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Wildfire Still Burning in Oklahoma; Explosions in Pakistan a Few Days Before President Bush Visits Capital; Katrina Warnings

Aired March 02, 2006 - 09:00   ET

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

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Miles O'Brien.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Carol Costello, in for Soledad.

O'BRIEN: A deadly ambush in Pakistan. The death of an American there could be a warning meant for President Bush.

A winter storm in the Northeast. The flurry of '06 is what Chad is calling it. We have your severe weather forecast, nevertheless.

Wildfires in Oklahoma send hundreds fleeing from their homes.

COSTELLO: The new list of top cars look like bad news for American automakers.

And the Oscar buzz, well, it may be falling on deaf ears all across the country. Why don't they care?

O'BRIEN: We're starting with wildfires in two western states this morning. Dry conditions have firefighters and homeowners concerned.

Take a look at northeast New Mexico. Residents of the farming and ranching community of Miami, New Mexico, spent most of Wednesday in shelters. Firefighters have contained all of about 20 percent of a 12,000-acre fire.

And near Duncan, Oklahoma, about 90 miles from Oklahoma City, hot spots from one big wildfire still burning there. The fires have destroyed several dozen homes, hundreds of people forced to flee.

Let's go live now to Christopher King, who is in Duncan.

Chris, how is it looking now?

CHRIS KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.

A Duncan spokesman tells us this is the seventh round of wildfires since December. He says these fires are under control. But as you can see, the damage is all around us.

Take a look over here. Charred ground for as far as the eye can see.

Officials say about 7,000 acres of grassland have been scorched, hot spots are all around. The fire came about this close over here. If we can swing the camera over here to this home, about 50 feet away.

Now, these folks were lucky over here. Their home didn't get touched. But dozens of homes have been destroyed or badly damaged.

More than 500 people have been evacuated. Most are back in their homes now.

Two firefighters are injured. One was medevaced to a hospital. Now, he's in serious and guarded condition.

A Duncan spokesman says that they believe that arson may be at work here. One person is in custody and police are looking for another person -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you very much, Chris.

Chris King in Duncan, Oklahoma -- Carol.

COSTELLO: It's dry and windy in the Midwest, but winter weather is racing back across the East Coast. We've been talking about the snow and the ice coming down right now.

Chad is in the severe weather center in Atlanta to bring us up to date -- hey.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Let's take a look at the headlines now. Kelly Wallace is in the newsroom.

Good morning, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Carol.

And hello, everyone.

A convicted serial killer in New Jersey is facing his victims' families this morning. Charles Cullen is being sentenced for 22 killings in New Jersey. You're looking at live pictures right now of that courtroom. His sentencing hearing is taking place and getting under way right as we speak.

The former nurse injected his victims with lethal doses of medication. A plea deal saved Cullen from the death penalty. And he's expected to be sentenced to life in prison.

A bomb ripping through a market in Baghdad. It's one of several attacks across Iraq today. At least 16 people have been killed. And there has definitely been an uptick in violence since that Shia mosque was attacked last week. More criticism about the handling of Hurricane Katrina. This after the reemergence of footage and new transcripts of FEMA briefings in the days leading up to and the day of the disaster.

They show President Bush and top officials being warned about possible levee breaches. They also show former FEMA head Michael Brown warning that there weren't enough disaster teams at the Superdome.

And the group responsible for the biggest cash heist in British history includes a used car salesman. That's right. He is one of three people who appeared in court earlier today. Prosecutors want them all held without bail.

About $92 million was nabbed at gunpoint from a cash depot last week. Police expect more suspects to be charged.

That gets you caught up. Now back to Miles and Carol.

O'BRIEN: Thank you very much, Kelly.

In Karachi, Pakistan, a pair of explosions today. A U.S. diplomat one of four people killed two days before President Bush is scheduled to visit the country.

Mike Chinoy reports from the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE CHINOY, CNN SR. ASIA CORRESPONDENT: It was just after 6:00 in the morning local time when a car bomb went off in the parking lot of the Marriott hotel, behind the Marriott, just at the gate for the U.S. consulate in Karachi. There was a second explosion. Authorities aren't clear if it was a second bomb or if it was the fuel tank of another car blown, triggered by that first explosion.

The latest information is four dead, including one American diplomat. Dozens injured. Deaths both at the Marriott hotel and the U.S. consulate.

This explosion, two explosions, took place in one of the most heavily-secured areas of Karachi. The Marriott, of course, a luxury hotel frequented by foreigners.

The consulate itself has been a target of attack in the past. The car bomb in (INAUDIBLE) left nearly (INAUDIBLE) people dead.

But security is not foolproof, even though cars and those going in are checked. It's not that hard to hide explosives inside a vehicle. It's widely believed that it may have been a suicide attack, but authorities aren't sure now.

All this coming just before the president comes here to Pakistan, heightening concerns about security for his visit -- Adrian (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Mike, do authorities have any idea who would be responsible for an attack like this? And how did the bombers manage -- you mentioned the security that's in place around the hotel. How did they manage to get so close to it? Is it because it's at the back of the hotel and most of the security is at the front near the consulate?

CHINOY: No one has claimed responsibility...

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And we're going to bail out of that right now. What you were hearing is CNN International, the anchor there. But you got the gist from Mike Chinoy's report about that attack in Pakistan.

President Bush, by the way, says he's not being scared off by the attack. The president, in New Delhi for a meeting with India's prime minister, says the bombings show the war on terror must continue.

Let's get more now on the president's Asian trip. CNN's Elaine Quijano in New Delhi this morning.

Hello, Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.

That's right, President Bush is still heading to Pakistan, but it's interesting to note, Carol, just a short time ago White House officials leased the official schedule for the next day. And what it shows is that President Bush is actually going to be overnighting in Pakistan.

That's something that we didn't know before. And officials say they were doing that intentionally, trying to keep the information about the timeframe for the president's Pakistan visit vague because of security concerns.

Now, as you mentioned, though, President Bush saying he is determined to continue on with his visit. He will not be deterred. He says that the bombing shows that the war on terrorism is continuing and that countries have to come together to support the terrorist effort -- the anti-terrorism effort.

Now, he says that his determination, in fact, to hunt down and bring terrorists to justice has not wavered one bit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My resolve has never been stronger about protecting our own people by working with other nations to answer the call to history. And the call to history now is to stand strong in the face of these terrorist attacks. And we will.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: And a big part of the reason why President Bush feels it's so important to go on to Pakistan and meet with Pakistan's leader, Pervez Musharraf, is because Musharraf is facing some intense opposition and pressure from inside Pakistan, people who feel he is too close, in fact, to the United States. But the president wants to make sure that Pervez Musharraf is a strong ally and that Pakistan continues to be an ally the U.S. can count on in a terrorism fight -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And it's also important that he go because of this nuclear deal reached between the United States and India.

Tell us about that.

QUIJANO: Well, it certainly is controversial, Carol, because critics say what it's doing is essentially rewarding India for what they see as bad behavior. Now, what are they talking about? Well, India, for some time, has said that it won't sign on to the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, and that has people concerned.

Nevertheless, what this deal does is it allows the United States to share nuclear know-how and fuel with India for civilian nuclear energy purposes. It also means that India will have to separate out its military and its civilian nuclear programs and also work through the IAEA essentially to ensure safeguards are in place.

The Bush administration says despite the criticism, that this is a sign of progress. They hope that it will encourage India to perhaps scale back its nuclear weapons program -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Elaine Quijano, live in New Delhi, India, this morning.

Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Some new questions about the government's Katrina response. Transcripts of a FEMA video teleconference seem to show there was a lot of talk but very little action, subsequently. We'll go live to Washington.

COSTELLO: Also, cruise ships housing Katrina victims are about to ship out, leaving some people homeless. And what's worse, those ships don't even have to leave yet.

O'BRIEN: And the last thing you want to worry about when you have to check into a hospital is your safety. Coming up, some tips on protecting yourself from medical errors.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: More questions about crisis management for the Bush administration. As Hurricane Katrina churned toward the Gulf Coast, was it all talk without any action?

CNN's Bob Franken of AMERICAN MORNING fame live in Washington now. Bob, what can you tell us?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the critics are saying that the reemergence of these tapes shows that, while there were an awful lot of meetings, there was not enough coordination.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BUSH: I want to assure the folks at the state level that we are fully prepared.

FRANKEN (voice over): The president's reassurances as Hurricane Katrina roared closer to shore were in sharp contrast to the warnings he was getting.

MAX MAYFIELD, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: I don't think anybody can tell you with any confidence right now whether the levees will be topped or not. But that's obviously a very, very grave concern.

FRANKEN: In the months of recrimination, the administration insisted it had insufficient warning. There was, as the Homeland Security director has since put it, the fog of war, obscuring chaos on the ground.

MICHAEL BROWN, FMR. FEMA DIRECTOR: Kind of gross here, but I'm concerned about MDMS and medical and demort assets and their (INAUDIBLE) respond to a catastrophe within a catastrophe.

I don't by the fog of war defense. In fact, if anything, there was a fog of bureaucracy.

FRANKEN: The president's defenders insist that these tapes which have been seen before demonstrate that he was not, as often depicted, out of the loop, but fully engaged at all times, as a White House spokesman put it. Others, however, see and hear something quite different.

MAYOR RAY NAGIN (D), NEW ORLEANS: Well, the realization that there was full awareness prior to the storm, and that there was a promise to do whatever it took. And I did not see that executed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN: I spoke just a moment ago with White House spokesman Trent Duffy, and he said -- quoting now -- "The administration did everything it could before landfall. Maybe it wasn't enough, but there were more federal preparations than ever before in a storm" -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Well, let's put this against some comments that officials made on the morning Katrina hit. It stands in contrast, doesn't it?

FRANKEN: As a matter of fact, these transcripts do provide some new information. And they shed some light on what almost sounded like some high fives with the emergency management officials from Louisiana and the federal government. You'll remember later they were at each other's throats, but they were giving each other congratulations, words like "outstanding," "excellent job," that kind of thing.

And the governor of Louisiana saying, "We have not breached the levees at this point in time." Of course, that was information that proved to be incorrect.

O'BRIEN: Bob Franken in Washington.

Thank you -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Those cruise ships that have been home to thousands of Hurricane Katrina victims are now shipping out. But do they have to?

CNN's Susan Roesgen went looking for answers as to why a bad situation was being made worse. What she found out may surprise you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): These are the few possessions New Orleans police officer Ed Perkins has left. He lost his home in the hurricane, and he spent the last five months on one of the two cruise ships docked on the Mississippi River.

FEMA has forced Perkins and other Katrina evacuees to leave those ships, saying it has provided them with other housing. Yet, Officer Perkins got stuck with a FEMA trailer that doesn't have electricity. Now he has a FEMA-paid hotel room until March 16. After that, he doesn't know where he'll go.

ED PERKINS, NEW ORLEANS POLICE: Some stability. Give me some idea of where I'm going to be a year from now, 10 years from now, 20 years from now. That's what I want. I don't need to be moving from pillar to post.

ROESGEN: Early on, more than 4,000 Katrina evacuees, including most of the New Orleans Police Department, were housed on the ships. Now, FEMA says its contracts with the ships has expired and the ships will set sail on regular cruises in a few weeks. But CNN has learned that the ships don't have to leave so soon.

(on camera): FEMA says that it's ending its emergency housing program and these ships will sail away. But that is not the whole story. It turns out that FEMA had the option of letting these ships stay three more months but chose not to.

And I talked to the owner of the third ship in this area, the one in St. Bernard Parish, where people are desperate for housing. He tells me that he would be happy to let that ship stay there, but FEMA has ordered him to move it out.

David Passey has been coordinating FEMA's emergency housing response in the New Orleans area.

(on camera): Couldn't FEMA let this ship stay for three more months since it isn't going to sail for three months? DAVID PASSEY, FEMA REPRESENTATIVE: The emergency housing mission is transitioning. And we will continue to work to provide housing solutions to every resident of St. Bernard Parish who is still in need.

ROESGEN: Why doesn't FEMA just let this ship stay, David?

PASSEY: You know what? I don't -- the ship is, again, contracted through the Military Sealift Command. And at this time, we believe that it's a time to move toward interim housing solutions. Not to continue this emergency housing mission.

ROESGEN (voice over): A federal judge is considering a request by 23 evacuees to stop the ship from leaving. They say it had become a lifeboat for St. Bernard Parish, providing not only housing, but also meals and medical care. Parish leaders are backing that request, saying they want to put hundreds of people back on the boat because 9,000 parish evacuees still don't have FEMA trailers.

Susan Roesgen, CNN, New Orleans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: So, what about that cruise ship in St. Bernard Parish? Well, it's sitting empty right now while a judge considers the case. A decision is expected by Friday. Of course, we'll tell you what that is.

"House Call" is coming up next. Today, tips on avoiding dangerous medical errors when you go to the hospital.

And later, Hollywood versus the heartland.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the bible belt. We're still looking for movies that have creative substance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: We'll look at why middle America isn't buying what Hollywood is selling.

That's just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

EMILY STOECKER, VICTIM'S DAUGHTER-IN-LAW: My child has grown up here...

O'BRIEN: These are live pictures now from Somerville, New Jersey, as victims' families of the so-called killer nurse, Charles Cullen, who has confessed to numerous killings, 29 murders, in fact, when he was working as a nurse, face off against the victims' families in the context of his sentencing.

Let's listen for just a moment.

STOECKER: A little girl faced with challenges we could never imagine has been made to feel forgotten and abandoned all because of the crimes of one pathetic little man, as her mother having to watch her attempt in her own way to deal with such confusion and sorrow has harmed me. And god knows it has harmed her.

Mr. Cullen's killings gave mercy to no one. They didn't end pain or ease suffering. His senseless murders caused harm to more than just the people who died. The victims who suffered the greatest damage may be his own children.

Mr. Cullen has used them as both weapon and shield to suit his twisted needs. They will forever carry the name and the legacy and shame of a serial killer father. They didn't deserve what he has done. Only Mr. Cullen should pay the price for his failures and crimes, not the innocent.

So the three of us will forever miss and grieve Eleanor Stoecker, also known as "Ma" and "Grandma Po" (ph). We will leave today content in the knowledge that finally the waste of life known as Charles Cullen will be in prison.

Justice on this side of heaven has been done. The courts have spared the life of Charles Cullen, though in prison others may wish to play god over Mr. Cullen as he has done so many.

After today we will finally toss aside his name and face like the garbage he is and we will focus on the life, legacy and sweetest memories of Eleanor Stoecker.

Your honor, thank you again for allowing me to speak and to finally after three very long, painful years say these three victorious words: Goodbye, Charles Cullen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: That's one of the victims' daughters. Charles Cullen pleaded guilty to -- in the deaths of at least 29 patients who he deemed to be very ill and who he administered lethal doses of medications over the course of the years, although there has been some indication, Cullen has indicated there might have been as many as 40 people who died at his hand.

He's been sentenced to life in prison, as you heard that victim's daughter refer to, and he is hearing an earful from various victims' families now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning.

In case he forgets. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My name is Dolores Stacie Yanko (ph), and I represent the family and friends of our dad, Jack Toto (ph). His wife Lillian (ph), my sister Ginnie (ph), his five grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren, our husbands and many friends have honored me by giving me this opportunity to address the court.

We will not dignify the defendant by ever referring to him by his name. He will always be known as "The Monster."

When we first heard the term "victim input statement," we weren't sure what it actually meant. We were told a good statement personalized the victim for court. It also established what was necessary to make the victim whole. Lastly, a good statement brings closure to the victim.

It is said that the heart of the family is the mother. If this is true, then surely the father represents the strength of the family.

How true that was for our father Jack. He was typical yet special in many ethnic -- as many ethnic Americans were. This he did with a simple passion.

As a farmer, and later a mechanic, he worked hard and never complained. He went off to war and fought bravely. He returned home and seldom mentioned this chapter of his life. He was of a generation of heroes who defeated an immense evil and came home to contribute to the colossus that is America.

The years rolled by. He raised his daughters, laughed with his wife, and faithfully prayed to his god. A glass of homemade wine, and watching a ball game on TV were things that contented men like our father.

We proclaim to this honorable court and to the world at large that he was our anchor. He was always there for us. When our beloved mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, he accepted this burden calmly, as he did all others, with dignity and quiet resolution.

We thank you, dad, for everything you represented to us. Rest in peace.

O'BRIEN: We are listening to the sentencing of Charles Cullen, 46 years old, who has pled guilty to 22 murders in New Jersey, three attempts. There are seven other murders that he has pled guilty to. Those in Pennsylvania, sentencing on that, lies ahead.

But this is the opportunity for the victims' relatives to address -- as you just heard, she describes him as "The Monster."

Charles Cullen, 46, serving as a nurse, administering lethal doses of medication to those people as they were in medical facilities.

Allan Chernoff is covering the story for us. Allan is with us right now.

Obviously, a lot of emotion in that courtroom, Allan.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: Miles, the courtroom, which is right behind me on the second floor of the historic courthouse here, is packed with emotion, as well as packed with family members of the 22 victims here in New Jersey. And a great sense of anticipation just before this hearing was to begin because these folks have been waiting, some, more than two years in order to confront Charles Cullen. It's just been steaming inside of them.

Of course, many of these people simply didn't even know that their loved ones had been murdered. They just learned later on after the loved ones had died at the hospital. And also, there was one nursing home involved here. They learned later on that, in fact, it had been a case of murder.

Charles Cullen, the male nurse at these hospitals, usually using digoxin, which is a heart medication, just adding that to I.V. drips. In some cases, actually injecting the patients. And he had at one point said that he was basically serving as an angel of god, an angel of mercy, trying to end suffering. But, in fact, family members have said that some of these patients in fact were on the mend, were doing just fine and were going to come out of the hospital.

So certainly no credibility whatsoever with the claims that Cullen had made previously -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Allan, Cullen faces sentencing in Pennsylvania as well. What is the timeframe on that? And how is that going to work out?

CHERNOFF: Right now it's scheduled for the final day of March. But I did speak with the district attorney in Pennsylvania in charge of that, and he said he's going to try to have that date moved up. But he certainly is expecting that the sentencing in Pennsylvania will occur later this month and that, also, would be another life term for Charles Cullen, all under the plea agreement that had been reached with him.

O'BRIEN: And he would likely -- he would serve out his term, though, in New Jersey? Is that how it's going to go?

CHERNOFF: Right. Well, obviously, this is a life term, and if you want to get into a technicality, he would not be eligible for parole for 127.5 years.

O'BRIEN: OK.

CHERNOFF: So Charles Cullen will be spending the rest of his life in a New Jersey prison.

O'BRIEN: Allan Chernoff, who is in Somerville, New Jersey, thank you.

Back with more in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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