg has been waiting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): American evacuees arriving in Baltimore Thursday morning brought memories of life in a war zone.

BASHIR NADER, EVACUEE: I heard like, shh, boom.

NURENBERG: Bashir Nader, his sister and dad were visiting their grandparents' home north of Beirut.

B. NADER: Then we heard two more and then we went outside to the balcony, and then you saw like a mushroom cloud of smoke.

NURENBERG: Not what you want your kids to see.

ANDRE NADER, EVACUEE: So I said, let's get out, come back home.

NURENBERG: But as the kids know, that was easier said than done.

ESTELLE NADER, EVACUEE: They bombed Beirut, so we couldn't go in the airports over there.

NURENBERG: Andre found the U.S. Embassy's online registration confusing, so he drove 30 miles and knocked on the door, his kids' safety a weight on his mind.

A. NADER: Oh, very urgent. And the embassy in Beirut, they were great. Thank you very much.

E. NADER: It was a noisy helicopter. I hated the helmets.

NURENBERG: Then a flight to Manchester, England, then finally the charter to Baltimore; more comfortable than the helicopter, the fear of bombs replaced by childhood concerns.

E. RADER: Well, I don't want any of those other pillows on the planes because, like, they are not fluffy. This is really fluffy.

NURENBERG: The kids' mom, Danielle, drove to the airport to pick them up. Bigger than only a month ago.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look at my princess.

NURENBERG: Finally the long journey, the long wait over. They are thrilled to be together, but grandparents and aunts remain in the family's Lebanon home.

E. NADER: Since the bombs are like, kind of close, I am really worried about them. And so I hope they are safe.

NURENBERG: They ended the day in their Maryland home on computers, playing video games, older than a month ago, safer than yesterday.

Gary Nurenberg, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Cut off and on fire, the crisis deepens in Lebanon. Our coverage continues straight ahead on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Beryl is bearing down on the Massachusetts shore. Tropical storm warnings are posted for Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard. Surf and winds are expected to kick up overnight, but that likely will be the extent of it. Beryl's winds are still well below hurricane strength.

Killer heat wave blamed for four more deaths in Chicago. Triple- digit temperatures have contributed to at least 16 deaths in seven states. As always, the elderly are the most vulnerable. They sometimes refuse to run their air conditioners because of the cost. Bottom line? Check on your neighbors.

Intense heat spawns intense storms, this one through St. Louis last night, flooding streets, ripping off roofs, cutting power to half a million customers. More than 30 people were hurt, many at the ballpark where press box windows were blown out. Some parts were flooded, and despite the best efforts of the ground crew, well, the tarp on the field was torn in half.

Time now to check in with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. He's standing by in "THE SIT ROOM" to tell us what's coming up at the top of the hour.

Hey, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Kyra, thanks very much.

Nine days in and neither side is blinking between the standoff between Israel and Hezbollah. Our reporters are all across the region. We will take you live to Beirut, to northern Israel, where there was intense fighting in southern Lebanon today.

And hundreds of Americans fleeing the fighting have now found safe harbor with the U.S. Marines. The USS Nashville is steaming toward Cyprus. So is our Barbara Starr.

And could President Bush and Republicans suffer a November backlash over his handling of the crisis?

All that, Kyra, coming up right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

PHILLIPS: All right, Wolf. Thanks so much. Well, the closing bell is about to ring on Wall Street. Susan Lisovicz is coming up with that. Let's take a look at the numbers as we head to break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Can't get enough of this picture. It was a fishtail in need of an explanation, and maybe a good flossing. The Internet was abuzz after this 18-pounder was pulled out of a lake in Lubbock, Texas. Check out those choppers, man. Nothing like it has ever been seen in tumbleweed country, and for good reason. State wildlife experts determined that the toothy trophy is a paku, native to South America. It's likely somebody just dumped that little baby right in the lake.

The closing bell is about to ring on Wall Street. Susan Lisovicz live from the New York Stock Exchange with a little wrap of the trading day. I used to live in Lubbock, Texas, my very first job, and I don't remember catching any of those types of fishies out there.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com