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Your World Today

Rice Meets With Lebanese Prime Minister, Heads to Jerusalem; Fierce Fighting Reported on Israel-Lebanon Border; Trying to Flee Lebanon; Tony Snow Hosts Press Briefing

Aired July 24, 2006 - 12:00   ET

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

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Condoleezza Rice hopes to make headway in the Middle East crisis.
FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Israel says it is targeting Hezbollah, but Lebanese civilians unable to escape the bombing runs are filling hospital wards.

ANDERSON: Hezbollah makes no pretense about their target list. Every Israeli within rocket range (INAUDIBLE) firmly in mind.

SWEENEY: And they're not a professional army. Just what are the military capabilities of Hezbollah?

We'll have a look.

ANDERSON: I'm Becky Anderson in Beirut.

SWEENEY: And I'm Fionnuala Sweeney.

Welcome to our special coverage of the Middle East crisis from this perspective in Haifa, Israel.

ANDERSON: Well, Israeli troops push deeper into Lebanon, as the United States makes its first efforts in the region to (INAUDIBLE) what it calls sustainable peace. These are the very latest developments in the Middle East.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is praising Lebanon's prime minister for his courage and his steadfastness. She made an unannounced trip to Beirut en route to Israel, soon meeting with the Lebanese parliament speaker considered an ally of Hezbollah.

Heavy fighting is reported as Israeli tanks move on Bint Jubeil, what the army calls a symbol of Hezbollah resistance. Well, the town is about four kilometers inside Lebanon.

The U.N.'s top relief official is making an urgent appeal for $150 million to help the hundreds of thousands of Lebanese displaced by the fighting. Jan Egeland criticized both Israel and the Hezbollah for inflicting civilian casualties.

Well, at least seven Israelis were wounded on Monday as dozens more Hezbollah rockets rained down on northern Israel.

Well, CNN has got reporters across the region, as we have done now for the last 13 days as this conflict has heightened, in Cyprus, where thousands of evacuees still trying to get home; in Lebanon, where U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been holding talks; and in the Syrian capital of Damascus, where officials have their own ideas of how to end the crisis. And, of course, we have reporters throughout Israel, from the Israel-Lebanon border, to the scene of continued rocket fire in Haifa.

Let's get to the U.N., where the secretary-general, Kofi Annan, is speaking.

Let's listen in.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: ... that will facilitate transaction between all sides and allow us to concrete measures to do something about a conflict.

Obviously, there will be the discussion of cessation of hostilities and cease-fire. And there will be discussion about the force, the international force that will be deployed to the south. And there are many ideas being put forward.

I have my own ideas. The Americans have ideas. The Egyptians have put forward proposals. And I'm sure by the time we get to Rome, others will come forward with ideas. What is important is that we leave Rome with a concrete strategy as to how we are going to deal with this and we don't walk away empty-handed and once again dash the hopes of those who are caught in this conflict.

QUESTION: Secretary-General, you have mentioned several aspects of what you would expect to see coming out of Rome, including a cessation of hostilities and a possible cease-fire, and something about a force. What -- what are the other key elements that you think need to be or must be in this package in order to ensure a lasting peace?

ANNAN: I think I gave you quite a lot of those indications in my statement before the council last Wednesday, which includes the release of the abducted prisoners. It includes the end of shelling by Hezbollah, and end of Israeli shelling bombardment of the -- of Lebanon. And there are other aspects which I'm sure we will need to discuss when we are all at the table, but I see that we have to agree on a package and move forward with simultaneous and parallel implementation of the package.

QUESTION: Does it include the disarming of Hezbollah and the deployment of...

SWEENEY: Well, there you've been listening to U.N. Secretary- General Kofi Annan there giving a news conference about his somewhat cautious expectations for a cease-fire anytime soon. But, of course, those diplomatic maneuverings are continuing.

As you heard, the U.S. secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, just having been in Beirut. She is en route to Israel, where we find our John King in Jerusalem.

John, what are the expectations for this visit?

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fionnuala, it is remarkable, because this is such a high-profile trip for the U.S. secretary of state, and yet the expectations are so low. Some are asking why did it take 13 days for the Bush administration to send its top diplomat to the region?

As you noted, she was in Beirut. That was not on the public schedule. But U.S. officials say it was always planned because she wanted to go there to see firsthand some of the devastation, to get a briefing on the devastation, and also to show U.S. support for the fragile Lebanese government.

Secretary Rice arriving under quite heavy security. It was not put on her public schedule because of those security concerns.

She met with the prime minister, promised him more humanitarian help, said she was working on a plan to end the violence. But it's quite interesting. What the Lebanese government wanted most is a commitment from the United States that Secretary Rice would come here to Israel and pressure the Israelis to stop the confrontation immediately. Secretary Rice made clear she is not prepared to do that, but she did, after one of her meetings with Lebanese political leaders, talk to reporters about her goals on the stop in Beirut.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: I'm obviously here because we're deeply concerned about the Lebanese people and what they are enduring. We are talking about the humanitarian situation. And we're also talking about a durable way to end the violence. And President Bush wanted this to be my first stop here in Lebanon to express our desire to urgently find conditions in which we can end the violence and make life better for the Lebanese people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Note Secretary Rice used the term "durable way to end the violence." By that, U.S. officials say they mean a way to get Hezbollah back from the Israeli border in southern Lebanon, to get, perhaps, an international force, as you just heard the U.N. secretary- general, Kofi Anna, talking about into the region.

So, while the Lebanese wanted a U.S. change of heart, if you will, a commitment from Secretary Rice that she would push the Israelis for an immediate cease-fire, she is simply not prepared to do that. She will have conversations with Israeli officials here in Jerusalem tonight and in the morning. We are told U.S. officials will make clear again, as they have over the past almost two weeks, that they want Israel to be very careful in choosing its targets in Lebanon, to focus on Hezbollah's arsenal, Hezbollah leadership targets, to avoid hitting civilian targets, if at all possible.

But again, U.S. officials saying they are simply not prepared to seek a cease-fire immediately. They say that would represent a Hezbollah victory.

And as you just heard Kofi Annan talking about, perhaps coming out of Rome with a concrete plan, U.S. officials say that's possible, although there are number of questions still to resolve. And even if they get a plan by midweek out of Rome, they say then you have to go back to Security Council. By the time you could get that approved, Fionnuala, they think, from the U.S. side, anyway, it will be at least a week, perhaps more, before you can get a cease-fire in place, if -- and it's a big "if" -- you can get a consensus among all the different parties.

SWEENEY: All right. John King, thank you very much, indeed, reporting live from Jerusalem, where Condoleezza Rice is expected in the next couple of hours.

Now, of course we have been seeing most of the escalation of this military conflict along the Lebanese-Israeli border. And there we're joined by John Roberts, who's been tracking this situation there over the last couple of days -- John.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN SR. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good day to you, Fionnuala.

We're down here in valley not too far from the border with Lebanon, where this artillery unit has just begun opening up again, cross-border shelling into Lebanon. They're doing it in support of defense of Israeli defense troops who are now fighting in Bint Jubeil after having secured Maroun al-Ras in the last couple of days. Very, very heavy fighting, we're told, between Maroun al-Ras and Bint Jubeil. And not only is this artillery unit offering fire support for those troops as they move forward, but they're also putting down, suppressing fire on those Katyusha rocket sites that have been firing so many missiles into Israel today.

Israeli defense forces are fighting Hezbollah on the ground and also from the air. Take a look at this gun site video that was provided for us by the Israel defense forces. We're told that they struck a couple of sites today.

One was east of the seaside town of Saydan (ph). They said that they took out a Hezbollah Katyusha rocket launcher in that area. And as well, after taking out that rocket launcher, they apparently struck a car that Israeli defense forces claim was full of Hezbollah guerrillas who fleeing away from that rocket launch site.

Now, more to what's going on along the border.

It began a couple of days ago between the town of Avivim, which is right up next to Lebanese border there, and fighting between Avivim and Maroun al-Ras, which is a hilltop town in Lebanon which IDF said was a stronghold for Hezbollah fighters. They were using it to fire Katyusha rockets down on to Avivim, and a town right next to it as well called Yaron (ph).

In the last couple of days, IDF forces have taken that hilltop town. They have now pushed further past that, about another three miles, over the Lebanese border, and they are now fighting furiously for the town of Bint Jubeil.

So, that fighting continuing along the border. Apparently they have taken out Hezbollah fighters who were manning Katyusha rockets sites. Twenty Israelis injured, reported injured at this point.

The Katyusha rockets continue to fly into Israel this morning, some 90 rockets between Lebanon and Israel. There was some damage in the town of Nahariya, where one of those rockets hit a house. Then we're told, unlike yesterday, where two people died in the very first volley of Katyusha rockets in Haifa, there are only injuries today and no fatalities -- Fionnuala.

SWEENEY: Well, John, let me ask you, while you're along there covering the conflict at rather close distance, what are, if any, the restrictions of movement. How much freedom of movement do you have?

ROBERTS: There's absolutely no freedom of movement right now along the border. Yaron (ph) and Avivim, which were the two very good vantage points for the fighting have been completely closed off by the IDF. There is a way that, if you know your way, you can sneak back in there. And I believe that Christiane Amanpour has managed to circumvent some of the procedures and got herself very close to the fighting. So we hope to hear from her a little bit later on.

But right now, they're not letting anyone in. They're saying that it's far too dangerous for media. They're saying that there are still snipers in the hills taking aim.

We got into a kibbutz and we took some pictures of the border area, and there is -- these shells are going into that area and just a little beyond, too. So it's -- it's a very dangerous, very hot area now, according to the IDF. And they're going to keep people out of there, at least for the time being -- Fionnuala.

SWEENEY: All right. Thank you, indeed.

John Roberts there reporting from along the Lebanese-Israeli border, giving an insight as to what is taking place there.

Now, we will have much on YOUR WORLD TODAY coming up after the break, including the latest on the diplomatic maneuverings and, indeed, the aid that is needed in Lebanon.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching YOUR WORLD TODAY.

I'm Becky Anderson in Beirut.

Now, Condoleezza Rice left this city just about an hour ago. She was in the government building just over to my left here, where she met the Lebanese prime minister. And during that talk she said that she would announce details of an aid package for Lebanon, although we don't have those details as of yet. The U.N. humanitarian chief, Jan Egeland, has said it will cost billions of dollars to repair the infrastructure that has been destroyed by the Israeli bombing over the last 13 days.

Yesterday, I got a chance to get down to south Beirut, which is just about two or three, four minutes' drive away from here. But it is a completely different scene when you get there.

I must say, that our reporting was restricted so far as where we could go was concerned. I was with a Hezbollah spokesman.

What we certainly saw, what seemed to be the result of significant damage. I mean, flattened areas, smoke coming out of buildings. On Saturday night, 10 or 11 huge bombs fell on this area yesterday afternoon, again Sunday, huge explosions that rocked this hotel where I am, and were flattening buildings in that area.

Now, the Israelis say they are targeting that area for Hezbollah militia. The locals there will say this is simply a residential area where schools and medical centers have been knocked down.

There's an awful lot of manipulation going on as far as information is concerned, as you can imagine in any war situation. But certainly, from what we saw when we were being taken around by the Hezbollah spokesman, we certainly saw these scenes of devastation. Nobody around at all.

Well, down in southern Lebanon, it's been an extremely frightening, tense and exhausting situation for so many, many people trying to either stay in place or flee their homes. The Israelis have been saying to many, many civilians in south Lebanon, get out, but the problem being many of them can't get out because the roads and bridges have been blown out.

Karl Penhaul has been there. And let me tell you, some of these pictures are disturbing. Please be aware.

This is his report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Hezbollah rockets soar toward Israel. Minutes later, the response from Israeli jets.

There were tit-for-tat strikes throughout Sunday. Earlier in the day, smoke billowed over Tyre's outskirts after another Israeli bombardment. The target apparently this car. It was still smoldering when we arrived.

Just yards away in the hospital, more civilian casualties maimed in airstrikes in a war where neither side seems to be pinpointing its attacks. '

The sobs of a mother, the cry of her baby daughter, and the scream of her son. Through her tears, Nuhada Mansour (ph) sends a plea to Allah. Medics have just told her that her husband Mohammed was killed. Her 9-year-old son Mahmoud (ph) is so badly burned he can't open his eyes, and doctors say he's hallucinating. Doctor Wahid Nabjeya (ph) claims the Israelis have packed their bombs with chemicals to burn their victims.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the effect of -- this is (INAUDIBLE).

PENHAUL: International rules of war forbid the use of weapons that cause indiscriminate suffering. There's no specific reference, though, to phosphorous.

The Israeli defense forces say its weapons and ammunition conform to international war. I'm unable to get independent confirmation of Nabjeya's (ph) allegation, but it's a widely held view here.

"There's a smell of phosphorous and the wound is black, and it smells," he tells me. "It's really an atrocious war. Only the civilians are suffering," he says.

(on camera): This is another vehicle that was apparently hit in the same airstrike. But the vehicle that the Mansour (ph) family was traveling in is a few hundred yards down this road. But we can hear Israeli warplanes buzzing overhead right now, so it may be a little too dangerous to travel down there.

(voice over): Doctors tell me the Mansour (ph) family had been trying to drive in to Tyre to escape bombing close to their village.

When I returned to the hospital ward, Nuhada Mansour (ph) is helping tend to her 8-month-old baby. She's dropped off to sleep for a few moments, sucking on her pacifier. Doctors say Mareer (ph) and brother Mahmoud (ph) will survive, but they may be scarred for life.

Karl Penhaul, CNN, Tyre, southern Lebanon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, 2005 was a dreadful year for Lebanon: explosions, the death of the former prime minister, Rafik Hariri, and economic activity at practically zero. What the Lebanese were hoping for was a better year in 2006. We're in July, and things are looking extremely grim.

I'm joined now by the finance minister for Lebanon, a cabinet minister, of course, and also a member of the regular middle class population here in Lebanon.

Mr. Azour, we have seen some pretty dreadful events over the last 13 days. We now have Condoleezza Rice in the region saying she is possibly looking for what is now being termed a sustainable cease- fire. Kofi Annan, echoed by Tony Blair, says we are looking for an immediate cease-fire.

This is not just a question of semantics, is it? What is the message that the Lebanese prime minister just hours ago gave to Condoleezza Rice to take to the Israelis? JIHAD AZOUR, LEBANESE FINANCE MINISTER: Well, the message is simple, an immediate cease-fire and a permanent solution. Lebanon has been subject by many wars, many attacks by Israel throughout the last 40 years. Things have to change, and we need to find a permanent solution. We need to stop this humanitarian massacre in Lebanon, and we need to get Lebanon on track for reconstruction.

ANDERSON: Eight hundred thousand people displaced, according to the U.N. humanitarian's chief today. Over the weekend, the U.S. secretary of state presented the Lebanese crisis as -- and I quote -- "the birth pangs of a new Middle East." And she said in her own chose of words that (INAUDIBLE) is the midwife to a new order in the region.

Birth pangs or something more, sir?

AZOUR: Well, you know, Lebanon has subject the blame of all of crisis in region. We want to -- the solution of the Lebanese crisis to become permanent and not to be subject always to all the regional crisis.

And, therefore, we have to come up with a permanent solution for Lebanon. We have to get on track this economy. Many people are suffering now. And this country was taking off before this war on Lebanon.

ANDERSON: When the Lebanese population -- the man on the street, his sort of words that Condoleezza Rice uses, "I'm a midwife, this is the birth pangs of a new -- of a new dawn in the Middle East region," how does -- how does a man on the street react to those sort of words?

AZOUR: Well, the man on the street is saying the following: Lebanon is a democracy, a country where people have freedom to speak. This country was restoring its institutions. This country was living in harmony -- harmony between different communities.

Let us live and we will show the whole world that we are a democracy. We are a country where people enjoy living. And this is why a lot of Arabs and foreigners are coming to establish their business and activities in Lebanon.

ANDERSON: Explain to me, then, why it is that of the 14 or 15 Lebanese around the world, some 10 million form part of the Diaspora? How do you encourage the best educated, the best businessmen, the best that you have to get back to this country and help rebuild, if indeed there's an opportunity to do that anytime soon?

AZOUR: Well, the best were coming to Lebanon, and they were working on bringing this economy...

ANDERSON: Were they really? Were they really?

AZOUR: Yes, of course. Before the war, we had plenty of Lebanese coming back in technology, in finance, in tourism, and they were actively working.

This economy was showing a great sign of takeoff. We had more than $4 million of investment currently on the implementation. This economy was expected to grow by 6 percent this year despite what happened last year.

In 10 days, you saw all this destruction. The Lebanese people showed in the past a great resiliency and ability to rebuild. And we have a lot of e-mails, SMS (ph), phone calls from Lebanese and even from foreign investors saying, "As soon as the hostilities will end, if we reach a permanent solution, we're back here. We want to rebuild the country for you."

ANDERSON: Well, that would certainly pack the six-lane highway which runs through Beirut just behind us which has been completely empty. It has been early quiet in Beirut over the last six or seven days. Let's hope what the finance minister here is saying comes good.

We'll get back to Israel now and Fionnuala Sweeney.

SWEENEY: Well, of course, Becky, one of the big players in this region is Syria, as well as Iran. And after the break, we'll be getting live reaction from Syria to this latest crisis.

Plus, village by village, Christiane Amanpour travels with Israeli soldiers as they pursue their offensive against Hezbollah.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Ahead at the top of the hour, Kyra Phillips will speak to Israel's representative to the U.N. about the crisis in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, YOUR WORLD TODAY continues after a quick break. I'm Daryn Kagan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SWEENEY: Welcome back to our special extended coverage of the crisis in the Middle East on YOUR WORLD TODAY. I'm Fionnuala Sweeney in Haifa, northern Israel.

ANDERSON: And I'm Becky Anderson, reporting from the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

(NEWSBREAK)

SWEENEY: Well, on the Israeli/Lebanese side of the border. There have been a lot of intense fighting over the last few days as Israeli troops go on the offensive against Hezbollah.

CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour takes us up close to some of the fighting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) AMANPOUR (voice-over): An Israeli tank rumbles back across the border from Lebanon, after battling Hezbollah militants in the small hilltop town of Maroun al Ras. Ohad, the tank commander, says it was a very hard battle. Two of their tanks were ambushed.

"They were ready for us. They have a lot of ammunition, they have guns, they have everything they need," he says.

In all, six Israeli soldiers were killed and several more were wounded in the fight for this one village. Even though the army high command says they've now captured the village, their helicopters and tanks are still shelling it. And their soldiers are still trading fire there with Hezbollah.

And Hezbollah's katyushas keep coming. Volleys of them into northern Israel. Flames from several days of rockets fire lick the edges of Kiriak Shimona (ph), the biggest Israeli town up here.

BRIG. GEN. SHUKI SHACAR, IDF DEP. NORTHERN COMMANDER: I didn't say that we were making great. I said that we are operating our forces according to the situation in the area. And it's the process that needs time to accomplish the mission.

AMANPOUR: General Shacar says Hezbollah has built up a big arsenal and dug in positions along the border in the six years since Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon.

SHACAR: Thousands of missiles are under the ground. Even if we hit about 40, 50 percent of the missiles, they still have thousands still with them.

AMANPOUR: Israel says it's fighter bombers have made 1500 sorties. And they've not finished the air war yet.

From the ground, they say, they've fired more than 20,000 rounds of artillery. And their infantry and special forces are penetrating deeper into southern Lebanon, pushing Hezbollah back.

But far from promising a quick end, the army chiefs tell the Israeli public to be patient. The Hezbollah flag is still flying.

Christiane Amanpour, CNN, on the northern Israeli front.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, the U.N. says the humanitarian crisis is growing by the hour. The chief for relief, Jan Egeland, says $150 million at least is needed immediately in order to stop this growing crisis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAN EGELAND, U.N. EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR: I am indeed having good negotiations through my representatives in Jerusalem now with the Israeli Defense Forces. They are, at the moment, saying that we can indeed start with land corridors down south and through the Bekaa Valley. We already have relief supplies come to Beirut. We are today launching this appeal of $150 million for the Lebanese people, 800,000 are now displaced or in desperate need for international humanitarian assistance. But of course we're also asking for a cessation of hostilities. Too many civilians are suffering, both in northern Israel and all over here in Lebanon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SWEENEY: Nahariya is about 20 minutes from here. It's a small town just across from the Lebanese border, and in recent times, it has been the focus and the target of a number of Hezbollah rockets coming across from the Southern Lebanese border.

Well, John Vause went there and discovered that life for many residents is now underground, but he also found that tempers are flaring and patience is wearing thin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You can hear the panic in her voice. "There are more Katyusha," this woman yells, as she calls everyone inside the bomb shelter. Safe below ground, they wait, wait for the explosions above, wait for the all-clear, which never seems to come because the Hezbollah rockets never seem stop.

Once inside Dalia (ph), a mother of three, tells me she's terrified. So, too, is everybody else. This is the debris from an earlier missile strike, she says, which landed just outside the bunker.

"We're stuck underground, and this is not healthy she is. We support the prime minister and the Israeli military, but we want to be evacuated. The Lebanese were evacuated. We want to be as well."

The days are long and tense. The nights are worse, they say. The electricity cuts in and out. This is the biggest bomb shelter in Nahariya, a northern Israeli town which has been hit by dozens of Katyusha rockets. Here, Israeli Jews and Arabs seek cover together. Tempers are frayed. Heated arguments follow.

The Israeli-Arab woman on the right accuses the Jewish woman of celebrating when Arabs are killed. The Jewish woman yells back, "How could you say that, when we give you shelter?" Here, the Jews support the Israeli offensive; the Arabs want a cease-fire.

"We don't want Israel striking Lebanon, or Lebanon hitting Israel," says Fika Sawad (ph), an Israeli Arab. "I'm scared," she tells me. "It's not easy in this bunker."

(on camera): This bunker is about 20 feet underground. It's incredibly hot and the air is thick and stale. It seems difficult to breathe. And the people have been living like this for almost two weeks now.

(voice-over): It's hardest on the children. They're bored. Some are too young to understand. HAIM SABAG, NAHARIYA RESIDENT: I don't go to schools, I don't go to play. Of course the children -- not used to it. And sometimes cry when they heard the bomb.

VAUSE: Here, they cook meals, watch television for latest news and wait; wait for either a cease-fire or more rockets.

John Vause, CNN, Nahariya, Northern Israel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, you're watching our continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East. I'm Becky Anderson. When we come back, Hezbollah's ability to wage war. What are its tactics, what...

(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)

ANDERSON: I'm Daryn Kagan. We're going the break away from our international coverage to join the White House press briefing.

Here's Tony Snow.

TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The question is whether that's a fool's errand, Jim.

The idea is that you suspend -- number one, there is a motion that somehow both sides are going to suspend, and we remain deeply skeptical that Hezbollah is going to abide by any such agreement.

But the more important thing is, sustainable really does matter. Because, as we've seen in some places, if you allow terrorists to proclaim victory and to continue to take root within a country, you actually encourage further misbehavior. There's no place on the record where as a result of a negotiation, a terrorist organization has said, "OK, we give up. Great treaty."

So instead, I think the most important thing is to put into place conditions where you have a sustainable cease-fire.

What does that mean? It means that Hezbollah not only returns the soldiers, not only returns the rockets, but either decides or it lacks the capability to weaken the government of Lebanon by operating independently of that government and serving as a rogue force that is capable not only of seizing territory, destabilizing within Lebanon, threatening the Lebanese government, threatening the Lebanese people, but also threatening the peace of the region.

So the sustainable cease-fire is one that is not going to enable Hezbollah to declare victory, but instead will allow the people of Lebanon to look forward to peace and prosperity.

QUESTION: I don't think there's any disagreement about the goal. Even the folks calling for an immediate cease-fire want to see something sustainable.

The point is: What do you do in the interim, this risk everyone is talking about that you could be back there in three weeks? So what? So you're back there in three weeks. In the meantime, you'll have three weeks less fighting.

SNOW: No, you are assuming there are three peaceful weeks. And I'm not going to take out the crystal ball. I'm telling you what our position is, which is...

QUESTION: About your position, though, if they're not peaceful weeks, doesn't that in some way also insulate the administration, the Israelis from criticism from people saying the response is disproportionate? You know, that would improve and strengthen your position to say, "Hey, we tried it. We called for it, and it didn't happen."

SNOW: I don't think that continued civilian deaths strengthens anybody's position. What you're saying if there are further civilian casualties, it strengthens our position from a debating point of view.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)

SNOW: Well, no, that is...

(CROSSTALK)

SNOW: No, that is -- if you call for a cease-fire that is unenforceable, that is not enforced, and people suffer, that is the practical consequence.

The point is, there's no give on this.

The United States believes in a sustainable cease-fire. Secretary Rice is the region talking about it. She had a very good meeting today with key leaders in Lebanon, and they talked about that. They also talked about humanitarian assistance and a number of other topics.

So I think the notion that you have a cease-fire that at this point is unenforceable, does not really get us to the point we need to be at. You do not want to give -- you simply don't want to go there.

Let me add something. I'm going to switch this slightly, and you can come back on me if you wish.

Secretary Rice also has been speaking with the Lebanese and others about humanitarian assistance. And later today she will be announcing a major U.S. commitment, a significant U.S. commitment in terms of humanitarian aid.

And at the order of the president, humanitarian supplies will start arriving in Lebanon tomorrow by helicopter and by ship. We are working with Israel and Lebanon to open up humanitarian corridors.

Also, Secretary Rice did get a full briefing from the Lebanese on the situation, as far as they see it, and on-the-ground reporting.

She heads next to Israel, where she is going to meet with Foreign Minister Livni, Prime Minister Olmert and the defense minister, Peretz, and head after that to Rome.

QUESTION: Will the humanitarian aid mute the criticism, do you think, from (INAUDIBLE)?

SNOW: The humanitarian aid really is -- this is not a device designed to mute criticism. It is a move that is designed in recognition of the fact that innocent men, women and children are being hurt. And that is an awful thing.

We have compassion for all of them. And we want to start giving them as much help and aid as possible, as quickly as possible. And we're calling upon our friends and allies to do the same thing.

It is clear that there are humanitarian concerns that need to be addressed and will continue to need to addressed in Lebanon. And that's one of the two missions.

Secretary Rice is there to talk about conditions for a sustainable cease-fire and a sustainable peace.

And people in that neighborhood know it. I mean, they have been through peace agreements that did not yield peace. They understand it. And they understand the importance.

And I think the reception she has received -- I guess that's redundant, isn't it? -- the reception has been respectful and supportive.

So, what you're going to see now is a number of our allies meeting in Rome in a couple of days to build upon that.

QUESTION: Quickly, in what amounts and by what means will you be delivering this?

SNOW: I'll let Secretary Rice handle the honors on that one. QUESTION: When so many other world leaders and entities are saying, "We need a more immediate cease-fire," and the U.S. persists in this view that it must be sustainable, is it not, then, for people to infer that the U.S. views that crushing Hezbollah is more important than the short-term loss of civilian lives and civilian structures?

No, again, I think what you're posing is a false choice. If you can guarantee for us that Hezbollah somehow would stop rocketing, then maybe you would have a point. But Hezbollah started this.

You've got keep in mind, the aggressor in this case is not Israel; it's Hezbollah. Hezbollah crossed over into Israeli territory and kidnapped two soldiers. It has been rocketing Israel, but has been ratcheting up in recent days.

Nasrallah has made it pretty obvious that he considers a war against Israel. And as a consequence, I think a lot of people -- look, we would like a cease-fire tomorrow. We would like a cease-fire immediately. But it has to be a cease-fire that is going to stand the test of time so the people in that region and people in Lebanon particular, a country that has been hard hit by occupying forces and by frustrations of its democratic aspirations, deserves a shot at having the freedom and democracy its people deserve. And the only way that's going to be possible is if there is no longer an internal threat of the sort that we've witnessed in recent weeks.

QUESTION: What does the secretary (INAUDIBLE) back to the president today?

SNOW: I'm not sure -- I'm not party to conversations she's had directly with the president.

My conversations with State, though, indicated that, again, she was very happy with the talks with the Lebanese officials, that they were cordial, they were friendly, and that they were very good sessions. I mean, I know that's, sort of, diplo speak, but they really were good sessions.

Because everybody's got a shared aim. We want that government to succeed. That government wants that government to succeed. And the hard, practical work of making it happen really is the top item on the agenda for us all.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) going to discuss military strategy with Israel but have assurances been sought that they will, kind of, hold their fire while this humanitarian aid is coming?

SNOW: The Israelis have been -- we've been talking about opening up humanitarian corridors. I don't honestly don't know precisely what happens there, but you want to make sure that you do have a safe passage.

I think it's also safe to say that people who are carrying humanitarian supplies are going to do it where it's safe to do so.

QUESTION: Is there any contact with anyone in the Bush administration with anybody with Israel's military about specific targets?

SNOW: No.

QUESTION: Never?

SNOW: Well, I don't know about never, but as I've said, it's not joint planning going on here.

QUESTION: No, no, I mean after the fact: "Why did you target this? Why did you target that?"

SNOW: I'm not aware of conversations of that sort. I'm not sure they'd be particularly fruitful.

I think the most important thing right now, again, is to realize the situation that gave rise to this current situation and try to address the root causes.

QUESTION: Can you tell us -- I talked to you earlier about this -- is there anything about the health status of Saddam Hussein? SNOW: Yes. And here's what we know.

Saddam Hussein was put on a feeding tube. He agreed to it earlier today.

He and several others -- let me just flip to my notes -- have been on a hunger strike or been refusing meals since July 7th -- since the evening of July 7th. They have been receiving -- they've been getting coffee and also water with vitamins and minerals ever since.

So let's see. Yes, three of his codefendants have, in fact, continued to refuse meals.

His health is not in jeopardy. They remain in good health. And, again, he willingly accepted the feeding tube today.

It will be in, at a minimum, until Thursday. It has to be in, for reasons that I don't understand, for 72 hours.

QUESTION: I don't know the specific on this. How does one willingly accept a feeding tube?

SNOW: I guess you say, "Do you want a feeding tube?" And he says, "Yes." And they say, "OK, we're going to give you one."

This apparently was a consensual feeding tubing.

(LAUGHTER)

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)

SNOW: I understand your question. I mean, you know, I wasn't there. I'm just telling you what I know.

QUESTION: With Prime Minister Maliki coming in tomorrow, what is the president to get out of this visit, given the fact that Democrats are on the Hill saying that it is a civil war, the violence has gotten worse, while everyone has been focusing on Israel and Lebanon, that the situation on the ground in Iraq is getting worse?

SNOW: Well, look, it's pretty clear that there's an attempt in Baghdad to create as much chaos and havoc as possible. And it's important to make sure that we address this. We talked about this recently.

The focal point right now for terror in Iraq is the area in and around Baghdad. That obviously is going to be as high priority for the president and the prime minister.

I'm not going to get into back-and-forthing with members of Congress. It's an election year.

But I think the real business right now of trying to move forward in Iraq is to make sure that Prime Minister Maliki and his cabinet and his government are able to move forward with being able to have full control over the country and to assume full responsibility for their own government. That has always been the U.S. mission. It will continue to be the mission.

And as often happens, conditions on the ground force one to adjust strategies and adapt to changing realities. And that's what we are trying to do.

In terms of specifics -- and I know many of you want to know specific deliverables -- I'll leave that to the principals to announce. But it is worth saying that there is continued consultation, as there has been.

QUESTION: Since the president's visit to Baghdad, the one secret trip, since then, has the president in satisfied with the progress on the ground?

SNOW: I don't want to characterize satisfied or dissatisfied.

It is clear that there is work to do to secure Baghdad. And General Casey has made no secret of that and other spokesmen in Baghdad have made no secret of that.

KAGAN: We have been listening into the White House press briefing. The White House spokesman Tony Snow used the time to remind you that the Iraqi prime minister will be in Washington tomorrow. And he and President Bush will be holding a news conference together. You'll see that live here on CNN in the 11 a.m. Eastern hour. That's going to wrap it up. Actually we're going to rejoin CNN International and their coverage, I'm Daryn Kagan.

ANDERSON: Welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY, I'm Becky Anderson in Beirut. Now over the past few days, some 30,000 evacuees have been ferried by ship to Cyprus. Another 40,000 are expected there in the coming days. Chris Burns caught up with one family who have fled Lebanon just when they thought they were establishing a new life here.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At a crowded beach resort, among the merry vacationers, the Kmeid family is living in their clothes, waiting for a plane. Lebanese Americans Vera and Foud, with their children Sammy (ph) and Vanessa (ph) are on their way to Vera's hometown of Niagara Falls with a couple of bags full of broken dreams. They left behind their home, friends, family and a clothing business they built in the years after Lebanon's civil war.

(on camera): You went to Beirut with great hopes of building your lives there.

VERA KMEID, EVACUEE: Yes, and we did for seven years. And you know, the first two years of course I missed home for a great deal and now I finally -- we were just saying we finally are happy. And you know, in seven years, Lebanon has changed so much. There's -- it's advanced so much. It's more organized and more of things that I missed from back home and from America. And then boom, it was like someone just sucker punched me. I was really torn to leave, or what to do.

BURNS (voice-over): As the destruction widened, it became clear what they had to do. Though it was far from clear how they'd get out.

V. KMEID: We called the embassy and no one knew what was going on and they didn't have a plan, and they were making a plan. It was very frustrating, I'm not going to lie. But once they got it together and we got on, they got it done and we're here, we're safe.

BURNS: Rescued like so many others from the beaches of Beirut, they were put aboard the USS Trenton, among nearly 1,800 evacuees.

FOUD KMEID, EVACUEE: We just picked up two duffel bags. We don't have anything else, no clothes, no money.

BURNS: From safe ground, they watched as Israeli bombs fell on Beirut and as Hezbollah rockets crashed into Israel.

F. KMEID: Hezbollah wants the territory back and prisoners back from Israel. And Israel wants the two prisoners back. So, they both broke it. They both did a terrible thing.

BURNS: And the solution?

V. KMEID: Work has stopped. So cease-fire would be the best way to immediately help things out.

BURNS: Like others, on both sides of the border, these Lebanese Christians also turned to their faith.

V. KMEID: We're going to pray for everybody that they stay safe and pray for this to be over.

BURNS: Though as they head to the airport, Vera and Foud wonder when, even if it will ever really be over. Chris Burns, CNN, Larnaca, Cyprus.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well Condoleezza Rice left Beirut just a couple hours ago with the Lebanese prime minister imploring that she take the message to the Israelis that they must push now for an immediate cease-fire. Will she do that? Well that remains to be seen. I'm Becky Anderson in Beirut.

SWEENEY: As she's due to make an announcement we understand on humanitarian aid to Lebanon shortly. I'm Fionnuala Sweeney in Haifa, Israel. Thank you for watching YOUR WORLD TODAY.

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