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CNN Sunday Morning
Fighting in Middle East Continues
Aired July 23, 2006 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. The fighting continues. Hezbollah rockets rained down on Haifa, Israel, and Israeli air strikes target southern Lebanon. From the CNN Center this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is 7:00 a.m. here in Atlanta, 2:00 p.m. in Israel, good morning everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.
RICHARD LUI, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Richard Lui from CNN's Pipeline in for Tony Harris. Also a very good morning to you.
NGUYEN: Good morning, welcome.
LUI: Thanks for having me.
NGUYEN: Well our correspondents -- take a look -- they are all over the region bringing you the latest on the Middle East crisis. Straight ahead, we will have a live report from Fionnuala Sweeney in Haifa, Israel, Alessio Vinci in Beirut and Paula Newton in northern Israel.
LUI: First off, here's what we know at this hour. A barrage of Hezbollah rockets struck the Israeli port city of Haifa within the past few hours. At least two people were killed there, about a dozen wounded. Israeli bombs rained down on southern Lebanon again today. At least six fell on the coastal city of Tyre. It has been one of the hardest hit areas since the Israeli air strikes began. And Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice heads to the region today. The Bush administration said its focus is on a strategy for confronting Hezbollah.
NGUYEN: All right, let's get right to it, let's go to Haifa, where Hezbollah rockets hit again today with deadly results. CNN's Fionnuala Sweeney is in Haifa. Fionnuala update us on these latest attacks.
FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Betty. Yes, about three hours ago, the first of two air raid sirens went off around this city and there was a barrage of rocket attacks shortly afterwards, in which you correctly reported that two people have been killed and 12 injured. One man was killed when the car which he was driving was hit by shrapnel and then another person was killed inside a factory when a rocket hit a wood work factory. There were also three rockets landing on the (INAUDIBLE), that's the local university here in Haifa. But also a rocket landing on a house in which a man was there with his 9- year-old son, and extensive damage was done to that house. He or neither his son was injured at the time, but it is an indication of just how things are still continuing here at a very high level, and despite hitting more than 120 targets over the last 24 hours in southern Lebanon, the Israeli military are still not neutralizing fully Hezbollah at this time.
It should also be noted, Betty, that there seems to be movements on the diplomatic front here. There are three heavyweight European Union diplomats in town, and in comments made to the German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the Israeli defense secretary said he would be willing to have a multi-national force along the Lebanese- Israeli border. That is quite significant, because it's the first time we have heard that. But in the meantime, everyone here in Haifa and across northern Israel bracing for more Hezbollah rocket attacks. Betty?
NGUYEN: And in the meantime, Secretary Rice will be heading to the region a little bit later today. Fionnuala Sweeney in Haifa for us this morning. Thank you Fionnuala.
LUI: Israeli bombs pounded southern Lebanon again today, and a U.N. humanitarian official got a first-hand look at some of the damage there. CNN's Alessio Vinci joins us live from Beirut with the latest. Alessio?
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Richard. The brunt of the attack in the southern part of Beirut, of course, there we understand 11 different strikes overnight and the target was a Hezbollah media center. CNN's reporters there on the scene are telling us that they saw desks and business cards of journalists scattered throughout the ground. And we also understand from a Hezbollah official who took us there that a medical facility was also being targeted. All this, of course, while the U.N. top humanitarian official Jan Egeland took a first-hand tour of that part of southern Beirut. He was clearly shocked. He said that the destruction was far more greater than he had originally anticipated. He said it was horrific. He said he didn't know that it was block after block after block. He said this constitutes a violation of humanitarian law, and he said that this crisis does not have a military solution, but a political one and he called on a cease-fire again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAN EGELAND, U.N. EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR: I'm here on a humanitarian mission on behalf of the Secretary General of the United Nations. What we are calling for in the United Nations is a cessation of hostilities, a stop to the attacks on either side. If it continues like this, there will just be more and more civilian casualties, more and more dead children, more and more wounded children struggling to save their lives. We are setting up a major relief operation, but of course, the violence has to stop.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP) VINCI: The biggest problem, as he said, is to move that humanitarian aid they're gathering together to the areas hardest hit, especially in the southern part of the country. Mr. Egeland telling us that basically, the security conditions here in Lebanon right now do not exist in order for the U.N. to organize safely, not just the safe passage of the convoy, but also the safety of the humanitarian workers who are asked to go down, especially in the southern part of the country, entire where Mr. Egeland said there are children dying in hospitals because there are not enough supplies in those hospitals. And so he's saying that as much as $100 million worth of supplies are needed immediately in order to save those children who are down in the southern part of Lebanon. Richard, back to you.
LUI: Thanks, Alessio. Alessio Vinci there in Beirut with the latest.
NGUYEN: Now to the ground assault. Israeli troops backed by tank and artillery fire took control of a southern village. It's part of an operation designed to push Hezbollah away from the border and CNN's Paula Newton joins us from northern Israel. Paula, how successful have these troops been, the small contingent of troops, been in creating a buffer zone?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They certainly say that they have been successful. Behind me right now they have taken that Lebanese village of Maroun Al Ras. The problem here, Betty, they continue to meet guerrilla resistance from Hezbollah on the ground. And obviously, they are still a fierce fighting force. We have just seen attack helicopters come in and lob missiles back into Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon behind us. As well, the shelling continues. The problem here, Betty, is that Hezbollah seems to have surrendered this one village to the Israeli army for now, but they're sure, the army is sure, that they have retreated only to come back at them a second time. The Israeli army says, though, that this is part of the strategy, that they want to confront Hezbollah head-on, try and flush them out to determine exactly what their capabilities are and to "wipe them out," in their words. Betty?
NGUYEN: Well it sounds like these operations are going to take a little more time than originally thought, perhaps many weeks to come. Is that true?
NEWTON: The problem here is that although they continue to attack from the air, they have just not been as effective as they first imagined, and I would think that even with these limited ground incursions, it could still take several weeks for them to really wipe out the Hezbollah post. They have described caves and bunkers that were absolutely camouflaged, and the only way they would know that they were there was if they had boots on the ground. It is a very tough terrain here. You can see the hills behind me. You could be in those hills, presumably for months, if you really wanted to make sure that Hezbollah was neutralized. At this point, the Israeli army seems to be clear that if they work for a couple of more weeks, they will wipe out a lot of the fighting capacity of Hezbollah. The problem Betty, as you know, is that those Katyushas keep flying into northern Israel. Betty?
NGUYEN: Which has been a problem for Haifa as well this morning. Thank you so much, joining us from northern Israel, Paula Newton. We'll be checking in with you a little bit later.
LUI: Well once again, this Sunday morning we are tracking developments in the Middle East crisis minute by minute for you and we'll keep you updated as events unfold. Let's check in now with CNN's Randi Kaye at the international desk for latest. Randi, good morning.
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Richard. We were here, as you know, all day yesterday. We had a very, very busy day yesterday watching the events unfold in Maroun Al Ras on the Lebanese- Israeli border there. Today we are back at it again, we are monitoring feeds from all over the world, especially coming in to us from the Middle East. We are monitoring at least ten different networks there, including Al Manar, including Al Arabiya, Israel TV, Al Jazeera, you name it. There's just a few examples right there on your screen for you. Today we are watching the situation in Haifa. We want to see what happens there. We're also monitoring a lot of news coming out of Baghdad. Two car bombs, at least 50 dead. We want to see just what the Israeli forces will be up to today and we want to, of course, keep an eye on the Katyusha rockets, which continue to fly. So we'll stay here at international desk watching those feeds and bring it to you as we get it.
LUI: All right Randi, sounds great. We'll stop in and talk with you a bit later. Well stay with CNN for continuing coverage of the Mideast crisis throughout today. Coming up next hour for you, Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports from the front lines in a special edition of "House Call." That's going to be live from Beirut. Then in prime time, "CNN PRESENTS" "Inside Hezbollah" at 8:00 eastern for you. "LARRY KING LIVE" continues our Mideast coverage at 9:00 eastern. Then at 10:00, special edition of "ANDERSON COOPER 360", that's live also from Beirut.
NGUYEN: And this morning, we're getting a special edition of Richard Lui joining us once again. We didn't scare you off, we didn't run you off yesterday.
LUI: I had such a great time. I thought I'd muscle my way back. You guys are so nice.
NGUYEN: Now for the viewers watching and are not familiar, you're with CNN Pipeline, which is a great service that's being offered.
LUI: Yeah, Pipeline is kind of interesting because you can watch feeds live online. You can see some of it right now that we're streaming. During half of the day, we will have streams throughout the world, and we will often have like LBC, which Randi Kaye is watching, or Al Manar when we were able to do that as well. And at this moment, you see CNN international. So there's always something in case you're not in front of a TV.
NGUYEN: You can always catch it, the news keeps coming into CNN and we're going to provide it, whether it's television, it's on the Internet. It's there for you.
LUI: That's right.
NGUYEN: All right Richard, great to have you again today.
LUI: Thanks.
NGUYEN: Got a lot going on, obviously.
LUI: Yeah, definitely.
Heavy casualties in Iraq this morning. At least 50 people have been killed in car bombings in Baghdad and the northern city of Kirkuk. CNN's Arwa Damon joins us from Baghdad with the latest right now. Arwa?
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Richard. At least 50 people have been killed across this country. The most recent attack coming in the northern oil-rich city of Kirkuk when a car bomb detonated in front of the courthouse there, located on a main road surrounded by shops. At that time, we are told by the Iraqi police, it would have been very, very busy. At least 18 Iraqis killed in that attack, at least 100 wounded. Scenes of devastation continued, this time in Baghdad in the Shia slum of Sadr City, home to some 2 million Iraqis, when a suicide car bomber detonated his explosives in a crowded marketplace.
We are told this is one of Baghdad's larger markets that sells fruits and vegetables. The attack coming at 9:00 in the morning, a time when, because of the summer heat, a lot of Iraqis do, do their grocery shopping. Their daily shopping either early in the morning or late at night. In that attack, we are told by the Iraqi police, at least 32 Iraqis killed, 65 more wounded. Now, the violence has been continuing here, has been spiraling over the last week. We have seen hundreds of Iraqis killed and wounded. Most of these attacks targeting Iraqi civilians as they're trying to go about their day-to- day lives, all of them enhancing the thought process within each and every individual Iraqi before they head out of their homes for the most basic of tasks. Iraqis now pause to ask themselves if going to the market is worth the risk, Richard.
LUI: Arwa in Kirkuk, four attacks within the last month. This is also an oil city. What might that mean for supply there?
DAMON: That's right, it is, and there have been actually a number of attacks against Iraq's infrastructure. Kirkuk, the area in northern Iraq, provides about 40 percent of Iraq's oil supply, and there are many untapped reserves there. I was just there on a trip a few months ago and was told that the oil is not flowing, and that is for a number of reasons. One is insurgent attacks are damaging the pipeline. But the other is also that the infrastructure there has not been renovated, has not been rehabilitated for decades. Now, if we look at the series of attacks that have happened over the last week, though, there can be a number of reasons behind it. Perhaps it is to further prevent the oil flow. Perhaps it is to just for the insurgency there to make its mark to prove that it is still active. Perhaps it is just intended to install fear in the people in that area, Richard.
LUI: Arwa Damon in Baghdad, thank you very much.
NGUYEN: And you want to stay with us as we follow developments coming out of the Mideast.
Ahead, anti-missile system under development that could help Israel defend itself against Hezbollah's rockets. Will they work?
And --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: If you get orders to go extract Americans from southern Lebanon, can the United States military do the job?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think you know the answer to that.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
LUI: Evacuations continue out of Lebanon. Thousands of Americans flee that country. Barbara Starr talks to the head of U.S. military operations from Lebanon.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: We have some new video coming in of the shelling being fired in the Mideast. Let's get straight to it and CNN's Randi Kaye at the international desk. Hi, Randi.
KAYE: Good morning again, Betty. As we told you we're monitoring the feeds here coming into us from the Middle East. We want you to take a look and a listen as to what's going on at this moment on the Israeli-Lebanese border.
That is the sound of Israeli tank shelling. You're looking at the area of Maroun Al Ras along the border there with Israel. Maroun Al Ras is a Lebanese border village. We saw a lot of activity there yesterday, a lot of shelling going back and forth between the two sides. This is the area that the Israeli tanks rolled into yesterday, and Israeli forces actually ousted Hezbollah militia out of that area yesterday. So we just saw Paula Newton reporting from there this morning. The Israeli tank shelling continues there. This is new video just coming in to CNN's international desk. We'll continue to watch it for the sights and the sounds and report it to you as soon as we get it. Betty?
NGUYEN: All right, thank you, Randi. We'll be checking in.
LUI: And as that is going on, more than 10,000 Americans they've been evacuated out of Lebanon. The U.S. embassy in Beirut urged American citizens who have not left to do so immediately. Meanwhile, folks planning to leave by helicopter may be held up a few days there. The embassy says seat availability is scarce. CNN's Barbara Starr has the latest from Larnaca, Cyprus.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you ready? BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The general running the effort to get thousands of trapped Americans out of Lebanon came on board the "USS Nashville" to see it all first-hand.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does this not make you feel like a million bucks taking care of Americans?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It does, sir. I'll tell you. There's nothing I've done more rewarding in my career.
STARR: But even as Brigadier General Carl Jensen smiles, he is looking ahead to the possible next, much tougher phase of the operation.
BRIG. GEN. CARL JENSEN, U.S. MARINE CORPS: One of the problems in southern Lebanon, particularly of the further south you go, is what we're being told, is that it may be unsafe for anyone really to get on the roads and to move about. It has captured the ambassador's full attention. In fact, it's focused his attention, the plight of those Americans who still may be in south Lebanon.
STARR: The latest intelligence shows that many of the Americans in southern Lebanon, where the violence has been heaviest, are Lebanese-Americans with duel citizenship. Many have made it out to Syria, but --
JENSEN: We're sure there's still hundreds left.
STARR: And that means the U.S. military may have to go get them. And what if U.S. troops find themselves caught in the middle of that war?
JENSEN: There are contingency operations to do a plethora of missions. We, of course, have considerable capability here in the eastern Mediterranean.
STARR: Jensen is sending Hezbollah, Israel, and the Lebanese a clear message. If he is ordered into southern Lebanon, and if his troops are challenged, no option is off the table, there is plenty of U.S. military capability to respond.
JENSEN: I have at my disposal seven capital warships of the United States navy. Aboard a few of those ships is the 24th marine expeditionary unit, it's a special operations capable unit and it has its own reinforced helicopter squadron, tanks, armored vehicles.
STARR: If you get orders to go extract Americans from southern Lebanon, can the United States military do the job?
JENSEN: I think you know the answer to that. We will do what we need to do.
STARR: Barbara Starr, CNN, Cyprus.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE) NGUYEN: And an important note to tell you about these evacuations. We're just getting word in from the U.S. embassy in Beirut, saying as of early Sunday, there was no wait for U.S. government assistance to be transported out of Lebanon by boat. Now, if you wanted to go by helicopter, you could wait a few more days, but if you're going by boat, so far there's no wait as of early today. So that is good news, Richard, because a lot of people have been talking about the wait and how long it's been to just get out of Lebanon.
LUI: A real capacity problem they had early on.
NGUYEN: Absolutely.
And ahead, a closer look at the battle plans set in motion by Israel defense forces.
LUI: Plus, a test of faith for the holy land. The Mideast crisis has put some of the world's oldest and most cherished sites under fire.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LUI: Surging Sergio at the British Open. Sergio Garcia shoots a third round 65. He's one of three players at 12 under at this moment, just one stroke behind the leader, Tiger Woods. The Claret Jug would be the first major title for Garcia, but Woods has never lost when holding the lead into the final round here. In all, 14 players are within five shots of that guy. Woods and Garcia tee off in just about two hours.
(WEATHER REPORT)
LUI: All right now to Randi Kaye who is at the international desk with all the latest. Randi?
KAYE: Richard good morning once again. We are watching a situation there along the Lebanese-Israeli border. We want to show you some pictures, some live pictures coming into the CNN international desk from APTN in the Middle East. What seems to be happening there is somewhat of a parking lot for Israeli tanks there. That is right on the border where we're hearing that this could be in the area of Maroun Al Ras on the Lebanese side and Avivim on the Israeli side, the same area that Paula Newton was reporting from for us this morning. This is the same area where the Israeli tanks rolled into yesterday. There was also some shelling that was taking place this morning. Let's take a listen to that.
You are just hearing there Israeli tank fire along the Israeli- Lebanese border. The troops are gathered there on both sides of the border. This is the same area that the tanks and the Israeli forces took over yesterday, ousting Hezbollah forces and then leaving that area themselves. The Maroun Al Ras area is a Lebanese border village just across from Avivim. So we'll keep an eye on those tanks that are parked there along the border, and as it warrants, if there's more activity there, we'll bring it to you. Back to you.
LUI: Thanks, Randi. A very active 5,000 (INAUDIBLE) force there in the north.
Well coming up, Israel would seem to have an overwhelming advantage in fire power, but Israel has no defense for Hezbollah's inaccurate and sometimes effective katyusha rockets. Brian Todd takes a look at weapons of the future.
NGUYEN: And Israeli bombs and Hezbollah rockets rained down on the enemy and innocent civilians, but also on history. Delia Gallagher looks at this war on holy ground, that's ahead in our "Faces of Faith."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LUI: Well, if you're just joining us this Sunday morning, it's day 12 of the latest conflict in the Middle East. Here's what we know at this moment. Two more Israelis were killed within the past couple hours by a volley of Hezbollah rockets on Haifa. At least 11 people were hurt there. Israeli warplanes, meanwhile, have been carrying out extensive bombing raids on suspected Hezbollah targets in the cities of Beirut, Tyre and Sidon. About 5,000 Israeli troops are deployed near the Lebanese border. The Israeli military is downplaying a large-scale invasion at this time.
NGUYEN: Well CNN's Karl Penhaul joins us now live from the Lebanese port city of Tyre, which was the target of Israeli bombs this morning. And I understand, Karl, six bombs fell in the span of 20 minutes?
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That was, by our calculation. We counted, that was the opening salvo. In fact the (INAUDIBLE) raids that lasted all morning Betty, about six bombs in 20 minutes throughout the course of the morning. Sometimes the pace has been quickening, sometimes it's been slowing down a little. Right now for the last 10, 15 minutes, it's been a little quiet, but the bombing today has essentially been concentrated (INAUDIBLE) which is a coastal area and then to the east of the city, which is a hilly region.
What we'll also note is that a number of civilian cars have also been hit as civilians try and flee the areas that are being bombed. We know that because we were down at (INAUDIBLE) hospital on the outskirts of Tyre, and there, medics told us that they had had 20 civilian casualties this morning. Some of them with shrapnel injuries, others with extensive burns, but a doctor attributed it to phosphorous in some of the bombs. And in addition to those civilian casualties, he also said that one civilian had died Betty.
NGUYEN: CNN's Karl Penhaul joining us from Tyre. And we apologize for the intermittent audio. Obviously, you can tell the situation there is dire. This area is the hardest hit in Lebanon since the conflict began, at least one of the hardest hit areas. Richard?
LUI: Hezbollah's military might is just a fraction of Israel's, but Hezbollah's katyusha rockets have proved to be a formidable opponent, putting Israel on the defensive. CNN's Brian Todd reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hezbollah's answer to Israel's overwhelming advantage in firepower, the Katyusha rocket, crude, inaccurate, but sometimes effective.
(on camera): Older models with ranges of about a dozen miles can hit villages just across the border, but experts say Hezbollah has also fired rockets able to travel several dozen miles to the city of Haifa and beyond. And they say Hezbollah may have rockets that can fly up to 100 miles. A potential target, Tel Aviv.
(voice-over): Other advantages, the shorter-range Katyushas aren't in the air for more than a few seconds. They fly low to the ground, and --
GEN. MOSHE YAALON, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF, IDF: You can position them in order to be ready to be launched very easily. It's a challenge for us to intercept it.
TODD: To hit Katyushas, Israel cannot use its sophisticated aero 2 or patriot defense systems, made to blast long-range missiles out of the sky. The counter for katyushas, experts say, is in the future.
JOHN PIKE, GLOBALSECURITY.ORG: I think that the hope is that eventually, the United States and Israel are going to be able to develop battlefield laser systems that are going to be able to shoot these artillery rockets down.
TODD: Lasers that in recent tests have proven very effective in hitting Katyushas and other short-range rockets, even shoulder-fired missiles, in just seconds. Israel and the U.S. Army explored a laser program a few years ago, but the army backed out because the units were expensive and immobile. Now lighter, mobile, more efficient laser systems are being developed. Their only drawback --
PIKE: The big challenge for these lasers is that the lower atmosphere is dirty. It's cloudy, foggy, dusty. The laser beam winds up heating up the dust, rather than destroying the missile.
TODD: Still, experts say, lasers are coming to the battlefield. Other technologies we'll see may look familiar, like a ground version of the Gatling gun, those multi-barrel rotating guns found on ships that can fire thousands of rounds per second. Very effective, experts say, at hitting short-range rockets and mortar shells. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, diplomatic sources say the Israeli operation against Hezbollah could continue for a few more weeks. So joining us with some insight is CNN military analyst, retired army Brigadier General David Grange. Good morning to you, general.
BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good morning to you. NGUYEN: Let's talk about these Katyusha rockets. More fell over Haifa just in the past few hours. What kind of technology -- we looked at a little bit of it there, but what kind of technology can really handle these Katyushas? Because they're very hard to track and hit before they rain down on an area.
GRANGE: Well, most of the time what you end up doing is what they call counter fire. In other words, once they pick up that rockets or mortar fire or artillery has left the enemy positions, then they rain down fire on those positions. And so it's kind of after the firing takes place. There's a little bit of capability out there, but that's one reason, that's one of the four tactics or capabilities, I should say, that the enemy, in this case the Hezbollah for Israel will use because it's hard to stop it.
NGUYEN: Yeah, and you know, Israel is using these, these pinpoint operations, sending in small contingents of ground troops in to take out Hezbollah, but let me ask you about that. Considering the situation there and the firing of these Katyushas and just the power of Hezbollah, simply because they know the terrain in Lebanon. Is it going to take a full force to create this buffer zone that Israel is hoping to create?
GRANGE: Yes. And what's going to happen is you're going to get considerable pressure on the military from the civilian population that enough is enough on the rockets hitting the cities. And so what we're seeing so far, I think that pace is going to pick up because of the pressure. And they really have to go in there and sweep through the area and root out Hezbollah fighters. It takes time. More time than we like to think about in warfare. It's a very long process. And then maintain control over that by Israelis or some other force.
NGUYEN: Well, Israelis have said it's going to take a little more time. In fact, they've said many more weeks with this operation. But on the flip side, Israel is going after Hezbollah. But if you look at the casualties, many Lebanese are being killed in this conflict. What can be done to lower those numbers, to make sure civilians aren't caught in this crossfire?
GRANGE: Well you know, having experienced this myself, all efforts that you can imagine, are taken to keep down civilian casualties. Because first of all, the forces don't want that PR. You know, they don't want that in the media that civilians are dying. So it's not just the humanitarian thing, it kind of goes against you in what they call information warfare. In other words, when civilians die, it looks like your mission's not being performed properly, successfully, and according to the Geneva Convention. So you take all measures to keep the casualties down. But in all war, civilians suffer immensely, and it's the nature of warfare, and it cannot be a zero tolerance, where none die.
NGUYEN: Well, is that going to increase when ground troops go in?
GRANGE: The more fighting going on, the more civilians are going to be in harm's way, but keep in mind also, a lot of civilians have evacuated the area. So where a lot of times hostility starts right away and there are civilians everywhere, the numbers will be reduced because they will have fled the area.
NGUYEN: General David Grange, as always, we appreciate your insight.
GRANGE: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Richard?
LUI: While tensions escalate on one border, another is open to civilians seeking refuge. Farther north, Lebanon's Syrian neighbors are opening their hearts and homes. CNN's Aneesh Raman has that story out of Damascus.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the past week, they have seen war at its worst, and across the border they've seen a neighbor respond. Syria's people are donating food, shelter, comfort, for what the Red Crescent says are at least 200,000 Lebanese refugees. The minister of social affairs says it's all a must.
DIALA AL-HAJJ AREF, SYRIAN MINISTER OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS: We need to be with our neighbor like we are now. We are familiar to their past, we are familiar to our neighbors and we don't need any, any helping from anybody.
RAMAN (on camera): In the past few days, hundreds of families, thousands of Lebanese refugees, have passed through this center alone. And amazingly, they say most only stay here for a couple of hours. Within that time they are able to find a Syrian family who will take them into their home. They're setting up back here some extra space to house the refugees that are coming, a sign of the further influx that they expect in the days ahead.
(voice-over): Every few hours a new bus arrives filled with refugees. There's a sense of brotherhood here between the Lebanese and the Syrians. Mohammed and his family of eight left virtually everything they own back in Lebanon. They are getting sent now to an empty school where they will spend the next few weeks or even months.
TRANSLATION OF UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have suffered a lot. Most of the roads are closed. We risk our life to reach this place. As we drop here, warplanes attack. I complain now because I'm not in my home and I still have family there, a disabled brother, and I think about them all the time, but I thank the Syrian people for opening their borders and homes.
RAMAN: Mohammed says he left Lebanon to keep his two children alive. Others, he says, were less fortunate.
TRANSLATION OF UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw a one-month-old baby killed, burned from an explosion alongside his brothers. None of us could help because we are afraid of leaving our homes and getting killed ourselves. That's when I knew I couldn't stay. RAMAN: Now free from fear, these refugees are just coming to grips with what has become of their lives, and tell me that they see Syria as the only country standing by the people of Lebanon. Aneesh Raman, CNN, Damascus.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well coming up, the holy land in harm's way.
LUI: Will the latest violence leave a permanent scar? We'll examine some sacred holy sites for you that may be in the line of fire.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: CNN international desk hard at work this morning. Here's what we know on day 12 of the crisis in the Middle East. Two more Israelis lost their lives today when at least nine katyusha rockets slammed into the city of Haifa. 11 people were wounded. Israeli jets continued bombing suspected Hezbollah targets in Beirut, Tyre and Sidon. The Israeli military says the building in Sidon "served Hezbollah." Lebanon reports at least 267 deaths so far. The death toll in Israel stands at 37.
LUI: Randi Kaye at the international desk right now keeping an eye on some dozen, one dozen networks for us. Randi, what are you seeing at this hour?
KAYE: Richard, I can tell you some news coming out of Jerusalem. According to the "Associated Press," the defense minister, Israeli defense minister Amir Peretz, is telling his cabinet today that the army's current offensive should not be considered an invasion of Lebanon, but rather a series of limited raids into the area. In other words, the army's operation should not be, and he doesn't plan for, a full-scale invasion of Lebanon. But we've seen the troops there along the border. We've seen that video from this morning, we've seen that throughout the weekend in fact. There is some pictures coming to us from APTN in the Middle East there. That is the Israeli-Lebanese border, Israeli tanks gathering there.
We've also seen some shelling. These are live pictures coming to you from the international desk here from APTN. Of the Israeli forces, that same area along the border there is where they had actually done some shelling earlier today. They've ousted Hezbollah forces from that area. According to the defense minister what they're looking for really is limited incursions. He was quoted as saying this morning the army's ground operation in Lebanon is focused on limited entrances, and we are not talking about an invasion of Lebanon, we are beginning to see the army's successes opposite Hezbollah.
About 5,000 Israeli troops have been gathered there along the border, we've been told. Yesterday they did oust the Hezbollah forces from the area of Maroun Al Ras, and then they retreated from that area. So that is exactly what he's talking about, just going in, doing these pinpoint operations, getting rid of the Hezbollah strongholds in that area, and then retreating. So once again, we're watching these lives pictures from APTN coming into us of the Israeli tanks there. But again, we're hearing from the defense minister in Jerusalem to not expect, not to expect a full-scale invasion of Lebanon. Richard, back to you.
LUI: All right Randi Kaye at the international desk, thanks.
The crisis in the Middle East is not just a crisis for innocent families trapped in the chaos. It's destroying history. Much of it is the foundation of which many people base their faith. CNN's Delia Gallagher took note of the war that has fallen on holy ground.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's almost impossible to bomb a town in the Middle East without hitting a piece of history. Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq. Full of ruins and shrines, provide a foundation for many of the world's major religions. Byblos, the Mediterranean Sea town where Israeli ships are now blockading Lebanon is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Just 22 miles from Beirut, the city dates back to 7000 B.C. The world Bible comes from Byblos, the papyrus on which the Bible was written is believed to have entered through this port, now under siege.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The number of religions and religious movements that have started not only in Lebanon and Israel, but even in places like Syria that may soon come under conflict. There are people all over the world who look here for their spiritual inspiration, and now they see bombs and bolts flying both ways.
GALLAGHER: The Israeli city of Haifa is the worldwide headquarters of the Bahai faith founded in Persia in the 19th century. Mount Carmel high above Haifa is the site of the Jewish prophet Elijah's cave. Mount Carmel's also home to the Carmelites, a Roman Catholic monastic order of the 12th century that is still there today. Also hit by bombs was Zefad or Safad in upper Galilee, the ancient home of Kabbalah, a mystical form of Judaism begun in the 16th century. The book of Genesis traces Noah's son and grandson to this area. In the middle of the fighting in southern Lebanon is the town of Qana, the place where Jesus was said to have turned water into wine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the things we see in other conflicts is that when something does get hit, people all over the world feel a personal connection. They see the images, but there's also a spiritual connection. So in the event that something goes horribly wrong, and one of these religious sites does get hit, we can imagine the resonance of that is going to be much, much more than merely gunfire back and forth.
GALLAGHER: Delia Gallagher, CNN, New York.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: So much history and yet so much conflict. You want to stay with CNN as we continue following the crisis in the Mideast. We are live throughout the region on this developing story. CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues in just a moment.
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LUI: Now the latest from the Middle East. A photojournalist, a female, has been killed in Lebanon. Randi Kaye has the latest from the international desk. Randi?
KAYE: Richard, we are still trying to independently confirm this here at CNN's international desk, but word we are getting from reports from Arab networks that we've been monitoring there in the Middle East. We're looking at about a dozen different networks, including the Lebanese Broadcasting Channel and Al Jazeera, now reporting, and witnesses, that a female journalist has been killed as a result of military operations there along the Israeli-Lebanese border. This is a freelance female journalist near the city of Qana, just east of Tyre. The killing occurred on the Lebanese side of the border, we are learning from these Arab networks and from the witnesses. We have no confirmation yet on which organization this freelance journalist was working for. She was a photojournalist I'm told, working for one of the media outlets there in the area, has been killed on the Lebanese side of the border near the town of Qana, just east of Tyre. Again here at the international desk for CNN, we are working to independently confirm this, but these are the reports that we are getting from witnesses and the Arab networks that we're monitoring. That's the very latest from here, back to you.
LUI: OK thanks, Randi.
NGUYEN: No doubt we continue to follow the Mideast crisis from all angles. Nicole Lapin is here to show us what CNN is doing online to keep you informed of all of these developments. And they are happening fast Nicole.
NICOLE LAPIN, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: They are happening fast Betty. And as we follow this story, a lot of people are thinking, well, how does this affect me? But as we found out online, people all over the world, all sorts of people are affected -- Americans, Europeans, and folks in the war zone alike. A lot of them are writing their emotional accounts of the crisis, and we have some of those posted for you online. And people are blogging. Anderson Cooper has a running blog, and a lot of our correspondents are adding their analysis on the blog. And of course, it's a blog, so it's more casual. Now, if you're wondering, how can I help? Well, we have a list of organizations online that are assisting the region. And also, don't forget CNN Pipeline, because there you're going to find the latest video of all the fighting that's going on in the Middle East. And of course, we're going to bring you news from various sources. So sometimes we'll have Al Arabiya streaming on one of our pipes, or sometimes we'll have Israeli television. So all of this, the very latest info. To give you more info and different perspectives, and Betty it's all at cnn.com/mideast.
NGUYEN: A fantastic resource. Nicole, thank you for that.
Well the next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING begins in just a moment.
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NGUYEN: We're getting some live pictures in to CNN of shelling in Tyre, Lebanon. Let's go straight to CNN's Randi Kaye at the international desk. What kind of information do you have about this Randi?
KAYE: Betty we want to continue to show you those live pictures coming into us here at the CNN international desk. As we tell you we've seen a lot of activity in the city of Tyre already, at least six Israeli bombs fell on that coastal city of Tyre in just a 20-minute span this morning, killing one civilian, wounding at least 20 others. Huge columns of smoke rose on the horizon about 2 miles east and south of the center of the city. And now we are watching more explosions. Tyre, as you may recall, has been one of the hardest hit areas since the Israeli air strikes began. Hospitals in that city have reported at least 130 people killed there. CNN's Karl Penhaul is there. He visited a hospital where the wounded were being treated and found several with severe burns. So once again, we are watching live shelling under way in the city of Tyre in Lebanon from Israeli air strikes. At this hour we are monitoring that. Let's listen to what Karl Penhaul has to say about the situation there on the ground.
All right we thought we had Karl there, so we'll just continue to keep those pictures up. We're doing our best to sort of find exactly where the air strikes are taking place, where this shelling is hitting and we will continue to monitor that. And hopefully we'll get Karl on the line with us and he can give us exactly what's happening there on the ground.
NGUYEN: Karl has been in Tyre and as you reported, six bombs in the span of 20 minutes and he's been obviously covering the situation there Randi, saying that, reporting at least 130 people hit and killed in Tyre. Tyre being one of the hardest hit areas since this conflict began. So of course as soon as we get Karl on the line we will bring a live update to you. In the meantime, we want to update you on the situation so far. Here is what we know right now. New pictures of Israeli tanks firing along the Lebanese border and the defense minister says Israel would accept a multinational peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon as a way to end the current crisis. No let up in the fighting today though. More Hezbollah rockets struck the Israeli port city of Haifa. Two people were killed, 11 wounded. Israel pounded more targets in southern Lebanon, six bombs hit the coastal city of Tyre which we had just mentioned. One person died in that particular raid. At least 20 others were wounded.
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