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American Morning

President's Victory Plan for Iraq; Outrage in New Orleans

Aired November 30, 2005 - 07:00   ET

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

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Miles O'Brien. A developing story from Washington. Details coming out in the last few minutes of the president's victory plan for Iraq. He's got a major speech just hours from now. Live reports ahead from the White House and the Pentagon.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Soledad O'Brien. Christian aide workers held hostage in Iraq. What is being done to try to set them free? We'll take you live to Baghdad.

Outrage in New Orleans. Why is it taking so long to identify the victims killed by Hurricane Katrina? We'll take you live to New Orleans for some answers on this AMERICAN MORNING.

S. O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome, everybody. We have begun our day at 6:00 a.m., because those are the new hours for American morning. We're on the air from 6:00 a.m. Eastern to 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time each and every day. We hope that you'll join us then.

M. O'BRIEN: Please join us. Get up early with us. The president with a big speech coming up in a little under three hours. You'll see it here live on CNN. We will be there for it. We're spending a lot of time talking about it in advance. Just out from the White House, the document that is being called our national strategy for victory in Iraq. It comes less than three hours ahead of the speech, as we said. We have full coverage. We begin with Dana Bash at the White House.

Barbara Starr will be joining us shortly from the Pentagon. Nic Robertson in Baghdad.

Dana, you just had the chance to go through it. It's a 35-page report, and so you're doing the Evelyn Wood on this one. But give us a sense of the gist of it.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the gist of it is something that the White House has had in place for sometime, a couple of years. It certainly evolved as things change on the ground. But this is it. It is wrapped with us for a glossy cover, and that is not an accident, Miles. This is what the White House wants reporters and wants the American public to see that exists, and as I said, has existed. And it is because they understand here at the White House that it is the lack of understanding of a plan, or the fact that they think Americans don't understand that there is a plan, that has caused some of the public opinion to really plummet. So what this does is talks about political milestones, economic milestones, and security milestones that the White House, that the coalition has been trying to reach along with Iraqis. And there is a quote, and I can give you here about a timetable, which it actually rejects.

It explicitly says, "No war has ever been won on a timetable." And it says, "We expect, but can not guarantee that our force posture will change over the next year as the political process advances and Iraqi security forces grow and gain experience. It goes on to say while our military presence may become less visible, it will remain lethal and decisive."

And Mr. Bush obviously is giving a speech in just a little over two hours, and he previewed that and this whole idea yesterday by talking about the timetable and explicitly rejecting it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's what's important for the American people to understand. That, one, we're not going to cut and run. Two, we'll achieve our objective. And, three, the president is going to listen to those who are on the ground who can make the best assessment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: And the president is going to try to explain exactly how eventually U.S. troops can come home, and that is by training Iraqi security forces. He will try to make the case that those forces are more advanced, are making more progress than people in America actually realize.

M. O'BRIEN: Dana Bash at the White House, thank you very much. That is, of course, a crucial point. How ready are the Iraqi security forces to take up -- to handle the power vacuum that will be created if and when U.S. military begins to draw down.

Barbara Starr at the Pentagon now to tell us a little bit more about that. Yesterday, the Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was basically touting the Iraqi military's accomplishments thus far -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Miles. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the Pentagon now emphasizing the message once again that it is the Iraqis who will have to take responsibility for the fate of their country. Listen to Secretary Rumsfeld just yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECY.: Anyone who takes those three words and thinks it means the United States should clear, and the United States should hold, and the United States should build, doesn't understand the situation. It is the Iraqi's country. They've got 28 million people there. They are clearing, they are holding, they are building; they are the ones doing the reconstruction in that country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: But, Miles, what military commanders are emphasizing, it is still U.S. firepower that is in the backup position across Iraq to support those Iraqi security forces, and it really could be many, many months before all Iraqi security forces are really in a position to take lead responsibility in their country. Watch the president's speech very carefully. It will be condition-based as to when U.S. troops come home.

M. O'BRIEN: Conditions based, not chronologically based, key difference there.

Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thank you -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: The Bush administration says withdrawal from Iraq depends on the strength of the Iraqi security forces. We've heard that a lot. Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is live for us in Baghdad this morning.

Nic, good morning to you.

Kind of positive predictions, I think it's fair to say, from the administration about Iraq. How realistic do you think they are?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Well, it really depends on the timeframe that the president lays out, and conditions based is certainly what we're hearing echoed from U.S. commanders here. We hear from those directly involved with the training of the Iraqi army that it's a mixed ability that the Iraqi army has at the moment. It's leadership-based for them. Some leaders are good, some leaders aren't. And for that reason, some units are ready to fight, others take a lot longer in training. So it's conditions-based that's going to reflect probably get quite a positive reception from some of the commanders we talked to on the ground here. A lot of field officers feel that if the U.S. troops are pulled out too precipitously, the Iraqis really aren't ready to step in and fill that vacuum in a lot of areas, and that would create greater instability in the country.

So I think a conditions based is what U.S. commanders here in the field would like to hear. I think as far as the Iraqi army members are concerned in the field here, they do want to step up, if you will, and do it, but it takes a long, long time to train an army. And one of the things is getting those leadership figures, getting the officers. We hear now that the recruitment has gone out to former Iraqi army officers, and almost 2,000 of those were expected to sign up for this new army -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Let's turn the corner and talk a little bit about these four foreign-aide workers who've been kidnapped in Baghdad. Is there an update on their situation, any more details we know?

ROBERTSON: Well, the very latest we have heard about them is a statement from the Christian Peacemaker Teams, which is the organization they worked for. Now, Al-Jazeera television received some video of the four hostages, two Canadians, one 74-year-old retired British medical school professor, and a U.S. national, 54- year-old Tom Fox from Clearbrook, Virginia, a father of two. The statement from the organization says that they don't want this video played. They think that is going to be counterproductive to getting their Peacemaker teams released. They emphasized that these Peacemaker teams have been in the country looking at the human rights abuses that go on here.

I saw one of these teams last year. They were closely investigating how U.S. troops have been handling Iraqi detainees. So the emphasis seems from this organization, is lower the profile and emphasize this sort of human-rights work they've been doing in Iraq -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Nic Robertson with an update for us on what's happening in Baghdad. Thanks, Nic.

A reminder, we're going to have the president's speech for you live at 9:50 a.m. Eastern Time. Obviously that's 6:50 a.m. on the West Coast. We're going to carry that right here on AMERICAN MORNING.

M. O'BRIEN: At the Supreme Court today, the politically explosive question of abortion. AMERICAN MORNING's Bob Franken is live at the Supreme Court this morning.

Good morning, Bob. Tell us about the case.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, all bets may be off as far as the abortion issue is concerned. This is the first case on abortion to be argued before a court with the Chief Justice Roberts. And there's going to be another addition to this team, of a court that is in transition.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN (voice-over): Many who follow the changing justices every twitch believe the abortion-rights implications now go far beyond these cases.

TOM GOLDSTEIN, SUPREME COURT LEGAL ANALYST: This case is really a bellwether for where the supreme court is going to go in terms of limiting Roe versus Wade, and potentially eventually overruling it.

FRANKEN: The more important arguments is over the New Hampshire law, that sets rules for parental notification by minors, 48 hours before an abortion procedure. It permits an exception only for life- and-death considerations. Lower courts have ruled that law is too restrictive.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... to the abortion clinics in your area and create a circus atmosphere...

FRANKEN: The second case concerns the legal tools available to prosecute those who aggressively impede access to family-planning clinics. It's entirely possible that Sandra Day O'Connor, who is here today, will be gone, replaced by the time the court rules. In that case, her vote would not count, and there could be a tie. Then what?

KAREN PEARL, PLANNED PARENTHOOD: Remaining justices have a choice. They can either send the case back to the lower court, and that rule will stand.

FRANKEN: Which would take the New Hampshire law off the books. Or a Supreme Court with a new justice, possibly less favorable to abortion, could decide to hear the same cases again.

JAY SEKULOW, AMERICAN CTR. FOR LAW AND JUSTICE: Which means this will be a first run, almost like a formal moot court or a practice session.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN: It will also mean that when Samuel Alito, the aspiring justice here goes through his confirmation hearings in January, the abortion issue will be even more prominent, if that's possible -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Now let's make this clear for folks, Bob. This doesn't really challenge Roe v. Wade. Still very high stakes, however?

FRANKEN: Very high stakes, because this would significantly alter the restrictions that would be allowed on Roe versus Wade, that is to say parental notification, but there has always been this health exception, now a much more strict one. And the argument is that it would seriously impede Roe, and of course it would give a preview of how the justices are inclined to vote on Roe versus Wade.

M. O'BRIEN: Bob Franken, at the Supreme Court, thanks -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Let's go back to New Orleans and a story that CNN broke last night. Three months since Hurricane Katrina, bodies still laying in a storage room, and they have yet to be identified. The city's coroner says about 200 bodies need DNA testing, and he says the delay is because the state has yet to sign a contract with a DNA- testing company.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. FRANK MINYARD, ORLEANS PARRISH CORONER: So, you know, we have to rely on DNA, and it should have been done, you know, at least started a month ago. But it hadn't been, so now we just have to wait. And the families, of course, are the ones who suffer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

S. O'BRIEN: So far, CNN has not been able to contact Louisiana health officials about the problem; , 086 people died in Louisiana the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Coming up in just a few moments, we're going to talk to the city council president, ask him who he thinks is to be blamed, and what he thinks need to be done with the DNA problem.

(WEATHER REPORT) M. O'BRIEN: Coming up, important news for homeowners. Remember we told you yesterday the housing bubble is bursting? Well, maybe the bubble is being blown back up again. I don't know, I'm so confused now. Andy Serwer will sort this out for us in a moment.

S. O'BRIEN: And then a little bit later this morning, a stunning case right here in the state of New York. A confessed rapist backs out of his plea deal just moments before sentencing. Well, now one of his alleged victim, a 15-year-old girl, says she is ready to confront him in court. Her story is just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Well, one day it looks as if the real estate bubble is bursting, the next day, maybe not so much. A look at that and a preview of the market this morning.

Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business." Why?

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Kind of a case of never mind.

S. O'BRIEN: Never mind!

SERWER: Reports of the death of the housing market appear to be a little bit premature, Soledad. Yesterday we told you the bubble had burst, causing Miles O'Brien to go into a panic. But now it turns out that it may not be the case, because new home sales surged in the month of October, up 13 percent, the highest rate in a dozen years.

We were talking yesterday about existing home sales slipping. Now, this time economists are sort of at a loss actually. They're not quite sure what's going on. They say it's conflicting data, but there are a couple of clues. First of all, mortgage rates have been going up. That mean fence-sitters, deciding what to do, because they want to lock in on a low rate. Also new home sales are a smaller market than existing home sales, but still this is significant. And I think when you have this back and forth on sort of a daily basis it means you really have to look at the bigger picket. And the bigger picture is at some point, the housing market is going to slow down, or it is slowing down.

S. O'BRIEN: But we've been saying that for a long time.

SERWER: We really have. And but at some point, it's going to slow down, and I think we are at the point. You talk to people around the country, that they are seeing activity slowing. I think that is the bottom line here.

S. O'BRIEN: All right. We'll see. Andy, thanks -- Miles.

SERWER: You're welcome. We'll see.

M. O'BRIEN: Of course my place is existing, isn't it, Andy? So that means I'm in trouble.

SERWER: Sorry about that, miles. M. O'BRIEN: All right, well, thanks anyway. Thanks for trying.

SERWER: Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: Coming up, of all things people in New Orleans must wait around for, perhaps this is the most painful. Close to 200 people who died still have not been identified. Three months now it's been. All because of bureaucratic of bungling and red tape. Is anything being done to fix this problem? That's next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: CNN's Drew Griffin broke an important and very sad story last night, the fact that perhaps as many as 200 bodies in a temporary morgue in New Orleans have not yet been identified, despite the fact that many family members who are trying to identify lost loved ones have given samples of DNA in order to perform a DNA test. Well, the DNA tests haven't happened because of bureaucratic red tape. The story is pretty familiar in that respect.

Oliver Thomas is the New Orleans City Council president. He joins us now from New Orleans. We want to talk about this, and just things in general in New Orleans at the three-month mark.

Oliver, good to have you back on the program. This is just -- I can't think of a worse outrage, that these people have had to wait three months. Why is this happening?

OLIVER THOMAS, NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT: Well, I mean, it's really sad. You know, I was glad in one case to learn last night that the federal funds have been received, and we're ready to do the testing, but the testing should have been done already. There are hundreds of families that are waiting for some closure. The storm has already wrecked their lives already. All they want to know, is that their loved ones that are missing, are they at the morgue? They've given their samples. They need this.

This event just doesn't seem to stop. We seem to have one storm after another. And what's more hurtful than to not have some closure, especially when you talk about the loss of a loved one. Tragic.

M. O'BRIEN: People can't wake up from the nightmare there. And who do you blame for this one? Is this a FEMA issue? Is this a state issue? Everybody pointing the fingers at each other like usual?

THOMAS: Well, I'm going to say this is anybody who had the opportunity, who had their hands on this, had an opportunity to fix the issue. You know, this is one of those where, you know, how much more personal can you get? Than when you talk about a loved one sitting in a morgue, you know, you've gone to give your DNA sample already. Also what' needs to do is use the federal funds that are there to match it up to give your family some closure.

M. O'BRIEN: All right, so I don't get it. Why didn't it happen? THOMAS: You know, Miles, I wish I knew. I'm just glad that you guys uncovered this story, so maybe they're watching. Whoever is responsible is watching. They can start swabbing and testing and matching DNA right now, because how much more pain do the people -- you know, we already have Katrina and Rita pain, FEMA pain, Corps, congressional pain. I guess now we have DNA pain.

So, you know, how many more storms are going to hit the people in this region before people realize we are Americans here? You know, you guys did a good job last night talking about how we go back for our own, even if they are dead. We don't leave them on the battlefield. Well, guess what? They're left on the storm field right now; they're just laying there.

M. O'BRIEN: People in your city feel abandoned in so many ways it's hard to tally it up. There was another town hall meeting yesterday. I know you were there. Let's listen just briefly to what people were saying down there.

THOMAS: Yes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're responsible for us. And we don't have nowhere to live here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What does FEMA need to have to put those trailers where the requests were made? Where are they? What is wrong with you? Does it mean that you're that incompetent?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

M. O'BRIEN: Now let's be clear for folks at home who have seen pictures of the French Quarter, and everybody is hoisting a hurricane or whatever. The city is nowhere near back to normal. Huge swathes of the city, no power, no running water, no habitable homes, nobody there at night. And those trailers that we've been talking about since day one still not there.

THOMAS: The trailers haven't arrived yet.

M. O'BRIEN: I can't even imagine the frustration people are feeling at this point. What can we do to get this off the dime?

THOMAS: You know, we're going to, first of all, the city council, we're going to ask that someone comes before the city council and gives a report on what's happening with these bodies and why the DNA tests haven't done. and I think the next thing is going to have to happen, is we're going to have to put out our winter coats, and our jackets, and our long Johns and camp out in D.C. You know, one of the residents suggested it a few weeks ago, but maybe it's the only way. Maybe if we freeze and die on the lawn in front of Congress, maybe, you know, maybe we'll get some attention there.

M. O'BRIEN: I think it's a great idea. Why don't you put it together, Oliver? Why don't you march on Washington, pitch the tents there and say, you know, FEMA, if you want to put the trailers here in the mall, we'll do that.

THOMAS: You know, and that's what is going to have to happen, because, you know, and I keep hearing stories about congressional people who are telling people we know in your industry that we're not doing anything for New Orleans. And I'm not going to say any names or the congress people or senators. But we keep hearing -- they don't think we know people around the country? That they're hearing, like, hey, hey, New Orleans is last month's story. Well, guess what, people are still dying here. There are old people here right now, because of the misery, the pain and neglect that they're expiring right now.

M. O'BRIEN: Final thought here, Oliver. There are huge swathes of the city. It's questionable whether they are ever going to come back. What are your thoughts on that right now? Should there be some hard decisions made now? You know, I called it triage a little while ago, on certain neighborhoods so you can move forward there?

THOMAS: Well, look. The one thing we need to do, the one thing, Miles, we owe it to our citizenry is to put the ball back in their hands where they can make the tough decisions. Let's not keep playing the games with them. If there are areas that we can't afford to rebuild or that where people...

M. O'BRIEN: Let's be honest, that's it. Be honest about it. Don't give people false hope. Tell people -- go ahead.

THOMAS: Commissioner Reese made a comment the other day at one of the meetings, about the reality of what the Corps and the federal government has committed to us. He said, I'm going to be honest, this is all they committed to us. People applauded. People applauded. It's not what they wanted to hear, but they thanked him for being up front, frank and honest. That's what folks want. It puts the ball back into their court so they can make life decisions where they want to live and how they want to live, period.

M. O'BRIEN: Boy, a little honesty. All right, Oliver Thomas, always an honest guy, always a straight-shooter. Thanks for your time, New Orleans city council president joining us from New Orleans.

THOMAS: I'd walk a mile for Miles!

M. O'BRIEN: All right, and we'll see you in Washington maybe. Back with more in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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