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CNN Saturday Morning News
Crisis in the Middle East; Jewish Center Shootings Rattle Seattle
Aired July 29, 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: Extra protection this morning at Jewish temples and Islamic mosques in Seattle after a shooting Friday at a Jewish Center. Now, one woman died. Five others were injured. Witnesses say a man who opened fire claimed to be a Muslim angry at Israel.
Local media report the 30-year-old suspect is a U.S. citizen and Seattle police call the shooting a hate crime.
In other news, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice heads back to the Mideast today. She will discuss a U.N. resolution to end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Israel is rejecting a U.N. proposal of a temporary three day cease-fire for humanitarian relief and is keeping up its offensive.
The Israeli Air Force says it carried 60 air strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon overnight. We have a live report from the region in less than 10 minutes away.
Now to Australia. The prime minister there faces an angry mob of pro-Lebanon protesters. Prime Minister John Howard was leaving a hotel in Perth when demonstrators converged on his car. You see it there.
Now that led to violent clashes with police. Protesters condemned Howard's support for Israel and demanded more efforts toward peace in the Middle East.
Well, new Israeli air -- or, I should say, attacks in Gaza today, air attacks, true. Warplanes bombed a suspected weapons depot and border tunnels. Israel also sent troops back into northern Gaza, a day after ending a bloody three day sweep of the area.
The month-long offensive in Gaza started when Hamas militants captured an Israeli soldier and killed two others.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: In northwestern Nebraska, daylight is giving officials their first real assessment of wildfire damage in the small town of Chadron. About 900 people were evacuated as crews battled up to six wildfires across a 25-mile area. The fires flared up Wednesday from lightning strikes in the prairie.
In north Las Vegas, lightning is also blamed for a fiery propane explosion last night at a truck stop along Interstate 15. No injuries were reported. One man said he felt the blast a mile away. In California, state officials now report that more than 140 peopled have died from the relentless heat. That's according to the Associated Press. To put that number in perspective, counties that might record one heat-related death per year, Betty, this year have recorded dozens due to daily temperatures of 110 degrees or hotter.
NGUYEN: Wow!
HARRIS: There's growing concern that August could be even worse.
And on Capitol Hill, the House wants to give hourly workers a fat pay raise. Your view of fat, all right?
Early this morning, they voted to boost the minimum wage by $2.10 over the next three years, to $7.25 per hour. Don't spend it yet. The bill still must pass the Senate, where a vote is expected next week.
This is CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF R. GIL KERLIKOWSKE, SEATTLE POLICE: Tibg treated not only as a homicide. We have one person who has been killed; also, the people who were wounded. But it is also, as the mayor stated, being treated as a hate crime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: OK, so what triggered a deadly rampage at a Jewish Center in Seattle?
Well, we're going to take you to the crime scene in just a moment.
From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
It is July 29th.
Good morning, everyone.
I'm Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: Good to see you.
NGUYEN: Nice to see you, Tony.
I love the color.
HARRIS: What are we...
NGUYEN: We honestly don't plan this, folks.
HARRIS: What happens here? How does this happen?
NGUYEN: I don't know. We look like... HARRIS: This is insane.
NGUYEN: ... like the Twinkies over here.
HARRIS: Oh, boy.
Good morning, everyone.
I'm Tony Harris.
Thank you for being with us.
We begin with the Seattle shootings. It took just moments for one man with a gun-to create panic, misery and death on the streets around the Seattle Jewish Center, according to the witnesses. The man claimed to be a Muslim who is angry at Israel.
Mimi Jung of CNN affiliate KING outlines what Seattle police are calling a crime of hate.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
MIMI JUNG, KING CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He came armed with a handgun, a motive and a target. A Pakistani man walked into the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle and started shooting. Minutes later, victims were being wheeled out of the building one by one.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody down, all the way down to the end.
JUNG: Police swarmed the building at 3rd and Lenora with guns drawn, not knowing where the suspect was hiding.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Somebody just telling all of us, "Get out of the street! Just get out of the street! We've got a sniper." And that was it.
JUNG: The busy intersection went into lockdown, police fearing innocent bystanders were in the line of fire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a gunman who had shot several people and they didn't know if there was more gunmen. So, they just kept us locked in there about an hour.
JUNG: Police say the suspect talked to a 911 dispatcher before surrendering peacefully. His vehicle, found in a nearby parking garage. SWAT teams searched his truck for explosives before hauling it away.
KERLIKOWSKE: He was able to get inside the building through trying to get into the front door.
JUNG: A woman who works at the Jewish Federation says the suspect waited until an employee punched in her security code and forced his way in. She says, "He said, 'I am a Muslim-American angry at Israel' before opening fire on everyone. He was randomly shooting at everyone." GREG NICKELS, SEATTLE MAYOR: This was a purposeful, hateful act, as far as we know, by an individual acting alone.
JUNG: Tonight, the mayor and the police chief say there was no specific threats made against the Jewish Federation, no warnings that a man would take out his anger like this.
KERLIKOWSKE: That there is nothing to indicate to the Seattle Police Department, or, I would think, to the FBI, that a crime of this magnitude or this intensity would occur.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
NGUYEN: Now, it is just after four in the morning right now in Seattle. But hour by hour, we are learning more about the man accused of this crime.
Katherine Barrett joins us from Seattle with the latest -- what have you learned overnight, Katherine?
KATHERINE BARRETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, police have actually released the name of that suspect in this crime. They say they are booking Naveed Afzal Haq, age 31, of Pasco, Washington -- that's in eastern Washington -- with one count of murder and five counts of attempted murder.
It was almost exactly 12 hours ago that those scenes of chaos and panic erupted on this street behind me here, shattering a summer's afternoon in favor of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle.
Seattle police, when the incident occurred, quickly deployed their SWAT teams and medical trauma teams, who were able to quickly move victims and rush them to Seattle's premier trauma center, Harborview Medical Center.
Five of those victims remain in the hospital, three in critical, two in satisfactory condition.
Word of the shootings spread fast outside the hospital and throughout Seattle's broader community. Community members gathered outside the hospital, concerned about people who might be inside had been shooting victims. And early Friday evening, many area synagogues and temples were consulting with law enforcement to see whether it would be safe to proceed and hold their Friday night services.
This attack, of course, came just a day after the FBI warned Jewish organizations nationwide to be on the alert against just this kind of hostility related to the escalating situation in the Middle East.
Last night, Seattle's mayor reacted to reports that, as you said, this was a crime of hate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICKELS: This is a crime of hate and there's no place for that in the city of Seattle. This was a purposeful, hateful act, as far as we know, by an individual acting alone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARRETT: Again, Seattle police also say they are redoubling their efforts to protect the community, not just synagogues and temples and Jewish centers here, but also mosques, in case there is yet another round of retaliation against this latest attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KERLIKOWSKE: We're also going to make sure that all of the facilities -- temples -- are protected. We believe that clearly everything that we have now says that this is an isolated incident, that this individual acted alone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARRETT: And, again, that individual in police custody tonight, Naveed Afzal Haq, of Pasco, Washington, age 31, charged with one count of murder, five counts of attempted murder.
We'll keep you posted on developments as they come in later this morning -- back to you, Betty.
NGUYEN: Katherine Barrett joining us from Seattle today.
Katherine, thank you -- Tony.
HARRIS: Updating the crisis in the Middle East for you now, here is what we know right now.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrives back in the region today. She meets with Israel's prime minister in about six hours to discuss a U.N. resolution to end the fighting.
President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair say they'll push for that U.N. resolution, but both say it must address the root causes of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
And just within the last half hour, Israel has rejected a call from the U.N.'s relief coordinator for a 72-hour cease-fire. Israel kept up its attacks overnight. The Israeli Air Force says it carried out 60 attacks.
NGUYEN: Well, more U.S. aid arrived in Lebanon today to help some of the 800,000 people displaced by the fighting. Blankets, medical kits and other supplies were unloaded from a ship in Beirut.
Now, this is the first American aid delivered to Lebanon by sea. The U.S. has pledged $30 million in assistance.
CNN takes you back to Lebanon 23 years ago to an event that killed 241 U.S. servicemen. An all new "CNN PRESENTS: THE MARINE BARRACKS BOMBING." That airs tonight at 8:00 Eastern.
HARRIS: All right, let's go live to the region now. The Lebanese port city of Tyre has been a prime target for Israeli air strikes.
CNN's Ben Wedeman is in Tyre and he joins us live with the latest from there -- Ben, good morning to you.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Tony.
It's a grim morning in Tyre. Today, the city is bearing more of its victims. More than 30 coffins being put right now, as I speak, into a mass grave.
Now, I was at the hospital where they were unloading the bodies from a refrigerator truck. But the refrigeration unit in that truck doesn't work. The morgue doesn't have enough room. So the stench is overpowering.
Now, I counted six small coffins, small coffins where the bodies of children are being put, including one child who was just one day old, who died along with his mother. The child didn't even have a name.
This is the second time Tyre has had a mass burial. Last week, 87 bodies were buried in an open field in the middle of this city.
Meanwhile, the situation to the south of here continues to deteriorate. For those who are stuck in isolated towns and villages, Red Cross officials I've spoken to say that because the electricity system has been knocked out, the water system isn't functioning, people have to drink dirty water -- Tony, they're worried that there is going to be an outbreak of disease in those areas.
HARRIS: All right, CNN's Ben Wedeman for us in Tyre.
Ben, appreciate it.
Thank you.
NGUYEN: We want to give you more now on the latest diplomatic maneuvers in the Middle East crisis.
President Bush and Britain's Tony Blair say they will push for a U.N. resolution to end this latest conflict.
White House correspondent Ed Henry looks at how the president's policies are shaping his approach to the crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With Tony Blair at his side, President Bush revealed he's dispatching Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice back to the Mideast to hammer out a United Nations deal.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our goal is a Chapter Seven resolution setting out a clear framework for cessation of hostilities on an urgent basis and mandating the multinational force.
HENRY: Sounds awfully similar to the cease-fire the U.S. has blocked for two weeks. But the president cast this as a larger struggle to disarm Hezbollah and other terrorists.
BUSH: They're violent, cold-blooded killers who are trying to stop the advance of freedom. And this is the calling of the 21st century.
HENRY: That's the Bush Doctrine, the Freedom Agenda laid out in his second inaugural.
BUSH: There is only one force of history that can break the reign of hatred and resentment, and that is the force of human freedom.
HENRY: But this is a president and a doctrine under fire.
WENDY SHERMAN, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: We see Lebanon in the Middle East and the -- Palestine falling into shambles. Some of it for good reason because of the Israel's need to defend themselves. But on the other hand, freedom has taken a back seat to survival.
HENRY: The same can be said of Iraq. A hundred civilians dying every day, overshadowing the first White House visit of new Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and posing a new challenge to a declaration issued just days after 9/11.
BUSH: Either you're with us or you are with the terrorists.
HENRY: That black and white doctrine now seems clouded with shades of gray, as Maliki, dubbed a key ally in the war on terror has refused to denounce Hezbollah.
BUSH: I hear this amazing kind of editorial thought that says all of a sudden Hezbollah has become violent because we're promoting democracy? They have been violent for a long period of time.
HENRY: And the president got some cover from his stalwart friend.
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: It will be a long struggle, I'm afraid. But there's no alternative but to stay the course with it. And we will.
HENRY (on camera): These two leaders are under heavy international pressure to embrace a cease-fire. But they say it has to be a lasting peace, not a short-term fix that gets the horrific images off the TV screens, only to collapse within days.
Ed Henry, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HARRIS: OK, we've been talking about the conflict in Israel and Lebanon. But what about Iraq?
NGUYEN: A good question.
HARRIS: Well, has the war against insurgents turned into an all out civil war?
We'll catch you up on sort of the war of words.
NGUYEN: Also, can't stand the heat? Well, it is dangerously hot out West.
Reynolds Wolf is coming up with his scorcher of a forecast.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's right. Just in time for the weekend, we've got all kinds of stuff to talk about -- that heat that you were referring to. We also have the threat of some wildfires in the Central Plains, some strong storms through parts of the Great Lakes and in St. Louis, unbelievable heat, excessive heat warning that will be in effect through the weekend and into next week.
Your complete forecast is coming up for St. Louis and beyond.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, Howard Dean sounds off once again and the Democratic National Committee chairman kicks off a grassroots campaign 100 days before the election. We will hear from Howard Dean live next hour on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, we're going to step away from the Mideast crisis for a minute to talk about something that pretty much all of you are feeling, and it's not your imagination. This year really is hotter than ever. In fact, it's been so hot in places like California, that even 105 degree heat can feel like relief, believe it or not.
Here's CNN's Joe Johns.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Temperatures were cooling off today after more than a week of death in California. More than 125 fatalities in the blistering heat. Record-breaking electricity used.
And people weren't the only ones in trouble. In Sacramento, the heat had even started killing off the bat population.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It really got to be a problem there, especially on Sunday, when it was 111.
JOHNS: In wine country, the grapes started wilting on the vine. Livestock was dying. Even the fruit flies were, well, dropping like flies. But that may have been the only tangible benefit in what is on track to become a record-breaking summer nationwide, according to government meteorologist Dennis Feltgen.
DENNIS FELTGEN, NOAA: It is unusual. And it's been excessively hot in many states across the country. In fact, there hasn't been a single state this summer that hasn't been affected one way or another with the heat.
JOHNS (on camera): The hottest year on record?
FELTGEN: So far, for the first six months of 2006, the hottest ever recorded in the United States, with records going back to 1895.
JOHNS (voice-over): In the Midwest this week, there was double trouble. At first, a thunderstorm knocked out electricity in St. Louis. And then thousands and thousands of people waited and waited in the sweltering temperatures before power was finally restored.
There was more rain in Ohio. East of Cleveland, in Lake County, a state of emergency was declared after 10 inches of rain fell and flooding caused some evacuations.
(on camera): While people in the West Coast were sweltering in dangerously high temperatures this week, people in places like the Washington, D.C. area got a pleasant break this afternoon. But don't get too comfortable because it looks like the heat wave is headed back east.
(voice-over): And if you're thinking next month has to be better, don't bank on it. Government scientists say this long, hot summer is a long way from done.
Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Oh, a long way from done. That's not what we want to hear.
Hey, everybody, you know how Tony likes to do the weather on this show. Well, look, Reynolds, here's there in your territory trying to take over, it seems.
HARRIS: Well, here's the thing. I just wanted -- because, you know, I've been away a little bit, so I wanted...
NGUYEN: Yes, yes.
HARRIS: And then we've got new digs here for Reynolds. And I wanted to come over and take a look. You're on the same floor with us now.
WOLF: I know.
I know. HARRIS: And then we get this big map here so we can get a better view of all of this heat and all -- well, take it away, sir.
WOLF: It's simply a great way to tell a story.
HARRIS: Yes, yes.
WOLF: There you go.
HARRIS: Take it away.
WOLF: All right.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Did he or didn't he?
Tour de France winner Floyd Landis says he absolutely did not use any performance enhancers. He bicycled his way to the top spot Sunday, but hasn't been able to enjoy it at all. He was tested following the race. The results showed a testosterone imbalance.
In an exclusive interview, Landis spoke with CNN's Larry King last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "LARRY KING LIVE")
FLOYD LANDIS, TOUR DE FRANCE WINNER: I'd love to continue this sport. It's been my passion and my dream and it's a beautiful sport. And I think the people who were watching, even if they're not cyclists themselves, were caught in the moment. And I think it was something special to watch. It certainly was something special to be part of.
I would love to keep racing and I'm going to do my best to defend my dignity and my -- my innocence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Well, that brings us to our e-mail question of the morning.
Do you believe Floyd Landis's story?
Share your thoughts, comments, weekends@cnn.com. That's the address. We'll read your responses throughout the morning here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
NGUYEN: Here's a story that you want to catch up on.
Actually, have you got something else to tell us about Landis?
HARRIS: Yes, just a little bit.
NGUYEN: OK.
Go ahead. HARRIS: Only that we're going to continue to follow this story all morning long and we will bring you the latest developments a soon as we get them.
NGUYEN: Well, I'm so glad you got that in, Tony.
All right, on to this other story.
It's a really close call for a child in Massachusetts. You have to see this -- how a 9-year-old saves the day and the life of his brother.
Plus...
HARRIS: The war in Iraq -- with the increased violence, many are asking if the country is at the brink of a full-fledged civil war. We will discuss that with an expert in about 20 minutes here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT RICHTER, RESCUED BROTHER: I just saw like a finger. And then it came right down. So then I went under and I grabbed him. And then I brought him up to the shore.
JOHN RICHTER, NEARLY DROWNED: I was coughing. I was crying, too, a little.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: How about this story?
Across America now, in Massachusetts, a 9-year-old boy is being called a hero. He snatched his 5-year-old brother out of the water, saving him from drowning in a pond near their home. Aside from being a bit shaken up, both boys are OK.
NGUYEN: Good for them.
Well, in Michigan, a beagle named Pebbles has a whole lot of heart. Look at this little puppy. And a 6-year-old girl was walking Pebbles, this beagle, when all of a sudden a larger dog ran out and attacked the beagle with the girl holding her on a leash. The beagle took the brunt of the attack and she may have saved the child's life.
HARRIS: And take a look at this surveillance video from Connecticut. Watch the bottom of your screen. We're going to try to watch this, too. Oh, there it is.
NGUYEN: Oh, what is that car doing there?
HARRIS: Oh, jeez, plowing into the crowd.
NGUYEN: He didn't even stop. HARRIS: At a festival there, it happened earlier this month. Yesterday, the 85-year-old driver was charged with reckless driving. He says his gas pedal just got stuck. More than two dozen people were hurt.
NGUYEN: Goodness.
Well, a new weapon in the hands of Hezbollah.
What do we know about Hezbollah's new Fabr-1 missile?
How dangerous is it? And what threat does it pose for Israel?
CNN's military analyst, General Don Shepperd, will join us and give us some insight.
HARRIS: Plus, can more U.S. troops in Baghdad squash the sectarian violence in the city and prevent Iraq from slipping into civil war? We will try to answer some of those questions straight ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WOLF: Hi, folks.
I'm Reynolds Wolf with a look at today's Fairway Forecast.
And today, we take you to Milwaukee, where we're expecting a mix of sunshine and clouds, possibly some thunderstorms into the afternoon, with the high temperature of 72 degrees. The wind not too bad, out of the north anywhere from 10 to 15 miles per hour. Although later in the afternoon, some higher gusts are possible.
Take a look at this today's Fairway Forecast.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GIDEON MEIR, SENIOR FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIAL: There's an agreement that as of Sunday, a representative of the United Nations will join the military relief center. Only today, three convoys of relief were allowed through a corridor through to Sidon, Tyre and Jazzin. The prime minister said to Dr. Condoleezza Rice that we will make our utmost to help the humanitarian issue and to help those convoys to go through this corridor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Safe passage for humanitarian aid convoys and to and from Lebanon.
Will they get there safely? What's being -- what agreements are being made?
we're going to bring you the latest on this ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
Welcome back, everybody.
I'm Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.
Let's take a quick look at other news making headlines right now.
Israel rejects a U.N. proposal for a temporary cease-fire. The proposed three-day cease-fire was to get humanitarian supplies into Lebanon and allow civilians to leave the war zone.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice heads back to the region to meet with Prime Minister Olmert later today.
The U.N.'s deputy chief says peacekeepers' debts threatened recruiting of multinational forces for Lebanon. Israel apologizes for bombing the U.N. outpost Tuesday, calling it an accident. Four unarmed military observers were killed.
A lone gunman shoots up a Jewish Center in Seattle. One woman is dead, five others wounded. The other victims are in critical condition. Police call it a hate crime committed by an American Muslim. A suspect is under arrest.
Pro-Lebanese protesters clash with police in Australia. During a speech in Perth, Prime Minister John Howard called Hezbollah a terrorist organization. Howard's car was mobbed as he was driven away. No reports of injuries. Take a look at this scene. But two protesters were arrested.
NGUYEN: Well, lightning strikes a propane tank at a Las Vegas truck stop. Look at this video. A man claimed he felt this blast a mile away. There were no injuries, though.
Several thousand acres also go up in flames in northwest Nebraska. As many as five fires were burning last night, fueled by triple digit temperatures and low humidity. The crackling flames have charred portions of three counties and some residents in Chadron, Nebraska were forced to evacuate. A number of homes are damaged, but no injuries.
And the brutal heat wave breaks in California, but it breaks too late for more than 100 people. The entire state has been just sizzling in triple digit temperatures for two weeks now. Many of the victims are older people.
And here's something you don't often think about. Morgues are even struggling to keep the A.C. up and running to protect their remains.
Well, on one hand, the House votes to hike minimum wage. But on the other, Republicans cut inheritance taxes on multi-million dollar estates. The legislation now goes to the Senate. There is a tough battle expected. For complete coverage of breaking news and today's top stories, you'll want to stay with CNN, the most trusted name in news.
HARRIS: And updating the crisis in the Middle East, here's what we know right now.
Just within the last hour, Israel has rejected a call from the U.N.'s relief coordinator for a 72-hour cease-fire. Israel kept up its attacks overnight. The Israeli Air Force says it carried out 60 air strikes.
Hezbollah representatives agreed to a Lebanese government peace plan, with reservations. A group objected to plans for a robust force of international peacekeepers but agreed to an increased international presence.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrives back in the region today. She meets with Israel's prime minister in about six hours to discuss a U.N. resolution to end the fighting.
Hezbollah has fired its most powerful rockets so far into Israel.
joining us to talk about that and the Israeli military strategy, CNN military analyst, retired Air Force Major General Don Shepperd -- Don, good to see you.
Good morning, sir.
MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD, U.S. AIR FORCE (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good morning, Tony.
HARRIS: Well, Don, talk to us about this Khaibar-1 missile (ph) and its capabilities.
SHEPPERD: Yes, this Khaibar-1 is seen as a major escalation by Israel for two reasons, Tony. One is the range. This hit about 45 miles into Israel. I don't know if you've got the map there that we can also look at.
HARRIS: OK.
SHEPPERD: It's also the explosive power of the rocket. We've been talking about Katyushas that have a 12-mile range and about a 20 kilogram or a 50-pound warhead.
This has a 45-mile plus range and a 100-kilogram or almost 220 pound warhead. So great explosive power.
Now, the rockets we've been talking about so far are 12 mile Katyushas, a Fajr-3, with a 25-mile range, a Fajr-5 with a 45-mile range and now we're seeing something that fires 45 to 60 miles. So it's a modified Fajr-5 and the ones that the Israelis are really worried about is, perhaps, the Hezbollah might have some of the Zelzal missiles with a 120-mile range, that would get it to Tel Aviv. And that would be a whole new escalation in itself.
HARRIS: So this has decidedly more capability, can we say, than Israel thought Hezbollah had?
SHEPPERD: Well, no. Israel probably knew that they had this type of weapon. For instance, the Fajr-5 has the same warhead on it as this. But, you know, they didn't know how much of this was bluster and how much of it would really be able to be fired.
The point is, it was fired from Southern Lebanon. They haven't cleared out Southern Lebanon yet. And this is a really destructive weapon that -- it's 10 times as powerful, or let's see, it would be five times a powerful as the Katyushas.
I've been under attack by Katyushas many times and they're terrifying. This is really terrifying.
HARRIS: Wow!
If you -- you have a rocket of this kind of capability, you need a delivery system.
What about the launchers and where are they and why has Israel had difficulty in cleaning those out?
SHEPPERD: Yes. The launchers of the Katyushas are very small. They're manned portable. You can set one up very quickly and run. These, for the bigger missiles, take something like a truck. It's got usually a four tube -- tubes on a truck. And so the tracks are more vulnerable, harder to get around, easier to detect. But none of it's easy. There's a lot of territory up there to look over.
HARRIS: Don, everybody's talking about cleaning this out, cleaning out Hezbollah and cleaning out Southern Lebanon.
Is Israel, at least right now, making a mistake by not committing ground forces to that area?
SHEPPERD: Well, I tell you, that's a hard question because Israel's moral stance so far has been, look, we've withdrawn from Gaza, we've withdrawn from Lebanon, we're attacked on our territory. That's why we've gone back into Southern Lebanon to defend ourselves.
If they reoccupy Southern Lebanon, that moral stance, if you will, goes away.
On the other hand, they have got to get well into Southern Lebanon, up to the Litani, to take care of the Katyushas and the type of rockets that we've seen so far.
So, to be seen whether that will be done by them or by some type of international force.
HARRIS: Retired Air Force Major General Don Shepperd.
Don, good to see you, as always.
thank you, sir.
SHEPPERD: A pleasure, Tony.
NGUYEN: Well, up next, the fight for Iraq. We're going to talk about that country for a minute.
There is a war of words going on. Has the battle against insurgents turned into a civil war? We're going to take a closer look.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: The Mideast conflict between Israel and Lebanon boots Iraq from the headlines. But the deteriorating security situation in Baghdad has the White House fighting the perception that Iraq has descended into civil war.
Senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre reports on the war of words.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): All out civil war is seen by many as the worst case scenario for Iraq. So if, like White House Spokesman Tony Snow, your job is to put the best face on the war, it's not a phrase in your lexicon.
TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I'm not to get into the labeling game. I think the most important -- because I don't know where you go with that, except you get a headline. "Administration Says Civil War!"
MCINTYRE: But with violence on the rise, especially in Baghdad, the U.S. does admit that sectarian or religious warfare has eclipsed the al Qaeda-backed insurgency as the biggest threat to Iraq's security.
But instead of citing increasing warfare between Sunni and Shia militia, the military now refers to the enemy as members of death squads, which gives the impression of smaller criminal gangs.
COL. DOUGLAS MACGREGOR, U.S. ARMY (RET.): If you say death squad, people remember Latin America. They think of a few people assassinating a limited number of their countrymen. This is a -- it's a wonderful term if you're trying to divert attention from the fundamental problem on the ground.
MCINTYRE: Military spokesperson in Baghdad say the warring factions are, in fact, operating more like the mafia than revolutionaries.
MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM CALDWELL, MULTINATIONAL FORCE - IRAQ: When we say death squads, what we're referring to is anybody who's operating outside of the law, any illegal element that is out intentionally using murder and killings to further their personal goals.
MCINTYRE: Press releases from Iraq, like this one just issued, now routinely refer to capturing or killing members of death squads. But what's often not said is that the kidnappings and murders are part of a cycle of attacks and reprisals between warring Shia and Sunni militias, some who are operating within the Iraqi security forces.
to critics, it appears an attempt to deny what many believe -- that Iraq is sliding into a protracted civil war.
MACGREGOR: The American military and its spokesmen are trying to help the administration maintain the fiction that this is not happening in Iraq. It is happening.
MCINTYRE (on camera): There is no one definition of civil war. Generally speaking, it involves at least two warring factions, irreconcilable differences and substantial casualties. But whatever you call the war in Iraq, the U.S. continues to believe that only a political solution agreed to by the Iraqis themselves can stop it.
Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, survivors of attack after attack in Baghdad are asking where is the security plan?
Now, more U.S. troops are slated to patrol Baghdad. Iraq's prime minister vows, god willing, there will be no civil war in Iraq.
So where do things really stand, though?
Joining us from Washington is Jeffrey White of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a former defense intelligence officer.
Jeff specializes in military and security affairs in Iraq.
Thanks for being with us today.
JEFFREY WHITE, WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Well, let's talk about the situation in Iraq.
The U.S. is going to boost its troops in Baghdad by delaying departure of some of the troops that were, indeed, headed home.
Is that really the answer? Is that going to secure the situation?
WHITE: Well, those troops, the additional troops, will certainly help in Baghdad. But the problem in Baghdad is enormous. It's a city of six million people. It's highly divided by sectarian, you know, conflict now. It has embedded insurgent elements operating within it. And it has a large scale Shia militia presence.
So these are huge problems.
NGUYEN: Yes, they are, indeed. In fact, the Defense Department says about 1,000 Iraqis are killed each month. In fact, the latest reports show about 100 are killed each day.
Is Iraq truly on the verge of a civil war?
WHITE: Well, this is a semantic argument, to some extent. And we are seeing a significant amount of civil conflict, that is, conflict between various segments of the population.
In my own mind, it hasn't progressed yet to the stage of civil war, in which you have the two communities or three communities fully pitted against one another with the support of their -- with their -- with the support of their leadership.
The insurgent elements in Iraq are tending to get forgotten in a lot of this discussion. But the insurgents, the Sunni insurgents in Iraq are, in fact, a major engine of violence there. And they should not be forgotten.
NGUYEN: Well, I don't think the insurgents are being forgotten by the U.S. military, because, in fact, they say that U.S. forces on the ground are going to be turning their focus onto these death squads.
Now, how key is that? And tell us a little bit about these death squads.
WHITE: Well, the term death squad itself, in a sense, minimizes the nature of what we're fighting in Baghdad and beyond. We're fighting a well organized insurgency in Sunni areas of Iraq, including parts of Baghdad. And we're increasingly involved now in military action against Shia militias. And these can be fairly large forces overall, although they do tend to operate in smaller numbers.
But we've seen up to 100 insurgents involved in an action, 50 insurgents involved in an action and similar numbers for Shia militias involved in actions. So the term death squad, in my mind, does not capture the size of what we're facing or the complexity of what we're facing.
NGUYEN: Well, it's, indeed, an enormous problem.
so let's look at the end game, at least for U.S. forces. Many Americans have wanted to know for quite some time now when are troops going to be able to get out of Iraq and come home.
What do you foresee at this point?
WHITE: I foresee us being there for years.
NGUYEN: How many?
WHITE: In the best case situation, a minimum of five.
NGUYEN: Really? WHITE: I think with a substantial commitment, and probably a decade or more of at least some military presence there, guaranteeing the government and serving to train and equip the Iraqi security forces.
NGUYEN: All right...
WHITE: This is a long-term effort.
NGUYEN: It sounds like it, from your perspective, at least.
Jeff White with the Washington Institute.
Thanks for your time today.
WHITE: Thank you.
HARRIS: Well, look who's here, Veronica de la Cruz from the Dot- Com Desk and Pipeline.
NGUYEN: Yes, hello.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
HARRIS: Good to see you.
DE LA CRUZ: It has been way too long.
HARRIS: What are you working on?
DE LA CRUZ: Where have you been?
HARRIS: Oh, that's a good...
NGUYEN: he's been picking out our matching outfits, that's where he's been.
DE LA CRUZ: Is that what it is?
HARRIS: It's insane, isn't it?
DE LA CRUZ: You guys look pretty nifty this morning.
NGUYEN: It's crazy. Yes.
We didn't plan this.
DE LA CRUZ: It was a phone call last night, right?
NGUYEN: No.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes, you did.
NGUYEN: No, we did not.
DE LA CRUZ: You guys called each other. NGUYEN: I promise.
HARRIS: Well, I've got another jacket in the car.
DE LA CRUZ: Right, the gray and the blue.
HARRIS: I'll be going in a minute or run-to the car.
NGUYEN: But your wife -- your wife actually predicted this.
HARRIS: Predicted it. Predicted it, yes.
NGUYEN: Odd, yes.
DE LA CRUZ: Really?
NGUYEN: She has special powers, apparently.
DE LA CRUZ: Oh.
HARRIS: Well, good to see you, lady.
NGUYEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) tell me.
DE LA CRUZ: It's so nice to see you.
And, again, I love the tie. You guys both look great.
You know, you guys, being journalists, there are stories that you might cover that will stick with you for the rest of your life, right?
NGUYEN: Yes.
DE LA CRUZ: So imagine this -- working on a story and coming face-to-face with an alleged serial killer.
HARRIS: Oh.
DE LA CRUZ: Well, one of our female producers at cnn.com had the opportunity to speak with this man. We'll have the chilling details next from the Dot-Com Desk.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WOLF: Hi, folks.
I'm Reynolds Wolf with a look at today's Allergy Report.
How about that?
We have got pretty good conditions for you if you happen to be in the Northern Plains through portions of the Mississippi Valley. But in the Central Plains out toward parts of the Great Basin and the West Coast, the Pacific Northwest, as well as portions of the Carolinas, things are not too good for you.
That's a look at today's Allergy Report.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, he is on death row for the murder of two women. William Richard Bradford came face-to-face with the producer at cnn.com while on death row to tell his story and...
HARRIS: Our Veronica de la Cruz is here with more.
And this sounds pretty spooky.
NGUYEN: Yes, it does.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes, you guys.
The way his prosecutor tells the story, he says that Bradford literally scared jurors into giving him the death penalty. He goes on to say that Bradford was the scariest defendant he ever prosecuted.
He was convicted of murdering two young ladies and sentenced to death in the early '80s. During closing arguments, he told the jurors, Tony and Betty, "Think of how many more you don't know about."
HARRIS: Oh, boy.
DE LA CRUZ: Bradford's secrets almost died with him. He was scheduled to die on death row. And five days before, changed his mind and decided he wanted to live. His case was reopened.
This week, homicide detectives released 50 pictures of women found years ago among his possessions.
At cnn.com, we have a link to those pictures, which William Richard Bradford took himself. He posed as a freelance photographer in order to lure the women.
Investigators with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department are trying to find out who these women are and where some of them might be. They do believe that more than half of them are still alive.
So, if you know any of these women, you can contact the L.A. County Sheriff's Department. We have numbers and the e-mail address for you in the article, located on the Web.
Now, Anna O'Neal (ph), one of our producers at cnn.com, was working for the "Los Angeles Times." She sat down to interview Bradford face-to-face back in 1998 at San Quentin State Prison and described him as "well groomed and intense."
She said: "He was charming and, at times, creepy."
At one point, Bradford complained that the police found a knife in his car that could have been a murder weapon. He looked her in the eye, made a stabbing motion and said, "I could do more damage to you right now with this pen --" HARRIS: OK.
All right.
DE LA CRUZ: And you can read the rest of Anna O'Neal's (ph) interview with Bradford at cnn.com/law, along with some poetry that he wrote while on death row.
And then later on today, our Peter Viles will have a more in- depth report on some of the women that Bradford may have killed.
And that's coming up right here on CNN.
NGUYEN: Very disturbing. But those pictures could be very helpful in the investigation.
HARRIS: Yes.
DE LA CRUZ: Absolutely.
NGUYEN: Thank you, Veronica.
HARRIS: We want to get you to our e-mail question of the day.
Floyd Landis, the winner of the Tour de France, was with Larry King last night.
NGUYEN: He was, yes.
HARRIS: Made his case. Told his side of the story. He is accused of doping. He had a test that came back...
NGUYEN: Yes, he had a high level of testosterone in his system.
HARRIS: Yes. Another test to come. The results, we'll learn more about that this week.
Here's the question for you: Floyd Landis -- do you believe his story?
Benny from Canada writes: "I believe Floyd is clean. I also believe that for the last decade, the French press has been trying to smear the reputation of non-French participants of the Tour."
Thank you, Betty.
NGUYEN: Here's an interesting point from John Stork. He says: "There would be no conceivable benefit to using testosterone prior to one stage. It does not have any acute performance enhancing effect. Additionally, in medicine, if we ever based this much emphasis on the result of one lab test, we be open to all sorts of problems. Labs are easily as fallible as anyone. Yes, I believe Floyd."
But tell us what you think.
Do you believe? It seems like most of the e-mails this morning say they are in Floyd's favor. But you can still weigh in. Here's the question -- Floyd Landis, do you believe his story that he was clean, no doping involved?
E-mail us, weekends@cnn.com.
HARRIS: And the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING begins in a moment.
But first, Gerri Willis has your Tip of the Day.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The scorching summer season can lead to dangerous dehydration and you need to know how to prevent it.
Before you head outside, drink plenty of water. Coffee, tea and sodas, they don't count. They all have caffeine, which is a no-no when trying to stay hydrated.
And in the summer heat, keep it cool by wearing loose-fitting clothing and a hat, if you can. This will cut down on sweating. And as for the perfect summer snack, eat lots of fruits and veggies. Those apples and carrots already have lots of water in them.
(on camera): I'm Gerri Willis and that's your Tip of the Day.
Make sure you join us for "OPEN HOUSE" today, 9:30 a.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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