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Zarqawi's Death; Why Haven't U.S. Forces Been Able to Capture or Kill Osama Bin Laden?

Aired June 09, 2006 - 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: More of our extensive coverage of Zarqawi's death now. John Vause live in Baghdad. Kathleen Koch, standing by at the White House.
Let's start in Baghdad with John.

Hello, John.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.

Well, there has been a traffic ban put in place for the last four hours. It's coming to an end here in Baghdad. And also, the city of Baquba north of here. It appears to have been very effective. It's going on just after 3:00 here now and a very, very quiet day here so far, not just here in Baghdad, but also in Baquba. They've used these traffic bans before, most recently in February, after a Shiite mosque was bombed and also during the elections last December. The equation is fairly simple: If there are no cars on the road, there can be no suicide car bombings. It appears to have worked -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: John, tell us about the possibility there are concerns that the insurgency is going to refocus and sort of start aiming once again at U.S. troops in retaliation?

VAUSE: Well, the big concern, of course, is that al Qaeda in Iraq will quickly elect a new leader. They have a name, according to U.S. military, Abu Al-Masri. He's Egyptian born. He was Zarqawi's lieutenant. He is an expert in making IEDs. He came to Baghdad in 2002 and set up an al Qaeda cell in a Baghdad neighborhood.

Now, this insurgency, everyone is saying, will not come to an end, and there is a distinction between the foreign fighters, who were being led by Zarqawi, who mostly targeted Shiites in the hope of fostering some kind of civil war, and then there is a homegrown insurgency, which has been the bulk of the violence, which has always been pretty much focused on the U.S. and the multinational forces. No one is expecting that violence to decrease any time soon.

There is, of course, this fear that with Zarqawi dead, it could refocus the insurgent groups together and focus their firepower back towards the coalition forces. That is one of the concerns. But we are hearing today from the Iraqi government that they are hoping that with Zarqawi out of the picture, this could be some kind of new dawn. The new prime minister, Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki, was writing in "The Washington Post." He said, quote, "We believe we will soon reach a tipping point in our battle against the terrorists as Iraqi security services increase in size and capacity, taking more and more responsibility away from the multinational forces."

But you have to remember, Miles, Iraqis been down this road before. Remember when Saddam was captured back in 2003, the brief flurry of optimism. There are fears, of course, that this will be a repeat of three years ago -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: John Vause in Baghdad, thank you very must have -- Soledad.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We are expecting to hear more from President Bush in just a few hours about the future of Iraq now that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is out of the way.

CNN's Kathleen Koch live for us at the White House.

Good morning to you, Kathleen.

The president, I thought, yesterday fairly subdued. Do you expect the same thing today?

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We certainly do, Soledad. You know, we were told there are no high fives here at the White House yesterday. We do expect to see a similar low key tone from President Bush later this morning when he makes a joint press appearance before reporters at Camp David with the prime minister of Denmark. And of course, we expect most of the questions to focus on the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

This -- it's important to point out, this is an administration that, like most administrations, does not like to repeat past mistakes. It was President Bush himself last month in a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Tony Blair where he said that he regretted what some considered his combative tone in the past on the war -- in the war on terror, telling Iraqi insurgents to "bring it on," saying he wanted Osama bin Laden dead or alive. And then in may 2003, there was that infamous banner, "Mission Accomplished," which points the president announced that major combat in Iraq was over, when it was clearly anything but. Democrats used that against the president, so the White House doesn't want that to happen again. Expect to see the president later this morning, again, reminding Americans long, tough road ahead and not announcing any timetable for troop any withdrawals from Iraq -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Now that we are better aware of the timetable, Kathleen, we know there's a bit of a delay in letting the public know that al-Zarqawi was actually confirmed dead. Why do you think that was?

KOCH: Well, Soledad, this is the news that the White House wanted to get right. And though the president notified when he was meeting with lawmakers just back from Iraq that the military believed that they did have Zarqawi, they didn't get the final confirmation until 9:20 Wednesday night, and then, for political reasons, the White House kept it close to the vest. They wanted to let the new Iraqi government make the announcement, and that's something to bolster the new Iraqi prime minister. S. O'BRIEN: Kathleen at the White House for us. Kathleen, thanks.

KOCH: You bet.

Much more on the future of Iraq is coming up at the bottom of the hour. We're going to take you back to Baghdad when we speak live to the U.S. ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Zarqawi's death very quickly led to questions about the whereabouts of that other al Qaeda leader. So why haven't U.S. forces been able to capture or kill Osama bin Laden?

Barbara Starr with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. troops got Abu Musab Al Zarqawi the old fashioned way, tracking tips and assembling intelligence. And that is why 4 1/2 years after the 9/11 attacks it is still so hard to get Osama Bin Laden.

LT. GEN. KARL EIKENBERRY, COMBINED FORCES COMMAND: We will keep after him until one day he is either captured or killed.

STARR: Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry commands 23,000 troops in Afghanistan. But they are not allowed to cross the border into Pakistan where Bin Laden is believed to be sheltered by loyal tribes and Taliban fighters. If there are tips, the U.S. either has to rely on Pakistani troops or armed drones to act on them. So far, neither has worked. Although many Al Qaeda leaders have been taken out. As the hunt has continued, the war in Afghanistan has taken a grim turn.

The U.S. military says, it's fighting an insurgency now here in Afghanistan. And a counterinsurgency campaign they say, could take years to succeed. The Taliban are stronger now than anyone expected. Especially in the south and east along the Pakistan border.

MAJ. GEN. BENJAMIN FREAKLEY, COMBINED JOINT TASK FORCE 76: The fight has not diminished. But they have -- it had time to reorganize, they've had time to recruit more. They've had time to get funding.

STARR: Eikenberry knows that could make getting Bin Laden even tougher. But that's his mission.

EIKENBERRY: We have an obligation to one day either kill or capture Bin Laden for the purpose of justice to the American people and indeed to the entire world for the misery that this man has inflicted. And we keep faith with that.

STARR: Intelligence officials tell CNN they continue to get unverified reports of Bin Laden sightings. If one of those tips ever pans out, the greatest likelihood is that the CIA would quickly launch a predator drone carrying a missile and attempt to kill the world's most-wanted man.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: In Washington, a big deal on a big package of spending. House and Senate lawmakers shaking hands on a measure to spend several billion dollars of our money. More than $70 billion earmarked for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Almost $20 billion for recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Almost $1.2 billion for security along the U.S. border, including the hiring of 1,000 Border Patrol officers, and $2.3 billion for a possible avian flu outbreak -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson says he's not going to step down. Jefferson, of course, at the center of a bribery investigation. Last month, you'll recall the FBI raided Jefferson's office. Congressional leaders say that search violated the separation of powers and was unconstitutional.

And now some Democrats are calling on Jefferson to give up his seat on the Ways and Means Committee.

Let's get right to Andrea Koppel. She's on Capitol Hill for us this morning.

Hey, Andrea, good morning.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, good morning, Soledad.

Well, for weeks now, there has been a battle brewing between House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Jefferson. Last month, Pelosi even went so far as to release a letter that she had written to Jefferson demanding that he temporarily step aside from his committee membership while he was being investigated.

But last night, Pelosi failed to win the support of the majority of House Democrats for such a move. In fact, after the meeting, the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus cried foul and alleged that the Democratic leadership had a double standard. According to the Congressman Melvin Watt of North Carolina, for the first time, he threw down the race card, telling reporters off camera, quote, "When you start taking up rules and applying them to one person without any set of standards, then people will start to ask, well, OK then, why haven't you done that to this person, why haven't you done this to that person, and if the only person you applied it to is a black member of Congress, then our community will legitimately ask, what in the world are you doing?"

Now although he didn't explicitly mention the name of Congressman Allan Mollohan, he is also -- there have been corruption charges swirling around him, Soledad, but unlike Jefferson, he has not been asked by Pelosi to relinquish the seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: We've been talking about ethics concerns and impact it's going to have in midterm election on Republicans. How do you think the allegations against Jefferson could be hurting Democrats coming midterm elections?

KOPPEL: Well, certainly in the wake of the Jack Abramoff scandal, Democrats have been beating the drum of this culture of corruption, hoping to capitalize on that in November. If Jefferson is convicted -- and remember, he hasn't been charged with anything as of yet -- that could certainly take the sheen off the apple -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Andrea Koppel for us this morning. Andrea, thank you.

Vice President Dick Cheney has now responded to a key Republican senator over that domestic surveillance program. The vice president says the National Security Agency doesn't need congressional approval for the program. Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter has threatened a constitutional confrontation over the program. Senator Specter believes the program breaks the law governing wiretaps in counter intelligence probes -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: A CNN Security Watch now. That alleged Canadian terror plot might have included a 9/11-style airplane attack. Authorities say one of the men who was arrested had enrolled in a flight-training school to learn how to fly airplanes into targets. That's according to two defense attorneys who've seen a government summary of the case. The attorneys add the unnamed suspect withdrew from the school because he did not want to attract the attention of authorities. Most of the 17 suspects due in court Monday.

Be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

(WEATHER REPORT)

S. O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, going to take you to China, where they are seeing some of the worst flooding in decades. We'll show you those pictures.

M. O'BRIEN: And then billions of veterans may be able to rest easier. Their stolen personal information may be safe after all.

S. O'BRIEN: And the controversy surrounding a new vaccine that can prevent cervical cancer, why some people are a little up in arms. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

We're back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: A major breakthrough in cancer treatment. A vaccine to block the sexually transmitted virus that causes many cervical cancers has been approved by the FDA and could soon be on the market, but Gardasil (ph), while highly effective, is also highly controversial.

Here's medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jayna (ph) is 10. She likes Disney characters and swing sets. Her mom is only just starting to talk to her about puberty and boys.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are there any boys you're interested in?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. Not really.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not really?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not really boy crazy right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No?

COHEN (voice-over): But she could soon receive a vaccination to help prevent a sexually transmitted girls. When girls grow up and become sexually active, odds are high they'll be exposed to human papilloma virus, or HPV. Ninety percent of those exposed to HPV never get sick, but it's a nightmare for other 10 percent who develop abnormal cells in their cervixes, cells which can become cancerous. This virus causes virtually all cases of cervical cancers.

DR. JOSEPH HAGAN, AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS: You're talking about a shot that kids are going to get.

COHEN: Right now, experts are discussing giving this vaccine to girl's Jayna's age, to make sure they get the shot before they start having sex.

HAGAN: I trust that the vast majority of my patients are some day, somehow going to become sexually active. Now is the time to give the vaccine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tell someone that cervical cancer is caused by certain types of HP...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: Merck, the maker of the vaccine, has launched an aggressive ad campaign. The trials shows the vaccine could lower cervical cancer rates by 70 percent. But conservative groups worry it sends young people a message, that it's okay to have sex before marriage.

PETER SPRIGG, FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL: This can reduce the risk for HPV. It will not eliminate that risk. It does not reduce your risk for HIV or any of a number of other sexually transmitted diseases. Abstinence until marriage and fidelity within marriage is the best form of sexual health.

COHEN: Dr. Maurie Markman, who treats women with cervical cancer, says this vaccine is about preventing cancer. DR. MAURIE MARKMAN, M.D. ANDERSON CANCER CENTER: You wouldn't have known an individual exposed to measles or hepatitis, but you know that there's a risk in their life, and you simply do it at the earliest point, and that is the way to look at the vaccine.

COHEN: Cost is another concern, about $500 for the necessary shots. It's not clear right now if insurance will cover it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you know it's important to take really good care of your body, so that you can have healthy babies.

COHEN: For now, Jayna's mom, Melissa, is taking baby steps with her daughter as they begin to discuss sexual responsibility. Given the option to give Jayna a vaccine that could save her life when she's older, Melissa says she'll take it.

Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: A recent survey in the "Journal of Pediatrics" found that the majority of parents are in favor of giving their preteen children the vaccine -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Now that Zarqawi is gone, now what? Is it a tipping point? And if so, for whom? The fledgling government or the insurgent campaign of violence? We'll talk to the U.S. ambassador to Iraq.

And then a corny story which won't make you grow, how ethanol could help wean us from oil and make matters better down on the farm.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: The latest now on that theft of a laptop computer containing personal info on millions of veterans. The secretary of veterans' affairs, James Nicholson, telling a House committee yesterday the burglar suspected of taking computers are known for erasing the information on hot laptops. Hot laptops. Say that 10 times quickly. Nicholson says that makes reselling the computers easier. On that stolen laptop, Social Security Numbers, names, addresses, even disability codes for more than 26 million vets and also some active duty personnel.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

S. O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning in A.M. Pop, we're going to take you behind the scenes of a new documentary. It is excellent. It's called "The Heart of the Game." It's an incredible story of how a guy who was a tax professor became a coach and turned a bunch of girls into potential champions. Amazing story. That's just ahead.

And this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a procrastinator, and actually I wrote my essay on procrastination and turned it in about a half an hour before it was due.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, she just graduated from Harvard. Good for her. We'll tell you why it's never too late to pursue your dreams.

And Dan Lothian.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dan Lothian in Mason City, Iowa. This morning, we are at an ethanol plant. And I'll tell you what this is all about coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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