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CNN Live Sunday
Israel and Hezbollah Trade Blows Before the Bell; More Security Changes From TSA; Terror Probe
Aired August 13, 2006 - 16:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Eight hours and counting until the planned Mideast cease-fire. The Israeli cabinet following Lebanon's lead in approving U.N. Resolution 1701, but not without some last- minute attacks from both sides.
Live reports from both Lebanon and Israel straight ahead.
And Homeland security Secretary Michael Chertoff says there is no evidence terror suspects detained in Britain planned any operations inside the United States. The 23 men are accused of plotting to blow up airliners heading to the United States.
And a developing story out of southern California. This fire broke out about an hour ago, and you can see quickly that it's spreading heavy smoke there. Parts of I-5, the major north-south interstate in California, is closed northeast of Los Angeles.
We're going to keep our eyes on this one, as well as some of the evacuations we were seeing of some farm animals.
All right. Just how far has Senator Joe Lieberman's political stock fallen? Well, today, Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean says Lieberman should withdraw completely from the November elections.
This is a man who doesn't want to quit. He lost the party primary to a political novice. So now Joe Lieberman says he's going to run as an Independent, instead.
In Michigan City, Indiana, an investigation is under way after six people are found dead in an apartment fire. The blaze broke out before dawn. No official word yet on what may have caused that blaze.
And a fiery Cuban president. Fidel Castro is 80 years old today. He's recuperating from abdominal surgery two weeks ago.
We're going to have more on this story in 20 minutes.
To our top story, the biggest story going yet today, Israel and Hezbollah trade blows before the bell. With the agreed-upon cease- fire hours away, more than 250 rockets hit Israel, and at least one person died, raising the civilian death toll in Israel to 41.
Israeli warplanes hit several parts of Lebanon, including the port city of Tyre. Fifteen confirmed deaths today in Lebanon. Lebanese officials say at least 890 people have been killed since the fighting began.
Also hit today, the Lebanese capital. A barrage of Israeli rockets striking southern Beirut.
We're going to start our coverage with Beirut Bureau Chief Brent Sadler.
Brent, we are just hours away from a cease-fire to be implemented at 8:00 a.m. your time, and yet so much violence today. Why so?
BRENT SADLER, CNN BEIRUT BUREAU CHIEF: That's right, Carol. That deadline seems very close, but peace seems a very, very long way off this day.
It has been one of the most intense days of ground activity in the south, Hezbollah fighting very hard with Israeli soldiers. Also very much activity in the air, especially in the skies over the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
The outskirts, the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs, came under multiple attacks today. Very, very heavy explosions heard cracking through the city. At least 20 strikes this day. The most I have counted in one single day since this conflict started.
We have reports of casualties there, a rising death toll here in Lebanon. And we also understand from the authorities here that the Israelis hit eight blocks of apartment buildings, and many people after the strikes were scrabbling through the rubble trying to rescue survivors. That death toll expected to mount as a result of those strikes, strikes that continued until just a couple of hours ago, Carol.
Also, as you reported, in the southern port city of Tyre, again, a lot more Israeli air activity, air strikes on a number of gas stations in the Tyre area. And also, as sun set, helicopter gun ships reportedly also engaging, attempting to destroy more of Hezbollah in the closing hours leading up to that cease-fire deadline.
Now, both Israel and Lebanon have accepted the terms of the cease-fire resolution, but there is a problem appearing here in Lebanon. Hezbollah's two ministers on the cabinet are saying that Hezbollah will keep its arms in the southern area. And that really is going to be a problem in implementing an international force to go south along with the Lebanese army. Very much a growing problem that has yet to be resolved -- Carol.
LIN: Because there's nothing in this U.N. resolution as to the specifics of how Hezbollah will disarm. So, if they contain their weapons, they have their weapons, but they're not using their weapons, does that meet the U.N. guidelines?
SADLER: That's a big problem, Carol. Excuse me, we just got a generator kicked in here. So if you hear me coughing, it's because of diesel fumes, nothing else.
LIN: We hear you fine. SADLER: But basically, the problem is, will Hezbollah voluntarily agree to the terms of the resolution that make that area a weapons-free zone for the militia? This is a very difficult problem.
If Hezbollah keeps those weapons, then the international troops are very unlikely to deploy under those conditions. Neither could the Lebanese army. This is a problem for Lebanon to resolve.
LIN: All right. Thanks very much.
Brent Sadler, live in Beirut.
Now we're going to set the scene from Israel. Even as Israel's cabinet OK'd the U.N. cease-fire, Israeli troops continue to fight on Lebanese soil.
CNN's Matthew Chance live with us -- for us in northern Israel, near the Lebanese border.
Matthew, is there any indication that Israel is actually going to control all the territory up to the Litani River by the time this U.N. cease-fire is implemented at 8:00 a.m.?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I certainly think that Israel is deploying sufficient forces on the ground in southern Lebanon. By some estimates, at least 30,000 ground troops now in that part of the country, to be able to spread its forces around the region of southern Lebanon, up as far as the Litani River.
The hope is that they can control or crack down on enough Hezbollah strongholds in that area between the Israeli border and the Litani River to stop Hezbollah firing its multiple rockets into towns and cities across this country. But whether they can actually control the territory is a completely different question, and it's not altogether clear they can do that at all.
In fact, we've been seeing Israeli fierces really going hard against various strongholds in southern Lebanon, only to be attacked, counter-attacked by Hezbollah fighters, who have, remember, spent such a long time, so many years over the past six years since Israel ended its occupation of southern Lebanon the last time, retraining and building up their forces, and working out tactics in order to fight the Israelis when they come in like they have this time.
At the same time, we have been seeing Israel, as Brent was mentioning, really pounding Hezbollah strongholds, not just in south Lebanon but elsewhere across the country, as well, in the capital, Beirut, and beyond. But what they haven't been able to do is dent the Lebanese militia's capability of firing their rockets at towns and cities across Israel.
Already today there have been more than 250 Hezbollah rockets fired into Israel. That's one of the highest numbers since this conflicts began, with only eight hours left until the cease-fire comes into force. It seems that both sides are bent on trying to cause as much pain on the other as possible -- Carol.
LIN: Amazing pictures.
Matthew Chance, thank you very much, reporting live from northern Israel.
Now we want to show you exactly what this peace resolution will do if fully implemented, but there are a lot of fuzzy details out there.
The number of U.N. troops will be boosted from 2,000 to 15,000, but no specific timetable when they're going to be deployed. And 15,000 Lebanese troops will also be deployed to the south, but we don't know when.
The resolution calls for the unconditional release of two Israeli soldiers kidnapped by Hezbollah, but it's unclear who's actually going to make arrangements for that. And it also calls for a full cessation of hostilities.
Seven hours, 54 minutes until the deadline.
We've got another top story, as well, the alleged transatlantic terror plot. More security changes today from the TSA that will affect passengers on all U.S. flights.
Our Kathleen Koch live at the White House right now.
Kathleen, what more can they do for passengers out there?
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, you are about to find out.
And what it means is, is good news for some travelers, bad news for others. And they are calling these refinements to thwart this new threat of liquid explosives.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KOCH (voice over): The changes are both a tightening and easing of airport security. Shoe removal will now be mandatory instead of optional. As to the ban on liquids and gels in carry-on bags, low blood sugar treatments, including glucose gel for diabetics, will now be permitted. Also now allowed, small doses of liquid medications, up to four ounces.
And a clarification on items that had drawn some confusion. All aerosols are prohibited. But passengers can bring on baby food and solid lipstick.
The new rules came as Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff made the rounds of the Sunday morning talk shows, reassuring Americans no U.S. links have yet been found in the terror plot.
MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We are sifting through to see what contacts, if any, these plotters had with Americans. Right now I can still tell you that the current -- current evidence does not show any plotting occurring inside the United States or any plan to conduct operations within the United States.
KOCH: As the investigation continues, some lawmakers have expressed concern that the Bush administration late last month tried to divert $6 million for new explosives detection technology research to other uses. Though it was less that 1/100th of the research budget, it raised eyebrows and Congress rejected the move.
REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: I discussed this with the top people in the Homeland Security Department. I'm convinced that they are doing all they can to perfect liquid explosive technology. Having said that, I think this was a bad idea. It sent the wrong signal when they tried to transfer the $6 million out and Congress did say no.
KOCH: Chertoff insisted the government is pumping plenty of money into improving the detection of explosives and other weapons.
CHERTOFF: We have spent in fiscal year '06, which is this year, a little under $800 million on detection, research and deployment. And that's over and apart from the amount of money we've spent specifically training screeners on explosive detection. And that's important part, the human element. It's not only technology.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOCH: The administration insisted it also does not want to waste taxpayer dollars. And what it's trying to do is come up with a technology that will detect the explosives made from common household products, but not have constant false positives causing long lines and long delays for passengers -- Carol.
LIN: Kathleen, thank you so much.
We want to take our viewers now across the Atlantic. Travelers in Britain are still dealing with the long waits and longer lines. The British police are stepping up their hunt for more evidence in the terror probe.
Richard Quest is live with the latest at Heathrow Airport in London -- Richard.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good evening to you, Carol, from Heathrow, where it has been a miserable day on a variety of fronts. Not only for travelers who are facing long delays and up to 30 percent of flights having been canceled here at Heathrow, but also the weather not making things any better. It's been truly dreadful. But we've had information from the British government which now starts to suggest just how big this investigation has become.
The U.K. interior minister, or home secretary, Dr. John Reid, says that the government believes that up to two dozen people, other people may have been involved, and they are looking into many other different strands, different aspects and different leads. They also say they have until now foiled up to four other similar plots. It's all leading to a situation where the U.K. remains on critical alert. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN REID, BRITISH HOME SECRETARY: There could be others out there, perhaps people we don't know, perhaps people who are involved in other plots. So the threat of a terrorist attack in the United Kingdom is still substantial. Because it was imminent last week, it moved up from the highly likely threat that's severe, to critical because it looked imminent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: Now, this just shows how grim it is at the airport. It's taking four times as long to check in for flights to the United States because hand baggage has to be checked, there has to be personal searches.
On the positive side of this, Carol, one airline, United Airlines, did say to me that they were getting all of their flights out from Heathrow with delays of maybe 45 minutes to an hour. So it's very much, you pays your money, you takes your choice. It just depends where you are going.
And to give you the other extreme, my sister and her family on a flight to Spain, Carol, it took them seven hours to check in.
LIN: Oh, my goodness. Just for the check-in process? That's pretty fierce.
Richard Quest, thank you so much.
ROTH: Absolutely. And number three, things aren't going to get much better any time soon.
LIN: All right. We're good to have you on the story. Appreciate it.
All day Monday CNN is going to look at where America is most vulnerable to terror attacks. No matter what time you tune in, you are going to get essential insight on the threats and what you can do to stay safe, and whether the government's got a clue.
"Target: USA," all day Monday, only on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: Coming up, who crossed the line? Protesters or police?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When it went through the sign it hit her smack dab in the middle of the head.
ANNOUNCER: One incident, two tapes, and a CNN investigation.
Castro turns 80. Out of surgery and back in the public eye, new pictures surface of the communist leader.
Three men, 1,000 untraceable cell phones. Was this Michigan bridge a target of terror?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Taking a look at the pictures out of southern California, you are watching a -- what appears to be a wildfire burning in the Gorman area of California. It's a desert ranch area just north of Los Angeles.
On the telephone with me right now is Captain Mark Savage. He's with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Captain Savage, give us the situation here and whether there have been any injuries.
CAPT. MARK SAVAGE, L.A. COUNTY FIRE DEPT.: No injuries. This fire started about two hours ago, and it is burning, like you said, about 60 miles north of greater Los Angeles and the north part of our county. Very inaccessible terrain. We've got about 250 firefighters, aircraft, villagers all working a coordinated attack, and there are structures in the area. We do have some horses in the area.
So we are also defending structures as this fire moves into some area where there are some threats. But this is -- it's going to go on for a while yet just because there's a lot of open line. We have 15- mile-an-hour winds, and it's a coordinated attack with many firefighters. And we are trying to get this thing stopped.
LIN: Right. You have to get it stopped because, Captain Savage, this is fire county. I mean, if something gets out of hand in a couple of hours, you're about to hit the windiest part of the day out there.
Are there homes in the area that might be threatened?
SAVAGE: There are some ranch homes in the area that we are deploying what we call structure protection. We're sending engines ahead of where the fire is, where the fire is moving, to have engines, as you see, parked next to the structures, because they're going to make a stand there at the structures if we're not able to stop the fire in time.
LIN: Right. Right. OK.
Thank you very much, Captain Savage.
Just a short time ago, we were watching a dramatic roundup of horses on a ranch there with white smoke -- there you go -- filling the skies there as these poor horses on the run.
L.A. County Fire doing everything it can to stop this fire.
All right. By the way, have you heard of I-Report? It's CNN's way of letting you report for CNN. Now, for example, this video of yesterday's hailstorm in Salt Lake City is a prime example. We requested the video from affiliate KSL after Rob Mosher sent us this photo.
The I-Report process is pretty simple and easy. All you have to do is go to the CNN home page and look for the I-Report logo, and it's going to walk you through the steps so that you can truly say, "I report for CNN."
So, by the way, if you're out at that fire in Gorman, California, send us some pictures.
In the meantime, it's time to see what's buzzing out there on the blogosphere. And this is what they're talking about.
It's the NSA's warrantless eavesdropping program. At least that's how it's described on the blogs. Every -- ever since the story appeared in "The New York Times" last December, there have been questions about the timing of its release.
Well, earlier, the executive editor of "The Times" said drafts of the article were delayed well before the 2004 election. Now, many have wondered how the story would have affected President Bush's reelection campaign, but "The Times" editor now admits the discussion about whether to publish was on the eve of that election. And he says his earlier characterization of any delays in publishing were, as he put it, "Inelegant."
You have to check this story out because it raises a lot of questions.
Miami police are wincing from a proverbial self-inflicted black eye caught on tape. It shows cops laughing, even applauding about a female protester being shot in the face with a rubber bullet. And now it looks like the protester, who is an attorney, may have the last laugh.
Here's our Susan Candiotti.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Standing out in the crowd in a red blazer, black skirt and heels, attorney Elizabeth Ritter received some media coverage three years ago at a free trade protest when she was shot with rubber bullets in the back and a leg.
ELIZABETH RITTER, MIAMI ATTORNEY: Did you shoot me? Did you shoot me? Did you shoot me?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
RITTER: A lady in a suit who's been walking peaceably in front of you for half an hour? You shot me when my back was turned?
CANDIOTTI: Her beef wasn't with the trade summit but with the strong police presence. Minutes later, she took another rubber bullet on her forehead as she crouched behind her homemade sign that read "Fear totalitarianism."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You OK?
RITTER: Don't get around me. Let them see it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They hit her in the face!
CANDIOTTI: Now her case is back in the news because of this...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The good news about being -- being able to watch you guys on TV is that lady with the red dress.
(LAUGHTER)
CANDIOTTI: ... a police video shot after the shooting incident just released following a review of excessive force complaints at the protest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know who got her, but it was -- went it went through the sign, it hit her smack dab in the middle of the head
(APPLAUSE)
CANDIOTTI: Attorney Ritter says she was too scared to file a complaint before, but now she is intends to sue for excessive force.
RITTER: I was cowering with a poster behind me, but my fingers were in front of the poster. I believe they thought that my face -- would have reasonably concluded that my face was behind that poster, and that's why they fired that shot.
CANDIOTTI: The Broward Sheriff's Office says Ritter's possible civil rights lawsuit prevents them from talking specifics. Officers at the scene tell CNN they warned the crowd to move back.
Ritter disputes that.
(on camera): Can you say whether you stand by the events of that day?
MAJ. JOHN BROOKS, BROWARD SHERIFF'S OFFICE: Yes, we do.
CANDIOTTI: The shooting -- the shooting that day?
BROOKS: Yes, we do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Picked up from the streets of Miami from one of the scurrying cockroaches.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, cool.
(APPLAUSE)
CANDIOTTI (voice over): Police are red-faced about their video.
(on camera): Do you think that tape paints a pretty picture?
BROOKS: No, I don't. Those comments shouldn't have been made. I should have stopped them, and I recognize that.
CANDIOTTI: No officer has been charged or disciplined in Ritter's rubber bullet incident, nor is it under investigation.
Susan Candiotti, CNN Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Coming up, Cuban leader Fidel Castro turns 80 years old today. New pictures and his special birthday visitor, that's next.
Plus, screeners know what passengers take on to a plane, but do they know what's underneath? The baggage that's not checked and the risk it poses, that's coming up.
Also, checking the fire in California. We're going to be staying on top of this one. You are looking at the blaze in southern California that's driving horses from their homes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Interim cuban president and also Castro's brother, Raul Castro, welcomed visiting President Hugo Chavez to Havana today. The two Latin American statesmen shared a warm embrace. Chavez is in the Cuban capital to visit his close friend and ally, Fidel Castro, who is recovering from abdominal surgery.
Now, it is Fidel Castro's 80th birthday as well, and it has been 47 years since he rose to power. And some think his days as Cuban leader may be coming to an end.
CNN's Morgan Neill has more from our Havana bureau.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MORGAN NEILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Early Sunday, the first of two surprises from Cuba's leadership. A message from ailing president Fidel Castro to his country.
"I feel very happy," read the headline in the state-run newspaper. More importantly, the paper featured photos of the president, the first since he ceded power two weeks ago following surgery to stop intestinal bleeding.
The next surprise, a public appearance from acting president Raul Castro. Cuban television broadcast these images of Fidel's 75-year- old brother greeting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez at Havana's airport. It's the first time Raul Castro has appeared in public since taking over from his brother.
In the newspaper pictures, Fidel Castro, dressed in a track suit, rather than his usual olive fatigues, is shown holding up Saturday's newspaper as if to prove when the photo was taken. In others, he's seen talking on the phone.
(on camera): The message, his condition has improved. The recovery will be long and filled with risk. No word on when or even if he will resume his duties as president. Nevertheless, here in the streets of the capital, a sense of relief.
(voice over): This bookseller says, "It's good the pictures came out so that Cubans know he's recovering, as well as the Americans, who said that he was dead and had been secretly buried."
This retired woman says she's both happy and relieved to see the president is out of danger.
"I hope he lives another 80 years," says this man.
Outside Havana, media were invited to witness this show of support by sugar workers.
While Fidel Castro has asked Cubans to postpone celebration of his birthday until December, he and his brother are taking advantage of the day to let Cubans know they are still in charge.
Morgan Neill, CNN, Havana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Coming up, what lies beneath? Screeners check what you take on to the plane, but what about the luggage that's under it, in the hold? A frightening report ahead.
Plus, three Americans charged with terror. Why their cell phone purchases made police suspicious.
And later, if you are not reading them you may want to start, blogs, and their growing influence on politics and life.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Welcome back and here's a quick look at what's happening right now in the news. New rules for air travelers. Today the federal government eased new restrictions on carryon items. Solid lipstick and baby food will now be allowed and small doses of liquid medicine are also OK but all aerosols are banned.
And deadly Mideast attacks. They raged on today only hours before a UN resolution to cease hostilities comes into effect. A full report from the region straight ahead. Seven hours 28 minutes until the ceasefire resolution is implemented.
And a developing story out of Southern California. This fire broke out an hour and a half ago and you can see how quickly it's beginning to spread. Parts of Interstate 5 are closed northeast of Los Angeles. That's the main south-north route. We are going to be watching this fire very closely. Now, in southeast China, complete devastation and a rising death toll. The results of a fierce typhoon that hit late last week. Officials now say 134 people died in that storm and dozens are still missing. Misery on the ground.
And get this -- Senator Joe Lieberman is a Connecticut Democrat running as an independent who is now being endorsed by Republicans. The "Washington Times" reports some Republican senatorial candidates are supporting his candidacy along with New York Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The Bush administration is trying to persuade Americans it is doing all it can to keep U.S. air travel safe. And officials say the suspects in the airline terror plot planned to use liquid explosives and homeland security secretary Michael Chertoff says that threat poses a challenge for the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: The difficulty is not only can we detect the explosive, the difficulty is what do we do with explosives made out of very common chemicals, chemicals that almost everybody has with them in their dry-cleaning or cosmetics. Because we don't want a system that has so many false positives that we have hours and hours of waiting on line at the airport because we have to open every bottle and every cosmetics case. So the challenge here is not just technology, but it's finding a technology that will fit with our system and not create delays and impediments for the air traveler.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: And speaking of the system, the alleged terror threat in London raised a whole host of troubling questions about how safe Americans really are when they fly. Now right now the focus it on carry-on luggage but there is no system in place to screen checked luggage for liquid explosives and some cargo checked on passenger planes is not checked for any kinds of explosives. Peter Viles reports from Los Angeles.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Air travelers adjusted quickl to the new security rules by checking more baggage, avoiding the hassle of new carry-on rules. But what if terrorists think the same way? How safe is all that checked luggage and cargo in the bottom of the plane?
MIKE BOYD, AIRLINE CONSULTANT: We don't know what's underneath the floor in that airplane. In terms of what cargo is there or baggage. Anything can be put in that now and the fact of the matter is that stuff could be set off in flight from the cabin.
VILES: The 9/11 commission voiced and continues to voice similar concerns there is no nationwide system in place to detect all explosives in checked baggage. THOMAS KEAN, 9/11 COMMISSION VICE CHAIRMAN: There is technology available now that can detect explosives in baggage, it has not yet been deployed at most airports. That has to happen.
VILES (on camera): This challenge is particularly acute here in Los Angeles where the entire airport baggage system is already scheduled to be replaced, and yet the amount of traffic handled by that system spiked by 30 to 50 percent immediately after the terror threat.
(voice-over): It's an open secret that the TSA lacks the technology to screen all cargo for explosives.
NICO MELENDEZ, TSA SPOKESMAN: Right now there's no technology to be able to screen larger pieces on of cargo. So we have been working with industry to develop technology so we can meet that.
VILES: But the immediate focus is on liquid explosives, a challenge because they can be made from common chemicals.
CHERTOFF: The difficulty is what do we do with explosives made out of very common chemicals? Chemicals that most everybody has with them in their dry-cleaning or their cosmetics. Because we don't want a system that has so many false positives that we have hours of waiting in line at the airport because we have to open every bottle and every cosmetics case.
VILES: The administration says it's moving quickly to develop new explosive detection systems. The question is -- is it moving quickly enough? Peter Viles for CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Now, you guys are out on the front lines on this story so we want to find out from you, how has this terror plot news affected you? Send, share, you can see your stories on cnn.com. All you have to do is logon and click on iReport. It's our way of better connecting to you.
Now all day Monday as well CNN is going to show you where America is most vulnerable to terrorist attacks. No matter the time you tune in you are going to get essential insight on the threats and what you can do to stay safe and whether the government has got a clue. "Target: USA" all day Monday right here on CNN.
Back to our top story, seven hours and 23 minutes until the ceasefire is implemented in the Middle East, but as you can see the attacks are continuing today. Israel bombed parts of Lebanon and Hezbollah fired more than 250 rockets into northern Israel, the most yet in this conflict. A ceasefire is scheduled to take effect at 1:00 a.m. Eastern Time here in the United States.
Now, everyone has signed off on this peace plan. The Lebanese government, Hezbollah, Israel. So why are the bombs still going off? Well, here's CNN's Paula Hancocks.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Reporter: the Israeli military calls this a cleansing of southern Lebanon in preparation for the arrival of Lebanese and international troops. Targeting Hezbollah at the same time Israeli politicians accept the UN resolution and the ceasefire.
According to the United Nations, the guns will fall silent Monday morning, 8:00 a.m. Israel Time. Until then, both sides seem in tent on inflicting as much damage on each other as possible.
MARK REGEV, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER SPOKESMAN: Until then the conflict continues. Hezbollah continues to rocket Israeli cities and townships, and we are, of course, trying to hit Hezbollah positions in Lebanon to prevent those attacks.
HANCOCKS: Those attacks continued unabated Sunday. Hezbollah proving once again its rocket launching capabilities are intact. More than 250 rockets hit northern Israel more than any other day since this conflict began. At least one of them deadly.
Even after the ceasefire, both Hezbollah and Israel say they reserve the right to defend themselves. Both Hezbollah and Israel are likely to stay in southern Lebanon.
TZIPI LIVNI, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): Was decided and accepted by the Security Council that there would not be a situation in which Israel would be -- has to withdraw its forces, creating a vacuum.
HANCOCKS: The longer the enemies are on the same turf the more potential there is for further clashes. The UN believes it could take a week to 10 days before the first of its troops can be deployed.
(on camera) There is cynicism on both sides as to whether peace on paper can actually be translated into peace on the ground. And many Israelis believe that the fight against Hezbollah has just been put off for another day, Paula Hancocks, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Tonight at 9:00 Eastern on LARRY KING LIVE, reports from around the world and Christiane Amanpour live in London, will the UN peace plan bring an end to the bloodshed in the Middle East? Plus the latest on the British terror blot, could it happen right here in the United States? LARRY KING LIVE tonight 9:00 Eastern, only on CNN.
Now, coming up, three Americans, 1,000 cell phones, wait until you hear how police say they plan to use them.
And it's torn by war and divided by violence. Plus should Iraq also be separated by sect? Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Here's a look at the most popular stories on cnn.com. This is what you have been choosing. One day before an Oregon girl was scheduled to undergo a bone marrow transplant her doctor canceled the procedure. The doctor says test indicate seven-year-old Victoria Roberts' disease has disappeared. She battled aplastic anemia for more than a year.
Also you liked the story about the FBI which had put the daughter of a deceased Utah polygamist on its most wanted list. Jacqueline LeBaron has been on the run since 1992. She has been linked to four murders in Texas.
And seven times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong says he believes Floyd Landis who is trying to disprove a positive drug test that cost him the Tour de France title. Armstrong says the best thing Landis can do is lie low and let the process run its course.
Also, this is another story you've been making the most popular on our Web site. Three college age men from Texas being held in Michigan on terror-related charges. They were arrested earlier Friday after buying a large number of cell phones. A prosecutor say one of Michigan's most famous bridges may have been the potential target.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LIN (voice-over): The three men charged are two brothers in their 20s and their cousin who is 19, all are from Fexas. They were arrested early Friday in the small town of Caro, Michigan and charged with collecting or providing materials for terrorist acts and surveillance of a target for terrorist purposes.
Investigators say they believe this was the suspects' target. The five-mile Mackinac Bridge that links Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas. They won't say what evidence they have.
The three were arrested Friday after hundreds of cell phones were found in their minivan. Authorities were alerted when the men tried to buy 80 cell phones at this Wal-Mart store. They also bought more phones at other stores in the area, most of them prepaid.
BARB BESSERT, DOLLAR GENERAL STORE: They only buy the phone, which is odd because if you are going to activate that phone, you would be buying cards, as well to activate it.
LIN: Authorities were suspicious because many of the phones were TracFones, which are not traceable. Cell phones can also be used as detonators.
MARK REENE, MICHIGAN PROSECUTOR: We are developing how the actual telephones are sold, revenue is passed from one location to the next and obviously it's fairly complex.
LIN: At the men's arraignment, one of the brothers said they were planning to sell the phones for a profit and he said they had been questioned by the FBI on previous occasions. Back in Dallas his wife protested the men's arrest.
LINDA ODEA, WIFE OF SUSPECT: There's nothing wrong with it. I don't know why are they making a big deal out of - are you all making a big deal out of this because all the Arabs are doing it.
LIN: It's the second time in a week that authorities in the Midwest have arrested people buying an unusual number of Cell phones. Wednesday two men from Dearborn, Michigan, were arrested in Ohio, they have been charged with soliciting or providing support for acts of terrorism. Their attorneys say they were just trying to make some money.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN (on camera): Also a feature on this program, "In Case You Missed It," we want to bring you highlights from the Sunday morning talk shows. First the war in the Middle East. In the run-up to Monday's ceasefire, Israel works to secure its northern border. Here's former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EHUD BARAK, FORMER ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: It's too early to debrief the whole operation, but basically where we are and now it's time to do whatever we can to destroy even more of the Hezbollah infrastructure within the next 12 or 13 hours and then see what happens next.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: They also talked about the war in Iraq on the Sunday morning talk shows and decisions looming in Washington. For example the issue, should hawkish Joe Lieberman end his Senate bid after Connecticut Democrats denied him the nomination.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD, (D) WI: He doesn't get it. The fact is we were attacked on 9/11 by al Qaeda and its affiliates and its sympathizers, not by Saddam Hussein. And unfortunately Senator Lieberman has supported Bush administration disastrous strategic approach of getting us stuck in Iraq instead of focusing on those who have attacked us.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) AZ: We can and must prevail and I believe the consequences of failure are catastrophic and that catastrophe will not be confined to Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: All right. You heard from Senator Russ Feingold and then John McCain. Also on the Sunday news - FOX NEWS SUNDAY, political newcomer Ned Lamont, he is the upstart who beat Senator Lieberman. Here's his take on Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NED LAMONT, (D), SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: What this election showed is a lot of people in Connecticut think that the invasion of Iraq has nothing to do with our terror. It's been a terrible distraction. Here you are talking about the failed terrorist plot today. It originated in Pakistan, goes through London and a here we have 132,000 of our bravest troops stuck in the middle of a civil war in Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: All right. So in case you missed it, you are all caught up. At least on the Sunday morning talk shows.
Speaking of the war in Iraq, it is on the minds of many American voters. We have the results of a new "Newsweek" poll that shows that 22 percent called Iraq the most important issue in the November elections. Eighteen percent said the economy is the most important, now 15 percent felt terrorism is the main priority.
Also today, a blast killed 57 people in Baghdad. U.S. commanders say it was a coordinated attack on a Shiite Muslim neighborhood. Meanwhile Iraqi and U.S. troops have launched an extensive sweep of two Baghdad neighborhoods to try to stop the wave of sectarian killing.
With Shiites and Sunnis killing each other every day in the streets of Iraq Iraqi leaders are talking about an extreme solution. Dividing up the country so each group lives separately. Shiites get one part, Sunnis get another, and Kurds another.
And for the most part this country, well, it is already segregated. Take a look at this map. In the green you have mostly Shias, in the yellow mostly Sunnis, and in the red to the north Kurds, but will dividing the country bring about peace in the streets?
Leslie Gelb joins us now from the Council on Foreign Relations. He has been pushing a three-state solution in Iraq since the war began. Mr. Gelb, I am just wondering why you believe a three state solution would actually end the violence?
LESLIE GELB, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Carol, you have had our senior-most generals on this show for three years, generals like Abizaid and Casey say the same thing every time. There is no military victory to this kind of insurgency, let alone civil war, you have got to have a political victory to have military success. And a political victory means a political settlement.
And there are two kinds of political settlements. One is see if you can put together a strong government of national unity in Baghdad and have it run the whole country. We have tried that for three years. It doesn't work and it doesn't work because the three principle groups, Kurds, Sunnis, Shiites, just can't get along enough. The other kind of political settlement is decentralization, in effect have three or four or five regional governments and let them do most of the running of their own affairs.
LIN: Similar to the state system here in the United States with the federal government in Washington and then the states having their individual rights?
GELB: For our first 150 years, yes.
LIN: But our individual states don't necessarily have their own individual militaries. You are also suggesting each group have the ability to arm themselves.
GELB: That's right, more or less as we did in the Dayton Accords on Bosnia. In those accords we allowed the Serbs, the Croats and the Bosnian Muslims each to keep its own army. And they did that for 10 years because that's the way they protected themselves. They didn't trust a national army. And last year for the first time they remerged the army so there's one. But it took them 10 years to have the necessary confidence.
LIN: The hatred is so ...
GELB: Yeah ...
LINE: Mr. Gelb, let me say the hatred is so deep in Iraq, when you show the map, we show the individual regions, they are segregated by virtue of geography at this point anyway, but the violence has not ended. Why do you think this is a solution and what do you do with the neighborhoods where Shiites and Sunnis live together blended? Do you force people out of their homes?
GELB: I don't force them out of their homes. They are leaving as you yourself said a moment ago, and where they want to leave or feel they have to leave, we need to help them. Look, no solution is going to be easy at this point and it just can't happen by a miracle. It has to happen by the Iraqis negotiating. And to do this, they have got to do essentially, two things.
One, they have to federalize and there are already provisions in the Iraqi constitution to do this. They planned ahead for it. Secondly they have got to provide in the Constitution for a decent share of the oil revenues for the Sunnis in the Sunni region, because right now, the Sunnis have no guaranteed oil and gas revenues. And they've got to be given an incentive for peace.
LIN: All right. Mr. Gelb, we appreciate the idea. Interesting to explore at this point. Leslie Gelb, Council on Foreign Relations.
Senator Joe Lieberman's primary defeat isn't just a top story in politics. It's also the top story in technology. Coming up why political junkies on the Internet may be the country's newest power brokers. You are watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: This just in to the CNN center. With a little more than seven hours to the peace resolution going into effect in the Middle East. We have a report from Reuters saying at least seven civilians killed, 35 wounded in Israeli air strikes in eastern Lebanon. Reuters quoting medics at the scene.
All right, you may not be a fan of bloggers but their influence seems to be growing, especially in politics. Bloggers are now claiming a victory in the Connecticut Democratic primary. Our technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Before the citizens of Connecticut came out in force to vote in Tuesday's primary runoff, the citizens of the World Wide Web came out to share their opinions of the candidates.
And just like in the primary, Ned Lamont beat Senator Joseph Lieberman handily on the Web. Switch on the increasingly popular video sharing Web site YouTube and you will find dozens of low-budget productions, many accusing Lieberman of paying lip service to the Democratic Party using a clip of an unflattering moment with the president.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joe needs to go.
SIEBERG: Not to mention copyrighted material like this spot from the "Colbert Report."
STEPHEN COLBERT, TALK SHOW HOST: How do you answer charges that you are too close to the president?
SIEBERG: Some pro-Lieberman videos can be found.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But instead of coming out of hibernation, he sent his bear cub instead.
SIEBERG: But even those get even ridiculed. One viewer writes, "Worst ad ever."
From videos to a text revolution, Democratic bloggers also came out of hibernation, most of them supporting eventual Connecticut primary winner Lamont by attacking Lieberman. Though some tactics did cross the line, political wags had a field die when a pro-Lamont blogger posted a an image of Lieberman that was digitally altered to show the senator in black face, it was quickly removed and the blogger apologized.
So did these on-line pundits really sway the vote in Connecticut? Some activists argue that outspoken bloggers may have changed some minds but others argue that bloggers only expressed the opinion of the majority of Connecticut voters. Even as the volume was turned up and the venom was flowing.
MATT SMITH, PRO-LIEBERMAN BLOGGER: But I think that when it comes down to it the atmosphere created in the blogosphere is one where it just as poisonous as the atmosphere of DC consultants where they are spinning everything in favor of their candidate.
SIEBERG: Lieberman's campaign also ran into a technical snafu on Election Day when its official site went off-line. Some Lamont supporters hinted that Lieberman's camp inflated the new to gain sympathy. But Lieberman's side cried foul play.
DAN GEARY, DEVELOPER, JOE2006.COM: This was an attack. We were attacked. Period.
SIEBERG: The site's creator has since turned over evidence to the FBI.
(on camera): Rallying political support in the Internet is nothing new but some analysts say this race should serve as a wake up call to party strategists. Tap into the blogs and sites like YouTube and you still may not win but ignore them at your own risk. Daniel Sieberg, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Up next, John Roberts, who has been in the war zone for the last month, is going to host THIS WEEK AT WAR. He is going to look at whether the fighting in the Middle East can ever be stopped.
And then the 1983 bombing of a marine barracks in Beirut. Two- hundred forty-one Americans were killed. CNN PRESENTS looks at the implications the bombing have had to this day.
And at 8:00 what's really going on in the air and why passengers could still be at risk? CNN PRESENTS, "No Survivors." The hour's headlines after this.
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