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Paula Zahn Now
Israel Strikes at Lebanon; What Is Hezbollah?; Interview With Syrian Ambassador to United Nations Bashar Ja'afari
Aired July 13, 2006 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: And good evening, everybody. Glad to have you with us.
In this hour, we're going to go in depth of all of the top stories of the day, starting with a crisis in one of the most dangerous parts of the world, the Middle East.
It's been a day of rockets, bombs, and repeated threats. Israeli bombers and warships hit Beirut, Lebanon, and, for the first time ever, rockets fired from Lebanese territory and hit the Israeli city of Haifa. And, tonight, there is every sign that things could get even worse. Late reports say Israeli jets have hit a Lebanese highway connecting Beirut with Damascus, Syria.
And Iran's president is now threatening Israel, saying a strike against Syria will be considered an attack on the whole Islamic world, and bring a very fierce and swift response.
We have CNN crews throughout the region tonight. John Vause is standing by in Haifa.
But we also begin with Alessio Vinci, who joins us from the Lebanese capital tonight -- Alessio.
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF: Hello. Paula.
It's been a long day of escalating violence here in Lebanon, a day during which many people here felt that they may be on the brink of yet another long conflict.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VINCI (voice-over): Israel promised a painful response, and it hit Lebanon where it hurts the most, the tourism industry, at the height of the summer season.
All three runways of Beirut's international airport have been damaged. All flights in and out were canceled, incoming passengers diverted to Cyprus. And after nightfall Thursday, gunboats hit a fuel depot at the airport again, while Israeli planes dropped leaflets urging people to stay away from Hezbollah buildings.
The Israeli navy is also imposing a blockade, preventing vital fuel supplies from reaching the capital's port. Residents fear a prolonged blockade and return to the bad old days, when Beirut was reduced to rubble by sectarian violence. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The situation is very bad. We're expecting everything now is coming bad.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wasn't scared, but, when I saw everyone going to the gas stations, I thought maybe I should, too.
VINCI: In southern Lebanon, closer to Hezbollah's main area of operations, people stockpiled essential supplies. Lebanese security sources say Israeli artillery and airstrikes have killed more than 50 civilians. Twelve members of one family were killed in an airstrike close to the border.
Lebanese officials called the Israeli strikes an act of war, and rejected Israel's insistence that it held the entire Lebanese government, and not just Hezbollah, responsible for the soldiers' kidnapping. Saying it is unable to rein in Hezbollah, the Lebanese government has called on the Security Council to intervene, while calling for a comprehensive cease-fire. Lebanese analysts close to Hezbollah say a truce is now up to Israel.
IBRAHIM MOUSSAOUI, LEBANESE ANALYST: The door is still wide and open for indirect negotiations, but they have to stop -- or to start a cease-fire. The Israelis, they didn't want that, it seems.
VINCI: With two Hezbollah ministers in its cabinet, the Lebanese government finds itself caught in the middle.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN: So, at this hour, Alessio, what else is the government of Lebanon trying to do to bring this under control tonight?
VINCI: Well, the -- the Lebanese government cannot really do much. As I said, they're caught in the middle.
On the one side, they are denouncing the Israel attacks. At the same time, they're distancing -- they're distancing themselves from Hezbollah's kidnapping the two Israeli soldiers, so -- and -- and the -- the government is also split right in the middle. So, they don't -- don't know -- they don't really have much power, because they don't control -- they don't control the southern area of -- of Lebanon. And, therefore, they have no real possibility, other than involving the Lebanese army.
And even that would be a completely -- even further escalation of the violence. So, the -- the Lebanese government right now is only calling on the U.N. to intervene, calling for a comprehensive -- comprehensive cease-fire. And that's really all they can do at this point.
ZAHN: All right, Alessio Vinci, thanks so much for the update. Appreciate it.
Now, earlier on in the day, the radical Islamic group Hezbollah threatened to launch missile attacks against the northern Israeli city of Haifa if Israel attacked Beirut. Well, as the day progressed, swarms of missiles flew, and two of them actually hit Haifa. That has never happened before.
Our "Top Story" coverage continues with John Vause reporting tonight from Haifa.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This has been a terrifying and deadly 24 hours for Israelis in the north of the country -- more than 100 Hezbollah rockets fired from Lebanon. Dozens have been injured.
"I'm wounded; I'm wounded," yelled this TV cameraman, hit in the leg by shrapnel. The tourist town of Nahariya was hit twice within hours. A car exploded. Buildings were set on fire. One person was killed.
At least seven rockets hit the town of Safed, home to Israel's northern command -- caught in the attack, a group of American Jewish students.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mom, we're all safe and sound. God is watching over us.
VAUSE: Here, in a place regarded as holy to Jews, one person was killed. Seven others were hurt.
As the rockets came down, the head of Israel's military warned of severe reprisals.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL DAN HALUTZ, CHIEF OF STAFF, ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES (through translator): If -- if rockets are launched towards Israeli cities, Beirut will be included among the targets.
VAUSE: Hours after that threat, the Israeli military says, for the first time ever, two Hezbollah rockets reached the major northern port city of Haifa, about 20 miles from the Lebanese border. There were no casualties.
Hezbollah denies the missiles were theirs, though it had earlier threatened just such an attack. Nonetheless, Israel considers it a major escalation in a crisis that started after an Israeli patrol came under fire, and two soldiers were taken hostage by Hezbollah guerrillas. This is the burnt wreckage of their armored personnel carrier.
MARK REGEV, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON: We are concerned that the hostage-takers, that the Hezbollah terrorists, could try to remove our service people from Lebanon and take them to third countries. We're concerned that they could be taken to Iran.
VAUSE: Since the abductions, Israel's air force has carried out more than 100 strikes across Lebanon. Its navy is enforcing a blockade off the Lebanese coast. And Israeli artillery has been shelling Hezbollah positions in the south.
(END VIDEOTAPE) ZAHN: And John Vause joins us again right now.
So, John, I think it's pretty understandable why the Israelis are so concerned. But give us a -- a deeper explanation of why it's so meaningful that this is the first time these kinds of missiles have hit Israeli territory like -- like Haifa.
VAUSE: Well, in very simple terms, Paula, it now means another 300,000 Israelis could be in the range of Hezbollah rockets. It's still unclear precisely what missiles were fired.
Katyusha rockets have a range of around 12 miles -- Haifa about 20, 25 miles away from the Lebanese border. So, what that could indicate is that Hezbollah has managed to modify its Katyusha rockets, extend the range, or this could have been a different type of missile altogether -- Paula.
ZAHN: John Vause, thanks so much.
Our "Top Story" is playing out in a part of the world that you're probably a little shaky on when it comes to geography.
So, we asked CNN's Tom Foreman to join us from "THE SITUATION ROOM" in Washington with a satellite view of Israel, Lebanon, and more.
I think we could all use the geography 101 lesson tonight.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's...
ZAHN: How you doing tonight -- tonight?
FOREMAN: ... a confusing part of the word -- world, Paula.
Let's look at the northern end of Africa here, where we're talking about, the Mediterranean Sea over here. Bear in mind what a small area we're talking about -- Israel and Lebanon together only about the size of Maryland. We're talking about a border that's only about 40 miles long, and all of this activity largely taking place within about an 80-mile area, not much -- lots of bombing going on the border today.
This is Israel down here, Lebanon up there. The southern part is the home ground for Hezbollah. And Israel is trying to set up a ring of fire around them. They have blockaded the sea out here to keep supplies from coming in that way. They hit the airport, knocking out all of the three major runways at the international airport.
They also hit a fuel storage place over here later on today, again, cutting off the possibility of supplies coming in. The most recent thing we have heard about, of course, was that hit on the road. This is where that road is, Beirut to Damascus, a major supply line. That's the Bekaa Valley there you hear so much about.
But you can see how Israel is closing in all around and trying to isolate Hezbollah. It's not a one-way street, though. Hezbollah has been launching rockets into Israel, hitting Safed, Nahariya, many places down here, and, most importantly, all the way down to Haifa, which had previously been off-limits.
It all matters, because it could all bring in Iran, a friend of Hezbollah, and the United States, a friend of Israel, into a bigger conflict. That's why it matters, Paula.
ZAHN: And you have made it very clear to us tonight.
Tom Foreman, thanks so much. Appreciate the assist from "THE SITUATION ROOM" tonight.
Now, before the program tonight, I talked about the crisis with Daniel Taub, a spokesman for Israel's foreign minister.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN: How close to war is Israel tonight?
DANIEL TAUB, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN: We -- we are very aware of the dangers of escalation, but, at the same time, we're very aware of the fact that another recipe for escalation is allowing terrorist groups to act with impunity. And allowing violence to go unchallenged and allowing threats against the lives of our civilians to go undefended is not a way to move forward.
ZAHN: But, as you know, sir, you have now got the European Union, you have got France, you have got Russia all saying that Israel has gone too far militarily here, that it's disproportionate to the impact of two Israeli soldiers being abducted.
Are you guilty of overreacting?
TAUB: I don't think we're guilty of overreacting.
I think, Paula, you have to understand that what we're talking about, as serious as it is, is not a response to the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers, terrible as that is.
What it is, is a responsible -- to an extremely serious regional threat posed by a terrorist organization which is a part of the Lebanese government, which has 12,000 missiles directed against Israeli civilians, which has an unending flow of terrorist weaponry being directed at it, being transferred to it from Syria to Iran.
That's the threat that we're facing. That's the reason why half of the citizens of the Galilee region are now sitting in bunkers and bomb shelters. And I think that we're behaving in a responsible way, in which any democratic country would find itself responding in similar circumstances.
ZAHN: Given how disorganized and weak the Lebanese government -- government is perceived by many, how much control do you really think the government has over Hezbollah at this hour?
TAUB: We think there are many things that the government could be doing. We think that concerted international pressure is one of the ways of making that happen.
I think that we cannot allow, as our defense minister has said, Hezbollah to retake positions and literally carry on firing, as it has been doing. I think this crisis cannot be resolved in any way that looks like business as usual. I think we have really got to realize that we're talking about a major threat, a regional threat.
ZAHN: Sir, I'm still not clear if you think the Lebanese government doesn't have the will to clamp down on Hezbollah, or if it certainly -- it -- or if it just doesn't have the ability to do so.
TAUB: That -- that, Paula, is a crucial question.
But I will be honest. For the citizens of the north of Israel who are sitting in bomb shelters at the moment, it's an academic question, because it's of a whether -- if the question is whether they can or they won't -- whether they can't or they won't, the results, unfortunately, are the same -- the result, that we have an unended barrage of missiles being directed against the north of Israel, and those are not being prevented by the Lebanese government.
Our hope is that the Lebanese government will find the will and will find the ability to restrain the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which, as you know, sits in its government. But, if it doesn't, the result clearly has to be steps taken by Israel, like any other country, to defend the lives of its civilians.
ZAHN: Daniel Taub, thank you so much for your time tonight. We really appreciate it.
TAUB: Thank you, Paula.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN: And, in a few minutes, a completely different point of view -- I will be talking with Syria's ambassador to the U.N., as we continue our "Top Story" coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.
First, though, our countdown of the top 10 most popular stories on CNN.com.
And, for that, we turn to Melissa Long of CNN Pipeline, CNN's broadband news service.
How you doing tonight?
MELISSA LONG, CNN PIPELINE: Very good.
Let's bring you up to date right now, start with number 10. Nineteen million of you relied on CNN.com to keep you informed today.
Number 10 -- a big, huge raise for actor Hugh Laurie, the star of "House." After two months of talks, he has agreed to take $300,000 an episode. His starting pay was said to have been under six figures. "House," have you seen it? It's a blockbuster medical drama on FOX going now into its third season. Number nine on the list -- Jack Kevorkian, the right-to-die advocate, is apparently in failing health in prison. His lawyers say he weighs 113 pounds and is too weak to read or write. His lawyers want him paroled. He's serving time for murdering a man in 1998. Kevorkian called it a mercy killing.
More stories from the countdown are coming up -- Paula.
ZAHN: Such a cruel irony, Melissa, that he suffers so much today.
Thank you so much.
(CROSSTALK)
ZAHN: We have got several other top stories we're following tonight, including the force behind today's explosive violence in the Middle East.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN (voice-over): Hezbollah, it means the Party of God, and it controls some of the most volatile territory on Earth. But where did Hezbollah come from, and what makes it so dangerous?
Our "Top Story" on Homeland Security -- are extremists joining the U.S. military and training for a white supremacist revolution? This man says he did, and that thousands of others may be doing the same -- all that and more just ahead.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAHN: Again, our "Top Story" coverage tonight: Hezbollah has been blamed for today's stunning expansion of violence in the Middle East, but what exactly is Hezbollah?
Our chief national correspondent, John King, spent the day digging into its long and bloody history, and found it had the U.S. military in its sights decades ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Beirut, 1983, the suicide bombings that killed more than 200 Marines, perhaps the first time most Americans became familiar with the work of Hezbollah.
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Hezbollah is often called the A-team in the terrorist world. Prior to September 11, they had killed more Americans than any other terrorist group in the world.
KING: Hezbollah means Party of God. And the radical Shiite group wants to eliminate Israel and develop a Muslim fundamentalist state modeled on Iran. Hezbollah is blamed by Israel and others for more than 200 attacks and more than 800 deaths since its founding a quarter-century ago.
MCLAUGHLIN: It really is, in many respects, a creature of Iran. Iran gives it a lot of money, it's been estimated, at least $100 million a year. It shares Iran's aims strategically.
KING: But it's more than a terrorist organization. Hezbollah is a significant political force in Lebanon, holding seats in parliament, and running cabinet ministries, and building public support by running social welfare programs.
MCLAUGHLIN: About 250,000 of Lebanon's 3.8 million people benefit in some way from the schools, hospitals, and other social institutions that Hezbollah sponsors.
KING: It was just a year ago that Syria bowed to international pressure and withdrew its troops from Lebanon, raising hopes at the White House of a democratic example in the troubled region.
But Hezbollah has ignored a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding it disarm, and effectively controls much of southern Lebanon. So, for the president, it's yet another Middle East setback.
Traveling in Europe, Mr. Bush blamed Syria for the escalating tensions in Lebanon and in Gaza.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Syria is housing the militant wing of Hamas. Hezbollah has got an active presence in Syria.
KING: But most regional and intelligence experts say the far bigger worry is Iran, who is already accused of stirring the insurgency in Iraq.
And now some see Tehran as using Hamas and Hezbollah as proxies to stoke tensions, just as the president tries to win support for sanctions against Iran for refusing to curtail its nuclear program.
MARTIN INDYK, DIRECTOR, SABAN CENTER FOR MIDDLE EAST POLICY AT BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: There's a direct connection between Iran and Hezbollah that's very strong and well-established, and an interest that Iran has in creating a diversion from its nuclear program.
AMBASSADOR RICHARD MURPHY, FORMER UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO SYRIA: I'm concerned by the evidence that that suggests of the Iranian capabilities to push and prod the diplomatic scene throughout the region. I think -- I think it's a nervous time.
KING: Whatever its motivation, the daring capture of two Israeli soldiers reopened southern Lebanon as a military battleground, and reasserted Hezbollah's influence on the already volatile Middle East stage.
John King, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN: Of course, a prime rule of war is, know your enemy. And, in the 1980s, Retired General David Grange served in Lebanon in a special operations unit that focused on countering terrorist groups, including Hezbollah. He now happens to be our military analyst.
He joins me from Chicago tonight.
Always appreciate your expertise. Welcome aboard.
(CROSSTALK)
RETIRED BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Thank you.
ZAHN: So, how is it that you think Israel should be taking on Hezbollah?
GRANGE: Well, first of all, Paula, I think they have to -- they have to go into southern Lebanon. They cannot negate the effect of these rockets, missiles, and some quite capable now, which have been developed and -- and -- resourced throughout the years. They have to establish some kind of a buffer zone to protect their citizenry. And, so, I think they have to do that.
The other is what they're doing in interdicting the resupplying and the movement of terrorists and terrorist support apparatus, as you see in Beirut and the Damascus -- Damascus highway and other places like that. They have to do that in order to secure themselves.
ZAHN: And when you're talking about creating a buffer zone, how many soldiers are you talking about being on the ground?
GRANGE: Well, I mean, you know, it's situation-dependent, depending on that terrain, and -- and the enemy strength, the civilian population, etcetera.
But, you know, they used to control southern Lebanon. They pulled out, hoping that would work. And it -- it obviously did not work. And you can say, well, taking a couple hostages doesn't give you the excuse to go in. But I would say that one person's life -- and I look at this as an American with our own people. One person is -- is -- is just as important as 100.
So, I -- I personally would have done the same thing, in order to protect the citizenry.
ZAHN: Now, at the same time, President Bush is warning Israel to not weaken the government of Lebanon. And, yet, there aren't many people who believe that Lebanon is actually capable of controlling Hezbollah at this moment.
So, essentially, don't you weaken the government by doing what you're suggesting here?
GRANGE: I think you do a little bit. I -- I agree with that. And I -- and I -- and I don't think that Lebanon can control the Hezbollah. And I -- we have a great relationship with the government of Lebanon right now. In fact, they helped us in the New York case, as you know.
And, so, I think that's tough. But the -- the thing is, with the influence of Iran, with the influence of Syria, the Hezbollah can ignore the government of Lebanon. But something still has to be done to curtail the effect of the -- of the Hezbollah.
You know, we talked about al Qaeda today. The big threat in the future is the Hezbollah. They will come back. They already have come back. And we will face them, as Americans.
ZAHN: You certainly would know that, having served there.
General David Grange, thank you for your time tonight.
GRANGE: My pleasure.
ZAHN: We're going to continue our CNN.com countdown with Melissa Long from Pipeline -- Melissa.
LONG: Good evening once again.
Let's count down that list.
We have now arrived at number eight. Jury selection has been halted in the trial of John Couey. He's that sex offender accused of kidnapping and killing 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford. A Florida judge says he can't find an impartial jury because of too much pretrial publicity. Paula will have more on this case a little bit later.
And more is also ahead on number seven as well -- that gigantic wildfire in California. Forty thousand acres have burned in the Yucca Valley area. That fire is about 20 percent contained tonight -- Paula.
ZAHN: Every time I see that picture, it sends chills up my spine.
Melissa, thanks so much. See you in a little bit.
Now, tonight, one of the wild cards in the Middle East, of course, is Syria. Will Damascus be drawn into the attacks and counterattacks? Is it actually behind all the trouble? I will be talking with its ambassador in a couple of minutes.
And, then, a little bit later on, the man whose mistake made Texas put Andrea Yates on trial again. What did he tell the new jury today, and why was he there in the first place?
We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: Syria needs to be held to account.
Syria is housing the militant wing of Hamas. Hezbollah has got an active presence in Syria. The truth of the matter is, if we really want there to be -- the situation to settle down, the soldiers need to be returned , and President Assad needs to show some leadership toward peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZAHN: Some tough talk early today from President Bush, who's traveling in Europe.
Earlier today, on CNN, Israel's ambassador to the U.S. says, it's high time for Iran and Syria to -- quote -- "stop playing with fire" -- end quote -- and cut off the flow of weapons to Hezbollah.
To continue our "Top Story" coverage right now, I'm joined by Bashar Ja'afari, Syria's ambassador to the United Nations.
Thank you so much for joining us, Mr. Ambassador.
Just a little bit earlier on, I spoke with an Israeli government spokesperson that did not rule out the possibility of attacking your country. Is your country mobilizing for that possibility?
BASHAR JA'AFARI, SYRIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: Well, thank you very much for posing this question.
Actually, I would like to say you that, for the last 60 years, I mean, since the beginning of the Arab-Israeli conflict, Israel has been professional in launching wars, rather than extending peace, stability, and development in -- to -- to its neighbors in the area.
ZAHN: So, Mr. Ambassador, are you saying it wouldn't surprise you, then, if your country was attacked by Israel?
JA'AFARI: None.
ZAHN: And do you expect it to be?
JA'AFARI: None.
Every time Israel is cornered with any peace process, it deviates the attention of the public opinion by maneuvers, such as attacking its neighbors and -- and invading -- invading countries, such as Lebanon, or Palestine, or -- or any other country in the area.
ZAHN: But you still haven't...
JA'AFARI: They did it -- they did it...
ZAHN: ... answered the question, sir, whether your country is preparing for that right now. Are you mobilizing any of your military? JA'AFARI: Ma'am, we have been mobilizing since 60 years. We have been suffering through this conflict for 60 years.
We have had our occupied territories for quite -- for decades. I mean, I am referring to the Golan. The Palestinian have been under occupation, direct military occupation, for -- since 1967 -- even before, since 1948.
So, the whole area is at stake, actually...
ZAHN: Is your...
JA'AFARI: ... because of the Israeli policies...
ZAHN: Is...
JA'AFARI: ... and those who are backing the Israeli policies.
ZAHN: Is your government in contact with the Iranians about some -- coming up with some kind of multilateral strategy here, if Syria is struck?
JA'AFARI: Ma'am, we have a -- a good relationship with Iran, because it's one of our neighbors. We have good relation also with Turkey, with -- with Saudi Arabia, with -- with Jordan. This is natural. This is -- this is what we have to do, because we are living in an area where we have neighbors. And we have to deal with these neighbors.
Even vis-a-vis the Israelis we have undertaken since long time, many Arab initiatives of peace which were unanswered until now by the Israelis, both by the Israelis and those who are backing Israel.
ZAHN: What has contributed to the escalation of this was the capture by Hezbollah of two Israeli soldiers. Is your government of Syria putting any pressure on Hezbollah to release those two men?
JA'AFARI: Ma'am, the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Palestinian question did not start with the capture of an Israeli soldier in Gaza. This is very minor detail of the whole picture. The real picture is that this area suffers from direct Israeli occupation of many piece of lands belonging to its neighbors, to other countries.
ZAHN: All right, Mr. Ambassador, in closing you say it's a minor point about the capture of these two Israeli soldiers. Do you know anything about the status of them? Can you confirm for us they're in fact alive?
JA'AFARI: The only thing I know is that there are 10,000 Arab prisoners, Syrian, Palestinian, Lebanese and others, in the Israeli jails and these people value the same value of the Israeli soldiers. We are in favor of exchanging these, all these prisoners. Why should we be, there 10,000 Arab prisoners in Israeli jails while we focus only on the fate of three Israeli soldiers?
ZAHN: Can you verify us that the soldiers are still alive, if you're still talking about the possibility of the swap?
JA'AFARI: Ma'am, I am not talking on behalf of Hezbollah, I'm talking as a diplomatic responsible knowing that the beauty of international community right now is to stop the violence and to resume peace talks, not to talk about launching new wars and extending the conflict. This is exactly what the Israeli government is looking for, backed with this sentences that we hear from time to time from the American officials.
ZAHN: OK, Mr. Ambassador we've got to leave it there, a U.N. team on its way to the region. Some people hopeful that it will make a difference. We appreciate your input tonight, Ambassador Ja'Afari. Thank you very much.
We're going to get straight back to CNN.com countdown with our Melissa Long from CNN pipeline. On with the countdown you go.
LONG: Yes, good evening once again, at number six right now, violent crimes that have been terrorizing people in Phoenix, Arizona. Police now believe there are two separate strings of killings, and in one 34 people have been shot at random in the past year, four of them killed, and in the other a serial killer and rapist is suspected of striking 20 times, killing six people. Number five on the list. Fourth place, not so bad if you ask American Idol loser Chris Daughtry. A lot of people thought he was destined to win, but no, he was voted off the hit program a few weeks before the finale.
Well this week he signed a deal with RCA Records to work with music legend Clive Davis and he plans to have a record out by the end of the year, just in time for your holiday wish list, Paula.
ZAHN: The sweet smell of defeat. Good for him. Melissa thanks, we're going to check back with you a little bit later on.
Top legal story today is the Andrea Yates murder trial. Her first conviction was thrown out because of something a witness did and what he told the jury. What happened when that same man testified today.
Then a little later on a top story in the military, why does a one-time white supremacist say the Marine Corps is a perfect training ground for people who want to overthrow the U.S. government? We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAHN: And it's on to tonight's top stories, outside the law, former CIA operative Valerie Plame is suing Vice-President Cheney, presidential adviser Karl Rove and former Cheney chief of staff Scooter Libby. She accuses them of destroying her CIA career because her husband criticized the president's Iraq policy and then of course her name was outed in the process.
For the second time a Florida judge is moving the trial of sex offender John Couey, saying it's impossible to find an impartial jury. Couey has pleaded not guilty to the kidnap and murder of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford.
In Houston a key witness testified in Andrea Yates' second trial. Forensic psychiatrist Park Dietz testified she did not act grossly psychotic until after she drowned her five children. Now, during the first trial Dietz had said Yates was influenced by a "Law and Order" episode about a mother who drowns her children.
The only problem was there was no such episode and her conviction was later overturned. Let's go straight to our legal insiders right now, my fabulous trio, top story trio here, senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, defense attorney Mickey Sherman and former federal prosecutor Paul Callan. And I don't say that about all the guys gentlemen. Let's talk about Park Dietz for a moment. Why would the prosecution even want him on the stand?
JEFFREY TOOBIN, SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: He knows Andrea Yates better than anybody else, and he's generally a superb witness. He messed up big time, but he's very good, he usually gets convictions when he testifies, they're trying again.
ZAHN: So what is he going to make this jury believe, that she became grossly psychotic only after she killed her children?
PAUL CALLAN, FRM FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well Paula, Texas has the hardest insanity defense law probably in the country. As long as a defendant knew what she was doing was wrong when she did it, she's guilty under Texas law, and it doesn't matter how crazy she is. Virtually any psychiatrist can come in and prove that she knew what she was doing was wrong. She killed these kids methodicly, she did it in a way secretly and she admitted to the police afterwards that she knew it was wrong. So it's not a hard case to prove psychiatrically.
MICKEY SHERMAN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: They had a $500 credit on his bill. This guy is more baggage than the SAVIDGE: factory. He has no business being in that courtroom after screwing up the first case.
ZAHN: Does the jury really know all this stuff?
SHERMAN: No. But the bottom line ...
TOOBIN: Well they will in cross examination. The judge will have to let him be cross-examined about this.
SHERMAN: There's no insanity defense in Texas and in most, they don't want to buy it.
TOOBIN: And jurors don't like the insanity defense. This woman did something horrible. At some level everybody knows she's crazy in a layman's sense, but no jury wants to give someone a break who does something so monstrous.
(CROSSTALK)
SHERMAN: Not when you serially kill and drown five children.
TOOBIN: Not in general. Yes, occasionally the insanity defense wins, but jurors don't like it.
CALLAN: In other jurisdictions where the law is easier, a lot of jurisdictions have a law where your if mental illness affects your ability to commit the crime, you know it's wrong, but you can't stop yourself, those people get acquitted. John Hinckley got acquitted by reason of insanity, but Texas has the old-fashioned McNaghten rule. If you knew it was wrong when you did it, you are guilty, it doesn't matter how crazy you are. So Texas a tough, tough place to win an insanity defense.
ZAHN: We close with a lightening round reaction to yet another trial in the south, this one in Florida, the accused killer John Couey. We're talking about another change of venue. Can he get a fair trial?
TOOBIN: I think he can. I think Judge Rick Howard shows a lot of guts. He is a very admirable guy. This is the world's most unpopular defendant, but he's giving him a fair trial.
(CROSSTALK)
SHERMAN: I think he's more concerned with protecting the integrity of the guilty verdict and the death penalty verdict that's inevitably going to come.
Can he get a fair trial? They can try, but I don't think anybody really wants to give him a fair trial, because he's such a despicable human being. That's the problem.
ZAHN: Even you wouldn't want to defend him.
SHERMAN: Frankly -- I wouldn't defend him. I would be (inaudible) pull the switch. This is somebody who -- I mean...
ZAHN: In all the years I've heard you on the air, you've never admitted to that.
SHERMAN: I'm against the death penalty, and we should abolish the death penalty, after we kill this guy. That's about it. This...
ZAHN: Wow.
(CROSSTALK)
ZAHN: Good luck.
CALLAN: This case is so bad that most lawyers who do defense work think the guy should be buried alive like his victim was if he's guilty. And in terms of his getting a fair trial, you know, if we put another nine months behind us, go to a different county and start picking again, maybe you'll come up with 12 people who don't know enough about the case to be (inaudible)...
(CROSSTALK)
TOOBIN: People often think it's harder to get a jury. It's not that hard to get a jury usually. People don't pay that close attention. They'll get a jury eventually.
ZAHN: All right. We'll be watching this closely and relying on your expertise. Paul Callan, Mickey Sherman, Jeffrey Toobin, thank you all. Glad to have you all drop by.
On to our biz break right now. Stocks took another big hit today, knocked down by rising oil prices and of course the growing conflict in the Middle East. The Dow plummeted 166 points; the Nasdaq plunged 36, and the S&P sank 16 points.
Oil hit a new record high today, spiking to $76.70 a barrel. Helped pushing the oil prices up, the fight, of course -- fighting in the Middle East, which produces one-third of the oil in the world.
Another top business story: Merck dodged a bullet when jurors in New Jersey cleared the company of blame for a heart attack suffered by a 68-year-old woman who was taking Vioxx.
And our "Crude Awakenings," a daily look at gas prices all over the country. The states with today's highest prices are in red, the lowest in green. The average today for unleaded regular, hovering higher there, $2.95, and our graph shows the trend after the last month or so. Funny little dip there at the end of the graph.
Let's go straight back to Pipeline anchor Melissa Long for the continuation of our countdown tonight -- Melissa.
LONG: Hello again once again, Paula.
Coming up, that legal debate moments ago, a legal story coming in at number four, and that's a headache for Michael Jackson. His second ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, is suing, claiming he failed to pay her what he promised when they got divorced. Rowe is the mother of Jackson's children.
Coming in at number three this evening, new information about what happened after the crash of TWA flight 800 back in '96. The White House suspecting Iranian terrorism made plans to retaliate. In the end, investigators decided that crash was accidental. This information coming to light in a special "CNN PRESENTS." That program airs this coming weekend. We hope you'll join us for that, Paula.
ZAHN: Thanks so much, Melissa. Appreciate it. See you in a couple of minutes.
Another top story tonight, a one-time neo-Nazi's scary warning. Is the U.S. military signing up people who want to overthrow the U.S. government? Please stay with CNN for continuing coverage of the Middle East crisis. It's also the focus of "LARRY KING LIVE" at the top of the hour. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAHN: Now on to some of the top stories we're following all over the country. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has just declared a state of emergency in San Bernardino County. A wildfire is still raging through the Yucca Valley. It's now burned 40,000 acres, and mandatory evacuation orders now cover hundreds of homes. The fire could end up eating up to 100,000 acres.
More trouble tonight for the Big Dig tunnel in Boston. Inspectors now say there may be problems with as many as 240 bolts holding up three-ton concrete ceiling sections. The tunnel was closed this week after some of those tiles fell and crushed a woman.
And the top story in Washington tonight, House Speaker Dennis Hastert in the hospital with a bacterial skin infection. The 64-year- old Illinois Republican is expected to remain at Bethesda Naval Hospital at least through the weekend. Doctors say the infection called cellulites can spread rapidly without treatment.
Time to check back in with Melissa Long for the cnn.com countdown. She's also to the bottom of the list there, Melissa.
LONG: We've reached number two right now, and that's former "American Idol" contestant Daniel James "DJ" Boyd that's in the news, after pleading not guilty to child porn charges. Police say he taped himself having sex with teenage girls. And which of tonight's top stories is number one on the countdown? That's still ahead, Paula.
ZAHN: Well, we hope it's a cheerier one than that one, Melissa. Thanks. See you in a little bit.
Another top story right now, are military recruiters allowing white supremacists to join the armed forces? Coming up next, a man who says he was a neo-Nazi in the Marines.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAHN: Some new developments in the top story tonight on extremists in the military. Two congressmen will call tomorrow on the Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld to adopt a zero-tolerance policy for neo-Nazis and white supremacists in the ranks. You heard me right, neo-Nazis in the U.S. military. That sounds pretty far-fetched, doesn't it? Well, just wait until you hear this story from Kyung Lah.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
T.J. LEYDEN: This is suburbia, USA.
KUYNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): T.J. Leyden lives quietly now, in a cul-de-sac, raising five sons. He's a little out of place, especially when me rolls up his sleeves.
LEYDEN: Where it says "skin," it used to say "head" on this arm. So when you saw me from behind, it would say "skinhead."
LAH: This was T.J. Leyden 20 years ago, a full-fledged neo-Nazi, attacking blacks and Asians. Each attack marked with a tattoo on his body.
LEYDEN: These were earned for stabbing.
LAH (on camera): You stabbed somebody?
LEYDEN: I've stabbed three kids in my lifetime, and I had three sets of bolts for the three stabbings.
LAH (voice-over): But Leyden craved more, a place to sharpen his violent skills. The place he chose was the U.S. Marines.
(on camera): Why did you want to learn infantry?
LEYDEN: I wanted to learn combat skills.
LAH: Why?
LEYDEN: To be able to bring it back out and teach my friends.
LAH: For the movement?
LEYDEN: For the movement, for the war that was coming.
This is a picture of actually me standing right outside my barracks door, tats across my back, "skinhead" down the back of my arms. There's nobody in the military when I was in that I could tell you that did not know I was not a white supremacist.
LAH (voice-over): Leyden made no secret of his beliefs, hanging a white supremacist flag from his locker. He approached young and impressionable Marines, and brought them into the neo-Nazi movement.
LEYDEN: You know, a good soldier, a good Marine with a rifle, they can do a lot of damage to a lot of people.
LAH (on camera): And what was the goal of the movement then?
LEYDEN: To destroy the United States of America.
LAH (voice-over): Leyden left after two years with an honorable discharge, then taught what he learned to the white supremacist movement in Southern California and Idaho, in a group called Hammer Skin Nation.
But his children were growing up.
LEYDEN: This is Thomas.
LAH (on camera): Now, what is he doing, little Thomas there?
LEYDEN: White power salute. Giving the zeig heil.
LAH (voice-over): The turning point came one afternoon, watching cartoons on TV.
LEYDEN: Some of the characters in the show are black. So Tommy went over, turned the TV off, turned around and said "daddy, we don't watch shows with (EXPLETIVE DELETED) in it." Now, my initial impression was I was very happy, very proud, but then I started thinking, you know, who he was going to grow up to be. And I just didn't like that outcome.
LAH: Leyden was so disturbed that 10 years ago, he not only left the white supremacist movement, he turned against it completely.
Leyden now consults for police agencies and the military, teaching commanders how to weed out extremists. Leyden says there are hundreds, maybe thousands of white supremacists now in the military, learning combat skills with taxpayers picking up the tab.
LEYDEN: They want to destroy this country, and we are teaching them how to do it every day.
LAH: The Defense Department says the military is aware of possible gang and extremist activity in the military, but denies it is a growing trend.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are very watchful for this issue, because, again, it is not -- these behaviors are not acceptable.
LAH: But Leyden claims the need for troops in Iraq is so great, recruiters have compromised their standards.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not accepting people of, quote, "lower quality," in terms of we're doing it only for numbers.
LAH: Leyden says he's been given a second life, a chance to raise his youngest in a multicultural place.
LEYDEN: Before, I would have been like, how can we get rid of that, how can we get rid of that, how can we get them out of the neighborhood, instead of like, you know, I'm glad they're here.
LAH (on camera): Or walking down the street with an Asian reporter.
LEYDEN: Or exactly, yes.
LAH (voice-over): Leyden has gotten rid of some of his tattoos, but not all of them. A permanent brand from a world he left behind, a world that he worries is growing more powerful.
Kyung Lah, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN: The Aryan Brotherhood has long been a force in prisons here in the U.S., but now there are already reports of Aryan Nation's graffiti in Baghdad.
Time to wrap up the night. CNN.com countdown. Let's go back to Melissa Long -- Melissa.
LONG: Good evening once again. And number one on that cnn.com countdown tonight, your top story tonight, Paula, and that's the crisis in the Middle East. It was just moments ago that Beirut was rocked by a new round of powerful explosions, the latest strike today by Israeli forces. They've hit hundreds of targets in Lebanon today, including the Beirut Airport. Now, Hezbollah fighters fired dozens of missiles into northern Israel. The United Nations Security Council holding an urgent meeting tomorrow, to discuss this latest crisis. Back to you, Paula.
ZAHN: Thanks so much, Melissa. Now, we're going to downshift and talk a little bit about life after work, if you are ever lucky enough to experience that. And for the man you're about to meet, retirement spent by the pool really means life behind the eight-ball. Andy Serwer has his story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDY SERWER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fifty-seven-year- old Tom Gates has made money and friends running amateur pool leagues. He's the league operator for the American Pool Players Association in northern New Jersey.
TOM GATES, APA LEAGUE OPERATOR: My job is to sell fun. That's what I do. I sell fun.
SERWER: Gates manages over 2,000 players and regulates league rules. He also works with the bar or billiard hall owners to give the teams a home.
His interest in the game stretches back decades.
GATES: I sort of worked my way through college, I made some book money shooting pool.
SERWER: After college, Gates continued to earn a paycheck in the pubs, but the work became much grittier, as an undercover investigator for the New York State Liquor Authority. He answered complaints dealing with issues such as gambling and underage drinking.
GATES: This career change is fun. It's a lot safer. I'm not going to be hit over the head with a bottle, or have to arrest somebody.
SERWER: Gates retired three years ago to pursue pool full time.
GATES: It's a business where I can enjoy meeting people.
SERWER: Gates can't play while he's in charge. That would be a conflict of interest. But that should change in the future.
GATES: Once I retire full time, I'll be shooting in the APA.
SERWER: Andy Serwer, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN: And please stay with us for some incredible pictures. You saw what happened after a Manhattan apartment building blew up this week. In a moment, see surveillance tape of the explosion itself. Those pictures have just been made public. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAHN: You probably couldn't get away from our headlines here about a Manhattan townhouse leveled in a gas explosion this week. The city came to a standstill. You saw the damage. The house, once sandwiched between two buildings, now just rubble. We'll now look at the exact moment captured by a security camera when the blast happened. The owner is suspected of setting off the blast in a bitter divorce dispute. He survived, despite severe burns.
And that wraps up for all of us here. Thanks for being with us tonight. We'll be back again tomorrow night. Good night.
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