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American Morning

Suicide Bombings; Videotaped Beating in New Orleans; Flood Recovery

Aired October 11, 2005 - 08:59   ET

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

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A developing story in Iraq. Four suicide car bombs now being reported just days before Iraqis take to the polls. We've got a live report just ahead.
The man at the center of that brutal attack by New Orleans police is speaking out. The police say he was drunk. He says he hasn't had a drink in 25 years. We've got his story ahead.

And the search goes on for at least a dozen people who are now missing in the floodwaters of New Hampshire. An update on that story on this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Miles O'Brien.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you.

In Iraq now, four days to a crucial referendum. And as predicted, the violence is reaching a crescendo there. What does this all mean?

S. O'BRIEN: Yes. You know, they had actually had a couple of weeks where it was diminishing. And some people actually thought that maybe that that, in and of itself, was a strategy as well.

But you're absolutely right, as many as four separate suicide car bombings have left dozens of people dead. Violence leading up to Saturday's constitutional referendum. It's been expected that it was going to increase.

Aneesh Raman, live for us in Baghdad this morning.

Aneesh, good morning.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Soledad, good morning to you.

The deadliest of these suicide car bombs taking place in the northwestern town of Tal Afar near the Syrian border. The suicide bomber detonating in a marketplace there. At least 30 people now confirmed dead in that incident alone. Upwards of 45 others wounded.

And news to CNN just in the past hour that there have been two suicide car bombings in the city of Mosul, just near that town of Tal Afar. Casualty numbers are, initial, at least one person killed, some others wounded. Now, later in the day, in the western part of the Iraqi capital, not far from where I stand, a Sunni neighborhood called Al Mariya (ph), a suicide car bomber detonated along a convoy of Iraqi army vehicles. The death toll there, according to the Iraqi police, is at four. The U.S. military saying one person was killed, a good number of others wounded.

It comes, though, just days ahead of that critical vote on Saturday. And as you mentioned, Soledad, we had seen a few days of relative calm. The U.S. military suggesting that in some parts insurgents may have been laying low, preparing large-scale attacks for Saturday. But now an escalation in the attacks today; four separate suicide car bombings.

And the critical question is whether this will prevent a large turnout, as all are expecting, especially by the Sunni minority in that Al Anbar province, as well as in Salah Hadin (ph) and Diyala (ph). U.S. military operations had been ongoing in Al Anbar to try and secure that area so the Sunnis could come out and vote. The Sunnis expected to vote this constitution down, but the very fact that they would come out to the polls is an encouraging sign that they are entering into the political process -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: So Saturday's the vote on the constitution. I mean, clearly, if there is more violence and the Sunnis do not come out to vote, that could lower the numbers who come out to vote. Do they expect then that it wouldn't pass? And what would the implications of that be?

RAMAN: Yes, two big numbers we're looking for. The first is, of course, turnout.

We saw some 58 percent of Iraqis turn out in January. Millions risking their lives. The turnout expected to be higher now.

We have about 15.5 million registered voters. That's up for January, largely because the Sunnis are now entering this political process. But the other number of critical consequences, the margin by which this constitution passes, it's expected to pass, but barely.

So if the Sunnis do turn out, despite these recent attacks, if they do go to the polls to vote this constitution down, but it passes, nonetheless, there is fear that could further alienate them from the political process, further embolden the rationale of the insurgency. But again, those two number are what we're waiting to see, how many Iraqis are still invested in this democratic experiment, and how many Sunnis go to the polls. And by what margin this constitution -- by all expectations it will pass, but by what margin will it do so -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Lots of questions. We'll have to just wait and see until Saturday. Thanks, Aneesh -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Well, it's now a federal case. The FBI is on it, investigating that taped beating of a man by New Orleans police officers. Robert Davis beaten really to a pulp and arrested. That all caught on tape. You've seen it by now. Just the latest incident facing the New Orleans Police Department in the wake of stress that is hard to imagine.

CNN's Dan Simon live in New Orleans for us this morning.

Good morning, Dan.

There were actually a couple of FBI agents on the scene. They're the people in the vest seen on that tape. And yet the FBI's investigating. Why don't you sort that out for us.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you're right, the U.S. Justice Department has launched a civil rights investigation into what happened. Miles, we should note that the city, the leaders here have universally condemned what they saw on that tape. And as you mentioned, the stress. Everybody's wondering whether or not stress or fatigue played a role into what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIMON (voice over): This incident has caught the attention of the U.S. Justice Department, which is now formally investigating what happened Saturday night on Bourbon Street. Police say they arrested Robert Davis for public drunkenness, but the retired 64-year-old school teacher says he gave up drinking years ago and was sober that evening.

ROBERT DAVIS, BEATEN BY OFFICERS: I haven't drank. I don't drink, because I had a bad -- about 25 years ago, I had a bad incident where I drove my automobile home and I ended up with two flat tires. And since that time I haven't had a drink.

I had what in alcoholism they call a blackout because I don't recall it. So I have -- since then I've put alcohol down.

SIMON: Shortly after the officers pummeled the 64-year-old suspect and wrestled him 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: 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.: Before you rush to judgment, and even though it looks damaging, it looks really damaging, before -- these officers and the other officers on the scene deserve to be processed, they deserve to be investigated. 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 DEPT.: The stress is not just Hurricane Katrina. It's the aftermath, and it's so many other things that the officers are going through.

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

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: 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)

SIMON: Mr. Davis has been charged with public intoxication and resisting arrest. He's supposed to have a hearing tomorrow, and his attorney is just hoping that those charges get dropped -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Dan, the FBI is out this morning with a few words about the FBI agents that were on the scene there. What do we know whether they will be investigated in any way?

SIMON: Well, according to the Justice Department, those FBI officers are not part of the investigation. As you mentioned, at least a couple of them were there. But at this time, they're not being investigated or charged with anything -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: OK. Dan Simon, thank you very much.

And we will hear directly from Robert Davis and his attorney in just a few moments. He thinks -- he didn't really talk about the FBI officers, but he thinks the officer on horseback who tries to block the camera view should be a part of this investigation as well, among other things.

Let's check headlines now. Carol Costello here with that.

Good morning, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Miles.

Good morning to all of you. "Now in the News," President Bush and first lady Laura Bush on the road this morning. They're on a two-day trip to hurricane-hit Louisiana.

We're just getting these pictures in this morning. The president rolling up his sleeves for the rebuilding effort there. He's at a Habitat for Humanity work site. The organization is building homes for families who lost their homes because of the hurricanes.

The first humanitarian groups are beginning to trickle into parts of South Asia after a devastating earthquake. Authorities say the death toll has now soared to 42,000. As many as five million people have been left homeless, and there's bad weather passing through the area. But more flights carrying supplies into the region are expected later today.

The Health and Human Services secretary, Michael Leavitt, says the dangers of a bird flu pandemic is "very high." Leavitt is leading an international team of medical experts throughout southeast Asia. They're trying to prepare for a possible major outbreak and boost efforts to fight the avian flu.

The passing of a comedy legend. Louis Nye, who created a national catch phrase, "Hi-ho, Steverino," has died.

Nye got his big break on Steve Allen's 1950s show. One of his most recent appearances was on HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Nye died Sunday after a long battle with cancer. He was 92 years old.

And portions of Interstate 70, east of Denver, closed this morning after a powerful snowstorm. Mother Nature dumping up to 20 inches in some areas.

At least three deaths are being blamed on the weather. Dozens of drivers stranded. People are without power, but Chad says the weather is going to get better by this weekend, maybe 72 degrees?

Wacky -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Wouldn't that be nice? I'll take that.

Thank you, Chad.

Thanks, Carol.

Coming up in about two hours, New Hampshire's governor holding a meeting to discuss plans for repairing and rebuilding that state. The weekend flooding tore up the roads, washed out bridges, ripped houses literally off of their foundations. And there are more than a dozen people still missing this morning.

The town of Alstead was one of the communities that was first hit. It's about 35 miles from the state capital, Concorde.

Ray Brewer of Manchester affiliate WMUR is there.

Ray, good morning to you. Just how bad is it?

RAY BREWER, REPORTER, WMUR: It's pretty bad, Soledad. As a matter of fact, Governor John Lynch was here yesterday. He said this is the worst devastation he's ever seen in the state of New Hampshire.

Now, the official number of those missing here in this small town of less than 2,000 people is 14, but that is a number that's very much in flux. Some names are added and others taken off the list.

Now, behind me you can see some of the reconstruction efforts that are going on here in the small town as they try to repair the bridge that connects both sides. You can also see on the bridge some of the debris from the dozen homes that were washed away into the river. And that's where most of those people who were missing were living.

Now, while we've been folksing on Alstead, by no means is this town the only one affected here in the southwestern corner of New Hampshire. Indeed, just about everywhere you look the main roads have been buckled. In some cases there are gaping holes 30 to 40 feet deep that will have to be repaired in order to get utility and power lines back up and running in this section of the state.

It is a long, hard road ahead. What happened in the state is very simply a deluge of rain. Normally we might get, say, anywhere about three inches on the average for a month. What happened over the weekend, in one day we got 11 inches of rain. And a road, in the case of Alstead, that was serving as a damn, well, that just simply gave way, and what residents describe as a wall of water came rushing through this town, sweeping everything in its path.

Reporting live in Alstead, New Hampshire, for CNN, I'm Ray Brewer.

S. O'BRIEN: All right. Ray Brewer, of our affiliate, WMUR. Ray, thanks.

It brings us right to the weather update. Chad Myers at the CNN Center for us.

Hey, Chad. Good morning.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Soledad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

S. O'BRIEN: Chad, thanks.

M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Chad.

Still to come, a CNN "Security Watch." Find out why some big cities aren't relying on the feds anymore for intelligence and the war on terror.

S. O'BRIEN: And then back to that videotaped beating in New Orleans by the police there. Look at that. Well, the guy in the white T-shirt, we're going to hear from him just ahead about what happened.

Stay with us. You're watching AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: The beating of a man by police in New Orleans is now the subject of a civil rights investigation. The officers who were seen hitting Robert Davis have already pleated not guilty to battery. Davis denies he's either drunk or resisting arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Robert Davis and his attorney Joseph Bruno are in New Orleans.

Gentlemen, good morning. Thank you for talking with us.

Mr. Davis, let's begin with you. Here's what I know about your story. You were having dinner at your hotel Saturday evening and you decide to go out for a cigarette. Pick up the story for me there. What happened?

DAVIS: Well, I was walk down Bourbon Street, and I wasn't sure about the time of the curfew. I was very concerned about that, and I had been asking several law enforcement officers about the curfew.

I had heard several different times, 8:00, 10:00 and 12:00. So I finally decided to ask one of the New Orleans police officers who was on horseback at the corner of Contie (ph) and Bourbon. And he proceeded to give me the time.

And during that I was interrupted by another police officer who was walking by, really. And he interrupted our conversation, and I told him that was very unprofessional. And I proceeded to walk on across the street, at which times he punched me, I guess.

And from there I don't remember much other than a lady in the crowd who was I guess just a bystander who kept hollering, "He didn't do anything! He didn't do anything!."

S. O'BRIEN: The chief of the New Orleans Police Department had suspended the officers who were involved. Let's listen to a little bit of what he had to say.

RILEY: In this particular case there was video which gave a clear depiction of our officers using force beyond what I describe -- force that was beyond what was necessary in this incident based on the video. But we will take decisive action once we gather all of the facts.

S. O'BRIEN: The acting Chief Riley there.

Joseph Bruno, as we mentioned, you're the attorney. Do you think this was race-related?

JOSEPH BRUNO, DAVIS' ATTORNEY: You know, I know there's a big temptation to go there, but my client firmly believes that that's not what's involved here. In fact, he has indicated to anybody who would listen that he doesn't hold the entire police department responsible for this.

We've been through too much. There are a lot of great heroic guys on that police force. There's a couple of rotten apples that need to be dealt with.

We applaud the police department for their quick and appropriate response to this event. The only thing we're waiting for now is for them to drop the charges against my client so we can proceed with determining an appropriate amount of compensation to bring him back to where he was.

S. O'BRIEN: Those charges are public intoxication, battery on a police officer and resisting arrest.

Were you -- were you intoxicated?

DAVIS: No. I haven't drank for 25 years. That's what -- that's the amazing part, you know?

I haven't drank. I don't drink because I had a bad -- about 25 years ago, I had a bad incident where I drove my automobile home and I ended up with two flat tires. And since that time I haven't had a drink.

S. O'BRIEN: Pictures of this beating are frankly very difficult to watch. I appreciate you sharing your story with us. Thanks for talking with us.

DAVIS: Thank you.

BRUNO: We thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Two other men in the videotape have been identified as FBI agents. The bureau says they came on the scene after the beating. An FBI office outside of New Orleans is going to be chosen to lead the civil rights investigation -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Still to come, a CNN "Security Watch." Why are some big cities doing the Home Depot thing? They're do-it-yourselfing on the war on terror, doing intelligence on their own.

The question is, is that wise? Could that cause a lot of confusion, ultimately? We'll ask those questions next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: A CNN "Security Watch" this morning.

I'm sorry, what tape are we seeing here? This is -- I'm sorry. This is the president of the United States a little bit earlier in Covington, Louisiana, wearing a hard hat there in a habitat home, part of his eighth trip. Eight trips to the region post-Katrina and Rita.

In just a little bit he's expected to arrive in an elementary school in Pass Christian, Mississippi. It's the first day of school there today. The only school left standing in Pass Christian post- Katrina. We'll check in there as well.

Meanwhile, let's do this -- "Security Watch" time.

Last week's subway alert here in New York highlighted tensions between local and federal law enforcement over the quality of intelligence on terror threats, how to respond to them. "The Wall Street Journal" reporting that since 9/11 more big city police department are depending less on the feds. They're setting up their own intelligence operations, doing it themselves.

Police Chief Harold Hurt joining us from Houston.

Good to have you back on the program, Chief. You're doing it yourself. Why?

CHIEF HAROLD HURTT, HOUSTON POLICE DEPT.: Well, in Houston we're not actually doing it ourselves. We don't have the resources that some of the larger departments like New York and Los Angeles have. We're still pretty much depending on the federal government for our sources of intelligence on an international basis. But we're doing more at the local, state level, and with the federal agencies. And, of course, working with other major city chiefs across the country to make sure whatever information that we do have, that it's shared in a timely matter.

M. O'BRIEN: OK. So you're not contemplating sending your own officers to do their own intelligence gathering outside the jurisdiction?

HURTT: No. That is correct.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. What -- what is the -- you talked to a lot of these chiefs, though. I know New York, for example, has its own intelligence group that in particular goes to the Middle East, Israel. What are you hearing from these chiefs, and what are their frustrations about the intelligence they get from the feds?

HURTT: Well, the frustrations are the fact that getting information in a timely manner so that they can make decisions. Whether the data is raw or whether it's been refined by the federal government, we just want the information.

They're very capable of determining what our response should be. So some of the agencies such as New York, Los Angeles, they're getting a little impatient, and they're going out on their own and collecting data or intelligence.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. It -- I understand the frustration. I can see a lot of potential problems here.

Do you see some confusion and possibly some people either getting hurt or sources becoming exposed because of so many overlapping agencies sort of after the same information?

HURTT: That is definitely a concern, because back when we started doing interstate narcotics investigations and cross- jurisdictions narcotics investigations, we put up systems to make sure that we can check and see which organizations that law enforcement agencies were investigating so we wouldn't end up investigating the same people or end up in conflict with other law enforcement agencies.

So I can definitely see the point of that happening in a situation like this.

M. O'BRIEN: Well, especially -- especially when you're talking about, you know, essentially what amounts to spying where, you know, we're talking obviously undercover situations. And there could be all kinds of potential for confusion and people making the wrong assumptions about who people are.

HURTT: That's correct. But I think the role of the major city chiefs are to continue to push the envelope to make sure that the federal government will be responsive to us and make sure that we get our information in a timely fashion, and also the accurate information. I think most of the chiefs are just frustrated with the fact that they're getting information from CNN and other media sources before we get it from the federal government. But...

M. O'BRIEN: What is the -- what is the problem there though, Chief? This is -- there is an old issue here. It basically amounts to turf and these agencies, and we saw this in the run-up to 9/11. These agencies don't share their information.

Why not?

HURTT: Well, there have been significant improvements since 9/11. I know the relationship with state and local federal governments have improved as far as information sharing. There's still a lot to be done.

The technology is there to make sure that we can talk on a day- to-day basis, or as needed. I think the policies are put in place now, but I think some of the culture of the federal agencies are changing to be more acceptable to the fact that they do have to share information with us.

M. O'BRIEN: But Chief, why -- why don't they share? Why does it have to change?

I mean, this is what they do. The information they provide can save lives. Why don't they share it?

HURTT: Well, I think they want to be very cautious as to what they put out, because, you know, sometimes the federal government are criticized because they put out too much information or information that causes us to go out and react. And we spend too much money. Then sometimes they're criticized for not putting out enough.

And, you know, they're kind of looking at us, well, what really -- what do you want? So now we're telling them what we want. Give us all of the information when it happens, let us make the determination as to the type of response that we will provide.

M. O'BRIEN: And if not, we're doing it ourselves.

HURTT: Those that can afford to do it, yes, they'll go ahead and do it themselves.

M. O'BRIEN: Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt. Thanks, as always. Good to have you drop by.

HURTT: Thank you.

M. O'BRIEN: Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, the very latest on earthquake relief efforts in South Asia. The death toll there now topping 40,000. We'll find out what's being done to try to get some aid to the survivors.

You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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