TONIGHT ON "NEWSWATCH" CHAOS
IN GAZA.
AS AN ISRAELI AIR STRIKE KILLS
ONE OF HAMAS'S TOP OFFICIALS.
PRESIDENT SPEAKS OUT ON
PATRAEUS.
WE HAVE THE LATEST FROM THE
WHITE HOUSE.
IS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM A THING
OF THE PAST IN RUSSIA.
ALL OF THIS AND MORE TONIGHT ON
"NEWSWATCH." ISRAEL LEADS A
DEADLY AIR STRIKE IN GAZA.
GOOD EVENING EVERYONE I AM LEE
WEB.
AND I AM WENDY GRIFFITH.
THE HEAD OF HAMAS'S MILITARY, A
MISSILE HIT THE CAR HE WAS
TRAVELING.
JABARI IS BLAMED FOR NUMEROUS
ATTACK.
TODAY'S STRIKE COMES AFTER DAYS
OF ROCKETS INTO SOUTHERN ISRAEL.
ISRAELI NETANYAHU SAID THEY WILL
NOT STAND FOR IT. CHRIS
MITCHELL JOINS US, WHAT IS THE
SITUATION IN GAS GAZA.
IT HAS EXPLODED LITERALLY AND
FIGURATIVELY.
SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED.
IT IS A DIRE SITUATION.
THIS IS THE RETALIATION BY
ISRAEL OVER 160 ROCKETS FIRED IN
THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS.
I THINK THIS IS ISRAEL SAYING
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
WE CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE.
YOU MENTIONED THE MILITARY'S
ASSASSINATION.
HOW WILL LOSING THE LEAD GO FOR
THEM?
IT IS A BLOW.
HE WAS THE LIAISON BETWEEN HAMAS
AND IRAN.
HE PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN IRAN
AND TEHRAN.
HE DEVELOPED THE KASAME ROCKET.
THE ROCKETS ARE GETTING LONGER.
PART OF THE STRIKE IS TO DETER
THE ROCKETS, 42-MILE RANG,
ENOUGH TO HIT TEL AVIV.
THAT IS WHAT ISRAEL IS TRYING TO
PIN POINTED.
THEY SAY THESE AIR STRIKES
ARE THE BEGINNING OF A BROADER
OPERATION?
WHAT NEXT?
WE JUST TALKED TO RETIRED
ISRAELI LEADER, HE SAID THIS
WILL GO ON SEVERAL DAYS.
HAMAS IS CALLING IT A
DECLARATION OF WAR.
AFTER THE ARAB SPRING.
MUM BARIC WAS A RESTRAINING
FORCE.
NOW WITH THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD
IN CONTROL IN EGYPT, AS THINGS
GO DOWN A FEW YEARS DOWN THE
ROAD, WHETHER ANY ATTACKS
AGAINST HAMAS IN THE GAZA STRIP
WILL SPARK RETALIATION OR
SUPPORT BY EGYPT AND MUSLIM
BROTHERHOOD GOVERNMENT.
CHRIS, THIS IS A REMINDER, WE
PRAY FOR YOUR SAFETY AND THOSE
IN HARM'S WAY.
APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH, LEE.
WE NEED THE PRAYERS.
TURNING TO THE SCANDAL
ROCKING WASHINGTON, INITIAL
INVESTIGATION INTO THE DAVID
PATRAEUS AND PAULA BROADWELL
AFFAIR.
WASHINGTON STANDS BEHIND GENERAL
JOHN ALLEN, U.S. COMMANDER
CAUGHT UP IN THE PATRAEUS COP
CONTINUE.
PRESIDENT THINKS VERY HIGHLY
OF GENERAL ALLEN AND HIS SERVICE
TO HIS COUNTRY AS WELL AS THE
JOB HE HAS DONE IN AFGHANISTAN.
UNTIL SOMEBODY PROVES
OTHERWISE, I BELIEVE HE DID
NOTHING INAPPROPRIATE.
THIS SHOW OF SUPPORT COMES
EVEN AS THE HEARINGS FOR GENERAL
ALLEN'S NOMINATION ARE PUT ON
HOLD.
IF I BELIEVES UNCOVERED
THOUSANDS OF E-MAILS BETWEEN
ALLEN AND JILL KELLEY, THE WOMAN
WHO SPARKED THE INVESTIGATION
INTO PATRAEUS AND BROADWELL.
ALLEN MAINTAINS HE DID NOTHING
WRONG.
PRESIDENT TOOK TIME IN A PRESS
CONFERENCE TODAY.
JENNIFER WISHON WAS THERE AND
JOINS US FROM WASHINGTON.
JENNIF
JENNIFER, WHAT DID THE PRESIDENT
SAY ABOUT THE SCANDAL?
GOOD EVENING, WENDY.
THE PRESIDENT HAS NO EVIDENCE
NATIONAL SECURITY WAS THREATENED
RESULT OF THIS SCANDAL.
WHITE HOUSE FOUND OUT A WEEK AGO
TODAY, A DAY AFTER THE ELECTION.
MANY QUESTION THE TIMING COMING
AFTER THE ELECTION HOW THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
COULD NOT HAVE KNOWN AMERICA'S
TOP SPY WAS UNDER INVESTIGATION
BY THE FBI.
THE PRESIDENT SAYS IT IS NOT HIS
BUSINESS TO MEDAL IN CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATIONS.
TODAY ISN'T GOING TO PASS
JUDGMENT ON FBI PROTOCOL THAT
LEFT HIM IN THE DARK FOR ABOUT
SIX MONTHS.
MANY AMERICANS HAVE BEEN
CONCERNED ABOUT THE WHITE HOUSE
RESPONSE TO THE SEPTEMBER TERROR
ATTACKS ON THE AMERICAN
CONSULATE IN LIBYA.
IT WAS A BIG ISSUE IN THE
CAMPAIGN, WHAT DID THE PRESIDENT
HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT, TODAY?
PRESIDENT SAYS IT IS BEING
INVESTIGATED, WHAT HAPPENED,
WHEN ASKED SPECIFICALLY, DID
YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, AS COMMANDER
IN CHIEF GIVE AN ORDER THAT DAY?
THE PRESIDENT TOLD THE NATIONAL
SECURITY TEAM QUOTE, DO WHATEVER
WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THEY
ARE SAFE.
MANY CRITICS HAVE SAID ST
PRESIDENT SHOULD HAVE KNOWN
EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING ON AS
AMERICAN SOIL IN LIBYA WAS BEING
ATTACKED, MORE THAN TWO MONTHS
LATER, WE SHOULDN'T BE ASKING
EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
WENDY, THE PRESIDENT ADDRESSED
IT, CERTAINLY MORE QUESTIONS
THAN ANSWERS REMAIN.
YES, INDEED, KIND OF A
SKETCHY ANSWER.
JENNIFER WISHON AT THE WHITE
HOUSE. JOINING US IS
RETIRED ARKANSRETIERE
RETIRED GENERAL BOYKIN.
THERE IS SPECULATION THAT
GENERAL PATRAEUS WAS
BLACKMAILED, DO YOU BELIEVE
THAT?
BY ALL APPEARANCES, IT WOULD
SEEM PATRAEUS WAS BEING HELD
HOSTAGE TO THE INVESTIGATION OF
HIS INFIDELITY.
I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT WE ARE
GOING TO FIND THAT IS THE CASE.
WHY WOULD SOMEONE WANT TO DO
THAT?
A NUMBER OF POSSIBILITY, LEE.
FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE A LOT OF
EVIDENCE THERE WAS A CO-VERT
ACTION PROGRAM RUN OUT OF
BENGHAZI TO FUND WEAPONS TO THE
SYRIAN REBELS.
THAT MAY HAVE BEEN AN EFFORT TO
COVER THAT UP IF IT WASN'T
APPROPRIATELY BRIEFED TO
CONGRESS.
ONE OF THE BIG QUESTIONS IS:
WHY DIDN'T WE PUT SOME TYPE OF
MILITARY FORCE ON THE GROUND TO
SAVE THOSE AMERICANS AND EVEN IF
WE COULDN'T HAVE SAVED THEM, AT
LEAST RECOVER THEIR BODIES?
NO ONE IS ASKING THAT QUESTION.
CERTAINLY THE MILITARY COMMAND,
AFRICA COMMAND, GENERAL CARTE
HAM WOULD HAVE LEANED FORWARD,
GENERAL PATRAEUS WOULD HAVE
WANTED TO GET SOMETHING IN
THERE.
NO INDICATION THERE IS ANY
EFFORT TO PUT MILITARY FORCE ON
THE GROUND TO SAVE THOSE PEOPLE.
THAT IS A QUESTION THAT WILL
COME UP IN THE HEARINGS.
I THINK THEY DON'T WANT DAVID
PATRAEUS TO ANSWER THAT.
HIS TESTIMONY IS CRITICAL TO
GETTING TO THE TRUTH ABOUT
BENGHAZI.
SOME FOLKS HAVE COMPARED THIS
TO WATER GATE, DO YOU AGREE
THERE IS A COMPARISON WITH
REGARDS TO THE SCANDAL THAT
COULD AFFECT AN ADMINISTRATION?
I THINK THIS IS JUST AS
DEVASTATING AS WATERGATE.
WE KNOW THERE WAS AN ATTEMPTED
COVER UP.
SUSAN RICE WAS VERY MUCH AWARE
OF THE FACT THERE WAS NO MOB AND
THIS WAS NOT A SPONTANEOUS THING
BASED ON AN ABSECURE VIDEO OUT
OF CALIFORNIA.
THE ADMINISTRATION TRIED TO
COVER IT UP.
I THINK THAT IS WHY GENERAL
PATRAEUS STEPPED DOWN.
HE WAS UNWILLING TO CONTINUE
SPOUTING THE PARTY LINE TO THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC AND CONTINUING
TO BREECH HIS OWN INTEGRITY.
I THINK WE ARE GOING TO FIND
THERE IS A HUGE COVER UP AND
MORE THAN MEET IT IS EYE.
I THINK THERE WAS A COVERT
ACTION PROGRAM GOING ON TO
FUNNEL ARMS TO THE REBELS IN
SYRIA.
I THINK CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE
STATE DEPARTMENT HAVE CONCLUDED
THAT THE JIHADISTS ARE OUR
FRIENDS AND WE NEED TO BE
SUPPORTING THEM.
A VARIETY OF OTHER THINGS THAT
WILL COME OUT, LEE.
GENERAL BOYKIN, WE THANK YOU FOR
BEING WITH US TODAY.
IT IS A PLEASURE, LEE, THANK
YOU.
IN OTHER NEWS THE PRESIDENT
ADDRESSED THE ECONOMY SAYING HIS
TOP PRIORITY IS JOBS AND GROWTH
AND FIRST TASK IS TO ADDRESS THE
LOOMING FISCAL CLIFF.
HE IS MEETING WITH CONGRESSIONAL
LEADERSHIP TO DISCUSS IT.
HE REAFFIRMED AT LEAST ONE
CAMPAIGN PLEDGE.
WE CAN'T AFFORD TO EXTEND
BUSH TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY.
WE CAN MAKE SURE MIDDLE CLASS
TAXES DON'T GO UP.
PRESIDENT DID EXPECT FOR ALL
INCOME EARNERS IN 2010.
THAT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
TOP HOUSE DEMOCRAT NANCY
PELOSI, 13-TERM CONGRESSWOMAN
FROM CALIFORNIA ANNOUNCED HER
DECISION TODAY.
MANY OBSERVERS QUESTIONED HER
FUTURE AFTER REPUBLICANS HELD ON
TO THE MAJORITY.
DURING THE NEWS CONFERENCE, NBC
LUKE RUSERT.
YOU ARE ALL OVER 70, DOES
THIS PROHIBIT YOUNGER LEADERSHIP
FROM MOVING FORWARD.
YOU ARE SUGGESTING EVERYBODY
STEP ASIDE?
I THINK WHAT YOU WILL SEE,
LET'S FOR A MOMENT HONOR IT AS A
LEGIT QUESTION, ALTHOUGH IT IS
QUITE OFFENSIVE.
PELOSI SAID SHE HAS TRIED TO
ELECT NEW AND YOUNGER PEOPLE AS
DEMOCRATIC LEADERS.
DEMOCRATS EXPANDED THEIR
MAJORITY IN U.S. SENATE.
ANGUS KING WILL VOTE WITH
DEMOCRATS 55-45 EDGE OVER THE
GOP IN THE SENATE.
COMING UP, CIVIL WAR IN
SYRIA.
OUR GARY LANE TALKS ABOUT WHAT
IT MEANS FOR THE VEST OF THE
MIDDLE EAST, INCLUDING ISRAEL.
SYRIAN REBELS CONTROL MOST OF
THE VILLAGES NEAR ISRAEL'S GO
LAN HEIGHTS ACCORDING TO EHUD
BARACK.
FIGHTING HAS FORCED ISRAEL TO
RETALIATE.
GROWING REBEL CONTROL COULD
WIDEN INTO AN ARMED CONFLICT.
REBEL FIGHTING HAS SPILLED INTO
LEBANON, JORDAN AND TURKEY.
GARY LANE JOINS US FOR MORE.
ISRAELI IS ALREADY FACING
PROBLEMS WITH GAZA AND HAMAS.
THEY HAVE SYRIA.
ANY DANGER THIS COULD ESCALATE
WITH SYRIA?
I THINK THERE IS SOME DANGER.
ISRAEL DOESN'T NEED IT.
WE JUST LEARNED THE ISRAELI
AMBASSADOR HAS BEEN RECALLED
FROM CAIRO AND EGYPTIANS
RECALLED FROM TEL AVIV AND
EMERGENCY MEETING OF THE
SECURITY COUNSEL.
THEY DON'T NEED THIS.
ASSAD DOESN'T WANT TO DRAW
ISRAEL INTO THIS WAR M THEY HAVE
AIRCRAFT AND CAN TAKE OUT HIS
POSITIONS.
THEY ARE GOING NEAR THE BORDER.
THE SYRIANS SHELL TOO CLOSE, IT
GOES INTO ISRAEL INTO THE GOLAN
HEIGHTS.
THAT IS WHAT THE SYRIAN REBELS
WANT.
OVER THE WEEKEND FRANCE HAS
BECOME THE FIRST WESTERN NATION
TO PUBLICALLY ENDORSE THE
REBELS, IS THAT RIGHT?
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR SYRIA
LEGITIMACY FOR REBELS.
THEY WANT SMALL ARMS,
ANTIAIRCRAFT ARMS TO BE
PROVIDED.
PRESIDENT STOPPED SHORT OF
SAYING WE'LL PROVIDE THOSE AND
RECOGNIZING THIS UMBRELLA GROUP.
WE ARE PLEASED TO SEE THAT
HAPPEN.
HE SAYS WE'LL BE MORE ENGAGED
WITH THAT GROUP.
HE IS NOT READY TO CALL THEM A
DE FACTO GOVERNMENT, GOVERNMENT
IN EXILE.
HE IS CONCERNED SOME MAY GET
INTO THE HANDS OF EXTREMIST.
THAT WOULD BE BAD NEW FOR U.S.
AND ISRAEL.
GARY, WHAT ABOUT THE
CHRISTIANS THAT LIVE IN SYRIA?
AS WE REPORTED BEFORE, THEY
ARE STUCK BETWEEN A ROCK AND A
HARD PLACE.
IF THEY SIDE WITH ASSAD, REBELS
WILL COME AGAINST THEM.
IF THEY SIDE WITH THE REBELS
ASSAD WILL COME AGAINST THEM.
MANY ARE REFUGEES WITH THEIR
COUNTRY.
THEY HAVE NO PLACE TO GO.
THE ALAWITES HAVE ENCLAVES IN
SYRIA.
CHRISTIANS ARE SPREAD THROUGHOUT
THE COUNTRY.
THEY HAVE NO SAFE HAVEN.
WE NEED TO PRAY FOR THEM AND
PIECE OF JERUSALEM.
THERE HAVE BEEN KIDNAPPINGS
AND MURDERS.
GARY LANE, THANKS FOR THE
LATEST ON THAT.
UP NEXT, POLICE STAND BY AS
EVANGELICALS FACE RELIGIOUS
PERSECUTION.
WE'LL SHOW YOU WHERE NEXT.
WELCOME BACK, DOZENS OF MEN
RECENTLY ATTACKED AND DEMOLISHED
A PENTECOSTAL CHURCH AND POLICE
STOOD BY AND WATCHED.
ASSAULT TOOK PLACE OUTSIDE
MOSCOW AND RAISING CONCERNS THAT
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IS FADING IN
RUSSIA.
GEORGE THOMAS HAS THE STORY.
IT IS DIFFICULT TO TALK ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENED THE NIGHT OF
DECEMBER 6TH.
ON A RECENT MORNING,
12-YEAR-OLD GIRL AND HAND FULL
OF HER FRIENDS HELD SUNDAY
SCHOOL OF WHAT USED TO BE THE
ENTRANCE OF THEIR CHURCH.
I WANT THE PEOPLE THAT DID
THIS I STILL LOVE CHRIST AND
WILL PRAY FOR THEM CH
ABOUT 45 MEN BACKED BY LOCAL
RUSSIAN POLICE DESCENDING ON
HOLY TRINITY CHURCH.
I GOT HERE AROUND 4:00 A.M.
THE POLICE STOOD THERE AND
WATCHED THE WHOLE THING.
AS WORD SPREAD, MANY CHURCH
MEMBERS RUSHED TO TRY TO SAVE
THE CHURCH.
I WILL NEVER FORGET THE SOUND
OF MY CHURCH BEING CRUSHED.
IT WAS SO PAINFUL.
THE PASTOR TRIED TO STOP THE
MEN.
THIS IS VIDEO OF HIM THAT NIGHT.
WHEN I TRIED TO GET INTO THE
TERRITORY, I WAS STOPPED BY
TRUNK TOUGH GUYS.
THEY REFUSED TO SHOW THEIR ID'S
AND PAPERS.
NEW BY 3:00 A.M., THE
THREE-STORY BUILDING IN RUINS.
UNFORTUNATELY WHAT WE ARE
SEEING IS NOTHING NEW.
FOR DECADES, EVANGELICAL
CHRISTIANS HAVE SEEN AND
EXPERIENCED WORST.
THE CHURCH WAS REGISTERED IN
THE LATE 70S.
1995 -- THE CHURCH E RUKTED A
TEMPORARY BUILDING, PASTOR ROMAN
WANTED TO BUILD A MORE PERMANENT
STRUCTU
STRUCTURE.
AUTHORITIES REFUSED.
FOR 17 YEARS THE CITY REFUSED
THE CHURCH ELECTRICITY AND
WATER.
THE BRAZEN ATTACKS STUNNED THE
CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY.
THIS MAN RUNS A CHRISTIAN
MINISTRY.
MOSCOW, THE LARGEST CITY IN
RUSSIA, THE CAPITOL.
EVEN THOUGH THE COUNTRY'S
CONSTITUTION CLEARLY STATES ALL
RELIGIONS ARE EQUAL BEFORE THE
LAW, GOVERNMENT IS OFTEN ACCUSED
OF DISCRIMINATING.
GOVERNMENT AND RUSSIAN
ORTHODOX CHURCH VIEW US
EVANGELICALS AS A THREAT.
THEY SEE HOW DYNAMIC HIS
SERVICES ARE AND THREATENED BY
IT.
A LEADING HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER
IN MOSCOW SAYS HOLY TRINITY'S
PROPERTY AND LEGAL CHALLENGES
ARE PART OF AN EMERGING PATTERN
AGAINST RUSSIAN EVANGELICALS.
THIS YEAR ALONE THEY HAVE
GIVEN PERMITS.
WHAT EVANGELICALS ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT IS THE GROWING
INFLUENCE WITHIN THE POLITICAL
SYSTEM.
THEY ACCUSED THE PRESIDENT OF
TEARING DOWN WALLS BETWEEN
CHURCH AND STATE.
MUSLIMS FROM TIME TO TIME
WILL FACE SIMILAR CHALLENGES IN
BUILDI
BUILDING MOSQUES.
YOU WILL NOT HEAR OF A ORTHODOX
CHURCH BEING BULLDOZED IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
THEY ARE HOLDING WEEKLY
SERVICES IN A TENT.
THERE ARE REPORTS THE CITY WANTS
TO TURN THE LAND INTO A LARGE
SPORT COMPLEX.
I NEVER REALIZED I WOULD GO
THROUGH SUCH AN EXPERIENCE.
I FEEL FULL OF HOPE THANKS TO
PRAYERS AROUND THE WORLD.
12-YEAR-OLD FRETA IS ALSO
HOPEFUL.
I HAVE BEEN ASKING GOD TO
PROVIDE A PLACE TO MEET AND
SHARE WITH OTHERS ABOUT THE LOVE
OF CHRIST.
I KNOW GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF
THAT.
GEORGE THOMAS, CBN NEWS,
MOSCOW.
UP NEXT, A PUNISHMENT THAT
MAY OR MAY NOT FIT THE CRIME.
EMBARRASSING SENTENCE ONE JUDGE
HANDED DOWN.
FINALLY TONIGHT AN UNUSUAL
PUNISHMENT FOR POTENTIALLY
DANGEROUS BEHAVIOR.
SHEENA HARDEN PLED GUILTY TO
DRIVING ON A SIDEWALK TO AVOID A
SCHOOL BUS.
THE SIDEWALK WAS THE ENTRANCE TO
A DAY CARE CENTER.
A BUS DRIVER CAUGHT THE ACT ON A
CELL PHONE CAMERA.
SO FOR HER PUNISHMENT THE COURT
ORDERED HER TO RETURN TO THE
SIGN, ONLY AN IDIOT WOULD DRIVE
ON A SIDEWALK TO AVOID A SCHOOL
BUS AND THE JUDGE SUSPENDED HER
LICENSE FOR 30 DAYS AND FINED
HER $250.
THE JUDGE DIDN'T LIKE HER
ATTITUDE AND SAID YOU BETTER
BEHAVE YOURSELF OR I'LL COME
DOWN ON YOU HARDER.
SEEMS HARSH.
SHE MUST HAVE HAD A BAD
ATTITUDE.
