Israel Hits Back after Deadly Missile Attack; Netanyahu: Those Behind Missile Attack 'Will Pay'
BLITZER: Tensions are very high along Israel's northern border area. Israel has answered a deadly Hezbollah missile attack by pounding targets in Lebanon, and it's issued a not-so-veiled threat to the Shiite group and its Iranian patrons. The spokesman for Israel's military, Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner, he's standing by live in Jerusalem. There he is. But first let's go to CNN's global affairs correspondent, Elise Labott. She's got the very latest from the Israeli border with Lebanon. What is the latest, Elise?</s>ELISE LABOTT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, tonight Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting of his top national security aides after Hezbollah launched the most deadly attack against Israeli forces since the war with Hezbollah in 2006. And Netanyahu says Iran is the culprit, and Israel will respond aggressively to any attempts to open up a new front.</s>LABOTT (voice-over): The Hezbollah assaults started with anti-tank missiles striking an Israeli military convoy, killing two soldiers and wounding seven more. Smoke rose from the border, as Israel answered with air strikes and shelling into Lebanon. Hezbollah came back with more mortar fire against Israeli Army positions. A U.N. peace keeper in Lebanon was killed in the fighting. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to Twitter to promise who was ever behind the attack would pay the price. But it pointed the finger at Iran for using Hezbollah to open up a new front on its northern frontier with Syria and Lebanon. A day earlier, two rockets launched from a Syrian Army position into the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights were met with Israeli airstrikes back into Syria. A stern warning to Hezbollah a new front will not be tolerated.</s>AARON DAVID MILLER, WILSON CENTER: If you can shell Israel from the Golan, if you could kind of condition the Israelis to the fact that this is now the new normal, you have achieved something quite significant. The Israelis, on the other hand, are simply not prepared to concede that.</s>LABOTT: Hezbollah called it payback for last week's strike against Syria targeting and killing an Iranian general and six Hezbollah members. And while it hasn't acknowledged the attack, Israel's Army is on high alert, deploying the Iron Dome anti-missile system after Iran vowed to hit back with, quote, "ruinous thunder bolts." (on camera): Israel has deployed several Iron Dome batteries in the area like the one behind me. The system has a very sophisticated radar which can track an incoming rocket, lock onto it and shoot it down within 15 seconds. But it's never been tested against a very large salvo of rockets. And the fear is that if Hezbollah starts shooting hundreds of rockets into Israel, the system may not be as successful. (voice-over): Wednesday's attack, Hezbollah's most deadly against Israeli forces since the 2006 Lebanon war. Tonight, military sources say neither side has an interest in escalation but warn violence could spiral out of control. A fear echoed in Washington.</s>PSAKI: We certainly encourage all parties to respect the blue line between Israel and Lebanon. We urge all parties to refrain from any action that could escalate the situation.</s>LABOTT: And Wolf, a tense calm over the area. It's been quiet for about the last ten hours or so. The question now is has each side made their point? Are they ready to de-escalate? Or will the fighting continue? And as you know well from covering the region, any wrong move on either side and this could really spiral out of control.</s>BLITZER: It certainly could. One miscalculation could escalate this, you know, to an all-out war. Thanks very much, Elise. Be careful up in the northern part of Israel where you are right now. We'll check back with you tomorrow. Let's go to Jerusalem right now. The Israeli military spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner, is joining us. Colonel, what is the latest information you're getting about the situation along Israel's northern border?</s>LT. COL. PETER LERNER, ISRAELI MILITARY SPOKESMAN: Well, as Elise pointed out, it's tense but calm. It has been for about ten hours now. We are maintaining military presence on the border, substantial enough to defend Israeli civilians. That is our goal. That is what we're doing.</s>BLITZER: How concerned are you that the situation, though, could escalate if there were some miscalculation?</s>LERNER: Well, we're doing everything possible in order to prevent that. Of course, there are concerns. Hezbollah, a terrorist organization with a huge weapons capability, larger than most European countries, actually, has the ability to strike all of Israel. So this is of great concern, and we need to be poised and prepared for a negative development, although we're hoping and taking necessary steps to be prepared for otherwise. I would say that we need to be prepared with the tools, with the intelligence, with the military forces capable on the ground to address any threat that could possibly develop. So today, these five lethal antitank missiles that were fired at the troops, killing two soldiers and wounding another seven, is a severe situation. And this is something we really need to look ahead and try and foresee if these type of attacks can happen again.</s>BLITZER: Because you know Hezbollah says this was retaliation for what Israel did last week when it launched an airstrike against a convoy carrying Hezbollah militants and an Iranian Revolutionary Guard general. You killed them. They say you started all of this.</s>LERNER: Well, we need to be responsible, rational and level-headed in what we are doing and how we are defending the people of Israel from Hezbollah and its Iranian patron. They are attempting to establish another front in the Golan Heights. We need to be able to defend ourselves. That is what we're doing.</s>BLITZER: Because we know --</s>LERNER: Just yesterday, in fact, if I might add --</s>BLITZER: Go ahead.</s>LERNER: Wolf, if I might add, just yesterday, they launched two rockets at Mount Carmel. We had to evacuate 1,000 people off of a skiing resort.</s>BLITZER: So what are you saying now? When the prime minister of Israel says that Hezbollah and Iran. In his words, he said it very specifically. He said they will pay a price for today's deadly attack that killed two Israeli soldiers, what does he mean by that?</s>LERNER: Well, as the military, we need to be prepared for any development. We need to take the necessary steps to safeguard the state of Israel. That is what we're doing. People cannot be allowed to shoot rockets at us, at people. The vehicles that the soldiers were traveling in were unmarked military vehicles on a road where civilians were traveling. They could have shot anybody. People need to be able to travel their roads. I would say it needs to be responsible, rational and level-headed.</s>BLITZER: So you see an escalation, this tension escalating. Is it simply because of Hezbollah, or do you see Iran behind it? We know Hezbollah has the full support of the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Give us your analysis of what's going on here, because since 2006, that northern Israeli border was very, very quiet. And all of a sudden, the last week or so, things have really escalated.</s>LERNER: Well, the reality is that Iran is using Hezbollah as its proxy. It is its forearm here on our northern border. They have been supplying them with rockets and missiles. They have been training them. Hezbollah have been operating on their behalf in Syria to prop up the regime there. They have gained huge field experience inside Syria that probably made them successful in their attack against our forces today. So they are deeply involved. They're all serving one goal, and this is the prime concern. Iran, together with Hezbollah and Syria operating, using these areas as springboards to launch attacks against Israel, is something we can't put up with.</s>BLITZER: We saw Elise in her report standing not far away from that U.S.-built Iron Dome anti-missile system. I assume you're moving those Iron Dome systems up to the north, but do you think they could get the job done in the face of what could be hundreds, if not thousands, of rockets, mortars, missiles, launched at targets in northern Israel?</s>LERNER: Well, the Iron Dome is just one component of our multi-tiered capabilities, defensive capabilities. So we have to depend on the people that will act responsibly. We're giving orders and advising people how to act in such a circumstance. And we have other mechanisms, as well as the Iron Dome in order to protect the people of Israel. That is precisely what we're doing. That is the Israel Defense Force.</s>BLITZER: Have you mobilized reservists yet?</s>LERNER: No. We have not, Wolf. We have sufficient forces on the border. The air force is poised and prepared. We are prepared to defend Israel if required. We have enough forces to do so.</s>BLITZER: Peter Lerner, Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner, the spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, thanks very much for joining us.</s>LERNER: Good evening.</s>BLITZER: Up next, what's behind an alarming new spike in threats against airlines here in the United States? It's causing flight delays and even getting military jets involved. Also coming up, the huge challenge of digging out from a storm that left record amounts of snow in several areas.