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President Bush Heads to the Middle East After Thanksgiving to Meet With Iraq's Prime Minister; Marine Corps Concerned About Troop Levels in Iraq; Most Americans Traveling This Holiday Will Reach Destination by Car

Aired November 22, 2006 - 11:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: You're with CNN. You're informed.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Heidi Collins.

Developments keep coming into the NEWSROOM on this Wednesday, November 22nd, my brother's birthday, and Thanksgiving eve.

Here's what's on the rundown that we're talking about today.

Southern California waking up to wildfire this morning. Flames flaring in the hills outside Los Angeles.

HARRIS: War strategy summit. The leaders of the U.S. and Iraq set a meeting next week on neutral territory.

COLLINS: And O.J. Simpson, his book and TV deal killed by public outrage. Now he tells an interviewer he had nothing to confess anyway. We hear from him in the NEWSROOM.

After Thanksgiving, President Bush heads overseas. He plans to talk war strategy with Iraq's prime minister. The summit set for Jordan.

CNN White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joins us live.

Suzanne, good morning.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.

Of course, this is a significant development, because this really is an opportunity for these two leaders to meet face to face. You may recall the first time President Bush met Maliki, it was a surprise visit to Baghdad. He said he looked into his eyes and he saw a man who he could trust, who he could work with, so we'll see if that still remains.

The Bush administration insists they still have confidence in Maliki to pull this thing off here. Both of these leaders, both of these men are criticized and questioned for their leadership, whether or not they can actually make Iraq a successful model of democracy, or at least try to limit the kind of violence that we have seen within the last couple of months, even the last couple of years.

Now, they're meeting on neutral territory. This is Amman, Jordan. It is going to be hosted by King Abdullah. And the two leaders, we're told, are going to focus on a number of priorities.

First, namely increasing the training of Iraqi security forces. Secondly, facilitating reconciliation between these warring Iraqi factions, these groups. Cracking down on these militia groups. And then also establishing how Iraq's neighbors can play a productive role. That means Syria, that means Iran, Turkey, Jordan, all of those key players.

And of course, Tony, this comes at a very important time for President Bush. He is under tremendous amount of pressure to turn things around since he lost Congress -- Republicans lost Congress. And there are three reports coming out in the next couple of weeks -- that bipartisan commission that will be coming out with its own report, an internal investigation from the White House, as well as a report from the Pentagon -- Tony.

HARRIS: Yes, you're right with all of that.

Suzanne, I have to ask you, the situation in Lebanon is certainly on the president's mind as well. What can you tell us about that?

MALVEAUX: Well, the president put in a very important call to the prime minister of Lebanon, Siniora, and, of course, expressing condolences for the assassination. He also put in a call to the former president, Gemayel. His son was assassinated just yesterday. Again, this was to reiterate the United States, the Bush administration's support in the democratic government there in Lebanon.

It comes at a very critical time here. That government tremendously weakened since Hezbollah and Israel butted heads over the summer. So this is important for the president to show that kind of support. But big questions, Tony, whether or not there really is going to be the kind of support that's necessary for the Siniora government to really work.

HARRIS: Yes.

White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux for us.

Suzanne, thank you.

COLLINS: News right now out of the Pentagon. The Marine Corps concerned about troop levels in Iraq.

Senior CNN Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre joining us now live.

Jamie, what's the latest on this?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, speaking this morning with General James Conway, who is the brand new Marine Corps commandant, Heidi, and he is very concerned about the strain that the Iraq war in particular is putting on his troops. It's his goal to give Marines at least twice as much time away from the battle lines as they do in the combat zone, and right now Marines are deployed for about seven months at a time, and then they're supposed to get 14 months off.

The reality is, they only get between seven and eight months back before they have to go back. And some of these Marine units are going back for their third and fourth deployment into the war zone.

So what General Conway is saying is that unless the demand slacks off in the near future, he's going to have to consider asking for the size of the Marine Corps, which is about 180,000 troops, to be increased. But he's not making any recommendations until he finds out what the new strategy might be in Iraq. If, for instance, it calls for a reduction of U.S. troops in Iraq in the immediate future, then he can probably manage the force that he has, but if it calls for a surge of U.S. troops, particularly of U.S. Marines, and a commitment over some period of time, then he's going to be drawing up proposals to increase the size of the Marine force.

But again, he's brand new on the job. He's taken a look at -- at the stresses on his force, and he says that at this point, the Marine Corps as an institution is strained and can't even do all of the -- prepare for all of the missions it's supposed to complete because of the stress of the war in Iraq -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. Well, we are thinking about all of the troops during this holiday time, that's for sure.

Jamie McIntyre live from the Pentagon.

Thanks, Jamie.

HARRIS: Well, most Americans traveling this week will reach their destination by car.

CNN's Ed Lavandera has a closer look at a multi-state police patrol that stretches from the Atlanta Ocean to the Pacific.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Interstate 40 ends, or starts, depending on your perspective, in Barstow, California, 2,554 miles to the east, cutting through eight states, I- 40 reaches Wilmington, North Carolina. No other cross-country interstate will be watched like I-40 this Thanksgiving holiday.

LT. PETE NORWOOD, OKLAHOMA HIGHWAY PATROL: Getting the word out. Letting them know, hey, this is your warning. We're going to be on I- 40.

LAVANDERA: Oklahoma state trooper, Lieutenant Pete Norwood, helped organize a multi-state patrol that will post state troopers every 10 miles along this interstate.

NORWOOD: And that's all the way across I-40, from sea to shining sea.

LAVANDERA (on camera): What authorities are most concerned about this holiday weekend, of course, are people who drive drunk and at high speeds. They're hoping by staggering troopers every 10 miles along the interstate, that that will encourage people to be on their best behavior.

(voice over): And 458 people died in highway accidents last Thanksgiving weekend, more than half of those were not wearing seatbelts.

NORWOOD: If everybody drove right, there'd be no accidents. If everybody abided by the law there would never be an accident, and that's what we're trying to do here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like to speed a little myself, but I want to see more people alive this year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To reduce the cost of lives, I don't think it's that extreme.

LAVANDERA: AAA estimates almost 32 million Americans will be taking to the roads this weekend. The national average on gas prices is $2.23 a gallon, about 80 cents cheaper than this past summer. That kind of statistic makes drivers thankful.

MIKE PINA, AMERICAN AUTOMOBILE ASSN.: People are more likely to put up with congested roads and gas, and whatever hassles are necessary, because they're determined to see their friends and family this time of the year.

LAVANDERA: And with millions of Americans determined to see their families, for those traveling on I-40, what you save in gas money might easily be lost to speeding tickets.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No tickets, not so far. Hopefully, I won't get none.

NORWOOD: Spend your money on a turkey, not on the fine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Ed Lavandera joins us from Knoxville, Tennessee.

And Ed, I -- well, I would imagine most folks would be OK. They might even like the idea of extra police on the roads. But what are folks saying to you?

LAVANDERA: You know, people do like the idea. I don't think they're, you know, bothered by it in the least bit, really. However, you know, it is something they want to be aware of.

Everyone we've spoken with at this gas station that we're standing here along Interstate 40 has said that they were just finding out about it and were just jumping onto Interstate 40, so it was good information to have. And because of that, they said they were going to take it a lot slower.

We did meet one woman who had just made it onto Interstate 40, but unfortunately, she's already gotten a ticket this morning. But she was happy to get that information about this patrol. She said, "I can't afford another one."

HARRIS: You've got to slow down. Stop pushing folks down the road.

All right. Ed Lavandera for us in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Ed, thank you.

COLLINS: And we want to check out the weather situation now. A lot of people traveling, as we've been saying.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: You did mention the California brushfire, so we want to go over to Carol Lin, who is following that story for us, and get the very latest now on what is happening there.

Last we checked, Carol, it was about a hundred acres or so.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. It grew to about 120 acres, Heidi. And just like Rob said, they really need that wet weather that's up in the Northwest to move south, although the temperatures seem to be holding there.

It's going to be cool. It's not going to be too windy. It's perfect fire-fighting conditions.

The terrain, though, in the San Bernardino National Forest is very, very rough. You're looking at the staging area, but up in the hills there, straight ahead, they've got to send hand crews in. They can't get trucks up into that area.

So this fire right now is going to be fought by hand, and as long as the weather holds, it doesn't get too windy and it doesn't get too hot, those Santa Ana conditions or those hot, dry desert winds that reverse and start blowing towards the coast, they don't want those conditions. They want this weather to hold so they can get a handle on this.

COLLINS: Boy, that's for sure, Carol. All right. We'll be watching that very closely as we continue here in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: You are in the NEWSROOM.

When we come back, a question for you. Not packed yet? Boy, you are in some serious trouble. Millions jam airports and roads in search of a Thanksgiving meal. Travel delays straight ahead.

COLLINS: And his network TV special yanked after public outrage. Today, O.J. Simpson talking about the ruckus and his supposed confession. You're watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: A bit of a situation we're watching here. Rob told you a short time ago -- and we'll get back to Rob in just a moment -- about the system that is in the Carolinas now, picking up some moisture from the Atlantic and moving up the coast, causing all kinds of travel delays for the Northeast Corridor. But as you can see here, live pictures out of Norfolk, Virginia. Flooding is an issue with this storm as well.

Rob Marciano in the CNN weather center right now.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Over the river, through the woods, maybe even across the country, millions of Americans are traveling for their Thanksgiving meals.

CNN's Jonathan Freed is at one of the busiest airports in the world now, in Chicago.

All right, Jonathan, how's it looking there? I'm trying to be positive.

JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi.

I'm going to say -- it's interesting you said, you know, one of the busiest airports, because here in Chicago they have a saying at the airport here. I'm not going to say who says it, but there is a saying here, which is, they still think of themselves as the busiest airport in the world, no matter what Atlanta says.

There's a great sense of pride here, great sense of pride here in Chicago. Let me show you what's been going on.

It has been a steady stream of people here all day, but not the -- not the total insanity that a lot of people thought they were going to see. And guys, one of the reasons for that is that, although we're used to calling this the busiest travel day of the year, what we're hearing from folks here is that people's departures are being staggered these days.

People are extending their Thanksgiving vacation and holiday, and that the busy time is at the end of the holiday now, Sunday-Monday, because people can leave at different times, but everybody's got to be back in the office next week at basically the same time. So the big crunch here, when they're probably going to see as many as 250,000 people through this airport alone, will be Sunday and Monday. And that's what everybody's bracing for.

COLLINS: Yes, boy. And you know, as far as the busiest airport is concerned, I think if you're a traveler, you just -- you just want a lot of security checkpoints so you can whip on through, you know?

All right. Jonathan Freed...

FREED: Exactly.

COLLINS: ... thanks so much, live from O'Hare today.

And for more travel tips, and the travel news you need, log on before you leave the house, cnn.com/holidaytravel. The latest TSA guidelines, along with a video of making your visit stress-free.

HARRIS: Fortunate foul. Two turkeys -- that's good. Having fun and games back in the control room.

Two turkeys get a new lease on life, both pardoned today by President Bush. It is a holiday tradition, after all. The president always pardoning one turkey, as well as that bird's understudy.

This year the honor goes to Flyer and Fryer. Those names picked through an Internet vote.

Both will now go to a better place -- Disneyland, to be exact. They'll be the grand marshals at Disney's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I'm pretty sure they won't be riding Space Mountain and just wandering around the park all day long.

Used to that scene.

COLLINS: Is Iran calling the shots as a breakaway group from a dangerous Iraqi militia grows by the thousands? A report from Central Command coming up here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: A potentially deadly mix, Iran and Iraqi militias. U.S. Central Command in the Middle East is concerned about the Iranian influence.

Our Barbara Starr has details from inside CENTCOM's classified operations center in Qatar.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Here in the operations center of the Central Command's desert headquarters, the top priority, of course, is the war in Iraq and growing concerns about Iran's influence in that war. Officials here are tracking what they believe is a breakaway element of the Shia militia once controlled by the radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, a breakaway element that they now believe is significantly controlled from inside Iran.

The belief is that Iran is providing weapons, money and training to that militia group across the border in Iraq, and it may have as many as 10,000 supporters inside Iraq, making it very difficult for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to crack down on that group. Officials here say that if the sectarian violence cannot be brought under control, civil war will come to Iraq. And here, the belief is they have about six months to work with the new Iraqi government to try and bring that sectarian violence under control.

Barbara Starr, CNN, Doha, Qatar.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And then there's this: a horrific human toll in Iraq. A new U.N. report says more than 3,700 civilians were killed last month. Officials say that makes October the deadliest month for Iraqi civilians since the start of the war.

The report blames the growing influence of militias, terrorists and insurgents. It says hundreds of bodies continue to turn up in Baghdad. They're handcuffed, blindfolded, and show signs of torture and execution-style killing.

Iraqis also continue to be victims of roadside bombs, military operations or other attacks.

COLLINS: His network TV special yanked after public outrage. Today, O.J. Simpson talking about the ruckus and his supposed confession in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: And your flight plan. Tips that could save time and trouble at the airport in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And as you get ready to head out on your holiday travel, stay with CNN and CNN.com, and stay up to date on travel conditions across the United States.

More Marines may be needed for duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, the word from the new Marine Corps commander. General James Conway's comments come as the Bush administration finalizes the next military budget. Conway says current rotations limit training and could put Marines to leave -- or prompt Marines to leave the service. His suggestion, either increase the size of the Marine Corps or reduce the rotation schedule.

Here in Atlanta, a police drug raid ends with a 92-year-old woman dead and three officers wounded. Authorities say the woman opened fire when plain-clothed officers burst into her home with a search warrant. They say police fired back to defend themselves.

Eric Phillips of our affiliate WSB has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARAH DOZIER, WOMAN'S NIECE: They killed my aunt. They shot her down like a dog. She is 92 years old. I give her this house. That is my house.

ERIC PHILLIPS, WSB-TV REPORTER: Sara Dozier rushed to the scene when she heard her elderly aunt Kathryn Johnston had been killed in a shootout with Atlanta police. DOZIER: They kicked her door in talking about drugs and there's no drugs in that house. They realize now they done the wrong house. They went and they killed her.

PHILLIPS: Atlanta police officials say three narcotics officers were serving a warrant at 933 Neal Street, when a female inside opened fire striking all of them. Their return fire killing her. Neighbors say they could hear the erupting gunfire.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was oncoming just pow, pow,.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because I had to get my little nephew and dive on the floor with him and I had to dive on top of him because is it sounds like the gunshot was right by our window.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The next thing I know that the ambulance came and the police car, they were just coming shooting down the street and we was concerned and we were scared.

PHILLIPS: The woman's niece says she's not surprised her aunt opened fire because she lived alone and had a gun for protection.

DOZIER: Yes, she has a gun and I went and got her a gun permit. Now, they didn't have to shoot that old lady down like a dog. They didn't have to do that. It's one old woman in that house.

I've got burglar bars there to try to protect her. I've got mercury lights out there to keep it bright and light.

I'm as mad as hell, and somebody's going to answer to that!

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Man.

The incident is now under investigation. The assistant police chief says the officers were justified in shooting once they were fired upon.

"NEWSROOM" returns at the top of the hour. Join Kyra Phillips and Don Lemon for all of the day's news, including an incredible story about how a quarterback sack ended a game and a career, but just might have saved a life. Find out how today in the "NEWSROOM."

Meantime, YOUR WORLD TODAY continues after a quick break.

I'm Tony Harris.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Today O.J. Simpson is speaking out about the uproar over the project.

COLLINS: It was supposed to be his hypothetical account about how he would have killed his ex-wife and her friend if he did it. Simpson spoke with News Talk radio station 1080 in Miami this morning. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

O.J. SIMPSON: You know I made it clear the first day I met the writer that I wasn't involved, so I wouldn't know what to do, so we put it aside. Now, they negotiated this speculation, so when we got to that part, it was where to start. The writer and I didn't know where to start, so I said I don't know what to tell you, you know and I am -- certainly two things I would not participate in is if you get any graphic by anybody getting cut or stabbed, which is not in the book, or I wasn't going to try to make the LAPD's evidence work. It didn't work in court and I'm not going to try to make it work here.

So we kind of went to a different direction and it was collaborative. He asked me how -- if I was out and wanted to get in the house unseen, I'd have come through the backyard. Unfortunately, the writer didn't really know my house and the evidence as I do, you know, the unrefuted evidence. So what we kind of went back and forth and he worked on some stuff and stuff. When I read what he came up with, I said well, this is better than anything I could come up with, even though it's clear if anybody read it that knew the case and knew my house, they would see how physically impossible a lot of this stuff would be.

The actual confrontation was minimal in the book. The whole book, you've got about half a chapter that is dealing with the incident, and in that half a chapter, maybe a few pages that deals with the confrontation, alleged confrontation there. So when I read in the "National Enquirer," that details, it was so detailed that only the murder could have done this, the writer called me. I said well, guess what, you did it. They're going to prosecute you because they claim ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because you wrote it?

SIMPSON: Because only the murderer could know these details. But once again, I didn't correct some of the glaring errors because I knew the say would come that somebody was going to say, well look how you did it, and if anybody read it, they know the trial, certainly even the prosecution would read it and they would see that well, this is virtually impossible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: News Corp pulled the plug on the Simpson book and TV interview in response to the public outrage.

HARRIS: All aboard. Amtrak is expecting its busiest travel day of the year. Allan Chernoff is tracking the situation for though riding the rails this Thanksgiving. He is at New York's Penn Station. Allan, good morning, I'm wondering, so many people trying to get out of town to get to grandma's house on the rails this year. I know you can sell out anything. I'm just wondering, are there any tickets available?

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, there are hardly any tickets available, Tony. Virtually every train already is sold out. Back when we were in school and college, people used to jam the aisles, they used to sit between the trains. Amtrak doesn't do that anymore. Every train is reserved. You've got to have a seat. So they're only selling a certain number of tickets, and a lot of them have already been sold online.

The train to Boston that leaves at 1:00, two seats left on it. I checked a little while ago. Virtually all the other trains sold out. So you see a lot of people behind me waiting to get on board. And keep in mind, the middle of the day, usually this station is not all that busy, Penn Station here. But the ticket lines, actually if we can look over here, you'll hardly see any people actually waiting in line to buy a ticket. You know why? Because there just are not tickets to be bought.

HARRIS: Wow.

CHERNOFF: That's how tough it is to get a ticket on Amtrak today. 125,000 people expected to ride the rails. That's a lot more than they usually have. About 80 percent more, so a big day for Amtrak.

HARRIS: Wow. So Allan, earlier in the day when folks are trying to get their tickets and get on the train, I know there were lines. Were people for the most part pretty good-natured about whatever delays they were running into?

CHERNOFF: Yes. Actually, things have been running pretty smoothly here. In terms of departures, virtually everything has been leaving right on time.

HARRIS: Great.

CHERNOFF: They haven't had a problem thus far. Arrivals? Well, there was one train that was supposed to come from Miami a little over an hour ago. It's running a bit late. It usually does run late. You've got to be very patient if you're taking the train all the way from Miami to New York City over here.

HARRIS: Isn't that the case? All right, Allan Chernoff for us at Penn Station in New York City. Allan, thank you.

COLLINS: Cut your holiday travel time before you cut the pumpkin pie. Know what you can and cannot take on a plane. CNN's Ted Rollins with a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROLLINS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Nat, Annie, and 4-year-old Charlotte Otis were at the airport in plenty of time to catch their flight from Los Angeles to Baltimore.

ANNIE OTIS, THANKSGIVING TRAVELER: We're heading to DC to have thanksgiving with family.

ROLLINS: The Otis family travels enough to know about the new rules concerning liquids on board. ANNIE OTIS: I have some saline solution. We have some apple juice.

ROLLINS: As they get ready to check their bags, they think they'll be all right, although as they'll soon find out, it's not entirely in their hands.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Remove all liquids from your carry-on bags, please!

ROLLINS: The Transportation Security administration or TSA, is hoping an information campaign is getting the word out about the new liquid gels ban that went into effect after a liquid explosive terrorist plot was uncovered in London.

(on camera): The key to things running smoothly this holiday season could come down to the baggie. This is Niko Melendez with the TSA. Explain once again the rules with 311.

NIKO MELENDEZ, TSA: 311 -- one quart-size baggie, one baggie per person, and each liquid inside needs to be in a container of 3 ounces or less.

ROLLINS: Any liquid has to be in a small container and has to be in this baggie, otherwise you will ...

MELENDEZ: We'll find it and we'll ask passengers to either get rid of it or go put it in the checked bag.

ROLLINS: Put it in your checked bag. Just this morning at LAX, take a look at this, all of this confiscated. People trying to get on the airplane with all of these items. Is the message really getting across? I mean, somebody tried to bring salsa on, liquor ...

MELENDEZ: We're doing everything we can to get the message across. We've talked to everybody. The public education campaign has been going on for six weeks and we're working with the airlines and the airports to inform the passengers, but we have to remember, a lot of people are traveling this holiday season that haven't traveled in a very long time.

ROLLINS (voice over): The Otis family made it to the front of the security checkpoint line ...

NAT OTIS, THANKSGIVING TRAVELER: This is the big moment.

ROLLINS: But after Annie and Charlotte made it through, there was a security threat.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bag check!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Code green!

ROLLINS: A code green means the security checkpoint must be immediately shut down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ma'am, you can step back against the ...

ROLLINS: The person in front of the Otis family appeared to have bullets inside a carry-on bag. The delay turned out to be relatively short, but bullets were actually this strange-looking set of keys. Meanwhile, a TSA agent found the saline solution in the Otis family's luggage. According to the TSA, it's classified as a medical product, so it was allowed on board. And despite the unexpected delay, the Otis family made their flight.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Lots of rules. It can get a little confusing.

HARRIS: Don't try it, don't try it. They'll catch you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Let's get the view from the ground now in Norfolk, Virginia. Lindsey Roberts from affiliate WVEC has this report.

LINDSEY ROBERTS, WVEC-TV REPORTER (voice-over): Folks here have been watching closely the cars behind me and say the last 15, 20 minutes, have only moved about two car lengths in all of that amount of time. It's pretty much bumper-to-bumper, stopped traffic right now. Folks when they are moving, are just inching slowly, slowly forward. As we said, folks very frustrated with that. We are seeing them actually drive over the median into on-coming traffic. We're seeing people drive the wrong way down Brambleton.

(on camera) Now besides the drivers, it's also been very frustrating for emergency vehicles, which I'm sure you can hear here in the background. We are seeing ambulances, we are also seeing fire trucks forced to drive the wrong way down Brambleton because of course this is a major thoroughfare to the hospital. (INAUDIBLE) Norfork General Hospital here in downtown Norfolk. Major thoroughfare completely stopped. Ambulances, fire crews, no one can get past here, so they're being forced to drive the wrong way, and they are -- it's been very close calls that we have seen already, even with the sirens blaring, because folks are just so frustrated with the traffic and not being able to get anywhere.

So very, very dangerous situation here in downtown. Even this direction, headed east here on Brambleton, it is open, we are seeing a few cars. However, there is so much water, it's above your knees in areas. So when people are going through that, they are speeding because they're mad about being late, but then they're hitting that water, which is very, very deep. We're then seeing cars that are flooded just past this spot.

Now, this street is just parallel to Brambleton here, and it is up to knee deep. To give you some perspective of just how deep it is, the fire hydrants just down there are actually almost completely covered with water. We spoke to business owners here that are right along this street. They are working very hard to try and keep ahead of this water, which all morning they have watched slowly creep up the sidewalk a little further and a little bit further. The folks here at the safe place Mini Storage have watched it get closer to their door. They say that this flooding is the worst they have seen since Hurricane Isabel. They said Ernesto and the nor'easter we had in October doesn't even compare to what they're seeing here today. They thought that they would be OK because the water had not quite come inside.

In the last 15 minutes they have been forced to get out the shop vacs and try to stay ahead of this water as it comes inside their business. Very, very scary thing down here. Folks need to stay away from this area -- Janet, Lasalle (ph).

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Wow. How about that from Lindsey Roberts, with our CNN affiliate WVEC down there. Tough situation in Norfolk. Think about Hampton Roads (ph), all the homes down there, all the families down there. the Langley Air Force Base is there as well. So we'll keep an eye on that situation.

If you'd like to get more travel information, all the travel tips you need, log on before you go, CNN.com/holidaytravel. The latest TSA guidelines, along with a video on making your visit stress-free.

Peacemaker or assassinator? Syria tries to shape its image against a violent backdrop. We'll talk to a Syrian cabinet member coming up ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

HARRIS: YOUR WORLD TODAY coming up in just a couple of minutes at the top of the hour.

Ralitsa Vassileva is standing by with a preview.

Ralitsa, good to see you. Good morning.

RALITSA VASSILEVA, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Tony. Good morning, Heidi. Good to see you two.

Well, it was supposed to be Independence Day, a day of celebration in Lebanon today. Instead, many Lebanese are mourning the death of an anti-Syrian politician and fearing more violence yet to come.

A doctor with a certificate from Fidel Castro's Cuba coming soon to a medical facility near you. We'll see why some American students will go to Cuba to get their degree in medicine.

And living in America while Muslim. Were passengers stereotyping or just being cautious when they reported suspicious behavior that got some Muslim imams kicked off their flight? We'll explore that with a guests. The challenges Americans Muslims face in post-September 11th America. All that and more. Join our journey around the world. We'll keep you up to date on everything that's happening that you need to know about on "YOUR WORLD TODAY" at the top of the hour.

Now back to you guys.

HARRIS: OK, Ralitsa.

COLLINS: Thank you.

HARRIS: So peacemaker or assassinator? Syria tries to shape its image against a violent backdrop. We'll be talking with a Syrian cabinet member, coming up right here in the NEWSROOM.

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COLLINS: On two fronts, Syria signaled it wants to help in Iraq, but it is fighting accusations it was behind the assassination of a Lebanese politician. Joining us now from Damascus is Syrian cabinet minister Bouthaina Shaaban. Thanks for being with us.

I want to begin with this, yesterday I had the opportunity to interview Saad Hariri, as you know, the son of the former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri who was killed in 2005. He said this, "The hands of Syria are all over the place." Is that true?

BOUTHAINA SHAABAN, SYRIAN CABINET MINISTER: I think it's irresponsible to give such an opinion without any evidence, without even having investigated the latest killing. And you know, I said one hour after the killing of Rafik Hariri, his father, that anyone who killed Rafik Hariri is the one who wants to bring chaos and instability into Lebanon.

This was two years ago, and it's obvious that this political assassination, this terrorist assassination are aiming at the Lebanese people, at the unity and security and stabilization of Lebanon, and this is obviously against the Syrian interests. Our destinies are entangled. The Syrian and Lebanese people, whether some people like it or not, but that's what Syria believes.

COLLINS: Yes, I think that's very true. I think anyone would agree with that, but Pierre Gemayel, the industry minister in Lebanon is the fifth anti-Syrian figure to be killed. What are Syria's interests in Lebanon?

SHAABAN: You know I read all the foreign press today, "Los Angeles Times," "New York Times," all the political analysts, (INAUDIBLE), everyone, American and British analysts agreed that this assassination has thwarted the efforts of bringing Syria to talk to Britain, to talk to the United States, to find a solution on Iraq, to resume comprehensive peace.

You know, so it is again the Lebanese opposition, because instead of funeral tomorrow, the Lebanese opposition was planning to be on the street. So obviously it is neither Lebanese opposition nor Syria who are the beneficiaries of this assassination, but what is the interests of Syria in Lebanon? You know, by the logic of geography and history, we are two sisterly countries. We speak the same language and have the same history. Remember, when Israel launched its war on Lebanon, only Syria opened its doors and arms to Lebanese because they are our brothers and sisters, while everyone in the world took their own citizens by their ships and left the Lebanese to their destiny. So don't think about the regime, think about the people. We are the same people and we care about each other and our security and destiny are certainly entangled together.

COLLINS: I want to go ahead and have you listen to some sound here. This is from John Bolton, as you well know, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Let's listen to this and then I have a question for you on the back of it.

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JOHN BOLTON: U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: The White House warned about two weeks ago that Syria and Iran acting through Hezbollah might be on the verge of an attempted coup d'etat in Lebanon. One has to wonder whether this despicable assassination is the not the first shot.

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COLLINS: Your thoughts? Is that true what John Bolton is saying?

SHAABAN: Certainly the assassination is despicable and I think we have to get rid of this prefix anti-Syrian that is justifying all these terrible assassinations that the heinous party is carrying out this assassination. But I would like to remind Mr. Bolton that Syria was against the war on Iraq. Syria has been falling through our president for a just and comprehensive peace in the region, calling upon the international community.

It is certainly not the interest of Syria to have partitioned Iraq, to have chaos in Iraq or to have chaos in Lebanon, but I think Mr. Bolton should look closer at home at who is causing all this trouble in Lebanese. It is certainly not Syria, a much larger power than Syria ...

COLLINS: Miss Shaaban, again, as you well know, Syria has formerly renewed now their relations with the country of Iraq. Those relations pretty much severed in 1982. Why now? Why getting back together with Iraq?

SHAABAN: Can I start with 1982? There were several, because we took a very firm stand against Saddam Hussein in his war against Iran, and remember, the United States government at the time is the one who supported Saddam Hussein and we were waiting for the collapse of Saddam Hussein to resume our relations, but unfortunately, the Americans, after occupying Iraq in 2003, they were the ones who stood against ...

COLLINS: So why now have you renewed the relations? I'm sorry, we're running out of time. SHAABAN: We were ready. We were ready. It is now that the Iraqi government and the Syrians are able to make this relations. We were ready right from the first day of the removal of Saddam Hussein to have the best relations with Iraq. It is a brother country. We love the best relations with Iraq. So it wasn't depending on us. There were obstacles in our way. Now that the other side is ready, we are ready, too.

COLLINS: Syrian cabinet minister Bouthaina Shaaban, thanks for your time here today.

HARRIS: CNN NEWSROOM continues one hour from now. Kyra Phillips and Don Lemon and the team working hard to bring you the very latest on several big stories developing today.

COLLINS: "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is coming up next with news happening across the globe and here at home. Thanks for watching everybody and have a great day.

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