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CNN Live At Daybreak

Operation Steel Curtain in Iraq; Escaped Killer Captured; President Bush in Panama; Panda Peeking; Deadly Tornado

Aired November 07, 2005 - 06:28   ET

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

KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: And we want to turn now to the situation in Iraq. On the phone now, we have our very own CNN producer Arwa Damon, who is now currently taking part or embedded with U.S. and Iraqi forces involved in an operation along the Iraqi/Syrian border.
Arwa, thanks for joining us. What can you tell us?

ARWA DAMON, CNN PRODUCER: Well, Kelly, I can tell you that a massive firefight just erupted around me. The U.S. company that I am with (AUDIO GAP) who say this area, that has not a military presence in it for over a year, just came under RPG attacks.

U.S. forces identified their target. They fired back. It appeared the individual ran into a building. They saw him -- or they saw an individual with weapons running across the street. They fired upon him.

A few moments later, another RPG came whizzing over the company's heads, over all of our heads. Again, another firefight erupted.

There is an eerie silence now. But as it always is in these battle situations, on the grass here in the city of Husayba, where they're expecting fierce opposition as the U.S. and the Iraqis push through the city to clear it out. They believe the insurgency here are those that are willing to fight to the death -- Kelly.

WALLACE: Yes. And this is all operation -- part of Operation Steel Curtain, I believe. And the focus, really, is what? To try and stop foreign fighters, any fighters from coming into to Iraq from Syria or elsewhere and trying to fuel the insurgency throughout Iraq?

DAMON: Well, Kelly, actually the purpose here is two-fold. One purpose is, of course, to secure the Syrian border to prevent that flow of foreign fighters and weapons into Iraq. This is a major smuggling route. And it has been, in fact, for centuries. And they do have significant intelligence that it is being used to smuggle foreign fighters and weapons.

But the other objective of this operation is to set up firm bases, to set up firm bases here along this contentious Euphrates River Valley so that when the -- what has happened in the past is that U.S. forces have come into these areas. They have cleaned them out, and then they've withdrawn. And the insurgents have moved back in. In this case, in this Operation Steel Curtain and in operations in the past month, their objective now has been to go in and set up a firm base so that the insurgency cannot move back in.

WALLACE: And, Arwa, I was talking about this with Aneesh in the last hour of DAYBREAK, how this is a crucial test for the Iraqi forces, because I understand that this is the first time that multiple battalions of Iraqi army soldiers are being deployed in combat. Is that right?

DAMON: Yes, of course. I mean, it is always a crucial test for the Iraqi army. They are a fledgling army. And they are here, and they're alongside their U.S. counterparts, moving through the city.

I'm on a rooftop right now actually, and I have U.S. Marines with me and I have members of the Iraqi army with me. And it's a learning experience for the Iraqi army. They are young. They are new. They are learning from the U.S. Marines.

And also, the Marines told me that they're learning from the Iraqi army. They are learning how to speak with the local population. They are learning how to communicate with them.

So, it's a two-way street in terms of learning experiences, of course. You know, the U.S. forces are bringing the most fire power to the forefront of the battle.

But the Iraqi army is definitely here and is definitely present.

WALLACE: And, Arwa, give us a sense again. You say you're there on a rooftop. Give us a sense of what you're seeing now with your own eyes. And it's obviously a dangerous situation if U.S. and Iraqi forces are going door-to-door, house-to-house.

DAMON: Yes, of course, it is. I'm on a rooftop right now. I can oversee pretty much all of the city, although I am crouched behind a building trying to stay out of the security forces' way.

There's a plume of smoke rising just to the south of me. There's a helicopter gunship above it. To the front of the area that we were just receiving fire from, all of the U.S. Marines and the Iraqi army members now have what they call "eyes on." They are watching that target. They are waiting for movement. They have ceased fire, and they are waiting to see if an insurgent is going to pop out again. They are waiting to plan their next step and to continue to push into the city.

Now, this is a pretty densely-populated area. It's about a two- story building. The roads are fairly narrow. Wide enough to let a tank through, but still fairly narrow. And it is fairly densely populated -- Kelly.

WALLACE: And, Arwa, as you've been talking, our viewers are looking at some of the video you and your colleague there have been shooting for us. Give us a sense of what the U.S. and Iraqi forces have been able to find in some of those houses as, again, they're going door-to-door.

DAMON: Oh, they found a number of things. They found a significant weapons cache. Yesterday they found a weapons cache, which I believe are the pictures that you have there. A part of it was found inside the house, and that was based on intelligence from a civilian, actually an individual who lived across the street, who told them that about 10 to 15 insurgents had been using that location.

They searched it. They uncovered RPGs and IED-making material inside, as well as vests that presumably are to be used for suicide vests. And then in the garden outside, they found an overturned tub. And underneath it was a tunnel that led to a 6-foot-by-6-foot room.

They are also finding IEDs. The city is packed with IEDs. They are finding weapon caches. And they're also coming across the bodies of those insurgents whom they have killed.

And they're coming across -- earlier today, we had an incident where U.S. Marines and Iraqi security forces came across an insurgent who was wounded inside a house. He had a broken arm and a broken leg. They entered the house. He said to them that he had been kidnapped; that he had been held hostage, dropped off at that house the night before. They had an informant with them. The informant identified him as an insurgent. They searched him. They found an AK-47, and they found what they call a "spider device," which is used to remotely detonate IEDs -- Kelly.

WALLACE: And, Arwa, we also know that this is one of the biggest offensives, really, in Iraq since the battle in Falluja last year. As you're talking to and as you can talk to the U.S. and Iraqi forces, describe their morale, because, as we said, obviously it's a very dangerous situation there.

DAMON: Kelly, it is very dangerous, and it is very intense here. But I would have to say that overall morale is pretty high.

The U.S. Marines here have been waiting for quite some time to be able to come into this city (AUDIO GAP) but to finally take it back. They have sat on the outskirts and pretty much only done operations on the outskirts of the city since they arrived in country a few months ago. And they've wanted to take control of this city, take control of the Euphrates Valley for quite some time now.

So, the fact that they're going in, they're pushing through, that there actually is an enemy who is standing up. And relative to other operations, actually fighting against them, in previous operations there was an enemy that took pot shots and ran away. Now, we're having more of a face-to-face fight here in Husayba.

So, I would say that overall morale is actually pretty high, and most of the armed forces involved in this conflict are very encouraged by their move forward -- Kelly.

WALLACE: Arwa, we're going to leave it there. Arwa Damon, please be safe there. Our CNN producer, again, embedded with U.S. and Iraqi forces in this Operation Steel Curtain on the border between Syrian and Iraq.

Turning now to another big story this morning, back in custody. For 78 hours, a convicted killed tasted freedom after escaping from a Houston jail. Well, he was captured last night outside a Louisiana liquor store, and he is due in court today.

CNN's Keith Oppenheim is following this story from Houston.

Keith, thanks for joining us. So, how did the police actually track him down?

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a really interesting story, Kelly.

This all happened around 8:00 local time last night in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force was the lead police agency. And they started to get tips that were pointing to Shreveport, Louisiana.

Officers kind of swooped in on a liquor store there, and they found Charles Victor Thompson, the escapee, standing in front of the liquor store. He was on a pay phone. They said he was intoxicated. They also weren't sure who he was speaking to on the phone.

And there was a bicycle next to him, which they said was his mode of transportation.

When they confronted him, he said, according to police, "You know who I am." He was apparently pretty cooperative, and was then taken into custody.

An employee of the liquor store, called Daiquiris Unlimited, spoke to us about the arrest that he saw.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEBRAN SIDDIQUI, DAIQUIRIS UNLIMITED EMPLOYEE: He was, like, real composed, you know. He wasn't acing, you know, crazy or scared or nothing. And as he was being taken into the car, you know, he was just grinning, you know, looking around. So, it looked like he was intoxicated, like, deeply, because he was just, you know, taking in the moment, you know, as if it wasn't a big deal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OPPENHEIM: Apparently too intoxicated to be interviewed. So, we'll hopefully hear more about what he has to say as the day or the days go on.

Now, keep in mind it was last Thursday that Charles Victor Thompson escaped from the jail behind me. He had a meeting with a lawyer in one of these attorney-inmate booths, a meeting room. And police say he smuggled civilian clothes that he was using for court appearances. Then came out and conned some of the deputies, some of the jail employees into believing that he was an investigator for the attorney general's office.

But while they were checking out his story, he was actually escorted from this secure area of the jail into a public one. And then he just walked out the front door.

Later this morning, there is going to be a hearing in Shreveport, Louisiana. And the hope from Harris County officials -- that's here in Houston, Texas -- they hope he will waive extradition. He'll be brought back to this jail, the jail that he escaped from. And then soon they hope will be brought back to death row.

Back to you -- Kelly.

WALLACE: Keith, there's definitely an outrage factor here, how a Texas death row inmate could actually con his way and walk out of jail. Are authorities talking about that? And have they launched an investigation into how this happened so that it doesn't happen again?

OPPENHEIM: They certainly have been talking about it a great deal. There is an investigation. No one has been fired that we know of yet. They are looking into not only what went wrong in terms of procedures that were not followed, but about their general organization. They might have to change so that this never happens again.

From a public relations standpoint, the spokesperson for this department, Lieutenant John Martin (ph), has been very straightforward in saying that this department screwed up. And that they have to look at these mistakes very carefully.

In the meantime, I think it's fair to say that they're going to be very careful with this prisoner as they bring him back anywhere.

WALLACE: You can imagine, he will have tremendous security with him. Keith, thanks so much for bringing us the latest. Keith Oppenheim reporting from Houston this morning.

Turning overseas now. In about two hours, President Bush meets with the president of Panama. Mr. Bush is on the last leg of his trip to Latin America after wrapping up the Summit of the Americas over the weekend.

For the latest, we want to check in with Elaine Quijano, who is live on the phone with us from Panama City.

Good morning to you, Elaine. Give us a sense of what we can expect from the president on this day.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Kelly.

Well, certainly for the president and U.S. officials, this will be an opportunity for them to wrap up their visit to Latin American countries on a high note.

Now, this primarily is going to be a goodwill visit. We'll hear President Bush speak about the importance of democracy and use Panama as an example of how, in fact, democracy can help pull a country up. This, of course, is the same country that his president -- that his father, President George H. W. Bush, in 1989 ordered the invasion of. At that time, of course, General Manuel Noriega was in power. But since then, U.S. officials say President Bush is going to point to all of the progress that's been made, not just on the democratic front, but on the economic front as well.

And on that point, we're here actually at the Panama Canal. This is going to be a stop that President Bush will make today to take a tour of the locks here.

And he will talk about how the Panamanians have really been good stewards of what they say is a critical component of the economy, not just for Panama, but for this hemisphere really.

So, that is going along with the president's free trade agenda as well. The president will sit down and talk with the Panamanian president about the importance of free trade. But certainly one thing U.S. officials are pointing to is that Panama really helped crack some of the language at the Summit of the Americas that had some 29 countries saying they would support more negotiations on the issue of a free trade agreement in this hemisphere.

But, you know, at the same time, this hasn't been a positive visit, in Argentina anyway. There were some violent protests that broke out, anti-Bush demonstrators. And here in Panama, though, they're anticipating a much more friendly, obviously a more welcome reception.

WALLACE: OK, Elaine, we have to leave it there. Elaine Quijano reporting live for us on the phone from Panama. And you can see Elaine's further reports on "AMERICAN MORNING."

Still to come here on DAYBREAK, the Washington Zoo's newest addition is getting ready to face the public. You'll want to see that.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning, November 7.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: And a look now at how the international markets are trading. Tokyo's Nikkei down 14 points, the London FTSE down a fraction, the German DAX down about 4 points.

Crude oil futures are trading at almost $60 a barrel. And that's down just a little bit.

Well, news in the nation's capital. Washington's newest celebrity is meeting the public for the first time today. His name is Tai Shan. But don't start lining up just yet for your peek at the panda.

CNN's Sumi Das is in Washington.

Sumi, why shouldn't we start lining up right now?

SUMI DAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they're not lining up just yet. But I have a feeling that's going to happen very soon.

Now, female giant pandas only have a two-day window every year when they can conceive. So, it's no wonder that one of the youngest residents here at the National Zoo is getting so much attention.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAS (voice over): He was the size of a stick of butter when he was born. Four months later, Tai Shan, one of only two giant panda cubs in the U.S., is about 16 pounds, growing fast and healthy enough to start meeting his adoring public.

DR. SUZAN MURRAY, CHIEF VETERINARIAN, NATIONAL ZOO: We compared our findings to those cubs in China and in other zoos, and he seems to be developing along the same track. He's a little bit ahead on the weight curve. And it's because of that great belly. And so, he's developing great. He's just finally managed to get his hind legs under his body and really start walking around.

DAS: Tai Shan's public debut is slated for early December. But starting today, members of the Friends of the National Zoo are getting a sneak peek. The limited viewing helps prepare the baby panda for the likely crowds and bustling activity once the exhibit opens to the public at large.

All 9,500 free tickets to see the rare bear were gone within hours of becoming available, a sign of just how irresistible and fascinating a panda cub can be.

MURRAY: The best thing I can say is, go into the building and see him yourself, and you know right away. It's hard to describe, but the minute your eyes lock on his, you're just drawn.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DAS: The only other giant panda cub here in the United States is at the San Diego Zoo. It's a female, and it's about a month younger than Tai Shan -- Kelly.

WALLACE: Sumi, give us a little more about Tai Shan, including its diet and how large it will actually grow.

DAS: Well, it's going to grow to be quite large, and it's well on its way already. Male pandas grow to be about 250-260 pounds. And that's about the size of Tian Tian, Tai Shan's father.

And currently, it's still nursing. And it won't be weaned until it's about a year-and-a-half old. And at that time, it will, of course, be eating bamboo, as well as some apple fiber biscuits and carrots and apples.

So, a healthy appetite -- Kelly.

WALLACE: I think so. And are they expecting big crowds today?

DAS: Well, they're going to have about 60 people here today. But starting in the next couple of days they'll have about 600 visitors a day to the young panda.

WALLACE: All right. Sumi, thanks for bringing that very delightful story to us. Sumi Das reporting from Washington.

Much more ahead on this busy Monday morning here on DAYBREAK. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: Some heartbreaking photographs there from Indiana, as rescuers resume their search for tornado victims at first light this morning. This is all following a vicious twister that killed at least 22 people, most of them at a trailer park in Evansville, Indiana.

Red Cross spokeswoman Brenna Garnett is joining us now live on the phone from Evansville to give us the latest.

Brenna, thank you for joining us. We appreciate it. Give us a sense of what you all are doing, Red Cross volunteers and officials on the ground now in Evansville.

BRENNA GARNETT, RED CROSS SPOKESWOMAN: Right now they have the floodlights out. Search and rescue has begun again this morning. Police officers, fire and then the search and rescue team are coming in again.

Red Cross is on the scene to provide assistance to those relief workers, to provide mental health workers, snacks and drinks as well.

WALLACE: What are you doing also...

GARNETT: And...

WALLACE: Oh, I'm sorry. What are you doing also with the families who are still missing loved ones?

GARNETT: We are working with a database. Yesterday, we had received over 400 calls just from our southwestern Indiana chapter building alone of individuals here who are still searching for loved ones that they have not been in contact with. And we're still working through a database that we update on a regular basis.

We're also utilizing the Internet for that as well. We've been posting that at evansvilleredcross.org, so that family members have another way of trying to get in contact to know if their loved ones are OK.

WALLACE: And give us a sense of how many people, how many families are affected and are in need of Red Cross assistance right now.

GARNETT: Hundreds of families right now from the trailer park alone. And they are literally close to 500 trailers here, the majority of them being affected, as well as in Newburgh. So, we have hundreds of them utilizing the Warrick County Red Cross, as well as the Evansville and Vanderburgh County Red Cross also. We're helping them meet those immediate needs with food, clothing and shelter, and then providing them assistance through mental health workers as well.

WALLACE: Brenna, have you ever seen anything like this before in this area?

GARNETT: Never in my life. I'm standing underneath a tree right now looking into branches with insulation and clothing and newspapers and family photographs just thrown about. It's like nothing I've ever seen in my life.

WALLACE: Sure. You know, I want to bring in my colleague, Jacqui Jeras, who is at the forecast center in Atlanta, with a question for you -- Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, actually, Brenna, they had asked me to talk about NOAA Weather Radio. And that's what I wanted to talk about. One of the things that you can do to help increase your changes of surviving through a disaster like this. Of course, the tornado sirens did go off, and we're getting word from some of the residents that maybe that was 10 minutes ahead of time.

The warning was issued 30 minutes ahead of time. It's the middle of the night. You're sleeping. You're groggy. Maybe your windows are closed. And maybe you don't hear the sirens. So, what can you do to help yourself?

Well, this is what we call a NOAA Weather Radio. It's an all- hazards weather radio. And you can purchase this online. You can buy this at, say, a Radio Shack store. And whenever there's a tornado warning that is issued for your area, this will sound off.

It will also sound off for any other type of warning in your area. So, when you buy one, you want to make sure it has the SAME or the SAME technology on it. And you can actually program this to your specific county for the specific type of warning that you want. And this will go off.

The minute the National Weather Service issues that warning, they hit "return" on their computer, boom, your radio is going off. And so, that will give you a little bit of extra time to get down to your basement, to get to the lowest level of your home, away from doors and windows. And this is a real life saver.

And I just can't emphasize it enough. Sometimes those warnings don't go off. Maybe you don't hear the sirens. And this is one of your best insurance policies to get one of these.

WALLACE: Important information, Jacqui.

And, Ms. Garnett, I want to bring you in on what Jacqui is talking about. How much are people talking about the fact that these warnings came overnight, obviously, when the twister was hitting, and that they didn't even hear the warnings, so they didn't know to take any precautions? GARNETT: Exactly. It was at 2:00 in the morning. So, the majority of the people were in a dead sleep. I strongly agree with her in getting a NOAA radio. If you've ever heard one of those in your home, it's a loud shrieking sound that you could not sleep through.

Definitely it was a disaster that came upon with no warning and very little warning through the sirens.

WALLACE: And finally, very quickly, Ms. Garnett, what can people throughout the country do if they want to help and help the Red Cross?

GARNETT: We encourage individuals if they are willing to help to dial 1-800-helpnow, or they can make an online donation to the National Disaster Relief Fund. They can also call our local chapter here in Evansville at 812-471-7200 to make a donation to the National Disaster Relief Fund there as well.

WALLACE: All right. Brenna Garnett, spokeswoman for the Red Cross, joining us live on the phone from Evansville, Indiana. A lot of work ahead for you and others. Thank you so much joining us.

Again, if you want to help the Red Cross, you can call 1-800- helpnow. You can also go to the Red Cross' Web site, www.redcross.org.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: So, Jacqui, if you're traveling today, what's it going to look like for us?

(WEATHER REPORT)

WALLACE: We want to tell everyone about these stories "Now in the News."

CNN is following a developing story. Philadelphia commuters, you still need to find your own way to work this morning. But the ride home should be a whole lot easier. About one hour ago, the Regional Transit Agency and striking workers announced a tentative deal on a new four-year contract. The agreement follows an all-night bargaining session. Buses and trains should be running by the afternoon rush hour.

As daylight breaks in the Midwest, the search for more victims of a deadly tornado resumes. The twister plowed through southern Indiana early yesterday, killing at least 22 people.

More police presence didn't stop riots from spreading across France for an 11th straight day. Gangs torched buildings and vehicles. Thirty police officers were injured.

Well, from the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Kelly Wallace, in today for Carol Costello. Have a terrific day. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Kelly. I'm Miles O'Brien.

In southern Indiana, rescuers are back to work this morning at the scene of crushing tornadoes. Twenty-two are dead, 200 injured. Could the death toll grow? Or could there be trapped survivors? A live report is ahead.

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