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CNN Live Today

Ariel Sharon's Condition Deteriorates; Lebanese Civilians Returning to South Lebanon; Border Security

Aired August 14, 2006 - 11:00   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY.
I'm Daryn Kagan.

We begin this hour with the crisis in the Middle East. Here is what we know right now.

It is 10 hours into the cease-fire. Israel's prime minister says his country will continue to chase Hezbollah guerrillas. Ehud Olmert says -- also says that he will fight for the return of two captured Israeli soldiers. Their kidnappings triggered this conflict.

In Lebanon, civilians are ignoring warnings. They're trying to go home. Lebanese civilian defense officials say an overlooked explosive has killed two people, one of them a child.

And convoys loaded with food and water are pouring into southern Lebanon. The trucks are snaking along roads filled with bomb craters.

To Jerusalem now. Quite a bit of news coming out of Jerusalem, including the latest on the condition of the former Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon.

Let's go to our Paula Hancocks -- Paula.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.

Well, we are hearing from the medical center that has been treating Ariel Sharon that his condition deteriorated greatly. Now, we have a press release from the Sheba Medical Center saying that he has worsening cerebral MRI results, also saying that a chest scan shows that there is infection there, that's a new finding of pneumonia in both lungs.

Now, they are also saying that they are deciding on antibiotic treatment for Ariel Sharon, and also an anti-inflammatory steroid treatment. So they are working to try and make Ariel Sharon better.

Now, we know that back on January 4th is when had he a massive stroke and slipped into a coma. He's never regained consciousness since that point. And just a few months ago he was taken and transferred from Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem into a on long-term care area. The Sheba Medical Center. Now, the medical center saying they will only update us from this point onwards if there is a change, any worsening, or any improvement in Ariel Sharon's condition. Now, ironic that this would come at this time, as -- just hours after a cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon. Ariel Sharon was defense minister when Israel first invaded Lebanon in 1982, when it went into Lebanon, went all the way up to Beirut. And so this is the latest information we have at this point.

Now, we know that two weeks ago, or just over two weeks ago, once again, Ariel Sharon's condition deteriorated and he was rushed into intensive care at that point as well. Kidney function was the problem back then -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Paula, so that's the former Israeli prime minister. And we'll keep a watch on his condition.

What about the current prime minister, Ehud Olmert, and what he has to say about today's brand new cease-fire?

HANCOCKS: Well, he was talking just over an hour ago, and it was a very important speech for Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister. He has come under a lot of criticism from all sides for this past month of military operations in Lebanon itself.

Now, he did say that there were fallings and there were shortcomings in what the Israeli political echelon and the military had done. But he said for the most part, he wanted to praise everyone and send condolences to 159 families of those who had lost their loved ones.

He also said that the Israeli political echelon would still pursue Hezbollah leaders no matter where they were. He said it is inevitable that they will have gone underground now, but he said he makes no apology and will ask for permission for no one for actually going after those leaders. Also saying that Israel will react to any act of terrorism from any direction, any border, and he said that the resolution, 1701, was a good one.

And he also answered his critics. He said that he had deluded them into how long this war was going to last.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EHUD OLMERT, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Soldiers of the IDF have struck a major blow at this murderous organization. The extent of this blow is not yet known, but in terms of its long-term capabilities, its enormous arsenal of arms that it built up and stockpiled for many, many years, and also with regard to its self-confidence and self-confidence of its personnel and its leaders...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: Olmert saying that this resolution means there will not be a state within a state, meaning Hezbollah will no longer be able to be in southern Lebanon -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Paula Hancocks, live from Jerusalem. Thank you.

Now let's go to the refugee part of the story. Many people fled from southern Lebanon when the bombing began, and now they want to go home, even though it's not really quite safe for them to do that.

Brent Sadler is in the town of Nabatiye in southern Lebanon and brings us the latest from there.

Brent, hello.

BRENT SADLER, CNN BEIRUT BUREAU CHIEF: Hello, Daryn.

Some extraordinary scenes over the past few hours since that cessation of hostilities came into place. Hundreds upon hundreds of cars, thousands upon thousands of Lebanese displaced from the fighting in the south now trying to get to their homes and their livelihoods.

I'm reporting to you live from Nabatiye, where obviously there's something of a traffic jam here, because people are trying to get in, move around amidst all the rubble here. If I can just show you a wide shot, Daryn, you'll see some of the intense damage behind.

One of the people passing in that van shouting it -- shouting, "Hezbollah! Hezbollah!" with a victory sign.

As I was saying, behind me here, utter devastation in this commercial part of Nabatiye, normally a town for some 70,000 people. Obviously nowhere near that number of people here now. But this was one of the commercial areas.

I've been inside those premises as best I can. I dug through the rubble and looked inside. And they are shops -- they're clothes shops, trinket shops -- I've seen a butcher is in there -- and there really is -- surprising, say many people here, that Israel should have targeted this particular area. And there's a lot of anger here on the streets I've seen, because, they say, Hezbollah did not use this area, did not fire Katyusha rockets from this area. So, why, they're asking, was this particular part of Nabatiye selected for so much damage by Israeli aircraft and shelling?

I've seen scenes of utter disbelief as people drive around the rubble. I've seen people hugging. I've seen people crying when they've seen their businesses in ruins. And many emotions being expressed here on the streets of Nabatiye -- Daryn.

KAGAN: That's Brent Sadler on the streets of Nabatiye in southern Lebanon.

Thank you.

Want to head south from there and go to northern Israel. That's where we find our senior international correspondent, Matthew Chance.

Matthew, are things quiet there today? MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Daryn -- yes, it certainly has, Daryn. In fact, it's for the first time in weeks that we've seen it so quiet as this, because these guns behind me have been pounding at Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon for the course of the past several weeks.

This is the first time for the past few hours since the cease- fire has been enforced that they've actually fallen silent. And I spoke to the Israeli police, as well. They say it's been the same situation with the fire coming in the other direction as well. There hasn't been one Katyusha rocket landing in towns and cities across northern Israel so far today since this cease-fire has been enforced.

There have been clashes in southern Lebanon, though. It's not a perfect cease-fire by any means.

In fact, according to the Israeli Defense Forces, there have been four separate clashes inside south Lebanon over the course of this day since the cease-fire came into effect. All of them have included Israeli forces firing on suspected Hezbollah militants who they say were armed. Four people have been killed, all of them those -- those suspects.

And they've illustrated that the Israeli Defense Forces, which have agreed to suspend all offensive military operations, have made it quite clear that if they see their troops under threat, or their civilians under threat, they are prepared to open fire, which is what they have done. And really, all the ingredients in south Lebanon are there for this cease-fire to fall to pieces. That's what the big concern is in Israel, and I'm sure in Lebanon as well.

There are 30,000 Israeli troops still on the ground there. Hezbollah has vowed to keep on fighting those troops until they leave Lebanon. And so this cease-fire really is a fragile piece of paper, indeed -- Daryn.

KAGAN: I don't think we saw in northern Israeli the same type of flow of refugees as we saw in southern Lebanon. But did people leave their homes? And how is life perhaps going to get back to normal for them in that part of the country?

CHANCE: Yes, a lot of them did leave their homes, but it was under much better conditions. I mean, for a start, the roads were all working. They hadn't been bombed by Hezbollah. And so it was easy for them to just move out of the towns and cities to the safety of the south.

A lot of them stayed, though, because a lot of the apartment buildings in this part of Israeli have bomb shelters built underneath them. You know, it's like they anticipated there would be this kind of conflict in this part of the world. And so they built the apartment buildings with shelters, and many people have been spending a lot of time under those shelters, you know, hiding from the Katyusha rockets that have been raining down all around them -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Matthew Chance, in northern Israel. Thank you for that.

We're going to talk about the alleged terror plot coming up, going from code red to code orange. The Department of Homeland Security lowering the threat for flights to the U.S. from Britain.

The risk of attack is now considered high rather than severe. Authorities say both domestic and international flights will remain under a heightened level of security. The move comes four days after British police say they busted a plot to bomb U.S.-bound airliners.

It was back in June that Canadian police busted an alleged terror plot. Since then, the arrests have raised concerns among Canadian Muslims.

Our Zain Verjee reports from Toronto.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Music and maze, tourists and tailors, a popular stroll on one of the liveliest streets in Toronto. It's one of the most multicultural cities in the world, where tolerance is practiced and preached.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have been brought up to respect. We have been taught to respect everybody, like, as a human being. Don't look at the person as a Christian, or as a Muslim or as a Hindu.

VERJEE: But the colorful and delicate fabric that weaves together this unique city is being tested, after an alleged home-grown terrorist plot was exposed. Seventeen Canadian men arrested this summer, accused of plans to behead the prime minister, attack the parliament, and blow up buildings.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've got tourism from the foothills of Tora Bora come down to the doorsteps of Toronto.

VERJEE: But some terror experts in Canada say the threat is exaggerated.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think these are a bunch of kids, little, young Muslim would-be Rambos who were adolescents shooting off their mouths. But I don't think this was in any way construed as a hotbed of terrorism.

VERJEE: But the alleged plot made many Canadian Muslims feel under scrutiny, under fire, and under siege.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most Muslims, in the words of Tarik Ali (ph), the British writer, consider themselves being caught between the American hammer and the Islamist anvil.

VERJEE (on camera): Toronto's Muslim community is as vibrant as it is diverse. There are groups from dozens of different countries. They speak different languages, they have different closures, and so they have different perspectives. There is no one Muslim point of view.

(voice-over): Aldo Siani (ph) is from Uganda. For the last 10 years, he's been running Lahore Tikka House, and has a message for Americans.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're your northern cousins, and we want to be, you know, embraced, rather than looked at and viewed that, you know, where we're nothing.

VERJEE: Most of his customers didn't want to go on camera, because they're afraid of getting on TV could get them in trouble. But a few people were eager to tell their story, even a 10-year-old weighed in.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, we're just people, too.

VERJEE: The adults criticized Islamic extremists.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, they should be caught, and if they're doing something wrong, they should be punished.

VERJEE: Muslims in Canada say they've always felt at home here, but a lurking threat of terror could unravel the threads that bind this nation together.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Our Zain Verjee joins us live now from Toronto.

Zain, as you walked those streets and you talked to the people there, did you get a sense of what would be fueling some of the most -- more extremist ideology there in Toronto?

VERJEE: Yes, we did. We spoke to a number of people, Daryn. And there were a number of reasons.

First, they said, look, global politics. Young, Muslim men turn on the television and see pictures of disaster, mayhem, and many Muslims being killed in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Gaza, in Lebanon. And they're frustrated by it, and they direct their resentment toward Washington and to the Canadian government that backs Washington. It's also an opportunity for predator imams to prey on young men in this way and exploit them to fill their own political goals.

Another note and another reason, Daryn, was also because they say that the Canadian government is sending troops to Afghanistan, the Canadian government is backing Israel in its fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon. And those are reasons that tend to fuel that kind of extremist sentiment.

Lastly, one expert told us that it's really important to understand that a lot of that anger is actually directed more toward Canada and the Canadian government and not toward the United States -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Zain Verjee, live from Toronto.

Thank you.

And you can see much more of Zain's reporting later today on "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer.

Zain, thank you.

Still ahead, outrage in the war on drugs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not the first time it's been done by me or any agent out here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: The bad guy gets away while the good guys face jail.

And the question is, how safe are we? A look at where the U.S. stands on the war on terror.

Special coverage all day today, on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's talk about how this all plays into your energy supply. We have seen how minor disruptions in oil supplies can cause gas prices to spike. What would happen if terrorists hit the nation's oil infrastructure?

Our Sean Callebs looks at security at Port Fourchon, Louisiana.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Locals along Louisiana's coast call it the end of the road, but Port Fourchon is also the first stop for much of the crude oil used daily in the United States.

TED FALGOUT, PORT FOURCHON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: We play some key role in somewhere between 16 to 18 percent of the entire nation's oil supply. That's domestic and foreign.

CALLEBS: Merely 1/5 of the oil used in the U.S. is pumped through pipelines from offshore rigs to the Port Fourchon. The port commission knows this would be an attractive target for terrorists. Since 9/11, federal grants have paid for improvements in security here, like these 16 cameras designed to peer into every nook and cranny on this sprawling 700-acre port.

FALGOUT: Much of the ability to discourage anything is by just visually seeing what's happening and you pick up something that's not normal.

CALLEBS: What about terror? Is that something that's always in the back of your mind?

SGT. TROY DUFRENE, HARBOR POLICE: Always. Always.

CALLEBS: It's Sergeant Troy Dufrene's job to track down things that are not normal. But with only one patrol boat and a handful of officers to monitor up to 3 miles offshore, it's tough.

DUFRENE: We normally have three people on duty at a time. And with the waterways, the land and everything else that comes in, we can't keep up.

CALLEBS: Three hundred ships move through here each day, chiefly supplying offshore rigs that employ some 12,000 people. Port Fourchon would like to receive some of the millions of dollars the Department of Homeland Security doles out each year for security upgrades, but . . .

FALGOUT: The last several years, because of a criteria change, we are not even eligible to compete for port security funding, and go figure that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And our Sean Callebs joins us live now, helmet in hand -- or helmet on head.

Let's talk about who -- where the resources are financially for this type of security. What about the state of Louisiana, do they feel they have the proper resources?

CALLEBS: Well, I guess the best way to answer it is, there's never been any kind of attack on this 700-acre site. But do they have enough? They would always like to have more.

Behind me, you see they're working on one of the offshore oil rigs. There are about 4,000 of those out in the Gulf.

Now, the state has to monitor all those within two and three miles of the coast. Now, you heard the harbor police only have one boat, they only have three officers on a ship at a time. So, clearly, they would like to have more people. And it's very, very frustrating for them that the criteria has changed under DHS.

And now Port Fourchon can't even apply for the security grants. They would like to get more money, they would like to ramp up the security here, because just think what would happen if there was a severe attack here, the environmental damage and what it would do to this critical artery to our nation's energy.

KAGAN: Don't even want to think about that.

Sean Callebs, live from Louisiana.

Thank you.

In light of the alleged terror plot that was unveiled last week, we want to go ahead and do a report card and look at how different transportation systems are doing here in the U.S. in terms of -- in terms of protection.

Our security analyst Pat D'Amuro joining me this morning. We tracked him down in Orlando, Florida. Pat led the FBI investigation into the September 11th attacks and thought he was going to have a vacation, but we explained that to him differently this morning.

Good morning.

PAT D'AMURO, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Good morning, Daryn. How you doing?

KAGAN: Thank you. I'm doing fine, thanks. And thanks for making time for us on your vacation.

My pleasure.

KAGAN: Let's first look at airline travel. This has made news quite a bit in the last few days, and we've seen the new security restrictions, you can't bring your liquids, your lotions on board.

How do you think the U.S. has done in protecting this form of transportation?

D'AMURO: Well, Daryn, there's no doubt that air travel is much safer today than it was prior to 9/11. The thing we have to remember about security, though, that it's an ever-evolving, ever-changing situation. As we become better at security, terrorists are constantly trying to find ways to bypass that security so they can conduct their terrorist attacks. And thus, you're seeing the Bojinka situation come forward again, where they're talking about bringing a liquid type of explosive that wouldn't be detected and bring that on board an aircraft.

KAGAN: And Bojinka, that's -- that was a different plot from the '90s.

D'AMURO: The Bojinka was a plot from the '90s. The FBI, the New York office, was responsible for that investigation. We actually called it at the time Manila Air.

KAGAN: OK.

What about ports? We were just seeing Sean Callebs' report from south -- from the southern part of Louisiana. What about the big ports that are taking in not just energy supplies, but so many -- so many goods that come into the country? Like Los Angeles, Oakland?

D'AMURO: You're right. There's no doubt that port security needs to be enhanced. It needs to be looked at even closer than what's going on today.

There have been some enhancements. There have been some improvements. But when you look at the number of Customs officials to search the ships coming into ports here, I think what the United States is trying to do is a good measure. They're looking at trying to increase Customs officials abroad.

The best way to protect our ports here are to search those cargo ships and make sure they know what's contained on those cargo ships before they come into the United States. That's the best method of protection.

KAGAN: And finally, rail travel. A lot of people take trains because they're afraid to fly.

D'AMURO: That's right. And I think a lot of the subway systems in New York, the metro systems in Washington, D.C., are very well looked at by law enforcement authorities, and security has improved in those areas. But then you have situations like Amtrak, where there's some security needs there.

So, rail travel is another area that needs to be watched and monitored.

KAGAN: Pat D'Amuro joining us from Florida.

As you found out, even your vacation is not safe in these times.

D'AMURO: That's right.

KAGAN: So we're going to let you go and get back to some relaxation.

Thank you for your time.

D'AMURO: Thanks a lot. take care.

KAGAN: Looking at a group that had just too many cell phones. Now five men are jailed. They're alleged link to terrorism, we'll tell you about it here on CNN.

You are watching the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's show you some live pictures we're getting from southern California and the limited amount of information that we have.

This is the Angeles National Forest just outside of -- well, I guess we lost that picture. Let me tell you what little bit I know.

Southern California, a car -- there, the picture is back -- a car into a ravine. Rescuers on the scene right now. The extent of the injuries of the people hurt in this incident not known at this time. But that looks like that was quite a fall down a long and steep ravine. The Angeles National Forest in southern California.

Let's look at the Coast Guard right now. Part of the tight security around the bridge linking upper and lower Michigan this morning is what we're looking at there. Police are holding three men on terror-related charges after finding them with hundreds of cell phones.

Our Carol Lin has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The three men charged are two brothers in their 20s and their cousin who is 19. All are from Texas. They were arrested early Friday in the small town of Caro, Michigan, and charged with collecting or providing materials for terrorist acts and surveillance of a target for terrorist purposes.

Investigators say they believe this was the suspects' target, the five-mile Mackinac Bridge that links Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas. They won't say what evidence they have.

The three were arrested Friday after hundreds of cell phones were found in their minivan. Authorities were alerted when the men tried to buy 80 cell phones at this Wal-Mart store. They also bought more phones at other stores in the area, most of them prepaid.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They only buy just the phone, which is pretty odd, because if you're going to activate that phone, you would be buying cards as well to activate it.

LIN: Authorities were suspicious because many of the phones were Tracfones, which are not traceable. Cell phones can also be used as detonators.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're developing how the actual telephones were sold, revenue was passed from one location to the next. And obviously that's fairly complex.

LIN: At the men's arraignment, one of the brothers said they were planning to sell the phones for a profit, and he said they had been questioned by the FBI on previous occasions. Back in Dallas, his wife protested the men's arrests.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's nothing wrong with it. I don't know why they're making a big deal out of this? Are you all making a big deal out of this because all the Arabs are doing it?

LIN: It's the second time in a week that authorities in the Midwest have arrested people buying an unusual number of cell phones. Wednesday, two men from Dearborn, Michigan, were arrested in Ohio. They've been charged with soliciting or providing support for acts of terrorism. Their attorneys say they were just trying to make some money.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And that was our Carol Lin reporting there.

They were the subject of a nationwide manhunt, now all 11 Egyptian college students who failed to show up for classes in Montana are in custody today. The final two were picked up last night in Richmond, Virginia. The FBI says none of the students poses a terrorism risk.

And moving on to port security now, our John Zarrella joins us from south Florida with the latest on that -- John.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Well, you know that the port here at the Port of Miami, the busiest cruise port in North America. Nine million passengers every year go out of ports around the United States. But four million of those come out of the port here in Miami. You know, can you see there behind me, the Majesty of the Seas, one of the cruise ships that is in port today. Off to my right are two carnival ships, all three will be departing later this afternoon, Monday afternoon here.

Now, port security, of course, is a huge, huge issue. Now, in 2001, here's some numbers for you, $259 million was spent by the government on port security nationwide. In 2005, $1.6 billion was spent. That's about a 700 percent increase. Now, there are 360 commercial ports in the United States. Ninety-five percent of all international cargo is sea borne, in other words, comes into seaports, and there are 11 million containers of cargo coming into the United States every year. But only about six percent of them are ever really opened and looked at, eyeballed.

Now joining me here this morning, Lieutenant Commander Christopher O'Neil, the United States Coast Guard.

Lieutenant commander, I have to ask you out of the box, last week's terrorist incident in London, did that have any effect on you folks here or on your mission?

LT. CMDR. CHRISTOPHER O'NEIL, U.S. COAST GUARD: There was no specific intelligence that pointed to a threat against the maritime segment of transportation. So there was nothing that warranted an increase in posture. Of course we did increase our vigilance, and asked our industry partners to increase their vigilance as well.

LAVANDERA: Now, you know, we were talking about the number of cruise ships here. But your responsibility, seventh district Coast Guard, not just these ships here, right?

O'NEIL: That's correct. Our AOR spans 1.8 million square miles, includes ports in Charleston, Georgia, Florida. The cruise industry, we have five major embarkation points within South Florida. They account for about 58 percent of all the passengers embarked in the U.S.

LAVANDERA: So that's over four million, five million people from just your area of responsibility.

O'NEIL: That's correct, about 4.7 million embarkations.

LAVANDERA: I have to ask you about when you're boarding ships, or some of the things that you do to make sure you keep the terrorist threat away from the ports? O'NEIL: Well port security is a layered strategy. And our idea is to push that threat as far away from our shores as possible. And we can do that through a number of means. Most primarily is the international ship and port facility security code, which is the IMO's version of the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002. So the more that we can get other countries in compliance with security standards, get foreign-flagged vessels in compliance with security procedures and standards before they come to U.S. shores, the better we can increase our security.

LAVANDERA: And one of the things you do, though, is if you have intelligence, you'll board ships out, away from the port, right?

O'NEIL: There are a number of considerations that we look at in deciding when and where and how often we need to board vessels as they approach U.S. ports. We can put teams onboard, either through embarkations. If we need to take positive control of a vessel, we have specially trained teams able to do that. But we board them before they enter the U.S. port to make sure they're in compliance with U.S. security standards.

LAVANDERA: You've got a heck of a lot of territory to patrol. Just in Florida alone, there must be 1,500 miles or more of coastline, right? How can you possibly keep a handle on all of that and keep the threats to a minimum?

O'NEIL: Sure, well, achieving maritime domain awareness is not the sole responsibility of any one agency. Certainly we're the lead agency for our maritime security, but we can't do it with without our partners, other partners in the Department of Homeland Security, like Customs and border protection, Border Patrol. Even the Coast Guard auxiliary is another set of eyes and ears for us out on the waterways. The boaters, the maritime industry, all have a role to play in port security.

LAVANDERA: Christopher, thank you very much. Christopher O'Neil, lieutenant commander with the United States Coast Guard, joining us this morning.

And you know, Daryn, there's another thing we can't see that could very well be going on right now. There are port divers, Miami- Dade County dive teams, that during times of heightened alert, they will be out there below the surface checking the hulls of those cruise ships just to make sure there's nothing afoul beneath the water line.

KAGAN: Very important work.

John Zarrella in South Florida. John, thank you.

We're coming up on a break here at 34 minutes past the hour. We're still looking at how safe are we here? Target: USA, special coverage all day right here on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK) KAGAN: We're also following a big story out of Jerusalem, word on the former Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, his medical condition taking a turn for the worse.

And our medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here to tell us more about that.

Hello.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I've been on the is phone talking to our Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who is a neurosurgeon, as well as a doctor at the National Institutes of Health, about what is going on with Prime Minister Sharon and what this means for his health.

He went into a coma as a result of suffering a stroke in January. And what we've heard today from the hospital, Sheba Medical Center, where he is, in Tel Aviv, is that a brain scan shows a deterioration of brain function, also that his urine input -- urine output has decreased significantly, and also that he has double pneumonia, and what these doctors said is that it's very difficult to predict what this means exactly as far as his prognosis. Is this the beginning of a decline? Could the end be very soon within days? Could it be within months? They said it's very, very difficult to predict.

What they did say, though, is that these are definitely grave signs. And one of the reasons is that this shows there are so many different problems in different systems of his body.

For example, last month, he had bacteria in his bloodstream. Now we're hearing about problems with kidneys. We're hearing about infections in lungs. We're hearing about problems that his brain deterioration is even worse, and that that there is a limit to what doctors can do.

For example, they can give antibiotics for the lung infection, but in someone who is in the situation that he is in, there could still be significant damage to the lungs, that the antibiotics just won't take care of.

So, Daryn, I asked this doctor at the National Institutes of Health, I said, if he were your patient, what would you be telling the family right now if they said, how much time does he have left? And she said, I would tell them it's hard to predict, but that the family should visit in preparation for this possibly being near the end.

KAGAN: He's been a sick man for a long time. It was early January when he had -- well, he had first a minor stroke in December, but then early January, he had that massive stroke that left him in this condition.

COHEN: Right, so this has been going on for a long time, and being in a coma for eight months, or seven months at this point, it's difficult. It takes a toll on the system,. When you hear about urine output decreasing significantly, that's a sign of real kidney function problems, and at a certain point, when it decreases below a certain level -- and they haven't told us what levels, we don't know that -- the kidneys are actually said to be failing. So this is -- it's very hard on the body to be in a coma at this point.

But the doctor at the NIH who I talked to said it's really in many ways not so much the coma that's the point, but the point that you're seeing problems in the lungs, in the brains, in the bloodstream, in so many different parts of his body.

KAGAN: All right. Elizabeth Cohen, thank you for the update. Appreciate that.

From code red to code orange. The Department of Homeland Security lowers the threat level for flights to the U.S. from Britain. The risk of attack now considered high rather than severe. Authorities say both domestic and international flights will remain under a heightened level of security. The move comes four days after British police say they busted a plot to bomb U.S.-bound airliners.

Airport security is still tight. In fact, the TSA added a precaution. All air travelers must now remove their shoes and have them x-rayed. Also, some tweaks to the carry-on restrictions. The general no liquids rule still holds, but travelers with infants can now carry baby food, as well as milk or formula, which was allowed under the old rules. And diabetics can bring insulin or glucose gel aboard, and small amounts of over-the-counter liquid medicine are now also permitted, as well as prescription drugs in the passengers' name. And ladies, you can you pack the lipstick. Solid sticks are okay, but leave those liquid glosses at home. You can find the full list of dos and don'ts at tsa.org.

U.S. authorities are mainly focusing on protecting big ticket targets from terrorism, but so-called soft targets are frequently attacked around the world, and their security is a growing concern.

Our Dan Lothian talks to one man whose mission is to prevent suicide bombers from striking the U.S.

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DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): It's something that is nonstop for you?

URI MENDELBERG, INTL. SECURITY AND DEFENSE SYSTEMS: Yes. For me, if it is a profession, we have to think about that all the time.

LOTHIAN (voice-over): Uri Mendelberg, a former Israeli soldier, is consumed with preventing a suicide bomber from striking on U.S. soil. His knowledge comes from experience up close.

MENDELBERG: Instinct that has been developed over living in Israel for 25 or 30 years, and looking what happens.

LOTHIAN: Now, the Israeli security and defense company Mendelberg directs is bringing the issue into focus on America's radar, educating a country to the unspeakable.

JEAN SAFRA, INTL. SECURITY AND DEFENSE SYSTEMS: Used to call it a suicide bomber.

LOTHIAN: With his colleague Jean Safra, he's training private and government security officers to, among other things, identify and potentially neutralize suicide bombers.

SAFRA: People come and say, OK, give us your experience. Give us your knowledge. We need it. We need it now.

LOTHIAN (on camera): Is this training on target? Is there a real thread of suicide bombers plotting to attack a crowded mall in New Jersey or a sold-out concert in California? Before 9/11, there would have been a lot of doubters, but since then, there's been growing demand for this specialized training, from law enforcement to private security firms. For many, it's a real concern.

(voice-over): That's where the training is so intense, so real. In this exercise, a suicide bomber is charging forward to set off his explosive belt, but is quickly confronted. One potential target, he says, could be a mall packed with shoppers.

MENDELBERG: Could be an easy target, a soft target, because nobody is guarding these malls.

LOTHIAN: But that's changing. Malls across the country are sending their security guards to his classes and other programs to be trained in spotting a suicide bomber long before a cord is pulled.

MENDELBERG: Is he looking for the guy who's wearing a long coat or not in the summer or carrying a suitcase? What is the indication that something is wrong, the guy is out of place?

LOTHIAN: Fighting this threat begins with law enforcement, but doesn't end there.

SAFRA: In my country, we do a lot of public awareness, a lot of security awareness, about suicide bombing.

LOTHIAN (on camera): Everybody is looking out for everything, then?

SAFRA: Yes, everybody is looking around.

MENDELBERG: You've got to teach people a certain awareness of potential dangers, because you don't know when it's going to come.

LOTHIAN: Dan Lothian, CNN, Princeton, New Jersey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Happily ever after. Coming up, could a walk down the aisle help you beat the blues? Ahead on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: OK, a hard one here and a personal note. Because we're taking a moment here at CNN to remember one of our own. A personal friend of mine and the salt of the earth kind of man who makes CNN go. We're talking about Dan Young, CNN's director of field operations. Dan passed away unexpectedly just this weekend. He worked here at CNN for the last 25 years. Most recently, he was in charge of over 90 photojournalists across the nation.

Now, Dan was the classic CNN success story. He joined the network at an entry-level position, but soon became a photojournalist traveling the world, shooting video for CNN.

And speaking of traveling the world, the memory I will always share with Dan is he was the photographer for the two weeks that I spent covering Bono's trip across Africa with Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill back in 2002. There's Dan and our producer, Ted Winter (ph), taken in Africa with Bono. Four countries, 17 cases of equipment and more memories and stories than I could even begin to tell you. They will last forever.

We all remember as a Dan as a dear friend and colleague. This picture -- this was at a clinic in Uganda. One of the patients was playing guitar and Dan grabbed it and wanted a turn, even though he didn't know how to play guitar. That was his spirit. That was Dan. He leaves behind his son Jake (ph) and wife, Marty (ph), a twin brother and many other family members and friends who loved him very, very much. We express our deepest sympathies to Dan's family.

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KAGAN: We want to show you some new pictures we're getting in here. A live rescue taking place. This is Southern California, the Angeles National Forest. A car goes over an embankment around 7:00 a.m. local time. So that would have been a couple hours ago in Los Angeles. Two people being transported. Very serious injuries. They're going to a local hospital at this time. That is all that we know.

You're watching the White House briefing. We showed some of it to you live here, earlier this morning on CNN. You heard Press Secretary Tony Snow say that scientists have discovered the possible presence of bird flu in wild mute swans in Michigan. But we want to make clear the officials say it does not appear to be the most worrisome strain of the virus that has spread through birds in Asia, Europe and Africa. Officials at the Agriculture Department say they don't believe the virus represents a risk to human health.

(NEWSBREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: And we'll take a break. We're back right after this.

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KAGAN: New photos of Fidel Castro to show you this morning. The Cuban leader marks his 80th birthday with a couple of visitors, his brother, Raul, and Venezuela's president, Hugo Chavez. One of his birthday presents, a dagger that belonged to Simon Bolivar, the South American independence fighter. The Cuban leader is recovering from intestinal surgery. Raul Castro made his first public appearance Sunday as Cuban's acting president. Welcoming Mr. Chavez to Havana, he gave out a written message, where he said, Fidel Castro says he's feeling great, but notes his recovery will take a while longer.

I'm Daryn Kagan. Keep watching CNN today for our special coverage. Target USA: How safe are we? That's all day here on CNN. "YOUR WORLD TODAY" us up next, happening -- with news happening all around the globe and here at home.

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