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American Morning

How is the Bush Administration Handling Iraq?; Blame Game in Israel; Bolton Speaks at United Nations

Aired August 22, 2006 - 09:30   ET

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

(NEWSBREAK)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Americans' opposition to the war in Iraq has reached a new high. President Bush says don't give up; pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq now would be disastrous.

Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're not leaving so long as I'm the president. That would be a huge mistake. You would send an unbelievably terrible signal to reformers across the region. It would say we've abandoned our desire to change the conditions that create terror. We leave before the mission is done, the terrorists will follow us here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: A closer look at how the Bush administration is dealing with Iraq.

Let's turn to Elaine Quijano. She's at the White House. Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon for us this morning.

Elaine, we're going to start with you. This clearly is the issue politically for the president, isn't it?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It absolutely is, Soledad, you're right. And we have said it many, many times before, but Iraq continues to be the primary issue weighing down the president's approval ratings. In fact, the latest CNN poll just yesterday showing only 35 percent of Americans saying that they favor the Iraq war, they're in favor of it. Sixty-one percent of Americans opposing it.

Now, combine that with the fact that this is, of course, an election year. Also there is continued violence on the ground in Iraq. And that is why we saw President Bush so vehemently yesterday once again defend his conduct of the Iraq war. Now, the president did acknowledge that the conflict is, in his words, straining the psyche of the country. He made very clear, though, that his stay the course strategy remains unchanged.

Now, with less than 80 days to go until the congressional midterm elections, the president took aim at Democrats who want to see U.S. troops start withdrawing from Iraq this year. The president said that they want to leave before the job there is done.

Now, while the president insists that he not questioning their patriotism, Democrats, for their part, maintain that is exactly what the White House and Republicans have done in previous election years. Soledad, they say that the problem is not a question of commitment, but rather the president's overall strategy. And, this, of course, coming at a time when the Iraq war is in its fourth year -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Elaine Quijano at the White House for us.

The president made reference, in his talk yesterday, to two controversial words when we're talking about Iraq, and those words are civil war.

Barbara Starr at the Pentagon for us. Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.

The words the Pentagon does not to like to use, civil war. The president used them yesterday, said he knows there's a lot of talk about civil war in Iraq, and that that concerns him. But he held fast. As Elaine reports, the president said no change in strategy, but that commanders on the ground have the authority to change tactics as they see fit.

So what are we talking about? Well, about 3,500 additional U.S. troops, mainly shifted to security work in Baghdad, where the sectarian violence has been the worst. They say that it is having and bearing some fruit, that the violence is down at least in some areas of Baghdad. But whether this will lead to a permanent change in the situation remains very problematic. Commanders know every time U.S. forces have left a particular area and departed, the violence comes back.

Still, we have just concluded a briefing here with the top British commander in Iraq, and he says, in his view, there is no civil war; sectarian violence, but that the government is holding, the security institutions are holding. There is not a large movement of any refugee population. He says those would be the indicators to a military commander of a civil war and he says he doesn't see it -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon for us. Barbara, thanks.

Rick.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: The Bush administration is calling for the quick deployment of more peacekeepers to the Middle East. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., John Bolton, says the shaky truce between Israel and Hezbollah must be preserved. The United Nations plans to send 13,000 more troops to the region. Meanwhile, the White House yesterday announced a $230 million package aid -- million dollar aid package, I should say, to help the people in Lebanon rebuild. Meanwhile in Israel, there is now a growing debate about what went wrong in Lebanon and who is to blame.

Chris Lawrence is joining us live from Jerusalem with that story, and I suppose what's most interesting about this, Chris, is that it's not just street talk, but rather soldiers with some of these criticisms. Is that correct?

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Rick, and it's very similar to what we heard there in the United States in relation to the war in Iraq. Remember how the reservists, American reservists and their families, publicly complained that their humvees did not have the same level of armor protection that their active duty counterparts did? After that, you had all the second guessing and accusation about the administration's plan for peace.

Here in Israel, you have actual reservists coming off the front lines, and they are demanding the resignation of both the defense minister and the prime minister.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE (voice over): An uneasy truce keeps the peace between Israel and Hezbollah. But some Israeli reservists refuse to accept a cease-fire in their own war of words.

YOSSI AVIGOR, ISRAELI RESERVIST: The officers that were in charge of all of this operation should go home.

LAWRENCE: Yossi Avigor and other reservists accuse military planners and political leaders of incompetence.

AVIGOR: We don't know where we're going. We don't know what to do. Orders will change on a day-to-day basis.

LAWRENCE: Soldiers coming across the border say they were abandoned in broad daylight to snipers and took canteens off the bodies of dead Hezbollah soldiers.

AVIGOR: We got stuck for I think two days, maybe three without food and water. We had to take from the villages that we -- only for what we needed.

LAWRENCE: For the first time, a high-ranking Israeli general has admitted he failed to prepare the infantry for this war. And some critics are demanding the prime minister call an independent inquiry in which his decisions during the month-long war would be called into question.

ALUF BENN, "HAARETZ": The whole concept of reserves is a very hot political potato.

LAWRENCE: Journalist Aluf Benn says complaints from reservists have brought down previous administrations in Israel after the wars of 1973 and 1982. But Benn says over the past few years, reservists have been pressuring the government to train less and serve less time.

BENN: Due to the outcry, the military and the government were trying to ease the burden, and due to the budgetary constraints, to call only those who were needed and to save on the training.

LAWRENCE: Now some soldiers say they were under-prepared. Others signed a petition that asked, "Were we called up for nothing?"

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I have no idea what our mission was, but I'm 100 percent sure we didn't achieve it.

LAWRENCE: It's a verbal war within Israel, with no cease-fire in sight.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE: Now, the prime minister says he does not want to hold any kind of inquiry in which senior military officers would be put in a position to publicly blame their colleagues. The prime minister also says that Israel accomplished most of its objectives in this conflict despite the problems with far fewer casualties than in previous wars -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: I'm wondering, Chris, how common is it is Israel? I know it's not something you see very often in this country, where a soldier would go on the air and critically -- or criticize one of his commanders. But is that common in that part of the world?

LAWRENCE: Some of the problems that they're talking about are somewhat unprecedented,when they're talking about not having food and water and having to loot parts of villages to stay supplied. But the actual complaints from the reservists are quite common. And, in fact, a lot of the experts told me that after the wars of 1973 and 1982, it was complaints from the reserve army that helped bring down both of those administrations eventually.

SANCHEZ: Interesting perspective. Chris Lawrence, thanks so much for bringing us up-to-date on that.

Soledad, over to you.

O'BRIEN: Thirty-nine minutes past the hour.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: All right, Chad, thanks. Ahead this morning, we're telling the story of a one woman. A terrible ordeal at the hands of her family members. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When she'd come down, she'd get mad, she'd slap me. "No, I'm sick of this," she said. "Why don't you just die? Get it over with."

(END VIDEO CLIP) O'BRIEN: She's talking about her own daughter. A closer look this morning at elder abuse and why millions of cases of it may be going unreported. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: We're following two developing stories for you this morning. The first is out of Russia, where a passenger jet with some 170 people onboard has apparently crashed while flying over the eastern Ukraine. The plane was heading to St. Petersburg from the Black Sea report of Anapa. According to Russia's state-run news agency, a pilot sent an SOS reporting heavy turbulence before the crash.

And now to another developing story, Iran is formally responding to a Western incentives package this morning. The country''s top nuclear negotiator has already handed Tehran's response to ambassadors from six countries, we understand, but it's still not clear exactly what the response is. The package is aimed at persuading the Islamic republic to suspend its uranium-enrichment program. It's not expected that Iran will do so, by the way.

Soledad, over to you.

O'BRIEN: Long-time socialite Brook Aster has been in the news lately. It's not for her philanthropy, unfortunately, but instead it's because she's alleged to be a victim of elder abuse. Aster is now 104 years old, and it's only an allegation, but the story is tragically familiar.

AMERICAN MORNING's Alina Cho has one woman's heartbreaking tale.

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CHO (voice-over): Two long years, this woman, we'll call her Betty, says she was a prisoner in her own home, held hostage by the most unlikely of abusers.

"BETTY," VICTIM OF ELDER ABUSE: When she'd come down, she'd get mad, she'd slap me. "I'm sick of this," she said. "Why don't you just die. Get it over with."

CHO: Betty, whose real identity we concealed for legal reasons, was 60 at the time. She was in a car accident and bedridden. Unable to care for herself, she relied on her daughter, but instead of watching over her, Betty says her daughter stole her retirement money, beat her, even left her in soiled bed sheets for days.

"BETTY": There was nothing there except my box spring and mattress. My clothes, my jewelry, everything was gone, and I weighed probably about 87 pounds by then.

CHO: Betty is not alone. As many as five million elderly people in the United States are victims of abuse. According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, two-thirds of elderly abuse cases involve family members.

Betty says she never imagined her own daughter could do this.

"BETTY": I loved her very much, but she was always money hungry.

CHO: CNN contacted Betty's daughter, who says the allegation of abuse are false, and that she wants nothing to do her mother. Betty says she was so miserable she tried to kill herself. After that she says her daughter kicked her out, but she told no one about the way she says her daughter mistreated her.

"BETTY": I was scared. I wouldn't tell them. I was ashamed.

CHO: Enter Ricker Hamilton, a social worker in Portland, Maine who gave an improperly tie speech or elder abuse. Betty was in the audience.

"BETTY": Every word that came out of his mouth was mine.

RICKER HAMILTON, ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES: She reached a point in her life that she wanted to die. She couldn't take living in the bed in the basement any longer. She couldn't take that a loved one was doing this to her.

CHO: Most abused seniors never speak up. Eighty-four percent of elder abuse cases are never reported.

Detective Cheryl Homes is with the Portland Police Department investigating elder abuse. The majority of her cases involve theft.

DET. CHERYL HOLMES, PORTLAND POLICE: This is like taking candy from babies. When you get older, you get confused, and that's what some of these suspects play on, the fact that, OK, so they get $100 laying on the table. I'm not going to take $100; I'm going to take $40, and let them wonder.

I wish there was more elders rescued, as the animals are rescued and as children, you know, rescued. They lived their life, and they're vulnerable and they deserve to be cared for and kept safe.

CHO: Betty ultimately sued her daughter for all the money she says was stolen from her, $55,000, her entire retirement nest egg. After legal fees she recovered about half of it, and now relies on Social Security. But she is living on her own. At 70, Betty walks eight miles as day, has a boyfriend, and urges other seniors to take control of their golden years.

"BETTY": You can love your children. You can say to yourself, my children would never be ever be ever do this. But my advice to every person that reaches the age of 50, make out a will. Put somebody in charge of your money that you can trust.

CHO: Alina Cho, CNN, Portland, Maine.

(END VIDEOTAPE) O'BRIEN: Experts say there are some obvious signs of elder abuse, like cuts and bruises, even broken glasses. One of the biggest indicators, though, is isolation. If there's an elderly person you see at the grocery store or church, and then suddenly they sort of disappear, that could be a sign that something is wrong. The advice is, don't hesitate to call to make sure that they are OK -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Well, "CNN LIVE TODAY" is coming up next, and Daryn Kagan is stand big to let us know what is -- or what she is working on.

Sorry, I put my very in the wrong place, Daryn. I know you'd catch me on that one, too.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: No, that's all right. It's me and the whole team. We are plural; I'm not a one-woman show.

Thank you.

Well, coming up on "LIVE TODAY," the team and I will be working on a teacher who plays with fire and gets burned.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): ... seventh grade teacher, apparently trying to spark his social studies students into writing a passionate paper on free speech, set fire to two U.S. flags.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Parents are inflamed. A classroom veteran suspended after burning old glory.

A new warning about a popular acne treatment. Acutane could damage a teen's heart or liver.

And then there's this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he insulted my suit no less than three times, but who's counting? If I can make the leader of the free world happy with what I'm wearing, so be it.

BUSH: Ridiculous looking outfit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: President Bush, fashion critic? More proof that the president wears many hats, but not seersucker. Our Jeanne Moos will explain that. We'll have those stories.

Also, we expect important developments from Tehran and London this morning.

And John Mark Karr makes an appearance in court in Los Angeles. You'll see that live today, as "LIVE TODAY" begins at the top of the hour.

Back to you.

SANCHEZ: Daryn Kagan, thank you.

Coming up, is your boss helping you get a good night sleep? You're going to find out what some companies are doing to keep workers well-rested and ready to work. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

O'BRIEN: John Bolton is speaking at the U.N.

Let's hear what he has to say. We have an update on what's happening in Iran and Iraq, as well, and of course the Middle East.

JOHN BOLTON, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: ... I understand that this should be the definitive response, and we'll move on the basis of our reading of it.

QUESTION: Ambassador, would you please reiterate what the expectation is of Iran to satisfy the requirements of -- requirement that the United States and the Security Council have outlined?

BOLTON: We've made it clear in the Security Council Resolution 1696 that Iran has a choice. They can either take up the very generous offer that the give permanent members and Germany have extended to them. And if they do, there's a possibility of a different relationship with the United States and others.

But if they don't, we've also made it clear that their unwillingness to give up their pursuit of nuclear weapons will result in our efforts in the Security Council to obtain economic sanctions against them.

So the choice for two and a half months now has been with Iran. And if, in fact, as we expect this is the definitive response today, we'll know which path they've chosen.

QUESTION: Mr. Ambassador, French sources have said that a second resolution on Lebanon -- on the UNIFIL mandate -- is out of the question. Will that -- the lack of consensus in the council -- will it affect the U.S. position?

BOLTON: Let's be clear what we're talking about. We have said for quite some time that the issue of Hezbollah's disarming would not be taken up in the first resolution.

Now, how, exactly, we address that in another resolution is still the subject of consultations. As I said yesterday, there is no issue of timing there, but there's never been any doubt -- there's never been any doubt -- that full implementation of 1559 is going to require the elimination of all armed militias inside Lebanon, and the restoration of a full democratic process there. QUESTION: And when do you foresee this, just as follow-up?

BOLTON: As I said, we don't have a particular timing in mind. We're going to watch the unfolding of Resolution 1701 and make a judgment as appropriate.

QUESTION: Given the difficulties in reaching a consensus on previous Iran resolutions in the council here, and given that this is going to probably be a very serious resolution if Iran gives a negative response, how quickly do you think you get moving on this?

BOLTON: Well, you're trying to get me to make a timing prediction...

QUESTION: Are you imagining within the next month or are you...

BOLTON: I think we will be prepared to move to submit elements of the resolution to the council very quickly, but it really is a test for the council and we'll see how it responds. Let me just take one more, here.

QUESTION: A question on the UNIFIL force. Do you know anything more today about the progress the United Nations is making in getting countries -- particularly European countries -- to sign up?

BOLTON: My understanding is that the Europeans will be meeting in Brussels tomorrow. Although, I'm told just before coming over here, perhaps that meeting may be postponed for a few days, so I'm hesitant to say anything definitive. I think we will know more later in the day; perhaps we can talk about it then. And, we'll be addressing some of these questions, obviously, in the meeting of the Security Council we're about to have.

OK. Thanks very much.

O'BRIEN: You've been listening to the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. That's John Bolton, as he makes his remarks to reporters assembled. He taking some questions on this resolution, this cease- fire that's really hanging by a thread in the Middle East. Also talked about Iran. He said they don't know what the formal response is going to be, but it will, if it is no, it will result in sanctions, he said, just a moment ago.

Iran has formally responded to a package of Western incentives aimed at trying to get Tehran to suspend its nuclear uranium enrichment program. They made a decision. No word officially yet what that decision is. Obviously, we're going to continue to watch this and bring it you when it happens.

SANCHEZ: And most people who have been watching it would be surprised if they respond in the affirmative.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

SANCHEZ: Exactly. At this point, it sounds like it's going to be probably a no. Daryn Kagan, standing by for us right now in Atlanta. Daryn, take it away.

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