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CNN Live At Daybreak
What's on Tap for D.C. Today?
Aired November 14, 2002 - 06:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Iraq also tops the agenda in Washington today.
Our morning producer, Paul Courson, tells us what's on tap.
Paul -- let's begin with that homeland defense bill. It passed the House last night; now going to be debated by the Senate.
PAUL COURSON, CNN WASHINGTON MORNING PRODUCER: Yes, it was a very strong vote in the House last night -- 299 to 121 in favor of creating a Department of Homeland Defense.
What it would do is combine about two dozen federal agencies, each with a hand in some sort of domestic defense role, domestic security role under the auspices of one agency, the Department of Homeland Defense. The idea is to bring agencies, like the Coast Guard and other facilities' assets that the United States has to have one management structure and one guiding philosophy to defend the homeland against a possible terrorist attack.
It's on to the Senate next week, where a similar bill is supposed to move through. The debate on the bill is liable to happen -- actually starting today.
CALLAWAY: You know, Paul, we've been talking a lot this morning about the execution tonight in Virginia of Aimal Kasi, of course, who was convicting of killing two CIA employees. Any concern from the White House about the threats of possible retaliation after the execution of this Pakistani?
COURSON: There has been some talk in law enforcement circles that may link it to the execution. There's nothing specific, nothing direct that we have to react on.
However, there was an alert issued by the FBI in recent days about a Pakistani national who is held by Pakistani authorities. The threat is against hospitals in the United States. Not specific enough to cause massive amounts of alarm. But some time -- the suggestion around December 15 of the hospitals, including here in Washington, as well as in Chicago, Houston and San Francisco, may face some kind of terrorist threat. And the FBI is warning those hospitals to increase their security.
CALLAWAY: Saddam Hussein has delivered, what, a nine-page letter now, sort of accepting the U.N. weapons inspections. What do you think the White House is going to have to say about that today? COURSON: We don't have any public events on the schedule for President Bush today. There is one meeting that still photographers will cover, but no televised events.
However, we do have Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld in some Q&A at the Pentagon at mid-morning. Perhaps he'll talk at greater length then.
CALLAWAY: Yes, no doubt he'll have something to say about that. All right, Paul, thank you very much -- have a great day.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired November 14, 2002 - 06:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Iraq also tops the agenda in Washington today.
Our morning producer, Paul Courson, tells us what's on tap.
Paul -- let's begin with that homeland defense bill. It passed the House last night; now going to be debated by the Senate.
PAUL COURSON, CNN WASHINGTON MORNING PRODUCER: Yes, it was a very strong vote in the House last night -- 299 to 121 in favor of creating a Department of Homeland Defense.
What it would do is combine about two dozen federal agencies, each with a hand in some sort of domestic defense role, domestic security role under the auspices of one agency, the Department of Homeland Defense. The idea is to bring agencies, like the Coast Guard and other facilities' assets that the United States has to have one management structure and one guiding philosophy to defend the homeland against a possible terrorist attack.
It's on to the Senate next week, where a similar bill is supposed to move through. The debate on the bill is liable to happen -- actually starting today.
CALLAWAY: You know, Paul, we've been talking a lot this morning about the execution tonight in Virginia of Aimal Kasi, of course, who was convicting of killing two CIA employees. Any concern from the White House about the threats of possible retaliation after the execution of this Pakistani?
COURSON: There has been some talk in law enforcement circles that may link it to the execution. There's nothing specific, nothing direct that we have to react on.
However, there was an alert issued by the FBI in recent days about a Pakistani national who is held by Pakistani authorities. The threat is against hospitals in the United States. Not specific enough to cause massive amounts of alarm. But some time -- the suggestion around December 15 of the hospitals, including here in Washington, as well as in Chicago, Houston and San Francisco, may face some kind of terrorist threat. And the FBI is warning those hospitals to increase their security.
CALLAWAY: Saddam Hussein has delivered, what, a nine-page letter now, sort of accepting the U.N. weapons inspections. What do you think the White House is going to have to say about that today? COURSON: We don't have any public events on the schedule for President Bush today. There is one meeting that still photographers will cover, but no televised events.
However, we do have Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld in some Q&A at the Pentagon at mid-morning. Perhaps he'll talk at greater length then.
CALLAWAY: Yes, no doubt he'll have something to say about that. All right, Paul, thank you very much -- have a great day.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
