Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Helicopter Down; President Bush Urges Patience From American Public; Fire in the West

Aired June 29, 2005 - 10:59   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We like to kick off the hour by taking a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
New information about the crash of a U.S. helicopter in Afghanistan. The military now says the chopper did come under hostile fire before it went down. Still no world on the fate of the 17 service members who were onboard. A live update from the Pentagon is just ahead.

A Senate committee is holding confirmation hearings on General Peter Pace. A live picture from Capitol Hill for you. He is President Bush's nominee for chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Pace would replace General Richard Myers, who is retiring at the end of September.

The White House is endorsing almost all of a panel's recommendations for protecting against the threat of weapons of mass destruction. The commission issued a scathing report last March. It called for major changes within the intelligence community. The commission was formed in response to flawed prewar intelligence on Iraq.

Waste and fraud in the Medicaid program is the focus of a hearing under way before the Senate Finance Committee. A pharmaceutical industry whistleblower is among the witnesses there. Yesterday, government investigators called for more federal action to help states prevent fraud.

And now CNN.com is offering a whole new way for you to get your headlines. Just log on to our Web site, click on "Watch" to check out our most popular stories, everything from politics and sports to entertainment. It's free at CNN.com.

Good morning, and welcome to CNN LIVE TODAY. Let's go ahead and check the time. 11:00 a.m. in Palm Beach, Aruba; 7:30 p.m. in Kabul, Afghanistan.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Daryn Kagan.

We begin with the crash of a U.S. helicopter in Afghanistan. Weather is hampering the search for the 17 troops who are onboard. The Taliban claims to have shot down the chopper, and the latest information from the military says the chopper did come under hostile fire.

Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr joins us now with the latest details.

Barbara, hello.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Daryn.

Well, within the next hour or so, nighttime will once again be falling in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan. The troops who are there preparing to spend their second night in this extraordinarily remote area.

This image, 47 Special Operations helicopter. The wreckage we are told is now lying at 10,000 feet in the mountains of the Hindu Kush.

So far today, the weather has been very bad. There is heavy rain and wind. No helicopter forces have been able to land, we are told, to engage in search and recovery operations. However, there are U.S. forces on the ground there who were already there who have secured the site.

Now, the military spokesman in Afghanistan spoke a little while ago about why the U.S. military believes this helicopter was brought down by hostile fire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COL. JAMES YONTS, COALITION SPOKESMAN: The aircraft was taking indirect fire, direct fire from elements on the ground. The aircraft, as it was dropping off those personnel, crashed.

So we know that it was taking the fire. Whether or not that caused it to crash, we don't know yet. But it was under indirect and direct fire. So that's why we say it may have caused the crash of the helicopter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: When this helicopter moved in, Daryn, what it was doing was dropping off, in fact, putting more U.S. military personnel on the ground. U.S. Special Forces, a quick reaction force that was trying to help U.S. forces, already on the ground, engaged in a firefight. So there was a reinforcement operation going on.

What happened, we are told, is there were four Chinook helicopters in the air, actually. One of them, again, coming under that ground fire. And one of the Chinooks noticed that and reported the enemy fire in the area.

There were also U.S. Air Force A-10 aircraft flying overhead. They noticed the enemy fire. They rolled in and fired their rockets against those insurgent positions.

At this hour, still 17 personnel that were onboard that aircraft unaccounted for. And there is perhaps another new disturbing emerging trend in Afghanistan. We are told by U.S. military sources that in recent days they have captured at least three insurgents carrying video cameras. That's a tactic, of courser, that has been seen in Iraq, leading to some concern that insurgents in Afghanistan will now start videotaping their attacks -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Barbara, let's talk a little bit about the area where this chopper went down along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Isn't that the area many people believe where Osama bin Laden could be hiding out?

STARR: Well, by all accounts, most people probably believe bin Laden is across the border in Pakistan, actually. But you raise an excellent point, Daryn.

This whole region on the Afghanistan side of the border has seen a good deal of insurgent activity in recent weeks. U.S. troops have been moving up and down that region, trying to go after these people with these very types of Special Operations helicopters and other assets.

This particular crash took place in an area called Kunar Province (ph). And sources tell us here has been a good deal of al Qaeda- related activity there in recent weeks, that the people who live there are not particularly friendly to coalition forces right now.

That, of course, is a bit different than most of the rest of Afghanistan, where there is a lot of support for U.S. forces. This is an area where there is still al Qaeda activity. And so U.S. forces have been moving through here. And they tell us today, even with this tragedy, even with this helicopter downing, operations in the area remain ongoing, that they continue moving against the insurgents today -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr, live from the Pentagon. Thank you for those latest details.

Let's move on now to the president's speech on Iraq: stay the course, be patient. That is the bottom line from Mr. Bush. But the president is drawing fire today after he again seemed to link the war in Iraq to 9/11.

White House Correspondent Dana Bash covered the address to the nation at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The commander in chief asked for patience, promised his plan will work and told Americans he feels their pain.

BUSH: As I see the images of violence and bloodshed, every picture is horrifying, and the suffering is real. Amid all this violence, I know Americans ask the question, is the sacrifice worth it? It is worth it.

BASH: In his direct appeal to Americans to revive flagging support for the Iraq mission, the president stood before a sea of 750 soldiers and said he wants to start bringing troops home, but a deadline would backfire.

BUSH: Setting an artificial timetable would send the wrong message to the Iraqis, who need to know that America will not leave before the job is done.

BASH: Mr. Bush conceded, despite more than a year of intense training, Iraqi security forces need more help and suggested getting them more ready to defend themselves is the ticket home for U.S. troops.

BUSH: Our strategy can be summed up this way: as the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down.

BASH: He also raised and dismissed calls to add U.S. forces to finish the job faster, saying his commanders call that a bad idea.

BUSH: Sending more Americans would undermine our strategy of encouraging Iraqis to take the lead in this fight. And sending more Americans would suggest that we intend to stay forever.

BASH: In the latest CNN-"USA Today"-Gallup poll, 47 percent of Americans see Iraq as part of the war on terrorism. Half see it as a separate military action.

Throughout the speech, the president tried to enhance the support for Iraq by recasting it as part of the global war on terror, talking of foreign fighters crossing the border, referencing the 9/11 attacks six times in his 30-minute address, and taking on critics who call this a false connection.

BUSH: Some wonder whether Iraq is a central front in the war on terror. Among the terrorists, there is no debate. Hear the words of Osama bin Laden: "This third world war is raging in Iraq. The whole world is watching this war."

BASH (on camera): For that reason, the president said he intends to stay the course, not change it, and offered no new policy ideas or initiatives. This was about buying time, the same goal of a strikingly similar address he gave a year ago when support for his stewardship of Iraq was as low as it is now.

Dana Bash, CNN, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Democratic response continues to come in this morning. Here is Senator Jay Rockefeller on Capitol Hill giving his response to the president's speech. Let's listen in for a bit.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D), WEST VIRGINIA: ... years and years and year. One of the people that I was sitting close to said that "I can't do anything anymore. Somebody says something, I react violently."

Did the president know about that? Did the VA know about that? Was there any planning for that? Was there any funding for that? No.

And they're still trying to fudge it. They need another $1.9 billion. They won't commit it. That's what I thought he was going to talk about last night in addition, that they were going to really full fund the needs of the veterans with health care plans.

So I feel compelled in closing to set the record straight about why we got into this war.

It had nothing to do with Osama bin Laden. It had nothing to do with al Qaeda. It had nothing to do with September 11, which he managed to mention three or four times and then refer three or four more times.

They like that. It's easier for them. There was no connections between these things and Saddam Hussein and the weapons of mass destruction, which, of course, were not there. I won't say of course were not there, but which were not there.

KAGAN: Senator Jay Rockefeller, Democrat from West Virginia, reacting to the president's speech. Actually, not what was in it, but what wasn't in it. This is a theme we were also hearing earlier today from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, talking about what they believe is an underfunding of veteran affairs.

Now, not surprisingly, most Republicans are praising the president for, in their words, striking the right tone on Iraq, but they agree with him that the U.S. should not quit now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. EVAN BAYH (D), INDIANA: This is not Vietnam, in my opinion. It is really a central front on the battle on the war on terror. And if we leave too soon, it would be a catastrophic event, and it would be a major defeat for us, a major win for the terrorists.

And the only way we would ever lose is to leave the country in shambles, not able to defend itself by leaving too soon. And public opinion drives that. So I think the president did a very good job tonight connecting the outcome to Iraq with our own national security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: One Republican congressman insists the president was right to tie the war in Iraq to 9/11 in last night's address. He talked with our Carol Costello earlier this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ROBIN HAYES (R), NORTH CAROLINA: It's very clear the terrorists are connected to what Saddam Hussein was all about. And that again faces us as the most severe threat going forward.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: But there is no evidence that Saddam Hussein was connected in any way to al Qaeda.

HAYES: Ma'am, I'm sorry, but you're mistaken. There's evidence everywhere. We get access to it. Unfortunately, others don't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: And according to the record, the 9/11 Commission in its final report found no connection between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein.

Let's check the polls, what the people out there are thinking. The CNN-"USA Today"-Gallup poll has reaction to the president's speech.

Before we get to the numbers, two key points to keep in mind about the poll. It only reflects the views of 323 adults who did watch the speech last night. And the audience was more Republican than the nation as a whole.

So keeping in that mind, 46 percent of those polled had a very positive reaction to the speech, 28 percent somewhat positive, and 24 percent say they had a negative reaction. Last night's very positive rating, by the way, fell far short of the 67 percent recorded after a May, 2003 speech. That was the so-called "Mission Accomplished" speech the president delivered from the deck of an aircraft carrier.

With today's new technology, more soldiers survive war wounds from Iraq and Afghanistan, but there's a new injury to look at. We're going to look at that in a story coming up in our "Daily Dose" segment.

Plus, as wildfires are controlled in Utah, residents in Arizona are bracing for more destruction. We'll have an update on their situation a little bit later in the show.

And our neighbors to the North are one step closer to legalizing gay marriage. The full story on Canada's historic decision is next on CNN LIVE TODAY.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's check the fire situation in the West. Arizona's biggest wildfire is growing today, but the one in Utah is well under control.

The Arizona fire covers more than 140,000 acres. It's about a half-hour's drive north of Phoenix. No homes are threatened yet, but crews say if the fire jumps a river, two small towns could be in danger.

In southwestern Utah, residents in the town of New Harmony are going home. Good news for them. A wind-driven fire threatened several neighborhoods, but the gusts died down.

An 800-member crew kept the flames at bay. The one lady says the fire came within 50 feet of her front door.

Nationally, the government counts 21 large fires burning today. All told, over a million and a half acres have burned already this season. That is a faster clip than either of the last two years.

Mike Apicello joins me by phone. He's with the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise.

Mike, good morning.

MIKE APICELLO, NATIONAL INTERAGENCY FIRE CENTER: Hello. Good morning to you.

KAGAN: I know it's a busy one for you, so we'll get right to it. Which is considered the worst and most difficult fire right now in the West?

APICELLO: Well, right now, the one that we're most concerned about is the Cave Creek Complex on the Tonto National Forest. It's a pretty stubborn fire. It's about 140,000 acres. What's causing problems with this fire is it's burning in cured grasses and light fuels, but it's also burning in some rough and heavily broken terrain with steep slopes.

KAGAN: Now, we talk about it being 30 miles north of Phoenix. I lived and worked in Phoenix for five-and-a-half years. Most of the fires I covered were much farther north and really pretty much northeast of that area.

APICELLO: Yes. What we're seeing this year is, throughout the winter, we have had an unusual amount of precipitation, both in the winter months and also in the spring, which has kind of delayed the fire season, but it's also added an accumulation of what we call the finer flashy fuels. And right now, there is a large amount of those fuels that are half grown and are cured. And once they get an ignition underneath them, with the wind blowing behind them, they do have a rapid rate of spreading and can get big in a hurry.

KAGAN: So this latest count, 21 large fires burning in the West today. Are there enough resources and firefighters to attend to all of those?

APICELLO: Yes. Right now, the resources are adequate. We have close to 7,000 people assigned to fires clear through Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah. And we're also keeping an eye on a couple of states, Minnesota and California. But we're in good shape with resources.

KAGAN: Well, that's good to hear so far for now. I want to get a personal take from you. I'm told you're a former firefighter and smoke jumper yourself. What's learned -- what's been learned, and what's new in the technique of fighting these fires, or is it a pretty old science?

APICELLO: Well, the -- we've been firefighting for over 100 years. Some of the things that we've learned that are new is that, in some areas where the fires don't pose any danger to human beings or communities, that in some instances when we have fires that are non- threatening, that it may be better to allow them to burn. We call that fire use. And what that does is it gets rid of fuels that are either very heavily accumulated or are diseased, or pose a risk for future fires if a fire should start there later in the season when conditions could be worse.

That's one of the things that we concentrate on this year. And right now, we are managing two fires for fire use benefits.

KAGAN: Well, we wish you well with those, as well as the 19 others. You have your hands full there at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho. Mike Apicello, thank you for your time. I have a feeling we'll be talking to you throughout the summer.

APICELLO: Thank you very much.

KAGAN: Let's check -- yes, you're welcome. Thank you.

Let's check in on weather conditions.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: It is one hot stock, but what separates Google from those high-flying tech stocks of the 1990s?

Plus, soldiers back home are now learning about symptoms from injuries they suffered in Iraq. A new danger for the American soldier is next in our "Daily Dose" segment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's talk Google. Shares are moving ahead again this morning. The stock has topped the $300 mark. It's tripled its value in less than a year. But does that mean you should bite, or is it too late to Google on Wall Street?

CNN's Alan Chernoff takes a look.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: An amazing story.

We're going to go from Google to gay marriage. It is already legal in some countries, and now Canada is a step closer. We'll have details on this latest development and what Canadians have to do to make it a law.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's take a look at what's happening ""Now in the News."

The Taliban claiming responsibility for shooting down a U.S. helicopter like this one at the left part of your screen in northeastern Afghanistan.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com