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Quest Means Business
Officials: Biblical Devastation in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene; Israel Gives Clearest Sign Yet of Lebanon Ground Invasion; Hezbollah Vows to Fight on After Senior Leaders Killed; Biden Urges Israel To Stop Raids In Lebanon; Deadline Looms In Impending U.S. Port Strike; Man Accused Of 2nd Trump Assassination Attempt Pleads Not Guilty. Aired 4:30-5p ET
Aired September 30, 2024 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:00:00]
JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Markets under pressure for most of the session on Monday, but we are clawing our way back to unchanged,
almost in the green to wrap up a winning September. Those are the markets and these are the main events.
Israeli tanks are gathering at the Lebanese border as Israel's defense minister says the next stage of the war will start soon.
"Biblical devastation" in North Carolina. Residents facing severe destruction after Hurricane Helene.
And just hours remain before US port workers are set to begin a strike. The stoppage would disrupt the shipments of bananas, clothes, and many other
goods.
Live from New York. It is Monday, September 30th. I'm Julia Chatterley, in for Richard Quest and this is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
And a good evening once more. Tonight, US officials believe that Israeli troops could imminently move into Lebanon for a limited ground offensive.
Israel has moved roughly 100 military vehicles to its northern border and its special forces have already been carrying out raids in Lebanese
territory.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning today that there is nowhere that Israel cannot reach.
Hezbollah meanwhile, says it will keep fighting Israel after its leader, Hassan Nasrallah was killed Friday by an Israeli airstrike.
Nic Robertson is in Haifa for us tonight.
Nic, good to have you with us.
It does feel a case of when not if those limited and targeted ground strikes begin. What more do we know tonight about potential timing?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It really does seem it is when and not if and the defense minister was pretty clear on that when
he said that the next steps will begin soon. I think what we are witnessing tonight and what actually I think we've been seeing over the past couple of
days are the shaping operations for a ground incursion.
We discovered or we were told by sources here in Israel that over the past couple of days, elite commando units have been conducting some limited
operations across the border at Hezbollah targets, that is typical of what you would expect before a larger force might go in.
One of the other indicators of a typical, what you might call again, military shaping operation comes right in the northern tip of Israel at the
moment, around the small town of Metula. It is surrounded on three sides by Lebanon and Metula and a couple of other small towns nearby have been
designated by the IDF now as a closed military zone.
And a couple of miles away from there in Qiryat Shemona, the sound of heavy artillery fire can be heard and typically, you would expect the IDF to put
down a lot of artillery fire before troops went in behind that.
We saw that in Gaza, it is what the IDF have done crossing the border into Lebanon back in 2006.
When are they actually going to move across? Typically that would be relatively soon after those barrages. It is clear, but the other indicators
would be the fact that we understand the Lebanese Army have pulled back from some of their border posts, retreated a few kilometers, a few miles
from the border, further north inside of Lebanon, and that again, would be an indicator, of course, the IDF are not going after the Lebanese Army,
they are going after Hezbollah. So it appears that the Lebanese Army is stepping back and getting out of the way.
But how many troops may go across, when they may go across, what they're expected to achieve when they do, that isn't clear, but the hardware that
they will use has been clear, has been obvious for the past couple of days, not just the material video that the IDF has released, but what people have
spotted from roadsides -- large numbers of tanks building up, armored personnel carriers, all the sort of equipment you would expect the IDF to
deploy, to move troops in an aggressive way across the border -- Julia.
CHATTERLEY: And certainly fueling a lot of the concern out there, Nic, as well as you said and described this sort of pre-stages that we saw before
the ground incursion in Gaza being mirrored in what we are seeing in Lebanon now. The question is, what does that look like in this case?
You're also the first foreign journalist trusted to attend a combat mission with the Israeli Defense Forces. Can you just describe what that was like
both for them and you?
ROBERTSON: Yes, this was the second longest, second furthest combat mission that the Israeli Air Force has ever flown. The last one that was longer was
back in 1985. And there were two reasons for this mission.
And I was aboard a fuel tank aircraft, an old Boeing 707 commercial airliner with all the seats stripped out and these huge pressurized tanks
inside the fuselage carrying the fuel for the F-35s and a little bit after we took off from South Israel, we were flying down the Red Sea, flying
south down the Red Sea.
I didn't know where we were going, and I didn't know what the operation was, but pretty soon after we got over the Red Sea, F-35 after F-35 came up
to the rear of that Boeing 707 fuel tanker aircraft. There is a nozzle at the bank.
[16:05:07]
There was an officer there controlling this fuel nozzle that links up directly against the F-35 and what they were trying to do and what they did
do was deliver the F-35s right on onto their target location full of fuel.
So in case they got engaged by ground fire, surface to air missile systems, they could take evasion maneuvers. And about 10 minutes, 20 minutes after
the refueling ended, we were told that the F-35s mission have been completed and that mission we found out later was targeting the Houthi-
controlled port city of Hudaydah, a fuel depot was targeted along with a power station.
And the message I was told by the IDF spokesperson who was on board that flight with me. He said there are two messages here. One is to the Houthis
who had only the day before fired a long-range ballistic missile right into the center of Israel. In fact, the Houthis had claimed that they were
targeting the airport, Ben-Gurion, the main international airport where the prime minister just landed back from the UNGA.
And the other message he says was for Iran, so that Iran recognizes that even at 1,200 miles, 1,500 kilometers away from Israel, Israel can reach
out and hit its enemies.
That of course is what the prime minister had been saying. But that is very important for Israel to convey that message right now because they don't
want Iran to get involved as they begin these operations crossing the border into Lebanon. They don't want Iran coming out and protecting its
proxy, Hezbollah.
So for the IDF or for the Israeli Air Force, in fact, part of the IDF, a very, very important and significant mission and politically, a very
powerful message sent throughout the region.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, we can manage multiple operations it seems and whoever the proxy is, all at the same time.
Nic Robertson, thank you so much for your reporting tonight.
Now, Israel continuing with airstrikes on Lebanon too while it weighs that ground incursion that Nic was discussing. It has bombed the city limits of
Beirut for the first time since the October 7th attack.
It is part of a broader aerial assault that has killed civilians, destroyed homes, and displaced one million people in Lebanon.
Ben Wedeman has more on Israel's expanding attacks.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We are at the site of an Israeli airstrike that took place at 1:00 AM on Monday. This apartment
on the fifth floor was hit according to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, three of their members were killed in that strike
in addition to one other person as reported by the Ministry of Health.
Now, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine is a Palestinian faction that has a presence here in Lebanon, but has not been active for
several years. It is not clear if Israel is now taking the opportunity to target not just Hezbollah and others who have been firing into Israel, but
all of the factions that are opposed to Israel.
Now, many of the people who left the southern suburbs move to areas like this because they he thought it might be safer. Clearly, that is not the
case.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHATTERLEY: And Ben Wedeman joins us now.
Ben, we were just discussing with Nic the pre-stages that we appear to be seeing the Israelis take preparing for some imminent form of limited, we
assume, ground invasion in Lebanon.
Surely for the people there, they have watched what has happened in Gaza and the devastation ultimately that has been wrought there. How concerned
are people tonight that what plays out in the coming hours is similar in many respects?
WEDEMAN: Well, I don't think many people in the south of Lebanon have much faith that it is going to be a limited incursion. That is simply not the
history of war between Lebanon and Israel. They have had a variety of wars going back to 1978. And therefore, I think people are assuming the worst
regardless of what American or Israeli officials are saying.
Now, what we are hearing from people who live in villages along the border right now, is that there is an intense presence of drones over those towns,
Israeli drones and that there are frequent airstrikes along the border, as well as artillery and tank fire in various parts of the area.
We know from some Lebanese media reports that there have been intense bombardment by tanks and artillery particularly in the eastern section of
the border between Lebanon and Israel, very close to those three Israeli communities that apparently have been declared closed military areas.
[16:10:00]
Now, what were also seeing is the Arabic spokesman for the Israeli military on Twitter or X has come out just within the last few minutes and warned
residents of three neighborhoods in the southern suburbs of Beirut -- Haret Hreik, Lilaki, and Bourj el-Barajneh -- two normally very crowded areas,
but at this point, we don't know how many people are left in this areas.
In the statement, it said, you are in areas where Hezbollah has facilities and interests and the Israeli military is going to act against them.
So this is yet another Israeli evacuation order against a very, very large part of the southern suburbs of Beirut. So it is not just the people of
South Lebanon who are bracing for more attacks, but also here in Beirut itself -- Julia.
CHATTERLEY: That was exactly the question I was going to ask you, Ben. In those closed military zones that we are talking about, do we have any sense
of how many people remain versus those that have evacuated? And you've answered my question, which is at this stage, no, we don't.
What about Hezbollah at this moment? Their deputy leader said look, we are ready for when the Israelis come earlier today. I mean, they have what?
Hundreds of thousands of fighters, they have weaponry, they have some degree of preparedness even with the body blows that we've seen, certainly
leadership take over the past week-and-a-half.
What do you think their level of preparedness for what is coming looks like?
WEDEMAN: Well, first of all, I don't think they have hundreds of thousands of fighters at their disposal, probably about a hundred thousand
optimistically. And of course, what we've seen is with the pager attacks, the walkie-talkie attacks, intense Israeli airstrikes and the assassination
of much of the military leadership, clearly their military abilities have been severely crippled.
Nonetheless, we are heard today, Naim Qassem, who is one of the senior deputies of the late Hassan Nasrallah coming out and saying that we are
still standing, that we continue to confront the Israelis and in support of Gaza and the people of Lebanon and he insisted that every leader who was
killed is replaced by another leader, that may be just rhetoric to try to bolster the morale of an organization that really has been battered and
pummeled by Israel recently.
But I do recall the last speech Hassan Nasrallah made, he actually goaded the Israelis into invading South Lebanon saying we know where all your
soldiers are, we know where all your tanks are and we are ready for them.
But I think those words are about to be put to the test if and when Israel actually does launch this -- what they say will be a limited incursion to
South Lebanon -- Julia.
CHATTERLEY: Ben Wedeman in Beirut, great to get your insights as always. Ben, thank you.
Now, Bilal Saab is the head of the US-Middle East Practice at TRENDS Research and Advisory and he joins us now.
Bilal, great to have you with us.
I know you were just listening to that, too.
The Israelis have said one of their principal ambitions here is to allow their people to return to their homes in the north of the country and we
are talking what -- 60,000 Israelis for the most part. It is the equivalent of what -- two million Americans. So you can understand the importance of
this moment, but certainly, the sequencing, the scale of what we are seeing feels like far more of a rebalancing of power not only in Lebanon, but in
the levant, too. Would you agree?
BILAL SAAB, HEAD OF THE US-MIDDLE EAST PRACTICE AT TRENDS RESEARCH AND ADVISORY: Look, I understand the goal of the Israelis to return the
citizens of the north to their homes, but if that's the goal, it is not going to happen anytime soon if you're about to launch a ground incursion
in Lebanon which turns to a mission creep and it is not entirely clear to me what the mission is.
I am not even sure it is clear to the Israelis what the mission is. Are you there to create a buffer zone? Are you there to degrade the military
infrastructure of Hezbollah? And then you withdraw? Do you have some kind of understanding of when diplomacy kicks in to actually reach some kind of
diplomatic agreement? We don't have the answers to any of those things.
So this could be in for the long run, therefore, delaying, postponing that goal of returning Israeli citizens to the north. And of course, on the
Lebanese side, the Lebanese to the south.
CHATTERLEY: I mean, specifically about Hezbollah in this moment, they've navigated many moments of danger, abject peril since the early 80s when
they formed. Nasrallah himself, he understood, I think the Israeli culture, society, perhaps better than most and perhaps how far their military limits
beyond anything else could be tested.
And this feels like we've gone further than we've ever gone before -- whether it is Hezbollah or anybody else for that matter, the proxies
understand, I think this moment.
[16:15:10]
Because it does feel like Israel is unrestrained in a way that perhaps we've not seen before.
SAAB: Yes, I like your qualifier, which is this moment, meaning that the Israeli government that Hezbollah is dealing with is like no other in the
history of that long confrontation, as you said yourself.
It is far more right-wing, aggressive, extreme as than any -- the very situation in the north is frankly unacceptable regardless of who is
actually in power in Israel. And so they pretty much, they, being Hassan Nasrallah himself obviously and the leadership in Tehran, which sponsors
Hezbollah basically made a huge gamble and it backfired.
The gamble being that they thought Israel would still be retrained in its response when in fact, obviously we've seen that it has been the exact
opposite.
So you know, for a long time, Nasrallah was sort of the master reader of Israeli society, government, military, very much so. But boy, did he
miscalculate this one and it proved to be a fatal miscalculation.
CHATTERLEY: You've described this in recent op-eds as a battle of the will in many respects between Israel and Iran and their efforts. I am talking
Iran's efforts to sort of accelerate the interdependence between all of these fronts, whether it is Gaza Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen as we were
just discussing and with Nic there. If that is the case, who is closer today to achieving their aims and perhaps most importantly, where does the
international community stand? The United States in particular, in restricting, preventing more collateral damage than we've already seen as a
result? And I am talking human loss of lives, civilian in loss of life.
SAAB: Right, so two parts to that question. The first one being if Iran's intent to create some kind of strategic interdependence among those
battlefields over which it has influence, be it in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon -- with the killing of Nasrallah, you could -- there is no
sugarcoating. That was a huge blow to that entire doctrine, right? He was a key figure, sort of like the glue that kept everything together behind that
entire doctrine.
So I don't know what the future of that is. Obviously, given the fact also that Hamas is completely decimated militarily speaking, so whoever is left,
I mean, is sort of picking up the pieces, right? And the Houthis in Yemen, they are also being under attack by the Israelis.
So you're seeing the entire doctrine now sort of attacked, right? It is not over yet, obviously. They played the long game, but right now, it is in
pretty bad shape.
For the Israelis, have they actually achieve strategic gains? I don't know, it is too early to tell. I mean, these are tremendous tactical advantages
and successes that they have made, but they have to turn them into strategic gains. And you can only do that through diplomacy, which gets us
into the second part of your question, only through diplomacy, you're going to be able to limit and to reduce that civilian toll, which is
catastrophic.
And certainly, the Biden administration is very concerned about that, but they are not just pursuing seriously -- sufficiently serious diplomacy to
restrain the Israeli military machine, to get to some kind of an agreement.
CHATTERLEY: And we will continue to watch that, certainly. I am just showing our viewers live images over the skies of Israel. |I think you can
probably hear there what sounds to be artillery fire in the direction from Israel over into Lebanon.
We will continue to watch it in the coming minutes and hours, but as we keep discussing, we are waiting what seems to be what is being described as
some kind of limited incursion into Lebanon by the Israelis and we will continue to watch that, both the skies and of course, the developments on
diplomacy, Bilal, as you were discussing, desperately needed to continue at this moment.
Good to have you with us, sir. Thank you.
Bilal Saab there.
SAAB: Thank you.
CHATTERLEY: Okay, coming up for us, hundreds of people are unaccounted for in the Southeast United States in the wake of Hurricane Helene. We will
have the latest on the efforts to reach communities hit by torrential rain and that catastrophic flooding, stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:21:44]
CHATTERLEY: This just in to CNN. A judge in the US state of Georgia has struck down a law that banned abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. The
state law was signed back in 2019, but could not take effect until 2022 when Roe versus Wade was overturned.
The judge wrote that liberty in Georgia includes women controlling their own bodies.
And the damage caused last week by Hurricane Helene has been described by some as post-apocalyptic. The storm left a trail of devastation, 500 miles
long. It is responsible for at least 119 deaths across six US states.
North Carolina was the site of particularly heavy rain. Flooding has washed away roads and wiped some communities off the map. Hundreds of people are
still unaccounted for.
US President Joe Biden says he is sending all resources required.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want them to know, we are not leaving until the job is done. I just want you to know, I am committed to
traveling in the impacted areas as soon as possible. But I've been told that it would be disruptive if I did it right now.
We will not do that at the risk of diverting or delaying any of the response assets needed to deal with this crisis.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: Isabel Rosales is in Lake Lure in North Carolina for us.
Isabel, are communities in chaos there? Can you tell us more about what is going on with the recovery and rescue efforts?
ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Julia.
You can see a police line right here, right? They are hard at work. There are clearing all of this devastation, also looking for people who might
need any help.
But briefly, we were able to go back in there and take a look at this devastation for ourselves, a place that really media has not been able to
go into.
This is a beautiful town with a gorgeous marina, but instead what we saw were dozens of boats stacked on top of each other, an astounding site
showing the power of these floodwaters.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is your first car.
ROSALES (voice over): Lines of cars in Asheville, North Carolina waiting.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is just rough. It is hard seeing the city like this.
ROSALES (voice over): Some families tell CNN, they've run out of drinking water, in the hard-hit western area of the state.
And without electricity, their food is rotting.
Gary O'Dell is sharing everything he has got, his home with his daughter who lost it all to the catastrophic floods and even lifesaving oxygen tanks
with his neighbor.
GARY O'DELL, SHARING OXYGEN TANK WITH NEIGHBOR: My next door neighbor ran out of oxygen. He is in worse shape than I am. That's my problem. I've got
lung cancer now, too and you don't -- you know, you don't realize oxygen is very important.
ROSALES (voice over): Non-profits teaming up to serve 2,000 residents in the first four hours.
ROSALES (on camera): How are you guys doing?
ROSALES (voice over): This is one of the first semitrucks full of desperately needed supplies to arrive in Asheville.
MICHELLE COLEMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ASHEVILLE DREAM CENTER: This is the most devastating thing I've ever seen in our whole city. I think that the
loss of life, the fact that if you don't have cash, you can't get anything.
We've gone to stores, water is out. Supplies is out. People slept overnight at gas stations like I feel like we've never seen this before.
[16:25:00]
ROSALES (voice over): Alejandre Fuerte forced to walk to get help. She needs baby diapers for her grandchild.
(ALEJANDRE FUERTE speaking in foreign language.)
ROSALES (voice over): "We are not doing well," said Alejandre.
(ALEJANDRE FUERTE speaking in foreign language.)
ROSALES (voice over): "It made me so heartbroken to see everything so destroyed."
Outside of Asheville, it is even more waiting. Hours just for gas at the few pumps that are still running.
CNN flew by helicopter for the non-profit surveying inaccessible towns.
Heavy trees, and downed power lines are blocking major roadways, hampering the delivery of badly-needed supplies. An overturned semitruck lying upside
down in the river, and numerous landslides all spotted from above.
Black Mountain city manager, Josh Harrold says, it could take years to get over this devastation.
JOSH HARROLD, BLACK MOUNTAIN CITY MANAGER: It is catastrophic. Black Mountain may never look the same again. It is just total destruction.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROSALES (on camera): And Julia, while I was in there, I was also able to speak with the mayor of Chimney Rock, the next town over -- a small, tight-
knit community. He told me about 50 percent of his neighbors have lost their homes. They have collapsed or have been swept away, and all of the
businesses are gone. He also thinks it will take years to recover.
And Julia, I will leave you with this. I was also able to get onto that chopper and witness for myself the challenges that these first responders
are having in accessing some of these mountain towns, just these roads swept away, crumbling into pieces or large trees falling on them, power
lines.
This is a very complex and challenging task and this is going to take a while.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, these are heartbreaking conversations.
Isabel, good to have you there and to hear these stories and hopefully these people get the help they need. Our thoughts are with them. Thank you
for now.
Chad Myers is in CNN's Weather Center for us as well.
Chad, I know you were listening to that and I am sure feel exactly the same.
What more can we say about this?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, behind me is actually the picture of the Lake Lure that she was standing very close to and it is hard to find
the lake. There is so much debris that washed down from above, from higher elevations right into the lake.
Now there is a dam that caused this lake, created the lake and that dam wouldn't let any of this out. But I think this is a good idea that we
actually can look at what was going down that river -- the lives, the homes, the pieces. These are not just sticks.
So what happened? We had a Category Four 140 mile per hour hurricane. It made landfall in Florida. What in the world are we talking about Asheville
for?
Well, what happened was a predecessor rain event. It happened before the hurricane even arrived. Notice, it is already rain, it is already cloudy.
Let me switch to the radar to give you an idea.
Here is Asheville right there. Wednesday, it is raining. It is still raining. I can pause for a long time. It is Thursday, it is still raining.
No hurricane yet. This is just the rain that came before the hurricane.
And now the hurricane finally hits. And a half a meter of rain, three quarters of a meter of rainfall that came down in mountain towns that
washed them away -- washed away the homes, washed away the bridges, washed away the roads. So many spots here. Greater than 10 to 15 inches of rain,
widespread, not just like a neighborhood, but widespread 10 to 15 inches and even 20 inches at times.
The storm went from 85 to 140 in less than a day. That is because the water is so very warm. The atmosphere is very warm, warmer than it has ever been.
The water, warmer than it has ever been. This is a broken record. We already know this.
But warm air, warm water can hold more moisture. That moisture falls out of the sky as rain. So we are increasing the amount of rain potential for the
entire continental US, those big, heavy days are increasing year after year, decade after decade.
Now for right now, things have calmed down with some light rain showers and yes, it would be raining in Virginia, maybe down in the coastal plain of
North Carolina.
But this is cleanup time. They don't need any more rain. And really what they're seeing is just a nuisance. The one good thing the rain does bring
is at least cooler temperatures for those still trying to make it through this -- Julia.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, but Chad, that is such an important illustration that we didn't build communities, we didn't build homes for this kind of increase
in water and level of flooding and we need to be very aware of this when we talk about the climate and how to protect ourselves better.
MYERS: Absolutely.
CHATTERLEY: Chad, as always, great to have you with us. Thank you. Chad Myers there.
MYERS: You're welcome.
CHATTERLEY: Yes. All right, coming up, more US troops are put on standby as the Israel-Hezbollah war escalates. We are live at The Pentagon for the
very latest.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:32:58]
JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Julia Chatterley and there's more QUEST MEANS BUSINESS in a moment when President Biden says it's time for a
ceasefire, as Israel moves tanks and personnel towards the Lebanese border.
And tens of thousands of U.S. port workers are set to go on strike. But before that, the headlines this hour.
The man accused of trying to kill Donald Trump in Florida earlier this month has pleaded not guilty to all charges, including attempted
assassination. Ryan Routh appeared in federal court earlier for the brief hearing. Prosecutors say he, "stalked the former president for more than a
month before the incident at Trump's West Palm Beach Golf Course."
Austria's far-right Freedom party claimed its first national election victory this weekend. However, it fell far short of parliamentary majority
with just 29 percent of the vote. The group lacks potential coalition partners too. And Austria's president says he can ask other parties to try
and form a government.
The French far-right leader Marine Le Pen went on trial Monday in Paris for alleged embezzling E.U. funds. She and her codefendants are accused of
paying party workers with money meant for E.U. parliamentary staff. If convicted, Le Pen could be barred from running for president in 2027. She
and the other face fines of up to $1 million and up to a decade in prison.
Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo has died of brain cancer. The NBA star was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo. His defensive dominance
made him a fan favorite during his 18-year career. He was also known for his humanitarian work off the court. He was 58 years old.
The Pentagon says more U.S. based troops have been put on prepare to deploy "orders to the Middle East."
[16:35:00]
Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh wouldn't comment on specifics, citing security reasons, but said these forces cover a wide range of capabilities
and missions. Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden is urging Israel to halt Special Operation raids in Lebanese territory near Israel's border.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Israel may be now launching a limited operation into Lebanon. Are you aware of that? Are you comfortable with their plans --
(CROSSTALK)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm more aware than you right know and I'm comfortable with them stopping. We should have a ceasefire
now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: And Oren Liebermann joins us now. Oren, just before we come to you and to ask what the state department is saying at this moment in the
Pentagon, I just want to remind our viewers that we're watching the skies over the north of Israel tonight. We have seen artillery fire. We just in
the last five minutes or so saw some kind of an explosion. This is artillery fire headed in the direction of Lebanon tonight.
And of course, as we've been discussing for the last 30 minutes or so, the expectation of some kind of limited ground invasion beginning by the
Israelis into Lebanon in the coming hours. Oren, for now, what does the United States mean when it's putting troops -- U.S.-based troops on standby
for potential deployment? Can we assume and we between the lines, that that is to protect Israel, potentially in the face of a broader escalation as a
result of what we're seeing?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are really two options or a few options for what troops would be put under prepare to
deploy orders. One would be troops that would go in to help in the defense of Israel. Should we see a massive Iranian or even Hezbollah barrage
launched like we saw back in April. Another would be to enhance U.S.' own air defenses for troops in Iraq and Syria and in other places.
There could also be troops going into plan for different contingencies, and that would, of course, include an evacuation of American citizens from
Lebanon, a NEO, a Noncombatant Evacuation Order. The Pentagon won't say what those prepared to deploy orders are for, whom they are for, or how
many troops are put on those but it generally means those troops have to be ready to go within a very small window, usually somewhere in the 24 to 48
hours.
That in addition to the fact that the Pentagon announced that there will be more fighter squadrons going in, that includes F-22s, F-15s, A-10s. So, a
number of different kinds of U.S. fighter aircraft. Now these were regularly scheduled to rotate in anyway, but the squadrons they were
supposed to replace, those will be staying in the region. And adding to the U.S. is already formidable number of forces there.
And they could also help with air defenses. They're also, of course, a deterrent message to Iran or anybody else who might try to take advantage
of the situation and widen this out to a broader war. On top of all of that, the U.S.' Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is sailing across the
Atlantic right now, heading east, heading towards Europe. That could be called in, should it be necessary.
The State Department hasn't yet ordered a NEO, a Noncombatant Evacuation that would be an attempt to get U.S. citizens out of Lebanon. That's
because, at least for now, there are commercial flight options for American citizens. The State Department is urging Americans to get out now. The
expectation was that an Israeli ground incursion limited, though it may be, is imminent.
That may be the beginning of what we're already seeing when you see explosions in the night sky over Israel's northern border. We have seen
Israel move troops there, and we have seen Israeli politicians and the minister of defense effectively hint that that is the next step, and that
it may be coming very, very soon, if it hasn't started already. So, the U.S. also planning, not only for the defense of Israel, but for also for
its own other contingencies, including what may have to happen to American citizens in Lebanon. Julia?
CHATTERLEY: Yes. Likely important context. And just a reminder on as you were saying there, we are showing live images of the skies above Northern
Israel just in the last few moments there. I think you heard another explosion. We saw some kind of lighting up of the night sky as well. That
artillery fire continues to and we will continue to watch it for now. Oren, thank you so much. Oren Liebermann there at the Pentagon.
Now, the U.N. estimates 100,000 people have crossed into Syria from Lebanon due to Israeli airstrikes. Many of them are Syrians who had come to Lebanon
looking for safety after fleeing war in their own nation. Lebanon's Prime Minister says one million people have been displaced by the violence.
Terrified civilians are also sleeping on the streets of Beirut.
Jomana Karadsheh has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): War has arrived to Beirut and this is what it's done to so many of its children,
exhausted and homeless, they now sleep on the streets and parks like this one. Most here fled the densely populated southern suburbs where Israel's
rained down bombs on Hezbollah targets, but like every war, it is the innocent who paid the heaviest price.
Abir's (ph) home was hit in one of the strikes. She grabbed her little girl and ran, and they've been out here since.
I've never fled my home before, not even in the 2006 war, the single mother says. But now I have a child. The children are terrified.
[16:40:08]
Far from the air strikes, eight-year-old Batul (ph) tells us she's very scared.
The roof was falling on us, she says. Every time my mom would tell me they're not going to strike, they would. I wish the war would stop.
The two plays with new friends she's made. Children trying to escape a new reality. They're too young to understand. But beneath their playful
giggles, trauma and fear so deep. 10-year-old Fatime (ph) can't hold back her tears.
The whole country is being destroyed, she says. Born in Syria, she fled war a baby. Beirut's the only home she's ever known.
My dad was killed in Syria, she says. I only have my mom. I'm scared my mother and siblings will also get killed.
Syrians, Lebanese and migrant workers all found themselves with nowhere to turn but this park. Schools now house the displaced, but there are too many
in search of shelter, and this all happened so fast. A million people, the government estimates have been displaced in a matter of days. We found many
Lebanese families like this one camped out on the side of the road for five days, they say. There was no room for them at government shelters.
Their disabled young girl sleeps in the car. The rest have mattresses outside. No toilets or showers here. They've heard their home is still
standing the women tell us, but their neighborhood is devastated.
Our area has been emptied out, Mahammed (ph) says. There's no one left.
In the heart of the capital in Marjeh Square, the remnants of crises passed with a poster that reads, Beirut never dies. And here many more with no
roofs over their heads. For how long? No one really knows, but they fear this may only just be the start of a long war. And Fozi (ph) fled barefoot.
It was real horror, she says. Air strikes were all around us. People were collapsing and fainting. She only grabbed her medication and these tissue
packs her livelihood. She sells them for about 50 cents, although he escaped Syria, her home there is gone.
Wherever we go, she says, death follows us. It's all just too much.
Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Beirut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHATTERLEY: OK. Coming up for us. Thousands of port workers in the United States are hours away from going out on strike. It could cause shortages of
a number of goods and cost the U.S. economy billions if it continues. We'll look where negotiations stand next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:45:39]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back. And today on Call to Earth, we're putting a spotlight on the Philippines and an organization working to conserve the
country's last remaining pristine rainforest. The team at the Center for Sustainability got their first big win in Palawan when it won critical
habitat protection for a forested area known as Cleopatra's Needle. Now the group is turning its attention to a new project on the southern half of the
island.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
K.M. REYES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND COFOUNDER, CENTER FOR SUSTAINABILITY PH: Hello.
So, we're in the barangay hall of Barangay Princess Urduja which is one of three of our barangays or villages that make up the area that we're trying
to protect. So, the proposed Sultan Peak critical habitat.
BILL MAHER, HOST, HBO'S 'REAL TIME (voice-over): According to K.M. Reyes, Sultan Peak also known as Kunsa (ph) to the indigenous is part of the only
mountain range in Palawan that has no formal protection.
REYES: The area that we're trying to protect is about 8000 hectares pristine rainforest, also this incredible watershed system and it's
completely unstudied.
MAHER (voice-over): The region is also rich in nickel, a highly-coveted mineral essential to clean energy technologies like electric vehicles, wind
turbines and solar panels.
REYES: The barangay is about to release a public official statement that they openly and strongly oppose mining operations happening in their
village. They would like for those rights at the indigenous as well as the local government unit to be recognized.
MAHER (voice-over): Just like they did with Cleopatra's Needle, the C.S. team is exploring this wild, unstudied area to document its flora and
fauna, which will help justify its protection.
REYES: We live for the field work. I think it's also the secret sauce at C.S. because if you don't have that connection to nature, then you kind of,
yes, forget what your North Star is.
MAHER (voice-over): This excursion is focused on training local field guides who signed up for a long-term research project led by staff member
and wildlife biologist Aubrey Jayne Padilla. One of their jobs is to simply take pictures. Lots and lots of pictures.
AUBREY JAYNE PADILLA, RESEARCH PROGRAM COORDINATOR, CENTER FOR SUSTAINABILITY PH: We take and document everything that we see on the
trail, particularly flowering plants. So flowering plants is very specific season, and we don't know when we'll ever see them again.
MAHER (voice-over): The images will eventually be uploaded to a database on the iNaturalist platform. An open-source tool that helps identify plants
and animals, but also generates data for science and conservation.
PADILLA: So, now we have this one, which I don't know. So, we're taking a photo, especially the flowers and arrangement of the leaf, so we'll have it
on record.
MAHER (voice-over): In this beautiful landscape, the hard part is staying focused on the task at hand because even the most inconspicuous speck of
green can be a significant find.
REYES: So, we just found bloodwort which is a carnivorous plant that we see here. What is exciting about it is that it is a possible bioindicator of
water quality. So, for us at C.S. we like to note it down, and it's part of the work that we do later on to kind of prove, yes, what's important about
the area, why it needs protecting.
MAHER (voice-over): With agriculture, supporting the majority of families on this part of the island, the water coming off of Sultan Peak is critical
for protection. K.M. and the Center for Sustainability Team hope they can protect Sultan Peak within three years, one year faster than what they
pulled off with Cleopatra's Needle.
REYES: It's so urgent to protect our last remaining wild places, we all have the power to change the course of history, and the course of history
can just be in your own backyard. It doesn't mean that you're going to be recognized globally for the work that you do or the changes that you make,
but I think we all have the power to change what's happening in the world. And I think C.S. is a living example of that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
K.M. REYES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND COFOUNDER, CENTER FOR SUSTAINABILITY PH: Hello.
So, we're in the barangay hall of Barangay Princess Urduja which is one of three of our barangays or villages that make up the area that we're trying
to protect. So, the proposed Sultan Peak critical habitat.
BILL MAHER, HOST, HBO'S 'REAL TIME (voice-over): According to K.M. Reyes, Sultan Peak also known as Kunsa (ph) to the indigenous is part of the only
mountain range in Palawan that has no formal protection.
REYES: The area that we're trying to protect is about 8000 hectares pristine rainforest, also this incredible watershed system and it's
completely unstudied.
MAHER (voice-over): The region is also rich in nickel, a highly-coveted mineral essential to clean energy technologies like electric vehicles, wind
turbines and solar panels.
REYES: The barangay is about to release a public official statement that they openly and strongly oppose mining operations happening in their
village. They would like for those rights at the indigenous as well as the local government unit to be recognized.
MAHER (voice-over): Just like they did with Cleopatra's Needle, the C.S. team is exploring this wild, unstudied area to document its flora and
fauna, which will help justify its protection.
REYES: We live for the field work. I think it's also the secret sauce at C.S. because if you don't have that connection to nature, then you kind of,
yes, forget what your North Star is.
MAHER (voice-over): This excursion is focused on training local field guides who signed up for a long-term research project led by staff member
and wildlife biologist Aubrey Jayne Padilla. One of their jobs is to simply take pictures. Lots and lots of pictures.
AUBREY JAYNE PADILLA, RESEARCH PROGRAM COORDINATOR, CENTER FOR SUSTAINABILITY PH: We take and document everything that we see on the
trail, particularly flowering plants. So flowering plants is very specific season, and we don't know when we'll ever see them again.
MAHER (voice-over): The images will eventually be uploaded to a database on the iNaturalist platform. An open-source tool that helps identify plants
and animals, but also generates data for science and conservation.
PADILLA: So, now we have this one, which I don't know. So, we're taking a photo, especially the flowers and arrangement of the leaf, so we'll have it
on record.
MAHER (voice-over): In this beautiful landscape, the hard part is staying focused on the task at hand because even the most inconspicuous speck of
green can be a significant find.
REYES: So, we just found bloodwort which is a carnivorous plant that we see here. What is exciting about it is that it is a possible bioindicator of
water quality. So, for us at C.S. we like to note it down, and it's part of the work that we do later on to kind of prove, yes, what's important about
the area, why it needs protecting.
MAHER (voice-over): With agriculture, supporting the majority of families on this part of the island, the water coming off of Sultan Peak is critical
for protection. K.M. and the Center for Sustainability Team hope they can protect Sultan Peak within three years, one year faster than what they
pulled off with Cleopatra's Needle.
REYES: It's so urgent to protect our last remaining wild places, we all have the power to change the course of history, and the course of history
can just be in your own backyard. It doesn't mean that you're going to be recognized globally for the work that you do or the changes that you make,
but I think we all have the power to change what's happening in the world. And I think C.S. is a living example of that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[16:50:07]
CHATTERLEY: And if you would like to watch the full half an hour special on CNN.com,
just search for Call to Earth conversation -- Conservation, my apologies, Rises. Stay with us. We're back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back. Time is running out in the United States to avoid a crippling dock workers strike. Tens of thousands of workers from Maine to
Texas are set to walk off the job just after midnight, local time. The strike would likely disrupt supplies of everything from bananas to
automobiles. And the economic stakes are enormous. A one-week stoppage would cost the United States economy more than $2 billion according to
Anderson Economic Group.
And of course, the cost compounds. Vanessa Yurkevich is in New York for us. Vanessa, failed to point out, that this is also happening right before
holiday season, right before a presidential election. What makes it that much more difficult to say to these workers, look, we need you to get back
to work. Maximum leverage one could say. What are the unions saying at this moment? And of course, the port authorities?
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Well, the unions are not saying much right now. I think they are hunkering down
trying to figure out if they are, in fact, going to go on strike if they do not reach a deal with USMX, which is the maritime alliance that represents
the shippers. And ultimately, if they don't get a deal done, which is looking like it's probably not going to happen.
Of course, things can happen at the last minute, 12:01 a.m., you're going to have tens of thousands of dock workers on strike all the way from Maine
down to Texas. This is going to impact about 36 locations run by 14 major port authorities along the eastern seaboard and the Gulf Coast.
Now, essentially, the union is saying that any offer that's been put on the table has been unacceptable in terms of wages and in terms of stopping
automation. That's one thing that the workers really care about, making sure that their jobs don't get automated away. USMX has put a deal on the
table, an offer on the table, which would be 40 percent in wage increases over six years, according to a source who is familiar with these
negotiations.
Now, as you mentioned, if there is a strike, this is going to affect things that you and I consume every single day. Chocolate, alcohol, bananas,
everything from auto parts, agriculture, both coming in and out of the country, that's all going to be stopped if this strike takes place.
[16:55:02]
Now, a lot of the major retailers, though, as you mentioned, they kind of saw this strike coming. And so, they made plans to get a lot of the holiday
merchandise in early so there wouldn't be a lot of issues with holiday supplies on the shelves. Now, ultimately, as you mentioned, this strike
could cost $2.1 billion just in the first week alone. What happens with strikes is obviously things start to compound as the strike drags on.
You then start to see major snow snarls in supply chains, that's going to then affect truck -- affect truckers, that's going to impact small
businesses, and then ultimately it impacts us, the consumer. Now, the Biden administration says they've been in touch with both sides to try to get a
deal done before tonight's midnight deadline, but not much progress has been made there.
There have been many, many business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Julia, that's called on President Biden to invoke the Taft-
Hartley Act, which is one way and the only power the President has to stop a strike. But President Biden saying he is not going to use that power. So
ultimately, as it stands right now, it is up to those two sides, the union and the maritime alliance to come up with some sort of deal before the
clock expires at midnight tonight here in the U.S.
CHATTERLEY: Yes. A self-confessed, ultimately pro union president couple of months out before a presidential election invoking that not happening. I
think it's fair to say, but you have me at chocolate, Vanessa. I'm going to go and buy some quickly tonight. We'll see what happens. Vanessa Yurkevich,
thank you for that report.
All right. Coming up. We'll have the final numbers from Wall Street right after this. Stay with
me.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back. And stock markets on Wall Street closing higher after spending most of the session. Let's be fair. In the red, the Dow
finishing relatively unchanged, as you can see there, the S&P and the NASDAQ also clawing back from earlier losses. The rally following remarks
by Fed Chair Jerome Powell not ruling out further rate cuts this year, but not promising either.
Remember, they are data dependent and we know it well. That is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS. I'm Julia Chatterley. "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts now.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Jake Tapper. This hour, breaking news out of Georgia where a judge has just struck down that state's six-week abortion
ban. We're going to go to live in Atlanta with details on the ruling and early reaction to this decision.
[17:00:02]
Plus, the Union for the WNBA tells a renowned journalist that she went too far by daring to ask an uncomfortable --
END
