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White House Meets With Lawmakers On ISG Report; Iraq Reacts To ISG Report Recommendations; Rumsfeld Holds Last Town Hall Meeting
Aired December 08, 2006 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone.
You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Tony Harris.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Heidi Collins.
Here's what's coming up today on THE NEWSROOM.
We're going to be talking about President Bush. He's meeting with Congressional leaders from both parties, part of the search for a new approach in Iraq. We're going to be talking with our White House correspondent on that.
HARRIS: Radiation -- it killed this man. Now, another ex- Russian spy may be seriously sick.
COLLINS: And a father seeking help for his snowbound family loses his life in the cold.
Our Rick Sanchez with ways to beat the odds -- back country survival in THE NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: Breakfast time huddle -- it's more than just coffee talk. Right now, President Bush is meeting with Congressional leaders from both parties, part of the search for a new approach in Iraq.
White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joining us now -- and, Suzanne, you've been so great this week at sort of keeping us up to speed on all of the meetings that the president has been having with Congressional leaders.
I'm just curious about, A, the tone of this. And, secondly, do we get a sense that there is real frank discussion going on back and forth?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is really a formality, if you will. But the president -- this is a new reality of this White House. What you see here is really a very aggressive and active outreach not only to the Republican leadership -- we've seen a lot of that, of course, in the last couple of years -- but now to the Democratic leadership, as well.
Both of them, from the House and the Senate here having breakfast with the president in the Cabinet Room. We are told that the president is going to talk about this report from the Iraq Study Group, his impressions of it.
So that really is somewhat new here, Tony. We certainly hope that we'll get a sense of whether or not there's a little bit of give and take there. But certainly more aggressive outreach.
It comes at a time, as we know, the president is weighing his options about how to change U.S. policy, if he will change U.S. policy.
We know there are a couple of things that he has already ruled out and things that he's entertaining. We heard yesterday again refusing one-on-one talks with Iran and Syria. But he has not ruled out a regional conference involving his administration and those regimes.
We also heard the president talk about suggesting a more robust role for the Bush administration in the Israeli-Palestinian Middle East peace process. That is something that the group has called for.
And we do know that there has been no indication from this administration that they would commit to pulling out U.S. troops with any kind of specific timetable or window. The report calling for trying to reach a goal, at least, for 2008. President Bush reiterated that it all depends on what happens on the ground -- Tony.
HARRIS: Our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux, for us.
Suzanne, thank you.
COLLINS: Fix it strategy... Iraq Study Group proposals the buzz in Washington, merely a soft whir in Baghdad.
CNN's Nic Robertson with that.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Already a very bloody month. More than 30 U.S. servicemen killed in the first week of December. American soldiers still under attack as Iraqi politicians ponder the Iraq Study Group's report.
Haider Al Abadi has lots of influence in the prime minister's party.
HAIDER AL ABADI, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER'S PARTY: And that is very clear direction that, at the end of the day, U.S. forces are going to leave. This is good news.
ROBERTSON: But he's also worried about how it could possibly work to have 20,000 U.S. military trainers embedded with the Iraqi military.
ABADI: There is a nightmare. I thought immediately, 20,000 -- how many translators? I mean, Iraqis, most of them, they don't understand English. We need the prepare translators, efficient translators, to give the message to the Iraqis to get trained properly.
ROBERTSON: On the vexing question of U.S. engagement with Iran and Syria, Iran's national security adviser was delighted with the recommendations.
MOWFAQ RUBAIE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: From our perspective, we believe that the United States government should engage with Iran, should engage with Syria.
ROBERTSON: According to Rubaie, only America wields enough power to stop Iranian and Syrian interference. The situation is so out of control now, he says, Syria is the gateway for 85 percent of all foreign fighters entering Iraq.
RUBAIE: And probably more than 90 percent of this 85 percent are landing in Damascus airport. This says the Syrian government can stop the foreign fighters.
ROBERTSON: Equally pressing, figuring our how to disband Iranian-backed militias, which now control large chunks of Baghdad. For Iraq's government, the Study Group's recommendations offers no quick fix.
ABADI: They are very keen to see the militias disarmed. I know the prime minister is very keen on this. He wants to implement it very quickly.
ROBERTSON (on camera): Can he, though?
ABADI: That is a problem.
ROBERTSON: A problem because even under the accelerated hand over envisioned by the report, Iraqis say they won't have the power they need to combat the militias until late into next year, at the earliest.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HARRIS: Have you heard this?
A new report this morning suggests funding for sectarian violence in Iraq may be coming from Saudi Arabia. The Associated Press reports private Saudi citizens are giving millions to their fellow Sunnis in the Iraqi insurgency. Officials say that money often tucked and trucked in across the border is used to buy guns and explosives that together Shiites and U.S. troops.
The A.P. says some Saudis appear to know the money is headed to Iraq's insurgency, but others merely give it to clerics, who funnel the cash to anti-coalition forces.
Saudi government officials reportedly deny that any money is being sent to insurgents.
And it is not the final farewell ceremony, but Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld holds his last town hall meeting with Pentagon employees this morning. That's coming up at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. You never know what he might say. We'll have his opening remarks live and bring you highlights as they happen, right here in THE NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: Fast moving flames in southern California. This wildfire has scorched 6,000 acres in a hilly area near Bakersfield. That's about 75 miles north of L.A. It started when a pickup truck caught fire on an interstate.
That sparked a brush fire that quickly spread out of control. Crews say strong winds are fueling the blaze now. Firefighters have almost half of it contained.
Chris Van Horne from affiliate KERO is live now in Kern County, California -- Chris, what can you tell us about all of this? Any homes being threatened at this point?
CHRIS VAN HORNE, KERO NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, at this point there are no major structures being threatened. There are some -- a few homes out to the rural part where this fire is burning right now.
But within the last hour, hour and five minutes, the fire is starting to burn out of control. It's gotten over some breaks that they put out last night to try and control the fire. But right now the fire has gotten past those and are burning in an area they hoped it wouldn't get to.
Now, when this fire started, again, about 6:00 last night on Interstate 5 -- it's called the West Side Fire because it started on the west side of Interstate 5 -- it looked like it was moving pretty fast -- 30 to 45 mile per hour wind gusts were moving the fire pretty steadily to the west. And that was causing some scare.
There are some homes in that area, but firefighters say that that kept about two miles north of where those homes are. And so that's not a concern right now.
But the fire is considered to be out of control at this time. More than 6,000 acres have burned, we believe, at this point. And they're really trying to get a handle on this.
Kern County fire crews, Los Angeles Fire County crews and California Department of Forestry are out here. And they are trying to get control of this.
When the sun-does come up, we are expecting to have a lot of tankers and fixed air wings coming out here to work on this fire.
The steep terrain and the winds are causing a lot of problems for hand crews. And so this is those firefighters in the air will be able to help them out.
But, again, this fire right now burning out of control behind me just in the last hour or so -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Wow!
All right, Chris Van Horne from KERO.
Hope that weather cooperates with the fire crews today, certainly.
Thank you, Chris.
HARRIS: Cold, cold, cold outside, to be sure. This Arctic blast sending temperatures diving from the Midwest and into the South. Single digits reports in some areas around Louisville, Kentucky. The bitter cold and slick roads forced several school systems to close -- that's understandable -- in Illinois and Missouri. Thousands of folks still in the deep freeze and in the dark.
It has been a week since a brutal wintry storm blanketed the area in ice and snow. Residents accuse power companies of not doing enough to get folks back online.
Let's check in now with Chad Myers -- and, Chad, you promised us that this would be a fast moving system. We hope so, because is has definitely dipped down into the South.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Wow!
You know what?
Chicago yesterday at this time had a wind chill factor of 20 degrees below zero.
HARRIS: Oh, man.
MYERS: And on Sunday, it will be 50.
HARRIS: Whoa!
MYERS: Seventy degrees difference.
HARRIS: That's insane, yes.
MYERS: So -- it is. And this is that kind of the cold and flu season for sure, when you get that type of temporary change and you're not used to it or you get outside and you're not prepared for even an air temperature in Chicago right now of five and a wind chill of six below.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: And here's a question for you -- could you survive being lost, first of all, in the cold? How about the cold wilderness?
There are ways to better your chances of making it out alive. We will hear from an expert in THE NEWSROOM. COLLINS: Another former Russian spy suffers radiation poisoning and investigators are tracking radiation all over London. New twists in the spy murder mystery, in THE NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: The long arm of the law just got a little shorter. One of Santa's helpers nabbed some naughty drivers. That story ahead in THE NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: That's going to cause an accident.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: James Kim's co-workers are paying tribute and honoring him this morning through video. Kim lost his life while trying to save his family, stranded in the Oregon wilderness.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A very nice built in headphones with built in Bluetooth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: He worked as an editor for the technology Web site CNET. On CNET's Web site, Kim was described as an expert on cutting edge digital devices. But he's also remembered as being faithful to old- fashioned values such as sacrifice, friendship and family.
COLLINS: If you were stuck in the wilderness in the snow and biting cold, would you know how to survive?
Being aware of basic rules could mean the difference between life and death.
CNN's Rick Sanchez asked an expert about surviving in the cold.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A recent snowfall has left a couple of feet of snow in this area. We're right in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. Our elevation right here is about 8,000 feet. It's about 20 degrees. It's going to get into the teen pretty soon.
These conditions are very difficult and very disorienting for someone who's in this element suddenly. And you can see from these conditions how easy it would be to get disoriented between the trees; also the elevation itself. You think you're heading in one direction and suddenly you're going around in circles.
Here, let me show you what I'm talking about.
Now, imagine what it's like to be out there for several hours. You begin to appreciate what the experts call "the rule of threes," and that is, you can probably survive about three hours without shelter, about three days without water, about three weeks without food.
Now you begin to get a sense of how we prioritize these things, according to what experts teach.
Let's talk to an expert, if we can.
This is Ken Brink.
He's with Colorado State Parks. He's an expert on surviving.
Thanks, Ken, for joining us.
KEN BRINK, COLORADO STATE PARKS DEPARTMENT: You bet.
SANCHEZ: I probably made a mistake by trying to walk through the woods. Had I been stuck out here and I had a car near me, I should have stayed in the car?
BRINK: We tell people to stay put if you're in trouble. If you tell people where you're going and when you get in trouble you stay put, there's a very high possibility that we can find you within 24 hours. Not always, but usually.
SANCHEZ: And don't give up your shelter?
BRINK: Absolutely. If you're with a vehicle, it can provide good shelter for you. If you get out wandering like you were, there are some things you can do. As an example, one thing we teach is what we call a desperation trench.
SANCHEZ: This is a shelter of last resort, if you will?
BRINK: Absolutely. And you don't need any special equipment to make it. You're not going to have to work real hard to put it together. And hopefully you're not going to get soaking wet building it.
SANCHEZ: So it sounds -- it looks like a hole in the ice that you've made, taken some tree branches, covered it with snow and you would literally just get yourself in there?
BRINK: Absolutely. You don't want to make it much wider than you are. If you can, build it so that it goes on an uphill slope. That's ideal because the warmth from your body will rise.
SANCHEZ: Let me try and get in here, Ken.
I'm going to try and just show -- so it's deep and deep enough in the back that I could raise my head.
And what do I do, put my -- just kind of get into a ball?
BRINK: You want to pull your knees up and put your hands around your knees.
SANCHEZ: Right.
BRINK: You want to minimize the air that's around you inside. And once you put the pine boughs on the top, you seal it with snow. And if you've got this built on an uphill slope, that will hold your heat and keep the wind off of you.
SANCHEZ: And this keeps me warm because of my own, what, breath?
BRINK: Your own body heat, certainly, will stay in there. You're insulated from the ground with the pile of pine boughs we put on the ground. And you're insulated at the top and you have no wind on you so...
SANCHEZ: So this is not an ideal condition, it's basically a shelter of last resort?
That's correct?
BRINK: Absolutely.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
BRINK: Absolutely. But it will minimize your exposure to weather and hopefully help you get through a tough night.
SANCHEZ: Thanks, Ken.
Appreciate it.
BRINK: You bet.
COLLINS: Our "CNN PRESENTS" team is right now working on a documentary on the James Kim tragedy. Be sure to watch the CNN prime time special. That will come your way on Monday.
HARRIS: Ali Velshi is working on Minding Your Business this morning.
It comes pretty easily to him -- Ali, good morning.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'm minding people's diamond business this morning.
HARRIS: Ah!
VELSHI: There are places where you can make sure that you get conflict-free diamonds, if that sort of thing matters to you.
Stick with us. I'm going to tell you where to look.
Stay with THE NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Conflict diamonds are back in focus because of a movie that releases today. It's got some in the diamond industry worried about a consumer backlash.
But, as Ali Velshi reports, while a diamond may be forever, the diamond industry has a sparkling new face -- Ali.
VELSHI: It's a new face, but it's a makeover of an old face.
Now, if you're the kind of person who wants to know where diamonds come from, you'd bother asking where they'd come from, you'd even care and it would influence your decision, well, then you might want to take a new look at Harry Winston.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
VELSHI (voice-over): When someone asks you where you got your diamond, they probably want to know where you bought it.
RONNIE VANDERLINDEN, PRESIDENT, DIAMEX INC.: The country of origin, when it comes to polish, doesn't really make a difference. It's really not important where that diamond comes from.
VELSHI: Unless, of course, you're worried about buying what's called a conflict diamond -- rough diamonds traded for arms in African civil wars. Conflict diamonds aren't the problem they once were because of worldwide pressure on the diamond industry and the industry's own efforts.
But Canada, now the world's third largest diamond producer, thinks increased attention to this issue will cause at least some customers to intentionally buy conflict-free.
BOB GANNICOTT, CEO, ABER DIAMOND CORP.: We want to be in the forefront of that, not trailing behind it. So even though the customer may not be particularly interested yet, we are very interested, and we take great care in that respect.
VELSHI: Bob Gannicott runs Aber Diamond Corporation, one of Canada's major diamond miners. His company recently moved into the retail diamond business.
GANNICOTT: We want to be the world's best, most authoritative diamond jeweler.
VELSHI: And how, exactly, does one make the move from diamond miner to diamond jeweler?
By buying one of the most storied names in jewelry, Harry Winston, the venerable New York institution immortalized by movies like "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes."..
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES," COURTESY TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Talk to me, Harry Winston. Tell me all about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Harry Winston still buys quality diamonds wherever it can, but says conflict-free is now part of its mantra.
(on camera): Does the person who comes in to drop top dollar on diamond jewelry at Harry Winston give a hoot?
GANNICOTT: Some do. And certainly we give a hoot. The point is we make it our business to protect ourselves from what will undoubtedly become a bigger issue in the future than it is today.
VELSHI (voice-over): Whether conflict diamonds become a bigger issue is yet to be seen. During the height of the diamond fueled conflicts in Africa the last 30 years, jewelry buyers rarely asked where a diamond came from, not that most jewelers were likely to know the answer anyway.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
VELSHI: And here's the thing, Tony, diamonds are selling pretty fast with all the business that's out there, both Harry Winston and other jewelers like DeBeers down the road, are all planning to open more retail stores in the next few years.
HARRIS: So, Ali, if I go out today and buy my sweetie a nice diamond for the holidays, what are the chances I'm buying a conflict diamond?
COLLINS: The industry says less than 1 percent. Places like DeBeers and Harry Winston say today no chance. They're -- they know where their diamonds come from. But there are, you know, 1 percent of diamonds, according to the industry, are still floating around. There are places like Liberia are being implicated recently in the blood diamond situation.
So hard to know.
HARRIS: Yes.
VELSHI: Probably not a good chance. You just -- but you can't tell. You've got to trust who's selling you the diamond.
HARRIS: Got you.
OK, Ali, have a great weekend.
VELSHI: Glad to talk to you.
COLLINS: Another former Russian spy suffers radiation poisoning and investigators are tracking radiation all over London. New twists in the spy murder mystery in THE NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: It is not the final farewell ceremony, but Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld holds his last town hall meeting with Pentagon employees this morning. That is coming up at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. You never know what he might say. We will certainly have his opening remarks live and bring you highlights as they happen.
That's right here in THE NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: Take a look at this. The long arm of the law just got a little shorter, actually. One of Santa's helpers nabs some naughty drivers. We'll have that story ahead in THE NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: In the cold and residents are stormed, upset about the pace of power repairs days after a storm. That story in THE NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: A West Wing huddle on the war in Iraq. Congressional leaders from both parties meeting with President Bush at the White House this morning. It's part of the search for a new strategy in Iraq.
The president says he will consider the recommendations of Iraq Study Group. But he has also objected to some of them, including talks with Iran and Syria. He says other studies will also be part of his decision-making process.
This morning, he's consulting with top Republicans and Democrats from the House and the Senate.
In fact, we want you to listen in now to Speaker-To-Be Nancy Pelosi and Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER-ELECT: ... reinforce some of the concerns of the American people about the urgency. They said it's not a matter of months anymore, it's weeks, it's days. Hopefully the president has gotten that message.
QUESTION: Did the leadership encourage him or pressure him to adopt any particular part of the report?
COLLINS: So the you have it, the two of them talking to the press there for a moment after that meeting.
HARRIS: And here is some tape from just a short time ago of the president's meeting this morning, that continued outreach to Congressional leaders.
Let's listen now to the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... for a new way forward in Iraq and we talked about the need to work together on this important subject.
We also talked about other key issues. I assured the leaders that the White House door will be open when the new Congress shows up. And I think we ought to meet on a regular basis. I believe there's a consensus toward that. And the reason you meet on a regular basis is so that the American people can know that we're working hard to find common ground. That's what they expect us to do. They expect us to work on big problems and solve them.
I want to say something about my two friends here.
Senator Frist, we appreciate your service to the United States of America. You brought a lot of dignity to the office.
And I appreciate the speaker being, as well. Mr. Speaker, you've done a fine job as speaker.
I look forward to working with Senator Reid and Congresswoman Pelosi.
We're doing what's right for the country. And, again, I want to thank you all for coming down. Appreciate your interest. Appreciate your advice. Appreciate the input that you've given.
Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks, everybody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And there you have it -- the president meeting with the leadership, outgoing, incoming leadership. Congress trying to wrap up its work before the holiday recess, obviously. And let's not overlook the moment that we saw there, a bit of a farewell breakfast and then this meeting before the cameras and reporters, a farewell meeting with the president for Majority Leader Bill Frist as you saw there. Let's talk about what was undoubtedly at the center of the discussion this morning in private over breakfast, Iraq, generating just a lot of roar in Washington, everywhere this week, maybe the loudest since the war started in 2003. A bipartisan group of power brokers issued their plan to win the war, or at least succeed, prevail, and called for a major policy shift. Candid comments on Iraq helped President Bush's nominee for defense secretary sail through Senate confirmation. Let's talk about this week with Frank Sesno, a former Washington bureau chief for CNN. He joins us as a special correspondent. Frank, as always, great to talk to you.
FRANK SESNO, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you Tony.
HARRIS: Hamilton-Baker, ISG. Look, what is ultimately the big deal to be made of this report?
SESNO: Well, I think as you just saw in that photo op and those pictures from the White House, one part of the big deal is it's totally changed the tone here in Washington. It's kind of piled on the elections. But beyond that, Tony, it really speaks to what this bipartisan group sees essentially as several failures, piled on failures, a buzz saw through the Bush presidency, I think. Failure of what's on the ground in Iraq. A failure of the neo conservative dream to plant democracy and watch it spread in the Middle East. A failure of the Rumsfeld doctrine to go in small and get out fast. And a failure of the Bush administration policy to contain and reject and isolate and intimidate both Iran and Syria.
HARRIS: Well, I have to ask you, as you look at the report and you listen to James Baker, yesterday, the day before saying, look, don't cherry pick this report. Isn't that exactly what the president should do, take a look at this report, take a look at the report that's going to come from the Pentagon, take a look at the report from the National Security Council, take a look at all of these reports, get the best thinking available. How about a consensus? And what the president should exactly do is, is pick from the best recommendations if for no other reason than it provides cover. Here's the best thinking, don't blame me, here's what everyone was saying.
SESNO: Well that's his job, isn't it, listen to the best and the brightest and presumably make the best choices. It's amazing the halo that James Baker and Lee Hamilton walk around Washington with. You can sort of see it hanging over their heads wherever they go. But the fact of the matter is they have no active military men or women on that commission. They spent four days in Iraq itself, and there are a number of folks who say, hang on a second here. It's very nice to talk about talking to Iraq and Syria or Iran and Syria, for example, but you're not going to get very far. So it's not illogical that the president is going to cherry pick. And it's really quite remarkable, I mean it really does highlight the difference in world views really that Jim Baker and the others have with this presidency and this administration, as well as the desperation they convey about the situation in Iraq. But it's totally logical to think that the president is going to say, wait a minute, I need to listen to my military men and women. They're over at the Pentagon working on the same thing. And I still have people who are employed by the taxpayer over at the State Department, National Security Council, they're doing the same thing.
HARRIS: Let me ask you, the notion of talking to the neighbors, talking to Iran and Syria, what do you make of that? Is the president, for example, didn't sound like it yesterday -- willing to overlook Iran's nuclear program in an effort to get them to the table?
SESNO: He's not.
HARRIS: Yeah, he's not.
SESNO: It's quite clear that he's not. What the Baker-Hamilton Commission are saying is, hang on just a second. As far as we recall -- it's interesting, Jim Baker was in the middle of all of this in his previous jobs, right? I mean my recollection -- I remember going with him to Geneva when he met with the Syrians, when we were covering the first gulf war. I remember vividly the deals that he was doing and the talks that they were all engaged in with the Soviets when the Soviets were not only pursuing a sort of Armageddon like nuclear program but they were pursuing proxy wars all over the world. So they're saying, now hang on a second. Again, this is the neo cons versus the realists. Remember, Baker's a realist, he says you've got to play the hand you're dealt. The hand you're dealt is it's a nasty neighborhood and Iran and Syria are in that neighborhood.
HARRIS: Robert Gates, the incoming Secretary of Defense, we'll talk about Donald Rumsfeld in a moment here. What do you think of him? Is he going to be a change agent? And there is a lot of talk about his candor at the confirmation hearing the other day, but when you take a look at the leaked memo from Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, in my view it is time for a major adjustment, doesn't that memo clear the way for Robert Gates to ride in here and look like the man of great candor? SESNO: Yeah, and I'm not sure he needs to be a change agent. He probably needs to be a save agent. This is the relief pitcher coming in toward the end of the game and trying to turn what has not been a good game into -- maybe into a victory or at least go into extra innings. Gates, the unanimous vote that Gates got from the committee really speaks legions. You know yes, he's had turbulence and troubles in the past, but I've watched him here. We all have as he's gone through his previous jobs and I think the -- clearly the hope that's being pinned on him is that his integrity and his independence and he's being asked to be independent, will combine with his stature and standing to salvage something. But as the Baker Commission shows, the something is very hard to identify. So, Gates' challenges are just enormous.
HARRIS: Is he the Defense Secretary to sort of chart the way forward with respect to Iran, Syria, North Korea, or -- it kind of feels to me a bit -- is he the Secretary of Defense for Iraq?
SESNO: He's the Secretary of Defense for Iraq. It's very interesting that the Baker-Hamilton's Commission's talk about Syria and Iran really are sort of an e-mail with blind copied to Condoleezza Rice. That would be the role that she should be playing. It's not going to be Gates looking to do military contacts with Syria and Iran, he's not going to be reaching out. But she's supposed to be if that's going to be happening. And we know how she feels about that, which is pretty much the way the president feels. They're not to be talked to. Gates' job is to come in and sit down with his military leaders and figure out what, if anything, they can do on the ground in Iraq. And he's facing a stretched military with, with -- repeat deployments, with equipment that is depleted and needs to be reset, rebuilt, repaired, with budgets that are strained. His challenges are simply enormous and they go beyond the ground in Iraq.
HARRIS: What do you suspect, you spent some time with outgoing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. What are your thoughts, what do you expect from him this morning, final town hall meeting with Pentagon staffers?
SESNO: Well he's never one to hold back --
HARRIS: Yeah.
SESNO: How he feels. I think it will be very interesting to see whether there's any degree of wistfulness in his voice or whether he remains combative and assertive and sure. I can tell you, when I spoke to him over the summer and it was before everything turned so horribly south in late August, September and October, but he said, look, yeah, things are bad. Polls fluctuate. But you have to do the right thing and the right thing is to stand by and see this mission through. I see no indication that he or the president, for that matter, have changed their minds about that. They're moving the furniture around but they haven't changed their minds about that. So it will be interesting. But as I said, I think Baker-Hamilton really raises serious questions about whether the Rumsfeld doctrine, go in light, go in fast, get out fast, is even feasible or possible in this context. HARRIS: Frank, great to see you. Thanks for your perspective and context on this amazing week.
SESNO: Yeah.
HARRIS: Have a great weekend.
SESNO: You, too.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Who poisoned ex Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko and why? One focus of the investigation, a London hotel bar where several workers show signs of radiation exposure and where Litvinenko had drinks with two other ex spies. One of them, this man, questioned in the probe, now suffering from radiation poisoning. Our Matthew Chance has the story from Moscow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's tough to say whether this investigation is actually producing any positive results for the British investigators who are here in the Russian capital trying to pull together all the evidence and get to the bottom of who or what was behind this terrible poisoning of the former KGB agent, Alexander Litvinenko in London. A poisoning that has contaminated many areas across London and also as we have heard from today, contaminated at least seven staff members of the hotel in central London who served drinks to Mr. Litvinenko and his contacts that had come from Russia where they sat in a bar to discuss apparently a business meeting. It's those witnesses that the police here in Moscow have been attempting to question over the course of the past several days since they arrived. They have already been successful in questioning Dmitry Kovtun, one of those Russian businessmen that came to meet Alexander Litvinenko. But shortly after the questioning ended it was said by Russian authorities that Mr. Kovtun has also got radiation poisoning and has gone into the hospital, apparently in a very serious condition.
Investigators now attempting to interview one of the other Russians who met Mr. Litvinenko, Andrei Lugovoi, who is probably one of the most important witnesses in this. He, too, met Alexander Litvinenko on November the 1st in that Millennium Hotel bar on November the 1st when he was poisoned. They haven't succeeded in interviewing him yet and there have been certain restrictions placed on the British police as they carry out their investigations here. For instance, they're not permitted by the Russians to ask the questions themselves. They can only stand by while Russian detectives ask any questions that may need to be asked. The issue has also been complicated by the fact that the Russians have announced that they have opened their own criminal investigations into the murder of Alexander Litvinenko. Of course a Russian citizen as well as a British national. And the attempted murder of Dmitry Kovtun who now apparently has radiation poisoning. That could mean that Russian detectives may go to Britain to question the people they believe may be responsible as well. Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
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COLLINS: One week after a major winter storm, there's still misery in the Midwest. The lights are out, it's freezing cold and power companies are feeling the heat. CNN's Tom Foreman reports.
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TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The massive winter storm did so much damage the power company says even with 7,000 people on the repair job there's no way electricity can be restored to everyone any faster. But in central Illinois, tens of thousands of homes are still cold and dark, and the lieutenant governor is getting hot.
LT. GOV. PAT QUINN, ILLINOIS: If we pay the rates, when we turn on the electric light switch it better come on.
FOREMAN: Consumer advocates have serious questions for the power company.
DAVID KOLATA, CITIZENS UTILITY BOARD: When you have over 50,000 customers still without power a week after the storm that raises questions. Are they doing everything they should be to invest in the system and to keep it running properly?
FOREMAN: Highly publicized power problems in recent years, the blackout in New York, the brownouts on the west coast, and, of course, the lingering problems on the gulf after hurricane Katrina have raised concerns about the vulnerability of the vast network of wires and power plants that move electricity coast to coast. And about the regional companies that bring all that power into homes and businesses. In this case, that company is Ameren. It supplies electricity to 2.4 million Midwestern customers, a half million of which lost power, mostly from tree branches that tore down power lines.
(on camera): At issue, did Ameren have enough repair crews ready when the ice storm hit, and did it do enough to prevent these problems by, for example, keeping trees near power lines properly trimmed?
(voice-over): The company says it has restored power faster than most would when faced by such a storm. It has invested nearly $2 billion over the past decade to ensure reliable delivery of electricity. And our tree-trimming practices are more aggressive in Illinois than in most other states. Ameren will have a chance to prove it.
KEVIN WRIGHT, ILLINOIS COMMERCE COMMISSION: We're trying to make sure that the company did everything it could have done before, during and after the storm.
FOREMAN: The state commerce commission has now launched an official investigation into the company's response, hoping to keep everyone honest about the power vacuum that followed the storm. Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
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HARRIS: And this just in to CNN. We can give you an update on the story of actor Wesley Snipes. As you know, in October the actor was indicted in Orlando, in Florida, accused of failing to file tax returns for six years. And of seeking $12 million in fraudulent refunds. Well, the update as we understand it now from our affiliate in Orlando, WFTV, is that actor Wesley Snipes has been taken into custody by authorities as he arrived at the local airport there. So, once again, actor Wesley Snipes, according to WFTV, WFTV there in Orlando, that actor Wesley Snipes has been arrested and taken into custody. And we understand that he will have his first court appearance -- it is actually scheduled for this morning so we will be following those developments throughout the day for you.
COLLINS: About 15 minutes ago, the opening bell sounded on Wall Street. We're looking at the numbers now. The NASDAQ is up 4, Dow Jones Industrial Average up about 13 points, resting at 12,291. We will watch it for you.
Meanwhile, a forward-looking statement from the president of the United States.
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BUSH: The way forward in Iraq. An important way forward. Talk about the way forward. Analyze the way forward.
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COLLINS: So, did you get that? If not, stick around. Jeanne Moos will lay it all out for you right here in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: And the long arm of the law just got a little shorter. One of Santa's helpers nabs naughty, naughty drivers. Very bad. Doesn't pay. That story ahead. Gotcha. In the NEWSROOM.
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COLLINS: The French Spiderman back in the act. The 44-year-old climber scaled a Mexico City skyscraper yesterday, all 23 stories without ropes, in just a half hour. Police were waiting on the roof to haul him to jail as usual. The climber said it's no big deal. He's spent a lot of time in jail. He's actually climbed some 70 buildings around the world, including the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building.
HARRIS: Well one of Santa's elves has flown the coop, Heidi, setting up shop in the sunny south, but toys are no longer his trade. This guy in Green there is handing out a gift you actually don't want to receive. Here's our Greg Warmoth from our affiliate WFTV.
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GREG WARMOTH, WFTV: He stands 5'6", he's dressed in green and red, he's wearing tights, and he even has pointy shoes. But he's no ordinary elf.
DEP. RICHARD LOCKMAN, ORANGE CTY., FLA. SHERIFF'S DEPT.: I'm Santa's helper today. Helping you save lives. So we can have these people enjoy their Christmas and their families can enjoy their Christmas without the tragedy of traffic crashes.
WARMOTH: With a sign that said, help an elf, slow down, Richard Lockman clocked a speed while an army of 20 little helpers bagged the speeders.
CMDR. KEN WYNN, ORANGE CTY., FLA. SHERIFF'S OFFICE: This stretch of highway is notorious for traffic crashes, around the holidays and full time throughout the year.
WARMOTH: It didn't take long for the Orange County Sheriff's Office to get a complaint call that it wasn't right to use Santa to stop speeders. But this wasn't Santa, just an elf with a radar gun.
TIFFANY COY, TICKETED DRIVER: Absolutely terrible. Why would you do that? That's not what Christmas is about in any way.
WARMOTH: Yep, Tiffany Coy, like so many others, thought this elf was more like a Grinch.
COY: Yeah, I saw the elf. I think that's called entrapment but what are you going to do?
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COLLINS: All right. Well, we'll be moving on.
A forward-looking statement from the president. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: The way forward in Iraq. An important way forward. Talk about the way forward. Analyze the way forward.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: All right. So did you get that? If not, stick around. Jeanne Moos will lay it all out for you right here in the NEWSROOM.
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COLLINS: Want to go ahead and bring this news to you now just in to CNN. The death of Jeane Kirkpatrick. Jeane Kirkpatrick was the very first woman appointed to serve as permanent representative of the United States to the U.N. as a member of Ronald Reagan's cabinet and national security adviser. She was described as an American conservative political scientist, an ardent anticommunist, she is famous for her Kirkpatrick doctrine. What that advocates is U.S. support of anticommunist governments around the world, including authoritarian dictatorships. She worked for quite some time with Empower America, co-directors Bill Bennett and Jack Camp. And she called on Congress to issue a formal declaration of war against the entire fundamentalist Islamic terrorist network the day after September 11th. We are learning that she died in her sleep in Bethesda. She was 80 years old. Jeane Kirkpatrick. We want to go ahead and bring in Bill Bennett now, he's on the line with us to tell us some more about this loss. Jeane Kirkpatrick, Bill.
BILL BENNETT, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yeah, she was our iron lady, Heidi, you know, Margaret Thatcher, she was ours. She was great. A college professor, of course. Ronald Reagan discovered her when he read this great article, "Dictatorships and Double Standards," brought her to his attention. He hired her and she's one of the original neo cons. She was one of the Democrats with Reagan. I was one, she was one, more prominent than I, and she was one strong and impressive person.
COLLINS: What is it that she will leave behind, Bill, as we look forward and look at her life? Is it these Kirkpatrick Doctrines?
BENNETT: Yes, I think so. I mean, of course, in the -- in the kind of obvious and conventional sense now, you know, women of achievement in the world taking these positions and that's, of course, entirely legitimate. There was no phony, you know, extra points for Jeane because she was a woman. She earned every single bit of it. She was terrific. Smart as she can be. Yes, the distinction, Heidi, between a tyranny and a dictatorship and what that allowed in public policy is a legacy of her teaching and writing. And very relevant today. Some of us are objecting to talking to Iran and Syria on grounds that these are not dictatorships but tyrannies.
COLLINS: Absolutely. As we say, this formal declaration of war against the entire fundamentalist Islamic terrorist network, that happened the day after September 11th. Had you been speaking with her recently, Bill? What are her thoughts or what were her thoughts, I should say, on the latest events of the Iraq war?
BENNETT: She was always a little tougher than the rest of us, Heidi. We would get out the list of 20 facts about Israel, Jack Kemp and I, Empower America. We asked her if she'd sign on, she said yeah if you boys will toughen up a little bit.
COLLINS: Really?
BENNETT: Yeah, she made us feel we weren't quite up to our metal some of the time. But she -- she's very smart about this, and it was her idea to do this, this business you are talking about, with the Islamic fascism, and said it's very serious. Because a lot of people after 9/11, you will remember, you know knew this happened but why did it happen? Is this going to last? Is it a big thing or is it just a few nut balls? She said this is big and important and we need to get on record as a country. She was usually a step ahead of us.
COLLINS: Really, what about her work with the American Enterprise Institute, her company?
BENNETT: Well, she obviously did important scholarly work for them, continued to do her writing and her teaching at Georgetown. I think, you know, the legacy there -- I mean I'm an old professor myself, the legacy will be in the minds and the hearts of her students who will remember her. Very forceful, very strong, daughter of Oklahoma, great sense of humor, and, you know, she just -- she held her own. I will never forget, first time I heard her, it was in -- I think Constitution Hall, and it was the Reagan administration, new appointee. She stood up, she was introduced, no one knew her. A lot of Republicans were not disposed to like her because she was a dreaded D, a Democrat. She stood up, talked about her work at the U.N. Heidi and she said we've been kicked around, we're not going to be kicked around anymore. The place went crazy.
COLLINS: I bet they did, erupted. You know I'm looking here Bill at all of these different honors that she received for all of her hard work and I know she was awarded the medal of freedom, just to remind everybody that is the nation's highest civilian honor. That was back in 1985. She was just a workhorse.
BENNETT: Yeah, -- no, she was on many boards, many commissions. This last commission would have been better with Jeane Kirkpatrick on it. Sorry.
COLLINS: Yeah.
BENNETT: Can't help myself. But, you know, she was the one who would always say what needed to be said. If everybody was dancing around the issue, she would, you know, bang the table and say -- she would clear her throat and say, well, all well and good. However, these people are tyrants, you know, and she'd clear the air that way. And make everyone better.
COLLINS: I don't want you to put words in her mouth, of course, Bill, but having you here today really helps us understand some of her thoughts and her way of looking at everything that's been happening for our country since September 11th.
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