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At Least 39 Injured in Latest Attacks in Haifa, Israel; Condoleezza Rice to Travel to Mideast Sunday

Aired July 21, 2006 - 10:59   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're getting close to the top of the hour. Let's take a look at what we know right now about developments in the region.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, as I was saying, will embark on a diplomatic mission to the Middle East. She will leave on Sunday. More details on that trip we're expecting in the next couple of hours.

The announcement of that trip comes amid growing signs that Israel may expand its ground offensive. Israel says it's calling up thousands of its reserve troops.

Lebanon's president tells CNN in an exclusive interview that if Israel launches an all-out invasion, his troops are ready to defend Lebanese territory.

There's been a lot of action today. In fact, just in the last hour, in Haifa, in northern Israel.

Our Fionnuala Sweeney is live there with the latest -- Fionnuala.

FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, there have been four barrage of rocket attacks on this Israeli port city, just 20 kilometers from the Lebanese border. In total, 39 people have been injured, three of them critically.

Now, two of those barrage of rocket attacks happened within the last hour. In fact, within 20 minutes of each other. And I can tell you, as Haifa settles in for the Jewish Sabbath, a city that is normally bustling at this time of day has been very, very quiet for the last number of hours.

The first attack was at about five hours ago, around lunchtime. Business had been carrying on as usual earlier in the day. This had followed a relative lull over the last couple of days, when there hadn't been a rocket attack. The last one being three days ago.

On Sunday night there was a rocket attack here which killed eight people. And Israelis being what they are, were getting on with life as business as usual, given any respite from the barrage of rockets. That has now ended with the four barrage of rocket attacks in and around this city, this day -- Daryn.

KAGAN: You know, you mentioned that it's the Jewish Sabbath coming up here. As people were trying to go around and get supplies, I wonder, how is it even to get supplies, basic things like food, in a city that's really been under siege for the last 10 days?

SWEENEY: Well, in fact, we were driving through northern Israel yesterday, and there is traffic on the roads. And people are carrying on as business as usual with a sort of, you know, "The chances of it hitting us are one in so many million." But there's no doubt that these air raid sirens, when they go off, followed very closely by maybe four or five rocket attacks, are unsettling and, of course, extremely dangerous on a very practical level.

But it is relatively business as usual. Things have quieted down very much now in this city.

Haifa is not so much like a city like Jerusalem, which is an extremely religious city, and, of course, practically does shut down over the entire Sabbath weekend. But there are supplies. There are plenty of coffee shops that had been opened, until at least a couple of hours ago. So that really isn't the concern so much here.

The concern in this city is that, you know, the main hospital here which has been receiving casualties over the last 10 days or so will be receiving more, and, in fact, may even receive a direct hit. Those are the kind of fears that people have -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Fionnuala, I'm going to put up some pictures. And I know you can't see it because of the way we're set up with the satellite. You can't see what we're showing here in the U.S., but we are just getting new pictures in of what we're seeing in northern Israel.

And I know this is an area that you've spent a lot of time over the last couple of days traveling around. What we're seeing are a number of Israeli troops stationed. We see tanks ready to move.

What were you seeing in terms of military presence in northern Israel over the last couple of days?

SWEENEY: Well, in fact, where we are here, as I was saying, is about 20 kilometers from the border. And life here, apart from obviously people being indoors, is relatively demilitarized, in a sense. But on our travels through, we did actually see quite an unusual sight for a civilian, something I can describe as a big army tank with maybe four or five artillery tanks on it, and they were being shipped up towards the border.

As we know, Israel has called up its military reserve, but many of those, it's thought, will be heading to Gaza in the West Bank, where Israel is also fighting another front on this war.

So there has been a huge movement of people up to and around the border. We've seen soldiers, about 1,000 ground troops, we're told, going into southern Lebanon in what is described as pinpointed attacks. But at a military press briefing held in this town of Haifa earlier this morning, the brigadier general of the Israeli defense forces telling us that this was a very new kind of war, it's a very different kind of war.

There is no front line, as such, and it is rather a difficult war to carry out. And sounding like he doesn't underestimate the Hezbollah militia, because they have thrown something like as many as 50 rockets into northern Israel today, not just into Haifa, but into other towns and cities across the northern band of the country -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Fionnuala Sweeney live from northern Israel in Haifa.

Thanks for going with us on that. Once again, I know you can't see the actual live pictures that we're showing to our audience here in the U.S.

Thank you, Fionnuala.

Let's get back to the diplomatic story once again, the big development today. The secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, has announced that she is, indeed -- has specific plans. She'll be going on Sunday to the region in the Middle East.

Before the top of the hour, I was having a chance to talk with former ambassador Edward Walker about the diplomatic side of the war. He is president of the Middle East Institute. Also was assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs in the first administration of George W. Bush and the second Clinton administration. Once again, the former ambassador joining me from Washington.

Mr. Ambassador, thanks for being patient...

EDWARD WALKER, JR., FMR. AMB. TO ISRAEL, EGYPT, UAE: No problem.

KAGAN: ... and sticking around and talking with us.

We already covered the topic of, is now the time for secretary of state to go? As she heads to the region, doesn't it appear that the Bush administration hasn't been as interested in stopping the fighting immediately, rather looking at this as a long-term opportunity to make some long-term changes there?

WALKER: Well, I think they -- they certainly would like to see that. Whether it's possible or not remains to be seen. But, you know, you don't start major diplomacy unless you've got some prospect of having an impact and a positive impact.

Now, when Condi goes out to the region, certain things have already happened. You're beginning to get -- coalesce and surround a force that could be put into southern Lebanon to protect the Israeli border and to protect against Hezbollah rearming.

KAGAN: When you say a force, you mean an international force?

WALKER: An international force. And there are several countries now that have indicated they would be willing to contribute to such a force.

Well, it's not there yet, but it certainly is a possibility. And it's something that she has to talk to other countries about, and particularly to the Israelis about.

She also takes with her the promise of active American engagement, which people have not seen up until now. And that can be a very important element persuasion to get other countries to put the pressure on countries like Syria.

KAGAN: What do you mean by active American engagement? What would that entail?

WALKER: Well, ultimately, if this thing is going to work, the countries that are putting pressure on Syria and putting pressure on Iran have got to feel that the United States will also work with the Israelis to stem the violence, when the time comes. And there is a great deal of confidence still that America could help do that. So it's the promise for the future, but I don't see the United States doing it until Hezbollah pulls back.

KAGAN: And what's going to encourage them to do that?

WALKER: That is where the rest of the international community comes in and where Syria has to see it's in their interests to get them to pull back.

KAGAN: And then how does the diplomacy work in that since the U.S. doesn't talk to Syria?

WALKER: Well, you've got the United Nations secretary-general, you've got all the Arab states. You've got the European states, all of whom can -- can come together, and, in particular, Saudi Arabia.

We've pulled that kind of a coalition together before when we put the pressure on Syria to leave Lebanon. It was successful. I see no reason why we couldn't do it again?

KAGAN: All right. Thank you for your perspective.

Former ambassador Edward Walker, thank you for your time and patience as we kind of move things around.

WALKER: Thank you.

KAGAN: Thank you, sir.

Let's head back overseas to Beirut now, to the Lebanese capital. Our Ben Wedeman standing on the ground there.

Ben, things have been a little bit quieter today?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So far, so good, Daryn. We haven't heard any Israeli airstrikes recently. They usually, however, happen around mid evening. So, too early to tell.

What I did today, I was up in the mountains above Beirut where there are thousands of refugees who have fled from the south and from the southern suburbs of Beirut, which have been hit repeatedly in the last 10 days. I was in one town called Kafun (ph), which normally has a population of 5,000 people. There are now, according to the mayor who I spoke with, 47,000 refugees there.

They were receiving food supplies from Mercy Corps. That's an American charity that is operating here in Lebanon, but the situation is getting fairly bad with food supplies running low.

The situation is much worse in the south. I saw yesterday when I went to a hospital there that they're really having a hard time coping with the level of casualties. At this point, the death toll is 261 Lebanese dead, 617 at least wounded.

Now, one other sort of gradual change I'm noting here in Lebanon -- and I've spoken with lots of these refugees -- is that increasingly, their anger is not necessarily focused at Israel, it's focused at the United States, and at Americans. I was having a fairly heated discussion with some of these refugees who were asking me why the United States is allowing this to happen.

The general impression is that the U.S. has given the green light to Israel to carry out this offensive. They will tell you time and time again that the weapons Israel is using upon them, upon Lebanon come from the United States. So I'm really picking up on a real intensification of this hostility against the United States and a backlash against the United States for what's happening here in Lebanon -- Daryn.

KAGAN: What about the feeling against Hezbollah, which much of the world feels started this?

WEDEMAN: Well, in Lebanon, certainly in the south, there isn't any perceptible hostility or anger at Hezbollah. Many of these people -- for instance, many of the refugees, they receive aid, they receive assistance, food, and other things from Hezbollah. They have their houses rebuilt at Hezbollah's expense.

So there's not a lot of anger at Hezbollah itself, but if you go north of here, into the Christian areas, there is bitterness, there is anger. There's almost complete confusion as to why Hezbollah did this, bringing on the Israeli retaliation that has destroyed much of the infrastructure, bridges, roads, buildings, the airport. The tourist season, which was at full throttle this summer, has essentially come to an end.

So there is anger, but certainly, I can tell you, among those from the south, the Shiites, by and large, they support Hezbollah in its fight against Israel -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Ben Wedeman, live from Beirut, from the Lebanese capital.

Ben, thank you.

We're about two hours away, just over two hours away from a news conference with the State Department. We expect to hear more about the plans for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She will head to the region, to the Middle East, on Sunday. You'll see that news conference live here on CNN.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's take a look at what we know right now about the Middle East.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will embark on a diplomatic mission to the region. She leaves Sunday.

That comes amid growing signs that Israel may expand its ground offensive. Israel says it's calling up thousands of its reserve troops.

Lebanon's president tells CNN in an exclusive interview that if Israel launches an all-out invasion, his troops are ready to defend Lebanese territory.

Let's show you live pictures we're seeing right now from northern Israel, very close to the Lebanese border. As you can see, a large buildup of Israeli military in that area.

Lebanon has actually said it fears a massive ground troop invasion from Israel. It says that it will send its military into southern Lebanon to fight against Israelis if that happens. Of course, the Lebanese military hasn't gone down there to fight Hezbollah.

About 1,000 Israeli troops, sources are telling CNN, have been sent into southern Lebanon at different times to conduct pinpoint operations. Israel says it is not interested in an invasion, a constant occupation of southern Lebanon at this time.

To Jerusalem and the old city there. Our Soledad O'Brien is on assignment and she brings us the latest from that region.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You can see at this checkpoint, everybody's I.D. is being checked. Israel controls security around the old city, and so they've really increased the security in light of the recent escalation and fighting.

There's always security here. No question about that. But it is Friday, the start of the Sabbath, and that means that there's more security than usual.

See that blimp up there? That blimp is armed with cameras and those cameras are doing surveillance over the entire old city, specifically because of the recent escalation. And we're going to head into this gate, which is bringing us right into the Jewish corridor. You can see security greatly increased.

To a large degree, it's business as usual here inside the old city. Lots of tourists are out taking tours. And, of course, businesses are open. Muslim merchants, Jewish merchants and Christian merchants, Armenian merchants, selling their waves. So things seem the same, in some ways. Other people say there is an underlying sense of tension, of nervousness, of the citizens here.

You hear the prayers being broadcast -- time for morning prayers. We're walking toward the Western Wall, which of course is a site of huge historical and also religious significance, not just to Jews, but to Muslims and Christians as well.

The Western Wall, or as tourists often refer to it as the Wailing Wall, dates back to the second century B.C., and it's the source of a lot of conflict for several reasons. First, it's location. You take a look, you've got the Muslim Dome of the Rock right over there, and then over here, the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The conflict also is a result of who's got control and who is controlling access, as well. The Israeli government has had control since 1967.

This wall is all that remains of the Second Temple of Jerusalem, which was destroyed, and so it's become a location of both huge religious significance and also huge historical significance, as well.

The wall measures about 160 feet long and about 60 feet high. It's divided into two sections: a men's section and a woman's section. And there is a belief that the divine presence never leaves this wall. And it's not just the tourism, it's not just the religious and historical significance. There's a huge emotional connection, especially Jews. Israel lost control of the region between 1948 and 1967.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And that's our Soledad O'Brien reporting from Jerusalem.

Now let's go to the diplomatic angle here and go to our senior United Nations correspondent, Richard Roth -- Richard.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Daryn.

The United Nations Security Council is about to get a briefing from members of that special delegation dispatched to the Middle East by Kofi Annan. We see in the Security Council chamber right now various members.

That's the Peruvian ambassador on the right-hand side. And they're waiting for Vijay Nambiar, the leader of the team.

Now, that team met earlier today with Condoleezza Rice. They told her about their Middle East trip, as she likely told them that she is about to go to the region.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: I really would like to thank Mr. Nambiar, Mr. De Soto and Mr. Roed-Larsen for joining me this morning. Obviously we're all very concerned about the situation in the Middle East and want to find a way forward that will contribute to a stable and democratic and peaceful Middle East. We're looking forward to the report of these gentlemen who just have been in the region. And I want to thank them for going on such short notice. And I look forward to their report.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: Secretary-General Kofi Annan has arrived inside the chamber at the Security Council. He's now talking with Terje Roed- Larsen, one member of the team.

Syria did not want Larsen to come if the delegation went to Damascus. They are upset about reports that they say are critical of Syria, when he has been compiling reports on level of compliance of Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon.

The United Nations secretary-general pulled Larsen and the whole team back to meet Condoleezza Rice, so they avoided a diplomatic confrontation. There's a lot of talk about maybe a U.N. team going back there, while Rice is in other capitals, some kind of simultaneous diplomacy. Nothing has been sketched out yet.

And Daryn, we'll also get an update on the humanitarian situation in Lebanon from a U.N. official also at this same briefing.

KAGAN: Well, given this man's previous history, Larsen's previous history, shouldn't the secretary-general have known that he would have been kind of persona non grata in Syria? Or was that -- was that a surprise? Why would you pick that person to go?

ROTH: Because he is the secretary-general's top Middle East envoy, specifically on Lebanon. For years, he was a key official in the Oslo peace accords of 1983, and aides to the secretary-general say he's the one who's going to determine who goes and not go.

They're not going to -- they say here they're not going to let a country -- a member country of the U.N. dictate who is on a team or not. This may be tested in the future. We shall see.

KAGAN: All right. Richard Roth at the U.N., thank you.

Once again, the news of the day, one of the big headlines, that the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, announcing that she will head to the region on Sunday.

We expect about two hours from now the State Department daily briefing. You'll see that live here on CNN.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Keeping an eye on northern Israel, you can see a buildup of the Israeli military in your television there. A number of troops along the border there with all the hostilities between Israel and Lebanon. Israel looking to put pressure on the southern part of Lebanon to push back Hezbollah so they don't have the same reach with their Katyusha rockets into Israel.

I want to show you some pictures we saw just a few minutes ago. This is the United Nations, the secretary-general, Kofi Annan, in the moments right before the Security Council. That meeting just getting under way at this time. We'll go ahead and listen in to that.

While we do that, I want to tell you that the secretary-general will be Larry King's guest tonight, 9:00 p.m. Eastern. And, in fact, Larry is looking for your questions as well.

You can go to cnn.com/larryking, and send any questions you have for the U.N. secretary-general. You'll see that tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, 6:00 Pacific.

And, of course, we're never far away from the story as it develops in the Middle East. But there are -- there is as well other news taking place here in the U.S. today.

Let's check in with Carol Lin. She has one of those stories -- Carol.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Memphis, Tennessee, Daryn, a stabbing in a local grocery store in Memphis, Tennessee, off of Highway 64, according to our affiliate WPTY. Their details have six people stabbed, one of them seriously.

It started in the stockroom of the Schnuck's grocery store on Stage Road at Highway 64. Reports from the scene indicate that the stabbings may have started in the back of the store, possibly the stockroom, but the victims are said to be located both at the front and the rear of the store.

An ambulance is on the scene right now. It happened about 45 minutes ago. And if we get any more details, we'll let you know -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right, Carol. Thank you. Memphis, Tennessee.

Thank you.

A big story today. Secretary Rice announcing that she will be heading to the Mideast. We expect in about just two hours from now the State Department briefing, and we'll learn more about that trip and what the secretary of state's plans are as she heads to the region.

We want to tell you, though, that she has visited the area, more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries, since becoming secretary of state. In fact, she made a surprise visit to Lebanon, and that was just five months ago.

Her stop in Beirut last February amid an anti-Syrian movement taking place in Lebanon. Rice has also visited Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates during that trip to the region. Those three countries are strong U.S. allies.

At this point, we're waiting for the news conference, the State Department briefing, two hours from now to find out exactly which stops the secretary of state plans to make on this trip.

Let's look again at the spark that ignited the latest crisis in the Middle East, the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah. The soldiers' families say they just want their loved ones back. And they took time to talk with our Larry King in this exclusive interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

This is the most difficult thing in the whole thing. We are simply in the dark. Simply in the dark. We don't know anything about the situation of (INAUDIBLE). We don't know their medical condition, if they need medical care. We want to know.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want the killing to be stopped on both sides of the fence, in Israel and in Lebanon. We want everything to be back as it was before. No killing. No kidnapping. We want them back home. I think it's naturally -- we want it to be stopped.

LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": I think you have the wishes of the whole world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to add another thing.

KING: Yes. Go ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to add another thing. Those who kidnapped our sons, they are fully responsible for their safety. They are in their hands.

At the end of the story, they will be also fully responsible for their safe return. So I want to emphasize it, that those who kidnapped our sons, they are responsible for their safety. And I am sending my message to all the world, keep their safety.

KING: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Once again, that was from CNN's Larry King. Tonight, Larry talks to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

A chance to talk with an unusual 13-year-old just ahead, and pictures that she's taken from a summer vacation she will never forget. Wait until you see the photos she took as she evacuated along with her family. Her photos and her story. She'll be my guest just ahead, and our continuing coverage of the Middle East crisis.

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

Meanwhile, as we go to break, we're looking at live pictures of the U.N. Security Council. A meeting taking place, getting under way just a few minutes ago.

More coverage from the U.N. and the Middle East just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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