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Evacuees Arrive In U.S.; Marines In Beirut; Rice Visits U.N.; Israeli Ground Forces; Hezbollah In U.S.; Staying Cool For Less Tips

Aired July 20, 2006 - 10:00   ET

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

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: That's tomorrow as we continue our series of reports on the crisis in the Middle East.
Miles, back to you.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Soledad, have a safe journey. We'll see you tomorrow. And we'll see you tomorrow, as well. That's all the time we have for AMERICAN MORNING. Daryn Kagan is at the CNN Center to take you through the next couple of hours on CNN LIVE TODAY.

Hello, Daryn.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Miles, good morning to you.

We do anticipate another busy two hours. Let's get started.

And let's begin with what we know at this hour.

The first American evacuees from Lebanon are back in the U.S. As many as 150 people were aboard the flight. It landed earlier this morning at Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

Meanwhile, U.S. Marines are ferrying hundreds of Americans on to a U.S. Navy ship off the coast of Beirut. It's the first time that Marines have been on Lebanese soil in 22 years.

From Beirut to the border, Damascus, Syria, Salarnica (ph), Cyprus, CNN has reporters all across the region to bring you the very latest on the fighting and the evacuations that are taking place. And we have many live reports straight ahead.

Let's begin, though, here on the U.S. side. Our national correspondent, Bob Franken, at BWI, the airport in Baltimore, where this first flight has come in.

Bob, why is this the airport that they have chosen to make the stomping ground, the first stop as they return?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Partly because of its proximity to Washington, along with Dulles International Airport on the other side of D.C. They have plans to handle this kind of thing and they have before. So it was BWI, the official name Thurgood Marshall Baltimore-Washington International Airport. It is a hub for this type of thing and they have a long-standing relationship with the governments, plural, the Maryland and U.S. governments, to do that. And what they do when they get here, the people, for instance, who came in today, 140 plus, were greet by everybody from the Red Cross to people who could help them with travel arrangements or with medical problems or even with crisis counseling, if need be, and mainly be get on their way. And most of the people are now on their way.

At about 6:30 this morning Eastern, though, it was a very happy time for families like the Sumis. Anna Sumi, who is the mother of Ryan Sumi, a 16-year-old who, along with his father, had been in Lebanon and got out. Greeted by his mother and his girlfriend. And very emotional moment, as you can see. And then Ryan talked in the typical 16-year-old blase kind of way about what he had just witnessed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RYAN SUMI, EVACUEE: I was in a pretty safe area in Beirut. So we weren't really worried about it. We were in the Christian area.

FRANKEN: So it was just an adventure?

FRANKEN: It was. You could hear everything going off and you could see bombs and hear the planes. It's pretty intense. And the helicopter ride over was quite an experience.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: We're hearing a number of possibilities, but the number that planes that we're expecting to be coming back here in the next couple of days is about seven. And for many people then, they will be able to talk about this as an adventure, Daryn, as opposed to the nightmare that many of them experienced.

KAGAN: All right. And hopefully we'll see more of those smiles on their faces like we did on that 16-year-old.

Bob, thank you. Bob Franken in Baltimore.

Now for the latest from the Pentagon. And for that let's go to our Jamie McIntyre talking about the role of Marines in Beirut.

Jamie, hello.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, quite a sight this morning as U.S. Marines went ashore in Lebanon to bring American citizens to the U.S. amphibious transport ship, Nashville. CNN's Barbara Starr on the ship giving us a firsthand account of the way that the American citizens were being treated and the joy that they were experiencing in being aboard a U.S. military ship that's going to take them to safety in Nashville.

We've been hearing from some of the Americans who have come out about -- essentially giving good reviews to the State Department and the military for the way that they've been treated after some initial frustration by some about the pace of evacuation. But we're now seeing the very efficient flow of U.S. citizens out of the Port of Beirut.

Of course, the question is still about what about other Americans who are in more remote area whose have not been able to travel to Beirut to get on these ships because of the dangerous trip overland and the State Department right now is telling those people to stay put, saying they're in a holding pattern. The plan is to try to move them by buses to Beirut so they can get on ships, either military ships like the Nashville or some of the cruise ships that have been chartered by the U.S. government.

There is planning for the contingency for possible helicopter evacuations if it comes to that. But that is a sort of worse case scenario if the security situation were to get to the point where they had to extract Americans right away. That's one reason why more U.S. military ships with more helicopters and landing crafts will be arriving today and tomorrow.

Daryn.

KAGAN: All right, Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon. We'll be talking to you throughout the morning.

Meanwhile, I want to focus on the United Nations. A special visitor there today. Our senior U.N. correspondent, Richard Roth, tells us about the visit of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Richard.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, Secretary of State Rice way not make it to the U.N. proper today, maybe tomorrow, but she'll be meeting near here with Secretary General Kofi Annan later this evening. Rice planning a Middle East trip. But as White House Spokesman Tony Snow said the other day, we don't want her to go there with an empty satchel.

A spokesman deputy for Kofi Annan said yesterday this is a time for some major moments and decision making to try to get somebody on the same page of the international community. And certainly there's been a split in the push for some type of cease-fire or cessation of hostilities. A sequencing of demands and what should happen first to try to stop the fighting.

Yesterday John Bolton, Rice's United Nations ambassador, described what her meeting is all about here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BOLTON, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: I think this is an effort to understand what the secretary general's position is in preparation for her trip to the Middle East. She's doing a very extensive amount of preparation. Some up here, some in Washington, on the phone, meeting with people. So she's being very active in getting ready for this trip and this is part of the preparation.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ROTH: Also here at the United Nations, Secretary General Kofi Annan, in about an hour, will brief the full Security Council on a delegation's visit that he sent to the Middle East. Three people. One of them was not wanted by Syria. The delegation came back to New York any way. Syria quite upset about Israel's assault in Lebanon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BASHAR JA'AFARI, SYRIAN AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: We are seeing now that United States sidelined with Israel, with the aggression against civilian people. Where is this diplomacy? Where is the principles of George Washington who was fighting for the independence of America against foreign occupation. The issue is about foreign occupation. (INAUDIBLE) American values. We are defending American values.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: The current president of the Security Council, not George Washington, as the Syrian ambassador was talking about, but the French ambassador, he has floated various proposals in the Security Council, ideas he thought that the council, Daryn, should start to reflect on. The Security Council has not issued any official united unanimous statements since the outbreak of violence there.

KAGAN: What do you mean Syria didn't want one of the people who was sent in that delegation? The didn't approve of the selection?

ROTH: Terje Roed-Larsen, one of the three men, has written several reports that were critical of Syria and its influence in Lebanon several years ago. Syria has not forgotten about it.

KAGAN: All right. Thank you, Richard Roth, at the U.N. We'll be checking back with you. Also looking forward to hearing those comments from Kofi Annan in about an hour.

Let's go back overseas. More fierce fighting between Israeli troops and Hezbollah forces. Our Paula Newton filed this report. She is along Israel's northern border with Lebanon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here on the Israeli-Lebanese border, it is beginning to look more and more like a traditional front line every day as Israeli forces try to enter southern Lebanon on two different fronts today. They were engaged by Hezbollah militants. The Israeli army says they were in there to try and dig out some missile, missile launchers that were embedded in tunnels and caves.

When that happened, Hezbollah guerrillas opened fire in one instance with an anti-tank missile. One tank was destroyed and an armored bulldozer also was destroyed. More importantly, three Israelis soldiers were wounded.

It is proving to be very tough on the ground here. While air assaults have wiped out as much as 50 percent of Hezbollah's missile and rocket capability. That's according to the Israeli forces. On the ground it is much more difficult and now the Israeli defense forces themselves are admitting that in order to wipe out that last 50 percent of Hezbollah's capability, it is going to be a much tougher operation. And, obviously, more effective are boots on the ground. Something that the Israeli army is just using at this point right now in a limited basis because, as you can see, it is becoming very, dangerous for Israeli troops to go in there.

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

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: So let's go ahead and take a look at the latest death toll reported from both sides of the Israel-Lebanese border. Israel says 29 people have been killed within its borders. Fifteen of the deaths were civilians. In Lebanon -- a much higher death toll -- 228 civilians are reported killed in more than a week of fighting.

Hezbollah here in the U.S., perhaps not openly. Well, no, that would not be Hezbollah. Those are two young brothers that were rescued. So let's get those pictures correct. But U.S. law enforcement is watching closely. That story is straight ahead.

Now for the brothers. The first American evacuees back from Lebanon. Now back home in the U.S. I'll have a chance to talk with Maryland's governor about what's being done to help hundreds of people who are arriving in his state. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a little upset. Lebanon was really coming back, especially after the Syrians left in 2005. And it's just sad to see, you know, all this infrastructure being, you know, taken down again. I hope that it doesn't last too much longer because the Lebanese people do rebuild and they will rebuild. I mean, I'm from New Orleans, so I know what, you know, I know what that's like. But I have faith. But it's pretty sad. Just like seeing my own city, you know, I can relate.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's take a look at what we know right now at the quarter hour.

The first American evacuees from Lebanon are back in the U.S. As many as 150 people were aboard the flight. It landed earlier this morning at Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

Meanwhile, U.S. Marines are ferrying hundreds of Americans onto a U.S. Navy ship off the coast of Beirut. It's the first time that Marines have been on Lebanese soil in 22 years.

For wary American evacuees, the first stop is Baltimore. Hundreds will be moving through that airport over the next few days. Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich is on the phone from College Park.

Governor, good morning.

GOV. ROBERT EHRLICH, MARYLAND: Good morning, Daryn. How are you?

KAGAN: I'm doing good. Now it looks like you guys are doing well, too. But why Maryland as the first stop? How did that work out?

EHRLICH: Well, you know what, I do not know. I have my suspicions. But we were called 6:00 p.m. Monday evening, this was a couple days ago, by HHS and informed that we would be a primary point here for the repatriation of Americans. And by the next morning, we have actually an off-the-shelf plan that our emergency management agency has for this type of situation.

And working in conjunction with the feds. We had our senior team ready. And in a matter of days, obviously, we are ready for whatever circumstance we need to deal with. And those circumstances widely vary from an individual simply returning, being picked up and going to his or her home, to children in need of real assistance.

KAGAN: So this would mean some more service personnel were need, including more TSA workers, I'd imagine. You don't want these folks to go through all this and have to stand in a long security line.

EHRLICH: You got everything. And I'm talking about everything literally down to cash. What we're fronting, obviously, cash. And members of the media, they asked me about reimbursement. All that. We don't care about that. If the Feds want to reimburse us or can reimburse us, great. But from cash to emergency medical equipment, to overnight accommodations, to connections, to ground transportation, to every possible need or want our citizens have upon their arrival.

KAGAN: How many do you expect will come through?

EHRLICH: Between 800 to a thousand over the next -- now three days, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

KAGAN: So this is just the beginning.

EHRLICH: That's correct.

KAGAN: And so far so good it looks like, the first wave.

EHRLICH: So far so good, yes. Obviously there's a variety of moods, a variety of circumstances here. Obviously universal relief but a lot of concern concerning loved ones, friends left behind in Lebanon. So we're just trying to meet the needs as they arrive.

KAGAN: Now I know a lot of folks like to use your airport when they're traveling in and out of the Washington, D.C. area. So other people, do they have anything else they have to take into account since you're handling this extra load?

EHRLICH: Just alive a little early. A little more complex operation down there. Crowds, security, more people, obviously, media. So if you have a departure, get there a little early would be my advice.

KAGAN: All right, Governor, thank you.

EHRLICH: My pleasure. Bye-bye.

KAGAN: Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich on the phone talking about Baltimore being the first stop for many people coming back from Lebanon.

If you're an American in Lebanon and need help getting out, and there still are thousands who are trying to get out, the number is 0- 1-202-501-4444. And if you're in the U.S. and have loved ones in Lebanon, you can call 1-888-407-4747. And we will be putting those numbers up periodically over the next couple of hours.

Let's move on now to our CNN "Security Watch." Looking at Hezbollah here in the U.S. Not on the march like this, but possibly gathering support. Our Kelli Arena filed this story for "The Situation Room."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Hezbollah has never attacked on U.S. soil. But U.S. officials say if the situation in the Middle East escalates further that could change.

ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR: We are taking precautions here in the United States. And to the extent that we have identified individuals associated with Hezbollah, that we are taking additional precautions to ensure that we do not face any threat from these individuals.

ARENA: Counterterrorism officials stress there is no new intelligence suggesting Hezbollah is planning an attack against the U.S. But in an advisory sent to law enforcement partners late last week, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security warned "it is possible that individuals residing in the United States, who sympathize" with Hezbollah, "could act."

PAT D'AMURO, CHAIRMAN/CEO, GIULIANI SECURITY: Hezbollah is extremely well structured, very well trained, and organized in a fashion that they have significant funding from state sponsors and would be a much more forcible entity to deal with than al Qaeda should they decide to start conducting attacks globally.

ARENA: Law enforcement sources say there are active cells in the U.S., allegedly involved in everything from gathering intelligence, to raising funds, to smuggling arms and military equipment to Hezbollah fighters. U.S. officials say there are investigations underway in at least two dozen U.S. cities, including Detroit, Los Angeles, and New York, involving at least 200 people. Those investigations are mostly focused on people allegedly providing financial support to Hezbollah through traditional criminal enterprises.

BOB GRENIER, KROLL: Those associations primarily center on areas where you have substantial Lebanese ex-patriot Shiite communities. ARENA: One of the largest Shiite Muslim communities in the U.S. is in Detroit. In March, prosecutors there announced charges against 18 men for allegedly smuggling counterfeit goods, including cigarettes and Viagra, sending some of the profits to Hezbollah. Two of those men pled guilty.

Most experts do not believe that the current situation has escalated enough to prompt Hezbollah to directly attack the United States. The problem is, it's not clear what the trigger could be.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

And you can see more of Kelli's report on "The Situation Room." Watch the show weekdays at 4:00 p.m. Eastern and again at prime time, 7:00 Eastern.

We are standing by. President Bush for first time in his presidency will address the NAACP convention. You'll see that speech live here on CNN.

We're also keeping an eye on developments in the Mideast.

Meanwhile, some practical tips for you from our Gerri Willis.

Gerri.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Daryn, good to see you.

Coming up, we're going to tell you how to keep your home from being an energy hog. "Five Tips" is next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMAL KAZZAZ, EVACUEE FROM RICHMOND, VIRGINIA: Lebanon, beautiful, like I say. They survived this war and they're going to survive now. They're going to survive more every time. That's not fair. Lebanon did call it the Middle East, the pride of the Middle East. To keep going this way, it's going to be the grave of the Middle East.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The markets have been opened just short of an hour. Well, it doesn't look anything like yesterday when they were just on fire, giving back a little bit of that action. You can see the Dow is down 17 points and the Nasdaq is down as well. It is down 16 points.

So I took a little stroll over here to our new weather center because big weather is big news. And big Beryl, Chad, not quite so big.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: And we're actually going to pick up on your story about Chicago. That killer heat wave that's been baking much of the country, blamed for four more deaths in Chicago, raising the death toll there to seven. Triple digits temperatures have caused at least 16 heat related deaths in seven states. As always, the elderly are most vulnerable. Officials in several states are urging residents, especially the elderly, to stay cool.

So you want to think about staying cool. We are talking about these soaring temperatures. How do you stay cool, but how do you keep it within your financial budget as well. That is the topic of today's "Top Five Tips." Gerri Willis has that for us.

Gerri, hello.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Daryn.

You know, that water looked really nice there. I could use that about right now.

KAGAN: Exactly.

WILLIS: But if you're looking to save money on your energy bill, and that's what we're talking about today, the first place to check, or at least one of them, is your refrigerator, believe it or not. It's one of the largest energy sucking appliances in your home. And they work better full. So if you haven't stocked up on those groceries yet, here's a trick to cut down on that empty space. Fill up containers with water. Put them in the fridge so that the frig doesn't work so hard and use so much energy.

KAGAN: Those air conditioners, they need some maintenance, don't they?

WILLIS: They do. Since your AC is likely working overtime this week, check your filters at least once a week to make sure they're not clogged with dirt. And you'll want to be extra vigilant if you have little furry pets in the household. Filters for central air conditioners only cost about $10 and you can get them at your local hardware store. Better yet, you can clean the filters you have and put them right back in.

KAGAN: Insulation can help you keep costs down.

WILLIS: Yes, people think about insulation in the wintertime, but in the summertime it's just as important. You can cut your energy cost by 20 percent if you have less than six inches for insulation. If you have a home that's five to 10 years old, you may want to think about adding more insulation. And don't forget this year and next you're eligible for federal tax credits of up to 10 percent of the cost of your insulation.

KAGAN: What about the windows in your home?

WILLIS: They're one of the largest source of heat gain in your home. And one easy thing to do, just pull those drapes. That will help you cool down. And drapes work even better than shutters or blinds, believe it or not. Try to take advantage of cooler air by opening your windows in the evening, trap all that cool air by closing the windows in the morning.

KAGAN: Very good tip unless in your Atlanta where it's steamy here at night, too.

WILLIS: All around the clock, right.

KAGAN: Yes. Landscaping can help you out.

WILLIS: You know those trees that hang over your roof, that's a good thing. Strategically placed they can save you $250 a year on your energy bill. Look a six-foot to eight-foot tree planted near your home will bring shading to your windows in the first year. In five to 10 years, your roof will be shaded. Deciduous trees should be planted to the south of your home to provide maximum summertime roof shading.

And, of course, we want to hear from your viewers. Send us your questions to 5tips@cnn.com. And, of course, if you missed anything at all on "Five Tips," check out the website at cnnmoney.com/5tips.

KAGAN: Speaking of roofs, homes and all that good stuff, "Open House" is just a couple days away.

WILLIS: That's right, Saturday morning, 9:30 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN. Or 5:30 Saturday and Sunday on "Headline News." We're dealing with some really good topic this week. Dealing with a brown- out. What can you do? Living with solar energy. Maybe more and more of us are going to be do that. And maintaining those trees so that they shade your house. Join us.

KAGAN: Gerri, one correction.

WILLIS: Yes, ma'am.

KAGAN: You deal with very good topics every week.

WILLIS: Ah, you're so sweet.

KAGAN: Just to clarify.

WILLIS: Thank you, Daryn.

KAGAN: All right, thank you, Gerri.

President Bush will be stepping in the house at the NAACP. The first time he's agreed to address the organization since he's become president. You'll see that speech live here on CNN.

Much more news ahead before we get to that speech. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

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