CNN Larry King Live - Transcript
CNN LARRY KING LIVE - Transcript
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KING: We now welcome to LARRY KING LIVE here in Los Angeles Thelma Gutierrez, CNN correspondent. Her sister is currently trapped in Lebanon. On the phone with us is her sister, Sandra Chokr. Her younger sister is a high school teacher in Seattle. Why did you go to Lebanon, Sandra?
CHOKR: Well, I have two children, and they wanted to see their grandparents. And their grandparents wanted to see them and that's why we're here.
KING: And Thelma did you favor her going?
GUTIERREZ: Well, you know, Larry, I understand from the family's perspective that she wants to connect with her husband's family and everything, but in light of what's going on there I always kind of hope she'll go to Maui or a place like that. Just kidding, Sandra. I understand why you're there. And we support her.
KING: All right, Sandra. What's the situation now? From where you are.
CHOKR: Well, thankfully, it was quiet last night. And you know, we just all kind of don't know what to wait for, what to expect. You know, all of the villagers are coming to our house, asking us, you know, what we're going to do and how we're going to get out. I don't have any answers for them. So that's why I'm kind of asking you, what do you know?
KING: I'll ask your sister. Thelma, CNN, a little clout. Can you help get them out?
CHOKR: Larry, if I could, I'd be there in a heartbeat. I think what's been frustrating for us and so many other family members is that we really don't have a lot of information. In the case of my sister, she's in the Bekaa Valley. She's near the Syrian border. So it's not as though she's in a pocket or a large area like Beirut where she can easily evacuate. She's quite far away. So she's been told to stay put. The roads from Beirut to her town have been bombed. And from her town to Syria have also been bombed. And so there's not an easy way out.
KING: Let's see the thoughts as we go to Washington. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Democrat of Michigan and Congressman John Dingell the veteran Representative from the state of Michigan. Senator Stabenow, do you offer any hope to Sandra?
SEN. DEBBIE STABENOW (D), MICHIGAN: Well, yes. In fact, just a few minutes ago we finally got the State Department to say, first of all, they're not going to charge people to evacuate them, which was just a horrendous policy that they were talking about doing. People who are trapped. Thank goodness people are not trapped and can leave Israel.
But in Lebanon we have 25,000 people from America. Over 5,000 family members from Michigan who are literally trapped. I have been spending time on the phone and my staff has with hundreds of people, trying to help children who have gone to visit grandpa and grandma, folks who have gone back for weddings and so on. And so finally, we're hearing that there are going to be, after six days of waiting, that ships are finally going to arrive.
But I have to say, Larry, that this reminds me of watching the pictures of people sitting on rooftops in New Orleans that should have been evacuated much more quickly than they were. Six days is way too long. People are afraid and have every right to be. People at home are worried about their families. And it's been at least six days, and it may be much, much longer before people are able to get home.
KING: Congressman Dingell obviously they've waived the fees. Are you criticizing the other efforts?
REP. JOHN DINGELL (D), MICHIGAN: No. I'm not criticizing any of the other efforts. I want to see this matter resolved, and I want to see the United States begin to provide the leadership that it can provide for peace, to bring the countries of Europe and the world together, to bring the people in the nations in the area together, and let's get started bringing peace to the area and let's stop having this finger pointing where the Israelis say, well, the Hezbollah did this and Hezbollah says, well, the Israelis did this. I happen to think that Hezbollah started it, and I think it's shameful. But I think Israel's overreacted. But I don't think those are the points that we ought to address. What we have to address now is how do we ease the suffering of those people?
KING: How do we get Sandra Chokr out?
DINGELL: Well, there's, we're beginning to get some ships over there. We have some helicopters that are bringing people out. We're anticipating we'll have some 800 to 1200 out in the next little bit. But the problem, as Senator Stabenow says, we've got 25,000 Americans over there, and 5,000 of them are constituents of hers and mine.
STABENOW: You know, Larry, if I might just add. Other countries began to evacuate on Saturday. There were ships there on Sunday. Italy, Spain, Sweden bringing 2,300 people out. We are way behind the curve here. And people are in very dangerous situations. I had one person call me whose family got caught in a bomb situation. He's now in a hospital. These are dangerous situations.
KING: I've got to get a break. I thank you both for being with us. Sandra, the best of luck to you. We'll keep your sister on and work hard for you. Sandra Chokr on the phone in Lebanon near the Syrian border. Thelma will remain with us. Two others will join us. Don't go away.
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