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Attack In Kabul; The Other War; Atlantis Launch Scrubbed; 9/11 Rehearsal?; The True "Path To 9/11"?

Aired September 08, 2006 - 10:00   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: A TV network may tinker with its 9/11 movie. A film that mixes reality and fiction drawing fire this morning.
And the check engine light is blinking on the shuttle. Liftoff for Atlantis next hour in jeopardy.

Good morning, once again, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.

The Taliban's resurgence. Today's suicide car bombing in the heart of Kabul is a stark reminder of that. CNN's Anderson Cooper is in the Afghan capital.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Today's blast shattered the early morning calm of Kabul. A vehicle laden with explosives slammed into a U.S. military convoy, killing two U.S. soldiers, wounding one other. As many as 10 Afghans were killed. Some 27 were wounded according to Afghan government officials.

It is just the latest example of the resurgence of the Taliban and their adoption of al Qaeda-style tactics. Suicide bombings used to be very rare in Afghanistan. This year there have been some 70 attacks in this year alone.

Intelligence sources I've spoken with blame several factors on the rise of the Taliban. They say increased dissatisfaction with the government of Hamid Karzai here in Afghanistan. Also the rise of this year's opium crop and the money that the Taliban makes off that crop from taxing it.

Also intelligence sources also point the finger at Pakistan. They say that Pakistan has not done enough to try to curtail the Taliban operating inside Pakistan. They, in fact, say -- intelligence sources I spoke with say that the Taliban's leader, Mullah Omar, the blind cleric who disappeared in December of 2001, a man who has a price on his head from the U.S., is, in fact, living in Pakistan. Intelligence sources say he is living in Queda (ph) or in the surrounding areas. Pakistan says they are doing everything they can to hunt down Taliban leaders, but a cease-fire agreement they have now signed with Taliban militants in north Waziristan has caused dismay among intelligence sources I've spoken with today. They say it will lead to more cross-border operations and an even greater rise in Taliban strength in southern Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Anderson Cooper in Afghanistan to mark the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. You can watch "A.C. 360" weeknights at 10:00 p.m. Eastern only on CNN.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: NATO's top military commander is asking for more troops for Afghanistan. Jamie McIntyre reports that's because of the bolder Taliban.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): NATO'S top general says his troops in Afghanistan are being tested by a stubborn Taliban resistance which is showing a surprising willingness to stand and fight, instead of taking potshots and running away as NATO expected.

GEN. JAMES JONES, SUPREME NATO COMMANDER: Certainly the tenacity of the resistance is a little bit of a surprise. In the southern region, it's turned out to be more than we expected, but certainly by no means unmanageable.

MCINTYRE: Jones says NATO knew it would stir up a hornet's nest when it began its southern offensive this summer, but the Taliban, flush with drug cash from a bumper harvest of opium, are well armed and inflicting heavy casualties. At least 35 British and Canadian troops have died in the past five weeks and a town in the south has fallen to Taliban control.

Meanwhile, NATO commanders have only 85 percent of the troops and equipment they were promised. NATO has failed to come up with a squadron of attack helicopters and several C-130 transport planes that General Jones says his ground commander needs for additional flexibility on the battlefield.

Currently there are about 19,000 NATO troops in Afghanistan, of which about a thousand are American and 6,000 are in the south. In addition, the U.S. has another 20,000 troops under American command. General Jones says the need for reinforcement is urgent but not dire.

JONES: So it's not a reinforcement in the desperate sense, but it is prudent military advice that adds a certain measure of guarantee and cushion to the forces that are already performing very well on the scene.

MCINTYRE: General Jones says he did not use the word reinforcement because that connotes a sense of panic and desperation he says is uncalled for. He insist NATO troop also prevail and calls Afghanistan, in his words, a success story in the making.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Launch time next hour. You're looking at a live shot there of the shuttle Atlantis. But blastoff now looks pretty unlikely today. NASA engineers are troubleshooting a new problem now on the shuttle Atlantis. Our CNN technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg is live with the Kennedy Space Center with the glitch.

Daniel, it's on again, off again, on again, off again. What's the very latest?

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's sort of like Groundhog Day. This is the latest in a string of instances to plague the launch of shuttle Atlantis. It started with a lightning strike on the pad, Tropical Storm Ernesto, a fuel cell problem this week and now this problem with what's called an eco sensor or an engine cutoff sensor.

I've got a model of the shuttle to sort of show you an idea of what we're talking about here. This is the massive external fuel tank. At the top here you've got liquid oxygen. At the bottom, liquid hydrogen. Both of them are super cooled.

There are sensors inside the tank. Four for liquid oxygen, four for liquid hydrogen at the base of the tanks, basically meant to indicate when it's empty. Of course they don't want to run the engines if the fuel tank is empty. And, vice versa, they don't want to be having it full and not running the engines.

So that's the concern right now, is that it's basically not working. It's not functioning. One of the four is not working. It's not unlike the fuel sensor that would be in your car. The fuel light coming on. So this is something that they're working on right now. Currently the mission management team is discussing whether to go ahead with three of four of them working or to scrub today's launch and pick it up tomorrow. That would mean a 24-hour delay.

They are proceeding, meanwhile, on sort of a parallel path with the launch as though it is going to happen at 11:41 this morning. Just a short time ago we saw the crew of Atlantis, the five men and one woman, coming out, waving to the crowd, getting into the Astro van, proceeding over to launchpad 39-B. We've also seen them get strapped into their spacesuits. The closeout crew was up there completing the final preparations. Some of the communication checks. Basically going through all of the steps that they would normally do if things were going to proceed.

And at this point we have not officially heard that they're going to scrub. The hatch on the door has been closed to the shuttle. To the orbiter. So at this point it's sort of a wait and see, which is really the situation we've been in for the last couple of weeks.

Heidi.

COLLINS: Daniel, a couple of quick questions before we let you go here. It is pretty interesting to see that countdown clock continue going. Is that normal when they know or really suspect strongly that they're not going to have a launch?

SIEBERG: It is normal because the countdown clock will continue. In fact, it will stop a couple of times between now and the launch if and when it does happen. They're basically called built-in holds. They go through a couple of final systems checks just to make sure everything's working. So it will actually come to a stop a couple of times and then pick up again. They've really got until the last few seconds to scrub and decide to cancel today's mission, to delay it until tomorrow. So we just have to wait and see. They could make this announcement at any time whether to go one way or the other.

COLLINS: All right. And also you know Wayne Hale, NASA's shuttle program manager that we always hear so much about at a time like this, he has said this is sort of a low-risk thing, and yet he has also said that he certainly would not change out this fuel cell before flight, you know depend on if they have to wait weeks or just a few more days because of the risk on the launchpad. They will eventually have to take the shuttle off the launchpad possibly.

SIEBERG: Yes. The fuel cell problem you're mentioning popped up this week. And that's something that they assessed over a couple of days, determined that it was not a safety issue, that it could have an effect on the number of days they have in the mission. The fuel cells on board, there are three of them, they provide the electricity, the power, the water. They're separate from these sensors that are on- board the external fuel tank. That it was something else they had to look at this week.

Last night they announced that they were OK to go in terms of the fuel cell problem. And, in fact, it hasn't been a concern for them this morning. It seemed to be acting OK. But this latest issue with the eco sensor, or the engine cutoff sensor, could be potentially more serious and could be a show stopper. And we're hearing at this point that it's likely they will delay until tomorrow but we just have to wait and see.

COLLINS: And you will be doing that just for us.

Daniel, we'll check back with you certainly. Thanks so much, Daniel Sieberg.

HARRIS: It looks like a 9/11 rehearsal. A just released al Qaeda tape on the fifth anniversary of the attacks. Does it signal a new threat? CNN's Kelli Arena take as look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): It's as if the 9/11 hijackers have come back to taunt us from the grave. An al Qaeda videotape, allegedly showing the planning of the September 11th attacks, just released on the Arab network, al Jazeera. Osama bin Laden asks supporters to pray for the hijackers and their deadly mission.

OSAMA BIN LADEN, (through translator): And I strongly advise you to increase your prayers for them and beseech Allah, the exalted, in your prayer, to grant them success.

ARENA: Hijackers Hamza al Ghamdi and Wail al Shihri speak before the suicide attacks with video of the results eerily superimposed behind them.

WAIL AL SHIHRI, 9/11 HIJACKER, (through translator): If struggle in jihad is not mandatory now, then when is it mandatory?

ARENA: Al Shihri was on American Airlines Flight 11. Al Ghamdi was on United Airlines Flight 175. The planes that hit the twin towers. 9/11 planner, Ramzi Binalshibh, is seen with Osama bin Laden, the first time the men are shown together. Binalshibh is still alive, living now in a wire mesh cage at the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay where he was just transferred from a secret CIA prison.

PAT D'AMURO, CHAIRMAN, GIULIANI SECURITY & SAFETY: The reason for this tape coming out now is to show that al Qaeda feels they can be victorious against the United States by going back to the events of 9/11 and try to recruit additional individuals to enter the jihad against the United States.

ARENA: Some suggest a more ominous reason. Al Qaeda tapes and messages have been coming fast and furious lately, the last released just this weekend, leading some to speculate an attack could be imminent. In the past, that's happened. Video, then another attack. So are we due another? FBI Director Robert Mueller told me there is no intelligence to support that.

ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR: We do not have any imminent threat or threat reporting of an imminent attack in the United States. That is not to say that there are individuals or groups out there of which we are unaware that are contemplating such an attack.

ARENA: It's not the first time al Qaeda has leased a tape around the time of the September 11th anniversary, but these images of two dead men who killed so many with the pictures of the suffering they caused rolling behind them may be the most haunting of all.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And this weekend, "Know Your Enemy." Get a look at the man who brought terror to America. Watch "In The Footsteps of Bin Laden," a CNN Presents investigation seen by more than 10 million Americans. Encore presentations scheduled for Saturday and Sunday night at 7:00 Eastern Time. CNN "Security Watch" keeps you up to date on safety. Stay tuned day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

COLLINS: A mini series, a major critic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think they ought to tell the truth. Particularly if they're going to claim it's based on the 9/11 Commission report.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: "The Path to 9/11." Will dramatic license possibly lead viewers down the wrong path. HARRIS: In Iraq, a message that sends chills down your spine. A kill order. It comes from the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq. And, yes, it targets Americans.

COLLINS: First the air, now the sea. Israel ends another blockade of Lebanon. Live to Beirut ahead in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: And we certainly hope we get a launch today, Heidi.

COLLINS: We do.

HARRIS: We are going to find out shortly.

COLLINS: Yes.

HARRIS: Live pictures now of the shuttle Atlantis, the Kennedy Space Center ,poised there on launchpad 39-B.

COLLINS: Having some issues.

HARRIS: Having issues today. We'll take a break and update this story right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: The president will mark the 9/11 anniversary with a primetime speech on Monday night. The White House says the Oval Office address will last less than 20 minutes. We'll have live coverage of that, of course, right here on CNN.

Meanwhile, this Monday, CNN does have live coverage all day long focusing on the events of September 11. At cnn.com/pipeline plays CNN's original coverage, uncut, unedited, as it happened live on CNN five years ago. That starts at 8:30 Eastern Monday morning on pipeline. Log on to cnn.com to watch. And you know the coverage that we're going to have on Monday here as well is going to be really interesting. We will have the time line going.

HARRIS: Yes.

COLLINS: And when you look at that and the things that happened five years ago, you really start to remember things that we have, quite frankly, forgotten a few details about.

HARRIS: And just as we were talking about it this morning, just bringing back the memories of it, I just can imagine for a lot of folks it will be difficult. Obviously a difficult day in its own right. But as we chronicle some of the events as they happen that day, well . . .

COLLINS: Very important to remember.

HARRIS: It's important to remember, difficult to watch. But that's Monday here on CNN in the NEWSROOM. Fact, fiction, perhaps a blurred fusion of the two. The ABC Network is under some fire for a mini series that claims to trace the path to the 9/11 attacks. One of those protesting, former President Clinton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think they ought to tell the truth. Particularly if they're going to claim it's based on the 9/11 Commission report, they shouldn't have scenes which are directly contradicted from the factual findings of the 9/11 Commission. That's all. I just want people to tell the truth. And, you know, and not to pretend it's something it's not.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Well, the network tells "The Washington Post" this morning they plan to make some minor tweaks to the program. Here's more from CNN's Brian Todd.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): President Bill Clinton's former national security team taking ABC to task over the network's dramatic mini series "The Path to 9/11."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ACTOR, "THE PATH TO 9/11": And no one's taking terrorism seriously.

TODD: A letter sent from Clinton's attorney and his former aide, Bruce Lindsey, to Robert Iger, CEO of ABC's parent company, The Walt Disney Corporation, reads "ABC has gotten it terribly wrong. It is unconscionable to mislead the American public about one of the most horrendous tragedies our country has ever known."

Former Clinton aides say, although they have not seen the film, ABC should revise or remove part of it before it airs next week. Among the proposed scenes upsetting them, a portrayal of a 1998 CIA led operation in Afghanistan. In the scene, CIA operatives have Osama bin Laden cornered and are poised to capture or kill him until National Security Advisor Samuel Berger refuses to give the go ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ACTOR, "THE PATH TO 9/11": We are ready to load the package. Repeat, do we have clearance to load the package?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ACTOR, "THE PATH TO 9/11": Stand by.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, ACTOR, "THE PATH TO 9/11": Officers are in place, sir. They're in danger.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ACTOR, "THE PATH TO 9/11": Look, I understand that, Patricia, but I don't have that authority.

TODD: Berger, other top Clinton national security aides and members of the 9/11 Commission say none of that ever happened. TIM ROEMER, 9/11 COMMISSION MEMBER: There were plans, not an operation in place. Secondly, Osama bin Laden was never in somebody's sights. Thirdly, on page 114 of our report, we say George Tenet took responsibility for pulling the plug on that particular tarmac farms (ph) operation.

TODD: In his own letter to Robert Iger, Berger writes the scene "flagrantly misrepresents my personal actions."

It's unclear at this point whether this scene, or a different version of it, will be in the final cut. ABC representatives did not specifically respond to our questions, but in a statement ABC Entertainment says, "The Path to 9/11" is not a documentary of the events leading to 9/11. It is a dramatization drawn from a variety of sources including the 9/11 Commission report, other published materials and personal interviews. As such, for dramatic and narrative purposes, the movie contains fictionalized scenes, composite and representative characters and dialogue and time compression. No one has seen the final version of the film because the editing process is not yet complete."

Still, observers say ABC is taking a chance by using the real names of those key players.

HOWARD KURTZ, CNN'S RELIABLE SOURCES: A lot of people watching that are going to think that this is reality, when, in fact, it is just, you know, Oliver Stone type fiction.

TODD: Another controversy, ABC enlisting 9/11 Commission Chairman Tom Kean, a Republican, as an unpaid consultant with the production title. Kean tells CNN he had seen the script and informed ABC the same depicting Berger hanging up the phone on a CIA agent who had Osama bin Laden in his sights was inaccurate. Kean says ABC responded that it would revisit the scene.

Kean tells me he believes the writers and producers did their best to depict everyone fairly and he urges President Clinton and his former aides to watch the movie. It is, in his words, an effective piece of work. ABC did not consult a Democratic member of the 9/11 Commission for this film.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: A day of infamy for most Americans, but 9/11 a day of cake and birthday presents for one couple.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because it will come up at the playground or McDonald's or wherever I am that, you know, Spencer was born on 9/11/01. Not just 9/11/01, but the hour.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: A baby comes into the world as terrorists change it. That story ahead in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: His words launched countless whispers and caused the federal investigations. The man behind one of the most talked about leaks in Washington history.

COLLINS: And we're talking a little IRS with Gerri Willis. Yippee. But these are some important things that people should know as far as forging a relationship with the IRS.

Right, Gerri?

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A very close -- hi, Heidi -- a close relationship with your tax examiner. Yes. What is worse? We'll, it could be worse when the tax man calling. We'll tell you next on "Top Tips."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: What do you say we get a quick check of Wall Street. The big board. Oh, about an hour into the trading day. As you can see, the Dow up 22 points in early trading. And the Nasdaq -- really nothing much happening with the Nasdaq -- up less than a point.

COLLINS: If you owe back taxes, you might want to pull the shades and turn off the lights and be very, very quiet. Beginning this week, the IRS is dispatching bill collectors to chase down delinquent taxpayers. Here to explain, CNN's personal finance editor Gerri Willis.

We've been making some jokes about this, but we should be clear I think off the top here that these are people who have already talked to the IRS and have agreed that they will pay but they have some sort of payment plan in place.

WILLIS: Right. Well, these are scoff laws (ph), absolutely true, Heidi. Beginning this week, people who owe less than $25,000 in taxes are going to start to get phone calls from private collection agencies, not the federal government. The IRS is handing over private information on 12,000 people to three collection agencies and that has many privacy advocates sounding the alarms.

COLLINS: All right. So, number one, as you say, know those rules.

WILLIS: That's right. So the problem is that some collection agencies have not had a pristine record when it comes to collecting money. So let's look at what these agencies cannot do. First of all, the debt collection agencies can only contact you or your lawyer or your tax preparer between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. So no midnight phone calling. And unless you've given permission, your cell phone and your work phones are off limits. They can't enforce liens or seizure of your stuff. And they also can't ask or accept payments.

If you think your rights have been violated, Heidi, you've got to contact the Federal Trade Commission. They've got a great website at ftc.org. COLLINS: All right. So this really is very well thought out.

The second one you want to talk about is taking control yourself. You don't have to be intimidated.

WILLIS: You don't have to be intimidated and you don't even have to work with the debt collection agency if you don't want to. Taxpayers who get turned over to one of these agencies can request in writing to work solely with the IRS instead. So it's really your choice.

COLLINS: Get the scammer lowdown. Get it.

WILLIS: All right. Unfortunately, we may see a rise in the number of scammers who will come in and pose as debt collection agents. To avoid scammers, here are some red flags to keep in mind. You must have been contacted by letter from the IRS before you start receiving phone calls from collection agencies. Now the collection agency should never ever ask you for cash or checks written to individuals. Keep in mind, the IRS never asks people for their pin numbers, passwords or other financial accounts. That doesn't happen. So if you suspect fraud, you should call the IRS. We have a toll free help line at 800-829-1040. Doesn't that make sense? 1040. Get it? Yes.

COLLINS: That's pretty clever too.

So, hey, last but not least, what's coming up on "Open House."

WILLIS: "Open House," 9:30 a.m. Eastern, Saturday morning, we're going to talk about decluttering your home office. Hey, school's starting. It's time to start getting serious about your home office. Whether you're going to school or just going to work and you have all that extra stuff to do at night.

We're also going to take a very serious look at the real estate market. There's some trouble forming out there on the horizon. We're going to tell you what you need to know if you're buying or selling right now.

COLLINS: Can I talk to the folks about my house?

WILLIS: Oh, Heidi, weigh in. Send us an e-mail.

COLLINS: It would probably be a little unethical.

All right, Gerri, we'll see you this weekend. Thank so much.

WILLIS: Thank you.

HARRIS: What do you say we get a live picture of the Kennedy Space Center there in Florida? Got a big question on the docket this morning. Go, no go, for Atlantis? We'll take you back to the Kennedy Space Center for an update. Daniel Sieberg is there for us.

COLLINS: And in Iraq, a message that will send chills down your spine. A kill order from the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq. The target, Americans. That's ahead in the NEWSROOM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Bombings in western India. At least 22 people were killed. The blast happened today near a mosque in the city of Malegaon. Muslim worshipers were just returning from prayers on Friday. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks. We are, of course, following that story as it develops. More details as they happen. .

HARRIS: An evil call to action in Iraq. It is said to be from the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq. He urges his followers to kill at least one American within the next two weeks by any means necessary.

More now from CNN's Michael Holmes in Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): It was a chilling message from the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, urging his followers to kill at least one American in the next two weeks using a sniper rifle, explosive or, in his words, "whatever the battle may require."

That's according to an audiotape aired on Thursday on Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera identifying the man on the tape as Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, a pseudonym adopted by Abu Ayyub al-Masri, an Egyptian militant believed to be an expert at making car bombs and the man who took over from Abu Musab al Zarqawi, who was killed by the Americans in June.

Part of the tape says this: "Do not let your souls or your enemies rest until each one of you kills one American within a period that does not exceed 15 days, with a sniper's gunshot or incendiary device or Molotov cocktail or suicide car bomb. Whatever the battle may require."

We said, a chilling message there from the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, a man who is still the subject of an intense man hunt.

Michael Holmes, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Open water. Israel and its naval blockade of Lebanon.

Live to Beirut right now with CNN's Anthony Mills. Anthony, I believe it's happening as we speak?

ANTHONY MILLS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is happening as we speak, Heidi. Although as far as we're aware, several ships that have been delayed have not yet approached the port. Now this comes, of course, with a 24 hour delay. Lebanon's government had anticipated that this would happen yesterday evening at 6:00 p.m. local time. So they're really welcoming this.

Let's hear what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIHAD AZOUR, LEBANESE FINANCE MINISTER: Well, I'm very satisfied that the blockade is going to be lifted. It is overdue. I think it was not (INAUDIBLE) tremendously the Lebanese economy. Each day we were losing between $40 to $50 million of trade. And also we have lost a lot of revenues from tourism. And even the government, also, lost revenues because of this blockade.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MILLS: We understand that an interim maritime task force, comprising four Italian vessels and under Italian command, is going to patrol Lebanon's coastline before a United Nations UNIFIL force takes over -- Heidi.

HARRIS: About how long, Anthony, do you think that will take?

MILLS: Well, we understand the Lebanese government is currently in negotiation about who exactly will lead that force. There have been questions about exactly the make-up, the mode of operation, and indeed, Lebanese government officials I spoke to said that it was precisely discussions about the mode of operation of these forces patrolling Lebanon's coast that possibly delayed the implementation or the lifting of the blockade by these 24 hours or so -- Heidi.

COLLINS: So it sounds like, quickly, Anthony, that switching gears, if you will, or the power from the interim maritime group that is there, the task force, over to the U.N. is not really a done deal?

HARRIS: Well that's what it appears like at this stage, although from speaking to government officials here, it would appear that they are or appear to be on track. Certainly that interim maritime force is now in place, and that, it would appear, was enough to satisfy the Israelis and their backers, and so this maritime blockade is now being lifted -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Anthony Mills watching the situation for us. Anthony, thank you.

COLLINS: "I did it." That admission last night from Richard Armitage, the former deputy secretary of state. He says he was the person who first revealed the identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame. The leak three years ago triggered a federal investigation. Plame's husband Joe Wilson has accused the Bush administration of outing his wife to avenge his criticism of the Iraq. Armitage says that wasn't the case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD ARMITAGE, FMR. DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE: I feel terrible every day. I think I let down the president. I let down the secretary of state, I let down my department, my family. And I also let down Mr. and Mrs. Wilson.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You saw the president all the time?

ARMITAGE: Yes, sir.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you ever think of saying Mr. President, I screwed up?

ARMITAGE: Oh, I thought every day about how I'd screwed up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: One more time, want to show you this. What a beautiful day for a launch. But, you know what, you just can never be too carefully. The countdown clock is still ticking, but the shuttle Atlantis is unlikely to launch this morning. NASA engineers are troubleshooting a problem with a sensor. It detects when the fuel tanks are dry. Very important to know.

The six astronaut crew, well, suited up, ready to go. I'm sure that they really want to do this. But blast-off time is about an hour from now. NASA may decide to launch tomorrow or fly with only three of the four fuel sensors that are working properly. Earlier this week, a malfunctioning fuel cell held up the shuttle launch. And NASA says it is convinced the cell will not be a problem.

Pilot Chris Ferguson -- you see him there -- is from Philadelphia. He's a U.S. Navy captain preparing for his first mission to space. We're taking a look here at the crew. This is a long-time dream for him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. CHRIS FERGUSON, ATLANTIS PILOT: Watched (INAUDIBLE) walk on the moon. I thought some day I want to be a part of that. And lo and behold, here I am. And I'd like to think that there's a few kids out there that might be looking up now and feel the same way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Still ahead, it's not smog or clouds. It's suffocating smoke from wild fires in the West. Details in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: And the search for fugitive Ralph "Buck" Phillips. The FBI turns up the heat. That's ahead on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Joining the ranks of Osama bin Laden and mobster James Bulger, fugitive Ralph "Bucks" Phillips is now on the FBI's 10 most wanted list. He takes the place of polygamist Warren Jeffs. He was captures last week. Phillips is suspecting of shooting three New York state troopers, one fatally.

A massive search has been going on for weeks now in New York and Pennsylvania. Several possible sightings have been reported. Authorities believe Phillips has been breaking into empty hunting cabins and stealing cars.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS; Let's get a quick preview of CNN Saturday morning. The good news if we're talking about "CNN SATURDAY MORNING" we're about done. Here's Betty.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): Five years since 9/11, it really seems like yesterday. Hard to believe so much time has passed since those terrorist attacks. But for those who were on the scene at Ground Zero right when it happened, it seems like no time has passed. We'll check in with them to see how they're holding up.

Also, a cancer patient makes his first pitch, literally. We're introduce to Jeff Newbower (ph), a brave young man who is fighting both cancer, but he's also creating a lifelong dream. He's not letting the cancer stop him from that.

Plus...

(MUSIC)

NGUYEN: Now that's some flow. Schoolhouse rock 2006. ABCs, 1, 2, 3s, they are getting more bounce to the ounce. We have a lesson in what they call flowcabulary, where hip-hop meets the three r's.

We'll have all these top stories, plus in-depth coverage and any breaking news starting at 7:00 a.m. Eastern, right here on CNN, right here Saturday morning.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: And want to talk you back to the launchpad. You see it there at Cape Canaveral. We're getting some information in the newsroom about what exactly is going to be happening for today.

But as you well know, it's been sort of a rough last few days. We are going to find out for sure whether or not we will have a launch. Daniel Sieberg is on the scene. Some troubles with something called an ecosensor. It lets the shuttle know whether those fuel tanks are dry. We're going to have the very latest for you coming up in just a moment.

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

HARRIS: Still to come, bright, cheerful and born in the shadow of a national tragedy. One family's reason to celebrate -- yes, celebrate -- on September 11th. A symbol of hope named Spencer. Details coming up in the NEWSROOM.

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HARRIS: September 11, 2001. I bet you remember exactly where you were when the world changed around all of us.

COLLINS: No question about it. For one couple, Monday will not only be the fifth anniversary of these horrific images you're looking at. The day also ushered, for them, new beginnings and new hope.

Jim Huber shares one family's story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM HUBER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dawn began peaking over the Virginia shipyards as Stephen and Shari Melillo made their way across the James River Bridge, only a few hours before their lives, and indeed the life of America, would change forever.

SHARI MELILLO, MOTHER: There were complications with the pregnancy. He was due September 12th. They wanted to take him a full month early. There I am -- I've got I.V.s in. I'm headed down the hallway to the operating room.

HUBER (on camera): So think you're having him at that point?

SHARI MELILLO: Yes. But something in me, it was just massive intuition, said, we're not doing this today.

HUBER (voice-over): And so instead, it was 6:30 Eastern time on the morns of September 11th, 2001, when the happy young couple drove to Riverside Regional Medical Center to give birth finally to their first son, Spencer.

SHARI MELILLO: Well, I think any mother, you know, your first hope is just that you have a healthy child and an easier -- an easy delivery and all that. But, well, I don't know...

STEPHEN MELILLO, FATHER: The events of September 11th don't change what it is that I hoped for him before. What they actually do is amplify it, in a way. They exaggerate the hopes and the dreams.

HUBER (on camera): The Melillos of Smithfield, Virginia, were about to bring a child into a world that seems now, in retrospect, five years hence, about as innocent as that in which Ward and June Cleaver lived lifetime ago.

(voice-over): In the backwoods of Tennessee, for instance, Jennifer (ph) had disappeared on the 10th of September, and the frantic search was on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard one (INAUDIBLE), so I came down and checked this cave first. And there he was.

HUBER: He was a wayward calf. And once the good men of Anderson County had rescued him, he was welcomed back into the loving nuzzles of his family, a crisis averted.

In West Hollywood, California, an earthquake measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale shook up most of that portion of Los Angeles on September 10th, mighty welcome to at least one new resident. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, shake. Not so strong in short time. I wasn't afraid.

HUBER: In the town of Newark, Ohio, a few offended residents spent much of September 10th celebrating a victory in the great smelly egg suit of 2001, awarded $19.7 million in damages from the Buckeye Egg Farm, said to be the cause of great odor and infestation.

There was mold in Manhattan that morning, and optimistic but very ironic news about the World Trade Center. There were plans for expansion, the story read, as retailing boomed. The sky, yes.

Pete Sampras lost in the finals of the U.S. Open on the night of September 10. Tiger Woods was in St. Louis and already on the course practicing the morning of September 11th for the American Express Championship at Bellerive Country Club, while the basketball world was awaiting confirmation of the rumor that Michael Jordan would be making a comeback with the Washington Wizards.

Shari Melillo, meanwhile, gave birth by caesarean section to seven-pound, 11-ounce Spencer just a few minutes after 8:00 on the sparkling, peaceful morning five years ago. Stephen, an internationally renowned composer and conductor, was busy documenting the occasion. He would later put the moment to both words and music for the world to hear and feel.

But it was a camera move from mother and child to the nearby T.V. set that would offer the resounding crescendo.

SHARI MELILLO: Here you've got this ultimate joy. You know, you've got tears of joy. You see your baby for the first time and he's got all ten fingers and all ten toes, and he's happy and alive. And you've got the joy. And then minutes later, you're alone in a room, trying to wiggle your toes and hearing this horrific news. And you know, you just go to the opposite end of the spectrum, and you're back in worry and fear. It's just -- I always say, it's too much for one day.

HUBER: Spencer has a birthday soon, a date the entire world recognizes now as a symbol of great tragedy and resolve. He, and it, turn five.

SPENCER MELILLO, BORN ON SEPTEMBER 11TH: Is a cookie healthy for your brain?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Want to bring you this news just in to CNN. We are learning that the shuttle is not going to go.

HARRIS: Not going to go. Daniel Sieberg, he is at the Kennedy Space Center with more -- Daniel.

SIEBERG: Tony, that's right. We just received official word from the NASA mission management team that it will be at least a 24 hour delay, or scrub, for the shuttle Atlantis to liftoff from launch pad 39B. It was scheduled to go ahead today at 11:41 a.m. Eastern time. They have decided to stand down, to detank, or empty, the massive external fuel tank and try again tomorrow at 11:15 in the morning.

Here's what their problem is. They have been working through the issue since early this morning when they began fueling, or tanking up. There are two types of main fuels that we're talking about. There's the super-cooled liquid hydrogen in the bottom part of the external fuel tank here and super cooled liquid oxygen. There are four sensors that are in both of the tanks that give an indication on whether the tank is empty.

Well, this morning as they were filling it, they decided to test one of the four sensors that are at the base of the liquid hydrogen tank. Basically it was filling up, it had some fuel in it. They decided to test it by trying to trick it and make it think it was empty, but it came back with a reading that said it was full.

This is a problem, obviously, because if the tank readings are coming back and saying that it's full and it's not, the engines are still going when it is actually empty and vice versa. So this is a very serious concern. It is basically not permitting them to go ahead with the launch today.

It's something they are going to have to take some time. They are going to detank and try again tomorrow, see if this issue comes up again tomorrow, and see if they have to do something further.

This mission has been delayed several times over the last couple of weeks, starting with a massive lightning strike that hit the launch pad just a couple of weeks ago, the largest they believe at launch pad in history. Tropical Storm Ernesto moved through here. They actually had to move shuttle Atlantis off the launch pad at one point, and then decided about halfway through to move it back to the launch pad to try to ride out Tropical Storm Ernesto.

This week they also dealt with a fuel cell problem. One of the coolant pumps, the three fuel cells provide the power, electricity and water for the shuttle. One of them had a bad reading earlier this week. They worked through that and decided last night that was okay. Then early this morning, they encountered the ecosensor (ph) problem. " ECO" being an engine cutoff sensor.

This is something they are going to have to work through. It could be a show stopper tomorrow if they cannot figure out the source of this problem and can't diagnosis it in time for tomorrow. The launch window is closing with shuttle Atlantis in terms of getting up to the International Space Station.

If they can't go tomorrow have to pick it up at the end of the month, possibly into October because they run into, kind of, a traffic jam or running out of parking places up at the International Space Station with the Russian Soyuz spacecraft that's scheduled to take off on September 18.

So for now, NASA officials deciding to stand down, to try to look into the data and problem some more, and see if they can pick it up again tomorrow morning at 11:15 a.m. Eastern time.

Back to you.

COLLINS: Daniel, quickly, just sort of a question about, you know, the flight check, if you will. Is this the normal time where they would go through and test these ecosensors that are in the bottom of those fuel tanks? Or would they have possibly done that at an earlier time?

SIEBERG: Well, they would have likely tested them at various times leading up to the mission, but it's when the fueling actually begins, the tanking, that they are really getting a reading off them and they can test them in sort of a real word, or real life, situation with the fuel actually in there and on the launch pad.

And you know they went through all of the motions today as though they were going to launch at 11:41 Eastern. The shuttle crew came out. They got on board the AstroVan, waved to everybody, went through all of the motions that they were going to do as though they were going to launch today.

They are also in the shuttle right now. They closed the hatch on the crew door. They suited up. They were ready to go, all five male astronauts, one female. They were ready to go, so in a sense they have gone through the motions here leading up to a potential launch, and are now going to have to assess the problem to see if they can make it work for tomorrow.

HARRIS: And the new scheduled time of launch, 11:00, what do they have here, 11:15 A.M. tomorrow, Eastern time?

SIEBERG: Yes, 11:15 A.M. These launch times have been getting earlier and earlier since they started nearly a couple of weeks ago. And that's good in terms of the weather here at Kennedy Space Center, because later in the day, you get these Florida thunderstorms coming through. And today, actually, the weather looked good, so, you know, they're hoping that that's going to be the case tomorrow, depending on this ecosensor problem.

HARRIS: Daniel Sieberg for us -- Daniel, a lot of information there. Thank you, appreciate it.

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