Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Second Iowa Prison Escapee Captured in Missouri; Fighting Words Regarding Troop Withdrawal in Iraq; Zarqawi Tape Claims Responsibility for Jordan Attacks

Aired November 18, 2005 - 11:00   ET

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

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: "Now in the News," authorities have captured the second of two inmates who escaped from an Iowa prison on Monday. Correction officials say Joseph Legendre was captured in Missouri this morning. He was serving time for kidnapping and attempted murder.
Now, the other escapee that you see there on the screen, Martin Moon, was captured yesterday.

The battle over intelligence leading up to the Iraq invasion shows no signs of letting up. This hour, Democrats from the House Intelligence Committee are holding a news conference to discuss the very issue. Some Democrats accuse the White House of distorting prewar intelligence. The Bush administration calls the claims dishonest and reprehensible.

Suicide bombers targeted two Shia mosques in eastern Iraq today with deadly results. There are conflicting reports on the number of casualties.

The U.S. military says 55 people were killed and 80 wounded in the town of Khanaqin. Iraqi police report 65 dead and 85 wounded. The attacks happened during Friday prayers.

And protesters clash with riot police today in South Korea as President Bush and other leaders met for the Asian Economic Summit. Riot police, as you see here, sprayed demonstrators with high-powered water hoses. The protests against free trade did not disrupt the summit. Leaders were discussing trade, combating bird flu and fighting terrorism.

Look at this. Gusty winds are fanning a wildfire in a rugged canyon area of southern California. Officials say the fire has burned about 500 acres of brush in Ventura County, which is about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

The fire is burning in a hilly area where several oil pumps are located, which is a cause for concern. About 200 firefighters are battling that blaze.

Well, good morning, everybody. And welcome to CNN LIVE TODAY.

It is 11:00 a.m. in Washington, 7:00 p.m. in Baghdad, ant it's already 1:00 a.m. tomorrow in Kyoto, Japan.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Betty Nguyen, in for Daryn Kagan today.

There's a developing story this hour out of Missouri we want to tell you about. The end of the line for the second of two escaped Iowa inmates. He'd been on the run most of the week, but no more.

CNN's Keith Oppenheim joins us now from Fort Madison, Iowa, with news of this latest capture.

Where was he found, Keith?

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He was found in Steel (ph), Missouri. I'm going to do a sort of rudimentary demonstration here, Betty.

I'm holding a map of the state of Missouri, and I'm just going to fold it in half so we can look at where I am and where both of the escapees went to this week.

Up here is Fort Madison, Iowa. This is basically the Mississippi River on the right side of my map, going south down the state of Missouri.

Yesterday, in Chester, Illinois, just over the river in Illinois from Missouri, is where Martin Shane Moon was caught. And this morning, way down at the bottom of this map, at the boot of Mississippi, about 390 miles away, is where Robert Legendre was found in Steel (ph), Missouri, near I-55 at just 8:55 at a truck stop.

And the point is both guys seem to have gone in the same direction. We'll talk about that in just a moment.

But what we're hearing from the Pemiscot County sheriff, Betty, is that there was a dispatcher responding to a report of a stolen vehicle and Legendre is picked up by police at a truck stop. In fact, the sheriff is saying that Legendre will have to face charges in St. Louis for that stolen vehicles and that he may have stolen several cars in his escape, and he may also face charges of assault.

We'll see whether or not prison officials and Iowa State authorities agree that he should be brought to St. Louis first before he's brought back here. We don't know the answer to that yet.

But what we do know is that both men now have been captured. And the question really is, how long did they stay together after they escaped and climbed over this wall behind me on Monday?

Were they together for just a short time after they stole a car and left fort Madison, Iowa? Or did they stay together for some time, as they headed south, basically following the route of the Mississippi River south -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Hey, Keith, let's go back to something you mentioned just briefly. It appears that they were kind of going in the same direction, too, which doesn't seem to make a lot of sense, because you think they would have both split up and went in different directions. OPPENHEIM: Well, it's possible that they may have used some just immediate support to get to where they were going. There is a are report of a stolen vehicle in this case from St. Louis. You know, one question would be, did both men go to St. Louis, then split off from there?

Chester, where Martin Shane Moon was found, is south of St. Louis. So that's certainly a possibility.

We don't know the answers to these questions. But those are the kinds of questions that prison officials and investigators are going to want to know to find how they were able to stay on the loose for almost four days.

NGUYEN: Yes. A lot of questions out there. Keith Oppenheim, thank you for answering some of them.

Fighting words. Democrats will hit the White House again this hour on Iraq dealing with the intelligence that led to war. The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee will speak shortly, and we'll have her remarks live. For days now, the White House and Democrats have traded shots about the faulty intelligence.

Sniping across continents heated up when senior Democratic Congressman John Murtha, a war vet, called for U.S. troops to get out of Iraq, and now. The traveling White House shot back from Asia saying, "Congressman Murtha is a respected veteran and politician who has a record of supporting a strong America. So it is baffling that he is endorsing the policy positions of Michael Moore and the extreme liberal wing of the Democratic Party."

The president spokesman went on to say, Congressman Murtha's position amounts to "surrender."

The national security adviser sounded a similar message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN HADLEY, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: He's a veteran, a veteran congressman, and a great leader in the Congress. On this issue, the president believes he's wrong. And the -- it's interesting that just two days ago, the Senate of the United States in voting on the Levin amendment had an opportunity to reject the position of deadlines or immediate pullout of troops.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Murtha's words are echoing all across Washington. And for the view from the Pentagon, let's go to CNN's Kathleen Koch.

So, what is the Pentagon saying for this request for withdrawal?

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, needless to say, the Pentagon does not believe it is time to pull out of Iraq. Spokesman Brian Whitman this morning telling reporters that the U.S. military does have a plan for Iraq and a strategy for achieving it. Now, as to Congressman Murtha's contention that U.S. forces have become a catalyst for violence there, this morning the commander of the 56th Brigade Combat team in the Balad area conceded to a certain extent that's to be expected.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COL. JAMES K. BROWN, U.S. ARMY: Certainly, as we support the democracy, our forces and coalition forces are going to be the targets of insurgents. But as we incubate all of the national elements of power of this young democracy, it's necessary for us to be here to provide the security, provide the support to the Iraqi forces to be able to do that. I think it would be, in my opinion, and I think it's supportive of what's being said, is that our job's not finished.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Now, as to when that job will be done, the Pentagon insists that it is conditions on the ground that will determine it, just as it is conditions on the ground in Iraq that will determine the size of the U.S. forces that are need there.

Now, obviously, playing greatly into that number is the number of Iraqi forces, equipped and trained Iraqi forces. And the Pentagon does say that it believes it is having increasing success, despite the ongoing violence which obviously we saw more of today. But it is having increasing success in standing up Iraqi units that can do the job of defending their country themselves -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Kathleen Koch at the Pentagon. Thank you.

We want to turn now to the situation inside Iraq. Iraqis today are again taking the brunt of insurgency attacks across the country. Two mosques filled with worshipers were hit today by suicide bombers. At least 90 people were killed, according to hospital officials. The attacks happened in eastern Iraq near the Iranian border.

Now, that attack came just hours after two suicide car bombs detonated near a Baghdad hotel used by Westerners. At least six people were killed and 40 wounded.

Elsewhere in Iraq, the U.S. military says 32 suspected insurgents were killed yesterday when they attacked U.S. and Iraqi forces in Ramadi. And an Iraqi soldier and a U.S. Marine, they were slightly wounded in that fighting.

Plus, near Baquba, a car bomb exploded, wounding at least three Iraqi civilians in the town of Kan'an. A military convoy appears to have been the intended target.

Well, the military is recalling more than 18,000 body armor vests after the vests reportedly failed ballistic tests. The vests are designed to protect against small arms fire and bullet fragments.

Now, it is the second time in about six months that protective vests have been recalled. The military says troops were not at risk because the vests did meet field test requirements. Officials say there will be no problems providing troops with better models.

Trade, battling bird flu and fighting terrorism topped the agenda at the Asian Economic Summit in South Korea today. President Bush and leaders from the region met in Busan, South Korea. Protesters there clashed with riot police near the conference center, where the meeting is taking place.

Look at this. Demonstrators tried to break through a barricade of shipping containers police put up along their route. The protesters did not disrupt that summit. The annual gathering brings together leaders from the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. President Bush takes part in the final sessions of the summit tomorrow.

Now, Mr. Bush met with Russia President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the gathering today. Among other issues, they discussed a proposal by Moscow to deny Iran the ability to produce nuclear weapons.

So how South Koreans react to President Bush may depend on when they were born.

White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux examines how the generation gap is shaping views on U.S.-Korea relations.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): As the streets filled with protesters around the APEC summit, the debate over President Bush's visit is playing out in the homes of many Koreans.

Insang Jung and his 24-year-old daughter Suyong live in Busan, about eight miles from the demonstrations. They share a home, a love of yoga, and a passion for politics. But when it comes to the American-Korean relations, they are deeply divided, starting with their feelings about President Bush.

INSANG JUNG, OFFICE CLERK (through translator): I think he shows strong leadership. The world is very divided right now and needed a charismatic leader.

SUYONG JUNG, COLLEGE STUDENT (through translator): I don't know for sure, but inside I don't think he's very truthful.

MALVEAUX: The differences are rooted in their generations.

I. JUNG (through translator): I was born just shortly after the Korean War and am part of the war generation. I believe economically Korea would not be in the position it is in today without the help of the United States.

S. JUNG (through translator): Just because the U.S. helped us during the war doesn't mean we always need to be good to them. We are also a growing country and should not be treated as a subordinate. MALVEAUX: While Suyong says taking to the streets would be too extreme for her, the college senior says she shares the protesters anger over her government's decision to send South Korean troops to support U.S. mission in Iraq.

S. JUNG (through translator): Of course American soldiers are dying in Iraq and are victims of terror. And the rest of the world must help the U.S. But so many soldiers who don't want to go to Iraq still have to go.

MALVEAUX: Both seem to urge caution in their approach to the United States.

S. JUNG (through translator): We should be thankful, but in current conditions it's not good being extremely anti or pro-American.

I. JUNG (through translator): Like the father-daughter relationship, it doesn't break because of a dispute. That's the situation between the U.S. and Korea.

MALVEAUX (on camera): A sentiment shared by most Koreans who were not protesting, who are invested in the U.S.-Korean relationship.

Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, Busan, South Korea.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: This just in. We want to get to more information on the escapee from Iowa, a penitentiary there, who was caught this morning in Missouri.

We have on the phone Sheriff Tommy Greenwell, who is from Pemiscot County, Missouri, where Legendre, that you see right there, was captured today.

Sheriff, tell me, how were you alerted to his whereabouts?

SHERIFF TOMMY GREENWELL, PEMISCOT COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: We were notified by the county just north of us of a stolen pickup truck that was taken from a convenience store in Marston, Missouri, and believed that it headed south on Interstate 55.

This truck was located at the Deerfield truck stop in Steel (ph), Missouri, which is in Pemiscot County at the eight-mile marker on I- 55. It was spotted. And the local chief of police there approached the gentleman that was with the truck and identified him as Robert Legendre, I believe.

NGUYEN: Legendre, yes.

GREENWELL: Yes. And he was taken in custody without incident. And our deputies transported him to the county jail.

We have since learned that apparently, this fellow car-jacked a van in St. Louis last night. And St. Louis is notified. We recovered that van there at Marston, where he stole the pickup truck. And St. Louis has notified us that they're charging him with two counts of robbery, two counts of assault and first degree, and two counts of armed criminal action. And they have detectives on their way here to pick him up at this time.

NGUYEN: Was anyone injured in that car-jacking?

GREENWELL: Yes, apparently so.

NGUYEN: OK.

GREENWELL: I don't have the details of how serious, but the van that was recovered at Marston, I believe, contained quite a bit of blood on the interior.

NGUYEN: And so when your officers got to Legendre at that truck stop, I mean, was it without incident? Was he willing to go and be taken into custody?

GREENWELL: Yes, when the chief of police approached him and took him into custody, it was without incident. And I spoke with my deputies that transported him to the jail, and he's been very cooperative.

NGUYEN: Before he was picked up, had he had any contact with the people inside the truck stop? Did they give you any information as to what he was doing, what he might have said?

GREENWELL: I haven't talked to the people at the truck stop. It is my understanding that he was inside the truck stop for a while. An a local citizen there noticed him and had seen his picture on the news, and went by a local trooper's -- Missouri Highway patrolman's house and notified him that he thought that he was the escapee. And then he called the office here and that's when we sent the chief of police out there to check on him.

NGUYEN: You've got to be pretty proud of your officers today.

GREENWELL: Well, I'm just glad that everything went down and no one got injured. And they did real good work. And I'm just proud no one got hurt.

NGUYEN: That is good news. Well, Sheriff, we appreciate your time. Thanks for speaking with us.

Sheriff Tommy Greenwell from Pemiscot County, Missouri. That is where Robert Joseph Legendre, there on the left side of your screen, was captured this morning at a truck stop.

Martin Moon, on the right side of your screen, was captured yesterday. These are the two escapees from an Iowa prison both back in custody.

We'll keep you on top of the latest developments there.

Now, white phosphorus, a new Italian documentary claims the U.S. military used the substance on civilians in Falluja. A claim the U.S. military denies. We're going to tell you about both sides and talk to the documentary's producer live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Soldiers call it Willy Pete. White phosphorus is a chemical that's used to light up enemy positions. It combusts when exposed to air.

Now, during the chemical reaction phase, white phosphorous causes horrific burns. Now an Italian documentary claims the U.S. military used white phosphorus on Iraqi civilians. I'll talk to the film's producer in just a moment.

First, though, the Pentagon's position on all of this from CNN correspondent Jamie McIntyre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): The Italian TV documentary alleges that during the siege of Falluja a year ago, the U.S. military used white phosphorous artillery shells in a massive and indiscriminate way against civilians. And the result was that noncombatants, including Iraqi women and children, were burned to the bone. The U.S. military was quick to deny the report and said it did not know how these people died.

BRIG. GEN. DONALD ALSTON, MULTINATIONAL FORCE IRAQ SPOKESMAN: We have not change our position that, in fact, we did not use white phosphorous against civilians in Falluja during Operation (INAUDIBLE).

MCINTYRE: But while strongly denying civilians were deliberately targeted, the Pentagon has belatedly admitted the phosphorous shells, which burn extremely hot and produce thick smoke, were used against enemy positions in Falluja. An initial State Department response had claimed indirectly, the incendiary shells were only "fired into the air to illuminate enemy positions at night, not at enemy fighters."

Unlike Napalm, which is designed to set large areas a blaze and which the U.S. no longer uses, white phosphorous is usually employed to mark a target or produce a smoke screen to hide troop movements. But the U.S. troops attacking Falluja in November of 2004 had another use for the super hot burning munition which they call "shake and bake" missions.

According to an after action report published in "Field Artillery" magazine, U.S. troops used white phosphorous "as a potent psychological weapon against insurgents in trench lines and spider holes," firing the incendiary rounds against enemy positions "to flush them out," then using high explosives to "take them out." The United States never signed an international ban against using incendiary weapons, but experts say that doesn't matter because the ban didn't apply to legitimate military targets.

JOHN PIKE, GLOBALSECURITY.ORG: There's a Geneva protocol against using it against civilian, the way we used firebombs against cities in World War II. It's legitimate under that Geneva protocol to use it against military targets like in Falluja. MCINTYRE: Any munition can inflict unintended civilian casualties, but the Pentagon argues it works very hard to avoid the loss of innocent life. In Falluja, the military says civilians were urged for weeks to leave. By the time the siege took place, most of the people left were either insurgents or their sympathizers.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Maurizio Torrealta is one of the producers of the documentary "Falluja: The Hidden Massacre," and he joins me live now from Rome.

As you just heard, the military has just recently come out to confirm that it did use white phosphorus in Falluja last November. But it says it did not target civilians.

What's your reaction to that?

MAURIZIO TORREALTA, DOCUMENTARY PRODUCER: Well, what we got were pictures of people, young kids, women that were killed in Falluja, apparently from white phosphorus. Of course, you needed to determine with an investigation on the field the exact cause of the deaths. But the story that has been told by the two American soldiers we interviewed in Oregon, and they witness -- I mean, the pictures we got, they confirm that the white phosphorus has been used as a weapon, and as a weapon against insurgents and against civilians, because, otherwise, those people were not there.

I sincerely -- I think that when in a city, you use such a tool, such a weapon, it is difficult to determine who is going to breathe in that cloud, who is living in those houses. So it's very likely that they the use of white phosphorus as a weapon causes death to civilians.

But it's not something that I might support. It's something that has been told by American soldiers that were there.

NGUYEN: You talk about these pictures, and of course we can't show them because they are very, very graphic. But I've seen your documentary, and what it does show, people who are badly burned. But the clothing is not.

Tell me, what did you see from the these pictures in Falluja?

TORREALTA: Well, those pictures show basically people that were killed, but not with normal usual weapons. They were killed by some substance that were aggressive against the face, against the mouth. And white phosphorus is attacking specifically waters, and it's reacting to waters.

So we have very graphic and shocking picture of people that have been corrupted all the way around the face. And they died for no other reason than that agent was attacking (ph) them.

NGUYEN: Are you certain, though, that it was white phosphorus?

TORREALTA: And the clothes -- and the clothes -- well, the soldiers, the American soldiers that were there, they say that there was used Willy Pete, and massive use of Willy Pete against that area of the city. And there are also video that has been shot by the soldier which is individual in the documentary we made in which you can see the kind of cloud produced by the use of massive bombing of white phosphorus.

And therefore, if you see carefully the documentary, that cloud, you may clearly imagine that anybody, any form of life living in that area has been killed. In the picture, individual we got from Falluja, you can see even dogs and other animals that has been killed by this cloud. And...

(CROSSTALK)

NGUYEN: Maurizio, let me ask you this very quickly. Iraq's human right ministry has launched an investigation. Do you think that would have happened had it not been for your report?

TORREALTA: Listen, I -- sincerely, I believe that America is able to start (ph) the mistake that has been made. If the Pentagon was able to correct itself, and it did, in fact, I think this is a form of -- it's a very (INAUDIBLE) form of democracy. And I trust that all the international institutions that are working in America, and America first, United States first, will be able to find out what really happened in Falluja.

NGUYEN: And that's a big question a lot of people are looking into now. Maurizio Torrealta, we appreciate your time today. Thank you.

Out-of-control fires in southern California. CNN meteorologist Chad Myers is up next to tell us how the weather is affecting the situation there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Hot, dry, windy conditions in southern California have created an extreme fire danger in places. We're keeping a close watch on this story.

The blaze in Ventura County broke out early this morning and quickly grew to hundreds of acres. Last count was somewhere around 500 acres.

Now, about 200 firefighters are on the scene. You can see the flames are still going, and for many acres.

Officials say the flames are currently moving away from residential areas, which is the good news. KTLA reporter in Ventura County filed this report a few minutes ago. I want you to take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED KTLA REPORTER: Yes, the picture that you're looking at now is from this section of Ventura that is above Grant Park. And you see the flames in that canyon there, and then you see what looking like a large home or maybe a condominium complex in the foreground of that picture. And the fire is burning back in that canyon there.

And we've seen a number of fire trucks that have taken up what they call structure protection around these buildings. They're pulled in those areas. They've got their strategic positions taken here. We've also seen and heard helicopters begin to make drops over this hotspot. We heard a couple of them come over. We saw one of them actually drop some water. We're hearing another one on its way now.

But you again, you know, The fire continues to move to the west, slowly towards the homes and condominiums that are here in the foothills of the city of Ventura.

We talked about the wind earlier, at 3:30 this morning, when this fire started, they were just gusting like you wouldn't believe. They have calmed down in the last, oh, couple of hours, two or three hours or so. They're not blowing anywhere near as hard as they were, and that's a hopeful sign for firefighters. Talked to a Ventura City council member a few minutes ago -- here, let's watch as this helicopter comes in here. You can hear it. There we go. He's one of the water-dropping helicopters. You hear the siren going off. And then he's flying through the smoke. It's amazing what these pilots can do as they fly through the canyons, treacherous flying conditions. It's hard to see, and then they come around and eventually drop water on the flames.

But that is the situation here. In the foothills above the city of Ventura. We still got one hot spot here that's burning up this canyon, not far away from homes. I would say it's less than a mile from homes, as the crow flies, and the helicopters are beginning their attack here.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: So firefighters have a lot on their hands today.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: There's much more to come on here CNN LIVE TODAY, so stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: This just isn't to CNN: We are learning that a new tape has surface from Abu Musab Al Zarqawi, Al Qaeda's leader in Iraq, claiming responsibility for the attacks in Jordan last week at three hotels there that killed some 54 people. Zarqawi is claiming responsibility. Also blames those attacks as retaliation on Jordan, as the Jordanian government did support the U.S. in its war in Iraq. We have CNN senior Arab affairs editor Octavia Nasr here to explain.

You've listened to the tape, Octavia. On it, he talks about a wedding party, of course the wedding party that was attacked in Jordan. What does he say specifically about that?

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SR. ARAB AFFAIRS EDITOR: Well, we have to remember, it wasn't just the wedding party that was attacked, three hotels, yes, three locations, and he talks about all of them. Basically he's not -- if it is him. We have to say CNN can not confirm in any way that this is Abu Musab Al Zarqawi. It does sound like him. The audio was posted on a Web site that usually posts messages and statements by Al Qaeda in Iraq, the group that's led by Abu Musab Al Zarqawi.

But if this is him, basically, he's repeating the claim of responsibility. Last week, Al Qaeda did claim responsibility for the attacks. So he's confirming that. And he's saying, look, I want to explain to you why those hotels were attacked. He's trying to justify the attack. He's saying he didn't mean to kill civilians, innocent civilians. He said, I love the people of Jordan, they're my people, and things like that.

The very interesting thing about this audio tape, if indeed it is Zarqawi, he starts out by explaining why he did it, and he says, it's because of the Jordanian government. In a way, he's making sure that the world knows that he attacks these hotels, or his men attacked these hotels, because they're upset with the relationship that Jordan has with the U.S. and with Israel.

NGUYEN: And this is Jordanian-born Zarqawi?

NASR: He's Jordanian-born. He belongs to a group that wants to overthrow the Jordanian monarchy and all the other Arab monarchies. This Al Qaeda in Iraq operates. They believe that entire Arab Middle East should be run under Islamic law, strict Islamic law. And basically he doesn't -- him, and Osama bin Laden, for example -- they don't believe that these monarchies should exist. They want to overthrow them.

And they consider them to be the near enemy. For al Qaeda, there's always the near enemy and the far enemy. The near enemy are the leadership, the monarchies, of the Middle East. And the far enemy is the U.S., the West in general. The U.S., Israel and so forth.

NGUYEN: Did Zarqawi say anything -- if indeed it is him on this tape -- anything about that fourth suicide bomber, the woman who involved and who was captured?

NASR: That's a great question, Betty. And I was looking for any confirmation or any claim to say that she belonged to the group. No. He talks about three lions. He said, three lions, to describe them as courageous, left Iraq. So he's confirming that they are Iraqis. He said they left their den in Iraq and went to Jordan to commit this, he called it, blessed attack. Basically, no mention of a fourth bomber. No mention of a woman whatsoever.

But again, to go back to that claim and how he blames it all on the Jordanian government. He goes on to explain the role that Jordan plays in the region as a hub -- he calls it a hub for intelligence. He says Jordan has Israeli intelligence, it has U.S. intelligence and Iraqi intelligence. So he really is blaming the Jordanian government for allowing these meetings to take place, if indeed they are taking place. But basically, he blames them for opening the borders, allowing the West in.

And, of course, to Zarqawi and his likes, the U.S. is evil. The U.S. is blasphemous, the U.S. is the infidels. And basically, he's telling people that Jordan deserves what it got, and that basically, what he did was the right thing.

He goes on -- he lists the hotels by name, one by one. And he says -- for example, one of the things that he said is that, you know, take, for example, the Radisson. He says the Radisson is known to house many of the U.S. embassy employees. And then he says, the Days Inn is known to host many of the intelligence members of the Israeli community, the U.S. community and the Iraqi community. And he says that many of those meetings took place there. And then he goes on to talk about the Hyatt Hotel. And, basically, he says this is the hub. Anyone who has stayed at the Hyatt Hotel knows -- again, that's what he's saying -- knows who frequents these hotels and what for.

Then he said something that's very interesting. He said that his group monitored these hotels for more than two months.

NGUYEN: Really.

NASR: Now, this is very interesting. Because you know, the Jordanian government said that the suicide bombers came into Jordan a few weeks...

NGUYEN: Right, not very long before.

NASR: ... before the attack. And then they claimed, the Jordanian government officials claimed, that these suicide bombers had no contact with anybody in Jordan whatsoever. Now, what this man -- if indeed this is Zarqawi -- and he's saying that the suicide bombers had clear directions, that his group -- and he does say, from intelligence, his own intelligence -- he says from our sources, inside the hotels and outside the hotels, he got all this information. That means he has groups inside Jordan...

NGUYEN: ... working inside Jordan.

NASR: ... sitting there and monitoring the situation for him and reporting back.

NGUYEN: Very interesting stuff. And, of course, we're trying to determine if indeed that is Zarqawi on the tape.

Octavia, thank you so much.

NASR: Anytime.

NGUYEN: Well, it has been a record hurricane year, we all know that. And whether directly or indirectly, Americans across the country have been affected by the devastating storms. But have we learned anything from them? Are Americans any better prepared for hurricane season next time around? The answer, after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Keeping a close watch on these fires in Southern California. Look at this. You can see the smoke. And you can also see that they're getting very close to homes. Now, we were told earlier that they were not threatening homes. But as you can see, very, very close to homes. And some residents have, indeed, evacuated because of these fires. There have been no mandatory evacuations, but many residents have voluntarily evacuated.

So far, the winds are fanning a 500-acre wildfire that broke out before dawn in this rugged canyon area of Ventura County. Here's the concern, too, that the fire is burning in a hilly, rocky area that contains numerous oil pumps. So that is a big point of concern. Some 200 firefighters are there, so they are working the scene. And water- dropping helicopters are being brought in as well.

So we will keep you up-to-date on exactly what's happening with this wildfire that does seem to be burning out of control in Ventura, California.

Thirteen hurricanes, 23 named storms. A record-breaking Atlantic hurricane season is nearing an end, thankfully. But what about next year? Is the country better prepared for a major storm after the many lessons of 2005?

CNN's Kimberly Osias joins me from Washington this morning to talk about that. So, what's the verdict?

KIMBERLY OSIAS: Well, Betty, I tell you, the answer really may surprise you. According to this new study out of NYU, no, people living in the areas, people that are really essentially those first responders, just aren't ready. And their confidence has plummeted. Confidence with local governments and businesses, too.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PROF. PAUL LIGHT, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY: The main effect of Katrina was no effect at all. It did not constitute the wake-up call. It has not energized Americans to become more prepared. There's a big "well, it didn't happen to us." And we need to take stock of this as we recognize that Americans will have to be on their own for the first days following whatever major catastrophe lies ahead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OSIAS: That was actually Professor Paul Light who conducted the study. He was out of NYU. He said it was sort of tantamount to hitting the snooze button. And he said that people need to be their own first responders. Again, they are not ready.

His study is really interesting because it originally started out as a study on terror preparedness, but morphed into a study on disaster readiness. Now in between the two studies, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit. Those graphic images of people stranded on rooftops and floating down streets are forever etched in our minds, but the question that the NYU scientists really wanted to find out is just how these events played into our collective confidence about America's overall preparedness.

The studies were completed over a four-month period, with sample sizes of 1,000 and 1,500, respectively, people from across the country that were randomly asked a battery of questions: questions like, "How would you react to a terrorist bombing at a local grocery store? And, "How would you respond to a deadly disease or virus?" On the whole, people felt that it really couldn't happen to them. That sort of not- in-my-backyard mentality.

Then came the hurricanes and the questions became much more urgent, much more visceral. How ready are we for a disaster? Now stay with me here. This is what scientist found. Seventeen percent of those surveyed felt much more prepared for an attack after September 11, compared to only 12 percent after Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. That's a 5 percent drop in confidence there. Notice there's a two percent rise in those people that felt much less prepared after the hurricanes. Just why? Well, these scientists say that people have lost confidence in local governments. The biggest issue in preparedness divide -- money.

NGUYEN: That makes sense. All right. Kimberly Osias, a lot to take in. The lesson here. Be prepared. Don't hit that snooze button.

(WEATHER REPORT)

There's much more to come on LIVE TODAY. Stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: U.S. airports are preparing for a possible human outbreak of bird flu. The CDC has set up quarantine stations at 18 U.S. airports all around the country. The centers include private rooms where potentially sick passengers can be screened for symptoms. Officials say the quarantine stations are part of a safety net to stop the spread of a bird flu outbreak.

We want to take you back live now to Ventura County, California, where you see the flames still pushing the smoke up into the air. Let's listen into the helicopter pilot flying into the scene.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Again, firefighters from all over the area have converged on this area. Firefighters' helicopters dropping water --concentrating, again, right along the edge of the city. This is News Chopper two, back to you in the studio.

NGUYEN: As you heard from the K-Cal affiliate helicopter pilot, the flames are getting very close to homes there on the edge of the city. The flames are basically in the backyard. We were told earlier that flames were not going to be threatening homes because it's burning away from residential areas. You can see now, that has definitely changed. This fire, 500 acres so far. It broke out before dawn. You can see this thing has spread awfully fast. There are water-dropping helicopters on the scene which is helping. But it's a huge fire, Chad.

Are the winds hurting the effort out there?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I think this is a second fire that actually started from this thing. We've been watching these particles on the radar. The Doppler radar is actually picking up the smoke particles. All Doppler radar does -- or radar in general -- it bounces the signal out there and looks for something, and if something's there it bounces back. Well, the smoke particles are bouncing back. Most of the fire earlier today was up in this area here, which is where those oil wells are. Now, I think the fire has jumped to this little bit of a brighter area here, which is much closer to the 101 and to the ocean itself. And clearly closer to the homes. Betty.

NGUYEN: A desperate situation as firefighters try to get control. We'll keep you on top of it. I'm Betty Nguyen, "YOUR WORLD TODAY" next.

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