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The Associated Press Reporting at Least 100 Dead in India Train Blasts; New Rules, More Rights for Guantanamo Bay Terror Suspects; News Conference on Deadly Boston Tunnel Collapse

Aired July 11, 2006 - 11:00   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. I'm Daryn Kagan.
We do have a breaking news story out of India, out of Mumbai. A series of explosions and a growing number of dead and wounded. We'll have the latest from India, where blasts ripping through crowded commuter trains during rush hour.

Also, there's a new video which might hold clues and a motive in the killings of two U.S. soldiers in Iraq.

A convicted sex offender and a horrible crime. Today, John Couey is on trial for the rape and killing of a 9-year-old girl. We'll talk to an expert about the first phase of the case, jury selection.

But now to our top story, and that is coming out of Mumbai, India. A series of at least seven blasts rocking a commuter rail line at rush hour. At least -- The Associated Press is saying the number of dead up to 80.

Let's go to our own Seth Doane, who's joining me by phone now from New Delhi with the latest from India -- Seth?

SETH DOANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn.

That is correct, we are hearing seven blasts rocking subways and trains across Mumbai and the western suburbs of Mumbai. There is reports so far from the director of police between 70 and 80 people have been killed. Our sister station, CNN-IBN, here in India, is reporting up to 100.

As you know, early on in these horrific events numbers are very difficult to come by. But this struck at a very busy time in a very densely-populated city.

KAGAN: What do we know about the placement of -- perhaps if there were bombs or explosions or what caused it, or if anybody's claiming credit, Seth?

DOANE: No one is claiming credit as of yet. This -- this attack, or these -- this coordinated attack, what appears to be a coordinated attack, happened this evening at rush hour. During the morning and during earlier in the day, there were another series of bomb attacks, grenade attacks in Kashmir. Right now, the home secretary of India is saying there is no connection between these two attacks, that there were five blasts earlier in the day. So a very difficult day for many people across India here.

Details are still coming in to us at CNN. We have heard reports, though, from CNN news representatives on the ground there, scenes of chaos.

The pictures we're seeing on Indian television are indeed quite gruesome. People lying motionless on subway platforms. And it has been very difficult to get through on phone lines, as they have been jammed for last several hours since these attacks.

KAGAN: Mumbai is the financial capital of India. What else can you tell us about the city and where this happened?

DOANE: Well, this entire operation is complicated right now. The rescue operation is made more difficult. It is the middle of the monsoon here in India, and it is very -- raining very heavily earlier during the day today.

Mumbai is an extremely densely-populated city. As you say, it's the financial capital, and it is a very crowded city. This hitting at a very busy time of day.

KAGAN: All right. We'll continue to watch it as information, pictures come out of there.

Seth Doane from New Delhi on what's happening in Mumbai after that series of bomb blasts along that rail line.

Thank you.

Back here to the Western Hemisphere, new rules, more rights for Guantanamo Bay terror suspects. The Bush administration is reversing course and deciding to apply the Geneva Conventions to hundreds of detainees. The White House says the policy reflects the recent decision -- court -- the recent Supreme Court decision blocking military tribunals.

The Senate Judiciary Committee opened hearings today on how detainees should be treated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D), VERMONT: I'm a former prosecutor, and I find it hard to fathom that this administration is so incompetent that it needs kangaroo court procedures to convince a tribunal of United States military officers that the worst in the worst imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay should be held accountable. Military commissions should not be set up as a sham. They should be consistent with a high standard of American military justice that has worked for decades.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: And that was Senator Patrick Leahy.

Let's get some details now about the new policy from Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr.

So, Barbara, what would change for those at Guantanamo Bay?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn that Senate Judiciary Committee hearing is going to be very key. That is really the first time now since the Supreme Court ruling that top DOD lawyers are laying out the strategy, the questions to which perhaps there are not yet really full answers.

As to what will change, what the Pentagon is now saying is it is not reversing course, but it is coming into compliance with the Supreme Court ruling which held that the military commissions process for detainees there was not in full compliance with federal law as federal law currently exists. So, what is really going on is a lot of legal to and fro. But a memo coming out today, being made public, finally, from the top levels of the Pentagon saying that all detainees under U.S. military custody must be in compliance, their treatment must be in compliance with something that is called Common Article III of the Geneva Conventions.

And what is that all about? That means that detainees will have humane treatment and that they will have certain legal rights.

Now, the Pentagon says all detainees, as a matter of practice, as a matter of Pentagon policy, if you will, always had humane treatment. They know there have been problems in the past, but that was not policy. But now it's all spelled out since this Supreme Court ruling that all detainees under U.S. military custody must have standard humane treatment.

Perhaps the real question, now, Daryn, is something else. And that is, what to do about Guantanamo Bay. Pentagon sources saying they are looking at a series of options, trying to decide, can they keep Guantanamo Bay open. And so far, they say they simply don't have any good alternatives -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

Barbara, thank you for that.

Want to go live now to Boston. This news conference under way talking about what happened in the tunnel last night where one woman died.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A rail was put in on other locations on I-90 and I-93. They use a system of drilling in bolts and bolting it in with epoxy, and that's what we're investigating.

QUESTION: Why would they use that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My understanding -- I'll let Mike Lewis (ph), if he wants to enter into that. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, Jack, it was an approved method. It's actually the method that was used in the entire Ted Williams Tunnel. It's a, you know, well-known way of attaching anchors to concrete structures.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: But you said it wasn't used in the Ted Williams Tunnel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I said that it's a different type of ceiling system in the Ted Williams Tunnel.

QUESTION: But the same...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the same tie-back system but not the same ceiling structure. So, again, we're inspecting that. But there's been -- both the chief engineer and Mike Lewis (ph) have assured me that that tunnel has been in operation for 10 years now and been inspected.

QUESTION: What makes one secure? What makes one secure and one insecure?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me have either Mike Lewis (ph) or Mike Swanson (ph) answer that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, guys. As the chairman pointed out, we're going to -- Mike's people are inspecting through expecting the TWT as well.

There were inspections done on the Ted Williams Tunnel 10 ears ago. We haven't had any indications of problems since that time. It's a different -- it's the same concept, but a different design.

QUESTION: How?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't have the details of that.

You want to answer that?

QUESTION: The fact that you couldn't get the steel rails in before it had to drill it instead?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to leave that to STS, Clyde Baker (ph) and company, to look into, again, the circumstances around that. They're an independent set of eyes that have not worked on this project at all. I'll let them come in and make some determinations if that were the case.

Again, if...

QUESTION: Do you know whether -- why a certain methodology was used?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to go back and look at these matters.

QUESTION: Have you had contact with the governor's office this morning?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I talked to the governor's office earlier today. We expect the governor on scene this morning either here. I was asked to go up to the state house. Tom Reilly (ph) was here. I'll get up to the state house if the governor...

KAGAN: We've been listening into this news conference. This is Boston, Massachusetts. They're talking about a tragedy that took place last night in a tunnel.

If we can get those pictures back so people can get a better idea of what we're talking about. A 10 x 30 foot section of concrete falling from the ceiling of the Mass site connection tunnel.

They're coming. There you go.

It falls on -- well, it looks like they're cleaning it up now. But from that roof on to the road below, a huge chunk of concrete just fell on -- there you go, you can see the hole -- on to a Honda Accord. The driver was pretty much OK. The woman who was in the passenger seat was killed.

Now, this takes place in this area that's known as the "Big Dig," which has just been one nightmare after another for the city of Boston.

Let's bring in Michelle McPhee from the "Boston Herald" to tell us a little bit more.

First of all, Michelle, about what happened last night with this particular incident.

MICHELLE MCPHEE, "BOSTON HERALD": Well, I mean, frankly, I think officials feel that it is very lucky that this event did not take place at rush hour, because the concrete slab that fell on the victim's car was massive. It looks as if -- and I just -- I spoke to a couple of state troopers last night -- earlier this morning, actually -- and it looked as if one of the hooks gave way. And inspection of the concrete, completely pulverized a Honda Accord that was traveling through the tunnel.

That's part of the connector. And as you just said, you know, this problem has been plagued with problems from the onset.

It was a $14 billion project that has had numerous, you know, dangerous incidents. But this is the first fatality that can be contributed.

KAGAN: The first fatality, but there were arrests connected with this about suppliers using bad concrete. Do they think that has anything to do with this?

MCPHEE: I believe that's part of the investigation. The concrete, also the welded hooks connecting the concrete to the ceiling are -- is also, I'm being told by sources, something that they're taking a very strong look at.

KAGAN: What have we been able to learn about the victim?

MCPHEE: It was a -- they were a married couple. And I don't believe that their family has been completely notified yet, so I'm reluctant to talk about that. But it was a married couple traveling home. They live in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston.

KAGAN: And you were touching on this a little bit, but if you could explain to those outside of Boston what a huge ordeal and mess and controversy this Big Dig project has been and how it's completely cost more than anybody ever expected and gone on longer than anybody expected.

MCPHEE: Well, here in the city it's turned into a massive albatross. And as I said, it's been plagued with problems. It cost, you know, taxpayers $14 billion. There's been several indictments in connection with the project. And it's just been a headache for all concerned.

KAGAN: And speaking of headaches I understand even just getting to Logan Airport today is a big problem because the tunnel is close to how you would go there.

MCPHEE: Well, exactly. The Ted Williams Tunnel, which is what this -- where this accident took place, it's the connector to the tunnel into the Logan Airport. And a portion of that has been completely shut down. And that tunnel would be -- the purpose of the tunnel was to alleviate a lot of the traffic into Logan Airport, and right now that ride is a disaster.

KAGAN: Yes, pretty bad. And so they're recommending public transportation if you need to get to Logan.

MCPHEE: Exactly. Yes.

KAGAN: OK. Michelle McPhee with the "Boston Herald."

Thanks for giving us some local perspective.

MCPHEE: Thank you for having us.

KAGAN: Appreciate that.

A different type of transportation, and many more dead as we go back to India -- Mumbai. The Associated Press now reporting police officials in Mumbai now believe as many as 100 people have been killed in this series of train blasts. We'll update you on the situation from India just ahead.

Also, we're looking into numbers that President Bush was presenting today concerning the deficit. The president says there is good news in the government's overspending. That's his spin. Other people have a different one. We'll talk about that just ahead. The secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfeld, goes to Afghanistan, makes an unannounced visit, and talks about the feature role of U.S. forces there.

We'll have that story as well ahead on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's bring you the latest as we learn it about these series of explosion along this railway in Mumbai, India. Associated Press now reporting that as many as 100 people have been killed. That according to police in Mumbai.

Also, a senior official telling The Associated Press they believe that this series of seven explosions was caused by bombs. That would be new information. Also, that the rescue operation still under way. One of these blasts so strong it split one of these railcars completely in half.

We will continue to bring you the latest on that as it becomes available.

Meanwhile, more on -- with Betty now on the Steven Green case and what might have happened in Mahmoudiya -- Betty.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. You know, it's been a busy day, Daryn.

KAGAN: It has.

NGUYEN: Let me get you the latest on this.

CNN has confirmed that a gag order has been filed in the case of former private Steven Green. Let me tell you a little bit about his case.

Greens is excused in the rape and killing of a young Iraqi woman. Investigators have said that Green and other soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division plotted to rape a young Iraqi woman and kill her family. This happened in Mahmoudiya.

Of course, a trial is going to get under way soon. But defense attorneys say that they need a gag order in this case because inflammatory opinion is rampant. And they want this gag order to apply not only to the people participating in the trial, but also to President Bush, the attorney general, the secretary of state, the secretary of defense, along with all of their subordinates.

So, they want this to be a wide-ranging gag order, just because they say this case obviously has a lot of people talking. And these soldiers accused of rape and murder. In fact, it not only involves Steven Green, but over the weekend four other soldiers from that same division were charged in this case.

So -- but the attorney for Steven Green specifically wants this gag order to apply to President Bush and other federal officials.

KAGAN: All right, Betty. Thank you.

Markets have been opened -- we're getting close to two hours. Let's see how they're doing today.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: Which brings us to the topic of your money and our taxes and the president's two cents. Mr. Bush celebrating what he describes as good news on the nation's projected budget deficit.

That's his bottom line, at least. Some others are more skeptical. Let's take a look at the numbers.

The White House had a forecast of a deficit of $423 billion. President Bush says his tax cuts have stirred growth and helped trim that estimate to about $300 billion.

Is that something really to celebrate?

Kathleen Koch is at the White House with a closer look at what these huge numbers mean to you and me -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, the president does say that this is good news for the American taxpayer. He insists it means that the economy is growing, jobs are being created, that taxes, higher taxes are being collected from -- from corporations, from the wealthy. And the deficit for this year, the exact number, will be $296 billion. That's $127 billion less than predicted.

And while the president is out there taking credit, others are pointing out there is still this massive deficit that people for generations will have to repay.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This economy's growing. Federal taxes are rising. And we're cutting the federal deficit faster than we expected. This good news is no accident. It's the result of the hard work of the American people and sound policies in Washington, D.C.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MINORITY LEADER: Our economy is not in good shape. The distinguished majority leader brags about 5.5 million jobs having been created. During the administration of President Clinton, 23 million jobs were created. We went -- we went months during this administration when no new jobs were created.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Now, some have accused the White House of playing the expectations game, releasing deliberately gloomy deficit forecasts, only to be able to come back several months later and tout some dramatic improvements. Now, when I asked White House Press Secretary Tony Snow this morning about that, he said, "That's just insane. We get beaten up for four months over bad deficit numbers just to get one day of good PR?"

He did, though, relent that in a couple of years, when the oldest of the baby boomers become eligible for Social Security, that there could indeed be a problem. Deficits could begin skyrocketing. He says that is indeed why the president has been pushing hard to get Congress to implement entitlement reform, reform Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Kathleen Koch at the White House.

Thank you.

More information continues to flow in about that series of explosions in India along that rail line in Mumbai. Associated Press reporting at least 100 people dead.

We'll have more on that as we return.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The word across India from the prime minister, urging people there to remain calm. Not easy to do on a day during rush hour in Mumbai, the city's financial center, where a series of at least seven explosions has killed as many as 100 people.

Let's get the latest from -- from India and go to New Delhi. Our Seth Doane standing by -- Seth.

DOANE: Hi, Daryn.

Yes, as you said, right now police are confirming up to at least 100 dead. Our sister station, CNN-IBN, here in India, is sourcing a state official saying -- a state official said there were up to 250 people wounded. Unfortunately, every indication shows that these -- these numbers may be still expected to rise.

It was a series of seven blasts, bomb blasts that tore through subway trains -- subways and trains in the western suburbs of Mumbai, which, as you mentioned, is the financial capital of India. You've got to imagine the city is densely populated, and these -- these explosions, series of explosions hit at a very, very busy time.

KAGAN: And all we've been hearing -- actually, some early reports to AP say that they believe the explosions were bombs.

DOANE: Yes. I cannot confirm anything independently here.

KAGAN: OK. DOANE: I've read those reports as well. We've been on the phone with a number of people there just trying to get police on the line. As you might imagine, it is tricky.

And we've heard -- we have heard bombs, we have also heard grenades. There's nothing I can confirm firsthand in my reporting at this time.

KAGAN: All right. Seth Doane on the phone from New Delhi.

Thank you for that.

What we do know, officials believe as many as seven blasts killing as many as 100 people, 250 or more injured as well.

We continue to bring you new pictures as they come into us here at CNN and new information as well.

Focusing back here on the U.S., hold on and do more studies before you move ahead on coastal projection projects for New Orleans. That is the gist of a preliminary report to Congress by the Army Corps of Engineers.

It says that proposed projects would cost double-digit billions of dollars and take decades to finish. A follow-up report isn't due until December 2007.

Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco says her state can't wait that long for certain critical projects. But the Corps says it's already spending nearly $4 billion repairing levees and improving pumping stations.

The summer temperatures are climbing, so is a threat of severe weather. So now is the time to prepare and protect your homes. Windows should be near the top of your list.

Here is CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR (voice over): High winds and heavy rain do the most damage to a house during a hurricane or major storm. But all it takes is a little bit of work to keep your home as safe as possible when wild weather strikes.

(on camera): Windows are a big vulnerability. How do I keep my family safe?

ROB DAVIS, FLASH.ORG: We like to see code-approved shutters. There's tons of options these days. That's the good news.

You can do metal corrugated shutters, clear plastic shutters. You can look out during the storm, satisfy some curious homeowners.

WILLIS: Wow.

DAVIS: Absolutely. It prevents you from cracking a door and letting in something that you don't want.

WILLIS: Absolutely.

DAVIS: Also, impact glass is a great way to go.

WILLIS (voice over): If shutters aren't in your budget, use plywood to prevent shattered windows during a storm.

(on camera): Now, I know you can cover this up with wood. Why wouldn't we just do that?

DAVIS: Wood, it's only good for temporary emergency board-up procedures. And there's a couple of things you need to remember with that.

You need to make sure you have the correct thickness -- five- eighths inch plywood is sufficient. And you need to fasten it, install it correctly to the side of the house. Otherwise...

WILLIS: Don't you need a pretty good margin around the edge of the window, too?

DAVIS: You absolutely do, because you have to remember that whatever protection you put up there is going to move, it's going to bow in and out with the wind. And if you have it too close, your window protection could actually break your window.

WILLIS (voice over): And be careful of the materials you pick to protect those glass windows and doors. Some will actually disintegrate when wet.

(on camera): This is not a great material for protecting your home during a hurricane.

DAVIS: No. No, that's right. When this gets wet it's going to turn to oatmeal and just dissolve.

WILLIS: So this is OSB.

DAVIS: That's OSB, short for oriented strand board. It's really just a lot of wood particles glued together.

WILLIS: But this is the plywood. This is what you want.

DAVIS: This is your five-eighths inch plywood, absolutely. That's what you want to look for, for window protection.

WILLIS (voice over): Leave a two-and-a-half inch margin around plywood used to board windows. That way, when the wind picks up, your window protection doesn't accidentally break your windows.

Gerri Willis, CNN, Miami Shores, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And we'll get back to our breaking news story out of India in just a moment. As many as 100 people dead after a series of seven blasts rocks a rail line during rush hour out of Mumbai, the financial capital of India. The latest from that story just ahead.

Also, a concrete panel crashing down on a Boston tunnel, killing one person and disrupting traffic for miles. It's not the first problem plaguing this money pit of a road project.

Details ahead on CNN, most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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