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President Bush's Eighth Visit to Gulf Coast Region; Investigating Videotaped Beating; Subway Hoax

Aired October 11, 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: A lot more ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY, including a behind-the-scenes look with this man, director and actor Spike Lee. He is no stranger to controversy. He'll be spending some time with me. Will recent scenes from Hurricane Katrina inspire him again? I'll ask him just ahead as the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.
Let's start by taking a look at what's happening "Now in the News."

Four days before Iraqis vote on a new constitution the campaign of violence continues. Four suicide bombings killed at least 35 people and wounded dozens more. The attacks took place in Baghdad, Mosul and the northwestern town of Tal Afar.

President Bush tries to hammer home a point that the hurricane- battered Gulf Coast is making strides toward recovery. The president took part in a home-building project in Louisiana earlier today. And now he is wrapping up a visit to a newly re-opened school in Mississippi.

Pretty to look at but dangerous for drivers and others. A storm that dumped as much as 20 inches of snow on parts of Colorado is being blamed for at least three deaths. The storm shut down highways, it delayed flights, and knocked out power to as many as 80,000 homes.

Millionaire scientist Gregory Olsen is back on Earth. He spent a week aboard the International Space Station. Olsen and a two-man crew landed early today in Kazakhstan. He said he felt great and was looking forward to a steak, some red wine and a hot shower.

Good morning. Welcome back to CNN LIVE TODAY.

Checking some of the time around the world, just after 10:00 a.m. in New Orleans, Louisiana; and after 7:00 p.m. in Baghdad.

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

Showcasing signs of progress in the hurricane disaster zone, President Bush attends the re-opening of a school in Pass Christian, Mississippi. The storm-battered Gulf Coast is taking more tenuous steps on the road to recovery. This is President Bush's eighth visit to the region.

Our national correspondent is back at the White House. He joins us with more on Mr. Bush's trip. Good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

And this is the upbeat trip. The president trying to highlight the fact that progress toward recovery is beginning to show a little bit.

The stop at the elementary school, Delisle Elementary School, was because the school is reopening today after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. And reopening with a visit from the president and first lady.

The president passing his message to everybody that -- that he's beginning to see such things like this happen and it's time to move forward. The president and first lady, of course, couldn't let this go by without the photo opportunity to spend time talking to the little tikes.

The president said to the kids, we should point this out, "Read more books, watch less TV."

Thank you, Mr. President.

In any case, he's got this kind of day scheduled. He had earlier in the day donned a hard hat and been present in Louisiana, in Covington, Louisiana, at a house rebuilding under the auspices of Habitat for Humanity.

He also told reporters that this is not going to be something that's going to be dictated from the federal government, this recovery. The ideas are going to be coming from local and state officials. Of course there's been no small amount of tension between the local and state officials and the federal government -- Daryn.

KAGAN: I think what President Bush said don't watch a lot of television, except for CNN. I think that was the official...

FRANKEN: You believe that, don't you?

KAGAN: Yes. Yes. No, I don't. But I'd like to hear a little bit more about what Mr. Bush faces when he gets back to the White House.

FRANKEN: Oh, just a big buzz saw, really. He's got the controversy on his side of the political spectrum over his nomination of Harriet Miers to be the new Supreme Court justice. He's got continuing concern about the investigation into the Valerie Plame leaks, which is going to include in the next day or so, another appearance by his deputy chief of staff, and he so often calls his political guru, Karl Rove. And there's also the continuing discussion about the role of the vice president's chief of staff, Scooter Libby.

So there's plenty on his plate here.

KAGAN: All right. And we're going to have more on the Karl Rove situation in just a little bit.

Bob Franken at the White House.

Bob, thank you.

Well, we go back to the Gulf Coast now. And there are signs of progress indeed, but there are also problems in the storm zone.

The federal government has opened an investigation into that videotaped beating involving New Orleans police officers. It is the latest blow for a beleaguered department under stress and under scrutiny.

And I'll get to the Dan Simon piece in just a moment. Here now, though, is some tape of President Bush. Actually, live pictures. President Bush, once again, visiting with small children at Delisle Elementary School in Mississippi.

Well, President Bush is standing a little bit far away from the microphones for us to hear what he's saying to the kids. But obviously giving them a warm greeting and wishing them well.

This school in Delisle -- Delisle Elementary in Pass Christian has been closed in the six weeks since the hurricane hit. And I was hearing from our Kathleen Koch, who just did a really nice piece for us from Bay St. Louis, those schools won't be opening until November 1. And that's really what they're hoping right now.

President Bush did speak to reporters just a little bit ago, and we will be receiving some videotape of that exchange coming up.

Meanwhile, while we wait for that tape to come in, let's go ahead and look at this piece from Dan Simon about the beating of this man in New Orleans by -- allegedly by New Orleans police officers.

Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The video captured by an Associated Press photographer is Exhibit A in allegations of brutality against three New Orleans police officers. As we slow down the video, you can see an officer repeatedly punch the 64-year-old suspect, arrested for public drunkenness. His attorney told CNN he never touched a drop.

A moment later, he's forced to the ground.

One of the officers loses his temper with an AP producer, venting his frustration.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been here for six weeks, trying to keep my (EXPLETIVE DELETED) alive, and you (EXPLETIVE DELETED) want to come and (EXPLETIVE DELETED) up my city. Go home!

SIMON: A CNN photographer captured these images of the man bloodied and face down on the pavement. The officers have been charged with battery, a misdemeanor, and have been suspended without pay. All pleaded not guilty.

Lieutenant David Benelli heads the police union.

LT. DAVID BENELLI, NEW ORLEANS POLICE ASSN: The officers are upset. They're upset that they were suspended. They thought their actions would justify giving the circumstances that were at hand.

SIMON: The larger circumstances also include brutal 12-hour shifts, officers separated from families, and this startling figure: three-quarters of New Orleans officers lost their homes.

ACTING SUPT. WARREN RILEY, NEW ORLEANS POLICE: The stress is not just Hurricane Katrina. It's the aftermath, and it's so many other things that the officers are going through.

OLIVER THOMAS, PRESIDENT, NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCIL: Is this something psychological that needs to be dealt with? Yes. Do they need some time off? Yes. Should we be taking care of them? Absolutely.

SIMON: Some officers have taken advantage of counselors, but not nearly enough, says city council president Oliver Thomas.

THOMAS: We should mandate some type of counseling and some type of therapy where they can relieve the stress and anxiety.

SIMON (on camera): That should happen now?

THOMAS: Yesterday.

SIMON: Psychologists say police officers generally don't seek professional help. It's not in their rough and tumble culture to spell out personality issues. All the more reason, says Councilman Thomas, to make it a requirement.

THOMAS: And I'm not an expert. But when you've been -- your family's gone, you don't have a place to live, you haven't slept maybe but a couple hours a day for five or six weeks, yes, it would take a -- it would take a human toll on anyone.

SIMON (voice over): Still, Lieutenant Benelli, with the police union, doesn't believe stress or fatigue played a role in the officers' behavior.

BENELLI: We're working long hours, but we're coping with working these long hours.

SIMON: There will be more long hours ahead as National Guard troops and other law enforcement agencies begin to pull out and the citizens of this beleaguered city try to move back.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Also -- that was our -- that was our Dan Simon reporting from New Orleans.

The man that the officers were seen beating on the videotape is due in court this week. He's accused of public intoxication. But he says he hasn't had a drink in 25 years. He also applauds the way, by the way, the police brass responded to the incident.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT DAVIS, VEATING VICTIM: I hold no animosity against anyone. I want to thank our new police chief for his quick action. I really do.

I mean, that's the first time I've known it to happen. But I also want to have the officer who was on that horse, who was blocked, by the way, I'd like to have him suspended because I feel that had he some complicity in this situation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Davis' attorney says his client does not think the incident was racially motivated.

Well, now to New York City. Was it all a hoax?

We have new information this morning about last week's subway alert in New York City. Our Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena joins me from Washington.

Kelli, hello. What's up?

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, the short answer is, yes, it was a hoax. The government sources do tell CNN that the informant who first gave the U.S. information that there was a terror plot in the works against transit systems in New York City finally admitted that he provided false information.

As you know, we reported yesterday, Daryn, that the military forces had detained three individuals in Iraq who this source had identified as being involved in the plot. Those three individuals were polygraphed. There was an investigation, and U.S. sources say that they were pretty confident that they did not know anything about an alleged plot.

This informant also said that there was an individual who made his way into the states to be part of this plan to attack New York transit systems. FBI and other law enforcement agencies saying all along that they did not even know if this person even existed.

Well, finally, after being interviewed, polygraphed and gone back to this information who has provided accurate information in the past, Daryn, finally admitted that this time, for whatever reason, motivation unknown, he led investigators astray.

KAGAN: Well, Kelli, even when this was developing and breaking, weren't there conflicting takes on the information from federal versus city authorities? ARENA: Yes, yes. And I was sitting right here and saying that there was no corroboration of the information, that there was some question to the credibility of the information. Because the investigators that I was speaking to and my colleague, Jeanne Meserve over at Homeland Security was speaking to, kept saying that they did not have any corroboration at any level on this information.

Now, Daryn, when you're dealing with an informant, you know, every investigator will tell you, these are not Boy Scouts. I mean, these are people who have information because they are hanging out with the people who have this information, right? So not exactly Pollyannas.

But this was a source who had provided accurate information in the past. It could not just be ignored. I mean, these are the kind of things that investigators have to run to the ground, and New York officials decided that, you know, they needed to alert the public to the possibility of a threat.

So, looking back, you know, people could say they may have done things differently or whatever. But these are things that have to be thoroughly checked out.

KAGAN: Kelli Arena, live in Washington. Thank you for the latest on that.

ARENA: You're welcome.

KAGAN: Now on to the South Asia quake. Three days after the earth shook, authorities say the body count passes the 42,000 mark. Food, water and medicine are finally getting to survivors in the hardest-hit towns.

The U.S. is distributing blankets and plastic sheeting to help shield victims from rain and cold. American helicopters from Afghanistan will ferry aid to the mountainous quake zone. The supplies are part of the $50 million package promised for Pakistan.

CNN's Becky Anderson joins me by phone. She is the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, where it is late evening.

Becky, hello.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And frustrating efforts today. Bad weather, I'm afraid, Daryn.

Eight choppers from the U.S., a total of 35, have been planted so far. Those choppers were up in the air with the first of the much- needed relief, getting out to the remotest parts of northern Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. But the weather came in, particularly inclement in most -- most parts. And that effectively stopped the operation.

These helicopters were grounded, they were brought back to Islamabad. I saw them going over the top of us as we were standing outside the building here that's collapsed in the center of town. Really frustrating for those who are trying to help out those in the very remotest parts of the country.

Some good news, though, let me tell you, today from here in Islamabad. I think we told you yesterday that a mother and child were pulled from the wreckage of this apartment building here. Well, earlier on today, Tuesday, a 75-year-old grandmother and her 55-year- old daughter were pulled out alive from the wreckage as well.

The rescue guys here tell us there are some 40 to 50 people who may still be alive in that building. But the 75-year-old grandma spoke to the rescuers before she was pulled out. And she said this to them, Daryn -- she said, "I'm not coming out unless I know my family is alive."

They were able to tell her that her family were alive, her four grandchildren were alive. And they pulled her out. And she was taken to the local hospital, apparently just with broken bones and bruises.

There is some good news, but not an awful lot out here, I'm afraid -- Daryn.

KAGAN: So Becky, do they still consider themselves to be in the rescue window of when they might be able to pull people out alive?

ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely. Here they're saying five to seven days. We're into the fourth day at this point.

In fact, some of the rescue guys I've spoken to here have suggested that in some parts of the world where they've been involved in this sort of search and rescue, people have survived for 17 days under the debris. So that really depends on the conditions, weather- wise and heat-wise, of course.

And here in Islamabad, it's extremely hot. And so they are concerned that people will be dehydrating in that building.

Up in the north, it's extremely cold. As I said, the weather is pretty bad up there. Two hundred thousand wind-dried (ph) tents are needed just for the next five days. So those millions of people who are now displaced, it is an extremely difficult situation for everybody involved.

KAGAN: Becky Anderson, live on the phone with us from Islamabad, Pakistan.

We still have a lot to get to ahead this hour, including fears of a possible pandemic around the whole, also here at home. What are the symptoms of bird flu, and how does it spread? We answer those questions coming up next.

Plus, was it an act of nature or man? We look at conspiracy theories in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Why some in New Orleans think the flooding there was intentional.

And later, filmmaker pioneer Spike Lee on race relations and his new biography.

You're watching CNN LIVE TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: President Bush is at the Gulf Coast today again. It's his eighth visit since Hurricane Katrina hit. We saw these pictures live just a few minutes ago here on CNN, the president and Mrs. Bush visiting Delisle Elementary School in Pass Christian, Mississippi.

These school kids have been out of school about six weeks. The school just reopening -- just reopening since Hurricane Katrina. President Bush did take some time to answer a couple questions with reporters, just a couple minutes. And we expect to see that videotape in just a minute.

Meanwhile, President Bush -- OK, let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They have been blue-ribbon schools before, and they'll be blue-ribbon schools in the future. A part of the health of a community is to have a school system that's vibrant and alive and inspire the fact that a lot of equipment was damaged and homes destroyed and teachers without places to live.

Now, this school district is strong. And it's coming back. And it's a sign that out of the rubble here on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi is a rebuilding, is a spirit of rebuilding.

And thank you all for having us. I want to thank the principals and teachers for understanding that the quality of -- the quality of education in a community helps define the nature of the community.

And one of the things that's interesting is the high school principal told Laura and me that the -- and madam secretary -- that -- that the high school was deemed to be a blue-ribbon high school after Katrina hit. And yet a lot of the students don't know that yet.

And so when the high school comes back next Monday, the first thing the principal is going to tell them is that the school that they go to, even though the building is different, the buildings are different, is a blue-ribbon high school. And the superintendent says, blue-ribbon high school last year, this year and next year.

And I appreciate your spirit. Thanks for letting us come by.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

BUSH: Thank you all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: All right. So President Bush not talking to reporters, talking to a more welcoming group, young children at the elementary school, Delisle Elementary School. President Bush, when he was meeting with other leaders, like New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, telling them that he would leave it to state, he thinks it should be left to state and local leaders how the area is redeveloped, and that the federal government should not tell states and local cities how they should be exactly spending those funds in redeveloping their city.

We'll have more ahead on the Bush trip.

Also, we're going to look at bird flu. What is it, and why are health experts so concerned about a possible global pandemic? That's just ahead after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: U.N. health experts say they're looking for ways to speed up production of a bird flu vaccine. It's part of the effort to avert a human flu pandemic. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt is leading a delegation looking at ways to stem the bird flu outbreak in Asia.

Today they toured a chicken farm in Thailand. They say the bio- security measures in place there could serve as a model for other Asian countries.

The biggest fear about the bird flu virus is that it could mutate and spread easily from person to person. And that possibility has triggered the concerns about a human flu pandemic.

Our Senior Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Avian flu, or H5N1, has infected more than 100 people so far in at least 10 countries.

ROBERT WEBSTER, ST. JUDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL: The virus in Asia is killing more than 50 percent of humans infected. If this virus learns to transmit human to human, and maintains that level of killing humans, we've got a global catastrophe.

GUPTA: Under an electron microscope, flu viruses look like spiky creatures, akin to tiny hedgehogs. H5N1 may seem unassuming in the lab, but to be sure, it has the ability to cause a public health crisis.

In fact, experts say that H5N1 resembles the strain responsible for the 1918 flu pandemic. That strain mutated to spread between people, and ultimately killed as many as 50 million around the world.

Today, there have been a handful of human-to-human transmissions of avian influenza, but it certainly does not spread easily. But scientists warn that H5N1 could change to become an explosive killer. That is, it could mutate on its own like the 1918 flu did, or it could combine with the common flu that circulates every year. Here's what I mean.

Let's say this chicken farmer has the regular flu, which always spreads like wildfire from person to person. Then he gets infected with H5N1 from one of his chickens. Now both viruses are in his cells, where they exchange some of their eight genes. That's called re-assortment.

If they shuffle the genes just right, the H5N1 strain can pick up the gene that makes it easy to pass from person to person, just like the winter flu does. And that is the biggest fear of all.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Coming up, say it ain't snow. I know, that was bad. But it is the first snowstorm of the season,. It was a bad one.

Nearly two feet of the white stuff covering part of Colorado. We'll take you there next and we'll check in with our Jacqui Jeras.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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