Return to Transcripts main page
One World with Zain Asher
Israel And Hezbollah Trade Fire; Lebanese Health Ministry: 274 Killed In Israel Strikes; Zelenskyy In United States To Attend UNGA; Present "Victory Plan"; Ryan Wesley Routh Appearing In Court; NYT Poll: Trump Surges To Lead In Sun Belt Swing States; Civilians Caught In The Middle In Lebanon, Gaza; Astronaut And Cosmonauts Return To Earth; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired September 23, 2024 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:29]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST: All right. World leaders gather in New York as tensions in the Middle East intensify.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST: ONE WORLD starts right now.
Evacuations and bombardments. Israel and Hezbollah trade fire. We're live in the region with the very latest.
ASHER: And the suspected Trump assassin appears in court as CNN is learning new details about his plans.
GOLODRYGA: Plus, welcome home. A NASA astronaut and two cosmonauts return to Earth after a stay at the International Space Station.
Hello, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. You are watching ONE WORLD.
A significant escalation, a dangerous new phase, and a warning from Iran. Israel's long simmering conflict with Hezbollah is now on the brink of an
all-out war with Monday marking the deadliest day of Israeli strikes in Lebanon in nearly 20 years.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. The IDF is urging Lebanese civilians in Beqaa Valley, a Hezbollah stronghold, to evacuate immediately.
ASHER: It comes just hours after Hezbollah fired rockets deep into northern Israel in retaliation for a massive Israeli bombardment on militant targets
in Southern Lebanon.
GOLODRYGA: The Lebanese health minister calling the numbers unprecedented, saying at least 274 people were killed, including women and children and
more than 1,000 others wounded.
Now, it follows a weekend of the most intense fire between Israel and Hezbollah since the war in Gaza began nearly one year ago.
A lot to get into. Let's begin with CNN's Nic Robertson, who is in Jerusalem for us. Nic, earlier today, we heard from IDF spokesperson,
Daniel Hagari, who said that these more than 300 targets who were struck by Israel were preemptive strikes.
And he also noted that these airstrikes would continue in the near-term, warning residents there in the vicinity to leave and look for safer cover.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. Daniel Hagari, the IDF spokesman, described them as precise attacks designed to take out
Hezbollah's infrastructure and capability. He warned Lebanese civilians to leave their houses if they thought their houses were close to Hezbollah
facilities or Hezbollah fighters.
What's unfolded today is unprecedented since 2006. From the DIF, they say they have now hit 800 targets inside of Lebanon. They say they received
incoming from Lebanon 180 missiles.
In fact, the IDF has just reported that they have had a targeted strike, a targeted strike inside of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. This is a rare
occurrence. Of course, their strike, just a few days ago, was in that side.
Beirut was specifically targeted at Hezbollah leadership and killed a significant number of them, along with civilians. The Ministry of Health in
-- the Ministry of Health in Lebanon is saying that 274 people killed, 21 of them children, 39 of them women, 1,024 people injured.
The IDF strikes have been in the Beqaa Valley in the north of -- north of Lebanon today. And the IDF is saying that they are trying to take out the
weapons storage facilities of of Hezbollah and point to the sort of secondary explosions after some of their missiles have impacted.
However, as we have seen in other places, when the IDF has warned civilians to get out of the way for their safety, civilians are being caught up and
killed, and that's what Lebanese officials are saying today.
ASHER: And, Nic, now that Hezbollah is proving that it won't go quietly, right, that it won't be beaten into submission, how does that change the
way Israel is going to be conducting this war going forward?
ROBERTSON: I don't think it's going to change it at all. You know, Israel has been saying for some time that either there was going to be a
diplomatic solution and they were saying a long time ago that the window for that was closing. And if that window closed, then the military option
was the one that was going to come into play.
A week ago tonight, the Israeli cabinet decided to put the returning Israeli civilians to the northern border. More than 60,000 have been
evacuated since October the 8th. Returning them home was now a war priority.
[12:05:13]
And the next day, we saw the pagers exploding, the day after, the intercoms exploding. The day, two days later, that strike on Hezbollah leadership
inside of Beirut. And the escalation has continued.
The IDF has said that it has multiple different plans. It's not indicating what all those plans may be. Could they include ground forces? They're
certainly not answering that question. Would they use the Air Force? Absolutely, that's what they're doing at the moment.
And we've heard from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just a few minutes ago speaking in English, saying that or warning the people of Lebanon that
they're being used by Hezbollah, used by Hezbollah so that Hezbollah can hide behind the civilians inside of Lebanon. This is, of course, something
that Israel has said about Hamas inside of Gaza.
But Netanyahu also being very, very clear, this is a situation, he says, where they are going to get in front of the situation. These were his
words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): For those who have not yet understood, we want to clarify Israel's policy. We do not
wait for a threat. We anticipate it. Anywhere, in any arena, at any time. We eliminate senior officials. We eliminate terrorists. We eliminate
missiles. And there's more to come. Whoever tries to hurt us, we will hurt them even more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: So I think Israel, very aware, clearly, that this is going to bring a strong reaction from Hezbollah. So the warning from both the prime
minister today and the defense minister for citizens to fully obey and Follow the instructions of the Home Front Command which are if the sirens
go off get in your shelter, get in your shelter fast and remain there until 10 minutes at least after the sirens have finished also closing schools in
the north all of these steps, the leadership here are warning people to follow very carefully because clearly, the anticipation is 180 missiles
incoming today from Lebanon. It could be the same, could be more tomorrow.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And direct message there from the prime minister, echoing what his defense minister had said just days ago, and that is at the center
of gravity, in this fighting has now shifted to the north.
Nic Robertson, thank you so much.
ASHER: And Nabih Bulos is the Middle East bureau chief for the "L.A. Times." He joins us live now from Beirut. So, Nabih, thank you so much for
being with us.
You know --
NABIH BULOS, MIDDLE EAST BUREAU CHIEF, L.A. TIMES: Given what Lebanon has been through, you know, it begs the question, how much more can the
Lebanese people actually take?
You think about the fact that since 2019, the Lebanese economy has been in shambles. The Lebanese pound is now just at about 10 percent of its value.
Eighty percent of the people in this country are living below the poverty line. How much appetite is there really for a war between Hezbollah and
Israel?
BULOS: Well, I think it's clear that for many Lebanese, across the political spectrum that divides, do not want war. And that includes even
Hezbollah's base. And, in fact, Hezbollah itself has said, time and again, that it's not interested in a wider war.
But it's also true that Hezbollah is framing its conflict with Israel as a support front with Gaza or with Hamas, perhaps, in the sense that they want
to compel Israel into a ceasefire or at least increase the cost of remaining in this conflict in Gaza.
So in that regard, Hezbollah does have some support. But, of course, as the cost increases, questions are rising as to how far it can go.
GOLODRYGA: Publicly, at least, we've got Nasrallah showing a sign of force saying that he welcomes a ground invasion from Israel, but I'm just
wondering, realistically, given the operations that we've seen take place, over the last week, the intelligence operation that set off numerous
pagers, injuring 3,000 operatives there, and the next day that extending to beepers and other walkie-talkie forms of communications between operatives.
And now these targeted assaults that appears to be another commander who Israel says that they killed in one of these strikes.
Collectively, how big of a setback is all of this psychologically and physically for Hezbollah?
BULOS: If you look at the last 11 months, you'll see that Israel has actually managed to target a fair amount of Hezbollah's military
leadership. For example, a few months ago, we saw its chief of staff, before that, we saw some regional commanders.
Today, you know, we've just actually gotten word now of another strike onto Dahieh targeting supposedly its southern regional commander.
[12:10:07]
And, so of course, at this at least hints at a security breach that Hezbollah has not been able to plug so far. But with that being said, its
cadre is number, in theory, around 100,000.
And so, even if you include the tally from last week, which no doubt was devastating, as the party itself said, at the same time, I think in the
long run, it will not have the effect that Israel would expect it to have.
ASHER: When you think about just how fractured and sectarian the politics in Lebanon actually is, you mean, you've got the fact that there's no
Lebanese prime minister still, and I think it's been at least two years, the caretaker.
BULOS: Yes.
ASHER: There's no Lebanese president, excuse me. The caretaker prime minister in the country has no power over Hezbollah.
The weak political environment, how is that also factoring in into Hezbollah's response?
BULOS: Well, it's hard to say that it does insofar as that -- and the government cannot force Hezbollah into any political situation. It remains
to be one of the most powerful political parties. And, of course, it is an armed group, so it does have some sway over how things go in the country.
And it's been doing that, even actually, for quite some time.
Now, with that being said, of course, I mean, Hezbollah is also aware of the cost of a full-on war. I mean, in 2006, even the general secretary of
the party, Hassan Nasrallah, acknowledged that it was a mistake. And that the expectation was that it would not go to an all-out conflagration. And
again, it should be noted that has been the rhetoric of the party over the last 11 months.
Now things are changing, obviously, because of what we've seen in the last week, in the sense that now others talk about a new phase of the war from
Hezbollah against Israel, but there is now talk of an open account of reckoning.
So this is to say that things are, of course, heading towards an escalation, but I do not think the Lebanese government can actually force
Hezbollah into any kind of compromise, you know, for its goals.
ASHER: All right. Nabih Bulos, thank you so much. Appreciate it.
BULOS: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: Meantime, Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is expected to present his blueprint to defeat Russia while on a key trip to the United
States.
ASHER: Now, Mr. Zelenskyy kicked off his visit with a tour of a plant in Scranton, Pennsylvania, which makes munitions used by Ukraine in its battle
against Russia. He later outlined what he's calling his victory plan to U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington. And he's also going to be sharing
that plan with both presidential candidates.
GOLODRYGA: But before that, Mr. Zelenskyy will stop in New York, where he was going to speak at the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday.
Let's bring in CNN's Alex Marquardt. So he's coming with a victory plan that he's going to be presenting to President Biden. We'll also be hearing
from President Biden tomorrow, speaking to world leaders, perhaps in his last opportunity to do so on the global stage there.
Explain for us the stakes for both President Zelenskyy and President Biden.
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, for President Biden, as you say, this could be his last moment on this biggest
of international stages. This is a man, a politician, who has foreign policy really at the center of his political identity. And here he is,
grappling with so many different issues on the international stage.
And, frankly, whatever he says tomorrow, is going to come against the backdrop, not just of the war in Gaza, a ceasefire that his administration
has been unable to get to between Israel and Hamas, but now these increasing fears about what is going to happen in the region more broadly
and in Israel's north with this growing fight with Hezbollah.
He will certainly want to highlight what he sees as his accomplishments in terms of foreign policy. But, no doubt, there are concerns among his top
officials that he is going to leave office with these major conflicts still simmering.
Now, one of the biggest moments of this week, as you say, is going to be his meeting with President Zelenskyy. And Zelenskyy is coming here to
generate continued and increasing support for Ukraine. He does say that he has a plan for victory, a plan to get to a diplomatic resolution. What is
in that plan, we do not know. They're keeping the details fairly closely held.
That meeting with President Biden is set to take place on Thursday. But President Zelenskyy, on his way here, has said that the fall is going to be
absolutely critical for this, for their fight against the Russians.
And so much of what happens, whether this plan succeeds, has to do with President Biden himself.
I want to read a little bit of what President Zelenskyy told "The New Yorker" ahead of his trip to New York. He said, "This plan is designed,
first and foremost, with Biden's support in mind. If he doesn't want to support it, I cannot force him. If he refuses, that's unfortunate. It would
mean that Biden doesn't want to end the war in any way that denies Russia a victory. And we would end up with a very long war."
[12:15:07]
So strong words from Zelenskyy there, putting the onus very much on the United States.
One thing that Zelenskyy says is key are those long-range missiles that, so far, the U.S. has not allowed Ukraine to fire into Russian territory for
fear of escalation, among other concerns. Bianna, Zain.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And there is anticipation that we could see at least a policy change on that front with President Biden, perhaps green-lighting,
finally, the use of long-range missiles in this war by Ukraine.
Alex Marquardt, thank you so much.
ASHER: All right. We are getting an unflinching account into the conditions at Iran's notorious Evin Prison. Siamak Namazi is the American who spent
eight years wrongfully imprisoned in Iran. He was released last September, making him the longest held Iranian-American prisoner.
Namazi tells our Christiane Amanpour the deplorable treatment was sometimes more mental than physical.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIAMAK NAMAZI, AMERICAN FREED FROM IRANIAN PRISON: I assumed that because I'm a hostage and I have value, they will not harm me. Unfortunately, that
assumption was proven wrong.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN INTERNTIONAL HOST: What did they do?
NAMAZI: You know, I got to tell you that the physical part of what they do isn't -- you know, it's not like they're pulling your nail, but you're
blindfolded. And, unfortunately, the thugs are as bad as their job as everyone else in that rotting system.
I believe they don't mean to harm you as much as they do, but they don't understand simple things like when you toss a person who is blindfolded, I
don't know that's a wall in front of me and I'm going to go face first into it or I don't know there's a staircase and I'm going to go rolling down.
So I --
AMANPOUR: Did that happen?
NAMAZI: I did, yes. Both of those things happened. There were -- that part still, you could endure but not, day after day after day, nonstop. There
was a lot of humiliation, that I'm not comfortable talking about. I mean unutterable because it had a profound effect on me.
It's just I still haven't even gotten to talking about it fully in therapy. It's just they humiliate you and they always do this while you're
blindfolded, you know, they -- it's that -- they're that cowardly. The guy beating you up won't even -- you see -- I saw my interrogators but the
thugs were of a different -- of a different nature.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: So fascinating. Of course, you'll recall Christiane's conversation with him while he was in prison --
ASHER: Right.
GOLODRYGA: -- last year. That phone call, that stunning and brave phone call.
You can see Christiane's entire compelling interview in the next hour on "AMANPOUR." That is 1:00 P.M. Eastern, 6:00 P.M. in London.
Well, we are also learning new details right now about the man accused of trying to assassinate former President Donald Trump.
Ryan Wesley Routh is appearing in a federal courtroom in Florida where he's hearing the conditions of his detention.
Prosecutors argued that Routh is a flight risk and a risk to the community. Meanwhile, prosecutors revealed new details of the case in a pre-trial
filing.
ASHER: Yes. It included a letter they say was written by Routh stating that he was attempting to assassinate Trump. It was one of several letters found
in a box at his home that also included ammunition, building materials and phones.
Let's bring in our national security reporter Zach Cohen. So, Zach, let's talk about this letter essentially detailing his plans. And he wrote it in
such a way that it was almost as if he even knew or suspected that he was going to fail in the attempted assassination.
He wrote, and I quote, this was an attempted assassination on Donald Trump, but I failed you. I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could to
muster. It's now up to you to finish the job and I'll offer $150,000 to whoever can complete the job.
What does that tell us about his intentions and about how realistic he thought, just in terms of whether or not he would be successful here?
ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, it's really interesting, because this letter apparently was delivered in that box more
than a month before Routh was ultimately arrested on September 15th outside Donald Trump's golf course and delivered to a witness who told prosecutors
that they only opened that box after news of Routh's arrest emerged and became public.
It raises some questions about the timeline. As you mentioned, how did he know, based on the wording of this letter, that he would ultimately fail?
But to your point about the intentions, it does state very clearly in this letter addressed to quote the world, saying that this was an assassination
attempt on Donald Trump.
And that has been sort of the lingering question here. As you guys remember, the FBI, in the immediate aftermath of Routh's arrest, made very
clear that they viewed this as an attempted assassination.
But proving that in court is a whole different matter. Routh is currently only facing those two gun charges, a possession of a firearm as a convicted
felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Those are not charges associated with an attempted assassination of a former
president.
So we have heard from our sources that prosecutors are trying to build a case around more serious charges, around charges that would reflect their
belief that this was an assassination attempt.
[12:20:07]
This letter, you know, today, will be used in an effort to try to keep Routh behind bars until a trial eventually happens.
But the letter also speaks to the kind of evidence that they are continuing to collect as they try to show and prove what Routh's intent was and speak
to this motive as well. Other items in that box also included, as you mentioned, ammunition, metal rods.
They also collected and have obtained several cell phones they say belonged to Routh. They found them in his car. And one of those cell phones had a
Google search on it that was looking at how to get from Palm Beach County where he was ultimately arrested to Mexico, suggesting potentially that he
was going to try to cross the border at some point.
So, again, prosecutors still clearly trying to wrestle with this question of intent. But today, this evidence was sort of the first glimpse into
maybe that bigger case, those more serious charges that they could ultimately bring at any time.
We'll have to see if they end up doing that, but again, a little window into the investigative process here.
ASHER: All right. Zach Cohen, live for us there. Thank you so much.
All right. Still to come, this is shaping up to be a historically closed presidential race, but new polls show Donald Trump may be on the rise. That
story, when we come back.
GOLODRYGA: And was the first one the last one? Kamala Harris and Donald Trump give different answers about -- when asked about staging a second
debate.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. We've been hearing for a while that you may have heard this presidential race is actually quite close, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: We're the candidates.
ASHER: In fact, CNN's number crunches say that right now it is the closest contest since 1960.
GOLODRYGA: Here we go. What a brand-new poll shows momentum for Donald Trump now. New York Times/Siena College survey finds Trump has surged to a
small but significant lead in three key swing states. The Sunbelt states of Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina have been seen as Kamala Harris'
backup plan in case she does not win battleground states in the Upper Midwest.
Now this poll makes that scenario seem less likely. Kamala Harris is now pressing Donald Trump to agree to another debate.
[12:25:06]
ASHER: Yes. Harris was in New York on Sunday for a big dollar fundraiser. Her campaign broadened $27 million, the most it has raised at a single
event. Harris said Trump is looking for excuses to avoid facing her again on the debate stage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Join me on the debate stage. Let's have another
debate. There's more to talk about. And the voters of America deserve to hear the conversations that I think we should be having on substance, on
issues, on policies. What's your plan? What's my plan? And we should have another one before Election Day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Over the weekend, Trump said that he thinks it is too late to have another debate because early voting is already happening in some
states. He'll be campaigning today in Pennsylvania, which some analysts have pegged as perhaps the most important state in the race.
So let's bring in CNN U.S. national politics correspondent Eva McKend. Eva, objectively, I think most people, including Republicans, all but Donald
Trump, agree that Kamala Harris won this last debate.
Given where the polls are, what does it say to you that she is now offering a second debate, especially because when asked, some of those polled say
they still have more to hear about her and her policies.
EVA MCKEND, CNN U.S. NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Well, she wants more time to introduce herself to voters. You know, keep in mind, this is a very
short campaign for her, a compressed timeline here.
And they thought that debate was a tremendous opportunity, a huge platform for her. They feel as though it illustrated a stark contrast, that it
showed that she is serious. She often characterizes the former president as unserious. And then she has real message discipline.
And so if she can get another opportunity to sort of undress the former president, similar to what occurred in that first debate and show that he
really can't stay on message, he meanders, that he introduces conspiracy theories, they really think that that's a benefit for them.
ASHER: And then when it comes to the fact that, you know, as you point out, this is a compressed timeline for Kamala Harris. It's only, what is it, six
weeks or so less, left until November 5th, without a second debate, is there another inflection point for Kamala Harris that can actually change
the dynamics of this race?
MCKEND: You know, it could be a -- it could be a big interview, Zain. They are likely to both sit down with 60 Minutes.
But I think, you know, when I talk to the campaign, they really want to make the most of their time left with getting key face time with voters. So
because she's been doing so well in the fundraising, for instance, she doesn't have to rely on too many of those big glitzy fundraisers. She can
instead spend her valuable time. We know that the most valuable thing candidates have are their time, doing these big rallies and then also these
more intimate events with voters.
So these off-the-record stops where she pops up in certain communities, in community spaces, or a store, they think that gets a lot of mileage and has
a lot of value overall. But I don't know if we'll see another big flash in the pan moment. I think that that's why they're pushing so hard for a
debate. It's hard to replicate the gravitas that really comes with a debate.
GOLODRYGA: How is the Harris campaign responding to the latest polling out of "The New York Times" showing that at least in some of those swing
states, Donald Trump has surged as of late?
MCKEND: So what they will tell you is that they are not married to any one poll that from the beginning of this unprecedented campaign, that they have
always been running scared, and that they are going to continue to aggressively make their case.
She is going to be in those western states campaigning though over the weekend and in Pennsylvania in the middle of the week. So I don't think
anything has really changed. They know that this is an uphill battle for her. You know, much of the country knows the former president and knows him
well and have their minds made up about him. A lot of Americans are still getting to know the vice president.
And so I think that is why we see some of the polling the way that it is, that introduction that she still needs to do to so many voters is reflected
in the polling. But from everything that I hear, they are not focused on that polling because they think that that will just slow them down.
ASHER: And what is the real sort of key issue or issues plural that is ultimately going to decide this election? I mean, obviously, Eva, you and I
know this is a 50-50 nation, right? So regardless of how well Kamala Harris does in the debates, we see the polls don't really change all that much.
When it comes to the key issues, there is obviously reproductive rights, which certainly does benefit Kamala Harris, but there's also the economy
and there's also immigration as well.
[12:30:04]
MCKEND: Right. And that's why we hear her talk so much about the cost of living. You know, when President Biden was the candidate, it was
Bidenomics. She has departed from that and is really talking about the opportunity economy.
She's using every platform she can to really empathize with the American voter, let them know that she understands what it's like to struggle and
then offer a set of policies, prescriptions, whether it talks about affordable housing or lowering taxes that would directly impact middle
class Americans. I think across the board, they recognize that is going to continue to be the number one issue.
But look, Zain, she's up with a new ad today talking about reproductive rights, centering a woman in a military family that has to do a lot of
deployments and move all across the country and arguing that it is women like that one that potentially will be at risk under Republican policies
when she tries to access fertility treatments.
So they see a lot of value in making that argument as well.
GOLODRYGA: Eva, how do you square the campaign saying that they would like another debate to introduce Kamala Harris to more voters, but at the same
time being so reticent about doing more interviews? Where she could do the same without being interrupted, hypothetically, by Donald Trump.
MCKEND: Yes. So this is something that I have asked them as well. And I haven't really gotten a satisfying answer, but I'm confused as to why she
doesn't sit down more. She's a former prosecutor. You know, I think that the interview that she did with our colleague, Dana Bash, there were no
major issues there.
And so to me, it would make a lot of sense for her to be out more, and she might gain a lot of benefit from that.
But listen, the campaign is clearly seeing different data points. And they believe it's not the best use of her time, that she is more useful, I
think, in settings where she's connecting directly with the voters, or really niche spaces, right?
She just did an interview with "WIRED," which was largely seen as a play to directly speak to young men. They are trying to be as strategic as
possible, and that's their strategy.
ASHER: By the way, Bianna, I love how you gestured at me when you mentioned interrupted by Donald Trump. She's gesturing at me. What does that mean?
GOLODRYGA: I should have gestured at the wall. It's not personal. She does not interrupt me. We complement each other, Eva. I will say that about
Zain.
Eva McKend, thank you so much for joining us. It wasn't personal. I promise, my friend.
All right. Coming up, one Lebanese resident says it's been, quote, raining bombs from 5:00 A.M. Monday morning. We'll talk about the escalated
conflict between Israel and Hezbollah based in Lebanon. The Israeli ambassador to the U.N. joins us when we return.
Please don't interrupt me, Zain.
ASHER: OK
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:35:57]
ASHER: All right. Welcome back to ONE WORLD. I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga.
As world leaders gather in New York for the annual session of the U.N. General Assembly, it will likely be consumed with the crisis in Lebanon.
Today, Lebanon has endured its deadliest onslaught by Israeli forces in nearly two decades. The health ministry says at least 274 people have been
killed, including women and children. The U.S. says that it has urged de- escalation right from the start.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDA THOMAS GREENFIELD, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: We have been clear from day one that we do not want to see this war escalate. And
that is a message that we have given to both sides.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Now, the conflict has gone from simmering tit-for-tat attacks, which Hezbollah initiated on October 8, to what is now a major escalation,
as CNN's Jeremy Diamond reported a short while ago from Northern Israel.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: For much of the last year, we have seen the Israeli military and Hezbollah kind of trading a tit for tat
of rocket fire and airstrikes. And now, clearly, the Israeli government has made a decision that it is no longer about retaliatory actions. This is
about trying to change the equation altogether by escalating quite severely and doing so very much at the potential risk of an all-out war with
Hezbollah, which seems to be a risk that the Israeli military and the Israeli governments are willing to accept at this point.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Many people in Southern Lebanon and Beirut are trying to get to a safe place after getting warning messages by phone from Israel, telling
them to evacuate, to get out. The Lebanese Minister of Information calls it psychological warfare. Israel's prime minister says no country can tolerate
rocket attacks on its people.
GOLODRYGA: And while the death toll in Gaza is now more than 41,000 and counting, the numbers killed and wounded in Lebanon are also rising fast.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Strikes, warplanes, destruction. No one is left there. Everyone has fled. We took our belongings and left.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Time now for The Exchange. Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, joins us now live. Mr. Ambassador, thank you so much
for taking the time.
It is notable that last week Israel added a new official war goal, and that is the return of the 60,000 plus residents to their homes in the north.
Obviously, they had to leave over the course of this last war since Hezbollah began to launch rockets on October 8th into Israeli territory.
My question to you is, given the escalation now that we've seen over the past week, is Israel's ultimate strategy to push Hezbollah back to
upholding the terms of the Resolution 1701, which were set after the 2006 war, which would seek Hezbollah's troops north of the Litani River? Or is
this Israel taking the opportunity for yet a third, perhaps, major war with Hezbollah?
DANNY DANON, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: We have been very patient for almost a year. We tried diplomacy, convincing the international
community that the situation cannot continue when we have 60,000 displaced Israelis, refugees within their own country. We tried many negotiations,
but nothing happened.
So I can tell you what will be the end result. The end result is that Hezbollah will not be on the fence with Israel, according to Resolution
1701 that you mentioned.
Now the question is, how do we get to that result? We have two options, diplomacy, which we prefer. We don't want to escalate the situation. We
don't want a war today. Or if we will not have other choice, we will push back Hezbollah.
It will be painful for the Lebanese people in Southern Lebanon, but we don't see any other choice. We cannot just sit idly by and wait for
Hezbollah to decide when they stop targeting our civilians.
ASHER: How much of a risky move is this by Israel? I mean, if this does explode into an all-out war, you think about the fact that the war in 2006
between Hezbollah and Israel ended in pretty much a stalemate. You think about the fact that Hezbollah has at least, at least 50,000 fighters, not
to mention however many fighters in terms of those who are on the reserve list.
[12:40:15]
And then on top of that, about 150,000 rockets and missiles. Hezbollah is a formidable foe. It's not like Hamas. Just explain to us how much of a risky
move this is also by Israel as well.
DANON: So as I said at the U.N. yesterday, Israel is a peaceful nation. We have no desire to start another front with Hezbollah today. You know, we
have been involved in our war, costly war in Gaza. And we hope to finish that war, bringing the hostages back and move on with our life. But we have
no other choice, because of the aggression of Hezbollah.
And I want to remind you why we are actually in a conflict with Hezbollah today, we have no disputes about territory, resources with Lebanon. It's
only because Hezbollah wanted to show sympathy and solidarity with Hamas, and they decided to start this war against Israel.
If the Lebanese government was capable of telling them, enough, stop the fighting today, we will stop immediately. We have no desire to get engaged
today in another war in Lebanon.
GOLODRYGA: As you know, the U.S. government and the Biden administration are in lockstep with Israel and your war goals of bringing Israelis back
home in the North. There are some 60,000 plus, as noted.
But it seems to be their strategy for doing so is different from yours. We heard from John Kirby saying that there were better ways to ensure that
Israelis could return home. We heard that the ambassador to the United Nations stressed de-escalation.
Can you talk about some of the differences in strategy that you're now seeing publicly between Israel and the United States in terms of trying to
resolve this situation?
DANON: First, we appreciate the efforts of our colleagues in Washington trying to negotiate a deal. They are trying really hard. You have other
countries that are also involved in this process. But when you look at the results, you know, it's not moving anywhere. And we cannot wait forever.
What we can tell to the people of Kiryat Shmona, a city in Northern Israel that left a year ago their communities. Just wait in the hotel, we'll let
you know when you can go back.
So I think what the government did two weeks ago was saying enough is enough. We're adding another goal for the war goals, not only bringing back
the hostages and eliminating Hamas. We need to create the conditions for the residents of the north to go back to their communities.
ASHER: The U.N. has warned that the Middle East is on the brink of an imminent catastrophe. And the body also said it cannot be overstated
enough. There is no military solution that will make either side safer.
No military solution that will make either side safer. I mean, obviously, as you just touched on, Israel's -- one of Israel's many goals is to ensure
that those who have been evacuated in Northern Israel are able to get back to their homes. That's clearly not happening anytime soon.
Does the U.N. have a point that there really isn't a military solution at this point in time that is really going to make the Israelis safer?
DANON: So I think the U.N. and international community should focus on the real cause of the problem, which is the radical Islamic regime of Iran.
They are the ones who controls Hezbollah. They are the ones who are instigating the attacks from Yemen, from Iraq against Israel. We have to
mention that, you know, we have rockets flying from Iraq and Yemen into Israel. So it's all orchestrated by Iran.
And I think now is the time to put pressure on Iran and also on the Lebanese government. You know, I approached the Lebanese Minister of
Foreign Affairs last Friday during a debate in the Security Council, and I told him, we have no dispute with you. We can achieve peace very fast, but
you have to be stronger against Hezbollah. Don't allow them to hijack Lebanon. Don't allow them to use Lebanon as a launching pad against Israel.
It will be very costly, and we can avoid these damages.
GOLODRYGA: Mr. Ambassador, as you well know, there are over a hundred hostages that remain in Gaza, and every single day that goes by without
their release, puts more stress and strain on them, on their conditions. As many have said in your own government, they are dying.
And you know that many family members of those hostages now fear that Israel turning to a war in the north, without a ceasefire deal to see their
loved ones come home, will only endanger their lives even more. If I can just finish my question, please.
When was the last time you spoke with hostage families specifically about this concern, about Israel now turning to the north without a ceasefire
deal bringing them home?
[12:45:05]
DANON: So actually, today, I'm going to have a meeting with dozens of families who arrived to New York City to meet with the dignitaries that
will be here during the high-level week. They will meet delegations and I will ask them to escort them to some of those meetings and we will discuss
it.
And they should know that we are committed to bring them back home. We will not leave them behind. And we hope that the pressure that we applied in
Gaza and in Lebanon will send a very clear message to our enemies. We are strong. We are determined. We will fight until we'll bring back all the
hostages.
And I want to remind you, on October 7th, we were celebrating a Jewish holiday. We never imagined that we would be under attack from Gaza and
Lebanon during the same day. So this is a war that we didn't choose to fight, but we don't see any other option but to defend ourselves.
ASHER: Speaking of the ordinary people who are caught in the middle of this, obviously, Bianna touched on the hostages. I mean, there are also
those people in Lebanon, Lebanese civilians, I mean, there are those who are concerned about the gasification of Southern Lebanon as a result of a
potential wider war. You think about what the Lebanese economy has been through over the past five years or so, the Lebanese pound dropping in
value, the port explosion we saw just four years ago as well.
This is a country that has been through so much. How concerned are you for the Lebanese people through all of this?
DANON: First of all, I'm concerned about my people that have been under attack for a year. But I also think about the Lebanese people. I know that
the majority of them are not involved with terror attacks. The majority of them do not support Hezbollah, but they have to show some strength, some
independence. They cannot allow Hezbollah to drag them into a war.
And I expect the leaders of Lebanon to stand now and say enough. We demand that Hezbollah will stop its activities against Israel. And they can blame
only themselves if they will stay quiet today.
GOLODRYGA: Quickly, Mr. Ambassador, do you expect the prime minister to make his trip to New York this week given what's happening there in the
north?
DANON: Well, the prime minister postponed his arrival. He was supposed to come on tomorrow, Tuesday, but now he's scheduled to arrive on Thursday and
to speak at the general assembly on Friday morning.
But as you mentioned, you know, we follow the events day by day. And we will evaluate it when we get closer to that date.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Danny Danon, Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, thank you so much.
DANON: Thank you very much.
GOLODRYGA: We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Touchdown.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: I love hearing that. Touchdown. And with that, a Soyuz capsule carrying an American astronaut and two cosmonauts returned safely to Earth.
The capsule touched down with parachute-assisted landing after a trip from the International Space Station.
[12:50:00]
ASHER: Yes. Astronaut Tracy Dyson spent 148 -- 184 days in space. The two cosmonauts with her each spent more than a year in space. NASA says,
Dyson's experiments included controlling robots on Earth remotely from space and 3D printing heart tissue.
Tom Foreman joins us live now from Washington with the details.
So we saw that video there closing out this record-setting mission with that picture-perfect landing in Kazakhstan. Take us through it.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, and, you know, with the big parachute there and whatever, it sounded like Morse code in the background.
It's like she's coming back in the 1960s. It was amazing.
Pretty good while to be up there, though, a half year. That's a -- that's a pretty good haul to be up there. She went more than 2,900 orbits, 78, 79
million miles in the time she was there. That's an awful lot of time in space.
The two cosmonauts who came back with her had actually been up there a year. And one of them, Oleg Kononenko, who's a commander, he now holds the
record for the most total days in space for a human being, 1,111. So sort of a historic flight here with him coming back from space up there.
But the work she did up there really suited her. Tracy Dyson, from the time she was very young. She had a PhD in chemistry. But from the time she was
very young, she said she loved fixing things with her dad, involved in all sorts of lots of handling of tools and fixing electrical devices and other
mechanical devices, but also intense interest in the world.
So experiments in stem cell research, making 3D printing of tissue for like hearts, things like that, fires and microgravity. Even controlling robots
on Earth from space, which I assume will help us when the robots try to take over, just to guess there, not a science. But really kind of
remarkable work she did up there and really very inspiring.
GOLODRYGA: Can I just say what else is inspiring at a time when tensions and relations between Russia and the United States that are an all-time low
to see our astronauts working together --
FOREMAN: Yes. Yes.
GOLODRYGA: -- on joint missions is really inspiring.
FOREMAN: Yes. She not only -- she learned not only how to communicate with her comrades there, people from Russia, but she also learned Russian sign
language. Part of her interest in international relations. She's always had an interest that way as well.
Tell you a really fun part about her. She credits her involvement in the space program to Christa McAuliffe, the teacher who passed away on
Challenger in 1986, who went to inspire kids, and it worked. Yes. It's quite a story.
ASHER: Quite a story.
GOLODRYGA: Yes.
ASHER: We've had a really busy show today. Not in a good way because obviously tensions are high, as Bianna pointed out.
FOREMAN: Oh, my God.
ASHER: So just to have an inspiring story like this.
FOREMAN: Yes.
ASHER: Tom Foreman, thank you for bringing that to us. We appreciate it.
FOREMAN: You're very welcome.
GOLODRYGA: Thanks, Tom. Always good to see you. And we'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:55:32]
GOLODRYGA: All right. Finally, we want to introduce you to eight new emojis. You were waiting for them. Well, they're coming to your smartphone
and computer.
ASHER: And the most anticipated one is actually an exhausted face. You see at the top of the screen there.
GOLODRYGA: That's me.
ASHER: The bag's under its eyes. Who can relate to that? Can't we all relate to that one? The others include a root vegetable, a leafless tree. I
think the leafless tree is supposed to raise awareness around climate change. And there's also the flag of the tiny island of Sark in the English
Channel.
New emojis don't just happen every single day. There's actually a formal process, did you know that, Bianna, by the Unicode Consortium, try to say
that really fast.
GOLODRYGA: Unicode Consortium. Our producer, Camille (PH), told us about those.
ASHER: And how to pronounce it, by the way, because I would have butchered that. Those sworn to uphold global standards in emojis. Who knew?
GOLODRYGA: My kids will be using them any moment now.
ASHER: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: They always love emojis.
ASHER: The exhausted face.
GOLODRYGA: And his bags. Universal. Exactly.
Well, that does it for this hour of ONE WORLD. Thanks so much for watching. I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: I'm Zain Asher. "AMANPOUR" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:00:00]
END
