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The Situation Room
Cruise Ship with U.S. Evacuees to Arrive in Cyprus Tonight; Secretary Rice to be Briefed Friday by U.N. Team on Mideast Crisis; New Explosions in Beirut; President Bush Vetoes Embryonic Stem Cell Research Bill
Aired July 19, 2006 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Ali. And to our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where new pictures and information are arriving all the time. Standing by, CNN reporters around the United States and across the world to bring you today's top stories.
Happening now, steaming towards safety. Hundreds of Americans now are on their way to Cyprus, leaving the bloodshed in Lebanon behind them. It's 11:00 p.m. in Beirut, where the prime minister says Israeli air strikes are taking what he calls an unimaginable toll. We'll have live reports on the attacks and on the exodus.
Also this hour, Hezbollah strikes against Israel, claiming yet more casualties, including children and soldiers. We're tracking the latest rocket fire into northern Israel and ground conflict, as well.
Plus, President Bush using his veto power for the very first time. It's 4:00 p.m. here in Washington, where Mr. Bush is rejecting an embryonic stem cell research bill passed by Congress. We're following this major political clash and what happens next. I'm Wolf Blitzer, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
In the Middle East, crisis this hour, new deaths. Desperate diplomacy and all-out evacuation of U.S. citizens. The cruise ship the Orient Queen now is heading towards Cyprus with about 1,000 Americans and Britons on board. Another 3,000 U.S. citizens expected to flee the fighting tomorrow again by sea. And by air, U.S. military helicopters have been taking Americans from the U.S. embassy outside of Beirut to safer ground.
Inside Beirut, new explosions were just heard after nightfall. The official Lebanese security sources say 216 Lebanese have been killed. Lebanon's prime minister, though, is saying more than 300 people have been killed by Israeli air strikes and more than 1,000 have been injured.
Also today, one of the few direct engagements between Israeli troops and Hezbollah guerrillas. It happened in southern Lebanon. Two Israeli soldiers were killed in what was described as very heavy fighting.
And Israeli police say two children were killed when a Hezbollah rocket hit the northern Israeli town of Nazareth. At least 29 Israelis now have been killed in a week of warfare triggered by Hezbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers. On the diplomatic front, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice now plans to meet tomorrow night in New York with the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. On Friday she'll go to the United Nations to hear a U.N. team's assessment of the Middle East crisis.
Our correspondents are in place across the region right now. CNN's Anderson Cooper, he's standing by in Cyprus, where the evacuees are coming in. Ben Wedeman is in Beirut.
Let's check in first with our chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour. She's in northern Israel. Christiane, what's the latest on that front?
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, if there was any necessity to prove that these rockets have not yet been silenced, today was it. It was the fiercest clash between Hezbollah guerrillas, just across the border from where we are and the Israeli forces. They had a fierce, direct confrontation partly across their battlefield and some of it was much closer in, including, in this little town, just a few hours ago -- and this was one of the biggest engagements to date.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AMANPOUR (voice-over): The fiercest clashes yet between the Israeli army and Hezbollah guerrillas are here in Avivim right on the Lebanese border. Israeli tanks pitted against Hezbollah mortars and rockets. Israel has taken casualties in this operation. Two soldiers were killed and the injured were loaded into an ambulance and rushed to the nearest hospital.
All the while, sirens wailed warning of the next rocket salvo. And it's not just humans, but hardware, too. An Israeli tank is pulled limping off the battlefield. The Israeli military says this action is aimed at taking out Hezbollah posts along the border.
(on camera): Israel has sent in tanks to this battle and we've been hearing the sound of outgoing tank fire. Meantime, around the hills in this region, peppered with smoke and flames as Hezbollah rockets are still making their mark.
(voice-over): Two children were killed when rockets hit the town of Nazareth. They have also again struck Haifa, Tiberius and all this part of north Israel. Villages and hillsides are billowing with smoke. Buildings here in Deshon (ph) are aflame.
Overhead comes a flying fire extinguisher dropping red powder to dampen the blaze. It circles again and again over the village, over the slopes. Meantime, the air raid siren sounds again as the town of Avivim, scene of the worst fighting, finally gets a direct Hezbollah hit.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
AMANPOUR: So, again and again, when we ask commanders what it is, what is the final aim, they say that we simply are going to create a buffer zone, we're going to wait and see whether the Lebanese government will eventually be able to fill that with the Lebanese army or whether there's an international force.
But we're hearing and especially diplomats who are telling CNN in Washington that any force -- and we're also hearing this from diplomats who are involved in the negotiations, that if there was to be any international force to keep these sides apart, it would have to be one that would be prepared to fight, because the ultimate goal, they say, is to disarm Hezbollah. And that, they say, might make it difficult to get countries to contribute troops to such an international force. Wolf?
BLITZER: What do we know, Christiane, about these relatively limited, small-scale Israeli incursions on the ground into southern Lebanon?
AMANPOUR: Well, just what we're being told, essentially, is that this has been going on several days. It's designed to take out the outposts of Hezbollah. It's designed to clear the border area, the immediate border area, because this is what the Israelis say that they are not going to tolerate anymore, that they're not going to go back to what it was like after this fighting or after a cease-fire is over.
They're not going to go back to what it was like just before it started, where Hezbollah had built up positions along the border and was able, as we've seen, to target inside this country. So the operation, we're told, is aimed at pinpointing tunnels, mine areas, pinpointing all sorts of outposts and trying to get rid of them. But it's difficult. It's very difficult.
BLITZER: It sounds enormously complicated and very dangerous work. Christiane, we're going to be checking back with you throughout THE SITUATION ROOM here today. Christiane Amanpour doing as usual an excellent job for us in northern Israel.
Now to that ship full of Americans heading to a safe haven in Cyprus after living in danger and fear in Lebanon for a full week. CNN's Anderson Cooper in Larnaca in Cyprus right now. The Orient Queen, that ship is expected to arrive when, Anderson?
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: It's expected to arrive around 2:00 a.m. local time, which is just three hours from now. But if the past days are any example, these ships tend to arrive much later than the time they're anticipated, so we don't know.
We do know, according to Marine Corporal Brigadier General Jensen, who's in charge of this whole operation, there are about 1,000 Americans on board that ship.
By the end of tonight, by the time they arrive, about 1,500 Americans will so far have been evacuated over the course of the last several days. As you know, Wolf, a lot of those evacuations not just by ship here on the Orient Queen, but mostly by helicopters over the last several days, Chinook helicopters, marine corps helicopters.
But now the focus is really shifting to try to get as many numbers of people out as possible. They believe that tomorrow alone they will be able to get out some 3,000 Americans. The problem is they don't have an accurate number of how many Americans really need to get out. We've all heard this 25,000 figure. That's the number of Americans trapped believed in Lebanon.
But the marine corps general today said he believes many of those will decide to stay and people are changing their minds. So it's a very fluid situation. His message, though, he has heard the frustration of Americans on the ground there. His message is that America is coming, people just have to hold on. Everyone will get out who wants to get out, Wolf.
BLITZER: And walk us through the process. What happens when the Americans arrive in Larnaca, which is a beautiful little town. It's usually a resort for a lot of tourists. What happens to these thousands of Americans once they get to Cyprus?
COOPER: It's going to be confusing, I think that's safe to say. So far people have been coming in drips and drabs, several hundred at a time, mostly Europeans, a few dozen Americans.
The diplomatic representation here, the American consular officials are working very hard with the marine corps, with the military to try to coordinate, getting as many Americans as possible who do arrive off the island as quickly as possible, chartering flights.
And there are a lot of international flights out of Cyprus. It is a tourist destination for a lot of Europeans. But these flights are filling up fast, hotel rooms are filling up fast. It's going to be expensive for people to find rooms, to find flights. It's going to be a challenge logistically, no doubt about it, not just getting people to here in Cyprus, but getting them off this island, and getting them comfortable, even finding buses to bring them to hotels. I know there's already a shortage of buses. They're putting calls out to bus drivers on the island, trying to get as many buses here as possible.
They're simply are sort of gearing for the worst and trying to anticipate several thousand people showing up here in the middle of the night, Wolf.
BLITZER: Is it too early to make any assessments on the U.S. government's evacuation plan right now? You're in a unique situation, Anderson, as all of our viewers will remember. You were at Katrina in New Orleans, when that evacuation process was going forward. There's been lots of criticism of that, as all of us know. Now here in Washington there's criticism emerging of the U.S. government being slow in responding to this crisis. This is day eight of this war. Can you give us a little perspective from what you've seen?
COOPER: You know, I don't think I'm really in a position to do that. I think to a lot of people here it smacks of politics hearing the debate going on in the United States among Democrats and Republicans invoking the name of Katrina. That seems very far away. I think it caught a lot of people here by surprise. There's certainly a lot of criticism. We've been hearing it no doubt. It's been on CNN all day and other networks, criticism people on the ground, frustrated, angry Americans who have had to wait in line, who have been told one thing, who've been put on hold. There's no doubt about it.
What the military will tell you, when the Marine Corps Brigadier General Jensen said to me toady is look, this is a massive logistical operation. Is it going fast enough, his answer, when I asked him that question, it can never go fast enough when Americans are in danger and when Americans are in harm's way. That's the best they can do at this point. What Americans on the ground in Beirut are pointing out is, look, European nations, French nations have gotten their personnel out in greater numbers than the Americans thus far. All of that is true. A French frigate is arriving right now here in the port. It's very hard, though, to make comparisons, at least from my perspective on the ground.
BLITZER: Anderson Cooper, thanks very much. We're going to be checking back with you.
A note to our viewers. Anderson Cooper is going to have two hours of live television tonight. He's been reporting all this week, last week as well from the Middle East. "ANDERSON COOPER 360" airs tonight 10:00 p.m. Eastern, two hours on the Middle East crisis with Anderson.
Evacuees from Lebanon are leaving behind a country that, according to its prime minister, has been, quote, torn to shreds. Israeli forces hit new Hezbollah targets inside Lebanon today. Let's bring in CNN's Ben Wedeman. He's on the scene for us in Beirut with more on what has happened today. Ben.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf. This was probably the bloodiest day so far in Israel's eight-day incursion or, rather, offensive against Lebanon. According to the Lebanese prime minister, Fouad Siniora, the death toll now is about 300 from this offensive, although medical sources in Beirut tell us their numbers are around 216. Now, there was intense military activity in southern Lebanon. Several very major incidents down there.
In Beirut itself, this afternoon, a car spare parts warehouse near the airport was hit, and we were there. In fact, this afternoon and that was still burning intensely. Now, this evening at about sundown, there were several large explosions. That was when the southern suburb of Beirut, which is of course a Hezbollah strong hold, was hit. I went there immediately afterwards. It was fascinating. The entire area was completely dark. All cars were told to turn off their lights. We tried to go there to take pictures of the damaged buildings but we were told in no uncertain terms by Hezbollah gunmen that we should leave the area immediately. But it looked like there was some fairly extensive damage there. Wolf.
BLITZER: Ben Wedeman, we're going to be coming back to you throughout this program as well. Thank you very much for that.
In the meantime, up to New York. Jack Cafferty is watching all of this from his vantage point there. Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, if America wants to ignite World War III, we welcome it. That was the Iranian Hezbollah spokesman, claiming they're ready to attack Israeli and U.S. interests around the world. He says the group has 2,000 volunteers, who registered since last year and they're only awaiting the supreme leader's green light to act. That would be the Ayatollah Khomeini.
The FBI says there's no specific intelligence pointing to an attack on U.S. soil by Hezbollah but officials are looking for possible Hezbollah agents here. So far the group has focused on fund- raising activities here in the United States but there are concerns that Hezbollah could turn to attacks in America out of solidarity with Iran, one of its sponsors. Hezbollah has attacked American targets before but not inside the country.
They blew up the marine barracks in Beirut in 1983, killed 240 of our soldiers. They blew up the U.S. embassy annex in Beirut in 1984 and they hijacked a TWA flight in 1985. So here's the question, how concerned are you that Hezbollah might attack in the United States? E-mail your thoughts to CaffertyFile@CNN.com or go to CNN.com/CaffertyFile, Wolf.
BLITZER: I know there's deep concern in official government circles here in Washington. We're going to have more on this story coming up as well. Jack, thank you very much for that
Coming up, the Bush administration says no to an immediate cease- fire between Israel and Hezbollah. We're going to go live to the White House for new developments on the diplomatic front.
Plus, I'll speak with one of the major players in this crisis, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations. He'll join us live in a few minutes.
And later, George W. Bush does what he's never done before as president, he vetoes a bill. It's the latest chapter in the political fight over stem cell research. Stay with us, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Another very violent day on both sides of the Israeli- Lebanese border. Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants clashed on the ground in Lebanon. Two Israeli soldiers were killed. Lebanon's official death toll right now stands at 216, but the Lebanese prime minister says more than 300 are dead. Israel says more than 29 of its people have been killed. Hundreds have been wounded on both sides. This is day eight of the war.
The Middle East crisis is prompting new moves today by officials here in the United States as well. The House is nearing completing a debate pretty soon on a resolution that would strongly support Israel. It's expected to be approved tomorrow. The Senate passed a similar measure yesterday which also holds Syria and Iran responsible for attacks against Israel by Hezbollah and Hamas militants. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meanwhile is preparing for her just-announced meeting at the United Nations. She heads to New York tomorrow. Let's get some more on what's going on in Washington on this front. We'll go to our White House correspondent Elaine Quijano.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And Wolf Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be having dinner tomorrow with the U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, as well as the EU's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana. Then on Friday she's going to be briefed by a U.N. team just back from the Middle East. All of this is coming in advance of an expected trip by Secretary Rice, herself, to the region, though it's not clear exactly when that trip might happen. A senior official says that it would not happen before next week. U.S. officials say that more time is needed to create conditions on the ground that ensure a more permanent change in the situation there, not just a cease-fire.
Meantime, here at the White House, officials continue to put the blame on Hezbollah and its backers, Iran and Syria. Today White House Press Secretary Tony Snow was asked why President Bush himself doesn't just pick up the phone and call Syria's president Al-Asad to bring an end to the fighting. Tony Snow said that other administrations have tried to talking to Syria in the past, without producing any results, and said, bluntly, quote, the track record stinks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: There's absolutely no reason to assume, based on the track record, that negotiations and conversations with the Syrians would yield any fruit. And as a consequence, rather than doing that, I think it is incumbent on the United States to use whatever moral force and moral power it has and also let allies do the talking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: And in fact, President Bush has been talking to allies in the region. Last night the president called Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah about the crisis, both leaders expressing concern about civilians caught up in the fighting and they agree that all efforts should be made to help the Lebanese people, Wolf.
BLITZER: The president though, for the time being, remaining in Washington, monitoring the situation from the White House?
QUIJANO: Absolutely, and for now Secretary Rice certainly waiting to see what in fact this U.N. team has discovered and what might be the possible options. The White House being very careful at this point, obviously, in how it weighs in on this.
BLITZER: Elaine, thank you very much for that.
Coming up, is the Bush administration's strategy in the Middle East crisis working? I'll ask two experts, Torie Clarke and Joe Lockhart, former government officials both. They're standing by for our strategy session. But up next, President Bush strikes down a bill to increase stem cell research. We'll get the story behind Mr. Bush's first veto as president. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to THE SITUATION ROOM. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. We're keeping a very close watch on the evacuation of Americans and other foreigners from Lebanon. A ship load of evacuees is due in Cyprus in a few hours. We're going to bring you that right here in THE SITUATION ROOM. We're also standing by to speak live with Israel's ambassador to the United Nations. That's coming up momentarily.
Right now, an unprecedented moment for President Bush. His first veto in more than five years he's been in the White House. Mr. Bush rejected an embryonic stem cell research bill passed by Congress, saying it crosses a moral boundary. Let's bring in our congressional correspondent Dana Bash. Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Wolf, it's a controversial issue. Right now Republicans are working here at warp speed, trying to put it behind them. The House in just a little bit more than an hour will actually vote on whether to override that veto. That is all but certain to fail. The bill would have lifted restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. And Democrats say in rejecting that, the president defied the will of the people and they say Republicans will pay a political price.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BASH (voice-over): His first veto was behind closed doors. No photographs and later, no apologies.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If this bill would have become law, American taxpayers would, for the first time in our history, be compelled to fund the deliberate destruction of human embryos. And I'm not going to allow it.
BASH: Some self described pro-life Republicans disagree with the president, saying embryonic stem cell research holds promise to save lives. Conservatives here applauded Mr. Bush for sticking with conviction.
BUSH: It crosses a moral boundary that our decent society needs to respect. So I vetoed it.
BASH: Democrats see this as an election year miscalculation they can leverage in close congressional races.
REP. DIANA DEGETTE (D), COLORADO: His first veto will be a veto that will dash the hopes of tens of millions of Americans who suffer from Diabetes and Parkinson's.
BASH: The stem cell debate is a major campaign issue in places like Missouri, where endangered Republican Senator Jim Talent was already being pounded by his challenger as out of the mainstream. He said he voted against the measure as a matter of principle. Concerned Republicans, led by Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, who faces perhaps the stiffest election challenge, had hoped to find political cover by sending the president a measure promoting alternatives to embryonic stem cell research.
SEN. RICK SANTORUM (R), PENNSYLVANIA: We can be pro-science and do so in an ethical fashion.
BASH: But after it passed the Senate, it failed in the House. Republican leaders there decided to drop it rather than risk another bruising debate.
(on camera): Now, Democrats today are citing poll numbers and data that they say proves this issue can propel some of their candidates to victory. But Republicans point to all the time and energy John Kerry spent on this running for president in 2004. And they say that is proof that there is no evidence this issue is a make or break one when it comes to the campaign trail. Wolf.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Dana Bash on Capitol Hill. Thank, you Dana, for that.
We're standing by to speak live with Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Dan Gillerman. We'll go to the United Nations in a moment, but quickly I want to check some other important stories making headlines right now. CNN's Fredricka Whitfield standing by from the CNN center, hi Fred.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello to you Wolf. Another deadly wave of assaults in Iraq. At least 19 people were killed in attacks in Baghdad and Kirkuk today, among them four members of the same family. Mean while, more than 20 members of the group that cares for Sunni religious sites have been kidnapped. The latest victims join the 14,000 civilians that U.N. officials say have been killed in Iraq since the beginning of the year.
More earth quakes in Indonesia shaking up residents in the capital of Jakarta and sending villagers in coastal towns running for higher ground. No reports of any damage or casualties from Wednesday's 6.2 magnitude quake. Officials are still searching, however, for victims from the Monday's 7.7 magnitude earthquake and the ten foot tall tsunami it triggered. More than 500 people were killed. Some 270 people are still missing.
Same song, second verse for hurricane-weary residents along the U.S. coast. This time people in North Carolina are preparing for bad weather. Tropical storm Beryl formed late yesterday afternoon. Top sustained winds are now about 40 miles per hour. Beryl is the second storm of this year's hurricane season. Tropical storm Alberto came ashore in the Florida pan handle in June. And Wolf, we're still a few weeks away from what would be considered the peak of hurricane season.
BLITZER: All right Fred, thank you very much. Fredricka Whitfield reporting. Let's get back to the story we've been following from every angle here in THE SITUATION ROOM, the crisis in the Middle East and now the exodus of U.S. citizens from Lebanon. Right now a cruise ship packed with about a 1,000 Americans is steaming towards Cyprus. Another 3,000 U.S. citizens are expected to be evacuated from Beirut by sea and air tomorrow. On the battlefield, Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters still are on the attack.
And, in the northern Israeli city of Nazareth, police say an Hezbollah rocket attack killed two children, 3 and 9 years old. And some rare ground fighting in this conflict as well today -- Israeli troops moved into southern Lebanon today to try to destroy what they called Hezbollah outposts. Two Israeli soldiers were killed, bringing Israel's death toll up to 29.
Lebanon's prime minister says, more than 300 Lebanese have been killed in a week of fighting.
Joining us now is Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Dan Gillerman.
Mr. Ambassador, thank you very much.
What's your government's assessment? What's your assessment right now? How much longer will the fighting go on?
DAN GILLERMAN, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO UNITED NATIONS: Well, the -- unfortunately, the fighting will go on for as long as necessary for us to finish the job.
We cannot allow ourselves to return to a point where the Hezbollah, with its lethal arsenal of weapons, will be able, at whim, to exercise terror, both towards us and towards Lebanon, and destabilize the whole region. So, we have to finish the job. We have to see Hezbollah totally disarmed. We have to see the government of Lebanon exert its authority and sovereignty over the whole of Lebanon, and deploy its forces in the south, before we can stop this operation.
BLITZER: Yesterday, we heard from the former Israeli prime minister, Ehud Barak, who suggested, it could last another week, perhaps two. Is that a rough assessment that you share?
GILLERMAN: Well, who am I to argue with Ehud Barak? But I -- I don't think it would be very wise to put a time frame on to it.
But this is certainly not a matter of hours, unfortunately, not even a matter of days. I mean, anybody who witnesses the enormous magnitude of the arsenal of weapons that has been accumulated by the Hezbollah, with weapons continuing to be shipped to them -- and, only yesterday, did we shop additional shipments from Syria -- with the -- with Iran funding the Hezbollah, to the sum of $100 million, the Hezbollah, at the end of the day, is the bloody finger on the long arms and twisted minds of both Iran and Syria.
We cannot allow this cesspool to fester on our border and to cause so much damage, both to us and to Lebanon.
And, you know, once you start operating on ex -- excising a cancerous growth, you don't stop in the middle, and sew the patient up, and say, OK, live with the other half until it kills you.
We have to make sure that Hezbollah is totally excised, before we can discuss any kind of solution.
BLITZER: Well, if that's the goal of the Israeli military, that sounds, at least to this outside observer, it's going to take a lot longer than a week or two.
GILLERMAN: Well, it may. And this outside observer is a great expert on the Middle East. And I would never argue with you, Wolf.
But it could, I think, last longer. Everybody realizes that the Hezbollah has prepared, over the last five years, over 13,000 rockets. It is all over Lebanon. It is totally impossible to distinguish between Hezbollah and the -- and Lebanon.
As the Lebanese ambassador said only yesterday, Hezbollah is everywhere. It is part of Lebanese society. That's what makes it so difficult. That's what makes it so really horrible to deal with. But that's also what makes it so necessary to deal with.
BLITZER: The secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, is going to be at the United Nations, meeting with Kofi Annan, tomorrow night in New York.
What do you want her to do, because she's planning on going to the region?
GILLERMAN: Well, I -- I would -- it would be presumptuous of me to tell the secretary of state what to do. I totally respect her judgment. And I'm sure that she will do what she thinks is best first for the United States.
But I am sure she also has the interests of Israel at heart. But I think the secretary realizes, like most of the world -- and I can tell you that, even at the United Nations, which hasn't always been the most hospitable and sympathetic body to Israel, I can feel a lot -- a lot of understanding -- if not sympathy, then at least understanding -- for what we're doing. And maybe that is because the rest of the world understands that we're doing its work for it.
We're fighting terror. We're fighting a lethal, ruthless organization, which, today, fired rockets at Nazareth, and killed two 3- and 9-year-old children. We thought they only wanted to kill Israelis and Jews. It seems they don't care who they kill. They -- they target Muslims. They target Christians.
This horrible, torturous body has to be excised from the heart of Lebanon and from the body of our region. And I hope that the secretary -- secretary of state shares that view, and will do exactly what is necessary to see that Resolution 1559 is implemented, that the Hezbollah is disarmed, and that Lebanon finally becomes a free and prosperous country, living in peace, side by side with Israel.
BLITZER: We're almost out of time, Mr. Ambassador. But, in the process of trying to achieve your military objectives, Lebanon's prime minister, Fuad Siniora, said you're destroying his country; you're destroying the infrastructure. More than 300 Lebanese civilians have been killed. That -- that's what he said earlier today.
And -- and -- and the argument is that Israel's response to the kidnapping and killing of its soldiers has been disproportionate. What do you say to your critics?
GILLERMAN: I -- I agree with some of our critics, who may claim that our response has been disproportionate, only for the simple reason that, had they been attacked the way we were, their response would have been far harsher. And I know which countries I'm talking about.
As to the prime minister of Lebanon, I think he has only himself to blame. He has been asked, demanded, beseeched by the international community, by the Security Council, by the Quartet, to see to it that the Hezbollah is disarmed, that Resolution 1559, that calls for exactly that, is implemented.
He has allowed his country to be taken hostage, to be raped by tyrants in the north and by terrorists in the south. And the fact that Lebanon today is suffering is not something we wanted. We have great respect for Lebanon. We have no quarrel or fight with Lebanon.
But, when you have a country infiltrated, raped, and held hostage to such an extent by a proxy of Iran and Syria, that is the price that, unfortunately, also the Lebanese people are paying.
We're trying to minimize hurting civilians. But, when Hezbollah uses civilians as human shields, sometimes, civilians will get hurt.
BLITZER: Ambassador Dan Gillerman, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, thanks very much for joining us.
GILLERMAN: Thanks. Thank you very much, Wolf.
BLITZER: And coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM in the next hour: Is the White House in a diplomatic bind when it comes to the new crisis in the Middle East? Actually, that's coming up next. Two experts, Torie Clarke and Joe Lockhart, they're standing by for today's "Strategy Session."
And we will also hear from a Lebanese politician with a very different perspective on what we just heard from the Israeli ambassador.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back.
In our "Strategy Session" today: the meltdown in the Middle East and the diplomatic challenges for the Bush administration.
Joining us now: former Clinton White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart and CNN political analyst, former Pentagon spokeswoman Torie Clarke.
Torie, how does the administration try to get -- become an honest broker in easing this crisis, when the U.S., the Bush administration, has been so strongly supporting one side, namely, the Israelis?
TORIE CLARKE, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, very carefully.
And it's very hard, obviously. But I think what we happen -- what we might be seeing publicly is not necessarily reflective of all that's going on. And there -- there are clearly are some very, very serious efforts behind the scenes to make this not just about the United States and Israel and what's going on in Lebanon, but what is going on in the Middle East more broadly.
And one of the efforts they have been working on, which I don't think has gotten the attention it deserves, is things like the Arab League denouncing Hezbollah. That's extraordinary -- you know this better than anybody -- absolutely extraordinary for the Arab League to come out and denounce Hezbollah, at a time of any conflict with Israel.
So, there are some signs there that the -- the efforts to make it very much a multinational effort are succeeding.
BLITZER: Yesterday, your former top diplomat during the Clinton administration, Madeleine Albright, was here in THE SITUATION ROOM. And I asked if she had any complaints or criticism of the way the president is handling this crisis. And she said, basically, no.
JOE LOCKHART, FORMER PRESS SECRETARY FOR FORMER PRESIDENT WILLIAM J. CLINTON: Well, I think I would agree with Torie on the first part, which is, it is very complicated, and, on the second part, which is, you don't always see that's -- everything that is going on.
I do think that, if this drags out a while longer, we will see a -- a situation where we have diminished influence there. The Bush administration, I think, took a -- in the -- on their part, a principled policy position that said that stepping away, and not playing the active, on-the-ground, honest-broker role was in our interests.
I think a lot of us disagreed with that decision. And I think, if this thing stretches out, that diminished influence, I think, will become very important, and a real problem.
CLARKE: I think -- I think it's entirely possible.
I think what is -- if it gives us any hope, is that, right now, at least in this country, what we're seeing is, people are actually thinking before they're talking. And politicians are -- are restraining themselves from their usual inclination to get out in front of the cameras and speak, no matter what. And it's a very, very good sign. And I hope we can keep that up for some time.
BLITZER: As you well know, because you were the White House press secretary, the former President Bill Clinton spent an enormous amount of time dealing with the Israeli-Arab problem, at Camp David, at the Wye River Plantation, and all of that. A lot of us who covered that administration remember it very vividly.
Some of the Democrats, though, like Joe Biden, are criticizing this president sort of for neglecting the Israeli-Arab problem during the first five years of his term.
LOCKHART: I certainly think he's taken a different approach and a more hands-off approach. And -- and I agree, there's been a lot of responsible things.
But I want to point out one that I think was irresponsible. And I think that it's from Secretary of State Rice. She, in -- in an effort to defend the policy, made the point that, somehow, the on-the- ground, honest-broker work done from Jimmy Carter on, on a bipartisan basis, was a failure, and helped al Qaeda rise in that area.
And I -- I think that's disingenuous, at best, and a little bit irresponsible.
It's hard work, though. You know, I spent hundreds of hours at Camp David with both sides, with Palestinians, Israelis, Syrians, in Shepherdstown and Geneva. It's very, very hard work. It's maddening work, but it's important work.
And I think, at this point in time, we would be better off if we had a little more direct influence. But I -- you know, I think, as Torie said, even with that, there's no prepackaged solution to this.
BLITZER: Would it make sense, even at this late stage, for the U.S., at a very high level, to start talking to the Syrians, who clearly are controlling some of the developments in Lebanon?
CLARKE: Possibly.
But I think what really matters is that that kind of decision, how -- how public is the role of the United States? How forward- leaning are they in being the ones in charge of these negotiations?
And I just put myself in the shoes of the people in that part of the world, thinking, OK, we have got to be in charge of this. If it's going to be a long-term solution, we have got to be the ones who arrive at it, programs with the help and the engagement of the United States.
But any decisions on that have got to be made in consultation with our friends and allies in the region.
BLITZER: We have got to leave it right there.
Good discussion, Torie.
CLARKE: Thanks, Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks very much.
Joe Lockhart...
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: ... we're going to have you back, talk about your new Web site, HotSoup.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: That's a -- a separate subject, not necessarily right now, because I know you're only launching it in October.
LOCKHART: Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: But we will have you back to talk about that.
Coming up: U.S. law enforcement agencies are now being warned to keep an eye on people in this country with ties to Hezbollah.
Our justice correspondent, Kelli Arena, is standing by with new developments on that front -- a "Security Watch" story.
Up next, though: He was the boy wonder of the religious right. But now Ralph Reed is out. We're going to tell you what happened.
Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We will get back to the Middle East in a moment.
But there's a developing story we're following in Atlanta.
David Mattingly is on the scene for us. What's going on? I take it, it involves allegations of terrorism.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf, coming from the U.S. attorney's office here in Atlanta.
This involves Syed Ahmed and Ehsanul Islam Sadequee, two U.S. citizens, both of them with ties to Atlanta, both of them arrested, and now accused of providing, or attempting to provide, material support to terrorist organizations.
This 13-page document was handed to us just a few minutes ago -- a very interesting read, in some cases. It indicates that the two men tried to conduct rudimentary paramilitary training in northwest Georgia, this involving paintball guns.
And, then, they traveled to Canada in February of 2005 to meet with other terrorism suspects, where they discussed the possibility of some targets in the U.S., including military bases, oil storage facilities, and refineries. They also explored the idea -- this is very interesting -- of how they might disrupt the worldwide global positioning system, those GPS devices that everybody uses today, including the military. They also discussed for plans of that group to go to Pakistan to obtain paramilitary training.
When they came back home, the two also, allegedly, had plans -- discussed plans for violent jihad in the United States, including, Wolf, the possibility of attacking Dobbins Air Reserve Base. That is here in Marietta, Georgia, just north of Atlanta -- back to you.
BLITZER: All right, David, we will continue to watch this story with you.
And stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
We're going to get back to the Middle East crisis in a moment.
But, first, a primary defeat in Georgia that's sending a message to Republicans across the country -- former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed loses his bid for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor of Georgia. He was unable to overcome his ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, is following this important political story -- Bill.
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Wolf, Ralph Reed's defeat in Georgia's Republican primary Tuesday was huge political news. But what does it mean?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RALPH REED (R), GEORGIA LIEUTENANT GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Tonight, my candidacy for lieutenant governor comes to an end.
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Georgia Republican voters handed Ralph Reed, former executive director of the Christian Coalition, a crushing defeat.
MATT TOWERY, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, INSIDERADVANTAGE/INTERNET NEWS AGENCY: This was a huge blowout. Casey Cagle really blew Ralph Reed into the -- into another state. And that doesn't happen, unless you have the Republican Party making a true statement.
SCHNEIDER: What kind of statement?
REED: We're very proud of the campaign that we ran. It was a positive, hopeful campaign about the issues.
SCHNEIDER: Or was it about Reed himself? Reed's opponent accused him of being a hypocrite.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CASEY CAGLE FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR CAMPAIGN AD) ANNOUNCER: Ralph Reed sold out our values. He made millions with convicted felon Jack Abramoff, manipulating Christians for casinos.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHNEIDER: Matt Towery, who once chaired Newt Gingrich's political operation, but is now a nonpartisan political analyst, says the issue is not just the culture of corruption.
TOWERY: I don't think the public is as obsessed about that as they are about the fact of the culture of do-nothing.
SCHNEIDER: What happened to Ralph Reed's fabled grassroots army of Christian conservatives? They stayed home, according to Towery. But that's not all that happened.
TOWERY: Mainstream Republicans -- I mean Republicans who have been active for quite a period of time -- came out to -- quote -- "rescue their party." They wanted a mainstream candidate.
SCHNEIDER: Reed does not believe his defeat says much about the religious right constituency or its values.
REED: Our values will win in November, I assure you.
SCHNEIDER: Mr. Towery is not so sure.
TOWERY: Talking about a faith-based race or dealing with issues having to do with gay marriages may have worked two years ago. It's not working this year.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER: In the face of public discontent this year, President Bush and Republicans are following the strategy that's worked for them in the past: rally the base. But at least one reading of Reed's defeat is, that strategy may not work this time -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Bill Schneider reporting for us -- thank you, Bill.
This note as well -- Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney will face a runoff election in her bid to keep her seat. The Georgia Democrat failed to grab 50 percent of the vote in yesterday's primary, her first test with voters since her scuffle with a Capitol Hill police officer earlier this year. She will have to win another vote.
And, on Capitol Hill, only a few moments ago, there was new action in the House of Representatives in the culture wars. Members voted to protect the Pledge of Allegiance from federal judges who might try to overturn the phrase "under God." The vote was 260 to 167. The measure now goes to the Senate, where its future is uncertain.
Up next, we will get back to our stop story, the crisis in the Middle East. Could the warfare in the Middle East spill over to right here at home. How concerned are you that Hezbollah might attack in the United States?
Jack Cafferty will be back with your e-mail.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Let's check in with Jack with "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.
CAFFERTY: The Iranian Hezbollah spokesman says they're ready to attack Israeli and U.S. interests around the world. The FBI says there's no specific intelligence pointing to an attack on U.S. soil. But officials are looking for possible Hezbollah agents here.
The question is: How concerned are you Hezbollah might attack inside the United States?
Steve in Philadelphia writes: "I'm very concerned. We had to learn the hard way that al Qaeda had the ability to attack within our borders. Are we just going to sit back and wait until we learn what Hezbollah is able to do?"
Marty in Mount Pleasant, Michigan: "Of course Hezbollah will attack the United States in the future. We are creating a 'new' al Qaeda by allowing Israel to massacre Lebanese women and children. This is Lebanon's 9/11."
Peggy in Sedona, Arizona: "Just as terribly afraid as I was about Saddam's ability and desire to throw a nuclear bomb at us with his slingshot."
Thomas in Maryland: "I think Hezbollah is a little too preoccupied dodging bullets at the moment for me to be concerned about a possible attack on the United States. And, besides, how are they going to get into the country? Certainly not across the border."
Dan in Carmel, California: "I think, if we allow Israel to finish their attacks, Hezbollah will be history; we won't have to worry about them anymore."
Joseph in San Jose, California: "All President Bush has to do is threaten Hezbollah with a retaliatory groping, much like he did to Angela Merkel at the G8 meeting, and we will be safe."
And Brian writes: "Hey, Jack, I find today's questions too vague to reply."
OK, Brian.
BLITZER: Jack, thank you very much -- Jack Cafferty...
CAFFERTY: You're welcome, Wolf.
BLITZER: ... with "The Cafferty File."
Thank you. Still to come: the Middle East crisis online -- people in the danger zone are getting information out on the Internet right now. We will check that out.
Plus, we will have live reports from the front lines, coming up right at the top of the hour.
Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We want to give you every angle to the raging conflict in the Middle East right now.
And the Internet is providing a whole new dimension.
Our Internet reporter, Jacki Schechner, is standing by with more -- Jacki.
JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, day eight of the California in the Middle East, and we're continuing to see people put personal photos, videos, accounts online.
This latest one that we have pulled up for you here is a family in Haifa. They're in a hallway. You should be able to hear the sirens blaring there in the background. You can see, a boy is almost bored at this point -- his mother, in the bottom corner, hiding her head underneath a pillow. There's a series of videos, this just one of them. We spoke to the family, and they said that they -- they are hiding in the hallway, because they don't have a local bunker.
Others are passing the time by blogging. You can take a look Carmia (ph) here, also in Haifa. She's blogging updates at what is going on. She also took a photo tour of her local bunker, and posted that online. She said, it doesn't smell very good. There wasn't anybody there when they went there. But she doesn't think that not's the reason why people are going. She said they prefer, at this point, to just be in their homes.
In Beirut, 24-year-old Julian (ph) is traveling around, taking photographs. The latest ones that he's posted online, he says, are in a predominantly Christian neighborhood, a residential area, where he said drilling trucks were mistaken for rocket launchers, and allegedly hit by Israeli missiles -- again, Julian (ph), a 24-year-old, posting online.
Go to CNN.com/SITUATIONREPORT. We are linking to all of these for you.
Also, Wolf, we just want to make note that we can't always authenticate the videos that we show you that are posted online -- it's tough to do that -- also, that people who put personal things online are giving you a very personal point of view. Keep that in mind -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jacki, thank you very much. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
