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U.S. Troops Raid Offices, Home of Iraqi National Congressional Leader; U.S., Iraqis Disputing What Happened in Western Desert

Aired May 20, 2004 - 11:00   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.


DARYN KAGAN CNN ANCHOR: it is 11 a.m. on the East Coast it is 8 am on the West Coast from CNN Center in Atlanta good morning once again I'm Daryn Kagan.
We begin this hour with the developments out of Iraq this morning. U.S. troops raid the offices and home of Iraqi national Congressional leader Amhad Chalabi they leave behind a mess and questions about Chalabi's future ties to the Bush administration.

The U.S. and Iraqis are disputing what happened in the western desert. The military says it attacked a guerrilla safe house. Civilians say their wedding party was hit, killing dozens people. And still more new photographs surfaced, apparently from Abu Ghraib prison.

Both show soldiers implicated in the abuse scandal smiling over the body of an Iraqi, which is packed in ice. The photos have not been authenticated. Those are the topics that were front and center at the coalition news briefing seen live here in the last hour. The headline, though, was the Chalabi raid. Our Harris Whitbeck is in Baghdad with details on that--Harris.

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello Daryn. Dr. Ahmad Chalabi, the head of the Iraqi National Congress, was showed himself to be quite outraged at the raid on his compound this morning here in Baghdad. He said that he believes the raid was politically motivated. This is one of the many things he had to say. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. AHMED CHALABI IRAQI NATIONAL CONGRESS: My message to the CPA is let my people go. Let my people be free. We are grateful to President Bush for liberating Iraq, but it is time for the Iraqi people to run their affairs. The governing council president called me and invited me to an emergency meeting of the governing council to discuss this transgression against the council tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. We will decide what to do then.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITBECK: Again, Dr. Chalabi said that his relationship now with the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq is, quote, nonexistent. He says that the breakdown in relations stems from what he just expressed which is a bid for more independence for the Iraqi government from the CPA. Now, at the CPA briefing just a few minutes ago, coalition officials there said that the raid, which occurred this morning, was controlled by the Iraqi National Police and they say that it was tied to investigations into government fraud and kidnapping by some people that might be associated to the INC, to the Iraqi National Congress.

But coalition authorities say they did not know it was not clear as to what officials of the INC were being investigated specifically. So, again, a breakdown, obviously, between one of the members of the Iraqi governing council, Dr. Ahmad Chalabi who has been quite visible, as one of the leaders, political leaders, in Iraq. He is now saying that his relationship with the CPA has been severed--Daryn.

KAGAN: All right, Harris Whitbeck, in Baghdad. Thank you for that. Let's get more now on Chalabi. Ahmed Kanbar is a spokesman for Dr. Chalabi and he joins us this morning from Washington to discuss this morning's raid and also Dr. Chalabi's status.

Good morning and thank you for being here with us.

AHMED KANBAR, CHALABI SPOKESMAN: Thank you.

KAGAN: We heard from Dr. Chalabi himself and his news conference as you heard Harris Whitbeck report that his relationship with the Coalition Provisional Authority has been suspended, is nonexistent. And yet when we listened to the news conference, they didn't seem to indicate anything of that sort. What is the status at this point?

KANBAR: The CPA's spinning out of control. Mr. Bremer is spring out of control. The Governing Council President killed at a checkpoint in daylight in Baghdad. No security control. Iraqi people are outraged by being treated as second class citizens in their own country.

Today, people civilians, Americans, identifying themselves as CIA, FBI, refuse to show an arrest warrant, come in break the doors smashed the doors of Dr. Chalabi's office, smashed the desk, pulled the computer without unplugging them, take all the documents, including a copy of his Holy Koran they took it. This is outrageous

KAGAN: Mr. Kanbar, let me ask you this

KANBAR: Very un-American

KAGAN: I think that's one thing difficult for people over here in the U.S. to understand. How does a man who many people believe single-handedly convinced the Bush administration to go to war with claims of weapons of mass destruction, how does somebody of that status fall so quickly? What happened? Where did this relationship go wrong?

KANBAR: Because the CPA has lost sight which is the friend of America and who is the enemy of America. They work with enemies of America and they do this with people who are friendly with America. Chalabi is an Arab, is an Iraqi patriot man. He wants to investigate the oil fraud. Bremer's while Bremer was paying from Iraqi moneys, and the money which was stolen from this fraud was Iraqi money, too. He stops it. Instead of

KAGAN: Let me ask you about some of these charges out there. There are allegations Dr. Chalabi, actually he himself was blocking the U.S. Investigation into the scandal involving the oil for food program under the United Nations. Are you saying that's not true?

KANBAR: How can he block it? There is investigation in the U.S. Congress, investigation at the U.N. Bremer wants to have his own investigation. But the governing council and the Iraqi people are not allowed to do it. This is nonsense.

This is real occupation. I'd like to remind you in Second World War, Edenhower (ph), who was the creator of new Germany, the new democratic Germany, were arrested by British occupiers.

This is the same precedent here. What's happening here, the United States is or the CPA is retreating from all the principles that President Bush put forward to liberate Iraq. You see why

KAGAN: I want to ask you about this other allegation that he potentially was hiding fugitives at his home or at the headquarters of the Iraqi national conference. Is that true?

KANBAR: What fugitives? What are the orders from the court? If there are allegations there are fugitives, why they go on, smash Dr. Chalabi's office and take his they even smashed the pictures on the wall.

I mean this is really insane, what's happening here. I don't know what who is the enemy of the is it Zarqawi or Chalabi? Is it the terrorists or is it Chalabi? People have to put this is an area where America has very few friends. And one of your real friends is Ahmad Chalabi. This is not supposed to be treated this way. I mean, Chalabi is pursuing the national interest of the Iraqi people --

KAGAN: Certainly, there has been a very quick turn of events, and the status of Ahmad Chalabi. Akmed Kanbar (ph) thank you for coming on today and presenting your side of the story.

KANBAR: Thank you.

KAGAN: We appreciate that. We're going to have much more on the investigation into the scandal involving the funds for the oil for food program out of the United Nations. That's ahead with our Richard Roth. Right now, at 7 minutes past the hour, we turn to the Pentagon. That is where U.S. Explanations for the deadly attack in the desert, differing very much from the Iraqi descriptions of that same incident. Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is here to sort through the two sides of that story--Barbara good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, to you Daryn. Well General Mark Kimmitt just concluding the Baghdad press briefing says there will be an investigation into what happened in that attack in western Iraq. He says they do believe their intelligence was solid that they were attacking a group of foreign fighters. Here's what he had to say. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, US ARMY: Those routes that we have watched for a long period of time as a place where foreign fighters and smugglers come into this country. We have consistently talked inside this forum about the foreign fighter flow. This was clearly the intelligence that we had suggested this was a foreign fighter rat line, as we call them, and one of the way stations.

We conducted military operations down there last night. The ground force that swept through the objective found a significant amount of material and intelligence which validated that attack.

And we are satisfied at this point that the intelligence that led us there was validated by what we found on the ground. And it was not that there was a wedding party going on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Now, of course, local people out in that area of western Iraq saying up to 40 people killed when U.S Forces attacked a wedding party going on in the region. The U.S., coalition, says they were attacking a hideout for foreign fighters. They attacked a house. They attacked a convoy of vehicles. They do agree a number of people were killed.

And that they are going to look into whether any civilians might have been killed. Although they believe their intelligence was very solid that there was some sort of foreign fighter operation, rat line, if you will, of foreign fighters infiltrating from Syria in that area of western Iraq.

Very remote, very deserted. Nothing really going on out there. And they say what else were people doing out there? So an investigation under way. But, still, not a lot of clarity Daryn.

KAGAN: And they said this wasn't simply a case well, they did say that the U.S. Forces came under fire first so then they fired back, but this wasn't a case of mistaking celebratory gunfire at a wedding, as has happened in the past with the U.S. military in Afghanistan.

STARR: That's exactly right. This happened 3:00 in the morning, local time out there. The coalition's view is a wedding party could not have been going on at that hour. Of course, remains to be seen. They say there were a number of men out there.

A small number of women. And that they say the video that has been shown on television from that specific area is inconsistent in the coalition's words, with what the coalition believes is going on. Because of course those video pictures from that direct area, showing a number of people being buried and a number of small children being buried.

The coalition forces that went to the area right after the attack said they found no evidence of small children. They found no bodies of small children. What they found was weapons and a small amount of cash. So they say the video that's being shown is inconsistent. But they are going to continue to investigate it and look into it--Daryn

KAGAN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon Barbara thank you. The Iraqi insurgency has claimed more American casualties. Earlier today one soldier was killed and three wounded by a hand grenade attack in central Baghdad. Another soldier was killed and one was wounded in an attack yesterday near Samarra. Two of those attackers were captured.

In the Middle East Israel shows no sign of backing off of a bloody operation in southern Gaza, despite U.S. disapproval and U.N. condemnation. Our Matthew Chance joins from Gaza City with an update on that.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn thanks. Despite that international criticism of Israel's operation in the Gaza strip it seems to be being stepped up, if you believe Israeli defense officials, saying that more than 1,000 troops have been deployed in the Rafah refugee camp to push forward that operation.

The humanitarian side of this is causing a great deal of concern. Dozens of homes of Palestinians have been destroyed. As part of this operation. Israel says it's going about destroying the exits and entrances to arms smuggling tunnels that are tunneled, dug into or underneath the Egyptian border into Egypt, to bring in weapons into the Gaza strip.

Hundreds of Palestinians have been made homeless as a result of that. There's also been fierce clashes over the course of the day, with helicopter gun ships and tanks moving in with those thousand or so troops into areas of the Rafah refugee camp.

Latest figures we have, from hospital figures in Rafah is that eight Palestinians, eight more Palestinians, have been killed as a result of the most recent fighting. That brings to at least 40 the number of Palestinians who have been killed in the Rafah area over the past three days.

Many of them when Israeli forces yesterday opened fire during a protest by Palestinian demonstrators, just outside the Rafah refugee camp, that incident alone provoking widespread international criticism. No sign as yet, Daryn. The Israeli army, by obeying this international demand, and withdrawing from Rafah and abandoning its operation.

KAGAN: Part of that condemnation coming from the U.N. Security Council, Matthew, and the United States, in a rare move, abstaining from the vote, rather than vetoing that condemnation. Do the Israelis have any reaction to that?

CHANCE: Well, there's been disappointment expressed by Israeli officials, that the United States, their main ally, of course, didn't move to veto this United Nations Security Council Resolution, but within the Israeli press, for instance, there's a lot of understanding of that the United States, couldn't really do that given the picture that were coming out yesterday of this attack, of this firing on demonstrators by the Israeli armed forces.

Certainly, within Israel as well it's provoked a lot of concern, these images, this loss of innocent life here in Gaza, has strengthened the majority of people in Israel who want to see Israeli forces leave the Gaza strip, as well as the Jewish settlements, leave this area of occupied territory for good.

KAGAN: Matthew Chance, in Gaza, thank you. Much more about the U.S move at the U.N., the rare move to abstain from that vote, just ahead with our Richard Roth. News from the U.S. is ahead. A plea to the public. Do you know who this little girl is? You're going to meet Courtney. She says she just wants to find her mommy.

Also, a battle is brewing on Capitol Hill that's threatening to split the Grand Old Party down new party lines.

And this is ahead:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you going to vote?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I am. I'm going to pray and vote.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many times are you going to vote?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She said as many she said all the way up to 300.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Whatever it takes for the next "American Idol" like a well oiled political machine "idol" worshipers weigh in to support their favorite finalists. This is CNN LIVE TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(FINANCIAL REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: As we told you at the top of the hour, U.S. forces and Iraqi police raided the office and home of Iraqi Governing Council Member Ahmad Chalabi today. Computer files and other files and other materials files taken away. This seems to cement what has been simmering for weeks now, Chalabi's cozy relationship with Washington hawks has turned sour.

He listed several reasons for that, which he believes, at a news conference this morning. With us now, Jim Walsh is in Boston he's a fellow with the Belfort Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University. Good morning, thank you for being with us.

JIM WALSH, BELFORT CENTER FOR SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS: Good morning to you Daryn.

KAGAN: How did a relationship turn so sour so quickly?

WALSH: Talk about sour. Boy, the gloves are off on this one. Both Chalabi's press conference and the spokesperson who appeared with you earlier today, they are going after the U.S. big time.

And as to why, I think it's probably a variety of factors. One is, because of the new U.N. Plan that will transfer power, not to the Iraqi governing council, of which Chalabi is a member, but rather to another group.

Probably Chalabi's feeling a little left out in the cold and is trying to come up with a new strategy for trying to get back on the map, maybe trying to take power at some point later. But there's also the issue of whether there is any wrongdoing involved. Obviously, he's a controversial figure with a bit of a checkered past. He was convicted of embezzling because of a bank failure in Jordan in the 1980s. So there may be a little bit of different factors all at the same time.

KAGAN: This is a person who has brought questions with him all along the way. Even though he was a favorite of the Pentagon leading up to the war. A lot of people wondered how did this person gain so much credibility when there was so many allegations of fraud and other questions around him?

WALSH: Well Daryn he had powerful supporters in the Vice President's office, on Capitol Hill, among certain members of the Senate, and as you say, among the civilian leadership in the Pentagon.

On the other side of the aisle, however, in the intelligence community, in the CIA in particular, as well as in the State Department there were real doubts about Chalabi, the person and about the information he was feeding us.

And of course we have found out since the end of the gulf war, the Iraq war, that a lot of that information come through the Iraqi National Congress, particularly about weapons of mass destruction, was wrong or misleading at best.

KAGAN: And this is a man who at one point many people believed would be the next leader of Iraq.

WALSH: I think he's one of those who thought he was going to be the next leader of Iraq. And that is probably no small part of the political dynamic here. Probably his high water mark was soon after the fall of Saddam, him going into Baghdad with what he called his free Iraqi fighters.

And I think he thought he was on the short road to being president of Iraq, but that has been completely sidelined. In part because of his own problems. Very few people know about him in Iraq. Those who do know about him, a lot of him have question about him.

He doesn't have a local following. He was outside of the country for over 40 years. So there was no grass root support. When things started to go bad with the insurgency and other forces, particularly in the Shiite community and in the north with the Kurds, began to assert themselves, he was the odd man left out.

KAGAN: And so just quickly what do you think his future is? He'll be the answer to a trivia question for international academic a year from now?

WALSH: Well that's certainly a possibility. I expect this raid may be a precursor to some additional actions that may be taken against him. You'll remember they cut off the Pentagon cut off his money a little while ago. I don't think that's a coincidence and it wasn't because of the June 30th transfer. They saw something else coming down the pike. Think there's still legs in this story. We may see arrest or indictment, or other action, particularly if this fight gets increasingly nasty, which it appears to be doing today.

KAGAN: That it does unwinding very quickly Jim Walsh from Harvard, thank you.

WALSH: Thank you.

KAGAN: Back here in the state, 3 years old and all on her own.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She doesn't know her last name. She doesn't know her address. She doesn't know her parent's first name and last name. She doesn't know her phone number.

KAGAN: She knows that she's 3 years old. She says her name is Courtney and she's from Brooklyn, New York. Can you help her find her home? Her story is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: If you're looking for some thunderstorm action, and who isn't, especially if you're into weather Orelon Sdney has that for you. Great lakes area, I understand.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Orelon, thank you so much.

Authorities in Baltimore are asking for your help. Social workers there have a small child in protective custody. They have no idea who she is. They think she may be from New York. Our Jason Carroll has her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: She says her name is Courtney. Like most children, she's quick to smile when asked about a toy. But tears come just as fast when asked about her mother.

COURTNEY: I want my mom.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know.

CARROLL: Baltimore's department of social services is trying to figure out who her mother and father are. Courtney says she's 3 years old and from Brooklyn, New York.

SUE FITZSIMMONS, BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES: She doesn't know her last name. She doesn't know her address. She doesn't know a parent's first name and last name. She doesn't know her phone number.

CARROLL: Baltimore authorities say a man left Courtney with a stranger two weeks ago.

FITZSIMMONS: A woman was approached by a man with a child who said this was his daughter. He was living in an abandoned warehouse with her. He was attempting he was from New York. He was attempting to get find someone who would cash some money orders for him so he could rent an apartment, asked her if she could care for the child.

CARROLL: Social worker hope putting Courtney on TV will help find a relative to take care of her. Until then, she'll stay in foster care. A spokesman for the New York City police department says there's no missing persons report filed on Courtney. And they have no leads at this time. Baltimore police say they have no leads either. Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: If you have any information about little Courtney, you are urged to call area code 410-361-2235.

Twenty-six minutes past the hour. A meeting between john Kerry and Ralph Nader? Coming up, two presidential candidates agree to disagree, possibly. Plus, first lady goes on Leno. Is Laura Bush taking a larger role in her husband's campaign? Our Judy Woodruff will join us, just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired May 20, 2004 - 11:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN CNN ANCHOR: it is 11 a.m. on the East Coast it is 8 am on the West Coast from CNN Center in Atlanta good morning once again I'm Daryn Kagan.
We begin this hour with the developments out of Iraq this morning. U.S. troops raid the offices and home of Iraqi national Congressional leader Amhad Chalabi they leave behind a mess and questions about Chalabi's future ties to the Bush administration.

The U.S. and Iraqis are disputing what happened in the western desert. The military says it attacked a guerrilla safe house. Civilians say their wedding party was hit, killing dozens people. And still more new photographs surfaced, apparently from Abu Ghraib prison.

Both show soldiers implicated in the abuse scandal smiling over the body of an Iraqi, which is packed in ice. The photos have not been authenticated. Those are the topics that were front and center at the coalition news briefing seen live here in the last hour. The headline, though, was the Chalabi raid. Our Harris Whitbeck is in Baghdad with details on that--Harris.

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello Daryn. Dr. Ahmad Chalabi, the head of the Iraqi National Congress, was showed himself to be quite outraged at the raid on his compound this morning here in Baghdad. He said that he believes the raid was politically motivated. This is one of the many things he had to say. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. AHMED CHALABI IRAQI NATIONAL CONGRESS: My message to the CPA is let my people go. Let my people be free. We are grateful to President Bush for liberating Iraq, but it is time for the Iraqi people to run their affairs. The governing council president called me and invited me to an emergency meeting of the governing council to discuss this transgression against the council tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. We will decide what to do then.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITBECK: Again, Dr. Chalabi said that his relationship now with the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq is, quote, nonexistent. He says that the breakdown in relations stems from what he just expressed which is a bid for more independence for the Iraqi government from the CPA. Now, at the CPA briefing just a few minutes ago, coalition officials there said that the raid, which occurred this morning, was controlled by the Iraqi National Police and they say that it was tied to investigations into government fraud and kidnapping by some people that might be associated to the INC, to the Iraqi National Congress.

But coalition authorities say they did not know it was not clear as to what officials of the INC were being investigated specifically. So, again, a breakdown, obviously, between one of the members of the Iraqi governing council, Dr. Ahmad Chalabi who has been quite visible, as one of the leaders, political leaders, in Iraq. He is now saying that his relationship with the CPA has been severed--Daryn.

KAGAN: All right, Harris Whitbeck, in Baghdad. Thank you for that. Let's get more now on Chalabi. Ahmed Kanbar is a spokesman for Dr. Chalabi and he joins us this morning from Washington to discuss this morning's raid and also Dr. Chalabi's status.

Good morning and thank you for being here with us.

AHMED KANBAR, CHALABI SPOKESMAN: Thank you.

KAGAN: We heard from Dr. Chalabi himself and his news conference as you heard Harris Whitbeck report that his relationship with the Coalition Provisional Authority has been suspended, is nonexistent. And yet when we listened to the news conference, they didn't seem to indicate anything of that sort. What is the status at this point?

KANBAR: The CPA's spinning out of control. Mr. Bremer is spring out of control. The Governing Council President killed at a checkpoint in daylight in Baghdad. No security control. Iraqi people are outraged by being treated as second class citizens in their own country.

Today, people civilians, Americans, identifying themselves as CIA, FBI, refuse to show an arrest warrant, come in break the doors smashed the doors of Dr. Chalabi's office, smashed the desk, pulled the computer without unplugging them, take all the documents, including a copy of his Holy Koran they took it. This is outrageous

KAGAN: Mr. Kanbar, let me ask you this

KANBAR: Very un-American

KAGAN: I think that's one thing difficult for people over here in the U.S. to understand. How does a man who many people believe single-handedly convinced the Bush administration to go to war with claims of weapons of mass destruction, how does somebody of that status fall so quickly? What happened? Where did this relationship go wrong?

KANBAR: Because the CPA has lost sight which is the friend of America and who is the enemy of America. They work with enemies of America and they do this with people who are friendly with America. Chalabi is an Arab, is an Iraqi patriot man. He wants to investigate the oil fraud. Bremer's while Bremer was paying from Iraqi moneys, and the money which was stolen from this fraud was Iraqi money, too. He stops it. Instead of

KAGAN: Let me ask you about some of these charges out there. There are allegations Dr. Chalabi, actually he himself was blocking the U.S. Investigation into the scandal involving the oil for food program under the United Nations. Are you saying that's not true?

KANBAR: How can he block it? There is investigation in the U.S. Congress, investigation at the U.N. Bremer wants to have his own investigation. But the governing council and the Iraqi people are not allowed to do it. This is nonsense.

This is real occupation. I'd like to remind you in Second World War, Edenhower (ph), who was the creator of new Germany, the new democratic Germany, were arrested by British occupiers.

This is the same precedent here. What's happening here, the United States is or the CPA is retreating from all the principles that President Bush put forward to liberate Iraq. You see why

KAGAN: I want to ask you about this other allegation that he potentially was hiding fugitives at his home or at the headquarters of the Iraqi national conference. Is that true?

KANBAR: What fugitives? What are the orders from the court? If there are allegations there are fugitives, why they go on, smash Dr. Chalabi's office and take his they even smashed the pictures on the wall.

I mean this is really insane, what's happening here. I don't know what who is the enemy of the is it Zarqawi or Chalabi? Is it the terrorists or is it Chalabi? People have to put this is an area where America has very few friends. And one of your real friends is Ahmad Chalabi. This is not supposed to be treated this way. I mean, Chalabi is pursuing the national interest of the Iraqi people --

KAGAN: Certainly, there has been a very quick turn of events, and the status of Ahmad Chalabi. Akmed Kanbar (ph) thank you for coming on today and presenting your side of the story.

KANBAR: Thank you.

KAGAN: We appreciate that. We're going to have much more on the investigation into the scandal involving the funds for the oil for food program out of the United Nations. That's ahead with our Richard Roth. Right now, at 7 minutes past the hour, we turn to the Pentagon. That is where U.S. Explanations for the deadly attack in the desert, differing very much from the Iraqi descriptions of that same incident. Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is here to sort through the two sides of that story--Barbara good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, to you Daryn. Well General Mark Kimmitt just concluding the Baghdad press briefing says there will be an investigation into what happened in that attack in western Iraq. He says they do believe their intelligence was solid that they were attacking a group of foreign fighters. Here's what he had to say. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, US ARMY: Those routes that we have watched for a long period of time as a place where foreign fighters and smugglers come into this country. We have consistently talked inside this forum about the foreign fighter flow. This was clearly the intelligence that we had suggested this was a foreign fighter rat line, as we call them, and one of the way stations.

We conducted military operations down there last night. The ground force that swept through the objective found a significant amount of material and intelligence which validated that attack.

And we are satisfied at this point that the intelligence that led us there was validated by what we found on the ground. And it was not that there was a wedding party going on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Now, of course, local people out in that area of western Iraq saying up to 40 people killed when U.S Forces attacked a wedding party going on in the region. The U.S., coalition, says they were attacking a hideout for foreign fighters. They attacked a house. They attacked a convoy of vehicles. They do agree a number of people were killed.

And that they are going to look into whether any civilians might have been killed. Although they believe their intelligence was very solid that there was some sort of foreign fighter operation, rat line, if you will, of foreign fighters infiltrating from Syria in that area of western Iraq.

Very remote, very deserted. Nothing really going on out there. And they say what else were people doing out there? So an investigation under way. But, still, not a lot of clarity Daryn.

KAGAN: And they said this wasn't simply a case well, they did say that the U.S. Forces came under fire first so then they fired back, but this wasn't a case of mistaking celebratory gunfire at a wedding, as has happened in the past with the U.S. military in Afghanistan.

STARR: That's exactly right. This happened 3:00 in the morning, local time out there. The coalition's view is a wedding party could not have been going on at that hour. Of course, remains to be seen. They say there were a number of men out there.

A small number of women. And that they say the video that has been shown on television from that specific area is inconsistent in the coalition's words, with what the coalition believes is going on. Because of course those video pictures from that direct area, showing a number of people being buried and a number of small children being buried.

The coalition forces that went to the area right after the attack said they found no evidence of small children. They found no bodies of small children. What they found was weapons and a small amount of cash. So they say the video that's being shown is inconsistent. But they are going to continue to investigate it and look into it--Daryn

KAGAN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon Barbara thank you. The Iraqi insurgency has claimed more American casualties. Earlier today one soldier was killed and three wounded by a hand grenade attack in central Baghdad. Another soldier was killed and one was wounded in an attack yesterday near Samarra. Two of those attackers were captured.

In the Middle East Israel shows no sign of backing off of a bloody operation in southern Gaza, despite U.S. disapproval and U.N. condemnation. Our Matthew Chance joins from Gaza City with an update on that.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn thanks. Despite that international criticism of Israel's operation in the Gaza strip it seems to be being stepped up, if you believe Israeli defense officials, saying that more than 1,000 troops have been deployed in the Rafah refugee camp to push forward that operation.

The humanitarian side of this is causing a great deal of concern. Dozens of homes of Palestinians have been destroyed. As part of this operation. Israel says it's going about destroying the exits and entrances to arms smuggling tunnels that are tunneled, dug into or underneath the Egyptian border into Egypt, to bring in weapons into the Gaza strip.

Hundreds of Palestinians have been made homeless as a result of that. There's also been fierce clashes over the course of the day, with helicopter gun ships and tanks moving in with those thousand or so troops into areas of the Rafah refugee camp.

Latest figures we have, from hospital figures in Rafah is that eight Palestinians, eight more Palestinians, have been killed as a result of the most recent fighting. That brings to at least 40 the number of Palestinians who have been killed in the Rafah area over the past three days.

Many of them when Israeli forces yesterday opened fire during a protest by Palestinian demonstrators, just outside the Rafah refugee camp, that incident alone provoking widespread international criticism. No sign as yet, Daryn. The Israeli army, by obeying this international demand, and withdrawing from Rafah and abandoning its operation.

KAGAN: Part of that condemnation coming from the U.N. Security Council, Matthew, and the United States, in a rare move, abstaining from the vote, rather than vetoing that condemnation. Do the Israelis have any reaction to that?

CHANCE: Well, there's been disappointment expressed by Israeli officials, that the United States, their main ally, of course, didn't move to veto this United Nations Security Council Resolution, but within the Israeli press, for instance, there's a lot of understanding of that the United States, couldn't really do that given the picture that were coming out yesterday of this attack, of this firing on demonstrators by the Israeli armed forces.

Certainly, within Israel as well it's provoked a lot of concern, these images, this loss of innocent life here in Gaza, has strengthened the majority of people in Israel who want to see Israeli forces leave the Gaza strip, as well as the Jewish settlements, leave this area of occupied territory for good.

KAGAN: Matthew Chance, in Gaza, thank you. Much more about the U.S move at the U.N., the rare move to abstain from that vote, just ahead with our Richard Roth. News from the U.S. is ahead. A plea to the public. Do you know who this little girl is? You're going to meet Courtney. She says she just wants to find her mommy.

Also, a battle is brewing on Capitol Hill that's threatening to split the Grand Old Party down new party lines.

And this is ahead:

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you going to vote?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I am. I'm going to pray and vote.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many times are you going to vote?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She said as many she said all the way up to 300.

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KAGAN: Whatever it takes for the next "American Idol" like a well oiled political machine "idol" worshipers weigh in to support their favorite finalists. This is CNN LIVE TODAY.

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KAGAN: As we told you at the top of the hour, U.S. forces and Iraqi police raided the office and home of Iraqi Governing Council Member Ahmad Chalabi today. Computer files and other files and other materials files taken away. This seems to cement what has been simmering for weeks now, Chalabi's cozy relationship with Washington hawks has turned sour.

He listed several reasons for that, which he believes, at a news conference this morning. With us now, Jim Walsh is in Boston he's a fellow with the Belfort Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University. Good morning, thank you for being with us.

JIM WALSH, BELFORT CENTER FOR SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS: Good morning to you Daryn.

KAGAN: How did a relationship turn so sour so quickly?

WALSH: Talk about sour. Boy, the gloves are off on this one. Both Chalabi's press conference and the spokesperson who appeared with you earlier today, they are going after the U.S. big time.

And as to why, I think it's probably a variety of factors. One is, because of the new U.N. Plan that will transfer power, not to the Iraqi governing council, of which Chalabi is a member, but rather to another group.

Probably Chalabi's feeling a little left out in the cold and is trying to come up with a new strategy for trying to get back on the map, maybe trying to take power at some point later. But there's also the issue of whether there is any wrongdoing involved. Obviously, he's a controversial figure with a bit of a checkered past. He was convicted of embezzling because of a bank failure in Jordan in the 1980s. So there may be a little bit of different factors all at the same time.

KAGAN: This is a person who has brought questions with him all along the way. Even though he was a favorite of the Pentagon leading up to the war. A lot of people wondered how did this person gain so much credibility when there was so many allegations of fraud and other questions around him?

WALSH: Well Daryn he had powerful supporters in the Vice President's office, on Capitol Hill, among certain members of the Senate, and as you say, among the civilian leadership in the Pentagon.

On the other side of the aisle, however, in the intelligence community, in the CIA in particular, as well as in the State Department there were real doubts about Chalabi, the person and about the information he was feeding us.

And of course we have found out since the end of the gulf war, the Iraq war, that a lot of that information come through the Iraqi National Congress, particularly about weapons of mass destruction, was wrong or misleading at best.

KAGAN: And this is a man who at one point many people believed would be the next leader of Iraq.

WALSH: I think he's one of those who thought he was going to be the next leader of Iraq. And that is probably no small part of the political dynamic here. Probably his high water mark was soon after the fall of Saddam, him going into Baghdad with what he called his free Iraqi fighters.

And I think he thought he was on the short road to being president of Iraq, but that has been completely sidelined. In part because of his own problems. Very few people know about him in Iraq. Those who do know about him, a lot of him have question about him.

He doesn't have a local following. He was outside of the country for over 40 years. So there was no grass root support. When things started to go bad with the insurgency and other forces, particularly in the Shiite community and in the north with the Kurds, began to assert themselves, he was the odd man left out.

KAGAN: And so just quickly what do you think his future is? He'll be the answer to a trivia question for international academic a year from now?

WALSH: Well that's certainly a possibility. I expect this raid may be a precursor to some additional actions that may be taken against him. You'll remember they cut off the Pentagon cut off his money a little while ago. I don't think that's a coincidence and it wasn't because of the June 30th transfer. They saw something else coming down the pike. Think there's still legs in this story. We may see arrest or indictment, or other action, particularly if this fight gets increasingly nasty, which it appears to be doing today.

KAGAN: That it does unwinding very quickly Jim Walsh from Harvard, thank you.

WALSH: Thank you.

KAGAN: Back here in the state, 3 years old and all on her own.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She doesn't know her last name. She doesn't know her address. She doesn't know her parent's first name and last name. She doesn't know her phone number.

KAGAN: She knows that she's 3 years old. She says her name is Courtney and she's from Brooklyn, New York. Can you help her find her home? Her story is up next.

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KAGAN: If you're looking for some thunderstorm action, and who isn't, especially if you're into weather Orelon Sdney has that for you. Great lakes area, I understand.

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KAGAN: Orelon, thank you so much.

Authorities in Baltimore are asking for your help. Social workers there have a small child in protective custody. They have no idea who she is. They think she may be from New York. Our Jason Carroll has her story.

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JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: She says her name is Courtney. Like most children, she's quick to smile when asked about a toy. But tears come just as fast when asked about her mother.

COURTNEY: I want my mom.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know.

CARROLL: Baltimore's department of social services is trying to figure out who her mother and father are. Courtney says she's 3 years old and from Brooklyn, New York.

SUE FITZSIMMONS, BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES: She doesn't know her last name. She doesn't know her address. She doesn't know a parent's first name and last name. She doesn't know her phone number.

CARROLL: Baltimore authorities say a man left Courtney with a stranger two weeks ago.

FITZSIMMONS: A woman was approached by a man with a child who said this was his daughter. He was living in an abandoned warehouse with her. He was attempting he was from New York. He was attempting to get find someone who would cash some money orders for him so he could rent an apartment, asked her if she could care for the child.

CARROLL: Social worker hope putting Courtney on TV will help find a relative to take care of her. Until then, she'll stay in foster care. A spokesman for the New York City police department says there's no missing persons report filed on Courtney. And they have no leads at this time. Baltimore police say they have no leads either. Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

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KAGAN: If you have any information about little Courtney, you are urged to call area code 410-361-2235.

Twenty-six minutes past the hour. A meeting between john Kerry and Ralph Nader? Coming up, two presidential candidates agree to disagree, possibly. Plus, first lady goes on Leno. Is Laura Bush taking a larger role in her husband's campaign? Our Judy Woodruff will join us, just ahead.

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