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Lebanese Army: Convoy Hit in Western Bekaa Valley; Ehud Olmert May Urge Israeli Government to Accept Cease-Fire Deal; Al Qaeda's Dirty Work?; U.K. and U.S. Airline Travelers Share Their Experiences Following Terror Plot; Gideon Meir Interview; Condoleezza Rice Interview

Aired August 11, 2006 - 17:00   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And to our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where new pictures and information are arriving all the time.
Standing by, CNN reporters across the United States and around the world to bring you today's top stories.

Happening now, the beginning of the end of the war between Israel and Hezbollah. Right now, members of the United Nations Security Council eyeing the text of the new resolution. They're expected to vote on it in the coming hours. Israel not necessarily waiting right now. Earlier in the day, they announced plans it's launching an expanded military offensive. It could be halted, though, if the prime minister says this new U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire will work.

We're standing by, awaiting official Israeli government response.

If she has her way, a resolution will, in fact, pass. Condoleezza Rice is at the United Nations right now trying to give the chance for peace a little push. This hour, I'll interview the secretary of state live about her diplomatic efforts.

And it's 10:00 p.m. in Britain, where they're piecing together what one U.S. official -- British official, that is, says was supposed to be a second 9/11. In the foiled plot to blow up airplanes, were the alleged terrorists getting help from al Qaeda in Pakistan?

I'm Wolf Blitzer in Jerusalem. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

And the breaking news coming in right now, news agencies here in Israel and around the world beginning to report that the prime minister, Ehud Olmert, might ask his cabinet to accept, to support this new draft Security Council resolution as early as Sunday, when the cabinet convenes. I know there are meetings under way right now at the highest levels in Jerusalem, meetings designed to study this new U.N. Security Council resolution and come up with a formal response.

We're standing by for a top Israeli government official to come here to THE SITUATION ROOM and to bring that response to our viewers. We're trying to get that soon. Peace efforts and the fighting, though, both moving forward right now in a pivotal day here in the Middle East crisis. The prime minister has ordered an expanded military ground offensive in Lebanon as dozens more rockets fall on Israeli towns once again today, injuring at least 10 people.

The Security Council may be nearing passage of that resolution to end the fighting. It calls for as many as 30,000 U.N. and Lebanese troops to deploy to southern Lebanon and Israeli and Hezbollah forces to pull out.

There's no letup in the fighting, though. Not yet. Lebanese army sources tell CNN an Army convoy, joined by as many as 1,000 civilians in vehicles fleeing the fighting, has been hit by an Israeli air strike, killing at least four people.

We're going to be talking about all these late-breaking developments with the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice. She's going to be joining us live in THE SITUATION ROOM his hour.

Let's go to Michael Ware. He's in Beirut. He's in Lebanon, actually, on the phone. He's joining us with an updated report on the scene of this alleged convoy attack.

For our viewers just tuning in, Michael, tell us -- tell us what you know firsthand, what you've seen and what you've heard, based on your reporting.

MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Wolf.

I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that question. I'm on the scene as we speak. It is a scene of unbelievable carnage.

There's at least five, perhaps more, cars that have been absolutely destroyed. We're told that there's at least three, as many as four dead, up to 17 or 18 have been wounded. Seven of whom are military officers who were escorting this convoy that was trying to leave the Bekaa Valley, up a road that leads into the Cedar Mountains, back to Beirut when they were hit.

It's clear that the front of the convoy was hit first, and then other cars in panic turned to try to escape when they were hit. It is an unbelievable scene, Wolf. It is appalling.

BLITZER: And where exactly -- I assume you can tell us, where are you now? Where are all of these people who were in the convoy?

WARE: They've been evacuated. The dead and the wounded have been rushed to the hospital.

As we approached the scene here in Capria (ph), which is just west of the main Bekaa Valley center of Jab Janin (ph), we were passed only by racing ambulances. When we arrived upon the scene, there were still some rescue workers here retrieving bodies and taking people out of the destroyed vehicles. However, an Israeli drone has now appeared overhead, and you can hear it buzzing. So the military ordered an evacuation of all of those who can get out.

Yes?

Ordered an evacuation of all those here for fear of another attack. We're now running away from the scene just incase there's another strike.

The Lebanese security officials report that there was as many as eight missiles; however, that's not yet confirmed. What is confirmed is that there is a significant amount of destruction that has been done to a vehicle convoy.

After they left the battlefield of Marjayoun, they proceeded north, 1,500 vehicles full of civilians, according to Red Cross workers I spoke to at the scene. We've been tracking this convoy since its initiation this morning.

We were there as it was leaving the free fire zone. It was full of civilians, men, women, children, crammed into any vehicle that would move.

They were in a desperate state. Many of them looked wretched after weeks of besieged and bombed.

Once they passed a certain point north, these 1,500 vehicles broke up and were all bound for Beirut. This is one of the roads that leads from the Bekaa Valley, over the mountains, into Beirut. However, we're told it had been bombed some weeks ago and is impassable. It appears that the civilians in this convoy and the military who were with them may not have known that.

At any rate, there has been a strike of some kind on one of the civilian convoys exiting the field of Marjayoun, and they're a U.N. - brokered deal that provided them a safe corridor -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Michael, I'm going to let you catch your breath. I want to stay with you, and we're going to come back to you, because this is a very, very important story.

Michael Ware on the scene for us, describing what is a potentially very significant development in this war between Israel and Hezbollah, this huge convoy trying to escape some of the fighting.

Michael, stand by. We're going to be coming back to you for that.

Meanwhile, there's -- there are important developments happening at the United Nations Security Council. A new draft U.N. Security Council resolution that presumably would call for -- that calls for a cease-fire, stop the fighting, almost right away. Getting initial indications the Israeli government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert likely to accept this U.N. Security Council resolution, Olmert likely to ask the cabinet to accept it formally on Sunday. We're getting word -- we're getting word from some of our reporting -- reporters now that Israel likely to go along with this, although key aspects of it they certainly do not like.

Matthew Chance is along the border between Israel and Lebanon.

Richard Roth is at the United Nations.

Let's go off to Matthew Chance first.

Matthew, earlier, a few hours ago, the IDF, the Israel Defense Forces, received formal authorization from the prime minister to go ahead with a new military offensive in south Lebanon. Are you seeing any indications yet that a massive movement of troops ad armor and tanks has begun going into south Lebanon?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, as I reported last hour, Wolf, certainly we've been seeing some activity along the border. We have seen some battles flaring up just a short distance from where I'm talking to you right now on the Lebanese border just behind me, with tanks crossing from Israel into south Lebanon to support, perhaps, some of the 10,00 to 12,000 Israeli troops that are already on the ground there.

At one point, we were seeing very ferocious bombardments coming from Israeli guns, Israeli tanks, a lot of machine-gun fire, a lot of tracer fire, as well, with huge explosions, literally shaking the ground all around this area. But as you can hear right now, the situation seems to have calmed somewhat.

The fighting seems to have died down, literally within the past half an hour or so. And so, we're still no clearer on whether this is the expanded military operation that has been ordered now, or whether this is just a continuation of the kinds of attacks, the kinds of in- and-out raids that we've been listening all along this border area for the past several weeks.

What I will say is that it seems that what we're witnessing at the moment as this diplomatic process really takes on the final end game in New York, we are seeing a degree of brinkmanship here being played by the Israelis, I think, because they're needling the Hezbollah in south Lebanon, needling the Lebanese, as well, going in, flexing their muscle slightly just to show that they are able to do what they said they were going to do, which is conduct a robust invasion of southern Lebanon if -- if the diplomatic process does not come to their satisfaction.

And so, they're still looking at that diplomatic process, as you said. We're hearing reports that Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, is preparing to brief the cabinet to accept a possible resolution, if it is passed. But at the moment, they're still playing that military card, reminding the rest of the world that if the diplomatic process does not satisfy Israel, they have a military option which they're very prepared to use -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Matthew, thank you very much. We're going to get back to you.

I want to go right away to the United Nations. Our senior U.N. correspondent, Richard Roth, is there.

Richard, we're getting word, we're getting indications here in Jerusalem now that the government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will -- will accept this new draft U.N. Security Council resolution, that Olmert will go forward and ask the Israeli cabinet to approve it on Sunday.

We're standing by to get official reaction. A top foreign ministry official on his way over here right now. We'll be speaking live with Ambassador Gideon Meir. That's coming up.

We'll also be speaking live shortly with the U.S. secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice.

But explain to our viewers, Richard, what is going on at this very moment at the Security Council.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Everybody is poised, waiting for a vote, which will take place in less than 90 minutes, perhaps, here at the Security Council in open session. It's been a very bruising battle to get to this point.

A week ago, the U.S. and France thought they had a resolution that would be open to wide acceptance, but there was strong criticism from the Arab group and others.

The United Nations -- the United Nations secretary-general, Kofi Annan, telling Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in effect, and other countries, let's get on with it, stop the discussions, let's produce a resolution.

So, in the Security Council chamber will be some vote, and this resolution may be a resolution to stop the war, in effect. The key aspects of it worked out. They still may be tweaking some of the wording. But under the resolution, the United Nations will have a much larger force there in which to use expanded powers, not the utmost powers guaranteed under the United Nations charter, but a lot more.

U.S. ambassador to the U.N., John Bolton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BOLTON, U.S. AMB. TO U.N.: We are hoping for a unanimously adopted resolution later today. We'll keep our fingers crossed. But things are certainly moving in that direction. And I think this will be a very important step for the council to take, as evidenced by the number of ministers who are here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: The French ambassador said his country is considering leading the force. It will be a burden carried by the European troops. He was asked about how fast this resolution would take effect and the U.N. peacekeeping force to be built up there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEAN-MARC DE LA SABLIERE, FRENCH AMB. TO U.N.: I think it can be very swift, because we are not setting up a new force. You know, we are enhancing UNIFIL. And (INAUDIBLE) is already working on it.

I cannot tell you exactly which will be the time frame, but it's much more easy to enhance a force which already exists than to create a new force. So, yes, it will be -- it will be -- it will be fast.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: So, Wolf, all of the pieces are falling into place, it appears. And a vote is expected some time about 6:30 New York time. Condoleezza Rice and other foreign ministers and secretaries will be present -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And we're expecting very soon to be speaking with the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice. We'll get her assessment of what is going on. We'll get the assessment of a top Israeli foreign ministry official, as well.

Richard, thanks very much. We're going to be checking back with you.

Let's go to the Lebanese capital right now. Our Beirut bureau chief, Brent Sadler, is there.

Any reaction coming in so far from either the Lebanese government or Hezbollah to this new U.N. Security Council resolution, Brent?

BRENT SADLER, CNN BEIRUT BUREAU CHIEF: No, there's been no immediate reaction ahead of the vote that's expected to take place in the next few hours. What we do know is that there's been cautious optimism expressed within the camp of Lebanese prime minister Fouad Siniora, hoping that the Lebanese insistence of an Israeli withdrawal guaranteed by international action with a force that will be invited into Lebanon under a Chapter 6 Security Council resolution, rather than a tougher Chapter 7, makes the Lebanese officials here in the prime ministry believe, as far as they're concerned, the time is right for Hezbollah to go along with this.

But there is no guarantee of anything until the resolution is passed, Israel and Lebanese government accepts. But there is a general consensus here that what we're hearing so far coming out of New York is acceptable to the Lebanese.

Now, just to update you for a brief moment, Wolf, on that developing story in the Bekaa Valley that Michael Ware was reporting a short time ago, Lebanese security sources now telling CNN that four people have been killed and as many as 40 people injured. One of the four dead confirmed to be a Lebanese army soldier, part of that convoy that was trying to get out of the fighting area, was evacuating more than a thousand vehicles out of the danger zone that came under Israeli attack -- Wolf. BLITZER: And there's no indication -- we're not getting any word yet on if there were any Hezbollah military personnel or equipment anywhere near this convoy. Is that the sense you're getting?

SADLER: Well, it started out, this convoy -- and we have pictures of it fed out earlier today -- as a convoy that was being moved out of Marjayoun, which is where Israeli and Hezbollah forces have been engaged in fierce combat over the past few days. It was a brokered movement between the IDF, the Israeli Defense Forces, and the United Nations peacekeepers in the south.

So, initially, when it left Marjayoun, it did have cover under the U.N. flag. But part of the way out, several kilometers outside of the Marjayoun district, the convoy split.

The United Nations peacekeepers left the Lebanese army to head to Zakle (ph), which is a town in the Bekaa Valley. However, before it got there, the vehicle convoy had been added to by several hundred vehicles.

Michael Ware saying 1,500 vehicles, according to Red Cross officials on the ground. And there is a possibility, of course, that Israel could have expected or acted on intelligence that perhaps Hezbollah fighters, operatives or others were being smuggled out of the danger zone at that time.

It's too early to confirm that, Wolf. But that must be a suspicion that the Israelis may well use to justify what's going on right now in Bekaa -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you very much for that, Brent Sadler, in Beirut.

Still ahead, we're standing by to speak with the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice. She'll join us live here in THE SITUATION ROOM for the latest efforts to pass a United Nations Security Council resolution on this Middle East crisis.

And we're also following important new developments in the alleged airline terror plot. We're learning more about the investigation right now, and we're going to show you what's happening.

Plus, detecting terrorists. The airlines are learning techniques from Israel, and some of them are very, very controversial.

Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

We're standing by to speak with the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice. She's at the United Nations right now, trying to get a new U.N. Security Council resolution passed, expected to be passed in the next hour and a half or so, maybe two hours. Initial indications are that the Israeli government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will go along and accept this resolution, even though it doesn't meet all of Israel's wishes.

We're going to get specific reaction from the Israeli government as well. That's coming up soon.

Also, this other important story we're watching, the alleged terror plot involving airplanes bound for the United States. We're getting some fresh details on the death wishes, as they're being called, of those would-be terrorists.

In the foiled alleged plot to blow up the airplanes, the names of 19 of the 24 people arrested have been released. They range in age from 17 to 35 years old. All 19 of them have had their assets frozen by the Bank of England. British police say one of the 19 suspects has been released.

Meanwhile, the logjam at the airports caused by the terror plot is beginning to ease somewhat. The U.S. Homeland Security secretary says American air travelers should not worry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Currently, we do not have evidence that there was, as part of this plot, any plan to initiate activity inside the United States, or that the plotting was done in the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Might the gang of alleged terrorists be doing the dirty work of al Qaeda in Pakistan?

CNN's Mary Snow is standing by JFK airport in New York.

First, though, let's go to our justice correspondent, Kelli Arena. She's got more on this alleged Pakistani connection -- Kelli.

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, this investigation is very much in full swing. Proof of that, as you just reported, Scotland Yard released one of the men that it took into custody with no further action by police. Now, this investigation is also very active in Pakistan, where seven men remain in custody.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARENA (voice over): U.S. officials say Pakistan played a huge role in helping foil the latest terror plot, but they say the connections between operatives in the U.K. and seven individuals arrested in Pakistan are very troubling.

Bob Grenier is a former CIA station chief who was based in Pakistan.

BOB GRENIER, KROLL ASSOCIATES: Based on the evidence that we have right now, it's fairly clear that these operatives in the U.K. received some form of support from elements in Pakistan. What is not at all clear right now is the extent to which al Qaeda, as narrowly defined, was actually involved in that and whether there was actual command and control exerted from Pakistan.

ARENA: Pakistani officials have gone out of their way to try to downplay the role of alleged suspects caught in their country.

KURSHEED KASURI, PAKISTANI FOREIGN MINISTER: No, they are not Pakistanis. They're all British nationals. About those in Pakistan at the moment, I won't like say anything. Investigations are continuing.

ARENA: But the more that is learned about the plot, the more Pakistan takes center stage.

First, there's the money trail. U.S. government officials say wire transfer records show funds being sent from Karachi to members of the alleged terror group in Britain. Intelligence sources say at least one member of the group trained at an al Qaeda camp in Pakistan and at least two of the British suspects traveled to Pakistan to meet with an alleged al Qaeda explosives expert, Matiur Rahman. Terror experts say Rahman was directly implicated in an attack on U.S. consular personnel back in March.

GRENIER: He's clearly a very dangerous individual. Again, the Pakistanis are searching for him. I believe they have a price on his head. And it is speculated that he may be playing a key role in the link between Pakistani extremists and members of al Qaeda, but at this point it's really too soon to say precisely what his role is.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ARENA: Pakistan's border with Afghanistan is considered home base for many of the most dangerous Islamic extremists. Among them, Osama bin Laden -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you very much.

Kelli Arena reporting.

Coming up, we're going to be speaking with Mary Snow. She's over at JFK airport in New York monitoring fallout from what's going on. Lessons learned already. That's coming up.

Also, we're standing by to speak with the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice. She's at the United Nations working on a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that's expected to be passed in the next 90 minutes or so.

Coming up next, my interview live with the secretary of state.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

We're standing by to speak with the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice. She's at the United Nations right now trying to get this U.N. Security Council resolution passed, a resolution that might stop the fighting, might stop the fighting here in the Middle East between Israel and Hezbollah.

We're getting initial indications from the Israeli government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that they're going to go along and accept this resolution, although specific details forthcoming. There could be a cabinet vote on this new U.N. Security Council resolution as early as Sunday.

In the meantime, Israeli forces are poised to unleash a new military offensive, a ground offensive against Hezbollah in south Lebanon. They're ready to do that as well.

We'll speak to the secretary of state. That's coming up.

In the meantime, we have a former secretary of state, Lawrence Eagleburger, who is joining us to give us his assessment of this very, very hectic diplomacy.

I don't know, Mr. Secretary if you've had a chance to look at this draft U.N. Security Council resolution. If you have, what's your bottom-line assessment?

LAWRENCE EAGLEBURGER, FMR. SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, I haven't had a chance to look at it. So I suppose I could just simply say I don't know what I'm talking about, but you'd say that's always the case.

My own view of this is that...

BLITZER: I wouldn't say that, because you usually know what you're talking about.

EAGLEBURGER: OK.

But, anyway, as far as I can tell, Wolf, it's very hard for me to figure out what's going on, because one minute, the Israelis say they're going to go, you know, forward, then the next minute they say they'd accept a cease-fire. I have to assume that what's going on here is that Olmert has told the various parties that Israel will accept a Security Council resolution if, if it is put out in a sensible way. But I'm inclined to think that in the end, this is going to be a resolution that Israel will have a hard time accepting, because I don't think it will get out of the Hezbollah all of the things that Israel says they must have.

BLITZER: The Israeli public is expecting, has been expecting over this past month, effectively the destruction of Hezbollah as a military threat to northern Israel. As you know, a million Israelis have been living under a potential terror threat, these rockets coming into northern Israel.

And this resolution, it may sound like diplomatic gobbledygook, but Margaret Beckett, the foreign secretary of Britain, told us in the first hour, it's going to be an expanded U.N. peacekeeping force, together with the Lebanese army, moving into south Lebanon, will be under Chapter 6 of the -- of the United Nations charter, as opposed to Chapter 7.

It sounds like diplomatic gobbledygook, but there's a huge difference, isn't there?

EAGLEBURGER: Yes, there's a huge difference. And what's worse, as far as I can tell, is that I can't make out myself exactly what it is they think they're going to get out of this cease-fire.

To me, the fact is that the Israelis have looked at this thing in two different directions. One, they were attacking from the air. They then decided that wasn't going to work, so they've now gone back to the ground.

And all in all, I think what the conclusion they've come to is, that there is too much in the way of Hezbollah, that Hezbollah has too much on the ground for them, easily to be able to knock them around, and that under those situations, that conclusion is going to be driven -- they have to stop and get this cease-fire and take a look then at what they do after this.

But I think what we're seeing is that the Israelis have decided they can't manage what they first said they were going to do. Namely get rid of Hezbollah and they can't do it because the forces are not strong enough. And Hezbollah has had too much time to put things on the ground in a way that's hard to get at.

BLITZER: But you understand, perhaps better than most people, and I know you do, because you've worked on U.S. Israeli relations for so long. Given the nature of this relationship between Washington and Jerusalem, how difficult would it be, if not impossible, for any Israeli government, especially this government of Prime Minister Olmert to tell President Bush and Secretary of State Rice, "Thanks, but no thanks, we reject your resolution."

EAGLEBURGER: Very tough, not impossible. What this really means, again, is how much is Israel prepared to take the criticism of the outside world. And they've had to take a lot now, because of the civilian casualties in Lebanon. I am inclined to think that in this particular case, they have decided they are going to go along with this resolution. What's even more interesting, I have to tell you, Wolf, I'm not sure that the Israelis haven't whispered to Secretary Rice that they want it. They may well want it because they can't figure any other way out of this thing right now.

BLITZER: Because even if they were to go in with this massive new force, several more divisions of ground troops, backed by heavy armor and tanks, moving all the way up the Litani River, 20, 30 kilometers north of Israel, maybe even further in. A lot of military analysts here in Israel, as well as elsewhere, think even that might not get the job done. So in other words, what you're suggesting is, that give, in effect, peace a chance. Give diplomacy a chance to see if they can effectively disarm this Hezbollah threat. Is that what you're saying?

EAGLEBURGER: Up to a point. I guess what I'm also saying is, they've decided they can't accomplish it on their own. So they've now got to look to this diplomacy, which the word diplomacy drives me crazy because it always means you're not going to use force, whether it means much more than that, I don't know.

But in this particular case, Wolf, you remember 10 years ago or however long ago it was when the Israelis went all the way to Beirut and they found that they couldn't get out, but they couldn't occupy. Everything was too tough. They don't have a large enough army for one thing.

They can't occupy territory for very long. I think they may be facing the same dilemma now. They've tried both air and ground attacks. They may have decided at this stage that they have no alternative but to accept a cease-fire, see what they can get if anything out of a negotiated agreement here of some sort, and try to act as if they think they have won something. But frankly, I don't think they have won very much.

BLITZER: Hard to believe, Mr. Secretary, it was not 10 years ago, it was 24 years ago, 1982 when the Israelis marched all of the way up to Beirut and a lot of us remember that campaign very, very well. I was in Beirut when the Israelis went in.

EAGLEBURGER: I know you were.

BLITZER: Larry Eagleburger, the former secretary of state, thanks very much for joining us. Always good to have you in THE SITUATION ROOM.

EAGLEBURGER: Thank you, Wolf. It's too bad you reminded me of how old I am, though.

BLITZER: Larry Eagleburger, the former secretary of state. From the former secretary of state to the current secretary of state, coming up, I'll speak live with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, she's at the United Nations trying to work out a deal that will end this war here in the Middle East. Much more coming up. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. We're standing by to speak with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, she's at the United Nations Security Council, where a new U.S. sponsored resolution expected to be passed very soon, that potentially could end the war here in the Middle East at least for the time being.

The Israeli government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expected to reluctantly go ahead and accept this resolution, we'll continue to watch this story, getting Israeli reaction as well. That's coming up. But there's another story we're following right now just coming into THE SITUATION ROOM. Our internet reporter, Jackie Schechner is following word of a new earthquake. What are you picking up Jacki?

JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, we're just getting in word from the United States Geological Survey that there has been an earthquake of a magnitude of 6.0 off the coast of Indonesia. It early Saturday morning local time and it's 226 miles off of Banda Ache. It was a depth of 6.2 miles. Again, this is an earthquake of a magnitude of 6.0, it happened early Saturday morning local time off the coast of Indonesia.

It's coming to us from the U.S. Geological Survey. You can go online to their Web site to get a little bit more information. This depth was a magnitude of 6.0 magnitude of the earthquake. The depth was 6.2 miles, about 10 kilometers, 226 miles away from Banda Ache. We're going to get more information and bring it to you as soon as we have it. This information coming to us from the United States Geological Survey. Wolf?

BLITZER: Jacki Schechner, thank you very much. Jacki Schechner reporting. We're going to continue to watch that story as well. The Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice coming to our microphones, we'll be speaking with her very, very shortly. The Secretary of State at the United Nations, working on a new U.N. Security Council resolution.

A resolution that potentially could end this war here in the Middle East. A resolution that calls for an end of hostilities, resolution that also would bring into south Lebanon, not only the regular Lebanese army, some 15,000 troops, potentially could be deployed there. But also up to 15,000 additional United Nations troops, an expanded version of UNIFIL, the U.N. interim force in Lebanon.

Let's get official Israeli reaction to this new draft resolution. Joining us now, Ambassador Gideon Meir, he's a senior official of the Foreign Ministry. I know you've been studying this together with your colleagues at the highest levels here in Jerusalem, this new U.N. Security Council resolution. Will the government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert accept this resolution?

AMB. GIDEON MEIR, SR. ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIAL: What I can say Wolf is that the prime minister will bring it on Sunday to the government meeting and if the resolution is as it's being proposed right now, he'll recommend to the government to endorse it or to take it.

BLITZER: He will recommend that the Israeli cabinet accept this on Sunday. Let's talk about practical implications though, what does it mean in the meantime, as far as fighting in Lebanon is concerned. What happens, what orders, assuming in the next hour, hour and a half this resolution is passed by the U.N. Security Council, what happens, what order does he give Israeli troops in Lebanon?

MEIR: I don't want to go into the resolution because the resolution of the Security Council was not adopted yet. So right now, the orders to the Israel Defense Forces is to continue to defend the people of Israel. Because the rocketing and the shelling of missiles of Katyusha rockets into the Israeli cities is continuing and our one million people are in shelters. So we have to wait until after the resolution and then, as I said before, the prime minister will bring it Sunday to the government.

BLITZER: Earlier, the Israeli position was, as you know, that any expanded U.N. military force in south Lebanon would have to get the mandate, the authority to operate under what's called chapter seven of the United Nations charter so that they could effectively take the offensive.

Hezbollah troops, for example, are coming in with rockets. They could go and disarm them. These troops, French troops and others going in, will operate under what's called chapter 6. Margaret Beckett the foreign secretary of the United Kingdom told us that this past hour. Is that acceptable to Israel?

MEIR: I will not go into the details of the resolutions and the proposals and the draft. We have to wait until the Security Council will decide and then I don't want to preempt the meeting of the Israeli government on Sunday. I think it will not be proper from my point of view to preempt it.

BLITZER: What about some of the other issues that have come forward. What is your understanding on the return of those two Israeli soldiers? Because the resolution itself calls for the unconditional return of those soldiers, what is your understanding how that will be implemented?

MEIR: Again, let's wait until the Security Council will adopt the resolution and maybe afterwards we'll be able to relate it. And I want to say, we don't want to go into the details of this resolution, A, before it's adopted by the Security Council and before the prime minister brings it to the government. Because we have a government in Israel and we as officials of the Israeli government don't want to relate to it before the government is going to discuss it.

BLITZER: Why is he waiting until Sunday to convene the cabinet? As you know, this is the Sabbath here in Israel. But when it comes to matters of life and death, the rabbis say the prime minister can convene an emergency meeting of his cabinet.

MEIR: Yeah, but the rabbis always say that you have to protect your people and to protect the life of your people is part of our bible that you have to protect the people. And this is what we are doing right now. We are protecting our people. The government is meeting any how Sunday morning and therefore it will be dealt by the government on Sunday.

BLITZER: Why did the prime minister earlier in the day, authorize the IDF, the Israel Defense Forces, to go ahead with this new, more robust aggressive Israeli military campaign in south Lebanon?

MEIR: 48 hours ago, Wednesday, the Israeli cabinet decided to expand its military operations, and in the same time, the prime minister and the defense minister were authorized by the cabinet to make the decision, what the timing will be of the extension. We wanted to give diplomacy a chance. We wanted to make sure that diplomacy will prevail. Why? Because once you go to such an operation, it costs a life. The life of Israelis, the life of Lebanese, and it's a very high price and high cost for both societies. Therefore, we wanted to have diplomacy to prevail. But unfortunately, since diplomacy did not prevail, since it didn't meet, even the minimum demands of the government of Israel, A, to implement, the resolution 1559. To make sure that the Hezbollah will not be armed and to bring back the two Israeli kidnapped soldiers, we couldn't accept it.

BLITZER: So that's why you gave that order earlier. All right, Gideon Meir, the ambassador and foreign ministry official, giving us the official position of the Israeli government. Thank you very much.

Let's get the official position of the United States government. And for that, we're speaking with the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice. She's joining us from New York.

Madam Secretary, thanks very much. We just heard the Israeli government spokesman, Ambassador Gideon Meir, saying that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will recommend to his cabinet on Sunday when they convene that Israel accept this U.N. Security Council resolution. Are you getting any official or unofficial word yet from the government of Lebanon?

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: We have heard from the government of Lebanon that they also believe that this is a resolution that can serve their interests. In fact, the interests of both the Israelis and the Lebanese now is to end the large-scale violence and to begin to lay a foundation for peace.

And I believe that you'll see both governments accept this. They have to go through a cabinet meeting as well. The Israelis have said they have to have a cabinet meeting. So do the Lebanese, but I would expect that we're going to have acceptance of this resolution by both governments, once it's voted in the U.N., which should happen tonight.

BLITZER: Well, what about Hezbollah? Is there any indication that this group that you characterize as a terror group will go ahead and play ball, will cooperate?

RICE: Well, let's remember that the parties to this cessation of hostilities will be Lebanese government and government of Israel. Hezbollah, of course, has ministers in the Lebanese cabinet, and we've been working with the government of Lebanon, and assuming that the government of Lebanon is making sure that all parties represented in its government will abide by the cease-fire.

But let's remember that we have a democratically-elected government of Lebanon whose territory is at issue here, and the democratically-elected government of Israel whose territory is at issue here. And when they accept this, we expect that there's going to be adherence to the cessation.

BLITZER: Will this new U.N. presence -- an expanded version of UNIFIL, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, presumably a lot of French troops, other European troops come in -- will they have the authority to go out and aggressively disarm Hezbollah, take away their rockets, and prevent Hezbollah from getting new rockets coming in from Syria?

RICE: Well, Wolf, it has not ever been the expectation that the disarmament of Hezbollah is going to be undertaken by a foreign force. The obligation to disarm Hezbollah under Taif and under Resolution 1559 is an obligation of the Lebanese government. They will receive whatever assistance they need.

But let's remember that this force has, first and foremost, an obligation not to allow a return to the status quo ante, which means that armed groups, arms cannot operate again in the south of Lebanon. It means that the border area between Lebanon and Israel has to be secure.

And, in fact, at the request of government of Lebanon, there will also be a need to make sure that arms cannot enter the country illegally, because one of the problems that has been there is that you've had arms entering illegally that are not going to the armed forces of Lebanon, but to unauthorized armed groups.

So this force has a big mandate, it has a robust mandate, it has a mandate that will allow it to defend itself and to defend that mandate, but it's never been the expectation that this force is going to disarm Hezbollah. That will have to be done by the Lebanese.

BLITZER: I can tell you, though, Madam Secretary -- and I know this because you've had plenty of conversations with Ehud Olmert, the prime minister of Israel, and Tzipi Livni, the foreign minister of Israel. It was, as you well know, their expectation that this U.N. force would operate under what's called Chapter 7 of the United Nations Charter which would give them the opportunity to disarm Hezbollah.

Instead, this force will operate under Chapter 6, which is not exactly what the Israelis were hoping for.

RICE: I think, Wolf, there is some confusion here. The question of what the force decides or is asked to do, and what chapter this resolution is under, those are two different issues. This force has always been intended to create security in the south, to secure the borders, to make sure that the arms embargo works, to accompany the Lebanese armed forces so that they can take control of their own territory.

And I would encourage people to read the mandate of this force. It is, first of all, under a resolution that says that Lebanon constitutes a threat to international peace and security. That is language right out of the robust elements of Chapter 7.

It is also the case that this force has a very firm mandate to defend itself, and to defend its mandate, in other words, to resist those who would try to keep this force from doing its job.

Chapter 7 is very often used when a government is not prepared to accept a force. Lebanon is prepared to accept this force, but this is an absolutely robust mandate. This, by the way, is what helped the Israeli government. They were concerned earlier about the mandate. After we talked about this enhanced mandate in the revised resolution, I think the government of Israel saw that it met their needs.

BLITZER: What about the two Israeli soldiers? Will Israel have to hand over Lebanese prisoners in custody here in Israel in exchange for winning the release of those two Israeli soldiers?

RICE: The return of the Israeli soldiers should be unconditional, and that has been stated in numerous documents. It's stated in this document. There is a sensitive issue about Lebanese prisoners, but I want to be very clear. There isn't a linkage here, and there's no prisoner exchange that is even envisioned in this resolution.

BLITZER: One final question involving the United States. Will the U.S. play any role, logistically supporting role, in this beefed- up U.N. presence? Will the U.S. send troops to Lebanon again?

RICE: I don't think, Wolf, that anybody believes that an American on-the-ground presence would be a stabilizing force under the circumstances in Lebanon. But I -- the president has said that we may be able to provide some enabling support, logistical support, planning support.

We'll be talking with the U.N. people about what might be needed, and I'm quite certain that the United States will try and support in whatever way we can and in whatever way is appropriate.

BLITZER: Madam Secretary, I know you've been working feverishly on this for the past month. Thanks very much for joining us. Good luck to you. Good luck to all the diplomats. Hopefully this war can end in a way that will be positive for the government of Israel, the government of Lebanon, everyone concerned. Appreciate it very much.

RICE: Thank you very much, Wolf.

BLITZER: And just ahead, we're going to continue to follow this story. We're also following another big story. More on the terror plot involving planes bound for the United States. We'll take a quick break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: And it's taken more than a month, but the president of the United States and the prime minister of Israel have now spoken together for the first time since the war started back on July 12th. An Israeli government official telling CNN the prime minister Ehud Olmert spoke just a little while ago on the phone with President Bush.

And in the words of this Israeli official, thanked him for safe- guarding the interests of Israel at the U.N. Security Council. The official also saying that a more detailed announcement will come tomorrow. But a conversation, according to this one Israeli government official, confirming now that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Bush have spoken.

Prime Minister Olmert expected, we just heard from an Israeli official, expected to recommend to his cabinet on Sunday that the Israeli government accept this new U.N. Security Council resolution, which is formally expected to be adopted in the next hour or hour and a half or so from now. We're watching this story.

We're also watching the other important story involving that alleged terror plot. To prevent planes from being blown up in the United States, is it time to start watching every move of certain passengers? It's called behavior pattern recognition?

Israeli experts say they've long used it to stop airport attacks. And now they say is the time for the United States to start eyeballing air travelers as well. It's a very controversial issue. CNN's Mary Snow is watching this story for us, she's joining us live from JFK Airport in New York. Mary?

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it is very controversial. Only a handful of U.S. airports have taken a cue from Israel. Boston Logan Airport being the first to implement this program, but Israeli security experts say it's not enough. And more airports need to do more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW (voice-over): With water, hand lotion and perfumes banded as potential terror weapons, Boston's Logan Airport is also silently screening for something else, behavior patterns.

THOMAS KINTON, CEO, MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY: Clearly people are what defeated us on 9/11, not weapons.

SNOW: Logan Airport officials followed Israel in training uniformed and undercover officers to use behavior pattern recognition. Rafi Ron, former security director of Israel's (INAUDIBLE) Airport, taught them.

RAFI RON, FORMER SECURITY DIR., ISRAEL'S AIRPORT: First of all, I would look for anything that seemed to be out of the regular. Something that doesn't fit the environment.

SNOW: That says Ron could be as simple as clothing choice, being overdressed for example on a hot day. Signs of stress and body language he says are key.

RON: If this person is tremendously focused on his mission and on his attack plan, he does not respond in many cases to a lot of things that's happening around him at the time.

SNOW: Ron won't get specific in telltale signs for fear of giving information to terrorists. But if a person's behavior is suspect, officers at Logan may begin questioning.

KINTON: If they don't answer the questions correctly, then more in-depth questioning occurs to ensure that that person is not a threat.

SNOW: Israeli security experts say its questioning techniques are crucial and an area where they say the U.S. is weak. JUVAL AVIV, CEO, INTERFOR, INC.: You have two, three minutes, sometime less than that, to check somebody out and take him out of balance, as we say, psychologically, to see reaction.

SNOW: Counter terrorism expert Juval Aviv says Israeli officers train intensely, sometimes using passports to get quick answers.

AVIV: If you open it to the travel visa stamps and you say, have you been in Cairo last week. And if you say yes, and the stamp is not there, you make it up, then you know something is wrong with that person. Then he's sweating already.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: But critics say that the behavior recognition program really amounts to racial profiling. The ACLU has filed a lawsuit against Boston's Logan Airport. Logan airport says it's not racially profiling people, it is looking at behaviors, not races. Wolf?

BLITZER: Mary Snow at JFK in New York. Mary thank you very much. And once again, the breaking news we're following, the Prime Minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert, has now had a phone conversation with President Bush, thanking President Bush for supporting Israel's interests at the United Nation's Security Council, and telling the president of the United States that he will recommend, Olmert will recommend to his cabinet this Sunday, that Israel goes ahead and accepts this new U.N. Security Council resolution that could end this war here in the Middle East. We're watching all of this, much more coming up. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telling us here in THE SITUATION ROOM only moments ago, she now expects both Israel and Lebanon, both governments to accept this new U.N. Security Council resolution. We'll continue to watch this story. We're watching the other important story as well, the terror threat from the skies.

How are those new airport restrictions affecting travel one day later? We're getting a glimpse as passengers in the U.S. and U.K. share their travel trials and tribulations online. Let's bring in our internet reporter Jacki Schechner -- Jacki.

SCHECHNER: Wolf, want to show you this video from Rachelle Brun, who posted it online at the video site youtube.com. This is the line at Seattle Tacoma International Airport yesterday, snaking into the parking garage. She said she waited for two and a half hours for her flight to San Francisco.

But people were in pretty good spirits. Also waiting in that line at Seattle Tacoma was Jay Cline who sent this photograph into us here at CNN through our new I-Report system where you too can be a reporter for CNN. We encourage you to send in your photographs and videos like this one. He said he too waited two and a half hours. But we spoke to Seattle Tacoma Washington Airport today and they tell us that the waits that they're seeing aren't any more than about 45 minutes. Wolf?

BLITZER: Jacki Schechner, thanks very much. We're going to be back in one hour. Much more coming up in THE SITUATION ROOM on the crisis in the Middle East. Is this war about to end? Much more here, live. Until then, thanks very much for joining us. Let's go to New York and Lou Dobbs. Lou?

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