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CNN Live Today

President Bush Visits India, Afghanistan; Port Security Deal; Katrina: Six Months Later

Aired March 01, 2006 - 11:00   ET

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

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Checking some of the stories "Now in the News."
Just moments ago on Capitol Hill, the Senate voted to renew parts of the Patriot Act that are scheduled to expire on March 10. The vote was 81-18, and quick approval is also now expected in the House.

And right now, lawmakers are getting ready to hear from Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. He is addressing a joint meeting of Congress. The Italian leader is a staunch U.S. ally on Iraq, and this trip to the States is seen as a "thank you" by President Bush.

Now, in Baghdad, Saddam Hussein's trial is adjourned until March 12 after day of more riveting evidence. Prosecutors spent the day presenting documents they say linked the former Iraqi dictator and his co-defendants to the deaths of more than 140 people back in the early 1980s. Among those documents, execution orders said to have been signed by Saddam Hussein.

In New Orleans, the party is over and the cleanup begins. Mardi Gras drew to a close at midnight. And as usual, revelers filled the city's famed French Quarter on the final day of the Carnival season. But with so much of New Orleans still in ruins after Hurricane Katrina, the crowds were much smaller than usual.

Looking pretty big in those pictures, though.

Northwest Airlines and its workers are awaiting a critical ruling from a bankruptcy judge. And it's expected anytime now, even in this hour.

A judge is expected to tell the struggling airliner whether it can impose pay cuts and work rules on both pilots and flight attendants. Northwest pilots are threatening to strike if things do not go their way.

Welcome and good morning to CNN LIVE TODAY.

It's 11:00 a.m. in Washington; 9:30 p.m. in New Delhi, India.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Carol Lin, in for Daryn Kagan.

Now, first, the president is on the road this hour with a surprise up his sleeve. Air Force One makes a detour for an unannounced stop in Afghanistan. The president meets the Afghan leader and predicts Osama bin Laden will be captured.

And on to India, where a sea of largely Muslim protesters greet Mr. Bush in New Delhi.

So we begin in India, where the president arrived less than two hours ago. Senior International Correspondent Satinder Bindra joins me live from New Delhi, where it is now late evening.

Satinder, what kind of a welcome is the president going to get?

SATINDER BINDRA, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, he's got the highest possible honor. When Air Force One touched down here in New Delhi, as you mentioned, just about two hours ago, the Indian prime minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, and his wife, Mrs. Gursharan Kaur, were there to receive the president and the first lady. The president and the first lady have now arrived at their hotel here in New Delhi.

Earlier in the day, even before the president touched down, there were large protests in New Delhi. According to a police official, 100,000 protesters, mainly Muslims, took to the streets.

These protesters were carrying placards and shouting slogans, "Death to Bush! Bush go home! Bush, you are a global terrorist!"

Carol, we expect these protests to continue tomorrow and, indeed, the day after tomorrow, when the president travels to the southern Indian city of Hyderabad.

As for business tomorrow, the Americans and Indians will try to stitch together a historic nuclear agreement.

Back to you.

LIN: Satinder, to the Indian people, which is more important to them? What are they most interested in hearing from the president, either a nuclear deal, or the complaints by American workers that jobs are being sent to India by American corporations?

BINDRA: Well, as you can imagine, the view in India on outsourcing is quite different. A majority of Indians don't believe as many in the U.S. do that Indians are "stealing U.S. jobs."

What the Indians really would like to hear from the U.S. president is some sort of confirmation of India's growing economic status, the fact that India is now a serious global player. And, of course, as far as Indian authorities are concerned, they desperately need alternative sources of energy to continue to ensure that the Indian economy grows at 8, 9 percent a year.

So if this nuclear deal is signed tomorrow, then what it will ensure for India and the future is a reliable source of nuclear fuel and nuclear reactors from the United States. So many, many people here are hopeful of that happening -- Carol.

LIN: All right, Satinder. Thank you very much for setting the stage for us there out of New Delhi.

President Bush spent just a few hours in Afghanistan before his trip to India nearly four and a half years after the U.S. chased the Taliban from power. The country still has major security problems, though. In fact, a top U.S. military officials admits insurgent attacks are on the rise and the violence, he says, is the greatest threat to the government at any point since late 2001.

Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre just left Afghanistan. He joins me now from Brussels, where he is was heading towards NATO headquarters.

Jamie, how big a threat is the insurgent violence there in Afghanistan?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was interesting. We're back here in Brussels, the headquarters of NATO, of course. And I just came back with a -- from a three-day inspection tour with General James Jones, the top NATO commander who was in Afghanistan just before President Bush's surprise visit.

Of course, Bush arriving in Bagram Air Base and then traveling to the capital of Kabul to meet with the president, Hamid Karzai. Coming at a time when, as you said, attacks are on the rise. And it's not just that the number of attacks are up, but the tactics involved include some suicide bombers and roadside bombs similar to what is seen in Iraq.

Nevertheless, as we accompanied patrols around Kabul and other parts of Afghanistan, it mostly looked calm. But you could tell from the defensive posture of the troops that they were concerned about the threat.

No one described the areas as safe or peaceful, but merely calm and free of violence at various times. But the idea that the kind of violence that is racking Iraq is something that's going to happen in Afghanistan was rejected in an interview that I got with General Jones as he took me around the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: You are seeing more roadside bombs, more suicide attacks.

GEN. JAMES JONES, SUPREME NATO COMMANDER: Yes.

MCINTYRE: Those are the tactics that the insurgents in Iraq had used. So why won't they have the same effect here that they're having in Iraq?

JONES: Well, I think time will tell. I don't think that the Taliban and al Qaeda, which are generally the ones who use those kinds of tactics, are going to be successful in turning the people against the government here. I just think that they already moved beyond that -- beyond that in their -- in their view of the future and what they want in this country. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Now, General Jones does say that they expect there to be an increase in violence in the spring as NATO troops move into the south to take responsibility of the area bordering Pakistan, an area where the Taliban has been somewhat resurgent and quite active. And they expect in the springtime, when the weather gets better, they're going to see those NATO troops challenged by some of the Taliban and al Qaeda forces. But General Jones insists that the -- there isn't the same kind of ethnic split in Afghanistan as there is in Iraq with the Sunni and Shia and that the prospects for the Taliban being able to destabilize Afghanistan, he thinks, are small.

Nevertheless, they have some significant challenges this year, particular as the Afghan government forces try to eradicate some of the opium crop, the poppy seed, the poppy crop. It is a big driver behind a lot of the violence here as narco trafficking is one of the major problems faced by Afghanistan -- Carol.

LIN: Right. And for many tribal families that's what puts food on the table right away. Jamie, thank you.

Now, back here in the United States, the Homeland Security secretary talks about his concerns about port security during a hearing under way on Capitol Hill. Live pictures right now of Michael Chertoff, who is testifying about his department's budget. Now, he says port security is a priority for the department.

Congressional Correspondent Ed Henry following developments on the Hill this morning. He joins us live.

Ed, there was word, a memo from the Coast Guard indicating the Coast Guard has specific concerns about transferring authority over to this Arab-based company. Has Michael Chertoff addressed that yet in this hearing?

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Not specifically. But, you know, that memo has raised a lot of eyebrows on Capitol Hill, not just among Democrats like Joe Lieberman, who you saw pressing Michael Chertoff right there, but also the chairwoman of this committee, Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, of course, a port state. She has pointed out that there were a lot of red flags raised by the Coast Guard, so-called intelligence gaps that were mentioned in that memo about personnel that would be hired by this company, DP World, as well as foreign influence on U.S. ports.

And what's quite interesting is that over the last couple of days we've heard various Bush officials insisting that there was not a lot of significance to this memo, that, in fact, they knew about these concerns that had been raised early in the process in regards to the port deal. And Bush officials have been saying that they addressed those concerns so this is really old news.

But, in fact, yesterday, at another congressional hearing, a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, Michael Chertoff's number two, Michael Jackson, at the Department of Homeland Security, admitted under questioning that he had not seen this Coast Guard memo before he OK'd the deal, and also said now in retrospect he wishes he had seen that memo. So it seems to contradict slightly what other officials have been saying.

Michael Chertoff again reiterating today that he does not believe there should be major security concerns about this port deal, but that's not quieting critics up here in both parties.

Take a listen to Democrat Ed Markey.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ED MARKEY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Al Qaeda has said that they want as their highest priority to detonate a nuclear device inside an American city. The easiest way to bring it in right now is on a ship from a port where the cargo hasn't been inspected into a major city in the United States.

That's why this is such a critical issue. But it's part of a pattern where, whether it be chemical plants, nuclear plants, cargo, airlines, the Bush administration has allowed the industries to decide how much security is provided for the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Those are the kinds of questions that Michael Chertoff is really getting at this hearing since it's not just about the narrow issue of the port deal. It's really a hearing about his overall budget for the upcoming fiscal year at the Department of Homeland Security.

This overall port deal has really raised a lot of concerns and raised the broader issue among lawmakers in both parties about just how safe U.S. ports are -- Carol.

LIN: All right. Ed, thank you so much for bringing that to us.

Coming up, a symbol in sequins. Whatever happened to the case of the girl in the rebel flag dress?

Plus, six months later, their story is not forgotten. How are these little girls doing now? And what's happening next for them?

And later, a presidential trip to India, where the labor is cheap and the jobs are plentiful. We're going to look at the world's largest democracy and its relationship with the United States.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: All right. Here's what's happening on the docket today with some of our legal stories. For example, we're talking about -- oh, I'm sorry. We're going to Capitol Hill.

There you're seeing the prime minister of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, addressing Congress. He is here to visit, a state visit, to see President Bush before he left on his trip to India. And today he is addressing members of Congress.

Italy a strong supporter of the United States' war against terror. But this visit comes right before the Italian elections and this visit is seen by some pundits as a "thank you," a pat on the back to a dear friend, Berlusconi, who is up for reelection.

And now let's take a look at some of our legal briefs.

We had word about Lionel Tate and his latest trouble with the law. In the last hour, we learned that he will be sent back to prison for perhaps as much as 10 to 30 years. He made a deal with prosecutors, and that Florida teen pleaded guilty this morning in the armed robbery of a pizza delivery man. His sentencing is next month.

You might recall Tate was only 12 years old when he was convicted of killing a 6-year-old girl. But that conviction was overturned and he was placed on probation on a lesser charge.

Now, for 15 Cubans who arrived at an abandoned bridge in the Florida Keys in January, there is now hope after weeks of despair. U.S. officials claim the bridge was not part of American soil, and the Cubans were sent back to Cuba. A judge in Miami has now ruled they were sent back illegally and he has ordered U.S. officials to do whatever they can to help them return to the U.S.

Now, in a case involving the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment, a former high school student in Kentucky has reached an out-of-court settlement with her school over a battle involving the confederate flag. Jacqueline Duty (ph) sued school officials for $50,000 after they barred her from the school prom for wearing a dress styled like the American flag. Neither side is revealing details of that deal.

Now, what do you know about the First Amendment? Well, if you are like most citizens, not a whole heck of a lot.

A survey finds just one in a thousand Americans can name the five First Amendment rights, but 20 times as many people can name the five members of the animated Simpsons family. The First Amendment gives you freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition.

As Bart Simpson once learned the hard way, the First Amendment doesn't cover burping. Some Americans thought it did give you the right to drive or even own pets. But then again, the Constitution does not have its own show.

Now, one bawdy radio personality may be in hot water again.

Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange with the latest.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin comes out on top in a new poll about the response to Hurricane Katrina. Now, current New Orleans residents were contacted in a CNN-"USA Today"-Gallup poll, and 54 percent say the approve of the way the mayor handled Katrina. Half approve of the response by the New Orleans Police Department. And only a third approve of Governor Kathleen Blanco's performance.

Just 23 percent gave President Bush a positive rating. FEMA was at the bottom of the list.

Now, cleaning up from the devastation from Hurricane Katrina has been a slow process. The acting director of FEMA says recovery will take time. He's also looking ahead to the upcoming hurricane season.

David Paulison was a guest on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID PAULISON, ACTING FEMA DIRECTOR: Those neighborhoods have been absolutely just totally devastated. This is not something that's going to come back in just a few months. We're talking about years before a lot of these communities are going to be back where they need to be.

What these people need to do is to make sure they pay attention when hurricane season comes. We have a lot of people in mobile homes. Over 90,000 families are in travel trailers, mobile homes. And those have to be evacuated even at a Category 1 storm. So we're working with the state and working with the city to make sure that we have adequate evacuation plans in place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Now, Paulision says the Army Corps of Engineers thinks the levees in New Orleans will be ready by the start of hurricane season.

Now, some residents forced to leave New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina don't plan to return. When the St. Cyr family settled in Beaumont, Texas, six months ago they weren't sure they would go back. Now they are.

Kelly Wallace has their story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Talk to the littlest members of the St. Cyr family of New Orleans, eight-year- old Leda and six-and-a-half year old Kristen and they'll tell you one of their biggest adjustments to life in Beaumont, Texas.

(on camera): Do you like sharing a room?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, not really, because she's messy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you're a neat freak.

WALLACE (voice-over): We first met the St. Cyrs back in September after they evacuated New Orleans and moved in with 12 other family members before renting a place of their own.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I miss my little room.

WALLACE: Six months later, Denise St. Cyr says she doesn't hear too many complaints.

DENISE ST. CYR, KATRINA EVACUEE: Except every now and then from Kristen, I'm ready to go home! I don't want to stay anymore! I want to go home!

WALLACE: Denise and her husband have tried to keep life as normal as possible for the girls, no easy task, since back home Denise's work schedule as a pharmacist never changed.

ST. CYR: There are some things we can't do. Play dates are kind of difficult because my schedule is not the same.

WALLACE: They have kept purchases in their temporary home to a minimum, planning to buy what they need when they return home. However, at Christmas, they splurged, renting furniture for the holidays so the girls would see something besides a Christmas tree in the house.

ST. CYR: The girls enjoyed Christmas. They had a good time.

WALLACE: But it's been tough going. They were in Beaumont only about a month before they had to pack their bags again, this time for Hurricane Rita.

ST. CYR: That's the only thing I kept saying; it wasn't as bad as what we went through with Katrina.

WALLACE: Katrina pretty much destroyed the St. Cyr's new home in New Orleans. They moved in just one month before the hurricane hit. Because of all the water and the mold, the house had to be gutted. Denise's dad, back in New Orleans, showed us around.

ROY MARRERO, DENISE'S FATHER: The damage is severe. It's like rebuilding another house all over again, only from about halfway down.

WALLACE: Despite feeling frustrated about the pace of rebuilding in New Orleans...

ST. CYR My children fuss at me, to say, mommy, why are you screaming that radio?

WALLACE: This New Orleans native is anxious to get back. Her biggest concern, how her girls will adjust.

ST. CYR: When they left, things were a certain way. And when they're coming back, it's going to be different. They just don't realize how different.

WALLACE (on camera): You looking forward to going back?

LEDA ST. CYR, KATRINA EVACUEE: Yes, somewhat. I don't how it's going to be to leave Texas, though, when I've been there for a year.

WALLACE: Another adjustment for two young evacuees. At least they won't have to share a room anymore.

Kelly Wallace, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Coming up, you have heard the accusations, Americans are losing jobs to India. So what is really the truth about outsourcing? We're going to check the facts as the president visits the world's largest democracy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Well, spring may be on the way to some parts of the country, but not everywhere -- Jacqui.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LIN: All right. The uproar over outsourcing. A business built in America but thriving in India. What does it mean for American companies and the American worker? A closer look straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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