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Hezbollah Drone Attack On Army Base Kills 4 Israeli Soldiers And Injures Dozens; U.S. To Send Anti-Missile System And Troops To Israel; Trump Wasn't In Danger From Armed Man At California Rally; Giant Pandas Begin Their Journey To DC's National Zoo. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired October 14, 2024 - 13:30   ET

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

[13:30:00]

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: -- this base. Now, Hezbollah have put out their own statement afterwards. I mean, I think it's Hezbollah has been threatening to hit what they described as sort of collections of troops behind the front lines over the last few days and weeks. They've been saying that, but after the strike last night, they said that the reason that their attack got through was because they fired a number of missiles, first on purpose to confuse the air defense systems, and then they said they fired set off a swarm of drones.

Now, the IDF only talked about two, not a swarm Hezbollah, when their propaganda was given to exaggeration. But I think you know the way that the IDF is going to look at this is, it is, what has Hezbollah learned about our defense systems over the past couple of weeks? Have they been trying to penetrate them? What have they learned, and how have they used it to advantage?

And of course, the other question is, how did they know precisely where to, in effect, hit the most troops at the right time, which appears to have been dinner time, and it appears that they hit them in the canteen. How did Hezbollah get that part of their operation? Where did their information come from? So these are going to be the questions that they need. Pressing answers for the spokesman for the IDF said, we have to improve on this.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: And then Nic, there's this Israeli airstrike that hit a hospital courtyard in Gaza. Three people were killed. So what does the IDF say about that?

ROBERTSON: Yes, the IDF says, look, they are on an operation that is targeting Hamas that they continue to go after where they think Hamas is. There was a targeted strike last night as well. 14 people died, many of them children a little bit further south in Gaza.

But it's that northern area of Gaza where the main operation is going on, where hospitals are being told to evacuate, where civilian citizens are being told that they must evacuate and go to safer areas further in the south, where this may impact, and the U.N. has certainly talked about this already. Today, the U.N. began in Gaza its second round of polio vaccines. It's

remarkable. It was just four weeks ago we were talking about them needing to vaccinate 600,000 children, and they pretty much hit their 90 percent target back then. But there had to be a second round, the second round beginning now.

And the U.N. is concerned that because of the strikes in the north, because of the ongoing, renewed military operations in the north of Gaza by the IDF, they may not get the target, the required target of children getting their second dose of the polio vaccine. And of course, that has the obvious implication that they won't be able to eradicate it as they hope to.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Nic Robertson with an important update for us from Jerusalem. Thank you so much, Nic.

Meantime, the Biden administration is sending about 100 U.S. troops to Israel, along with an advanced anti-missile system. The troops will operate the air defense system, which can strike down ballistic missiles from short to intermediate range.

CAMEROTA: Israel is expected to retaliate for Iran's missile attack earlier this month, when 180 ballistic missiles were launched at the country. CNN's Oren Liebermann joins us now from the Pentagon. So Oren, how significant is this new U.S. commitment of troops and machinery?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Very much. So there aren't that many THAAD systems, as this battery is known in the United States inventory. So when one is moved, when one is deployed, it is a significant statement about where the U.S. sees the threat and its commitment to stopping that threat.

In this case, that threat is very much the possibility of Iran firing more ballistic missiles at Israel. So the U.S. has sent about 100 troops in the THAAD battery. THAAD stands for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense. It's one of the most capable anti-ballistic missile systems within the U.S. inventory, if not the most capable, able to shoot down ballistic missiles in their terminal phase as they dive towards their target up to about 100 miles away. And it can detect those ballistic missiles more than 10 times that distance.

So, it's an incredibly capable system. Israel obviously has its own aerial defense systems, the shorter range Iron Dome, medium range David Sling and the longer range Arrow Missiles, which are targeted ballistic missiles. This will add to that, not only in terms of quality, because the THAAD system can communicate with the Navy destroyers that have intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles off the shore there and other Israeli systems.

But also in terms of quantity, and that's one of the great risks here. Iran simply has a large number of missiles, and being able to shoot all of them down requires you to have a number of your own systems. So the THAAD system will add to that bars, Alisyn. And again, it's a message of deterrence to Iran and its proxies, as well as a commitment to Israel's defense. SANCHEZ: And Oren, the THAAD system has been deployed to the Middle East before, right?

LIEBERMANN: It has very much so back in 2019 it was deployed to Israel as part of an exercise. Meanwhile, there are other THAAD batteries throughout the region. For example, back in January of '22 there were THAAD systems that were in the UAE that shot down two Houthi ballistic missiles.

[13:35:09]

That was the first operational use of the THAAD system significant that it shot down a ballistic missile. Significant that it was from the Houthis so we have seen it do exactly what it may be called on to do once again.

CAMEROTA: OK Oren Liebermann, thank you for all that information.

Still ahead. NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft just started its 1.8 billion mile flight. We'll tell you where it's heading and what it's looking for all that. Next on CNN News Central.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:40:00]

CAMEROTA: Federal officials say former President Trump was not in any danger despite the arrest of a man accused of illegal weapons possession as he was trying to enter Trump's campaign rally in Coachella, California over the weekend.

SANCHEZ: The suspect allegedly had a shotgun, a loaded handgun and a high capacity magazine. He apparently declared these weapons to security officials on the grounds of that rally, and he was bailed out of jail within hours of his arrest. We're joined by CNN's Camila Bernal, who has the details for us.

Camila, what are officials saying about the incident?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Boris, Alisyn, they're saying and telling CNN that there is no evidence that he was attempting to assassinate the former president, and the man himself who was arrested is denying any claims of attempting to harm the former president.

So here is what we know. He's a 49-year-old. His name is Vem Miller, and he's from Las Vegas. He was arrested near the rally, and he was arrested for possessing a shotgun and a loaded handgun, and these are state charges. So we also know he had multiple boxes of ammunition with these guns, and the Riverside County Sheriff's department saying that he had multiple passports and driver's licenses with different names. He was driving an unregistered car with a fake license plate, and he told authorities that he was a journalist, and they were not able to prove that, and so that's what led to the arrest. Guys.

CAMEROTA: Yes, journalists usually don't show up in cars without license plates and loaded.

SANCHEZ: I don't know about you, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Yes, OK. Good point. I'll speak for myself. But, Camila, so what's he saying? What's the suspect now saying?

BERNAL: So he says he supports the president and says that he is actually someone who was there because he admires, essentially, the former president. And again, you guys mentioned he was released on bail. It was just $5,000 that's what it took to release him. And what he said, essentially, was that he was there on an invitation. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VEM MILLER, ARRESTED ON GUN CHARGES AT TRUMP'S COACHELLA RALLY: That I decided to come to Coachella after receiving a special invitation from members of the Nevada Republican Party. I will fully transparently let them know that in the trunk of my car I carry two firearms. One is a Glock, one is a shotgun, and these two firearms that I carry with me are simply for protection.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERNAL: And just to go back to the arrest, authorities say that he was able to get through the first perimeter, and then when he got to a second, more thorough perimeter, that's where authorities and deputies started looking through his cars and saw the fake license plate, the fake IDs, the passport, the guns, and that's when he got arrested, but authorities saying essentially that they stopped him even before he got close to the entrance, so this was still some distance away from the entrance of the event where the Secret Service does the more thorough search.

So again, they were able to stop all of this, and it was an arrest that even happened before the president got to the rally. So again, this man saying that this is not what he came to do, that he didn't come to harm the president, and he is speaking out about that and about his support for the president or the former president. Guys.

CAMEROTA: OK, good to know that the system worked this time.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

CAMEROTA: Yes. Camila Bernal, thank you.

BERNAL: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: Now to some other headlines we're following. At this hour, a manhunt is underway for a murder suspect. Police say two men posed as utility workers in Michigan claiming to be investigating a gas leak in order to get inside a home. Ring cam video, as you see here, recorded these suspects.

Police say the 72-year-old homeowner allowed them in and led them to the basement, and that's where the men attacked and killed the homeowner, Aaccording to police. They also tied up his wife.

The first suspect, Carlos Hernandez, was caught in Louisiana. He's charged with felony murder and unlawful imprisonment, but the search is still on for the other suspect.

SANCHEZ: Meantime, looking overseas, Taiwan is condemning the latest round of Chinese military drills around the self-governing island as an unreasonable provocation. Over the weekend, Beijing deployed warships and fighter jets in what it is describing as a stern warning to separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces.

Analysts say the drills are part of a general strategy by China of keeping Taiwan under pressure and normalizing regular war games.

And we have liftoff. NASA's Europa Clipper launched last hour from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and its destination is pretty far away, Jupiter's ice covered ocean moon named fittingly, Europa. It's NASA's first study to determine if it could support life.

Again, this is not a quick trip. The spacecraft is expected to land on the moon in April of 2030, look forward to seeing that footage once it finally gets there.

CAMEROTA: I'll mark down my calendar right now.

SANCEHZ: Yes. Still to come. Just call it the Panda Express. We're standing by as two giant pandas are set to arrive in Washington.

[13:45:04]

CNN has exclusive coverage of how they prep for the move, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: A bit of pandas to mix in your politics. Today, preparation is underway for two beloved bears to move from Southwestern China to the nation's capital in Washington, DC. A team from the Smithsonian National Zoo is on the ground in the Sichuan province to help with the transition.

[013:50:05]

CAMEROTA: CNN has the only U.S. journalist there, and our David Culver gives us an exclusive firsthand look at the bilateral effort to strengthen pan diplomacy. See what I did there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We've traveled here to Sichuan, China for a rare look at preparing these pandas for their very long journey.

CULVER (voice-over): We're in and around the city of Chengdu. It's known for spicy hot pot. It's mountainous landscape and giant pandas.

CULVER: We're actually going to go meet now with some of the folks from the Smithsonian National Zoo from D.C. who have flown here and are part of the transition team to bring Bao Li and Qing Bao back to the US.

We can't go back there, but that's where Bao Li and Qing Bao are. They're in quarantine. And those you saw there were the zookeepers from the National Zoo, as well as some caretakers from China.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So they both have pretty different personalities. Bao Li has a huge personality, so he's very vocal. He's very energetic. Always kind of like up doing something. Qing Bao is the polar opposite. She can be almost always found in a tree or sleeping on her climbing structure.

CULVER (voice-over): The panda pair will fill a void at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, DC. For the past 11 months, the panda exhibit has sat empty.

Now as part of the terms of the Smithsonian's exchange program with China, late last year, the zoo's three pandas were sent back here to Chengdu.

ELLEN STOFAN, UNDER SECRETARY FOIR SCIENCE AND RESEARCH: I don't think people realize how touched.

CULVER: When you're here, I mean, in this setting, what is stood out to you?

STOFAN: Here, the sheer number of pandas.

CULVER: It's amazing, right?

STOFAN: It's crazy.

CULVER: If you turn here and you're like, oh, wait, you can go there. You can go there. Nowhere else do we have something like this?

STOFAN: Nowhere else in the scenery is obviously beautiful, and the commitment.

CULVER: Pandas were on the brink of extinction, but in recent years, they've moved from endangered to vulnerable. But there's still more work to go.

The panda exchange, also called panda diplomacy, dates back more than 50 years now, when China gifted two pandas to the U.S. following President Nixon's historic visit. Today, they're given on loan, and they are a strategic diplomatic tool, serving as ambassadors of hope and spreading global goodwill. Somehow, pandas were able to unite nations, something we could use about right now. David Culver, CNN, Chengdu China.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: A perfect note to end that piece on. Our thanks to David Culver for that report. They are adorable. It's funny to hear that they have different personalities. Alisyn, are you more of a Bao Li or Qing Bao?

CAMEROTA: I like the one who's vocal, and I'd like to know what that one was saying.

SANCHEZ: That's a good question.

CAMEROTA: You do mention that.

SANCHEZ: I do wonder. Yes. Yes. I see myself as more of a Mo Dang. The little hippo you've seen, I'm sure, that enjoys getting splashed with water and rolling around in food.

CAMEROTA: That's adorable.

SANCHEZ: That's me. That's so me. Yes.

CAMEROTA: I'm going to copyright pan diplomacy. I feel like that's just my gift.

SANCHEZ: I feel like you made a mark.

CAMEROTA: Thank you. Everybody feel free to use that.

SANCHEZ: Put in a T-shirt.

CAMEROTA: All right. Thank goodness for Saturday Night Live helping to add levity to these challenging times. Here's a clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Something that you keep in your local apartment.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, a Glock. Steve, a big old Glock.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go over the President Joe Biden, something that you keep in your glove box.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I like to buy a vowel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is -- that's the wrong game player.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, Conan. What are you doing? It's me. I'm still the president. I'm Joe. I may be older. I'll beat the hell out of you. I'll pop you. I'll give you an uncle sandwich. You know how to do it. I can make sandwiches. And guess what? Here's the deal. I'm not the old one. Now Trump is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I see lots of different things, but it all comes together so beautifully, like an episode of Seinfeld. Seinfeld, you know, Jerry was always wearing mom jeans. He had bad genes, just like the immigrants who are ruining this country, they're eating the pets. They're eating mudang. But it's so sad we are giving our assets. I mean, you look at Korea, you look at Japan, America's not even included. There's no room. So it's like glut compartment, right? There's no room. You see what I did this, Steve?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh yes, I know exactly what you did. Show me dementia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: I had missed that.

SANCHEZ: That was great. That was great. And honestly, props to the SNL team for the neck on Trump. I think that was the best part of a great imitation. It's one of those small details, but you notice it.

CAMEROTA: He's so good. I mean, they're all great this this season. All right, we're following all of the latest in this presidential election.

Plus, after two back to back hurricanes, Florida residents are facing a financial storm. You can imagine. It's an insurance nightmare for some of the people who have lost it all. We'll tell you more on this story.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:00]

SANCHEZ: Trump's fierce anti-immigrant message not scaring away Latino voters. A new poll showing the former president maintains --