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CNN Live Today
Explosions in Tyre, Lebanon; Castro, the Man
Aired August 04, 2006 - 11:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile, let's take a look at what's happening overseas. It is day 24 of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Here is what we know at the half-hour. Israeli warplanes pound Beirut's southern suburbs and major routes north of the capital. Israeli police say 135 Hezbollah rockets hit northern Israel. One civilian was killed. Lebanese officials say more than 20 civilians were killed in an Israeli air strike on the village of Qaa, and Israel lists two of its soldiers killed and one seriously wounded. That happened in a Hezbollah antitank missile tank strike in Southern Lebanon.
Getting new pictures into us here from Tyre, Lebanon. That's the southern part of the country, an area that has been hit quite a bit.
Let's go to our Ben Wedeman. He is in Tyre -- Ben.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Daryn, there has been throughout the day sporadic air bombardment. Just a few minutes ago, two large bombs falling about four kilometers to the south here. We did see one Katyusha rocket being fired in the direction of Israel, and I heard in the distance more being fired.
Really, though, much of the fighting is going on along the border, to the south of here, that border with Israel. In that town of Makaba (ph) apparently Hezbollah guerrillas fired an antitank missile, hitting an Israeli tank. According to the Israeli army killing two of its soldiers, wounding several others -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And, Ben, if you could tell us what the people -- how many people are left in Tyre? Have people stayed, and how do they feel about the intensity ratcheting up there in their city?
WEDEMAN: Well, Daryn, we don't have any precise estimates about how many people are left. Normally this town has a population of about 100,000. Our understanding is that it's gone down to about 20,000. There are some people who are staying, for instance, Palestinian refugees who have lived in these camps. In fact, one of those camps is behind me. They basically have nowhere to go. The Israelis have essentially left them alone, so many of them are staying behind. But the situation is difficult. Increasingly we see war profiteering, prices of fuel, of food. Essential goods have gone way up, and for those who are staying behind it is very difficult given the material situation.
I just heard another bomb behind us.
And, of course, the real problem is for the people who are closer to the border in isolated towns and villages that at this point as far as we know have no electricity, no running water, and the communication system has been severely damaged as well. We saw during that 48-hour period of lessened Israeli air activity, many people did get out, but there are still people down there, and they're in very difficult conditions -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Ben Wedeman in the southern part of Lebanon, in Tyre, thank you.
Now there's news coming out of Jerusalem as well that Israel is fighting a war not on one front, but on two. To tell us what's happening in Gaza, here's our John Vause -- John.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, within the last hour Palestinian sources say an Israeli airstrike, an unmanned drone firing one missile has killed two Hamas militants in the southern part of Gaza near the city of Rafa (ph). Israeli and armored vehicles troops moved into the area about 24 hours ago. Since then, they've been conducting house-to-house searches. The Israelis say they're looking for weapons as well as tunnels.
And, once again, Palestinian sources say since this began 24 hours ago, 14 Palestinians have been killed, many of them militants, but also a three-day-old baby is counted among the dead. Almost overnight, two Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, targeting warehouses, storing weapons according to Israel. Two militants, according to the Palestinians, were killed in one strike.
Today a report issued from the United Nations says since the Israeli offensive in Gaza began on June 28th searching for the kidnapped Israeli Gilad Shalit, 175 Palestinians have been killed, including approximately 40 children, and 500 families have been forced to leave their home. They're now living in four different schools in the Gaza Strip. And this morning at Friday prayers, the Palestinian Hamas prime minister Ismaeil Haneer (ph), described Israel's offensive in both Gaza and Lebanon as a war against Islam.
And here in Jerusalem at Friday morning prayers in the old city, there were classes between Muslim worshipers and Israeli police. Because of heightened security, Israel prevented men under the age of 45 from entering the Al Aqsa mosque compound. They prayed outside the city gates when they were leaving. Bottles were reportedly thrown at the Israeli police, scuffles broke out, and there are reports that four Muslim worshipers were taken away by the police -- Daryn.
KAGAN: John Vause, live from Jerusalem. Thank you.
I want to go ahead and take a look at some grim numbers, the latest death toll from both sides of the border. Israel says 73 people have been killed, and in Lebanon officials report 675 fatalities in three weeks of fighting. Hezbollah has not released official casualty figures. Israel's military says it has killed more than 300 Hezbollah fighters. Hezbollah denies that figure.
On to Cuba, Fidel Castro, and his condition. It is top secret in Cuba. Still no official word on how he's doing after intestinal surgery. It's been four days since he handed other his power to his brother, Raul. Neither have been seen or heard from since. The Cuban leader's exiled daughter Alina Fernandez was on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING." She talked about growing up as the daughter of Fidel Castro.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALINA FERNANDEZ, FIDEL CASTRO'S EXILED DAUGHTER: It was a heavy load, you know. At the beginning it was kind of a good sensation. He was like a national hero, then you grow up, and people tried you in a different way. They're always expecting something from you, to be the best. It's kind of difficult. It's a big huge shadow in Cuba.
I remember him, at least the first years of my life, I remember a tender person who used to play games with me. I have tender memories of him at the beginning. Then I started to grow up and started to make a difference.
I had to escape. I was trying to leave the country for years. Since 1999, it's been very well-known, by the media, that I was on the dissident side, and in 1993 after the fall of the Soviet Union the situation in Cuba, the daily life was unbearable, and I decided that I had to leave in order to take my daughter out from the country.
You become political later. At that point, when I was 13, 14 years old, I understood that we were doing the same thing. We spent all the time criticized the United States, for example, of intervening in another country, decimating people in foreign wars. That was my feeling. And that's what made me make the difference.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: You can hear more from Alina Fernandez later today on CNN. She's also a CNN contributor. She's be on "LIVE FROM" beginning at 3:00 p.m. Eastern.
We're looking toward Phoenix, Arizona. Less than an hour and a half from now, a news conference scheduled to talk about these men taken into custody. Police have asked the media to pixelate their pictures, because they will be in a lineup later today. It could be a major break in one of two investigations into serial killers in Phoenix, Arizona. More on that in just a bit with our with our Chris Lawrence.
You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: We're getting new pictures in to us from Qaa, Lebanon.
Fredricka Whitfield has details on that -- Fred.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Daryn. That's in the northeastern part of the country, in the northeastern Bekaa Valley, near the Syrian border. Very graphic images now. We want to show you the consequences of what is being called the Israeli airstrikes on this area. Now, one doctor is saying that 23 people were killed, 17 wounded. Meantime, those numbers conflict with what the town's mayor of Qaa is saying. He is saying that 32 agricultural workers were killed and ten were wounded.
The Israeli Defense Forces said that it targeted two buildings in the Bekaa Valley, based on information that the buildings contained weapons. But now you're seeing the result of whether there were weapons there. There were also people there, and the numbers are high.
No matter which way you look at it, at least 20 people -- varying on those accounts from either the mayor or the doctors that -- taking place in Qaa, Lebanon -- Daryn.
KAGAN: All right, Fred, thank you for that.
On a related topic here, the diplomats, they're still talking, but while they do that, the bombs keep falling. Our chief national correspondent John King now on the diplomatic chatter, and where it may lead.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Secretary of State Rice sounds confident of a deal to end the fighting within days.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We're certainly getting close. We're working with the French.
KING: The French ambassador to the United Nations was more cautious, saying that talks were up one minute, down the next.
JEAN-MARC DE LA SABLIERE, FRENCH AMBASSADOR TO UNITED NATIONS: I hope that, today, it will be a positive day.
After weeks of criticism it was giving Israel a green light for military action, the White House is suddenly impatient, pushing for agreement by Friday, no later than Monday.
To move the talks along, several officials tell CNN the administration agreed to accept two Security Council resolutions, instead of the one it prefers, something Secretary Rice hinted at with CNN's Larry King.
RICE: We're moving, Larry, toward being able to do this in phases that will permit first an end or a stoppage of the hostilities, and based on the establishment of some very important principles for how we move forward.
KING: This is a working draft of the Security Council resolution. It calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, release of the abducted Israeli soldiers, deployment of the Lebanese army to areas now controlled by Hezbollah, creating a buffer zone from the Litani River to Lebanon's southern border, and expanding the small U.N. peacekeeping force already in Lebanon in the short term.
Then, the draft envisions a second resolution later, authorized to deploy a bigger force to police a permanent cease-fire. Washington wanted one comprehensive cease-fire resolution, but France and others wanted more time to assess the risks of the mission.
DE LA SABLIERE: But I think that we have an understanding on what we -- I call the sequence.
KING: Still being negotiated, sources familiar with the talks tell CNN, is how quickly the council would act and how long it would take the larger force to move in. If no deal is reached by Friday, Secretary Rice will monitor weekend negotiations from the Bush ranch in Texas.
(on camera): And while the United States has no plans to take part in any Lebanon peacekeeping force, the administration says it will help train Lebanon's army, and provide it with desperately needed equipment and spare parts, after the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel stops.
John King, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And you can see more of John's reports on "ANDERSON COOPER 360," live from the Middle East tonight at 10:00 Eastern.
It is a matter of degrees. Temperatures are dipping into the 80s in parts of the east. That does sound like relief today. A cold front is bringing in a break from the weekend long heat wave. Temperatures are gradually cooling in some areas, but cities like Philadelphia and Washington might not see relief until tomorrow. The searing heat triggered record energy demand, and that meant scattered blackouts across the country.
Consolidated Edison reported about 4,800 people without electricity in New York earlier this morning. The weather is blamed for at least 27 deaths in 11 states and D.C. since Sunday.
While the Northeast gets a break, much of the South stays in the upper 90s to 100 and above today. And, of course, you can factor in that sticky humidity.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: All eyes on Phoenix, Arizona. In the next hour, looking forward to learning a lot from Phoenix police.
Chris Lawrence is on the scene -- Chris.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Daryn, a possible break in the case of two serial killers terrorizing the Phoenix area. We may be just an hour away from learning what tipped off police and what they've been able to learn from two suspects detained for questioning. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: We're getting new pictures in to us from Qaa, Lebanon.
Fredricka Whitfield has details on that -- Fred.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Daryn. That's in the northeastern part of the country, in the northeastern Bekaa Valley, near the Syrian border.
Very graphic images now. We want to show you the consequences of what is being called the Israeli airstrikes on this area. Now, one doctor is saying that 23 people were killed, 17 wounded. Meantime, those numbers conflict with what the town's mayor of Qaa is saying. He is saying that 32 agricultural workers were killed and ten were wounded.
The Israeli Defense Forces said that it targeted two buildings in the Bekaa Valley, based on information that the buildings contained weapons. But now you're seeing the result of whether there were weapons there. There were also people there, and the numbers are high.
No matter which way you look at it, at least 20 people -- varying on those accounts from either the mayor or the doctors that -- taking place in Qaa, Lebanon -- Daryn.
KAGAN: All right, Fred, thank you for that.
On a related topic here, the diplomats, they're still talking, but while they do that, the bombs keep falling. Our chief national correspondent John King now on the diplomatic chatter, and where it may lead.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Secretary of State Rice sounds confident of a deal to end the fighting within days.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We're certainly getting close. We're working with the French.
KING: The French ambassador to the United Nations was more cautious, saying that talks were up one minute, down the next.
JEAN-MARC DE LA SABLIERE, FRENCH AMBASSADOR TO UNITED NATIONS: I hope that, today, it will be a positive day.
After weeks of criticism it was giving Israel a green light for military action, the White House is suddenly impatient, pushing for agreement by Friday, no later than Monday.
To move the talks along, several officials tell CNN the administration agreed to accept two Security Council resolutions, instead of the one it prefers, something Secretary Rice hinted at with CNN's Larry King.
RICE: We're moving, Larry, toward being able to do this in phases that will permit first an end or a stoppage of the hostilities, and based on the establishment of some very important principles for how we move forward.
KING: This is a working draft of the Security Council resolution. It calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, release of the abducted Israeli soldiers, deployment of the Lebanese army to areas now controlled by Hezbollah, creating a buffer zone from the Litani River to Lebanon's southern border, and expanding the small U.N. peacekeeping force already in Lebanon in the short term.
Then, the draft envisions a second resolution later, authorized to deploy a bigger force to police a permanent cease-fire. Washington wanted one comprehensive cease-fire resolution, but France and others wanted more time to assess the risks of the mission.
DE LA SABLIERE: But I think that we have an understanding on what we -- I call the sequence.
KING: Still being negotiated, sources familiar with the talks tell CNN, is how quickly the council would act and how long it would take the larger force to move in. If no deal is reached by Friday, Secretary Rice will monitor weekend negotiations from the Bush ranch in Texas.
(on camera): And while the United States has no plans to take part in any Lebanon peacekeeping force, the administration says it will help train Lebanon's army, and provide it with desperately needed equipment and spare parts, after the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel stops.
John King, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And you can see more of John's reports on "ANDERSON COOPER 360," live from the Middle East tonight at 10:00 Eastern.
It is a matter of degrees. Temperatures are dipping into the 80s in parts of the east. That does sound like relief today. A cold front is bringing in a break from the weekend long heat wave. Temperatures are gradually cooling in some areas, but cities like Philadelphia and Washington might not see relief until tomorrow. The searing heat triggered record energy demand, and that meant scattered blackouts across the country.
Consolidated Edison reported about 4,800 people without electricity in New York earlier this morning. The weather is blamed for at least 27 deaths in 11 states and D.C. since Sunday.
While the Northeast gets a break, much of the South stays in the upper 90s to 100 and above today. And, of course, you can factor in that sticky humidity.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: All eyes on Phoenix, Arizona. In the next hour, looking forward to learning a lot from Phoenix police.
Chris Lawrence is on the scene -- Chris.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Daryn, a possible break in the case of two serial killers terrorizing the Phoenix area. We may be just an hour away from learning what tipped off police and what they've been able to learn from two suspects detained for questioning. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: 1:00 p.m. today, in about an hour and 10 minutes, we expect a news conference to begin in Phoenix, Arizona. It's been a very difficult year, more than a year, two serial killer investigations going on. There might be a big break in one of those cases.
Chris Lawrence standing by in Phoenix with more on that -- Chris.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Daryn, we expect to hear from the police chief, from the mayor of Phoenix, as well as lead investigators, and we may get some of our most pressing questions answered, such as what exactly tipped off police to these two suspects at this apartment complex overnight, and exactly what so far have they been able to learn from them? We know that police were tipped off, that they were called to an apartment complex in Mesa, Arizona overnight. They searched that apartment complex. They did take away two people for questioning.
Now their faces are being pixelated because police investigators plan to put them in a lineup, so right now they do not want their faces shown or identified in any way.
Again, two people in custody, they took away the car, they also took several items from this apartment complex, all trying to get to the bottom of one of two serial killers that have been terrorizing the Phoenix area. The one in question is the Serial Shooter, responsible for six murders, for wounding 18 others, even shooting, police say, randomly dogs and horses. Police say right now that this person has been targeting people walking alone, riding their bike alone, really causing a great amount of fear and frustration here in the Phoenix area.
KAGAN: Well, two seems to be the key number here. One, I'm surprised to see that they have two people in custody for this one investigation, but they're are actually are two separate investigations going on at the same time?
LAWRENCE: Right, it takes a little clearing up, but if you remember back to the D.C. sniper case, you had a driver and you had a shooter, so that we're not saying exactly that is what the case is here, but it is certainly a possibility with a case like this, when you talk about police saying that cars driving by, someone pulling up and shooting.
Also what you have is a separate investigation into a separate killer. People believe two serial killers have been terrorizing this area at the same time. The baseline killer often more brazen even than the serial shooter in that he has been abducting women from bus stops, from car washes, carjacking a woman and her 12-year-old daughter, sexually assaulting them, and then also responsible, police believe, for six murders.
KAGAN: We will be listening in about an hour, live from Phoenix. Chris Lawrence. Chris, thank you.
LAWRENCE: You're welcome.
(BUSINESS HEADLINES)
KAGAN: We're an hour away from a news conference from Phoenix, Arizona, could be a big break in the serial killer investigation. You'll see it live here on CNN.
Meanwhile "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is up next. I'm Daryn Kagan. Keep watching CNN. We are your most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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