Israel Approves Wider Ground War in Lebanon; New Explosions Heard in Southern Lebanon; Miri Eisen Interview
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And to our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where new pictures and information are arriving all the time. Standing by, CNN reporters across the United States and around the world to bring you today's top stories. Happening now, Israel gives the green light for a bigger and likely more bloody ground war in southern Lebanon. It's 11:00 p.m. here in Jerusalem where Israeli officials say the fighting could last another month. Now, Hezbollah's leader is vowing to turn southern Lebanon into a graveyard for Israeli soldiers. In the midst of the crisis, look who is here in Israel: the Reverend Pat Robertson. He talks at length about the war, religion and why he felt it was so important for him to come to Jerusalem. And Senator Joe Lieberman fights to keep his seat despite being deserted by fellow Democrats. It's 4:00 p.m. in Connecticut where Lieberman's primary loss puts Iraq politics front and center. Is this a sign of things to come in the battle for Congress? We have some brand new poll numbers out this hour. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Jerusalem, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM. This hour, Israel is a nation bracing for a vastly larger and potentially deadlier ground war in Lebanon. Israel's security cabinet today overwhelmingly approved a potentially risky new phase of the battle to defuse the Hezbollah threat. After nearly a month of war, Israeli officials now say the combat could last another 30 days. These are pictures just coming into CNN of the situation on the northern border where volleys, rocket fire continuing without let-up. Right now, these pictures only in the past few minutes, likely a prelude of a whole lot more about to unfold in this region of the world. At the same time, Hezbollah's leader is warning Israeli Arabs to leave the city of Haifa so his troop can step up attacks without harming fellow Muslims. In a televised speech, Hassan Nasrallah calls a proposed U.N. peace plan, quote, "unfair and unjust." But he said he supports Lebanon's offer to send 15,000 troops to southern Lebanon once Israel withdraws. Today the Bush administration is warning both Hezbollah and Israel not to ratchet up the violence.</s>TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The escalation is something that we do not want to see but also you have to have a resolution that addresses the root cause of Hezbollah, has a practical solution to making sure that the Lebanese government will be able to have military and political control over the south.</s>BLITZER: On the diplomatic front, the U.S. special envoy David Welch made an unannounced trip to Beirut today to meet with Lebanon's prime minister. Lebanon has raised concerns about a U.N. draft resolution on the conflict. It was brokered by the United States and France. Diplomats say they hope for a vote on the resolution perhaps tomorrow. They've been hoping for such a vote now for days. Meantime, the body count here in the Middle East keeps rising. Israel now puts its total death toll at 105. Lebanon reports 827 people killed, most of them civilians. As always, our correspondents are reporting from the combat zone. CNN's Brent Sadler is in Beirut. CNN's John Vause is here with me in Jerusalem. But we lead off with CNN's Matthew Chance, once again along the Israel/Lebanese borders. Matthews, update our viewers on the very latest.</s>MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Wolf, the chaotic scene here on the northern border. You may be able to hear -- of course you can hear behind me the thumping barrage of Israeli guns as they continue to pound Hezbollah oppositions in south Lebanon. Since Israel's security cabinet approved the expansion of military operations in south Lebanon, they're saying they haven't given the order for that expansion to take place yet. But I can tell from you this vantage point right a few hundred yards away from the Lebanese border, there really has been a dramatic upswing in military activity over the course of the past several hours. We've been watching hundreds of Israeli soldiers backed by tanks, rolling in to southern Lebanon, really striking hard at these Hezbollah strongholds. They're going in, of course, to push as deep as they can into this area of southern Lebanon just across the border. Also in support, you can hear this artillery, really pounding, really opening up behind me, going in, in support of the 10 to 12,000 Israeli troops that are already there and have been engaged in close combat, close quarters fighting with Hezbollah guerrillas. It has not been an easy battle so far for the past several weeks. There have been high casualties on both sides. On the Israeli side particularly, we're not allowed to tell you though because of the censorship laws in this country, exactly how many casualties there have been, but suffice to say, that the Hezbollah rebels are very well trained according to the soldiers we've spoken to coming out and their officers. Very well armed, very dug in and they are proving very difficult indeed to dislodge. If the military campaign expands one of the big concerns, of course, for the Israeli military and for Israelis in general that they can expect more and more Israeli casualties. And that may be the one factor at this stage, Wolf, that is holding these soldiers back.</s>BLITZER: Matthew, we're hearings the gunfire, the shelling, the artillery. We also heard the sirens. I take it that suggests that there's fear rockets are coming into the area, close to you. Is that right?</s>CHANCE: Well, that certainly is the suggestion, Wolf, but we haven't seen any come in over the last hour or two, but certainly this is a very exposed location, right on the front line now with these battles taking place right behind me. So obviously there's a considerable danger as there is across this whole northern frontier with Lebanon. Our understanding is that those sirens are linked to some kind of central radar system that go out across the whole of the northern frontier when there is a rocket threat. And of course there is a virtually constant rocket threat. Despite this barrage here, it doesn't seem to have been able to dent the capability of Hezbollah to fire their rockets into southern Lebanon. And so we are exposed here, all of us, in northern Israel.</s>BLITZER: Matthew, these pictures we're showing our viewers are pictures of cameras in Israel, but they're looking into southern Lebanon. We see a rather, as you describe it, chaotic situation unfold and some are already suggesting this could be the prelude to part two, the new stage of this war, another even more robust, more massive Israeli invasion of south Lebanon, forces moving all the way up, potentially, to the Litani River, 20 or 30 kilometers into south Lebanon and perhaps even further. Are you getting those indications that a new, more robust ground offensive has either started or is about to start?</s>CHANCE: Well, I certainly think it's true to say, Wolf, that any new expanded ground offensive would probably look like this, what we're seeing right now, in its earliest stages. I happen to know though that the Israeli government have denied at this stage that this is the expansion that has been approved by the security cabinet and is merely an extension of the operations that we've been witnessing over the past several weeks. The difference this time is it is taking place so close to the cameras, so do we have a real privileged view of this battle unfolding in southern Lebanon. But as far as where or when, according to the Israeli officials and the Israeli government personnel that we've spoken to, this is not the start of that expansion of military activities. Although again, it will certainly look like this when it happens.</s>BLITZER: And we're going keep showing our viewers that live picture of southern Lebanon from a vantage point in northern Israel. It looks, as you point out, some significant military activity under way right now. Not exactly clear what is going on, although the fireworks clearly evident to all our viewers, Matthew, around the world. We know in recent weeks, the Israeli activated around 15,000 reserve forces. It always takes them time to get them ready for actual battle. These guys are reservists who in civilian life do all sorts of other things. Is there an indication from what you're seeing right now that some of those 15,000 reservists are now battle tested, battle ready and prepared to move into Lebanon?</s>CHANCE: Yes, I think definitely. I think it was actually more than 15,000. They called up three divisions, which could be as many as 30,000 people, perhaps even more than that. Certainly tens of thousands was the phrase that was given to me by Israeli defense officials when I asked them about the numbers. But it's a slow process. These people are called up by text, by telephone, by letter. Then they have to report for duty. And then they have to undergo a certain amount of refresher training, and then day by day, they become available to go back into combat situations. And so that's why we've been seeing this gradual, but steady buildup of Israeli forces, Israeli troops on these border areas, in preparation for a big push into southern Lebanon. What we've been seeing in the meantime is quickly -- quick in and out operations, perhaps like this one we're witnessing now involving ground forces wit tanks, armored personnel carriers, backed up by the heavy artillery guns a distance away from the Lebanese border. And we've been seeing that. We're expecting to see more of it unless this conflict is brought to a diplomatic conclusion as soon as possible, Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Matthew, stand by. We're going to be getting back to you. I just want to point out to our viewers, we're looking at these live pictures of southern Lebanon where there is considerable military activity going on. We'll keep showing you these live pictures of the battle field in south Lebanon. Let's bring in John Vause. He's here in Jerusalem with me. John, this a very significant day because, what plan B, from the Israeli perspective, about to unfold. Tell our viewers what the Israeli Security Cabinet specifically decided to do today.</s>JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it took them six hours to make this decision, which is an indication of just how crucial this was and how much thought went into this cabinet decision today. Essentially, they met against the backdrop of growing disquiet among the Israeli public that this war is not going as planned. Essentially the air power, 5,000 air strikes over the last four weeks or thousands of artillery shells being fired into southern Lebanon is not achieving the results they need. This is why they have approved the call-up of reservists, like 30,000, maybe more. We still don't know. The Israelis won't tell us. That is why they're now preparing to go into southern Lebanon. Everything which I've been told so far is that this push, this massive ground force in to southern Lebanon, could be a day, maybe two days away because of the diplomatic efforts which are under way. The Israelis want to give that time. This is also a threat to Hezbollah, a threat to the Lebanese government, that if they don't act, the Lebanese government does not act, if Hezbollah is not tamed by the Lebanese government, if they do not stop the rocket fire, there will be serious consequence and the Israelis will go in on foot. There is a big risk here for the Israelis with the high number of casualties. It's a risk though they're prepared to take at this stage.</s>BLITZER: I want to just point out that our CNN International viewers are now joining our coverage. I want to welcome them and just update them on what is going on. A major Israeli military offensive under way right now. We don't know if this is the start of the new invasion, if you will, a new, more robust military operation approved by Israel's Security Cabinet earlier today here in Jerusalem, overwhelmingly approved during a six hour discussion that the Prime Minister Ehud Olmert convened earlier today. John Vause is here. Matthew Chance is along the border, watching all of this unfold. John Vause, from the Israeli perspective, and you've been here now for three years as our correspondent but you've been coming often to this part of the world for about five years, there's a very, very robust debate under way in Israel about some of the mistakes that unfolded over the past month and it's playing out, to a certain degree, with this major shake-up at the highest commands of the Israeli military.</s>VAUSE: Well we've seen the head of the northern command essentially being side-lined because of criticism that he was too slow to react to this, too cautious in the early stages of the war, too slow to send the army in, in any force. So now he's been replaced by his deputy. So that's an indication that the government is very unhappy. Many Israelis want this government to act and to act hard and that's what we're seeing now.</s>BLITZER: We're presumably going to see the start of something a whole lot more explosive, at least that's been authorized by the Israeli cabinet today. John Vause, thanks, stand by, because we're going to be coming back to you. I want to go to Beirut right now. Brent Sadler is our correspondent, our bureau chief on the scene right now. Brent, tell our viewers, from your vantage point, how all of this is unfolding, because shortly after word of the Israeli cabinet decision came out, we heard from the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah.</s>BRENT SADLER, CNN BEIRUT BUREAU CHIEF: That's right, Wolf. There has been a quickening of the tempo of battle in south Lebanon. Earlier this day, I wasn't so very far away from where some of those explosions were taking place. I heard intense air activity. I heard air strikes going in around Nabatiyeh, which is a main market town in the south. Thumps every three or four seconds or so throughout the afternoon and that really is followed up on four days of consecutive strikes against the Beirut capital itself. Now Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader, gave his first reaction since that U.N. draft resolution has been circulating in New York, and quite clearly from his words here, Hassan Nasrallah is being defiant. He's basically saying they're standing fast. He's telling the Israelis that despite a month of bombardments and ground operation, Hezbollah, he claims, it's rocket power is still very much intact. And if there is a wider offensive to strike more of Lebanon under Israel's control then this is a chilling threat that Hassan Nasrallah just a short time ago aired on television here. Let's listen in Wolf.</s>HASSAN NASRALLAH, LEADER OF HEZBOLLAH (through translator): You will not stay in our land, either we will force you out by force, we will liberate our dear southern land. We will transfer it as a graveyard to the Zionists. All those will fight you at the front lines, will fight you with bravery and wait for you at every village, at every hill or valley, at any stage, thousands of Mujahadeen are waiting for you, are really disturbing the brave.</s>SADLER: So certainly there, Wolf, some strong criticism of Israel's failure, says Nasrallah, to defeat Hezbollah thus far. Also today, more strikes against the Lebanese capital, mounting casualties on this side as Lebanese from all parts of this country now look at what's happening, as you can see from those picture coming out from Matthew Chance' position on the Lebanese/Israeli border, as to how soon this second phase, that's very widely expected, will get underway. Remember, Wolf, that the large part of the south, including the port city of Tyre, as Lebanon's third largest city, now cut off from the rest of the country -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Brent Sadler, thank you very much. I just want to show our viewers what we're seeing ourselves in south Lebanon. These are cameras in northern Israel. Live pictures you're seeing. It looks like a major new military offensive now under way in south Lebanon. Israeli officials earlier in the day approved this major expansion of the ground war. The Israeli Security Cabinet meeting for some six hours. The Prime Minister Ehud Olmert then going forward with an overwhelming decision on the part of the Israeli cabinet to go ahead and give the military more authority to unleash more firepower if there's no diplomatic resolution any time soon. Let's get some official word from the Israeli government. Miri Eisen is an Israeli government spokeswoman, retired colonel in the IDF, in the Israel Defense Forces. Is this the start, what we're seeing live around the world right now, a start of a new, more robust, Israeli ground invasion deeper into south Lebanon?</s>MIRI EISEN, ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SPOKESWOMAN: No, it isn't right now. What we're seeing now is the continuation of the same operations that we've seen all over, only this time we're seeing it from close up. All of us have seen over the last week the immense amount of Katyusha rockets that have fallen on the city of Kiryat Shmona. You were there. I've been there. Hundreds of rockets have fallen over the last week. We're trying to get at the source of those Katyusha rockets. It's relatively near to the city itself. It's a small operation that looks large from where we're looking right now, but this is not opening up any new front. It's taking care of one that has been consistently hitting Kiryat Shmona.</s>BLITZER: So where these Israeli troops are going toward right now, specifically the Katyushas, the rockets coming into Kiryat Shmona, they have intelligence that they know where it is and that's why they're moving in, in a rather massive way right now.</s>EISEN: We have always watched where the Katyusha rockets come from. Our problem is going into these civilian areas, into these towns and villages, into the areas that Hezbollah is waiting. These are one of the cities like al-Khiam. It's directly north of Metulla and Kiryat Shmona. Hezbollah is definitely based there, and they've been firing the Katyusha rockets from there. We are going to go and get those rocket launchers.</s>BLITZER: So when will the total new invasion, what some are calling a Normandy, a D-Day like invasion, authorized by the Israeli cabinet today. When is that expected to begin?</s>EISEN: Israel is for the diplomatic solution. We have said that clearly. That was the main issue that came up today in the Security Cabinet meeting. We, at this stage, see the diplomatic solution as the main way we should go. The efforts of the international community are amazing. They're talking about the Lebanese army, an international force, the implementation of security resolution 1559 and we want to give that the best chance that we can. Until we have a diplomatic resolution, we will continue with the military operations and if there isn't one, then we would think of expanding and certainly hitting any terrorist infrastructure, all of the rocket launchers and the headquarters in southern Lebanon.</s>BLITZER: The Lebanese government says it's ready to send 15,000 regular Lebanese army soldiers to the southern part of the country. The Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, says he supports this Lebanese plan. He's willing to cooperate with it. The key issue, Israel has to withdraw. You say Israel has no territorial designs in Lebanon. What's wrong with that Lebanese proposal?</s>EISEN: Israel has said clearly that we think that the Lebanese proposal is an interesting one. But we're all aware also of the limitation. The Lebanese army will not disarm Hezbollah. When we talk about the implementation of 1559, it has two parts. The Lebanese army deployed on our northern border and the disarmament of Hezbollah. I'm not surprised that Hassan Nasrallah is happy about that solution. Any solution which he thinks won't disarm Hezbollah is one that he's for. We feel that the Lebanese army needs the backing, the oomph, of an international force, something robust, something that can really help them effectively disarm the terrorist organization.</s>BLITZER: Is that the international stabilization force? Do you believe a French-led, multinational force could disarm Hezbollah and prevent Hezbollah from regrouping, getting more rockets?</s>EISEN: I think that the combination of the Lebanese army, the backing for the Lebanese government, and a robust force could certainly make a difference. And we have to remember, we're four weeks into fighting. Hezbollah is not the same Hezbollah of four weeks. The fact that they are hiding all of the casualties that they have had, at least 400 terrorists killed, headquarters, all of the fortifications, all of the weapons that we have taken, they're trying to hide that fact.</s>BLITZER: But they're still capable of launching rockets against northern Israel, another almost 200 coming into today.</s>EISEN: You're right, Wolf. And that's one of the things that we're doing on the operations like this evening. For us, this is the threat, tens of thousands of rockets. We're proud of the fact that we've attacked two thirds, but for us, the third that's left is impossible because it's thousands. And still Syria and Iran continue to send in more rockets, more launchers. They're the main conduits, the main suppliers and we have to make sure that this stops.</s>BLITZER: Do you think this can be stopped by the United Nations Security Council?</s>EISEN: We think that the diplomatic resolution is the main way to go. That is the way this will be resolved. The Security Council resolution is the beginning of the process, and that is the way that we want to go.</s>BLITZER: Miri Eisen is a spokeswoman for the Israeli government, retired colonel Israeli Defense Forces. Thanks for coming in.</s>EISEN: Thank you.</s>BLITZER: We're going to continue to watch those pictures coming from south Lebanon, a major military offensive. You just heard from the Israeli government spokeswoman. This is not -- repeat -- not the start of phase two, this plan B in the Israeli campaign against Hezbollah, but it is a significant military move underway right now. We're going to go back to Matthew Chance and watch it. Also Jack Cafferty is off this week. "The Cafferty File" will return on Monday. Still coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM, much more on our top story. Israel gets ready to move its force deeper and deeper into Lebanon. We're going to go back to the border between the two countries. Plus, politics back home. Lieberman loses, but the senator vows to fight on. But will Democrats who once gave him their support abandon him now? And later, the battle for Capitol Hill. Can Democrats retake Congress? We have some brand new poll numbers out this hour. Live from Jerusalem, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.