Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Israeli Forces Mass on Lebanese Border; Life After Work

Aired July 21, 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: On the record today, in the air on Sunday -- here's what we know about the conflict in the Middle East.
The U.S. secretary of state says Hezbollah is the sole source of the trouble in Lebanon, and, for now, a cease-fire is not on her radar. Condoleezza Rice confirmed that -- her plans to travel to the Middle East and Europe next week. She is going to meet with the Israeli and Palestinian leadership.

And we're watching the buildup of Israeli forces on the Lebanese border. Tanks and infantry units are staging there. Analysts say it may be the prelude to a large-scale invasion, one that Lebanon's president vows his army will resist.

Night has fallen on Beirut, a city shaken by airstrikes, but still a functioning national capital. Diplomats and ground troops are working there now, trying to ease the crisis, without further bloodshed.

Straight to Beirut right now and CNN's Ben Wedeman -- Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CAIRO BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, Kyra.

Actually, this is the first day in quite some time that we haven't had any major air raids on Beirut. It has been fairly quiet today. Nonetheless, problems are mounting, according to the United Nations. More than 500,000 people have been made homeless in the last 10 days.

Now, I was in a town called Kaifoun, which is in the mountains above Beirut. There, the city, the town, usually has a population of 5,000. It's now almost 50,000 refugees from south Lebanon, from the southern suburbs of Beirut, have gone up to the relative safety of the hills.

There, we watched as medic -- as Mercy Corps, an American-based charity, was handing out food to the people who have been housed in schools, government buildings, empty hotels, empty because all the tourists have left the country, where what we saw is that they -- despite the fact they are getting some supplies, others, certain critical supplies, are in very short supply.

For instance, many of the mothers complained to me that there's no baby milk available. Now, in addition to organizations like Mercy Corps, Hezbollah is also providing food and other supplies. They have played a large role in trying to locate some place to stay for these people. But what I also noticed up there, Kyra, is that the level of hostility to the United States, as a result of the Israeli offensive, is intensifying. Many people say -- or complain to me that the United States has given a green light to Israel to conduct this offensive.

They point out -- or they always point out that the F-16s in the skies, the Israeli F-16s, come from the United States. And, in fact, it got so bad, at one point, that a man emerged from the crowd of people I was talking to and tried to beat me and my cameraman.

We escaped without any serious damage, but you -- I really am getting the feeling that people are becoming increasingly angry, Kyra, at the United States.

PHILLIPS: Yes. And this is something that we have talked about within the past week, even with those that used to live there, said that a lot of that is going to build up against the U.S., because they think that this is happening because of U.S., Israeli, and, of course, relations with Hezbollah and -- and the Lebanese government.

But let me ask you a question, Ben. You brought up a very interesting point. And you said that Hezbollah has been trying to get aid to its people. And here's what is interesting about you making that point, is that it is a legitimate part of the government. And it is -- and it's -- as -- as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice -- Condoleezza Rice was saying, it's got one -- one foot in -- in government, and the other foot in terrorism.

And, so, it provides health care, and -- and helps with schools for its people. And a lot of the people are saying, without Hezbollah, we wouldn't be able to have what we have right now.

So, it's an interesting dynamic, that it's playing out in two different roles.

WEDEMAN: Yes. And that would be the problem, if Israel were to implement this idea of a 20-mile buffer zone inside Lebanon, because the people who live in the south, that's -- they are also Hezbollah.

I mean, the Hezbollah has widespread support among the population of the south. If Israel were to implement this idea of a 20-mile buffer zone, you would essentially recreate the situation that Israel tried to get out of in May 2000 by pulling its troops out of the country.

The fact of the matter is that Hezbollah has a very large following among the Shiites of Lebanon, who make up more than 50 percent of the population. And to defang -- as we have heard some officials say, to defang Hezbollah is a very serious challenge that may simply be unachievable, given its power, its political power, its social network of support for the population.

It's a serious proposition that may simply not be within the realm of possibility -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Ben -- Ben Wedeman in Beirut -- thanks, Ben. From crisis, to conflict, to full-scale incursion -- well, Israel is calling up thousands of reserve troops. And a top Israeli general tells CNN -- quote -- "All reinforcements are going to the direction of Lebanon."

CNN's Paula Newton is watching.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are seeing along this border a mobilization of forces and weaponry towards the Lebanese front here behind me.

What is happening here is that the Israeli army is getting prepared for some type of a ground incursion. That doesn't mean that the Defense Department has taken that kind of a decision yet, but they are preparing, nonetheless. And we're seeing some of that along the border here.

What has happened is that the airstrikes, while limited in its effectiveness, have had some type of effect on Hezbollah's capability. But, really, here in Israel, they are still getting Katyushas landing on cities like Haifa. And the Israeli officials yesterday admitted as much, saying, look, to try to wipe out that last half of Hezbollah's capability, we may need to go in on the ground, to try and flush Hezbollah guerrillas out, and get to caves and tunnels where that weaponry is buried.

They're also talking about trying to put into force a buffer zone in southern Lebanon that is quite large, perhaps as long as 30 kilometers. And they may start to go in and do some of that work for themselves. Again, I stress, the decision has not been made. But we are expecting that, meetings on the weekend, that the Israeli government will have a decision on exactly how far to go into southern Lebanon and how many troops to send in.

Paula Newton, CNN, on the Israeli-Lebanese border.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And, from all indications, a full-scale Israeli invasion would be met by the Lebanese army, not just by Hezbollah militants.

CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour has more on that from northern Israel.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Israeli warplanes are dropping bombs and messages. The latest flurry of leaflets tells residents of southern Lebanon to move back, 40 kilometers back, from the border with Israel.

The Israeli generals want the battlefield -- quote -- "free of civilian restrictions." After days of artillery fire, war from the air, and a limited number of troops on the ground, Israel is preparing now for a possible large-scale ground invasion, mobilizing all its forces, even reserves.

GENERAL SHUKI SHACHAR, ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES NORTHERN COMMAND: Some of the forces are active forces coming from different sectors of the country, reinforcing the active forces in Lebanon. The reserve units, some of them are going to the northern border with Lebanon. All the reinforcements are going to the direction of Lebanon.

AMANPOUR: A senior military source says Israel already has several battalions on the ground in southern Lebanon. That's more than 1,000 troops. But General Shuki Shachar would only confirm, he does have forces there.

SHACHAR: We entered with armor forces and engineer forces, and we started, systemically, to destroy the Hezbollah positions along the border.

AMANPOUR: Israeli infantry, he says, have crossed anywhere between a mile and a few miles into Lebanon, and some special forces are even deeper in, because they can't get some of the targets from the air.

SHACHAR: We identified bunkers in the open area that, without entering to the place itself, and looking on the ground for these camouflaged bunkers, we would have never found them.

AMANPOUR: General Shachar won't say whether these tanks and troops moving towards the border means that a ground invasion has been authorized, just that the army is ready and evaluating the need minute by minute.

(on camera): With troops and armor being redeployed from all over the country to the northern battlefront, Israelis are watching to see what happens next with concern. As one former tank commander told me, Israel going back into Lebanon is like the United States going back into Vietnam.

(voice-over): For now, though, the Israeli people overwhelmingly back the strong military response, according to the first poll taken since the war began 10 days ago.

Will that change if Hezbollah guerrillas mount stiff resistance? At the ground battle still going near Avivim, Hezbollah has already killed several Israeli soldiers, injured others, and taken out a tank.

Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Metulla, northern Israel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And can you fight Hezbollah and Lebanon without fighting Lebanon? Israel says it is targeting the group that captured two Israeli soldiers a week ago. The Lebanese leaders say the whole country is paying the price.

Prime Minister Fuad Siniora appeared on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KING LIVE")

FUAD SINIORA, PRIME MINISTER OF LEBANON: This attack is no longer against Hezbollah. It's an attack against the Lebanese and Lebanon. And, this, in fact, is bringing the country back more than 20 years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Now, for his part, Lebanon's president tells CNN the Lebanese army is ready to defend the country if Israeli troops invade.

A programming note: U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's only U.S. TV interview is right here on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE." Don't miss it. It's tonight at 9:00 Eastern, 6:00 Pacific. You can e-mail your questions to CNN.com/LARRYKING.

Stay tuned to CNN.

Well, the casualties of war -- straight ahead, CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta is in Beirut -- his take on getting help to some of the people who need it most -- more LIVE FROM next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Putting aside the military, the political, the diplomatic side of the Middle East crisis, people are being hurt and killed every day.

Our senior medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, just arrived in Beirut. He's checking the conditions at the hospitals there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: We arrived several hours ago now and have tried to visit some of the hospitals on Beirut and South of Beirut, as well.

It's very interesting, Kyra, a couple of the obvious things maybe. There -- there have been a lot of airstrikes, which have caused a lot of injured people. And the hospitals are starting to fill up with those injured people.

But, also, what's interesting, and -- and may be -- may be obvious to some people, is that the -- the people who were -- sort of have chronic illness, just citizens of Beirut, are having a much harder time actually getting into the hospitals, as well.

So, you know, we visited one hospital, for example. Because of airstrikes, which occurred, you know, just hundreds of meters away from the hospital, they put all of their patients in the basement, two floors actually below the ground. And that's where they're trying to take care of patients. So, a radiology suite, for example, is now a maternity clinic. And they're trying to keep their patients safe that way -- but staff starting not to show up. Supplies are starting to get in short order -- and, of course, the volume of patients starting to increase. And all of that, you know, sort of has the makings of what people refer to as a humanitarian problem, Kyra. And that's at least what I'm seeing initially here.

PHILLIPS: So, when we're talking about the patients, are you seeing military types in there? Are you seeing Lebanese people from -- from the outskirts being hit by certain weaponry, I mean, innocent civilian types? What exactly is the patient description?

GUPTA: For the most part here, and -- and we're in -- near Beirut, you know, sort of south -- the southern suburbs -- it's mostly civilians. We haven't really seen that many military types.

I have talked to some of my colleagues who are a little further south, and they're saying there are more military types, military folks in those hospitals, you know, south of here.

But it's -- it's starting to change. You know, it's -- it has really just been interesting to watch. The demographics are changing, as you're starting to see -- you saw -- saw more civilians in the south. And now you're starting to see more civilians closer to Beirut, as people are fleeing from the south, coming closer to this area. So, it -- it is probably just going to continually change.

What's -- what is also interesting, Kyra -- and may -- maybe you just sort of get a sense of this -- you know, from a geography standpoint, a lot of the bridges -- bridges have been targets, and the roads have been targets. So, for example, someone is injured, and a very small -- and goes to a very small hospital. Sometimes, they will have to be evacuated to a larger hospital. That may involve an all- terrain vehicle to get them through for a short time.

Then, the patient is actually transferred to an ambulance, for example, taken to a bigger hospital. Some of the biggest hospitals in -- in this area, in Lebanon, actually are only seeing about 5 to 10 percent of all the injuries, because patients simply can't get there. The smaller hospitals are being overburdened right now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Once again, that was our Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Meanwhile, it was the spark that set off 1,000 explosions: the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah. The troops' family talked to CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE" in an exclusive interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KING LIVE")

LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Karnit, what would you say to the people holding Ehud? Supposing the Hezbollah, they are watching now. What would you say to them?

KARNIT GOLDWASSER, WIFE OF KIDNAPPED SOLDIER: For now, I need their help and -- and to send us a proof. This will be the start to bring Udi to me, the proof, something. Then, we know that he is alive and then we can start to bring Udi and Eldad back home, where they belong.

KING: And, Benny, what would you say?

BENNY REGEV, BROTHER OF KIDNAPPED SOLDIER: I would say that the difference between a terror organization and now -- and (INAUDIBLE) organization is, they're accepting of the international law. And the international law, by the international law, they must. They must allow the Red Cross to visit them, allow, allow them -- allow us to -- to have a proof of life, a sign of life from them.

This is the -- the most difficult thing in -- in the whole thing. We -- we are simply in the dark, simply in the dark. We know -- we don't know anything about the situation of -- of -- of my brother and Udi. We don't know their medical condition. If they need medical care, we want to know.

K. GOLDWASSER: We want the killing be stopped, both side of the fence. In Israeli and in the Lebanon, we want everything to be back as it was before, no killing, no kidnapping. We want them back home. I think it's -- it's natural.

KING: All right.

K. GOLDWASSER: We want it be stopped.

KING: I think you have the wishes of the whole world.

S. GOLDWASSER: I want to add another thing.

KING: Yes, go ahead.

S. GOLDWASSER: Yes.

I want -- I want to add another thing. Those who kidnapped our sons, they are fully responsible for their safety. It's -- they are in their hands. At the end of the story, they will be also fully responsible for their safe return. So, I -- I want to emphasize it, that those who kidnapped our son, they are responsible for their safety. And I am sending -- I'm my message to all the world.

KING: Yes.

S. GOLDWASSER: Keep their safety.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: And, tonight, on "LARRY KING LIVE" U.N. Secretary- General Kofi Annan in his only U.S. TV interview. That's at 9:00 Eastern, 6:00 Pacific. You can e-mail to CNN.com/LARRYKING.

Twenty-first century warfare, as seen on TV -- our Nic Robertson takes a closer look at the war of images straight ahead on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, in World War I, a U.S. senator pointed out that truth is the first casualty of war. Each side uses information as a weapon. And so it is today in the Hezbollah-Israeli conflict.

CNN's Nic Robertson took a look for "ANDERSON COOPER 360."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): A week after the war began, this is what the Lebanese are hearing and watching on TV, the increasing destruction of their country -- more than 200 Lebanese killed, according to the government -- of that total, only one Hezbollah guerrilla confirmed dead -- in Israel, 15 civilians and 14 soldiers killed in Hezbollah rocket attacks, two kidnapped soldiers still missing.

Hezbollah is proving it's still in the fight by firing more rockets on Israeli towns, at times, firing from inside civilian neighborhoods. And, so, Israeli jets pursue Hezbollah, hitting warehouses, car parks, and truck stops.

In Geneva, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said, both sides could bear criminal responsibility for targeting of civilians.

LOUISE ARBOUR, UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: The scale of civilian casualties in this conflict raise very serious questions about breaches of the laws and customs of war.

ROBERTSON: And now a new escalation: propaganda -- after Israel claimed to drop 23 tons of bunker-busting munitions on Hezbollah's leadership, Hezbollah showed reporters the site, claiming the target was nothing more than a mosque under construction. Neither side believes the other.

SHIMON PERES, ISRAELI DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: We think the information coming from Lebanon is totally unreliable.

ROBERTSON: Caught in the middle, civilians, forced from their homes.

Ali (ph) and his wife and four children say this school is their second shelter, since fleeing bombing in south Lebanon.

"We have nothing. The children will have to sleep on the floor tonight," he says.

(on camera): Every day, the situation seems to get worse. For many here, Lebanon feels like a country teetering on the verge of chaos. The stakes of staying at war are rising -- leadership objectives superseding suffering.

(voice-over): Serious food shortages, too, particularly for the displaced.

Aid worker Cassandra Nelson, back from what was a village of 5,000, now home to 37,000:

CASSANDRA NELSON, COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, MERCY CORPS: Things like rice and sugar, lentils and chickpeas -- these are things that make of the -- kind of the core of the diet here -- are not available.

ROBERTSON: As night fell over Beirut, so did the bombs, flashes illuminating the skies.

(on camera): Well, that was another blast going off, a secondary echo there. We're right in the center of the city. I think the blasts are going off in the southern suburbs. The streets are pretty deserted down here. There's a big -- I see the sky being illuminated. It just flashed a big, sort of bright orange over there.

(voice-over): And, so, the war continues, the people of this country able to watch the losses mount on TV or out of their windows.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Once again, that was our Nic Robertson. And you can watch his pieces on "ANDERSON COOPER 360," 10:00 p.m. Eastern, every night.

Well, it looks like Wall Street is set to end the week on a negative note.

Susan Lisovicz live from the New York Stock Exchange to tell us why -- Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra.

We had one -- one great day this week. That was Wednesday. And that should be enough to put the broader market into positive territory for the week -- not the Nasdaq, though -- tech sectors under a lot of pressure.

Aside from Wednesday, the overall trend has been negative -- earnings season in full swing -- investors disappointed with two big companies today -- shares of Dell tumbling 10 percent, after the world's biggest P.C. maker said its sales and profit will fall far short of estimates. The problem is, it's having to discount prices so much. And that cuts into profit margins.

AMD, the world's second biggest chipmaker, also weighing on the tech sector -- its shares are falling 14 percent -- both of them the most -- among the most actively traded issues on the Street today.

Right now, the Dow industrials are off 58 points, nearly 59 points, or half-a-percent -- the Nasdaq composite, meanwhile, dropping nearly 20 points, or 1 percent -- a broad-based decline today, declining issues beating advancers by a 2-1 margin here at the NYSE, and 3-1 at the Nasdaq.

And that's the latest from Wall Street. Stay with us.

LIVE FROM will be right back. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN FURIN, MARATHON GOLFER: Three forty-five -- tee time is at 4:00.

ANDY SERWER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): While most people are counting sheep, 64-year-old John Furin is counting strokes.

FURIN: Golfing in the dark, I have found the most fun I have ever had with this game, nice and peaceful. Nobody else is out here.

SERWER: Four years ago, this retired butcher traded in his meat cleaver for a nine-iron. He plays three to five rounds per day, seven days a week, at his home course in Hibbing, Minnesota.

FURIN: Last Wednesday, I was here 18 hours.

SERWER: Furin spends the winters shoveling snow and working on home projects, but, from April through October, it's marathon golf. He put over 2,000 miles on his golf cart last summer. That's like driving from Manhattan to Salt Lake City. He played 572 rounds.

This summer, he's going for 600.

GARY YEAGER, GOLF CLUB PROFESSIONAL, MESABA COUNTRY CLUB: I almost get nauseated, you know, a sickening feeling just envisioning having to play 600 rounds a year. It's insane.

FURIN: There's a lot of them that say I'm crazy. But they would love to be able to do it. Oh, come off it, will you? As bad as I play, I always want to play more.

This is our little paradise. When you were young, you used to go to a playground with slides and that. When you get older now, you go to a golf course -- many hours of entertainment out here.

SERWER: Andy Serwer, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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