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U.N. Discusses Middle East Crisis; Surviving a Rocket Attack

Aired July 24, 2006 - 10:30   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. We're at the half hour. Let's take a look at what we know right now.
A dramatic turn for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's mission to the Middle East. Her first stop, a surprise visit to Beirut. Next stop is Israel.

Along the Israeli-Lebanese border, an Israeli military helicopter goes down. Israel says it was an accident. Along with the crash, continued fire fights on both sides of the border.

Here is the latest death toll reported from both sides of the Israeli/Lebanese border. Israel says 37 people have been killed. Seventeen of the deaths were civilians. In Lebanon, a much higher death toll. At least 275 people are reported killed in almost two weeks of fighting.

From Beirut to the Israeli border, Damascus, Syria to Jerusalem, CNN has reporters all across the region to bring you the very latest on fighting and the diplomacy. A number of live reports are straight ahead.

Meanwhile, I want to check in at the United Nations. The Secretary-General Kofi Annan set to speak any minute now. Let's check in with our senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth -- Richard.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, we don't know exactly when Mr. Annan will speak. He did talk to Larry King Friday night, and they said on Friday he would talk sometime Monday about Lebanon. Right now, the Security Council has been behind closed doors on a lot of issues, and right now you're watching a public meeting, coincidentally, on the role of armed conflict and children caught in the crossfire. That's the UNICEF executive director, saying that since 1996, two million children have died as a result of conflict.

The U.N. may be a little bit low key on the diplomatic front, Daryn, waiting until Condoleezza Rice's visit. But the deputy British ambassador told me what the ambassadors may be pondering here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAREN PIERCE, DEPUTY BRITISH AMBASSADOR: Well, there will be a lot of Security Council activity looking at the sorts of ideas that the secretary-general came out with, talking further about the force, working out what the real options are, how they all fit together. Obviously, Secretary Rice's visit is a very important part of that. And I think, though it's -- we hope to hear the president of the Security Council later -- but I suspect that work will get underway here on a draft text statement. Don't yet know what that text will be, but that that won't come to fruition until after we hear from Secretary Rice's visit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: Now the British -- deputy British ambassador echoing what Prime Minister Blair is saying in London today, that a peace plan could emerge within days, which might lead to a cessation of hostilities. When the deputy ambassador talks about the force, we're talking about an international stabilization force that could go in between Israel and Lebanon.

The U.N.'s humanitarian chief, Jan Egeland, today issuing a flash appeal for $150 million in aid for the international community to help Lebanon. Specifically, $23.8 million to support children caught in the crossfire. Egeland still upset what he says is Israel's disproportionate response to Hezbollah rockets.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAN EGELAND, U.N. EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR: What is a proportionate response, of course, is that they go after the military targets only. I don't think that the largest bridge in the Middle East that I saw today was bombed is -- primarily a military target. I think it's a civilian target. And I also think too many children being maimed and wounded.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: U.N. Secretary-General Annan, of course, has criticized both sides, saying Hezbollah has caught Lebanon and made them hostage -- the people of Lebanon hostage to Hezbollah.

Back to you -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Richard, thank you for that. Richard Roth at the U.N. Let's head back overseas.

Miles O'Brien is in northern Israel in Haifa, with the latest from there -- Miles, hello.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Daryn.

The air raid siren has blown here three times today. There's been about a half dozen missiles or rockets that have fallen harmlessly all around Haifa. You just reported a little while ago, not too far from here, Kiriat Slona (ph), also targeted today.

No word on any injuries today. Yesterday was a different story, though, here. On the first day of the work week, many people here making a decision to come back and try to resume some level of normalcy. Having lived essentially a latter day version of the London blitz of World War II, many coming home trying to get their lives back together and instead in enduring a terrible day of siren after siren and rocket after rocket.

After one of those attacks, we took a look at the impact and what happens when you're a target.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN (voice-over): The siren call comes all too frequently here in Haifa before and after the missiles fall from the sky packed with thousands of ball bearings, shrapnel that pots the walls and fires through wood like shotgun pellets. In an instant, a quiet hillside perch with a sweeping view of a lovely seaside city becomes the very picture of terror.

(on camera): This is what happens when one of these missiles hit. This is somebody's deck, reinforced concrete floors, it's got some rebar in it, didn't make much of a difference. Look at the size of that hole. And look at the damage it caused right around us here. Fortunately, no one was home here.

And next door, even though somebody was on the deck, when they heard the sirens blaring, they quickly took cover. It's a good thing they did.

RIVKA LANGZALMANOV, HAIFA RESIDENT: My husband was up when the alarm started. He come and told me come to the safety room. I said never mind, it's OK. He say, no, you come now to the safety room, come. And after 10 seconds, boom.

O'BRIEN (voice-over): Rivka Langzalmanov admits she was getting complacent given the constant calls to seek shelter.

LANGZALMANOV: You hear the alarm, you rush around, you have to wait one minute and then you can go out. After a few days, you just skip. OK, I don't go to the safety room. Never mind, I stay and look at my TV.

O'BRIEN: She is doubly lucky to be alive. And yet sitting amid the wreckage of her home, she showed us no signs she is rattled.

LANGZALMANOV: I feel now really strong. I don't know how to explain it, but I feel inside that I have power to go through this.

O'BRIEN (on camera): Now we're one floor below and you can see the hole I just showed you a moment ago. And you can also tell from here which way the missile came in. It kind of flew in like this and made yet another hole here and then caused a tremendous amount of damage on the floor below. This house pretty well totaled as well. Fortunately, no one was home here either.

SHAUL FELDMAN, MAIL CARRIER: It's not lucky to.

O'BRIEN: Are you angry or sad?

FELDMAN: Yes.

O'BRIEN (voice-over): Shaul Feldman's family is in Tel Aviv and he was at work delivering the mail when Hezbollah sent him this deadly message. He is a pacifist, marched in an anti-war rally in Tel Aviv the other day, and even this did not convert him to a hawk.

(on camera): What should Israel do about this?

FELDMAN: To start to speak with the enemy.

O'BRIEN: Really?

FELDMAN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Not shoot at the enemies, speak?

FELDMAN: No, no, no.

O'BRIEN: Really?

FELDMAN: No.

O'BRIEN: Why not?

FELDMAN: Because it's not -- it's our process that they -- we cannot find the final of the process. This a permanent war. Also we -- if we speak, really speak, we can finish this.

O'BRIEN (voice-over): His brother-in-law, Shmuel Gur, begs to differ. He sees all the damage here in the context of a global war. He looks beyond the hills and Hezbollah to Syria and Iran.

SHMUEL GUR, SUPPORTS ISRAELI DEFENSIVE: And another 5 or 10 years, remember me, we will get much more than this from Iran.

O'BRIEN (on camera): You think?

GUR: I am sure, not think, I am sure.

O'BRIEN: All right.

GUR: Five or 10 years.

O'BRIEN: So what should be done now?

GUR: All the world must done. We cannot do alone everything. All the world. All the world must do, because first Israel and then they will go more. I don't know where. Maybe Europe and then USA and I don't know. But Iran, they must stop them. And what will happen if they have atomic weapon, only God, if there is God.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: That's the question here, where could this lead? And could it lead to something more regional? One of the key players in all of this -- he mentioned Iran, of course is Syria.

A little while ago, Daryn, I spoke to the Syrian ambassador to the United Nations, and when we come back a little bit later in the program we'll tell you how he thinks the people of Hezbollah have something to do with George Washington of all people.

KAGAN: All right. Looking forward to that. Miles, thank you.

We also have developing news here in the U.S. Betty Nguyen has a look at that -- Betty.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Daryn.

We are getting information about a ship that is sinking off the coast of Alaska. Here is what we know so far. A crew member from the Singapore-based cargo ship, which is called the Cougar Ace, which is a car carrier. It's carrying 23 people onboard as well. It started to list yesterday and take on water, and an SOS was sounded. It was listing about 80 degrees. Now this ship is about 230 miles south of the Aleutian Island chain, again, off the coast of Alaska. Here's what's happening so far.

Trying to get help out to the ship as it is sinking. The Coast Guard has sent a cutter ship called Rush, which is based out of Hawaii, in for assistance. Also a C-130 aircraft, along with that, which is stationed at Air Station Kodiak. Both of them are en route to the ship, which is sinking. An SOS was sent out about 11:09 last night, so obviously time is of the essence in this rescue effort. Twenty-three people onboard that ship, Daryn. We'll stay on top of this and bring you the latest.

KAGAN: All right, Betty, thank you for that.

When the safe room is really not so safe: a rocket hits a home but quick thinking saves a family. The story ahead on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

KAGAN: And let's get back overseas to our Miles O'Brien who is in Haifa, Israel, with the latest from that region -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Thank you very much, Daryn.

This is a city, which in many respects is very quiet today, a city of about 300,000, the third largest in Israel. And we're only about 15 or 20 miles from the Lebanese border. And as such, it has fallen into the crosshairs of Hezbollah, and really repeatedly been on the receiving end of many of these so-called Katyusha rockets and other missiles that might be headed this way. They don't have a lot of accuracy. They've been fired off kind of blindly from places like Tyre in Lebanon and Sidon in Lebanon, and other Hezbollah strongholds in the southern part of that country.

Now Israel continues that push into Southern Lebanon going after a headquarters, capital, if you will, for Hezbollah in the south. Having already captured Manura (ph) -- the high level stronghold, that is near to that location. In the meantime, Condoleezza Rice is in the region. She made her way to Beirut, having already spent some time with the prime minister of Lebanon there to shore up his government, if nothing else, to indicate a show of support, is now speaking to the Shiite speaker of the parliament in Lebanon, perhaps an intermediary, which could hold some sway over Hezbollah.

Of course, the Syrians have a lot to play in all this. Just across the border, Syria has long been a benefactor of Hezbollah, and has helped that organization continue to arm and provided itself with financing.

In speaking with the Syrian ambassador to the United Nations earlier, we asked him about Hezbollah's goals in this conflict.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hezbollah is a national resistance movement fighting for its -- for the sovereignty of Lebanon, for getting back the occupied Lebanese territories, for getting back 10,000 Arab prisoners in the Israeli jails. These people are fighting the same way George Washington did it 200 years ago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: All right. Well, obviously, a very debatable point, a point that would probably offend a lot of Americans who studies U.S. history. Certainly George Washington never sent anything -- the 200- year-ago version of a Katyusha rocket blindly onto a civilian population. So it's an interesting analogy, Daryn.

KAGAN: Miles, thank you, so much for that.

We'll get back to Miles as the morning goes on.

But also a little treat for us in Atlanta, our own Gerri Willis. We've lured you down from New York City.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN FINANCE EDITOR: Well, Daryn, it is so good to see you and be on set with you here today. We've got great things coming up in Five Tips. And I've got to tell you, Five Tips is changing. It's going to be Gerri's Top Tips, and we'll give you some ideas for your own financial makeover. That's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We'll get back to our Middle East coverage in just a moment. First, some consumer news for you.

Give power back to the people. That is a cry from thousands of angry residents in New York and St. Louis. They're still sweltering in summer heat. They don't have electricity. Last check, more than 200,000 customers in St. Louis didn't have electricity today. It's been out since storms pounded the area last Wednesday. Temperatures were brutal, spiking above 100 degrees. Utility crews say it could take most of the week before service is back on for everyone. In New York, around a hundred thousand residents in Queens have their electricity restored. That was knocked out eight days ago during the heat wave. One city councilman called for the utility company to make restitution to its residents.

All right. Now for my treat. Gasoline pumped up to a new record high. According to the latest Lundberg Survey -- this is not my treat. My treat is coming in a minute, in case you're thinking I'm excited about high gas prices. I am not. We're now paying an average of $3.02 a gallon for self-serve regular. That tops the record set after Hurricane Katrina. Charleston, South Carolina, their gasoline is the cheapest; a bargain at $2.77. But get out the bikes and the horses in San Diego. Gas there is $3.28 a gallon, the nation's highest price.

Sometimes knowing what to do is as simple as knowing where to look. And today I know where to look, right next to me. What a treat! Instead of seeing Gerri in a box like this, you know...

WILLIS: Yes, that's usually where I live.

KAGAN: I invited the girlfriend down here to Atlanta. Good to see you.

WILLIS: Great to see you. Great to be here. So much fun. And we're relaunching "Five Tips."

KAGAN: Well, I know, congratulations. We're branding you.

WILLIS: Yes, very exciting.

KAGAN: Yes.

WILLIS: Yes, well, you know, look, Daryn. We do "Five Tips" every week, three times a week. And we wanted to do it differently and better, so we're calling it something just a little bit different.

KAGAN: And better.

WILLIS: And better. That's right. "Gerri's Tips." So what we wanted to do was talk to people out there about what their concerns were. If they can do a financial makeover, what would it be?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm able to retire at 50, move to the islands.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pay off credit cards.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would make sure I had enough money invested for these three kiddos for college.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'd rather sit back and let other people work for me.

WILLIS (voice-over): There are the dreamers...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Take my friends out to dinner once a month at the restaurant of my choice. I could hire a chef to come to the apartment once a month and cook anything we want. Oh, my gosh, I'm getting excited here.

WILLIS: And then there are some folks that even tips can't help.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I have some problems meeting girls and retaining them. In other words, I can save money, I just -- I can't always keep girls around. I don't know if there's any quick fix to that. Yes, I'd really like to know.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: All right, so I can't help everybody. All right, OK? But we have some great ideas today for Web sites that can help you with your best and biggest financial problems.

KAGAN: Yes, the romance stuff, different department.

WILLIS: Yes, I don't know where we go for that, Daryn, but...

KAGAN: Match.com? Anyhow, different segment. Let's talk money here. What about saving for college?

WILLIS: That's a big thing for so many people out there, saving for college. So important. Great Web site to go to, finaid.com. There you're going to find out how much money you can get from the federal government, what kinds of scholarships to apply for, and even how much money you should be saving.

KAGAN: A lot. Speaking of saving a lot, retirement. People are not saving enough for that.

WILLIS: Absolutely. And that's a big challenge for so many Americans, saving for retirement. One thing you want to know that can be confusing is how much money am I going to get from Social Security? You should go to the Social Security Web site at ssa.gov to find out exactly how much money you should be getting. And also, you want to know how much money you should be saving for that day that you retire. How much money should be in the savings account? Go to T. Rowe Price to find their calculator that will help you come up with that number.

KAGAN: And to help do all the savings, budgeting would be good.

WILLIS: Budgeting, yes. You know, it's as if budgeting were a four-letter word for so many people. You can get help online again. Go to toolkit.cch.com, it's a great Web site. All you do is fill out a few parameters, and before you know, you've got a real live budget.

KAGAN: And then how do you stick to it? That's a whole other topic, I guess.

WILLIS: Well, OK, I see future tips scripts coming right out of that. KAGAN: Not only that, I see a future trip to Atlanta.

WILLIS: Oh, I love that.

KAGAN: Because I love having you in person. We need more of these.

WILLIS: Once a month.

KAGAN: Works for me.

WILLIS: All right.

KAGAN: OK, consider the invitation extended.

WILLIS: Thank you so much, Daryn.

KAGAN: Thank you, Gerri. Enjoy your stay here in Atlanta.

We'll get back to our Middle East coverage just ahead. Fleeing for safety and caught in the crossfire. We'll have one family's on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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