To the Point

Russia and the G8 Summit; Israeli-Lebanese Violence Escalates

Segment #1: President Putin and the G8 The G8 is often called the club of rich nations. Some US Senators have called for Russia's expulsion because of human rights and purported backsliding on democracy, but this weekend, Russia is hosting the summit for the first time. In the run-up to this weekend's G8, President Bush and Vice President Cheney are playing good-cop and bad-cop with Vladimir Putin. In Lithuania recently, Cheney made a pointed public speech on Russian democracy, provoking Putin to make a snide reference yesterday to Cheney's infamous hunting accident. Can they overcome their differences on Iran, energy security for Western Europe and Russian democracy? We hear from three Russia experts, including a leading scholar who's recently met with both Presidents. Segment #2: Israel and Hezbollah Escalate Military Campaigns"There can be no illusions: Israel is at war." That's from analysis in today's Jerusalem Post, as Israeli bombs continue to fall in Lebanon and Hezbollah rockets strike cities in northern Israel. Hezbollah's headquarters appears to have been destroyed. Israel says incoming rockets were made in Iran. President Bush today called on Israel to "limit damage to Lebanon... and spare civilians from harm." Arab nations denounced what they called "a barbaric military campaign;" countries from China to Europe expressed concerned about destabilization of the entire Middle East. French President Jacques Chirac called the Israeli offensive "totally disproportionate." What are the prospects for diplomacy before the violence escalates out of control? We have updates from the Middle East and the United Nations. Making News: Update on the Northern Israel-Southern Lebanon SituationIsraelis in Haifa and other cities have been warned to stay off the street as Hezbollah rockets continue to fall. In Beirut, Hezbollah says its headquarters have been destroyed and its leader, Sheik Hassan Nazrallah, has declared war on Israel in a televised speech. Greg Myre, Jerusalem Correspondent for the New York Times, joins us from the Israel-Lebanon border.