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War Games and Defiance; Bush: Iran Should Not Have Nuclear Weapons; Italy Willing to Lead United Nations Forces in Southern Lebanon

Aired August 21, 2006 - 12:00   ET

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

RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: War games amid defiance. Tehran says it will not back away from its nuclear program on the eve of a U.N. deadline.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: First thing's first is to get the rules of engagement clear so that the force will be robust to help the Lebanese.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Growing concern for a fragile cease-fire. International leaders step up calls for U.N. troops to move in quickly to patrol the Israeli-Lebanese border.

QUEST: Conspiracy to commit murder. British investigators formally charge suspects in the foiled airline terror plot.

CHURCH: And a horrific commuter train crash kills dozens outside the Egyptian capital.

Hello and welcome. Those are just some of the stories we're following this hour in our report broadcast around the globe.

I'm Rosemary Church.

QUEST: And I'm Richard Quest.

From Teheran to Washington, London to Cairo, wherever you are in the world, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

CHURCH: Well, we begin with critical days ahead in Iran's standoff with the West over its nuclear ambitions.

QUEST: With deadlines fast approaching, Iran is voting to press ahead with a program that it says is peaceful but many fear is meant to produce weapons.

CHURCH: Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, says his country will continue to pursue nuclear technology.

QUEST: He spoke on the eve of Iran's self-imposed deadline to respond to a package of incentives drawn up by U.N. Security Council members, plus Germany. CHURCH: The Security Council is threatening to impose sanctions if Iran doesn't stop enriching uranium by the end of the month.

Well, the supreme leader didn't specifically mention uranium enrichment when he talked of Iran's nuclear program. U.S. President George W. Bush, one of Iran's most vocal critics, says he'll wait for formal response. But he also says there must be consequences for countries which thumb their nose at U.N. demands.

Suzanne Malveaux is following this story from Washington. But first, let's go to Aneesh Raman in Teheran.

What has been the reaction there and likely reaction to the words of George W. Bush?

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, President Bush trying to downplay that this nuclear dispute pits the U.S. against Iran, clearly intent on showing international pressure that there exists to get Iran to suspend its nuclear program.

Iranian officials, though, see it the opposite. They see all of this as a U.S. effort essentially for regime change. An official response expected tomorrow, but as you say, no stronger a preview than what we heard today from the country's supreme leader, the top official in Iran, the Ayatollah Khamenei.

He said this morning, "The Islamic Republic of Iran has made its decision. And in the issue of nuclear energy, will continue its path powerfully, and it will receive the sweet fruits of its efforts."

You see him there earlier today.

Iran has maintained from the start it is pursuing a peaceful civilian nuclear program, that it has the right to pursue that within the nuclear nonproliferation treaty. Again, we expect an official reaction from Iran tomorrow but, interestingly, at least a week between Iran's official statement and the deadline. It could be that Iran is posturing to try and get a new deal. That, though, seems unlikely -- Rosemary.

CHURCH: And Aneesh, of course, at the same time that these strong words are coming out of Iran, also war games are operating across the country. How is that playing out there in Iran, and what are people saying about that and the comments from Iran?

RAMAN: Yes, massive military exercises, Rosemary, that launched over the weekend. War games, as you say. Today's weapon on display, air missile defense that was showcased by Iran's armed forces.

The intent is clearly twofold. One, that Iran will pursue its civilian nuclear program, but two, that it is ready to defend against any potential military air strikes by the West on the country's nuclear facilities.

Today we went to the war memorial here in Tehran for those killed in the vicious battle, eight-year battle between Iran and Iraq. There, the looming question overshadowed all, is Iran being drawn into another conflict because of this nuclear dispute? The people here are uneasy about what may come but seem steadfast in their support for the government and for this nuclear program -- Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Aneesh Raman reporting there from Tehran -- Richard.

QUEST: Now for more on President Bush's comments on Iran, Suzanne Malveaux joins us at the White House.

Suzanne, what did the president have to say?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Richard, really, President Bush rejected Iran's refusal to cooperate, to comply with the U.N. Security Council resolution, really dismissing it out of hand. What the Bush administration is trying to do is essentially buy some time here to make sure that all five members of the -- permanent five members of the U.N. Security Council, plus Germany, are on the same page when they respond to Iran.

Simply, this has been somewhat of a difficult position that the Bush administration has been in. It was just four years ago President Bush labeled Iran as the member of the "axis of evil."

What have we seen since then? Well, we have seen Iran, that has rejected this U.N. Security Council demand to stop enriching uranium. It has also financed and armed Hezbollah, according to U.S. officials. Yesterday, it test-fired short-range missiles.

Really, the only thing left for the Bush administration to do is to make the case or try to make the case here that it's a dangerous regime, that it deserves the harshest of penalties, economic and diplomatic penalties and sanctions from the U.N. Security Council, and to rally the international parties to take the same position.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Dates? You know, dates are fine. But what really matters is will.

And one of the things I will continue to remind our friends and allies is the danger of a nuclear-armed Iraq. But, no, you're right. This is -- they're a central part of creating instability, trying to stop reformers from realizing dreams.

And the question facing this country is, will -- do we understand the threat to America? In other words, do we understand that a failed -- failed states in the Middle East are a direct threat to our country's security?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So, the bottom line here, Richard, is the president says they will wait until August 31st, the official deadline by the U.N. Security Council, for some sort of official response from Iran. It is far from clear whether or not China and Russian are going to be on board when it comes to those tough economic sanctions. The Bush administration wants to make it clear and sure that everybody is going to be on the same page in responding to Iran come the end of August -- Richard.

QUEST: The president also spoke a great deal about Iraq during that news conference, Suzanne. And what struck me listening to him was, he was almost getting testy with reporters, including yourself at one point, for the way in which people keep pushing him on this, about when -- when is the U.S. going to withdraw, when is there going to be an improvement?

MALVEAUX: Well, you're right. I mean, that's pretty typical of the president every once in a while, showing a little bit of frustration.

He even was pushed on that point, whether or not he himself was personally frustrated with how thing were going in Iraq. He said he is not surprised but he is frustrated. He also said that this is not a time of joy, that these are challenging and difficult times.

As you know, Richard, this administration has just a little more than two years to try to turn things around. There is very little that is working in its favor. And what the president you saw doing here is essentially saying this is going to be on somebody else's watch when this is wrapped up. This is going to be a difficult situation in Iraq and other places in the world, but he's asking Americans and others to be patient -- Richard.

QUEST: All right. Thank you very much.

Suzanne Malveaux at the White House.

CHURCH: Well, the U.S. president is also calling for the urgent deployment of international troops in southern Lebanon, reflecting rising concerns that peace could collapse at any minute.

QUEST: The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, earlier described the cease-fire as very fragile. All this as more internal criticism surfaces against the Israeli government and its military.

CHURCH: Well, Italy says it's willing to lead the United Nations forces in southern Lebanon, a move that has been welcome by Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert.

Let's turn to our correspondents covering the story.

Chris Lawrence is standing by in Jerusalem and Liz Neisloss is monitoring developments at the United Nations.

Let's begin there with Liz.

Liz, no surprises, really. We're hearing from U.S. President George W. Bush that that international team is needed urgently, but the U.S. isn't going to be part of that, is it?

LIZ NEISLOSS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, the U.S. is not, and that would not be surprising to many here. The U.S. being seen as the staunch ally, the proxy, some would say, for Israel in the Security Council. It would not exactly be something that the Lebanese would be able to accept.

Israel, for its part, has also raised objections to three of the countries that came forward right away with troops for the front line, Indonesia and Malaysia, two of the countries, and as bell as Bangladesh. Three countries which do not recognize Israel. So Israel raising objections there.

The problem is, though, getting European nations. Those are the troops with the supplies and the equipment. They have not come forward.

France, in particular, who authored the resolution to get to a cease-fire, only committing so far 200 troops, to the surprise of many. The U.S. ambassador, John Bolton, explained his perspective on why countries are hesitant.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BOLTON, U.S. AMB. TO U.N.: As long as Hezbollah fighters remain armed in the south or elsewhere in the country, whether the arms are visible or hidden under mattresses, the international peacekeeping force and the Lebanese armed forces, while we're on the subject, will be vulnerable if Hezbollah orders additional attacks. And I think that's very much on the minds of the troop contributors and I think that's understandable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEISLOSS: The United States is now saying that they will pursue another resolution that may give a little more strength to those UNIFIL troops, the U.N. troops in Lebanon that may address some more of those concerns.

Back to you.

CHURCH: All right.

Liz Neisloss at the U.N. -- thanks.

QUEST: Now, there has been much speculation about just how much political capital the war has cost the Israeli government. Critics call the war a major mistake. And now the military leadership is coming under fire from soldiers as well.

CNN's Chris Lawrence is in Jerusalem and joins us now.

What's this all about?

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Richard, there's an internal battle brewing here in Israel. And earlier today, a group of Israeli reservists set off on a protest march across Jerusalem. And they're calling for the resignations of both Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his defense minister. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE (voice over): An uneasy truce keeps the peace between Israel and Hezbollah. But some Israeli reservists refuse to accept a cease-fire in their own war of words.

YOSSI AVIGOR, ISRAELI RESERVIST: The officers that were in charge of all of this operation should go home.

LAWRENCE: Yossi Avigor and other reservists accuse military planners and political leaders of incompetence.

AVIGOR: We don't know where we're going. We don't know what to do. Orders will change on a day-to-day basis.

LAWRENCE: Soldiers coming across the border say they were abandoned in broad daylight to snipers and took canteens off the bodies of dead Hezbollah soldiers.

AVIGOR: We got stuck for I think two days, maybe three without food and water. We had to take from the villages that we -- only for what we needed.

LAWRENCE: For the first time, a high-ranking Israeli general has admitted he failed to prepare the infantry for this war. And some critics are demanding the prime minister call an independent inquiry in which his decisions during the month-long war would be called into question.

ALUF BENN, "HAARETZ": The whole concept of reserves is a very hot political potato.

LAWRENCE: Journalist Aluf Benn says complaints from reservists have brought down previous administrations in Israel after the wars of 1973 and 1982. But Benn says over the past few years, reservists have been pressuring the government to train less and serve less time.

BENN: Due to the outcry, the military and the government were trying to ease the burden, and due to the budgetary constraints, to call only those who were needed and to save on the training.

LAWRENCE: Now some soldiers say they were under-prepared. Others signed a petition that asked, "Were we called up for nothing?"

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I have no idea what our mission was, but I'm 100 percent sure we didn't achieve it.

LAWRENCE: It's a verbal war within Israel, with no cease-fire in sight.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE: Now, the defense minister is blaming some senior military officials for not telling him the full capabilities of Hezbollah's rockets. Prime Minister Olmert is partially blaming his predecessors, saying they knew that Syria and Iran were arming Hezbollah and did nothing to stop it. Olmert reminded his critics that his administration had only been in power for a few months when this conflict started -- Richard.

QUEST: We'll leave it there for the moment.

Chris Lawrence joining us from Jerusalem.

CHURCH: All right.

Well, coming up next on YOUR WORLD TODAY, more on the terror arrests in London.

QUEST: Also ahead, a fatal rail crash in Egypt. We'll have details on what took place north of Cairo when two trains collided. Dozens of people were killed.

CHURCH: And later, the suspect in a 10-year-old child murder case returns to the United States, but his style of travel causes quite a stir.

Do stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. You're watching YOUR WORLD TODAY.

QUEST: Where we bring CNN's viewers around the globe up to speed on the most important -- the most important international stories of the day.

One of those stories that we're talking about at this hour, we're beginning to learn more about the foiled airline terror plot that was unveiled last week in the U.K. About half of the suspects arrested and being -- who are in custody have now been charged.

European political editor Robin Oakley joins us live from London with all the details.

Robin, the authorities were starting to run out of time.

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, indeed, you can only hold suspects without charge for up to 28 days. It used to be only 14 days in Britain until last year, Richard. Only 28 days to hold these suspects, but now, as you say, 11 of them have been charged.

Eight, we heard from Susan Hemming, the antiterrorism chief at the Crown Prosecution Service which makes these kind of decisions in Britain, eight have been charged with a double count of conspiracy to murder by smuggling explosive components on board airliners. And secondly, with preparing to commit an act of terrorism. A new offense introduced last year.

But perhaps the most dramatic thing that we heard was the kind of evidence that is going to be used against those charged. That was outlined to us by Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke, Scotland Yard's antiterrorism head.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEP. COMM. PETER CLARKE, SCOTLAND YARD: There was evidence from surveillance carried out before the 10th of August. This includes important, indeed, highly significant, video and audio recordings.

I can also tell you that since the 10th of August, we have found bomb-making equipment. There are chemicals, including hydrogen peroxide, electrical components, documents and other items. We've also found a number of video recordings. These are sometimes referred to as martyrdom videos.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OAKLEY: There are another 11 suspects in custody not yet charged with anything. We won't know for another couple of days whether the police are going to apply to continue to hold them without charge for the moment -- Richard.

QUEST: Now Robin, what's going on here? On the left hand, the Crown Prosecution Service cautions against the press revealing too much about the case. And then on the right hand, the police promptly gives a treasure trove of potential evidence to be pored over in the media.

OAKLEY: Well, what the police are doing, Richard, is giving us a taste of the kind of evidence. What they're not doing is attaching any of that evidence to any of the particular suspects who have so far been charged with conspiracy to murder.

The police, too, are appealing to the media to be careful about their reporting, to ensure that people get a fair trial. They are obviously anxious to build their representations by securing convictions, because there have been severe embarrassments for the police in recent times, a raid on one home in a Muslim area where one brother was shot, two brothers were taken into custody. The house virtually wrecked by the police in the search for evidence and no charges followed.

So they'll be highly relieved this time. They've got some solid evidence, they believe, to bring these charges to court -- Richard.

QUEST: Robin Oakley in London.

Thank you.

CHURCH: All right. To Iraq now.

And Saddam Hussein's second trial has adjourned for the day after opening with a familiar show of defiance. The deposed Iraqi leader refused to enter a plea, bickered with the chief judge, and would not recognize the legitimacy of the court.

The trial opens a new legal chapter for Hussein, who once again faces a possible death penalty. Hussein and six co-defendants face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for the killings of thousands of Kurdish villages in 1988.

Hussein was the first defendant called into court Monday morning. When the chief judge asked him to identify himself, he resorted to a familiar answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SADDAM HUSSEIN, DEPOSED IRAQI LEADER (through translator): You are here today in the name of the occupation. I will not give you my name. My name is known to Iraqis and to the whole world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Do you have lawyers?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): (INAUDIBLE) down the defendants.

HUSSEIN: Saddam Hussein, the president of Iraq, and the commander and chief of the armed forces.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The Anfal crackdown was aimed as crushing Kurds in Iraq's northern region along the border with Iran. Hussein accused them of helping Iran in the war with Iraq.

Well, at least 10 Iraqi civilians and soldiers were killed and nine injured in separate attacks throughout Iraq Monday. The attacks come a day after gunmen opened fire on a crowd of Shia pilgrims, killing at least 20 people.

Hundreds of thousands had gathered to commemorate the death of an eighth century Shiite cleric. Iraq's industry (ph) minister downplayed the recent surge of violence on CNN, saying the sectarian attacks were intermittent and not coordinated.

Well, coming up in just a few minutes, we're going to be talking about all of this with Iraq's ambassador to the United States, Samir Sumaidaie.

QUEST: Now, there's much more ahead in just a moment.

CHURCH: There is -- John Mark Karr arrived at a detention facility in Los Angeles after his extradition from Thailand. We'll tell you when he heads back to Colorado to face questioning in the death of JonBenet Ramsey.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Daryn Kagan at CNN Center in Atlanta. More of YOUR WORLD TODAY in just a few minutes.

First, let's check on stories making headlines here in the U.S.

And for that, we begin with a manhunt in Virginia. An escaped inmate is suspected of killing a police officer this morning near Virginia Tech. The suspect is also accused of killing a hospital security guard and wounding a deputy on Sunday. The campus has been shut down and class is canceled.

Let's get more now from our affiliate WDBJ and Rachel DePompa.

Rachel, what can you tell us?

RACHEL DEPOMPA, REPORTER, WDBJ: Well, Daryn, this community is on lockdown right now. It is very intense, and people are on the lookout for Charles William -- William Charles Morva, excuse me.

He escaped a deputy's custody yesterday at the hospital, shot the deputy. That deputy was wounded. Shot and killed a security guard, police say, and this morning they believe he shot and killed Corporal Eric Sutfin (ph), a 13-year veteran of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office in southwest Virginia.

This search has spread not only from the town of Blacksburg, but on to the Virginia Tech campus. I'm going to show you -- earlier today this is some -- some of the people that were forced out of the building when they had a sighting of Morva.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They just told me to get out and they were pointing guns at me. So...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've got to get out, huh?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Oh, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What were you doing in there?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually, I was just down the hall using the bathroom and washing my hands and things like that, and so I didn't hear what was going on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEPOMPA: And this is video of the Virginia Tech community. People being forced out of a building.

That turned out to be a false alarm, but that's what you're dealing with right now. There are sightings of this man all over, and people are on the lookout, trying to make sure that they find him because he is armed and dangerous, three people have been shot in two days. It's been a tough day here in Blacksburg -- Daryn.

KAGAN: I would bet. And this is the first day of classes there for Virginia Tech. So the campus is full of people.

DEPOMPA: Oh, the campus is full. And the students have been told not to go to class and to stay in their dorms. But we've seen quite a few of them walking around. And officials want me to reiterate, if you're on the campus, get back in your dorm room, stay inside your dorm right now until they find out what is going on and where Morva is.

KAGAN: Rachel, what else can you tell us about this guy? He was in custody, he was going to go on trial, accused of robbing a deli. And this has clearly spiraled out of control from that point.

DEPOMPA: It has. He was in court. His court date was actually later this week, a trial date for that robbery, armed robbery. And apparently he told the police that he had a sprained ankle and he needed to be checked out.

They took him to the local hospital. Sometime in the hospital he overpowered that deputy that he had him under control. He shot the deputy, shot and killed a 33-year-old security guard, been on the run all night, and he shot -- they say he shot and killed a law enforcement officer this morning, someone well known to this community.

It's been quite a shock this morning.

KAGAN: All right. Well, we'll be checking in there in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Rachel DePompa with our local affiliate there.

Thank you.

Let's go to our CNN "Security Watch." New developments in the alleged airline terror plot.

Just last hour, British officials announced they've charged 11 of the 22 people held in the case. A female suspect has been released. The case first came to light nearly two weeks ago. Authorities revealed the plot to blow up airliners traveling from Great Britain to the U.S.

Major challenges and concerns in the spotlight at the White House this morning. President Bush facing off with reporters.

Among the topics, the Middle East. Mr. Bush called for quick deployment of international forces to Lebanon.

On another issue, Mr. Bush said Iran must face the consequences if it refuses to stop enriching uranium.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: And so, to answer your question on Iran, Iran is obviously part of the -- part of the problem. They sponsor Hezbollah. They encourage a radical brand of Islam. Imagine how difficult this issue would be if Iran had a nuclear weapon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: That U.N. deadline is 10 days away. Iran has said it would formally respond to the U.N. by tomorrow.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

CHURCH: U.S. President George W. Bush is underscoring his belief that withdrawing U.S. troops from the country is not an option.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRES. OF THE UNITED STATES: We're not leaving so long as I'm president. That would be a huge mistake. It would send an unbelievably, you know, terrible signal to reformers across the region. It would say we've abandoned our desire to change conditions that create terror.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, the Iraqi ambassador to the U.S. also thinks it would be a mistake if troops were to leave now.

Samir Sumaidaie joins us now live from Washington. Thank you, ambassador, for talking with us.

As we heard, the U.S. president, George W. Bush, said it would be a huge mistake. But not everybody shares that view. A lot of people are actually saying the troops should come home. How do you answer that argument?

SAMIR SUMAIDAIE, IRAQI AMB. TO THE U.S.: Well, the argument is not so much for the troops to come home immediately, because I don't think there's very much opinion in that direction. The United States, both Republicans and Democrats, recognize that the troops cannot be withdrawn prematurely. The discussion is about when and how and under what conditions. And I think the point to make here is that if they are withdrawn before conditions are right, then it would be a defeat for the United States, a defeat for democracy in Iraq and a great victory for terrorism in Iraq.

CHURCH: But the Iraq that the world is looking and seeing today is not what the U.S. envisioned, is it? Why did it underestimate its enemy to such an extent?

SUMAIDAIE: Well, it's -- I cannot answer for the United States and how it expected things, but I must say that the situation in Iraq is difficult. We have been facing a very vicious campaign by the forces of terrorism, by regional powers who want to intervene, by international terrorism, and it is difficult, but the majority of Iraqi people have made the will clear through elections. The national unity government is battling these forces. It has the tacit support of the bulk of the population, but it's a tough struggle. We'll need international support to get through this.

CHURCH: It is a tough struggle. And every day, of course, we're reporting death and destruction there in Iraq. Ten killed today. Over the weekend, 20 Shia pilgrims killed. But the Iraqi industry minister downplayed that, and he said that violence is not coordinated. What's your view on that? Just how coordinated is this sectarian violence?

SUMAIDAIE: Well, let me just tell you, we should not lose focus of our ultimate aim here. Just before coming to this studio, outside of my embassy here in Washington, there was a demonstration by Kurds. I came out and spoke to them. One of the demonstrators was a middle- aged lady who lost three of her sons to Saddam's terror machine. She nearly had me in tears.

These people are representative of the bulk of Iraqi population. Iraq has been traumatized over decades.

Now it's the convulsions which accompany such a dramatic transition. If we lose sight of the original objective of establishing a free society in Iraq, it's going to be a big victory for the Saddamists and for the terrorists.

CHURCH: Sir, I don't think anyone would argue that Iraq under Saddam Hussein was a good thing. But for many, looking at the Iraq today, it's not a better Iraq, is it?

SUMAIDAIE: It is, in many ways, extremely difficult, and for many people, it is hard to survive now than it was at any time. Yes, that's true, and that's because of the determined campaign of terror and intimidation that Saddam's old regiments, if you like, and supporters are putting up, with the support of international terrorism and some regional powers.

But the bulk of the Iraqi people, I am absolutely clear in my mind and I am absolutely certain, the bulk of the Iraqi people are behind the political process. They have demonstrated their determination to take part in it, and we must make sure that they are supported and we must make sure that terrorism is defeated.

CHURCH: Ambassador, Thank you so much for talking with us.

SUMAIDAIE: Thank you.

CHURCH: Richard?

QUEST: A tragic accident north of Cairo, where two passenger trains collided in a fiery crash. Very strange. They were traveling towards Cairo. And while officials say it's too early to assign responsibility to the accident, they say human error is probably to blame.

CNN's Mallika Kapur reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALLIKA KAPUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT(voice-over): A morning commute turns deadly. More than 50 people are dead, more than 100 injured, after a collision between two passenger trains in Kalub (ph) northern Egypt. The accident took place early Monday morning.

Osama Abdul Haleem lives close to the railway.

OSAMA ABDUL HALEEM (through translator): A loud crash awoke me from my sleep. One of the trains had derailed and people were scattered on the ground. I called the authorities, and they people told me I was crazy. I told them I lived nearby, and that I was not crazy or dreaming. I told them there were dead and dying people there on the ground. It happened at around 6:45. The second train was completely burned.

KAPUR: Eyewitnesses say the force of the crash set one of the engines on fire and ripped seats from the carriages. One of the derailed trains was lying on its side. Around 20 ambulances dashed to the scene, rushing the injured to the hospital. But for some, the help came too late.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We got some bodies out of the train cars, but there are still more bodies.

KAPUR: Details about exactly what happened remain unclear, but some reports suggest one driver ignored signals. Witnesses say the train rammed into the rear of the second one. The trains were both southbound, carrying commuters into Cairo. Five hours now after the accident, bodies were still being recovered from the wreckage. It's the worse accident on Egyptian railways since fire swept through a passenger train four years ago killing about 360 people.

Mallika Kapur, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: A Lebanese student in Germany could face terrorism charges. A judge ordered the man held in custody as authorities investigate the attempted bombing of a pair of trains. Prosecutors say the 21-year-old suspect was identified with help of surveillance footage from Cologne (ph) Station, as well as DNA traces. A second suspect is still at large.

Well, measuring the human toll of war.

QUEST: In just a moment on YOUR WORLD TODAY, we're going to hear from human rights groups who say both Israel and Lebanon may be guilty of war crimes, around the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: And a warm welcome back to YOUR WORLD.

QUEST: Seen live in more than 200 countries around the globe, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY on CNN International.

CHURCH: Well, the month-long war has exacted a heavy toll. On the Lebanese side, official statistics say 1,068 have been killed, and 4,054 wounded.

QUEST: Israel saw more than 40 of its civilians killed and about 120 soldiers. CNN's Jim Clancy look at claims by human rights groups that both sides may have violated international rules of warfare.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The month-long war between Israel and Hezbollah will go down in the books as a conflict that killed more children than combatants, according to the U.N. Most of the civilian casualties and most of the destruction of civilian infrastructure came in Israeli air strikes on Lebanon, but Hezbollah rocket attacks were indiscriminate. Israelis, too, felt the pain and terror of being targets.

(on camera): This conflict has been singularly brutal on civilians. It doesn't matter whether you're in Haifa or here in Beirut. When you look at the collapsed apartment blocks or count the casualties, a single question keeps recurring, washing over you. Why isn't anyone up for war crimes charges for all of this?

(voice over): As more civilian casualties are uncovered on the battlefield in southern Lebanon, human rights groups and individual activists vow to investigate both sides.

NADIM HOURY, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH INVESTIGATOR: We're not mincing our words on both sides here. Firing indiscriminate attacks on Israeli cities amounts to a war crime. There is no doubt about it. The point we're trying to make is, also, the IDF indiscriminate attacks on Lebanese civilians also amounts to a war crime.

CLANCY: Israel says it warned civilians off the likely battlefield and maintained throughout the conflict that Hezbollah was using civilians as human shields.

GHASSAN MOUKHEIBAR, LEBANESE PARLIAMENT MEMBER: What we need here is a real determined will of the international community to say truly, no more, and for everybody. We don't make exceptions for Israel.

CLANCY (on camera): And Hezbollah?

MOUKHEIBAR: Including Hezbollah. Why not? If they're found guilty, let them be prosecuted, but it will be up to the Israelis to do it. But no more crimes. And let's start with the big criminals that are the Israelis. It is so (INAUDIBLE).

CLANCY (voice over): Human rights watch has already published a report about Israel's military campaign.

HOURY: We studied 20 case studies of attacks on homes and on convoys in southern Lebanon, and what we found in those cases, that Israel was failing systematically to distinguish between civilians and combatants. And the systematic failure we could not explain by blaming it on mistakes, we could not explain it by blaming it on Hezbollah practices. These are grave violations of the Geneva Conventions and they amount to war crimes. MARK REGEV, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN: The accusation that Israel deliberately targeted civilians is simply false. It's not true. Israel was as surgical as we could be under difficult circumstances. We don't see the Lebanese people as our enemy.

CLANCY: Bringing charges could be tricky. If Lebanon asks the international criminal court to prosecute Israelis for war crimes, its own citizens, like Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, automatically become vulnerable. Israel, too, could fire charges but would open up its politicians and military to prosecution.

MOUKHEIBAR: If you kill one individual person, this is prosecuted in the court. If you kill a thousand, some generals think that you can get away with it. I say no more.

CLANCY: But when it is in neither side's interest to take their complaints to a world court, maybe the war that killed more children than combatants is destined to be fought all over again.

Jim Clancy, CNN, Beirut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: The war took a tremendous toll on Lebanon's infrastructure. It affected billions of dollars in damage. The man heading up Lebanon's reconstruction effort says it could take years to recover.

Al-Fadl Shalaq joins me now from Beirut.

Mr. Shalaq, what's going to be the priority, in looking at this massive infrastructure reconstruction? Where are you going to start?

AL-FADL SHALAQ, COUNCIL FOR DEVELOPMENT & RECONSTRUCTION: I have seen all of the previous wars in Lebanon since 1975, and this war is probably the most intense, in terms of firepower and in terms of destruction and killing.

The amount of destruction, as evaluated in dollar terms, is equivalent to about three-billion, 500-million dollars. This is mostly about two-thirds in buildings above ground, and one-third to infrastructure underground. Infrastructure would mean mainly roads, bridges, waterways, electricity, telecommunications sand so on.

If you ask me what is the priority, the priority is everything, because when you have water, that is disconnected, and telecom service, or electricity or roads; everything is needed. So, I don't see how we can say this sector has more priority over other sectors.

QUEST: Well paying for it is going to be the tricky business as well, as you decide where to place your priorities. Who, and which countries do you believe are going to give you the bulk of the money to pay for all of this?

SHALAQ: As you probably know, already Saudi Arabia has pledged half a million dollars for reconstruction. Kuwait has pledged $300 million for reconstruction. And the Arab Fund has pledged $100 million for reconstruction. As usually, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia is the most forthcoming in financing Lebanon reconstruction since a long time.

QUEST: There will clearly be a shortfall in the reconstruction finance that you're going to have to have to find the money from somewhere else.

SHALAQ: If we work hard to reconstruct our country, I'm not worried about technical capacity. I'm not worried about financial resources. What should probably worry us more is the political situation is not conducive to quick reconstruction.

QUEST: In the sense of what? That the government isn't strong enough? Hezbollah still remains in a powerful part of the southern part of the country, or reconstruction is not viable as long as possibility of second or third wave of...

SHALAQ: ... No, reconstruction is vibrant and is possible and we have done it several times. I mean, I have spent most of time life reconstructing and building. I worked with Mr. Hariri for 25 years, mostly in reconstruction. Now, the government lacks the plan and what we have is lack of leadership.

QUEST: All right, we'll have to leave it at there for the moment. Many thanks indeed for joining us. This is CNN, around the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back. Well, he makes it look so easy. The world's No. 1 ranked golfer Tiger Woods wins another major tournament, the PGA.

QUEST: It might be easy for him. It's just the rest of us that have difficulty. As Larry Smith, he's on track to become golf's all- time greatest player.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The numbers are starting to pile up for Tiger Woods now. Not only has he won his last three tournaments, two of them majors, but he's won them with a combined score of 60 under par, displaying a dominance that has become his trademark and is leaving tread marks on his competition.

TIGER WOODS, GOLFER: I just thoroughly enjoy coming out of the stretch and a back nine with a chance to win it. I mean, that's why I practice as hard as I do and what I live for. That, to me, is the ultimate rush in our sport, is on that back nine on Sunday with a chance to win a major championship.

MIKE WEIR, GOLFER: It's impressive. I mean, he's really on it. I mean, he's about a gazillion under his last three tournaments. He's a wonderful player and right on top of it right now. SHAUN MICHEEL, GOLFER: He's a tough guy to catch. That's why he's No. 1 in the world. He just does things on pressure situations, pressure days that you need to do.

WOODS: To know you're in control of the major championship and basically if you just keep playing the way you're playing, you're going to win it. That's the great feeling.

SMITH (on camera): For all of the dizzying numbers, there's only one that matters to Woods, 18, the record number of majors won by his boyhood idol, Jack Nicklaus. Woods now has 12, two-thirds of the way there. At 30-years-old, looking like he'll go well past it. Larry Smith, CNN, Medinah, Illinois.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: That's it from us, I'm Rosemary Church.

QUEST: Now you see us, now you don't. I'm Richard Quest. Around the world, around the clock, this is CNN.

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