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Live From...

White House Briefing

Aired August 02, 2006 - 13:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, HOST: Hello, everyone, I'm Kyra Phillips live at the CNN headquarters in Atlanta.
Steamy, oppressive, dangerous heat. The East Coast seeks relief from triple digit temps.

Tropical Storm Chris. Will it be our first hurricane of the year?

State secrets. Cuba's keeping Castro's health classified. Exiles say it's time to go home. We're live from Havana and Miami.

Heavy combat. Israeli troops pushing deeper into Lebanon. The fighting expected to intensify. We'll tell you what Special Forces are up to.

LIVE FROM starts right now.

You don't beat it, just get through it. That's how one man in Bangor, Maine, is coping with the oppressive heat. That's right. Even Maine expects record setting temps today. At least a third of the country is in the grip of this heat wave. Excessive heat warnings posted from Dallas to Raleigh, St. Louis to Philadelphia. And as you can imagine, utility companies are bracing for record power usage.

Major League ball barks like Boston's Fenway are taking extra precautions, setting up water misters at the stadium and having more medical teams on duty. More than 100 fans were treated for heat at last night's game.

So when will the big cool-off come? Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf monitoring the new CNN weather center.

Reynolds, bring us up to date.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, the latest story we have is not just the heat, but it's the humidity, as well. We've got that awful combination of high humidity in many of these places, but temperatures that will be into the triple digits, if not the upper 90s, for today.

Again, the combination of the temperatures, the humidity, we refer to that as the heat index. And take a look at the numbers we're seeing here. In Albany, New York, 102 is what it's going to feel like, 104 in New York, 105 in Boston outside Yawkey Way, outside Fenway Park. Over in Pittsburgh, 94; 107 in Washington, D.C. So we're talking about just unbelievable heat. But then, if you just take a look at the air temperatures alone, again as you mentioned, the eastern third of the country really getting socked with those intense numbers.

Going up to 99 for Memphis, Tennessee; 95 in Chicago; 97 in Detroit; 100 for Washington. And then a string of triple digits goes up to New York, as well as Boston.

Now -- and speaking of heat, we're seeing things begin to finally heat up once again in the tropics. We're seeing what may be the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, Tropical Storm Chris, now just moving to the north of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The storm, again, does appear that it's going to strengthen.

And by the time we get to 8 a.m. in the morning on Thursday, 8 a.m. tomorrow, if not sooner, there's the potential that the storm could reach maximum sustained winds of 74 miles per hour, which would classify it as a Category 1 storm.

And the latest path we have from the Tropical Prediction Center brings it north of Puerto Rico as we get into Thursday and Friday. By 8 a.m. on Friday, still a Category 1, directly north of the Dominican Republic.

But keep in mind, the storm could move a little bit more to the north or move a little bit farther to the south so it really bears watching. But at this point, U.S. Virgin islands, anywhere from two to four inches of rainfall. Places like Pillsbury Sound, right near St. John, into St. Thomas, heavy, heavy surf at this time.

That's the latest we have for you. Let's send it back to you at the news desk.

PHILLIPS: All right. Appreciate it.

WOLF: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Thanks so much.

Sizzling, sweltering, suffocating, however you say it, it's dangerously hot across a good third of the country and into Canada. Expect to see a lot of 100 degree temperatures before the day is done. Many cities are taking extra precautions, trying to keep everybody cool.

CNN's Allan Chernoff at the Sunnyside Senior Center in the Queens section of New York. A lot of concern about the elderly right now, Allan.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, over here, things are nice and cool compared to outside.

Let's have a look at the thermometer in here. You can see, 82 degrees. Well, that may not be so cold, but let me tell you, relatively speaking, it's a delight. Outside, about 16, 17 degrees hotter, and that's without the humidity. Inside here, they've got a few hundred people. They've just finished lunch. The Sunnyside Senior Center is open during the week every single day. Today, of course, especially important for plenty of people.

Now, the folks here, most of them do have air conditioning at home, but there are some people, pardon me, who actually have been doing without air conditioning. Let's talk to one of them right now.

Martha Barlakova (ph). Martha, I understand that at home you actually don't have air conditioning, right?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No air conditioning at all.

CHERNOFF: What was it like last night?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, terrible, terrible. Well, I made it. I'm here. I'm here.

CHERNOFF: And I'm sure the senior center here is a great relief during the day.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very good. I really appreciate this -- this places, the cool places. It's very good for the old people over here, for the seniors.

CHERNOFF: Great. Well, stay cool. Make sure that you drink lots of liquids.

And of course, they are trying to do that here. They've got plenty of water available for the seniors. They also have the utility, Con Edison, in the back, actually giving out refunds to people, filling out forms. They're giving out refunds to people who lost power a couple of weeks ago.

Remember, we had a huge blackout. And lots of people lost everything in their refrigerators. So Con Edison is actually giving back as much as $350 to people.

They're also giving out something else, these fans. Not much compensation, but it can keep you a little cool today -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Allan Chernoff. I remember yesterday you were out on the street with that temperature gauge, 112 degrees. A little better for you inside there.

CHERNOFF: Much more pleasant here, no doubt.

PHILLIPS: All right, Allan, we'll keep checking in.

Well, it's going to be another hot one in Chicago. The combination of heat and humidity will push the heat index into the triple digits. The city and much of the rest of the state remains under an excessive heat warning. How are they coping? Let's check in with Darlene Hill from CNN affiliate WFLD -- Darlene. DARLENE HILL, WFLD CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, this is how a lot of people here in Chicago are coping. This is a big thing here in Chicago. It's called Italian ice. And what they do is take a lot of ice, crush it up and add some fresh fruit.

Some of the hot items today, watermelon, cantaloupe, fruit cocktail. And if you spend any time in Chicago, you know about this place in what is called Little Italy.

Now we, as you said, are dealing with another day of hot, hot weather. But the heat warning is supposed to be called off for us tonight at 7 p.m. But getting there, a lot of Chicagoans say it's going to be tough, because it is going to be hot today. Another day of unbearable heat.

And while it is deadly here in the city -- we've had nearly a dozen deaths here in the area. Most Chicagoans are taking it all in stride.

Just earlier this week, we had -- or just yesterday, I'm sorry, we had just two more elderly people found in their homes. They had histories of heart disease, and they had histories of other problems. But of course, the medical examiner's office said the hot weather did not play -- did not help them any, because they did not have working air conditioning.

Again, Chicagoans dealing with five, six days straight of excessive hot weather. Today, we are expecting the cool down. And something else, we are expecting a little bit of rain, so that should help us all chill out.

Again, Italian ice, big thing here in Chicago, and it helps. Fresh fruit and ice. Back to you.

PHILLIPS: Yes, it is, some of the best stuff around. That is for sure.

Darlene, question to you, just about emergency response. Number of different cities, we've heard from mayors, other leaders saying, look, we've got extra people on standby. There's definitely been more calls to 911. I mean, what's the feel there? I mean, is it extra staffed?

HILL: Well, our mayor, Mayor Richard Daley, has been talking about the electric company here, Con Ed. Just a couple of days ago, Kyra, we had a major power outage on one side of town that affected about 1,200 people, most of them senior citizens.

The electric company came in and picked all of those people up on cooled buses, brought them downtown to hotels, took them over to UIC dorm rooms or at our convention center here.

So the mayor has been pretty pleased with the way, because we have had to deal with excessive hot weather. He says the electric company, you cannot even say anything bad about them, because they are doing a good job. It's unexpected. You just have to deal with it. PHILLIPS: Darlene Hill with our affiliate, WFLD, sure appreciate it, Darlene. Thanks.

HILL: No problem. Wish I could get you some Italian ice.

PHILLIPS: Same me some, will you please? It's one of my favorites.

HILL: Yes, yes.

PHILLIPS: All right, Darlene. I've been there. All right.

Well, moving on to another -- our other top story, of course, about the classified information surrounding Fidel Castro and his health. It's termed a state secret in Cuba.

In the most recent official statement on Cuban television, the ailing leader is quoted as saying he's in stable condition and good spirits after intestinal surgery. The message added that the Cuban people will know everything else in good time.

In the meantime, still no public sighting of or official comment from Castro's brother Raul, aimed to take over Cuba's government for the time being. The U.S. administration says no matter if Raul Castro takes over permanently, it will not soften its stance against Cuba but it stands ready to help the Cuban people transition to democracy once the communist leader is gone.

"I'm stable, that's all anyone needs to know." That's the Cliff Notes version of the latest statement from ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro. So how is this information or lack thereof affecting Castro's countrymen? CNN's Morgan Neill has the latest now from Havana.

Morgan, you're not getting much to work with, are you?

MORGAN NEILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred (sic), we're used to it. Despite that, the atmosphere in Havana is very calm. And that's after just two days after hearing for the first time in 47 years President Fidel Castro has ceded power, giving over provisional power to his brother Raul Castro, as you mentioned.

Here in Havana, traffic is flowing normally. We can note, no increased police presence from what we're able to see.

We just heard an interesting anecdote from someone, a foreign observer, who's here studying Cuba over the summer. He said he was out in a section of Havana here known as Rodado (ph) and saw the customary motorcade of cars that Cubans know how to recognize as either Fidel or Raul.

The police cordoned off the road so that no one could pass. Again, this is very normal. And that the car stopped. And as people were waiting, they actually let out a cheer. They cheered what they at least believed is Raul Castro driving through the streets.

So this gives you some idea that there is some very heartfelt support here, as well as a need to avoid some of this uncertainty.

Now Tuesday afternoon, we got this latest statement saying that President Fidel Castro is in good spirits, his health is stable and that the country is well defended.

It's worth noting that President Castro has had health issues before. He's had a fall as well as a fainting spell, but has never handed power over. So this is a very unusual event.

Now the initial statement on Monday, of course, shocked many Cubans. But since then, they've been taking a wait and see attitude, saying that come what may, they've still got to go to work in the morning. They're watching out for the latest. But there's not that sense of panic in the streets -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Morgan, let me ask you a question. As you have been talking to your sources and even people off the record there in the community -- let's say the exiles are talking so much about a democracy and the fall of a dictatorship, but the people who live in Cuba, do you get the sense that they would be ready for a democratic government? I mean, for many of them, this is all they've known, is Fidel Castro and his brother Raul.

NEILL: That's right. Some seven out of 10 Cubans have only known this government.

And while it's hard to speculate -- when you use these terms, they tend to be weighted terms here. That is, a lot of times when you hear about democracy, you hear about it in terms of U.S.-backed democracy.

Cuba, like many other countries, there's a great feeling of nationalism here. So you're not going to find many people that want democracy handed to them from the United States. A democracy on its own terms, absolutely. There are many who would back it. But that's not normally what you hear. You usually hear it in terms of democracy given or helped out by the United States -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Morgan Neill, appreciate it, live from Havana.

Well, it's calmer today in Miami, where the expat Cuban community has toned down the street party over word that their nemesis, Fidel Castro, is ailing. But Castro's condition is still the talk of the town.

CNN's Rusty Dornin has the latest now from Miami's Little Havana.

Hey, Rusty.

You hear me all right, Rusty? You're connected with me?

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I am.

PHILLIPS: Rusty.

DORNIN: Kyra.

PHILLIPS: We're live, my dear.

DORNIN: Oh, OK.

PHILLIPS: It's all right. Susan Candiotti was having a hard time yesterday with all the horns and the trucks and...

DORNIN: It's so hard to hear.

PHILLIPS: I know it is. Take it away.

DORNIN: It's -- it's calmed considerably, really, Kyra, since yesterday. But it's still extremely noisy. In fact, I was wearing hearing protection in one ear so I could even hear anything from Atlanta.

But there are people still here that are coming to speculate, to gossip, about what's going on in Cuba. There's a lot of confusion, a lot of color, a lot of people selling Cuban-American flags and that sort of thing. Are people are coming here, as I said, to get information.

One of those people is Evelio Salermo. He and his family were just in Key West when they heard the news.

You came here to get some information?

EVELIO SALERMO, CUBAN EXILE: To get some information, to see what's happening. I saw it on the news, and I tried to come back here to see what's going on.

DORNIN: Now what do you think at this point? Are you confused about what's going on? Do you think he's dead? Do you think he's alive?

SALERMO: Well, I'm a little confused, but I know the government from Cuba hides everything behind their doors. And they don't let anybody know what's going on. And people don't understand that. So I -- according to what I know about the Cuban government, they're hiding something that nobody knows.

DORNIN: And once again, I want to say that Evelio did come from Cuba when you were how old?

SALERMO: I was 14 years old when I came from Cuba in 1978, so I know a little bit about what's going on there. And I grew up knowing what was going on and all the lies that they have. And the way they lie to the people in the country is unbelievable. And the -- all the country around the world believe all the lies that he says.

DORNIN: And as far as Raul Castro taking over, how do you feel about that? Do you think his -- his government could last if he did take over and Castro died?

SALERMO: Well, in my own thinking, and I think the Cuban people, the people inside Cuba are more pro-Fidel, and they like the charisma that Fidel has. One way or the other, that he has the charisma and people follow that. And I don't think they're going to follow whatever he does, the brother. He doesn't have that charisma going on as a -- to be leader of a country.

DORNIN: One last question: are you going to go back there if, indeed, Castro's government falls?

SALERMO: Well, I can't go back. I have my root here. But I wish I can go back where I was born, to see what was there, where I grow up, to show my daughter. I have a 19-year-old daughter. To show my daughter where I was born, where I grew up. It would be something very emotional.

DORNIN: Thank you.

Evelio Salermo, his family here vacationing. They were actually in Key West, which is of course, 90 miles from Cuba.

Just want to set the scene a little bit and show you what else is going on. These folks were on this side of the street yesterday. They've gone over there. People still going by honking, cars honking, that sort of thing. But still a lot of singing, a lot of celebration, in anticipation that there could be a peaceful transition -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Rusty Dornin, we'll keep checking in. Thanks, Rusty.

Now let's get to Carol Lin. She has some developments for us from the newsroom regarding the Middle East -- Carol.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: That's right. We have footage from the Israeli Defense Forces just in to the CNN center. You are going to see firsthand gun camera footage of the raid in Bekaa Valley as Israeli troops go into a Hezbollah owned and operated hospital.

This is a part of the country that is close to the Syrian border. And what you're looking at is night footage. It's pretty grainy. It's hard to see exactly what's happening.

But this is what we know from CNN reporting, that troops, Israeli troops entered the hospital. They checked the identification cards of all the staff and the patients there. No indications so far that anybody was taken from that hospital. But witnesses said that several people were taken out of the hospital.

So this is fresh footage that we wanted to show you of this raid in the Bekaa Valley from last night. Look at that, the heading right there, as we bring it to you raw and live -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, appreciate it Carol. We'll keep checking in.

Meanwhile, straight ahead, the fighting intensifies in Lebanon as Israeli troops push deeper into Hezbollah territory. Our Brent Sadler is in Beirut. Our Matthew Chance is in Northern Israel. They're going to join us live, straight ahead.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Fierce battles and a daring raid in the Middle East. Here's what we know right now.

Israeli troops are pushing deeper into Lebanon in their fight to disarm Hezbollah. Overnight, Special Forces stormed a hospital allegedly used by the militants as a base. The Israeli military says 25,000 soldiers are on the ground in Southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah is retaliating, firing more rockets than on any other day since fighting began. Some 215 have rained down on Israel today, killing one person. One of the rockets landed in the West Bank, flying farther than any fired from Southern Lebanon.

The Lebanese government is putting a price tag on Israel's offensive. It says it's cost $2 billion worth of damage so far. The human toll is also growing. 570 people have been killed in Lebanon since that conflict began. Israel is reporting 55 deaths.

It's the deepest penetration into Lebanon yet. Israeli Special Forces conducted an overnight helicopter raid on a Hezbollah stronghold 70 miles north of the Israeli border.

CNN Beirut bureau chief Brent Sadler joins us live.

Brent, tell us more about the operations.

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kyra, this was a dramatic shift in Israel's military tactics over the past three weeks. This was an Israeli commando airborne operation deep inside Lebanon about 70 miles from the Israeli border and as close as six miles to the Syrian border.

Now the focus of this operation, which included Israeli Special Forces, was to target an area the Israelis say was used as a logistical base for Hezbollah.

Essentially, they went to a hospital, which is funded and operated by Hezbollah, and that hospital -- there was a firefight around the hospital getting to that location, and inside.

Once they secured it, after very close quarters of bloody fighting, 10 killed, according to the Israelis, the Israelis then snatched five of those people inside. It's understood, according to the Israelis, they are Hezbollah members. They were taken away in one of three helicopters that landed and dropped off those assault forces.

So this a very bold and daring operation, which Hezbollah has countermanded by saying the Israelis failed in their objectives, Hezbollah repulsed the attack in its entirety and that the Israelis failed to achieve their objective. So conflicting reports there. But doubtless, this was an important shift in Israeli tactics. And something we may see more of as this conflict continues -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Brent, you know this area so well. So let me ask you this question. We're seeing a lot of video of the aftermath. We're seeing a lot of video released by the IDF. But we haven't actually seen video of these alleged Hezbollah areas, bases, and arrests being made and -- and seeing the images to match up with what we're hearing from both sides.

Will we see that and will that be possible? Or is it different with regard to access like we have access within U.S. military and battles, for example, say, in Iraq?

SADLER: Yes, Kyra, forget about embedding with Hezbollah. Forget about getting close-up pictures of how they're setting these Katyusha rocket-launching sites, when they're operating, how they're moving. Very much of what Hezbollah has done throughout its existence is to work in very deep secrecy.

Only very occasionally, perhaps once a year, has Hezbollah, over the many years that I've been covering this region, allowed journalists, and it's normally a lot of us, go down to South Lebanon, and it's very much a stage-managed operation to show us their positions, and these are very carefully-chosen positions, and their fighters, whose faces, they insist, are kept anonymous.

This is a very secretive organization. Has deep, deep distrust of journalists, per se, because journalists, they believe, particularly western journalists, could double as Israeli spies.

So that gives you some of the reasons why we're not getting really close up to what's happening with Hezbollah, what sort of casualties are being inflicted against them, and what sort of damage is being inflicted on these base, on these places where they move freely around.

What we do know is that the Israeli intention is to deprive Hezbollah of the -- not only the terrain, but also the concrete structures in towns and villages in a huge sway of South Lebanon where Hezbollah has been able to operate over these many years at will -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Brent Sadler, appreciate the insight.

And we're working on getting a report from Northern Israel. It's a dangerous situation for our reporters on the ground. We're going to check in with them as soon as we can.

Also straight ahead, journalists from all over the world have converged on the Middle East to cover this conflict. But what's it like for a reporter with close ties to the war zone? Find out, coming up on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: On the attack, on the ground and on the air, thousands of Israeli troops are pushing deep near Lebanon three weeks after the start of the Middle East conflict. And Hezbollah is hitting back.

CNN's John Roberts joins us -- oh, you are live, John. I didn't know if you were going to be with us on the phone or via live. I know it's kind of a dangerous situation right now. But bring us up to date and tell us about this video that you got access to.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Kyra, it's a video that the Israeli Defense Forces have just released about Baalbeck. We actually got some other video that we're going to bring to you a little bit later on today as we get that fed into our CNN center in Atlanta.

But just recently, the Israeli Defense Forces released a video of last night's raid in the town of Baalbeck. It's the ancient city in the northern part of the Bekaa Valley, very close to the border with Syria, a Hezbollah stronghold. It was also, through the 1990s and early 2000s, it was the center for a lot of training camps for people like the Palestinian Liberation Organization, for Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, other extremist groups like that.

Last night, at about 11 p.m. our time, the Israeli commandos went in with three Black Hawk helicopters, dropped onto the ground and went into what they say is a Hezbollah command center. Hezbollah says it's a hospital, and it could, in fact, be a hospital. In fact, information we have is that it is a Hezbollah hospital, funded with Iranian money.

When they went in, they checked a bunch of I.D.s of people who were in there. They also killed some Hezbollah fighters on the outside, according to the Israeli Defense Forces. The video shows, accord to the Israeli Defense Forces, these Hezbollah fighters scattering as the helicopters come in.

They go through the hospital. They killed a number of Hezbollah fighters, including, according to the Israeli military, some inside the hospital.

They arrested five -- what they say are members of Hezbollah and spirited them away back here to Israel. Hezbollah's countering that, saying they were not Hezbollah fighters, they were not Hezbollah leaders, they were simply civilians.

Now here's what's probably behind all of this. I talked with General Benny Gantsen (ph), of the Northern Command, about the raid today. In terms of was this the -- an attempt by the Israeli military to gain some bargaining chips for a possible negotiation, a possible trade of prisoners, perhaps these five Hezbollah, as the Israeli military is saying, leaders for the two captured Israeli soldiers? Or was it more symbolism than anything?

And it seems to be sort of a combination of the two. They do want to have some more cards for potential negotiations with Hezbollah, but they also want to send a very strong signal to Hezbollah, that even though you are claiming you are making success against the Israeli military on the ground and you are withstanding the air campaign and Hezbollah will survive the Israeli onslaught, that Israel can strike deep into Hezbollah territory. And this is not southern Beirut; this is serious Hezbollah territory out there in Baalbeck. We can go in there, we can go into your command center, and we take away five of your people.

And so in a sense, Kyra, I think they were trying to give Hezbollah a bit of a bloody nose here. They also say they collected a lot of intelligence information, a lot of information about what Hezbollah may be up to in terms its of this overall campaign. But of course all of this is coming from -- you know, it's a he said/she said sort of situation. The Israeli military saying one thing; Hezbollah is saying quite another. You know the details tend to get worked out in the wash. But as this point, that's what we know about that Baalbeck operation.

PHILLIPS: All right, so let me ask you about images, John, with regard to the Hezbollah guerrillas. Is the IDF saying we're arresting Hezbollah guerrillas, or they're just killing Hezbollah guerrillas? And if, indeed, they're making arrests as well, why aren't we seeing those images? Why aren't we seeing video released of that?

ROBERTS: I don't know why we're not seeing video released of the actual arrests or -- if you can call them abductions. I'm not sure exactly what category it falls into. They just wanted to show the world that they could strike into Hezbollah territory, operate almost with impunity, do whatever they want, come back with everybody, taking no casualties, and also take five away Hezbollah, what they say are leaders of Hezbollah. Again, Hezbollah countering that, saying they were simply civilians, not members of Hezbollah. But, you know, it's -- everybody's fighting the PR campaign here. It's a war of images. It's a war of symbolism. It's a war of propaganda, and Israel believes it's got a pretty good propaganda story to tell today, to say that they could go all the way up to Baalbeck, drop in commandos, grab some guys, and come all the way back to Israel.

PHILLIPS: All right, John, we'll talk some more. Appreciate it.

Our live coverage from the Middle East continues straight ahead. We're also expecting a live briefing from the White House.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

PHILLIPS: Straight many from the markets there and the numbers live, we want to take you know to the White House, Tony Snow actually talking about the new briefing room. It's a big day over at the White House. Where he is now is going to be torn down, and pretty soon you're going to see something a little more high tech. He's talking about it.

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TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I'd like to ask you to go back to the Middle East and, if you can, while the cameras have been focused perhaps elsewhere on the diplomatic process, can you bring us up to date on are we getting any closer to stopping the violence?

That, ultimately, is going to depend on the parties involved.

Let me tell you about the diplomatic steps. There has been considerable progress since the president's first statement on the 12th of last month when Hezbollah went into Israel, kidnapped a couple of soldiers, killed eight others and began a rocket barrage that continues to this day.

We've had a statement from the G-8. We have also had the Rome conference. We've had statements by the European Union.

But in addition, we now have ongoing efforts that the United Nations. The French and the Americans are now working off the same sheet of paper. And, within the Security Council, you have people who are busy working away on the issues. And there's agreement on all the steps that are necessary.

There's still some continuing work on the practical issues of sequencing and so on. But they include making it possible for the government of Lebanon to have full sovereignty over Lebanese territory and to be able to assert effective military control in the south, for Hezbollah to cease to operate independently as a militia in defiance of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559, to provide support for the government of Prime Minister Siniora so that it is going to be able to fulfill its obligations.

There are humanitarian steps under way, as you know. There will be reconstruction; and also to try to put together steps that are going to lay in place the foundation for security in the future that's going to prevent the kinds of mischief that we've seen on behalf of Hezbollah that have gotten us to this place.

QUESTION: But you're talking about the secretary of state saying there's going to be days not weeks.

SNOW: Right.

QUESTION: And you have Shimon Peres saying it's going to be weeks not months. And there's a gulf there that...

SNOW: But the Israeli government, also, has said -- and again, people within the Israeli government, I will let them answer it.

But the person who has been speaking is Prime Minister Olmert, who is the head of government.

But the Israelis also have said that they would accept -- I don't know; "welcome" may be too warm a word -- a multinational force to work in concert with the Lebanese armed forces to help provide that kind of security within southern Lebanon that we all (inaudible).

QUESTION: Tony, one of the things you cite as progress is the G- 8 statement.

SNOW: Right. QUESTION: In that statement, there was no mention of an immediate cease-fire. And, since the G-8, you have almost everyone calling for an immediate cease-fire.

SNOW: Well, no.

QUESTION: So how con you cite that as great progress, since you've actually gone back...

SNOW: We haven't gone backwards. You are assuming that an immediate cease-fire -- we want a cease-fire immediately. No. We want a cease-fire that's sustainable, that is going to provide the basis for security in the long run in Lebanon.

The G-8 did not call for it. Rome did not call for it. The E.U. did not call for it.

So the voices have been a lot of you guys and a lot of people speaking on the side, but in point of fact there have been public statements about it. But when you've taken a look at the diplomatic efforts and groups of nations combined, they all recognize that if you declare an immediate cease-fire and you do not have the conditions for real peace, it is simply going to be a hollow declaration.

And that has happened enough in this region.

QUESTION: But they recognize that, but they also want a cessation of violence immediately...

SNOW: And so...

QUESTION: ... but which the U.S. does not... SNOW: No, no, no, no -- wrong, because it's very important. There's a difference between a declaration of an immediate cease-fire and cessation of violence, which we want. It's up to Hezbollah. Hezbollah can stop firing rockets. I believe today is a record- setter.

The fact is that you've got to get the conditions on the ground where Hezbollah stops providing the provocation.

SNOW: As I've said many times, we would love a cease-fire yesterday. We want an end to violence. We think that what has happened is a tragedy,

I'd like you to go back to the Middle East, and if you can, while the cameras....

PHILLIPS: As we continue to monitor Tony Snow there at the White House briefing, he's talking about the Middle East. We want to talk more about covering this type of conflict. It's always a challenge for journalists. We talked a little bit about it with John Roberts, and we'll do that more later, next hour. But it's even more difficult when it hits close to home.

My next guest is a reporter for LBC, the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation. His hometown was the overnight target of a daring Israeli raid.

Sultan Sleiman joins me now from Tyre, Lebanon.

And, Sultan, maybe we start there. Let's talk about Baalbeck. It's your hometown, also home to a number of ancient ruins. But first of all, do you still have family there? And what was it like to cover that?

SULTAN SLEIMAN, LEBANESE BROADCASTING CORP. REPORTER: I guess that -- what happened yesterday is that the Israeli army supposed that the two Israeli soldiers who were captured by Hezbollah guerrillas three weeks ago might be in that hospital, or they suspected that one high-rank Hezbollah officer is taking this hospital as a base for himself.

But in both cases, the reality proved the contrast of what they supposed. It is a real hospital. I know it very well, and it is completely destroyed.

Now Hezbollah denied that the five persons who were captured by the Israeli army are its members of Hezbollah. And usually Hezbollah has -- with media has its own credibility. Because if they were really Hezbollah members, Hezbollah would not comment, at least. But Hezbollah has denied completely. That means they are not members of Hezbollah. That's how I read the things.

Now, regarding Baalbeck -- Baalbeck, as you know, is the town of the very famous Roman ruins. And these ruins are really -- threatened to be destroyed completely and to be evaporating completely by the air raids that are striking the city. This city is not a big city. Baalbeck is a small city, and it's usually its population, in the peak time of residency, does not exceed 50,000 people. So when you are talking about air raids in which bombs of half a ton or one ton of kilogram or one ton of dynamites, this might destroy or at least shake these ruins and make them fall down.

So I would like to use this opportunity to appeal to the UNESCO, to the United Nations, to find a way to the protect these ruins. Because it's not only property of Lebanon. It's a property for -- of history. And this would remind us of what Taliban did in the -- in Afghanistan when they destroyed the Buddha statues there.

PHILLIPS: And we...

SLEIMAN: So we are afraid that these ruins might be destroyed by the Israeli army. That's why I appeal everybody to do its best to rescue these ruins.

PHILLIPS: You bring up an interesting point. We do -- I do remember that when we covered that part of Afghanistan and when the Buddhas were being blown at, or blown apart. And it does bring back memories as you see what's happening in Baalbeck, and just the ancient ruins, Sultan, that should be preserved.

But let me just ask you a question again about that hospital. I mean, this is your hometown. Do you ever remember growing up or living there within the past ten years or so? Did Hezbollah -- have Hezbollah guerrillas ever operated out of that hospital? Have they ever hidden out in civilian neighborhoods in that area? Have you known that to be a reality?

SLEIMAN: Let me tell you something. First of all, the whole Bekaa Valley area is stronghold of Hezbollah. Now, they don't need to be carrying weapons in that area. This is a hospital. And the population of Baalbeck are Shiite mostly. There are few Sunnis and few Christians, but mostly they are Shiites. And, you know, Hezbollah has huge majority of the Shiite base in Baalbeck and in other towns of the country.

So I have never, ever seen any Hezbollah guerrilla in this hospital. This is one point. Second point, this hospital is owned by a charity Islamic organization. Now, probably this organization might be close to Hezbollah or support Hezbollah. But it is not used to help the guerrillas. This hospital aims only to help the needy people.

And I remember one week before this Israeli attacks -- this Israeli attacks started on Lebanon, I remember -- I visited this hospital and there were a lot of patients there. Not all of them are civilians. Even they don't have guards on the gates of this hospital. You don't have armed guards on this gate, on the gates of the hospital.

I really -- and I know one of the families of the people who were killed. It's the family of Jamal Adin (ph). This family is in a small village near the hospital. It's called Al Jemalia (ph). It doesn't show up on the map because it's very, very small, very tiny village. And this family, seven members were killed in their houses. And according to what we received from -- of information, the five captured persons were captured away from the hospital. One of them was captured was his son. His name Hussein Nasrela (ph) and his son. So they were captured probably because they were escaping the hell of bombardment and shelling which was taking place on hospital.

PHILLIPS: So Sultan, let me ask...

SLEIMAN: So I assure to you that this hospital has never, ever been used for war affairs.

PHILLIPS: So let me ask you, Sultan, because this is a very different type of war for journalists, at least for U.S. journalists. Because we're able to embed with the IDF or with Hezbollah. We haven't been able to inside what's really happening at this battle. We see a lot of what's happened afterwards, and we're given video from the IDF. We haven't gotten anything from Hezbollah.

So as a Lebanese journalist, how do you cover this story and how do you get inside this story and try to get to the truth, when, like our John Roberts said, it's such a P.R. war from the outskirts, with regard to what we can get?

SLEIMAN: We rely on three sources of information. First source is what Hezbollah issues, the statements or any declarations that Hezbollah issues. This is one source. Second source is the Lebanese security forces. Because even with all this mess of situation, still the security -- Lebanese official security is working. So this is another source of information.

Third source of information is the inhabitants in the villages and towns. And they -- those would tell you exactly what's happening. If somebody tells you that this building was destroyed that's in front of me and it is -- so many floors, so and so floors and so many families, et cetera, you should believe it, because it's his neighborhood. And some of the places, we know it very well, and we've grown up with it. As the same as what happened in Baalbeck yesterday.

You are asking me about Darnhak (ph) Hospital. It's a new hospital. It's not an old one. But, still, I know it very well. And now I am acquainted with South Lebanon. I've been covering the war in 1996, the very famous war at that time, when the Israelis reached an agreement with Hezbollah. It's called the "April Understanding." So I have been here and I know the area very well. And this helps a lot to see things by your own eyes.

Now, usually, the same Israeli army does. They issue a statement. Here, Hezbollah issues a statement. Usually we say this is a statement of Hezbollah, in which Hezbollah says, so and so. But when there is something contradicts -- for instance, when I have been told that Hezbollah succeeded to strike two days ago a warship, and I was asked by my TV station, is it correct or wrong -- it was obvious, I said, I didn't see anything. And when I asked the security -- when I asked the security, (INAUDIBLE) security, they told me we don't have any information. So I say Hezbollah said this information, but there is no independent source to support this information or to deny this information. This is the way we deal with things.

PHILLIPS: It's interesting. No, it's great insight, Sultan. I appreciate it. Because it's tough to see how this war is covered. Sultan Sleiman, reporter for the LBC, appreciate it -- your time. Thank you so much.

SLEIMAN: Thank you very much.

PHILLIPS: Coming up, the war at sea. John Vause has an exclusive report from the nerve center of the Israeli blockade. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We want to get back to the White House briefing and Tony Snow talking about the Middle East.

SNOW: No.

QUESTION: It's no secret that much of the world dislikes the United States now largely because of this Middle East situation. Do you see a change when this particular war is over -- do you think there will be more sympathy toward the United States as in 9/11... SNOW: You know, it's -- first I'm not sure I buy that they dislike us because of the Middle East situation. When tragedy happens, who's the first to respond? When a tsunami hits, the Americans are there first. When an earthquake hits, including in Iran, who's there first? The Americans.

People understand that this is a nation that is committed to human rights and is also committed to the cause of compassion.

Who was the first to commit money to humanitarian causes in Lebanon? It was the United States.

So I think at this particular juncture, the United States has to demonstrate its good will through deeds and also through unflagging commitment to democracy and equality, and that's what we have been doing, at some considerable cost. But it's the right thing to do.

QUESTION: Tony, could I just follow on that? The president has taken pains to try to repair relations with Europe in the wake of the war in Iraq.

Now we're in the situation where the United States is standing strongly alongside Israel and is generating unease again in Europe.

Is the president concerned that, in effect, he is getting himself back to where you started?

SNOW: No, because I think your premise is wrong. Again, we're working with the French right now on the same sheet of paper when it comes to what everybody said was an unbridgeable chasm with regard to Lebanon.

We worked with our European allies at the G-8 in Rome. We came up with unified statements on those. We have worked with our allies. When it came to Iran, we got a U.N. Security Council resolution. We worked with people in the Far East on a North Korean resolution.

The fact is, the United States is not standing alone. If it's standing alone, that's because it's in the front of the line and others are joining us in a commitment to try to find peaceful methods for dealing with very vexing and difficult causes.

QUESTION: Last Friday, a Muslim American denouncing Jews and Israel took a 13-year-old girl hostage at the Jewish Federation Center in Seattle and shot six women, one of them dead. Yet the FBI and the law enforcement authorities refused to call this terrorism.

The president says we're in a war on terrorism. Can you or the president better define terrorism so the American people can understand just who or what it is we're fighting?

SNOW: I hate to use the murder of innocents as an attempt to make a debating point about terror. And I'm not going to do it.

QUESTION: Tony, what is your latest assessment of what's going on in Cuba? And to what extent has this most serious health crisis involving Castro affected U.S. plans for the eventuality of a democracy?

SNOW: Well, there are a couple of things. I mean, I think the most important thing is we can't characterize. Cuba, as I said, yesterday, is a closed society. And it's difficult for us to assess what the situation is.

However, the president from the very beginning has stressed the importance of a free and democratic Cuba in a post-Castro era.

The Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba has laid out a compact with the Cuban people that includes plans for economic, educational, social and other aid so that we can regain the ties, the naturally close ties between American and Cuban people.

And it's also, however, important at this juncture to tell people: Stay where you are. This is not a time for people to try to be getting in the water and going either way. We have talked about the importance, eventually, of finding an orderly and safe way for people to make transit between two places.

But there is a lot to rebuild. You talk about a rebuilding job. You've got people running around in 1957 Chevys because it's a country that has not in fact been able to enjoy the fruits of the technological revolution that's made life easier in the rest of the world.

And it is time now for the Cuban people also to have a rebuilt infrastructure, electricity, social services, the whole bit. And that is one of the things that this government has been thinking about for quite a while.

One more.

QUESTION: With the Congress about to recess until September, is the president still optimistic that he can get an immigration bill by the end of...

SNOW: There are ongoing conversations. And I think -- let me put it this way: The president is going to do everything he can, because it is important to address immigration, not in a piecemeal method, not in a method where do you a little now and a lot later, but to come up with a comprehensive solution that is going to provide the basis for orderly immigration of people on to American shore -- into America and at the same time, to keep our borders secure, to know who people are, to have a guest worker program in which we can monitor who's working and we can make sure that they're taking jobs that otherwise will be taken by Americans -- and all the goals that the president has laid out.

So I think there is increasing awareness, in both houses of Congress, that that is the proper way to proceed.

Let me just say, that's the end of the question session here. I want to -- and I'll be happy to entertain other questions afterward. But today is the last day in which we're going to be gathered in this iteration of the James S. Brady Briefing Room. And it's one of the real glories and honors, if anybody has been a press secretary, not only to have the privilege of working for a president but also with the press.

There are many things that bind people together who have been in government service. I've been a speechwriter and now a press secretary. And you find that, across party lines, you have similar experiences and you provide similar support.

One of the thing that also draws us together is the cussedness and the persistence of the press corps, without whom my life would be a lot duller and, I think, so would the life of American democracy.

One of the great things is continuity of government and also the fact that there is always, here, somebody, trying to keep us honest and trying to get the story out to the American people.

It is a real privilege to be here. It's a real privilege to work with you. And now it's a real privilege to introduce some of my predecessors who have worked here, beginning with James S. Brady, for whom this press briefing room is named.

(APPLAUSE)

Ron Nessen, who served President Ford.

(APPLAUSE)

Marlin Fitzwater, who's worked for everybody.

(APPLAUSE)

Dee Dee Myers from the Clinton administration.

(APPLAUSE)

And also Joe Lockhart from the Clinton administration.

(APPLAUSE)

This is just one of those moments, you know -- I hate to be Kumbaya, but we're going to be Kumbaya, because I got help and advice from a lot of people before I took this job. And I think we can all agree: Whatever frustrations there may be, this is a great job.

(UNKNOWN): Some days.

Some days. That's right. Some memories linger, don't they.

All right. Also, one of the things I just want to do, again, is to reiterate to one and all, you're always going to be welcome here, including up in my office.

Let me just say to everybody who wasn't around earlier today, when we move over to our temporary lodgings in Jackson Place, I'll keep hours every day between gaggle and briefing time, and we will make sure that there's always somebody there. And as the unavoidable glitches occur, please let us know and we will try to fix them.

But we are obviously going to do everything we can to keep doing a better job of getting more information to you. And you just keep it up. As Helen said, keep questions coming to us, too.

I don't think people realize before -- before you walk into the room how small and cozy it is. It is cozy. I mean, I like being in close quarters with everybody, and I think...

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

SNOW: No, no. No, unfortunately, I missed spin school. I pay a price for that from time to time, but...

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

SNOW: That's right.

(LAUGHTER)

SNOW: I'm self-taught.

QUESTION (OFF-MIKE)

SNOW: Well, there are -- thank you, Goyle (ph). These are wonderful press secretaries. And, again, we fully appreciate and understand the honor.

And when we're done with this, I hope that we'll all have a chance to mix and mingle and visit a bit, because that's also part of it. I mean, again, this is an event that a lot of people who have not worked here are not fully going to understand, but I see since we have people -- how far back are people back there?

You know, people don't want to miss this day.

They're way back. Yes.

And Jim, god, it's great to see you here.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The reason why Tony Snow is honoring these former press secretaries. OK, he's talking to James Brady. Let's go ahead and -- well, no, he wasn't. He was just saying it was good to see him there.

James Brady, as you know, was permanently disabled after an assassination attempt on President Reagan back in 1981. Ever since then, he has been an ardent supporter for gun control. But you may recognize all the faces, Ron Nessen, who worked for Ford, James Brady there. Marlin Fitzwater worked for Ford, and father, Bush. Dee Dee Myers with Clinton, and Joe Lockhart with Clinton.

Honoring all these former press secretaries as this room is about to go under a massive renovation with more high-tech accessibility. We've been joking that he's been watching Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM" and that's why he's decided to change the room around. Can't confirm that. We're of course just guessing. But anyway, a special day there at the White House for the press briefing. And we'll be talking to Ed Henry later on about the ceremony.

Meanwhile, some of the most famous and infamous reporters and press secretaries of the last 35 years have worked in this White House briefing room. But did you know it's located over an area where President Franklin Roosevelt had a swimming pool?

When the room was rewired in 2000, contractors discovered the press secretary's podium is situated right over the deep end. That's interesting. Members of the press, well, they're over that shallow end.

Meanwhile, let's take you over to the White House. President Bush coming -- oh, taking you back to the White House press briefing. The president actually coming in. A surprise visit, actually.

Let's listen in and see what he has to say.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome, Mr. President.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I know you've been complaining about the digs for a while. This is like the end of an old era, and let me just say we felt your pain. And so we decided, you know, to help you renovate and come up with a new Brady center.

And so, I want to thank the former spin-meisters for joining me up here.

Tell my people how to do it, will you? I mean, it's -- but, anyway, Laura and I wanted to come by and wish you all the best as you get to move headquarters for a while.

I look forward to welcoming you back here in, I guess, six or seven months. Is that right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nine months.

BUSH: Nine months? Yes, well...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're setting no timetable, Mr. President.

(LAUGHTER)

BUSH: That's what you get when you bring a crackpot up from Texas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No comment, sir.

BUSH: Yes.

Is it like suede chairs? Huh? Is that what you're looking at? Kind of velvet armchairs? Everybody wants to be able to lean back.

It looks a little crowded in here. And so, we want to double the size?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

BUSH: Forget it!

(LAUGHTER)

BUSH: You get to work like the rest of us. We may have some air conditioning, if we decide to.

Anyway, good luck in the new building. Looking forward to seeing you over there.

Is the air conditioner work better there than here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

BUSH: The last time I had a press conference in here it felt like it was outside. As a matter of fact, some of your makeup was running.

QUESTION: Mr. President, should Mel Gibson be forgiven?

(LAUGHTER)

BUSH: Is that you Ewan Gregory (ph) standing back there? You know...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A little respect for your elders.

BUSH: Is that Sam Donaldson? Forget it, you're a has been. We don't have to answer has been's questions.

Did you say something about the White House Press Corps?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.

BUSH: It's a beautiful bunch of people.

QUESTION: How about your best moment in here, sir? Can you remember your best...

BUSH: My best moment in here was when my press conference ended.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

BUSH: I can't hear you. I'm over 60, just like you.

QUESTION: Ronald Reagan can get away with that, sir.

BUSH: He was over 60, as well.

At any rate, as you can tell, I'm thrilled to be here. But we do wish you all the best. Looking forward to being here when you kick off the new room. You deserve better than this.

I appreciate the relationship with the press. I know these folks enjoyed -- enjoyed dealing with you -- well, another crowd of you, but dealing with you as well.

It's an important relationship...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some of the same crowd.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

BUSH: Well, you're the head of the whole thing. Like, have you got a thing -- a role to play? OK, good.

But, anyway, good luck. For those of you going to Crawford, saddle up.

All right, good to see you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Mr. President.

BUSH: Yes.

SNOW: Thank you, everybody.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you very much.

PHILLIPS: A surprise visit from the president of the United States there at the White House briefing room. It is about actually to be completed renovated, made a little more high tech.

So Tony Snow came in and introduced former press secretaries. You can see the president right now shaking hands with James Brady, who was appointed by Reagan as press secretary in '81. You know he is permanently disabled after that assassination attempt on Reagan.

Now the president working his way through the room. A lot of the famous old-timers, shall we say. Helen Thomas there in front, who has been known to grill the president and a number of others at times.

The president also mentioning a lot of journalists who have since retired that came to the big event today. And then, of course, you see a lot of the journalists that work this room now on a regular basis for us and other networks and other publications and magazines, but a very relaxed time for the president.

You don't usually see him in this type of situation or forum, able to joke along with the press, especially with so many hard- hitting issues at the head of the news at this time, whether it's the conflict in the Middle East or, of course, what's happening with the war in Iraq.

So, we'll follow today. And, you know, we were giving you a little history of this briefing room and how it started and who built it, and you heard him mention Nixon. Take a look at this picture. If you're not old enough to remember, well, President Richard Nixon's administration built this briefing room. It was unveiled in 1970 due to the demand of television news. And, well, all of you know how that demand has increased. And you see how many more people are in that room now.

And notice very few women in that black and white picture. It's changed since then, that is for sure.

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