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Iraq Ward Debate; U.S. Military Questions Report of al Qaeda Casualty; Iraqi Refugees
Aired February 16, 2007 - 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.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen, sitting in for Heidi Collins today.
HARRIS: For the next three hours, watch events as they come in to the NEWSROOM live on Friday, February 16th.
Here's what's on the rundown.
NGUYEN: First up, Iraq troop buildup. The House moving toward a vote today. Several Republicans breaking ranks to oppose the president's troop plan.
HARRIS: Al Qaeda's top guy in Iraq, is he wounded and on the run today? Questions after a police shootout.
NGUYEN: Check this out -- highway to nowhere. Hundreds of motorists stuck for almost a day on a Pennsylvania interstate, iced in, right here in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: And at the top this morning, political showdown over Iraq. The House heading for a vote today on a resolution opposing President Bush's troop buildup. Debate started up again last hour.
Congressional Correspondent Andrea Koppel is live for us on Capitol Hill.
Andrea, first of all what are we hearing so far? Describe, if you would, the tone and tenure of the debate this morning.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, considering this is now the fourth day of nonstop debate on this issue in the House, I rather doubt we're going to be hearing anything that we haven't heard before. Democrats making the case that to send thousands more troops to Iraq won't help the U.S. win the war in the midst of a civil war there. Republicans arguing not to send additional troops to Iraq would be a recipe for disaster.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN LINDER (R), GEORGIA: This president knows that he and his commanders have made some wrong decisions. But he know, as we must know, that this war has been about the principle, the virtue, the idea of freedom. And to walk away now will have catastrophic consequences for its future.
REP. JOHN LEWIS (D), GEORGIA: This was a war of choice and not a war of necessity. It was ill-fated from its inception at the highest level of government, and persisting in error will not fix a policy that was fundamentally flawed from the very beginning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOPPEL: Now, Republicans have also argued that even though this is a non-binding, mostly symbolic resolution, Tony, which doesn't have the force of law, they see it as the first step towards basically Democrats moving to cut off funding for U.S. troops in Iraq. Democrat leaders deny that. But we did hear from one of the top Democrats yesterday, John Murtha, who has -- he basically chairs the committee that oversees defense spending, and he repeated a pledge to tie future funding for Iraq to troop readiness -- Tony.
HARRIS: Meanwhile, Andrea, the Senate expected to meet tomorrow to discuss Iraq.
KOPPEL: Right, this is an unusual Saturday session. It's something that came out of the blue.
The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, suddenly made the announcement that they were going to meet to have a test vote on the same resolution that the House is debating right now. The exact same simple language expressing support for U.S. troops, opposing the president's desire to send thousands more troops there.
Nobody really on either side of the aisle expects this to pass. They need 60 votes. And the reason why it's not expected to pass is that Republicans are saying they want to have an alternative resolution also debated on the floor. That resolution, Tony, would say -- it would have a pledge not to cut off funds for U.S. troops in Iraq.
HARRIS: Congressional Correspondent Andrea Koppel for us.
Andrea, thank you.
And war of words. Two freshman congressmen with opposing views on the Iraq resolution. One a former pastor. The other, an Iraq war veteran. Both will join us here in the NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: Well, we do have conflicting reports this morning out of Baghdad. Iraq's government says its police have wounded a top militant leader. Abu Ayyub al-Masri is the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq. This insurgent video shows off his bomb-making prowess.
But U.S. military officials are doubting Baghdad's claims. One senior U.S. official tells CNN there is no evidence that al-Masri has been wounded.
HARRIS: In recovery mode. The Midwest and Northeast badly battered by a monster winter storm that blanketed the region in snow and ice. At least 15 deaths being blamed on all the bad weather.
Tens of thousands of people without power in eastern Pennsylvania. Crews are still trying to reopen sections of three major interstates -- I-78, I-80 and, Betty, I-81. Hundreds of people were stranded on I-78 for nearly 24 hours. A situation that created a -- get this, a 50-mile traffic backup.
NGUYEN: You know, it's hard to believe until you see the pictures.
HARRIS: Right. Right. Fifty miles.
National Guardsmen used Humvees to deliver food, gas and baby supplies to extremely stressed out motorists. The storm is also causing all kinds of problems for air travelers. Many flights were delayed or canceled. But you would be hard pressed to find any kids complaining about the weather. Many schools have been closed since Wednesday.
NGUYEN: They call it a snow day and kids love it.
HARRIS: That's right.
NGUYEN: Chad Myers has been extremely busy this morning.
Although we did notice you singing a little earlier. What makes you so happy on a day like this?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm not sure, actually, because...
NGUYEN: Something must be in the coffee.
HARRIS: Beyond it's Friday, the weekend's here?
NGUYEN: Yes, maybe that's it.
MYERS: That could be something to do with it, sure. Summer's right around the corner.
HARRIS: There you go.
NGUYEN: Wow. You're preparing early.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: Well, a deadly flu outbreak at an elementary school in at least three states -- Oklahoma, Washington and Nebraska. You see them there.
Right now in Omaha, Nebraska, health officials say three children are hospitalized with severe flu symptoms similar to those of an 11- year-old girl who died of the flu last week. And in Seattle, an 8- year-old girl dies of flu-like symptoms just one week after a 7-year- old died of complications associated with the flu. Seattle public schools are sending home letters to parents notifying them of these deaths and offering illness prevention steps.
Now, no deaths reported in Oklahoma, but officials say 400 students were out sick at one time with flu-like symptoms. Four hundred.
HARRIS: Man.
NGUYEN: One school district considered canceling school if absenteeism keeps rising.
HARRIS: Dangers on America's borders. The National Guard unarmed and under threats.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we're going to send unarmed troops down to the border, we might as well send the Peace Corps or the Girl Scouts down there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Dispute along the border ahead in the NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: And running from the violence in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I miss the security I have over there. And I'm scared.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: An Iraqi refugee coming to America. One of a very few, though. We have that story ahead in the NEWSROOM..
HARRIS: The hunt for Osama bin Laden.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The intelligence is -- has gone cold on Osama bin Laden.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Will authorities ever get their man? A closer look straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: Also, terror inside a shopping mall. It is caught on camera. We have an update.
That's ahead, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: The fight for Iraq and the fog of war. We have conflicting reports on whether a key al Qaeda leader in Iraq has been wounded. Now, the U.S. military is casting doubts on claims made by Iraq's government.
So let's go to CNN's Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr. She is at her post.
And Barbara, what are you hearing on your end? Who's right here?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, good morning to you.
At this point, the U.S. military says it believes at this point that it is a false report, that the al Qaeda leader in Iraq, a man named Abu Ayyub al-Masri, has been wounded in a shootout with Iraqi security forces, and one of al-Masri's top aides was killed. That word came yesterday from a spokesman for the Iraqi Interior Ministry.
Now, to be clear, the Iraqis say that this did happen and they say that the Americans would have no knowledge of it one way or the other because it was a mission carried out by Iraqi security forces in a shootout near the town of Balad, north of Baghdad. But top U.S. military officials tell CNN at this point they believe the report is not accurate -- Betty.
NGUYEN: All right. But let's just say what if al-Masri is wounded? What would that mean for the insurgents?
STARR: Well, what this would actually mean for the Iraqi security forces first is a major psychological and security victory. It would be something that they would be very pleased about.
It would mean now that the man, al-Masri, who replaced Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as the al Qaeda leader in Iraq, that he also was taken out of the picture. It would be a major coup for Iraqi security forces.
But once again, whether the removal of one man from the picture in Iraq fundamentally would change the strength and character of the insurgency, I think nobody would be willing to say that at this point. Even when Zarqawi was killed, the insurgency appeared to only have grown stronger -- Betty.
NGUYEN: And to be clear, the U.S. says the reports are false.
STARR: At this point, Betty, the U.S. military says to the best of its knowledge the reports are not true.
NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.
Barbara, thank you.
STARR: Sure.
HARRIS: Thousands of people have fled the violence in Iraq. A few, very few, in fact, have made it to U.S. shores.
CNN's Randi Kaye talked with one of them.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003, this Iraqi woman brought flowers to American troops. Two years later, though, when she needed a visa from the U.S. so her family could flee growing sectarian violence, she says the U.S. turned its back.
(on camera): When you look at the numbers, the United States accepted just 202 refugees from Iraq last year, even though they had 70,000 slots open.
"SARAH", IRAQI REFUGEE: It's shocking.
KAYE: Is there a sort of moral obligation on the part of the U.S. to help?
SARAH: Definitely. I mean, they came to the country. They took out the old regime, and they should have more moral responsibility toward the Iraqi people.
KAYE (voice-over): Afraid for the safety of her family, this woman asked we not use her real name. We'll call her Sarah. She believes insurgents targeted her family because they're Christian.
SARAH: Because Americans are Christian as well and because we have the same religion, we are traitors, we are not trusted.
KAYE: Sarah remembers the attacks.
SARAH: There were bullets rushing at home. Someone was firing at home.
KAYE (on camera): When did you say, "I must leave"?
SARAH: We started to notice that there is a car following us. It was following us for a long time. We noticed that there are three men in the car. They were carrying guns, and they were aiming the guns towards us. They started shooting.
KAYE: The U.N. says there are nearly four million Iraqi refugees today. The overwhelming majority of them fled their homes after the war began. Tens of thousands more flee every month.
Yet, fewer than 500 Iraqi refugees have been admitted to the U.S. in the last four years.
(voice-over): Many requesting visas support the U.S. war effort. Listen to this truck driver's testimony on Capitol Hill. A screen protects his identity.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Five of the terrorists were yelling, "Kill him." One, however, spoke up and said, "We will not kill you, but you must leave the country immediately."
KAYE: So how, then, could the country that led the invasion into Iraq leave so many of its citizens in limbo? ANTONIO GUTERRES, U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES: We have today, 8.5 million refugees in the world, 25 million internally displaced persons in the world. It is obvious that resettlement will never be a solution for the bulk of this population.
KAYE: Hundreds of thousands have moved to other areas of Iraq. Many more trekked across the border to Syria and Jordan to live in camps like this one.
The State Department this week announced plans to contribute an additional $18 million to a worldwide resettlement and relief program and plans to accept 7,000 Iraqi refugees this year.
Refugee advocates say that's still not enough.
KRISTELE YOUNES, REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL: We need to do much more to react to this crisis. In particular, we need to increase our assistance to UNHCR drastically, as well, as well as our assistance to the countries, and we need to resettle more than 7,000.
KAYE: It took six months, but Sarah got her visa. She now lives with her uncle in New Jersey.
Still, she feels her country has been stolen from her and, with it, her family. The U.S. didn't grant anyone else in Sarah's family a visa. Her parents are in England with her brother. One sister is in Scotland, another in Canada with a baby girl Sarah's never met.
(on camera): Do you wish Iraq had never been invaded?
SARAH: Yes. At least I would be there. Now I even lost my life. I lost the security. I lost my country.
I miss my family. I miss my home. I miss the security I have over there. And I'm scared.
KAYE (voice-over): Critics say the U.S. has been slow to accept refugees like Sarah's family, because they have yet to acknowledge the human cost of war. And acknowledging the scope of the crisis, refugee advocates argue, could mean the U.S. is admitting failure in the region.
Randi Kaye, CNN, Morristown, New Jersey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Iraqi refugees leaving their homes with no place to go. Is the U.S. doing enough to help them? We will discuss it coming up in the NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: Right now in the newsroom, we have a developing story to tell you about. You know the weather has been causing all kinds of problems. But look at this in D.C.
You're seeing people prepare to tackle some ice, of all things. Yes, a large piece of ice, Tony -- you'll see it shortly -- is hanging off of the 10th floor overhang. It just formed there. You see it there.
And there it goes. And because of that very thing, it falling to the ground...
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: ... that could have possibly, according to officials, killed somebody had it fallen on a pedestrian below. So what they did is they had a guy -- a firefighter right there, with that large hook -- just hanging on to the side of this building, trying to knock this ice down.
HARRIS: Really?
NGUYEN: And on top of that, you can't really see it in this picture, but we understand they were also dealing with high winds. So a bit of a problem, but thank goodness they got the ice off of that overhang to make sure that no pedestrians were injured.
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: And in order to do this, obviously they had to stop traffic. Just really shut down the street below to make sure there were no injuries associated with it at all. But the good news...
HARRIS: Oh, there it is. OK. That's a better view of it.
NGUYEN: Right there. You can see how big of a chunk that is and what that would have done to someone below.
Just one of many problems this weather system is causing across the nation. But that's one way to tackle it.
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: They are all action. Their lawmakers talk (ph). The president's Iraq troop buildup heading for a vote today, and the debate right here in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: And we are minding your business this morning. Stephanie Elam is in now for Ali Velshi with a preview.
Stephanie, good morning.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.
So we talk about it over and over again -- is the housing bubble finally bursting? We're going to take a look at some newest data -- some of the newest data, see what the status really is.
That's coming up in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Check it out. This storm was the last thing New York needed. The western part of the state was already buried under mounds and mounds of snow. You see it there. And more -- yes, more, is coming.
Joining us now from the hard-hit town of Mexico in Oswego County, CNN's Reggie Aqui.
And Reggie, is this getting really past the point of frustration and downright dangerous?
REGGIE AQUI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, dangerous. And add another adjective to that, ridiculous.
Look at me right now. I'm not standing against a wall. I'm standing against a roof of a house. That's how high this snow pile is outside of their door. It's actually blocked in one of their main doors, so they're having to use only the one that's behind me that you can't even see where you are to get in and out of their house.
As I come down here, I should tell you, believe it or not, the schools in Mexico are open today. A sixth grader who lives here just went to the school bus stop not too long ago.
Some schools are closed. It's just kind of depending on where people live. This particular area, Mexico, has really been hit hard over the past two weeks. At this point, they're asking for all the help they can get.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AQUI (voice over): The worst of this week's snowfall may be over...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's a lot of snow. And it's definitely more snow than I've seen here.
AQUI: ... but it appears Mother Nature isn't quite through with the Northeast yet. In upstate New York, Oswego County, already covered in more than 11 feet of snow, is bracing for up to a foot more Friday thanks to another blast of arctic air moving over Lake Ontario. That means extra work for the many snow crews working overtime to clear roads in the area.
In Mexico, a small town in Oswego County, the National Guard has joined the cleanup effort. A task so big, New York's governor has asked that at a federal emergency be declared in the county.
For the residents of upstate New York, the storm can't pass through soon enough. Near whiteout conditions, bitter cold temperatures and gusty winds have made for a winter nightmare. Fears of snow bringing down the roof on this Oswego County Wal-Mart forced officials to close the store, literally leaving customers out in the cold.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's inconvenient, especially out here in the remote area of Central Square. You know? It's about the only thing, you know, next to a convenience store.
AQUI: And move it or pay. That's the attitude of tow truck companies in Syracuse, taking no mercy on snowed-in motorists.
LT. JOE CECILE, SYRACUSE POLICE: If a car an illegally parked and it's prohibiting emergency vehicles or DPW from cleaning that road, then it's being ticketed and towed.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
AQUI: OK, so here's the deal. Snow's in the forecast for the next seven days at least. And this is all lake-effect snow coming from Lake Ontario.
They're really hoping that FEMA is going to kick in some money here, because that way they would get about 75 percent of all the money they've spent to clear all the roads.
And Betty, I want to show you one other thing over here. I am a tall person, 6'4", but a terrible athlete. But even today, I can make a dunk at this family's basketball hoop.
NGUYEN: You know, I could even make a dunk today, especially right there.
Hey, let me ask you this. We see all the snow. And we have seen it for many, many days now. When they move it out of the way, off the streets, where are they putting it? Because eventually this snow is going to melt. And then you may have to deal with flooding issues.
AQUI: Right, and this area is used to that, so they do have a plan in place. They've been taking it to a reservoir in Oswego.
But right now, there's so much of it that they can't possibly take all of it that they have. So much of it is still sitting on the sides of the road. But you're right, that is a concern. They have thought about that.
And it's part of the reason why the National Guard is here as well. They have 100 people who are now in town here in Mexico trying to clear out all the city streets, the public schools, the municipality buildings, basically.
And one other thing. There was actually a group of Mennonites here yesterday on the roofs of houses, just trying to help people out so they can get that snow off. Very dangerous to have all that weight on the roofs.
NGUYEN: Yes. Good luck getting someone to play basketball with you today. They've got other things to do.
Thank you, Reggie.
HARRIS: Home prices set a new record, but not the kind of record we enjoy talking about.
Stephanie Elam is here this morning "Minding Your Business."
Stephanie, good morning to you. What is happening -- what is happening to this housing bubble?
ELAM: Well, Tony, it seems like there's more data coming out that may show a little bit of a softening here. Let's start off with the new news that came out this morning.
HARRIS: Right.
ELAM: Starting out with housing starts, dropping over 14 percent in January. And that was a bigger drop than what was expected. But there's one thing we have to keep in mind about housing starts. When you look at them, talking about houses that are just now breaking ground and starting to build, that is a small part of the overall market.
For the most part, people are buying homes that are already owned by somebody else. So that's really what we're looking at here, and trying to tell if something is soft.
And so, if you look at that, the fourth quarter did post a drop in home prices of about 2.7 percent compared to the year earlier period. That was the largest drop-off on record and also the most widespread, according to the National Association of Realtors.
And in case you're wondering, Tony, the average home price is about $219,300.
HARRIS: $219,300?
ELAM: Yes.
HARRIS: That's not the way -- look, if you have a home, this is not a good sign. This is not the way you want the trend arrows to be pointing. You don't want it going down. You want it going the other way.
ELAM: Yes, of course. But there are some other people who are really happy about it, and that's people who are looking to buy a home. That's a good thing for them.
But if you take a look at what this means overall, markets with price declines are now outpacing ones with gains. So you have 73 metropolitan areas with declines in the fourth quarter.
Just taking looking at it, taking a look at the list, Sarasota and Venice, Florida, that area had the biggest drop of 18 percent, while New Orleans, not so much of a surprise, but down 9 percent there.
Now, if you go and take a look at the gains, 71 of them up, as you see there. Atlantic City actually led the charge, up almost 30 percent.
And just interesting, going back to Louisiana, Baton Rouge, up 13 percent as well. Maybe people are relocated after Katrina and just trying to stay a little inland. And there were five unchanged metropolitan areas, including Honolulu.
HARRIS: Where a lot of folks who live where you live would like to be right now with all this snow and cold.
ELAM: I know. I think probably Reggie Aqui might need a little bit of a break, too. We'll send him out there.
HARRIS: A little help there, absolutely.
Hey, Stephanie, great to see you.
ELAM: Thanks. Take care.
HARRIS: Good Friday to you. Have a great weekend.
ELAM: OK. You, too.
HARRIS: Among our...
ANNOUNCER: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.
HARRIS: And among our top stories this hour, war of words. Congress headed for a political showdown today over the president's Iraq plan. The House votes on a non-binding resolution opposing plans to send more U.S. troops to Iraq.
You are looking at a live picture now from the House floor. Democrats say it is a first step toward forcing President Bush to change course. Republicans not in favor of the resolution say it will be a sign of weakness in the war on terror.
NGUYEN: We do have conflicting reports, this hour out of Baghdad. Iraq's government says its police have wounded a top militant leader. Abu Ayyub al-Masri is the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq. This insurgent video shows off his bomb-making prowess. But U.S. military officials are doubting Baghdad's claims. One senior U.S. official tells CNN that there is no evidence that al-Masri has been wounded.
HARRIS: Taking on the Taliban and Al Qaeda. U.S. troops report killing one suspected militant and capturing six in a string of raids in eastern Afghanistan. One of the captured men allegedly has ties to fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Omar. Taliban and Al Qaeda militants are expected to launch increased attacks this spring. President Bush says NATO is ready and plans to go on the offensive.
NGUYEN: Well, commanding attention, among people making their mark this week, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Peter Pace. He appeared to question administration claims that powerful Iranian-made weapons were being sent to Iraq under orders of the highest levels of Iranian government.
Pace cast doubt on that claim. Saying the military does not have proof Iranian government, itself, sanctions the arming of Iraqi insurgents. Now, President Bush later backed up his top general, saying Iran's Qods Force is providing the armor-piercing explosives to militants in Iraq. But that it is not known if Iranian leaders ordered the weapon supplies. The deadly penetrators are blamed for at least 170 U.S. military deaths in Iraq.
General Pace trying to clarify facts, from assessments, making his mark this week.
HARRIS: Dangers on America's borders. The National Guard, unarmed and under threat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To send unarmed troops down to the border, we might as well send the Peace Corps or the Girl Scouts down there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Strong words. Dispute on the border, in the NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: Blindsided in a brutal winter storm.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They didn't tell us it's that bad. It's really bad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Hundreds of people just stranded on a snowy highway for hours on end. We have that snow jam right here in the NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHEERS, GREETINGS, MANY PEOPLE TALKING AT ONCE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: We love that scene, don't we? Can't get enough of that. Home for good. A new morning and new beginnings in Virginia. The story straight ahead in the NEWSROOM
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BELL CLANGING)
HARRIS: All right, time to get the business day going.
NGUYEN: On a Friday.
HARRIS: Here's the bell. Love it, love it.
The good people with MV Oil Trust, an oil and natural gas company -- thanks for the question, Betty -- ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange this morning. The Dow starts at 12,765, after closing yesterday up 23 points. The Nasdaq closed up just over a point.
Hey, what was the news from Microsoft yesterday late in the day? Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said, 2008 forecast, for revenues from Windows Vista system --
NGUYEN: How are they going to fare?
HARRIS: Overly aggressive. We'll check all of the business headlines today. What will happen with Microsoft's stock today. We will check that out with Susan Lisovicz throughout the morning here in the NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: You may want to put some stock in a snow plow.
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: Because stuck on an icy interstate, no food, no water, and your gas tank, nearly empty. It is a frightening scenario. But it actually happened to hundreds of people in iced-over interstate, 78, in eastern Pennsylvania. CNN Kiran Chetry has the chilling details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They didn't tell us it's that bad. It's really bad.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR (On camera): They were backed up as far as the eye could see. Hundreds of truckers and four wheelers stranded on icy interstate 78 in eastern Pennsylvania. Stuck for nearly a day following that monster Valentine's Day storm. It was a 50-mile standstill.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They should have had snowplows out earlier. This is all a truck route out through here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are your biggest concerns?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Running out of gas.
CHETRY: The problems started when a tractor trailer jack-knifed on I-78. Traffic came to a sliding stop. Then they got slammed with more snow and then the icy rain. Travelers ran out of food, gas, and patience. The back up forced two other interstates to be shut down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've never seen it here right there before myself. But it's kind of hard. You only got like five miles in between the exits. To see the people stranded, nobody really coming out to help them, it feels like they're left by themselves.
CHETRY: Finally the cavalry rode in to the rescue, bringing supplies to the road weary. The National Guard on trucks and good Samaritans on snowmobiles.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Snowmobile, that's the only way you can get up and down the highway, in and out of traffic. Most the people I talk to, 90 percent, are from New York, and they're -- you know, they don't have anything. They weren't prepared for this.
CHETRY: By last night, most of the vehicles have been cleared away. Now send in the plows. Kiran Chetry, CNN, New York. (END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Boy, oh, boy, oh boy. You know what, Chad Myers this is a story we've been dealing with here for the last two weeks. You've been telling us -- right, right, of snow, road closures --
NGUYEN: Snow on top of snow, it just seems like it doesn't stop. We were talking to Reggie earlier, and more is to come.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Out of sight, but certainly not out of mind.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The intelligence is -- has gone cold on Osama bin Laden.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: The hunt for Osama bin Laden. Straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: They are all action. They're lawmakers talk. The president's Iraq troop build-up that is heading for a vote today. We're following it, plus a debate right here in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: Speaking of that war of words, two freshman congressmen with opposing views on the war resolution. One a former pastor, the other, an Iraq war veteran. Both will join us in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Let's take you to Washington, now, and the House floor where lawmakers are preparing to vote on a measure that will determine additional troops to Iraq. Now, this measure does express for U.S. troops in Iraq, but it states that Congress disapproves of Bush's plan to send more than 20,000 additional combat troops into the field.
And interestingly enough, the Senate is expected to take up a vote on Saturday. It's a rare Saturday vote on this very same nonbinding measure, which is now before the House. But that vote on Saturday is just a test vote. So we shall see what the House decides a little bit later today.
HARRIS: The hunt for Osama bin Laden. More than five years after 9/11, has the trail gone cold? Here's CNN's Barbara Starr.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: President Bush talking tough about the war in Afghanistan.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Taliban and Al Qaeda are preparing to launch new attacks. Our strategy is not to be on the defense, but to go on the offense. STARR: But the president never mentioned the man who has alluded him for more than five years, Osama bin Laden. The reality is the hunt for bin Laden is not a popular topic these days for one reason.
LT. GEN. KARL EIKENBERRY, FRM. CMDR., U.S. FORCES AFGHANISTAN: The intelligence is -- has gone cold on Osama bin Laden.
STARR: Analysts aren't surprised.
PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: There's really no point in mentioning him. If it's very unlikely you're going to find him anytime soon, why bring him up?
STARR: The rhetoric was hot in the days after the 9/11 attacks.
BUSH: I want justice. And there's an old poster out West, as I recall, that said "Wanted, Dead or Alive."
STARR: U.S. officials say bin Laden is just too good at remaining out of sight. At his confirmation hearing, to the new secretary of Defense, questioned the Al Qaeda leader's importance.
ROBERT GATES, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: His ability to directly organize and plan the kind of attacks against us, that hurt us so badly in September of 2001, is very limited now.
STARR: But experts say bin Laden hasn't receded into history.
BERGEN: When bin Laden calls for attacks on Saudi oil facilities, Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia eventually will do that. When bin Laden calls for attacks on members of the coalition in Iraq -- that's one of the reasons we had Al Qaeda affiliates attacking in London and in Madrid.
STARR: Secretary Gates still says little about the hunt itself.
GATES: I guess I would put it this way if I were Osama bin Laden, I'd keep looking over my shoulder.
STARR (on camera): President Bush isn't the only one not talking about Osama bin Laden. None of the presidential candidates so far are making catching bin Laden a top campaign pledge. Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
Well, they were blind sided in a brutal winter storm.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They didn't tell us it's that bad. It's really bad.
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NGUYEN: They found out the hard way. Hundreds of people stranded on a snowy highway for hours on end. We're going to talk with one of the snowmobilers who lent a helping hand. That's in the NEWSROOM.
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HARRIS: In times of crisis, sometimes you have to count on the goodness of others. This is eastern Pennsylvania, where hundreds of travelers ended up stranded because of all the ice and snow you see on the roads there.
Good Samaritans from Mifflin Township riding snowmobiles had been delivering food water, and encouragement. Donald Diltz, Jr., chief of the Mifflin Volunteer Fire Department joins us on the phone.
Chief, great to talk to you.
DONALD DILTZ, JR., CHIEF, MIFFLIN VOL. FIRE DEPT.: Thank you.
HARRIS: Well, Chief, take us back a day, if you would. Where were you when you received word that there was a developing situation under foot here?
DILTZ: We were at a truck plaza right off Interstate 80, selling roses for our fund-raising -- fund-raising effort, selling flowers -- roses for Valentine's Day.
HARRIS: Oh, get out of here, you were not, really?
DILTZ: Yes, we had a heated tent, selling roses. We seen things starting to escalate on the interstate, the back ups building. And we put the roses away, and our tent became the command center for the state police, local police, and our fire department to coordinate effort, and some type of aid mission.
HARRIS: Sure. So, Chief, you were on radios, on cell phones, with other folks who were indicating to you that there was a real problem. And that, you know, your help would be needed?
DILTZ: That's correct.
HARRIS: Wow. All right. So now this area, this tent, becomes a command center. And how is the effort coordinated? Then we'll get to the snowmobile part.
DILTZ: OK, like I said, we -- a joint command effort between fire department and police departments. Realized there were people that were going to have some serious problems, who were expecting long delays, according to Penn DOT and emergency people on the interstate.
So, made a few calls to friends with snowmobiles and figured we'd see if we can round something up, get out and lend some kind of hand. Our main goal was check for medical conditions on the interstate, on stranded people.
HARRIS: Right. And when you finally -- how many snowmobilers, in all, actually helped in this effort here?
DILTZ: There were eight of us. HARRIS: Eight of you?
DILTZ: Yes.
HARRIS: And how much territory could you actually cover? There was one account that you were able to cover about a 10-mile stretch of Interstate 80. That about correct?
DILTZ: That's correct. We worked a 10-mile stretch.
HARRIS: And how many people do you think you actually serviced, helped, talked to, conjoled (sic).
DILTZ: Oh, every passenger vehicle there was. We talked -- we stopped at every passenger vehicle. We didn't -- we didn't bother with the truckers too, much because they're pretty self-sufficient. But passenger vehicles, we worried about people running low on fuel, and medical needs, of course.
HARRIS: How about the state of mind of some of the people that you met on that road? I imagine they were pretty stressed out.
DILTZ: As the hours went by, we made numerous trips. We probably made eight to 10 trips on that 10-mile stretch, through the evening. You could see the frustration, the tension building.
HARRIS: And was the Chief questioned, what the heck is going on, and how soon will we be moving?
DILTZ: Oh, that was the big one, yeah, that was the big question. How long we gonna be here? What's going on and --
HARRIS: And you really didn't have an idea, did you? What could you tell them?
DILTZ: No, there were no answers. We told them we were expecting -- we're preparing for the worst, that they would be out for most of the evening.
HARRIS: All right. So, give us an update. What's the situation? If at one point you were dealing with a 50-mile backup, what's the situation like today? Are the interstates open, or are they still closed?
DILTZ: Yes, they're moving now, for the most part. Right now, it's kind of a cleanup. They're try to keep people off -- but there are a few people still on the highways, but mostly they're pulling stranded vehicles, and stuck vehicles off, and cleaning the ice.
HARRIS: I don't mean to be smaultzy (sic) here, but did it feel good to actually help these folks?
DILTZ: Oh, sure it does. We actually went as far as -- after we did the medical runs, and took care of the needs that way, we ended up helping jockey -- we got just about all the passenger vehicles off the interstate through emergency crossovers, and opened an emergency shelter at our fire department.
HARRIS: Wow.
DILTZ: We activated the Red Cross. We had blankets brought in, and food. So it was a pretty interesting evening.
HARRIS: Yeah it sounds like it, to say the least. Chief, thanks for your time this morning, we appreciate it.
DILTZ: OK.
HARRIS: Take care.
NGUYEN: What great work. Just the personality that he has. He is really --
All right, well, you already know how to catch us weekday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to Noon Eastern. But did you know you could take us with you? You can take us with you anywhere, on your iPod .
HARRIS: Right.
NGUYEN: CNN NEWSROOM podcast available 24/7, right on your iPod.
HARRIS: He is one of the most wanted men in Iraq. Is he a casualty of the latest security crackdown, or safely hidden in the fog of war? Conflicting claims this morning in the NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: But first, providing opportunities for students with disabilities after they leave school. One man has made that mission his life's work. Here's CNN's Ali Velshi.
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ALI VELSHI, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For many students with disabilities, both mental and physical, their options dry up after high school.
CHARLES DEY, START ON SUCCESS: Most of them stay at home, watch television, their family waits for the welfare check, or they do, as they become adults. Possibly get into trouble. Only 30 percent of the students in this category do anything beyond high school.
VELSHI: Charles Dey is trying to tackle that problem with "Start On Success", a job training program.
DEY: Start On Success is 12 years old. We serve approximately 300 high school students with disabilities each year, preparing them for competitive employment. And we're in some 24 sites, in five states with this program. And 90 percent of those youngsters complete the program. And of that group, 85 percent to 90 percent go on to full- time employment, or further education and training.
VELSHI: It begins with a paid internship set up by Start On Success at a local university or hospital. DEY: The youngsters are learning specifics about a job site. Whether it's how to buff a floor or how to do staff work in an office setting.
VELSHI: As a retired headmaster of a private school, Dey has a lifetime of experience dealing with kids. His former college roommate, who ran the National Organization on Disability, recruited him to the cause, asking for an initiative that would deliver results.
DEY: This is a very serious program to prepare these young people for competitive employment. If they don't meet the standards on the job site, they don't continue in the program. My hope is that ever increasing numbers of young people with disabilities will have this kind of an opportunity in the future.
VELSHI: Ali Velshi, CNN, New York.
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