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Maduro Is Declared Winner In Venezuela's Presidential Election; Netanyahu Holds Security Meet On Attack; Israeli Attacks Kill At Least 19 Palestinians, Including Children, Across Gaza; Presidential Race Enters Final 99 Days Till Election Day. Fears Escalate of Wider Conflict after Golan Heights Attack; U.S.-Japan Military Partnership; Attorney: Client Forcibly Kidnapped by El Chapo's Son; California's Park Fire Burns 360,000 Acres, 12 percent Contained; Olympic Picasso. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired July 29, 2024 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome. I'm Michael Holmes. Appreciate your company. Coming up here on CNN Newsroom. Nicolas Maduro will hold office for a third consecutive term. We'll be live in Caracas with the results of Venezuela's presidential election.
Israel strikes Hezbollah deep inside Lebanon in response to a deadly rocket attack. We'll look at the price both sides could pay as some fear the situation could quickly escalate.
And the lawyer for the alleged co-founder of the Sinaloa drug cartel says his client was forcibly kidnapped by El Chapo son.
UNIDENATIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom with Michael Holmes.
HOLMES: And we begin in Venezuela where just moments ago longtime strongman Nicolas Maduro was announced the victory of Sunday's crucial election, according to the country's national electoral council. The government controlled Council reports Maduro won more than 51 percent of the vote with 80 percent of votes counted.
This marks Maduro's third consecutive six-year term. Maduro suggested there would be bloodshed if he lost. They've sang a different tune on Election Day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I said it there was peace before and there was during and we have it. And there will be peace, stability and justice after the 28th of July starting from today. Peace, justice, respect of the law and justice.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HOLMES: Opposition leaders had called on voters to go to the polls early and stay as long as possible urging them to take part in the voting. Maduro's main Challenger was the leading opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzelez Urrutia, a soft spoken former candidate who coalition rally behind after their two preferred candidates were barred from running.
Speaking in Tokyo moments ago, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on the electoral authorities to ensure quote, transparency and accountability of the vote counting.
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ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We have serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people. It's critical that every vote be counted fairly and transparently that election officials immediately share information with the opposition and independent observers without delay. And that the electoral authorities published the detailed tabulation of votes. The international community is watching this very closely and will respond accordingly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: We take you now to Venezuela where journalist Stefano Pozzebon joins me now live from the capital Caracas. There had been great fear these would not be free nor fair elections. And there were exit polls that had the opposition up 30 percent at one point. What's going to be the reaction to Maduro claiming victory again in these circumstances?
STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: Yes, Michael, well, the reaction is anyone's guess right now, we're still waiting to see what the opposition will say in the next few minutes or hours. We're really starting to see some reactions on the international stage with a several Latin American country, including Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru all announcing that they will not recognize these results.
And when it comes to suspicious of irregularities, let me just explain where I am because I think these location tells this image that I have behind my back speaks more than 1,000 words. We are in the electoral center where less than an hour ago, the electoral authorities announced the results. So about 30 minutes ago, every single camera in the country had -- every single media in the country had a camera here. It was the heart of the story.
And less than an hour later, we are the only media left standing with our friends from RT. And everybody has already left that we couldn't find a single spokesman to ask questions about these elections.
And I frankly feel that very soon that the lights could be turned off here. There are serious, serious concerns around these results. The opposition is yet to release either a statement or a pronouncement. Maduro has spoken a few minutes ago from Amita Flores from the Presidential Palace thanking the authorities, thanking the armed forces for managing this election in peace and tranquility.
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But now really the ball falls onto the battlefield, like onto the other side, what will the opposition do? Will they take to the streets? Or would they try to prove that the data, the numbers that they manage around these elections are different from the ones that have the electoral authorities? And what will the rest of the international community do?
There is a lot at stake here in Caracas. So Michael, because of migration, Venezuela has already seen almost 8 million of its citizens flee these countries since Maduro came to power. Many fear that now with him serving another six years, many more will leave and where will they go? Mostly to Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Argentina. And that's why these countries are increasingly concerned about these results, but also to the United States of America.
And that's why I think you see those words from the Secretary of State's coming out so quickly, after the pronouncement from the actual authorities, with great concern and tensions rising here in Venezuela, Michael?
HOLMES: Yes. And the U.S. election approaching that could be a big deal. I read one survey, a poll that suggested 30 percent of Venezuelans who remain would leave if Maduro won this election. Since 2021 800,000 Venezuelans have been processed into the U.S., that could be a very big deal.
So what are the risks of or even the perception of Maduro, having stolen this election if that perception exists? What's likely to be the public reaction?
POZZEBON: Well, the public reaction at least in areas that are known to be more in favor of the opposition, like the east of the city of Caracas, or the west of Venezuela, and those states that are more closer to the Colombian border, you will probably see some protests may be on the street, maybe as soon as in the next few hours, where everybody is still waiting to hear from the opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, and the opposition candidate and Edmundo Gonzalez on what their reaction will be, and what will be the counter reaction of the government, whether they will allow some form of protester of social dissent to take place, or whether they will repress them with the same brutality that they've used in years past in 2017, or in 2019.
That poll that you mentioned, about 30 percent of the country thinking or considering about leaving is what is causing a lot of concern in the rest of the Latin American community, as I was saying, and you could probably see some numbers of migrants coming up towards Central America and then up towards the U.S. southern border in the next few months. Unless the situation changes here in Venezuela, maybe just in time, September, October, early November, will influence the US election as well, Michael?
HOLMES: Yes, exactly. Stefano Pozzebon covering up for us in Caracas. Hopefully they don't turn the lights out on you. Thanks so much. Well, now to the growing tensions in the Middle East following a deadly rocket attack in the Israeli occupied Golan Heights. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu held a security Cabinet meeting on Sunday to discuss the situation. The cabinet authorizing Mr. Netanyahu and his defense minister to quote, decide on the nature of the response against Hezbollah.
Israel has blamed the Lebanese militant group for the strike which killed 12 children and injured more than 40 people on Saturday. Hezbollah firmly denying it was behind the attack. Israel's military says it conducted airstrikes against Hezbollah targets deep inside Lebanese territory and along the border overnight on Sunday. Lebanon warning Israel of a regional war if it goes too far. Meantime, America's top diplomat saying the U.S. doesn't want any escalation in the region.
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BLINKEN: But we also don't want to see the conflict escalate. We don't want to see a spread that has been one of our goals from day one from October 7 on.
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HOLMES: CNN's Jeremy Diamond is on the ground in the occupied Golan Heights with more.
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JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sirens pierced the serenity of this town in the Israeli controlled Golan Heights and in an instant explosion will shatter the very soul of the Druze community that lives here.
As residents and first responders rushed to the scene, the horror of this strike becomes clear. Soccer field, children's bikes pools of blood but between them.
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12 children the youngest just 10 years old torn from this life. It is the deadliest attack on civilians in Israel or Israeli controlled territory since October 7, according to Israeli officials, Israel says Hezbollah which has frequently targeted the Golan Heights before is behind the attack. Hezbollah denies responsibility.
DIAMOND: It was 6:00 p.m. on a hot summer evening, dozens of children were playing on this soccer field right behind me when suddenly sirens rang out. Seconds later, a rocket made impact just right here we're in its place now stands this black flag of mourning.
But one of the most devastating parts of all of this, as you see this scene, frozen in time, is the fact that right behind us was safety, a bomb shelter, but there simply was not enough time for these children to get inside. DIAMOND (voice-over): Taymor Wili was looking out his window when the
rocket struck and rushed to the scene. We found him that night hours later, still trying to make sense of it all.
TAYMOR WILI, WITNESSED ROCKET ATTACK: Well, at first I saw the injured and your children running around, I saw blood. They didn't respond to us. They were panicking. I saw a lot of guys gathering here. Most of them didn't go down. I went down here. And I saw a lot of things that are way too gruesome to mention out of respect for the families. And we tried to help but it was beyond our help. There's nothing we can do.
DIAMOND (voice-over): In Majdal Shams, mourning is all that remains. Thousands gathered here to pay their final respects. The sight of each casket brings with it another wave of cries and whales, as nightmares turn into crushing reality. Or photos of smiling children, like 11 year old Alma can only mean one thing.
AYMAN FAKHR EL-DIN, DAUGHTER KILLED IN ATTACK (through translator): I reached the stadium and in the corner, I saw dead bodies and body parts. When I got closer to one of them. I saw a bracelet. I knew it was Alma.
DIAMOND: Ayman Fakhr El-Din is only just beginning to process the loss of his only daughter. She liked soccer.
EL-DIN: Like sport, ball sport, basketball.
DIAMOND: And she played and she was good.
EL-DIN: Yes, good.
DIAMOND: Yes.
EL-DIN: Yes.
EL-DIN (through translator): Alma is a child filled with energy. She loved life. She was special in school and in athletics.
DIAMOND (voice-over): He now calls on his son Rayyan for comfort.
DIAMOND: This is her from big brother.
DIAMOND (voice-over). But Rayyan's grief is all too fresh.
DIAMOND: Rayyan, what do you remember about your sister? What do you want people to know about your system?
RAYYAN (through translator): Everything about her was lovely.
EL-DIN (through translator): She liked to play just like any other kid. In the end, we have a room without Alma.
DIAMOND: And it is not just the Israeli government that says that Hezbollah was responsible for this awful rocket attack. It is also at least one of the fathers of the 12 victims that man, Ayman, the father of 11-year old Alma says that there is not a doubt in his mind that Hezbollah was responsible for this. He said that they killed my daughter. He said he was Hezbollah for sure my enemy is Hezbollah. I say it openly. Jeremy Diamond CNN, Majdal Shams, Golan Heights.
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HOLMES: Meanwhile, it's been another deadly weekend in Gaza. Palestinian officials say at least 19 civilians including children have died in an Israeli attacks. On Sunday alone at least 10 people killed in Khan Younis when an Israeli airstrike hit a house.
Gaza Civil Defense says four people died when an airstrike hit tents in Al-Mawasi. The Israeli military had designated that area, a humanitarian zone and had just ordered people to evacuate there. The relative of one little girl who was killed says the situation is hopeless.
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SHADIA HALABI, AUNT OF GIRL KILLED IN KHAN YOUNIS (through translator): I wish that the world would look at us with mercy and sympathy, at least for our children and the life we are living in terror and sadness. That's enough, enough. Please look upon us with mercy. What have the children done to deserve this life? The girl told me every day that she should be martyred as there is nothing good in this life. Thank God she is now with her God who is more merciful than all of us.
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HOLMES: Early on Sunday, Israel ordered evacuations of a street and a refugee camp in central Gaza that housed around 29,000 people. And here's a staggering statistic. According to UNRWA, only 14 percent of Gaza is not on under Israeli evacuation orders at the moment.
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The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says the recurrent displacement as they put it of civilians is depriving them of quote, dignified survival.
Antony Loewenstein is an investigative journalist, filmmaker and author of the Palestine Laboratory. He joins me now from Sydney, Australia. Good to see you again, Antony. We covered the escalation on Israel's border with Lebanon.
But I want I wanted to ask you about the bigger picture with Israel and the Palestinians. This month the Israeli Knesset voted to reject the notion of a two state solution. I mean, all while Israel's government approved the seizure of even more land for settlements, the biggest since the '93 Oslo Accords, settler violence against Palestinian families is soaring demolition of Palestinian homes. What's the cumulative impact of all of those things while the Israeli war in Gaza rages on?
ANTONY LOEWENSTEIN, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: It should be a clarifying moment because that vote that you just referenced, Michael actually included some of the main opposition parties who, on paper, at least in the West are seen as more moderate.
But actually, what you find is that there's no real Israeli constituency, supporting a two state solution. There are a handful, yes, but the vast majority are not. And in their fee, the only way to see this is indefinite occupation. I mean, it's been more than half a century. This is not temporary, this is permanent.
And it's still remarkable despite these facts, increasing settler violence, extremism at the heart of the Israeli government, that the U.S., the EU, Australia still prattle on about a two-state solution, which is maybe what they think should happen, in theory, but the Israeli government does not, the Israeli people do not and. And frankly, increasingly massive Palestinians don't either, because the facts on the ground speak for themselves.
HOLMES: Yes, the recent ICJ ruling that Israel's occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem is unlawful. It's not binding, Israel obviously rejects it. But what impact might it have, if any, especially since the UK is now signaling, it's going to retract its objection to ICJ arrest warrants for Netanyahu?
LOEWENSTEIN: What it does, I think he's strengthen the calls by growing numbers of people around the world civil society, in some governments, including in Western Europe, Belgium and others, that the occupation is not temporary. It's permanent.
I mean, this has been clear for years. Palestinians have been saying this sensible Israelis have been saying anyone who goes to the West Bank, as I've been going for 20 years sees that with their own eyes, these are permanent settlements, colonies across their territory.
And I think what happens now what needs to happen is some kind of enforcement the ICJ can't enforce it, their decision. But it is, frankly, a vitally important one, because it details in step by step examples, why there is not just a permanent occupation in tents or settlements, but also displacement of Palestinians, the permanent evacuation of Palestine ethnic cleansing.
In other words, what needs to happen is Western governments and all governments need to be enforced this and that needs to happen across the Western world and the rest of the world, too.
HOLMES: Yes. Yes. And it's interesting, because, you know, also, as I touched on the home demolitions by Israel have accelerated dramatically in the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem, big numbers of Palestinian families, literally forced from their homes, and then those homes destroyed.
Those things are often portrayed by some as the actions of a fringe element. But I know you argue it's far from fringe that those attitudes and acceptance of them has become mainstream.
LOEWENSTEIN: Incredibly mainstream. And what's so disturbing about that is that it's so easy for those on the so called liberal Israeli left or the global community to say, well, that's just a handful of crazy extremists, some violent settlers.
The fact is, this is at the heart of the government for decades. You cannot have 750,000 Israeli Jewish settlers in the West Bank with infrastructure, roads, all that kind of reality without massive government buying and the sad reality is, the majority of Israeli Jews support that. If you ask them, some will say no, no, we're opposed to the crazy extremists.
The extremists are the government. That is the government. When Netanyahu is in charge, or frankly, Lapid or anyone else who as I said before, they also voted against a two-state solution if you don't vote for that. The alternative is permanent apartheid. That's the only two options that exist.
HOLMES: Yes. I wanted to ask you this, too, before I let you go. You monitor Israeli television, the media, the more extreme commentators and so on, and the things they say about Gaza and what's happening there and Palestinians more broadly, do you think people outside Israel would be shocked at a lot of what's said on mainstream Israeli media when it comes to Palestinians, either in Gaza or the occupied West Bank?
LOEWENSTEIN: They would be shocked but they shouldn't have been one of the remarkable things is for years, I would argue many Western journalists that are based in Israel have been willfully blind to sharing the extremism that exists within the Israeli mainstream.
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So this is long before October 7, but since you have prominent commentators, journalist tweeting, writing, speaking about ethnic cleansing, killing huge amounts of Gazans, all Gazans are terrorists. This is not a friend. This is the majority mainstream view, which is why without outside pressure, sanctions, et cetera, this situation will not change.
HOLMES: Always good to get your analysis Antony Loewenstein there in Sydney. Appreciate it. Thank you.
LOEWENSTEIN: Thank you.
HOLMES: Well, we are now less than 100 days away from the 2024 U.S. presidential election and it's hard to believe it's only been one week. Yes, just one week since U.S. President Joe Biden exited the race and endorsed vice president Kamala Harris, who of course move quickly to consolidate support from the Democratic Party.
Both Harris and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump took a break from the campaign trail on Sunday, and instead let their allies stump for them. Now have a look at this. According to a new ABC News Ipsos poll, the Vice President's favorability rating has gone up eight points since last week. Trump has seen his rating slip by four-point.
CNN Julia Benbrook has more now on how the Harris campaign is progressing and it's early days.
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JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Harris campaign has announced that they've brought in 200 million in donations in just the last week of that amount. They say that 66 percent has come from new donors. They're also highlighting organizing efforts saying that they have 170,000 new volunteers.
All this is taking place as former President Donald Trump is trying out new lines of attacks against his new opponent. In recent days, he is called Harris evil, made fun of her laugh and even gone as far as to say that the American Dream is dead if Harris wins.
Now the Vice President is responding she has called some of Trump's comments, wild lies, and then gone on to say that some of the statements coming from the top of the GOP ticket are quote, just plain weird.
KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: You may have noticed Donald Trump has been resorting to some wild lies about my record, and some of what he and his running mate are saying it's just plain weird. I mean that's the box you put that in, right?
BENBROOK: The voting process to officially named Harris the Democratic Party's nominee is expected to begin next week. Voting is conducted by electronic ballots sent to convention delegates. Now party officials have said that they hope to nominate the presidential and vice presidential candidates by August 7.
Another date that's quickly approaching is August 19. That's the start of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. We expect for there to be some changes with a new name at the top of the ticket and have them leaning more to the Vice President's personality and political achievements. Julia Benbrook, CNN, the White House.
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HOLMES: Well, J.D. Vance is now accusing Democrats of lying about his controversial childless cat lady's comment, which he did say. Here is the Republican vice presidential nominee talking to Fox News on Sunday.
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JD VANCE, U.S. REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I do think that being a prepared actually has a profound effect on somebody's perspective. And we should honor and respect that. But there are a whole host of people who don't have children for a whole host of reasons. And they certainly are great people who can participate fully in the life of this country. And that's not what I said, Trey. If you look at what the leftist has done, they have radically taken this out of context and in fact, aggressively lied about what I've said.
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HOLMES: In fact, it's on tape. Vance told Fox News back in 2021, that the U.S. is being run by quote, a bunch of childless cat ladies. He said it. He also said the future of the Democratic Party was in the hands of childless people who did not have a stake in the country.
Still to come on the program, French swimmer Leon Marchard breaks an Olympic record held by American Michael Phelps. We'll have more highlights from Paris when we come back.
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HOLMES: The excitement in Paris continues to ramp up with Olympic athletes from around the world competing for 19 more medals on Monday. That includes the women's 400 meter individual medley and swimming, British diver Tom Daley hoping to defend his title in the synchronized 10 meter platform and Spanish tennis champ Rafael Nadal being back on the court to face Novak Djokovic in the second round of men's singles.
And Japan is now the leading the gold medal count after another full day of competition. Australia in close second place, both countries with four gold butts and with the edge with an extra bronze. The U.S. holds the third spot with free gold wins and 12 medals total, France and South Korea rounding out the top five.
CNN's Coy Wire with a look now at some of the day's highlights from Sunday including the long awaited return to the Olympics superstar Simone Biles.
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COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: It was a Sunday funday at the women's gymnastics team qualifiers celebrities from Tom Cruise to John Legend to Lady Gaga in the house, all to witness the goat in Paris. Simone Biles in her third Olympic games, but during her warm ups she injured herself. She was limping. The arena got quiet, but Simone rises up tapes up her ankle rallies and dominates. Her coach told media that it's a lingering calf injury, but Biles dug deeper and iconic performance. The team qualified for the final four of the five U.S. gymnasts qualified for individual events led by Biles and four of them so she will have a shot at five more medals here in Paris.
Francis Leon Marchard has broken Michael Phelps Olympic record crushing the field in the 400 meter individual medley, the host nation speedboat left his competition in the whitewater finishing a mile ahead of the pack. Marchard had already beaten Phelps world record, those nation's fans made the atmosphere in the arena absolutely electric.
And a shocker in the pool Team USA world and Olympic record holder in the 100 meter butterfly Gretchen Walsh in her first ever games getting caught down the stretch by teammate Torri Huske, the U.S. finishing one, two with 21-year old Huske who missed the podium in Tokyo becoming an Olympic champion.
LeBron James and Team USA pulling away in the fourth quarter in their opener to dominate Nicola Jokic in Serbia for their first win of these Olympics. LeBron finishing with 21 points but U.S. all-time leading scorer Kevin Durant came off the bench for his first game with a team and lit it up to the tune of 23 points. Final score 110-84, and the U.S. will play South Sudan next on Wednesday.
Finally, these are not high school yearbook photos. This teenage trio has swept the women's skateboarding street medals at these games. Japan's 14-year old phenom Coco Yoshizawa taking the gold and 15-year old teammate Liz Akama winning silver as 16-year old Rayssa Leal from Brazil takes the bronze and a Olympic medal, and they can't even drive yet.
The IOC said they wanted younger fans to watch the games. (INAUDIBLE) oh, we're not just watching. We're competing and we're winning all the medals. Thank you very much. What an awesome Sunday funday for the Olympics here in Paris.
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HOLMES: Still to come on the program, some flights to Beirut are canceled as fears grow in Israeli retaliation for a rocket attack in the occupied Golan Heights. We'll have the latest on the tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.
Plus, the U.S. and Japan are overhauling their Historic military partnership to put up a stronger front against China. We'll tell you how coming up next.
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HOLMES: Welcome back. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM with me, Michael Holmes.
More now on one of our top stories. Lebanon says it has received international assurances that Israel's response to the deadly attack in the occupied Golan Heights will be limited. Israel vowed Hezbollah will quote, "pay the price" after blaming the Lebanese militant group for a rocket attack which killed 12 children and wounded more than 40 people on Saturday. Hezbollah has denied responsibility.
Meanwhile, several international flights to Beirut were delayed or canceled on Sunday amid fears the conflict could escalate.
CNN's Ben Wedeman has been following developments and has more for us now from Beirut.
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BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Lebanon is bracing for an Israeli response to the attack that killed at least 12 children in the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the Israeli occupied Syrian Golan Heights Saturday evening.
A senior Hezbollah media official told CNN that the group is in what he called a state of mobilization and that they had already evacuated some of their posts.
Now various airlines have either delayed or canceled flights to Beirut in fear of an imminent Israeli attack. And the U.S. embassy in Lebanon has re-issued a strongly-worded advisory, urging Americans to reconsider travel plans to Lebanon.
Now Sunday, we had the opportunity to speak with Lebanon's caretaker foreign minister Abdallah Bou Habib, who warned that if Israel attacks Lebanon, it could risk a regional war.
ABDALLAH BOU HABIB, LEBANESE FOREIGN MINISTER: You know, not because of conviction but because of any attack on our country, we support Hezbollah (INAUDIBLE).
But it's not going to be Hezbollah alone as I mentioned. Iran foreign minister said it yesterday, it wouldn't be Hezbollah alone. Yo9u have the Houthis, you have the Iraqi militias, the militias in Syria -- well not Syria's -- Pakistani, Afghani militias.
WEDEMAN: But in the meantime, nonetheless, it does appear that many Lebanese are going on with their lives. Just below me, there is a loud dance party going on.
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WEDEMAN: And when I was at the airport, when I arrived in Beirut today, there were very long lines of people coming to the country, many of them with American passports.
I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN -- reporting from Beirut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Thanassis Cambanis is the director of Century Internationally. He's also the author of "A Privilege to Die: inside Hezbollah's legions and their endless war against Israel"
Thanks so much for being available.
The consensus seems to be it was a Hezbollah rocket, but many think if it was, it was a mistake, a miscalculation is what pushes simmering conflicts into full blown ones, isn't it? Is that more likely today than yesterday, a full-blown conflict?
THANASSIS CAMBANIS, DIRECTOR, THE CENTURY FOUNDATION: Yes. We've been worried for a long time about an accident or miscalculation in causing this simmering war that's been going on since October on the Lebanon- Israel front triggering a full outright war, bigger we think than what we're seeing in Gaza.
This -- this rocket strike on Majdal Shams seemed pretty clearly an error or miscalculation. The evidence is that it's a Hezbollah rocket and Hezbollah did take responsibility in a statement for targeting and Israeli military base in the occupied Golan Heights right around the time of this incident.
It doesn't make sense that Hezbollah would intentionally target Druze civilians, most of whom are loyal to the Syrian regime. These are essentially natural allies of Hezbollah so it doesn't -- it doesn't stand to reason that they would do this on purpose. But what we've been saying as analysts for the whole duration of this
conflict is that when and if we get a regional war, it's going to be because of a miscalculation or an error --
HOLMES: Right.
CAMBANIS: -- like this appears to have been.
HOLMES: If it remains the case that Israel, Hezbollah, and Iran for that matter, don't want full-on war but want to keep this limited, if possible, what sorts of targets might Israel hit? Would it be like -- I don't know the southern suburbs of Beirut in the crosshairs. Israels hit the airport before.
Do you think the strikes would be measured to avoid escalation?
CAMBANIS: Well, one of the interesting and unpredictable dynamics here is that inside the Israeli establishment, there are two different viewpoints.
From what I understand, it's kind of the reverse of the split we have on Gaza. So when it comes to Lebanon, it's the IDF, the sort of traditional mainstream military that wants an escalation with Lebanon.
There seems to be voices in the senior military leadership who believe they have an opportunity to change the balance somehow in Israel's favor against Hezbollah.
Whereas the political leadership, the same folks who are sort of pushing for a maximalist course in Gaza, Netanyahu and others in his cabinet, understand the risks with Hezbollah. They understand Hezbollah is a much more serious adversary, and they don't want an escalation.
HOLMES: Lebanon's caretaker foreign minister Abdallah Bou Habib he told CNN's Ben Wedeman earlier today, and I'll just quote from him that, you know, Israel goes to full war, and he said, quote, "It's not going to be Hezbollah against Israel. You have the Houthis, you have the Iraqi militias, you have the militias in Syria who are not Syrians, Pakistani, Afghani militias. They're all going to get involved in that," unquote.
I mean, that's quite scary comment. What would that scenario, which no one I think wants look like.
CAMBANIS: What it looks like is catastrophic. And one of the things that your viewers should keep in mind is that -- the Hezbollah possesses military capabilities that we have not seen yet in this conflict for many of Israel's adversaries.
Hezbollah is a very well-supported, well-organized, traditional military force. It as rockets, it has mortars. It also has infantry fighters who have been actively at war, engaged in urban warfare nonstop for more than a decade.
These are -- these are fighting assets that are going to call cause real mayhem and real strategic danger for Israel. And unfortunately, they're going to cause a lot of death and damage, right?
So what we've seen until now is that Israel ultimately isn't suffering a lot of civilian casualties or damage since the horrible losses it suffered on October 7 itself. But in a direct war with Hezbollah, it will suffer hundreds or thousands of civilian dead. It will suffer successful missile strikes against civilian, and strategic and military targets in places like Haifa and maybe Tel Aviv throughout the Galilee.
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CAMBANIS: It's exposed in a way that it has not been until now.
And just quickly on a regional basis, if and when this jumps to the next level and brings in Iran's trump card, which is Hezbollah, we are going to see de-stabilizing violence in Yemen, in Iraq, and probably in the rest of the gul in a way that we have really avoided until now.
Keeping this very complex web of interests contained with these sort of theatrical or choreographed tit-for-tat exchanges. When that breaks down, it's going be total war. And that's going to be awful for the civilians who live in these areas. It's also going to be awful for the strategic interests of the United States and its partners in the region.
HOLMES: Terrifying potentialities out there and hopefully cooler heads prevail.
Thanassis Cambanis, thank you so much.
CAMBANIS: Good to talk to you, Michael.
HOLMES: Well, the U.S. is overhauling its military partnership with Japan as the two countries work to counter China's influence in the Asia-Pacific region. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with their Japanese counterparts in Tokyo announcing a new plan to modernize the U.S. force present in Japan with expanded operations.
Blinken also says the U.S.-Japanese relationship will remain steadfast no matter who wins the presidential election in November.
Blinken and Austin will soon head to the Philippines to meet with leaders there.
Hanako Montgomery joins me now, live from Tokyo.
Always good to see you, Hanako.
A lot of Asian nations are worried about the level of U.S. commitment especially with the U.S. election coming. So how important are these meetings in that regard?
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michael, these meetings are very important because they indicate to Asian countries that the United States is still all-in on this region, despite the looming uncertainty of the U.S. presidential election and the foreign policy that could come with a new head of state.
One of the key deliverables as you mentioned, that came out over the weekend was a joint agreement signed between the United States and Japan, wherein the U.S. forces in Japan would be reconstituted as a joint force headquarters.
Essentially, what that means is the United States and Japan would further deepen their interoperability and cooperation when dealing and addressing with any regional security threats in the Indo-Pacific.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin described this upgrade as the biggest improvement to military ties in 70 years. And the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also hailed the U.S.-Japan alliance.
Here's what Blinken had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: For over 70 years, the United States-Japan alliance has been the cornerstone for peace, for stability in the Indo-Pacific and now beyond. And it's helping make our own people more free, more secure, more prosperous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MONTGOMERY: Now this agreement, which also comes after the Japanese prime minister made his official visit to Washington back in April, really further cements Japan's importance and its role in Washington's regional security strategy.
It's allowed the U.S. to develop better relations and deeper relations with other Asian allies, such as with South Korea. In fact, over the weekend, we saw the first trilateral meeting between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, between its defense chiefs in 15 years. They pledged to deepen their relations and also helped deter any threats from North Korea.
Now another key detail from these meetings, Michael and also the quad that's underway today is how many times either directly or indirectly, China has been mentioned. In fact, in the joint agreement between Japan and the United States, China's political military, and economic coercion was identified as the biggest security challenge to the Indo- Pacific and beyond.
So clearly China is front of mind for many of these Asian countries, especially as it grows increasingly assertive in the Indo-Pacific and specifically the South China Sea.
Now another concern for these Asian countries is the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. Former U.S. President Donald Trump has previously toyed with the idea of pulling out U.S. troops from Asia and also has questioned the cost of these Asian allies.
So really there has been some fear among these Asian countries but we saw Secretary of State Antony Blinken really tried to assuage those fears and claim and say that the U.S. was still very steadfast in its relationship with Asian nations. And no matter the outcome of the U.S. (AUDIO GAP) committed to this region, Michael.
HOLMES: All right. Hanako Montgomery, appreciate your reporting there in Tokyo for us.
[01:44:43]
HOLMES: We're going to take a quick break on the program. When we come back the latest on the capture of those two alleged Mexican drug cartel leaders and why one of their attorneys argues his client didn't surrender. He was kidnapped.
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HOLMES: The attorney for an alleged Mexican drug lord who was apparently tricked into being captured by U.S. authorities last week claims his client was the victim of kidnapping.
Our Rafael Romo with the latest.
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RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The attorney for Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, the alleged co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel, says his client neither surrendered nor negotiated any terms with the U.S. government, but was instead kidnapped.
I spoke earlier on the phone with Frank Perez, Zambada's attorney. He told me his 76-year-old client was kidnapped by Joaquin Guzman Lopez, son of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the other co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel.
"Joaquin Guzman Lopez forcibly kidnapped my client. He was ambushed, thrown to the ground, and handcuffed by six men in military uniforms and Joaquin. His legs were tied and a black bag was placed over his head," Perez said in a statement sent to CNN.
"He was then thrown into the back of a pickup truck and taken to a landing strip. There he was forced onto a plane, his legs tied to the seat by Joaquin and brought to the U.S. against his will. The only people on the plane were the pilot, Joaquin, and my client," Perez added.
U.S. law enforcement officials had previously told CNN that Joaquin Guzman Lopez had duped Zambada and orchestrated their arrest by making him believe they were flying to northern Mexico to look at real estate.
Instead, the official said, their small private plane landed north of the border near El Paso, Texas, where U.S. authorities were waiting on the tarmac.
Former DEA agent Jack Riley told CNN that Zambada managed to elude law enforcement for decades.
JACK RILEY, FORMER DEA AGENT: There's some speculation that Mayo Zambada may have been in the process of trying to negotiate a surrender. I see that highly unlikely given no where he was in the organization.
But this is a tremendous blow to Sinaloa and I think it's important to understand that this guy has been around Mayo Zambada has been around for 40 years. That's really unheard of for someone in his position.
ROMO: CNN learned Saturday that whatever action the U.S. might have taken to arrest Zambada and Guzman Lopez prompted a furious behind- the-scenes reaction from the Mexican government.
A U.S. official familiar with the operation said Mexican officials are demanding senior U.S. law enforcement explain exactly what transpired in their own country.
Meanwhile, Guzman Lopez is expected to appear in federal court Tuesday in Chicago, his attorney told CNN, but declined further comment.
Rafael Romo, CNN -- Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: A raging wildfire in northern California, has now burned an area larger than New York City.
[01:49:46]
HOLMES: CalFire reporting the Park Fire has scorched more than 360,000 acres or around 146,000 hectares. Firefighters have contained just 12 percent of the blaze so far. Officials say they are working quickly to get residents back into their homes after ordering them to evacuate. But the order came as nothing new to some locals.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was ready to go to bed and I hear this pounding on the door and I opened it up and he goes "Fire Department. Get your stuff, you're leaving." I said oh not again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn't want to wait for the to-go because I was thinking on the Paradise Fire and all the car or is that didn't make it. And I didn't want to get caught in that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Some good news amid the destruction, a rescue crew was able to save a rottweiler and four of her puppies after the owner had to leave them behind, according to police. After a checkup, they'll be kept in a nearby shelter until they can be reunited with their owner.
Coming up, we'll meet a former Olympian who's now bringing the spirit of the games to the artists' easel.
We'll be back.
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HOLMES: A former Olympian put down his javelin and picked up a paintbrush. And now they call him the Olympic Picasso.
CNN sports' Don Riddell with the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS: they call him the Olympic Picasso. Roald Bradstock used to be an Olympic javelin throw, then he threw himself into the arts, immortalizing athletic prowess and the spirit of the Olympic Games.
ROALD BRADSTOCK, OLYMPIC PICASSO: So this is Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic games. And if you can get in Zoom, you can close up on it. It's actually entirely made up of the Olympic values -- respect, excellence, and friendship.
RIDDELL: Bradstock always knew that he wanted to be both an athlete and an artist. And even when he was throwing, he wore his art on his sleeve.
But it wasn't until he finished competing that he realized just how similar the two pursuits are.
BRADSTOCK: I thought they were different. And when I realized that they were the same and I made that connection, then everything just kind of clicked.
I do feel very fortunate to be able to have two talents and two passions that have now managed to join together.
RIDDELL: What skills or characteristics would you say would make an Olympic athlete a good artist, a good creator?
BRADSTOCK: Let me put it this way. I thought it was hard being an Olympic athlete, nothing compared to art. So I look at it as my athletic career was preparation for my artistic career.
You know, just the rejection and the frustration. Olympic athletes are trained to be very goal-oriented, long and short-term, to overcome obstacles, to be creative so it looks more like a jigsaw puzzle. But I'm, you know, creating a jigsaw puzzle and solving it at the same time.
RIDDELL: As an athlete, there are going to be hard days, probably lots of them. It's not easy being an artist either. How would you compare the worst days of each experience?
BRADSTOCK: I think the hardest thing for me was probably the mental part, psychological, just the stress and especially getting first competition and knowing, especially with the Olympics. And then as an artist, I can't really think of bad days I have very much.
Even when it fails, for me, ok, I'm pushing myself. I'm pushing myself.
RIDDELL: Bradstock says that he always felt like a bit of an outlier. That he was never quite accepted by the arts or the athletic community.
[01:54:51]
RIDDELL: But he says that's now changing. And he's even stopped selling his work because he's afraid he'll undervalue it. And he also feels a certain destiny is at play.
This summer's Olympics are back in Paris for the first time in a century. And is now exactly 150 years since the French capital hosted the first-ever impressionist exhibition.
BRADSTOCK: My goal was always to promote sports as a sports, arts as a legitimate subject matter. And I've overshot it and created this new genre -- Olympism. And I think going back from 150 years and I didn't realize how much I always knew French artists and French movements and stuff really influenced me as an artist.
RIDDELL: Bradstock is already looking ahead to the Los Angeles Games seems in 2028, and is planning to spearhead the growing Olympic artist movement. His art is his legacy. But how would he like to be remembered.
BRADSTOCK: Well to be remembered would be good for a start, period.
Now remembered for what -- you know, it would be a little different. I don't know. I think it's just -- if I was remembered for being creative and really pushing the boundaries. I mean basically it's a show, the fact that athletes are more than not, you know, one- dimensional and just kind of great at pushing limits as an athlete, as an artist.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: "Deadpool and Wolverine" is giving the Marvel Universe a fresh injection of energy. The 34th movie in the cinematic universe has grossed $205 million in its U.S. opening weekend and nearly $440 million worldwide setting a new record for an R-rated film.
And its bringing more than just Marvel fans to big screens. With the movie so popular, theaters are being added and show times to meet viewer demand. Together with other overperforming hits such as "Inside Out 2. "Despicable Me 4" and "Twisters", "Deadpool and Wolverine" is giving the movie business a much-needed summer box office boost.
I hear it's really good.
Thanks for spending part of your day with me. I'm Michael Holmes.
Stick around CNN NEWSROOM continues With my friend and colleague, the one and only Rosemary Church.
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