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American Morning

Voting Under Way in Iraq

Aired December 15, 2005 - 06:31   ET

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

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Tight security and tense moments too, for today's historic vote in Iraq. We're going to take you there live just ahead this morning.
Icy conditions across the East Coast. That could lead to a very dangerous drive. The whole forecast just ahead.

And is President Bush the one man to answer the big question in the CIA leak investigation? A key player in that case says, yes, he is. We've got details straight ahead this morning on AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: You're watching AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Miles O'Brien.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's now 32 minutes past the hour. And here in New York City, a lot of people are thinking about how they might get to work tomorrow.

S. O'BRIEN: Or not.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: Some people -- you know, they have sent out, companies say, if you can stay home to do your job, stay home if there is a transit strike. So I'll be home.

M. O'BRIEN: OK, I'm in. Let's do a jammy-cam (ph).

S. O'BRIEN: I'm in for that too.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes. I don't think they're going to buy that. So, we'll be walking to work at 4:00 in the morning briskly. Briskly.

S. O'BRIEN: And we'll be watching it. Midnight. Midnight is the deadline. We'll see what happens.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes. We're looking at that. And, of course, a lot of focus this morning. Our lead story is overseas in Iraq. The big question is: What will today's elections mean for security there? A heavy turnout by Sunnis might be seen as a message that they choose democracy over insurgency. Might, we underscore.

Ramadi is a key insurgent stronghold. There was a roadside bombing there earlier as a matter of fact.

Let's take a listen to Nic Robertson, who was working at the time the bomb went off.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: ... by tribal militias. They're (INAUDIBLE) polling stations. That was one of the first big explosions in this city. That's what we're talking about. Anderson, we have to go in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

M. O'BRIEN: Nic Robertson, cool under pressure and under fire, quite literally. He joins us now on the line.

Nic, first of all, how are things going there now?

ROBERTSON: They're going a lot better, Miles. There were a couple of sporadic incidents of mortar fire, of machine gun fire.

In the last hour, there was a call from the imams at the mosques here telling people, God will grant you a great life if you go out and vote. Go out and vote now. This is your last chance.

Of course, this is a complete turnaround from the elections two months ago when many of the religious leaders here told people not to vote.

At the polling station just down the road behind me, one person voted there two months ago. We understand that perhaps 100 or so have turned out so far this time.

And in the west of the city, turnout is very brisk. We're told hundreds of people are turning out there. An atmosphere of celebration (INAUDIBLE) being handed out at those polling stations -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Tell us about security at the polls. As we understand it, some of the tribal leaders themselves are sort of taking it upon themselves to provide security. Is that working out?

ROBERTSON: It does appear to be. That's what we understand so far. They did this in conjunction with the U.S. commanders here. The tribal leaders have a lot of influence. The tribal structure is very strong. When they say we're putting out a force, an armed force to guard the polling stations, the people in this city generally understand that means it is a very strong and potentially lethal force.

We haven't heard of so far today any incidents where this force has been used incorrectly. The police there are not strong, the army not numerous enough to man the polling stations. And putting out the tribal militias, we understand, and certainly U.S. commanders here understand, was really the only way to secure all of these polling stations -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Nic, just harkening back to that little piece of tape there, where you were doing your recording and the roadside explosion there. You know, a lot of Iraqis, I suspect, are like you. They sort of take this all in stride, and maybe that certainly if there were explosions like that in this country a lot of people would be afraid to go vote. Put this in perspective for people.

ROBERTSON: The road behind me, Miles, has a nickname here. It's called "IED Alley." It was incredible when we arrived here last night. The road was full of potholes. U.S. Marines and the U.S. Army were out filling in those holes, because those are the holes where the insurgents put roadside bombs.

On this road on an average day there can be several roadside bombs planted. Some of them will go off. Some will be detected and diffused.

It is normal to have those kinds of bombs outside here. There have been fewer here in the last couple of days. That is believed because the elections are coming. Security has been tighter. And the tribal leaders, the religious leaders have given the nod to insurgents to let the elections go ahead -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. And just a final thought. I noticed you're wearing you helmet now. Is there a heightened concern and risk right now?

ROBERTSON: Miles, I am standing here. U.S. Marines who are on this base here won't stand here. The Iraqis who are here won't stand here. We're here because we want to show you what's happening on the streets of Ramadi. As soon as this live broadcast is over, we move away. This is a very dangerous spot. They come under rocket- propelled grenade fire attack, machine gun attack, mortar attack here on a regular basis. Some contacts, we're told, lasting up to three hours, Miles. We don't do this lightly.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes. Nic Robertson, please, get some shelter, get some safety, and by all means be safe as you give us these reports, as Iraq is in the midst of a historic moment of voting. CNN has special coverage of this turning point on "ANDERSON COOPER 360" live from Iraq all week, 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

He's a brave guy, that Nic Robertson, Carol, I'll tell you.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: He is, and he's cool as a cucumber, isn't he?

M. O'BRIEN: Yes.

COSTELLO: I have the rest of the morning's news now. Thanks, Miles. And good morning to all of you.

President Bush says the decision to go to war in Iraq rests squarely on his shoulders, even though it was partly based on faulty intelligence. The president made the comment during the last of four speeches aimed at getting more Americans behind his Iraq policy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It is true that much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong. As the president, I am responsible for the decision to go into Iraq. And I'm also responsible for fixing what went wrong by reforming our intelligence capabilities. And we're doing just that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: In comments earlier this week, the president said that even knowing what he did now he would make the same decision to remove Saddam Hussein from power.

A 77-year-old convicted hit man has become the oldest person to be executed in the United States since capital punishment was reinstated. John Nixon, Sr. was executed by lethal injection Wednesday in Mississippi. Nixon was convicted for the 1985 murder of a Mississippi woman. He maintained his innocence until the end, claiming one of his sons had carried out the killing.

Get ready for the 2008 presidential election. Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney announcing he will not seek a second term next year, fueling speculation he's testing the waters for a presidential run. Romney wouldn't directly answer questions about his plans. He says he'll spend the year raising money for GOP gubernatorial candidates.

And in Salem, Massachusetts, it could be called a case of mouth- to-snout resuscitation. Firefighters were responding to a house fire when they found an unconscious dog in the home. Instinct took over. The men worked to revive the pup using CPR. Oh, look. The pup is doing just fine. Local veterinarians say mouth-to-mouth for dogs works as long as you can close the mouth and breathe into the nose, so you don't have to open the dog's mouth and, you know, do it like you would a human.

S. O'BRIEN: That's good to know. That could come in handy.

COSTELLO: Well, exactly. But I bet -- the owners of the home are fine, too. I should say that.

S. O'BRIEN: Oh, good.

COSTELLO: Nobody in the house was hurt. And I be they're glad that their doggy is fine.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, I bet they're very grateful to the firefighters who did that. Good work.

COSTELLO: Good work. And it was cold, too, in that part of the country. Jacqui Jeras is in Atlanta to tell us more about the weather countrywide. Good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

S. O'BRIEN: Well, Iraqis across that country are going to the polls today. You saw Ramadi where Nic Robertson was reporting from just a few moments ago. Up next, we're going to take you to Najaf and Falluja. What's happening there? Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Voter turnout is said to be high throughout Iraq, even in some of the traditional trouble spots.

Let's check in this morning on two cities scarred by some of the most intense combat of the war, Falluja, a Sunni stronghold, Najaf, a major Shiite holy place.

Joining us by phone this morning is "Knight Ridder" reporter Leila Fadel in Najaf. We're awaiting to hear from a reporter out of Falluja in just a few moments.

But, Leila, we'll begin with you. How does it look where you are?

LEILA FADEL, "KNIGHT RIDDER": Well, actually people are really happy. They're excited that they're calling this their wedding day. There's comfortableness about going out to vote today. They've done it before twice. They know where to go. They know what to do.

And they've come out really happy, feeling that they've (INAUDIBLE) in a government that's going to serve them for four years and not return to the oppression they had under Saddam Hussein, which was particularly terrible down here.

S. O'BRIEN: Are you seeing big crowds? Are you seeing small groups of people coming to vote? How is it -- excuse me. How is it working?

FADEL: What it is, it's not big crowds, it's people filing in and out really steadily. The government has been busing people to the polls on small Kia (ph) vans. About a thousand are in the city now. People are walking to the polls. They have about 247 polling stations here.

And so what I see is just a steady flow of people going in and out at their leisure, because they know they can now. They have sort of broken into what elections are like, and they know how to do it.

S. O'BRIEN: It sounds like the issues that they're seeing in other parts of the country with violence are not such an issue in Najaf.

FADEL: No, they're not an issue at all. People are taking their small children out. They're pushing their strollers. They want their children to be there, to get their finger and understand the process. It's a very celebratory time for them.

And they've taken extra precautions on the borders. The city has been easy to close off. They have closed a couple of dirt walls -- dirt-built walls. And they have border patrols on the Saudi border. And they've already turned away two suspected terrorists earlier this week.

But it seems everything has been going smoothly. There are no ballot problems.

S. O'BRIEN: How does it feel -- excuse me. How does it feel to you? I mean, is there an overriding sense of enthusiasm? Is there a sense of anxiety? Is there the sense, as we feel -- I think, many people back in this country feel -- like this is a moment, this is a huge moment for the people of Iraq?

FADEL: Yes, it's a huge moment. And you feel it down here, especially because they suffered so much during 1991 through the uprising. And everybody that I have spoken to, save three people, plan to vote for the United Iraqi Coalition, which is the Shia religious coalition of the political parties.

They feel a sense of ownership. They feel like they're finally taking hold of the government that has sort of excluded them for 35 years.

Really, everybody is calling it a celebration. Let's get ready to go to the wedding. That's what I'm hearing over and over again.

And they do have the concerns that everyone else has. They want security. They want jobs. Not everybody is happy. But they feel hopeful, and they feel enthusiastic about the next four years.

S. O'BRIEN: Leila Fadel from "Knight Ridder." Leila, hang on for one second. We've got Jonathan Finer joining us. He's a "Washington Post" correspondent. He's in Falluja.

Jonathan, thanks for joining us by phone. What's it like where you are in Falluja? You heard Leila describe it as a wedding, celebratory. Same thing in Falluja?

JONATHAN FINER, "THE WASHINGTON POST": Well, I don't know about celebratory, but there certainly is a large turnout. Many, many of the polling places here in Falluja have run out of ballots. They've run out of ballot boxes. And they're scrambling to try to get those materials back to those places so that everybody that wants to vote can vote.

Now, Falluja is the one place in Anbar Province, which is the hotbed of the insurgency, where people voted in large numbers last time in October. And it appears that that's going to be the case again today.

S. O'BRIEN: Let me show you a little clip of what we saw from Nic Robertson when he was reporting for Anderson Cooper's broadcast a little bit earlier with violence behind him. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: ... polling stations. That was one of the first big explosions in this city. That's what we're talking about. Anderson, we have to go in.

(END VIDEO CLIP) S. O'BRIEN: He and the team were brought inside because of IEDs exploding sort of right over their shoulders. Are you seeing similar things? Are you seeing a fair amount of violence in Falluja, Jonathan?

FINER: Falluja is very quiet today in terms of security incidents, unlike places like Ramadi, where some of the citizens are not yet behind the political process. In Falluja, for the most part, the political leaders and the religious leaders have encouraged people to vote and have done their best to guarantee the safety of these polling places, which are mostly being guarded by Iraqi police and not U.S. forces who are withdrawing to sort of the security perimeter around these places but not actually going close by. Their theory is so that people won't be intimidated into not voting.

S. O'BRIEN: They've closed the roads across the country. How logistically is it working to bring people to the polling spots and then back home?

FINER: Well, that's been a complaint that a lot of people have had. I talked to an older man who was in his late 60s said that he had to walk five kilometers to get to a polling place, because, as you say, people are not allowed to drive within a lot of the cities today, because of the curfew imposed for security reasons.

But for the most part, at least here, it seems like that level of inconvenience hasn't prevented people from coming out.

S. O'BRIEN: "Washington Post" correspondent Jonathan Finer joining us. Also "Knight Ridder" correspondent, Leila Fadel, as well. Thanks to both of you for an update and some insight of just how it looks as it heads to about 3:00 in the afternoon in Iraq.

A short break. We're back in just a moment. Andy is "Minding Your Business" just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: Andy Serwer is here. Ford downshifts, brakes, puts it in reverse on an important -- that's all of the car analogies I can come up with this morning on an important issue of advertising in gay magazines.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: That's right, Miles. How about Ford caught in the middle of the culture wars?

Last week, we told you that Ford Motor pulled ads for its Land Rover and Jaguar cars from publications, magazines, that caters to gay and lesbians. You can see some of the ads here.

The American Family Association, a Christian organization, had pressured Ford, threatening a boycott if it didn't pull the ads. It did pull the ads. Then it met with gay groups. And now Ford has decided it will advertise in these publications, not only Jaguar and Land Rover, but all eight of its brands.

So, a real turnabout here by the automaker.

M. O'BRIEN: And no comment from the American Family Association.

SERWER: Not yet, but I suspect that they will have something to say about this matter.

M. O'BRIEN: Do you think?

SERWER: I absolutely do.

Let's talk about the markets a little bit. Yesterday a mixed session, but basically a good one on Wall Street. You can see here the Dow up, the S&P up 5 percent now for the year at a four-year high. Kind of Goldilocks scenario. The economy is growing, not too hot, not too cold. Nasdaq pulled down a little bit by Apple, which retreated a bit.

Wall Street bracing for the transit strike that may be coming in New York tomorrow. Wall Street firms are arranging for private transportation and buses. But don't worry. They've got plenty of money to pay for that kind of thing, unlike some of the rest of us.

M. O'BRIEN: But you can't make new concrete to fit all of those cars.

SERWER: Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: It's going to be very...

SERWER: It could be a mess. Plus the bad weather.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes.

SERWER: I'm not really looking forward to it.

S. O'BRIEN: Oh, it's going to be ugly if it happens. No question about it.

SERWER: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: All right, Andy, thank you very much.

SERWER: OK.

M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Andy.

Coming up, Senator Joe Biden will join us from Baghdad. He's there to watch today's historic elections. Does he think voters are being scared away by threats of violence? That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: All right. When you're not watching us, actually simultaneous to watching us...

COSTELLO: Oh, my goodness! People multitask now.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, they do. CNN.com is a good place to be. You know, if you have a question about a story, you can just go right to it and listen to us, back and forth you go, and on and on it goes.

CNN.com today. What's the lead story? Got a guess?

COSTELLO: The Iraqi elections.

S. O'BRIEN: Iraq.

M. O'BRIEN: Excellent, excellent news judgment on both of your part, the Iraq elections.

COSTELLO: Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: Millions going to vote, voting in Iraq. This is for a 275-seat parliament. This is not an interim government. This is the real thing. Reports of violence. Nevertheless, reports of high turnout. Big question: What will the Sunnis do?

Now, among the popular items, the popular items on the list for people to see is the question of toys. Toys that are available or not.

S. O'BRIEN: Is there a hot toy this year? I didn't think so.

M. O'BRIEN: Well, there certainly is the Xbox 360. And I'm still waiting for mine.

S. O'BRIEN: Sorry, I'd like to apologize to our audience...

M. O'BRIEN: If you're listening at the Atomic Power Company (ph) right now.

S. O'BRIEN: ... for raising this.

M. O'BRIEN: But then there's this Amanda thing. What's her name?

S. O'BRIEN: Amazing Amanda.

M. O'BRIEN: Amazing Amanda, who is a chatty Cathy -- a high-tech chatty Cathy. She actually talks to kids, wakes them up. It reminds them it's their birthday, tells them, you know, it's merry Christmas.

COSTELLO: It's like having another child for the parents.

M. O'BRIEN: It is. And requires private school and tuition. So anyway, you can't...

S. O'BRIEN: Just what you need, another kid.

M. O'BRIEN: Can you get this toy? Forget about it. All right. We're going to try to get Hasbro on the line and figure out if we can get these toys.

Now, let's go to Jacqui and see what's going on in the world of weather.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We'll have a complete weather wrap-up coming up on AMERICAN MORNING, which starts now, the next hour.

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