Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Live Coverage of President Bush's Remarks Marking the 4th of July in Virginia. The Danger of Wildfires This Holiday

Aired July 04, 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: Good morning, everyone you are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.
MELISSA LONG, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, I'm Melissa Long in today for Heidi Collins. You can watch events live in the NEWSROOM. It is the fourth of July. Happy fourth to you. Here's what's on the rundown today. UK terror plot, police say one suspect left a suicide note.

HARRIS: President Bush celebrating the 4th with the West Virginia Air National Guard live this morning in the NEWSROOM.

LONG: Globe trotting tuberculosis patient Andrew Speaker demanding an apology. His TB is not the most severe and deadliest type. The Anderson Cooper interview in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: At the top this hour, UK terror plot. Sources close to the investigation tell CNN they have found a suicide note from one of the suspects. CNN international security correspondent Paula Newton is in London. Paula good to see you. What are authorities saying about this new piece of evidence?

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Tony, what they're saying is that the language that they found in this note was unequivocal, that there could be no doubt as to the intention of one or maybe both of the suspects that rammed into that airport on Saturday. They say that they have only found one note so far. No evidence of any suicide video. It's not uncommon to find both video and notes in these situations. The other thing they add, Tony, is that they have found passports. They were both carrying their passports. That's what happened during the July 7th bombings here in London. It's known that most times these kinds of suicide attacks after they happen those suicide bombers wanting the recognition and a very accurate ID of who they were and why they undertook their actions. Tony?

HARRIS: Paula, Britain's new Prime Minister Gordon Brown had a chance to address the terror issue in an appearance before parliament this morning. What did he have to say?

NEWTON: Well he basically said that he was obviously happy with the way the investigation was going but clearly he's decided to really launch a review of the way medical professionals are recruited in this country. But beyond that he really did have words of assurance for the British public. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GORDON BROWN, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: The light of the events of the last few days I do hope that the country can come together and agree these measures. I have offered conversations with them on a number of issues including the intercept and on other issues we are prepared to cooperate not only with the leader of the opposition but with their other parties. It is vitally important that the message is sent out to the rest of the world that we will stand strong, steadfast and united in the face of terror.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Again, one of the most important reviews that he is referring to there is just the fact that they will look at how medical professionals, foreign medical professionals are recruited in this country. Interesting too, Tony, they are looking at lowering the threat level. They are at critical right now, which means an attack is imminent. They're thinking about possibly lowering it to severe which still means that an attack is highly likely. Tony?

HARRIS: CNN's Paula Newton in London for us, Paula thank you.

LONG: On this Fourth of July, a star spangled show to share with you from South Dakota. Fireworks lighting up the night sky, music filling the air. Tony, why aren't you dancing with me as Mount Rushmore celebrates America's 231st birthday. This big show drew a crowd of about 20,000. More than 5200 shells were used in this fireworks display.

HARRIS: President Bush is celebrating Independence Day in West Virginia this morning, he is meeting with members of Air National Guard's 167th air lift wing. Live coverage of his remarks right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LONG: Colorful parades, noisy fireworks, tighter security, part of the effort to keep Americans safe as they celebrate the 4th. CNN's Sean Callebs live for us from Washington. Sean, what makes this Fourth of July different from all the others?

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, things are a little bit different this year, of course, just because of what went on recently in the United Kingdom and of course also events not terribly long ago in Spain at a mass transit site there. What the U.S. has out this year in eight cities including Washington, D.C. are called VIPR teams. Now these are authorities that are going to go out, they're going to be looking for explosives, they're also going to be checking the mass transit system. For example, here in Washington, D.C., the mall right now is actually closed. It's supposed to open in about an hour, while authorities go through a security sweep. But if you can see here on Constitution, already a crowd is beginning to gather because in front of the National Archives they're going to be reading the Declaration of Independence in just about, oh, let's say, less than an hour and that always brings a pretty good crowd out. Also, if we move back down this way here on Constitution, they expect a parade. Well a parade is going to be coming down here later today. Now, the mall is going to open up in just about, oh I'd say, 55 or so minutes. But everybody going into that area today is going to have to go through a security check point. They expect half a million people. Not just for the fireworks later on this evening at 9:10 eastern time, but there are a whole bunch of events going on. There are tents in that area. Really everybody out here seemingly everybody wearing red, white and blue, an area really steeped in the patriotic feel. Melissa, I have to tell you right now, we have actually lost our connection with you. Oh, it just came back. That so far is the story here unfolding out on Constitution on this July fourth.

LONG: So you're able to hear us now then, Sean?

CALLEBS: Yes I am.

LONG: Ok, you've talked about the intense security. People will see the 500,000 people we'll see tonight on the mall. Sometimes with big events the security can be covert, clearly not the situation right now.

CALLEBS: Right. I think we have some video from some of the cities. Those VIPR teams are going to be in Boston, they're going to be in Los Angeles, Houston, San Francisco, D.C. Virtually every area that has a mass transit system and they expect a large gathering of people. Those are going to be local law enforcement, they're going to be state, they're going to be federal. And really, these are people going to be looking for explosives and they're also going to be checking the mass transit. Really what they're trying to do is send a message out there, that look, authorities are out there in force and the situation is under control. Let's compare that with say a Super Bowl or the Olympics back in Salt Lake back in 2002. There at that time, a lot of law enforcement just kind of tried to blend in, they just tried to keep an eye on things in an undercover way. Well I'm certain they're going to do that here as well but what they really want to do is let people feel secure and know there are a lot, a lot of officers out there.

LONG: Sean Callebs live from Washington. Sean thank you and happy 4th to you.

CALLEBS: You too.

HARRIS: And staying a step ahead of terrorists, check this out. Some airports want to make sure if this happens, no one gets hurt. Sky Harbor International Airport, that's in Phoenix, becoming the latest to install bomb-resistant trash receptacles. They're designed to absorb the force of an explosion and stay intact. Trash cans are considered a possible hiding place for bombs.

LONG: The desert southwest always of course hot this time of year but this Independence Day, a dangerous twist, an excessive heat warning is now in effect in Arizona. Forecasters say the temperature there could reach 115 degrees today. So people are being warned stay inside. Drink plenty of water. Try to stay out of the sun. Parts of southern California away from the coast are also sizzling today and red flag warnings for fire danger are now posted in mountain and foothill areas. (WEATHER REPORT)

LONG: Also on the Fourth of July, keeping you up to date on some of the other big stories, almost four months in captivity and now a morning of bliss. BBC reporter Alan Johnston freed after 114 days as a hostage. A shadowy militant group, the army of Islam, released him, but only after Hamas surrounded the Gaza City neighborhood where he was held.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALAN JOHNSTON, FREED BBC JOURNALIST: The last 16 weeks, of course, just the very worst you can imagine of my life. It was like being -- buried alive, really. Removed from the world and occasionally terrifying. In the hands of people who were dangerous and unpredictable and always frightening and then you didn't know when it might end. And after two months, three months, you think, why might I not be here, nine months, 18 months or longer and every kidnap victim I'm sure worries like that. The psychological pressures and stresses are absolutely huge. And it's a huge battle to keep your mind in the right place and stay healthy in every way you can. And just the most unimaginable relief that it's finally over.

GRAHAM JOHNSTON, ALAN JOHNSTON'S FATHER: It's a wonderful morning. I can't tell you. We got the phone call late last night from the BBC and we're absolutely overjoyed. It's been 114 days of a living nightmare. And just to hear his voice, he telephoned us. There was a lot of noise in the background and I think he was being jostled a lot and all he said was hello, dad. And I said hello, son, how are you? Are you all right? He says I'm 100 percent and then the phone was cut. So, that's all we have had from him so far but we've seen him on the box and it's just incredible. It's been a -- it's been a long 114 days.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Wow.

LONG: Alan Johnston's family right there. Hamas says securing Johnston's freedom is evidence it's cracking down of lawlessness in Gaza. Johnston is due to speak next hour, we will bring you his comments live.

HARRIS: Well it is almost time to chow down. Chow down. The annual Nathan's famous hot dog eating contest just a couple of hours away now. The question on everybody's mind, will six-time defending champion Kobayashi compete. There he is. His troublesome jaw could be his Achilles heal, leaving the door open for Joey Chestnut. If you need an illustration of Kobayashi's problems. Wow, this is ---

LONG: Look at that stare down.

HARRIS: What are they boxing?

LONG: Yes.

HARRIS: Just watch this. There it is, the stare down, this is at the weigh in. Chestnut gobbles the dog. You'll see it in a second here while Kobayashi can do nothing more than crumble it up without eating a bite of the hot dog. Now the question is, Melissa, it's a question that we all want answered.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

The question is, there have been allegations that Kobayashi is doing this just to freeze out Joey Chestnut. What is your response to that?

TAKERU KOBAYASHI, 6-TIME HOT DOG EATING CHAMP: He goes, I don't have time and that's not even funny, so.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Oh man. We understand it's a game time decision for Kobayashi whether he'll go or not.

LONG: Yeah, the pressure is on him.

HARRIS: Our Allan Chernoff is in Coney Island for the big competition, he will join us a bit later this morning in the NEWSROOM.

LONG: Independence Day, a holiday at home, but for American troops in Iraq, it's another day of bullets and bombs. We're on patrol with one unit.

HARRIS: Fire breaks out at a North Carolina home but where are the firefighters? Can't find them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank the lord there was a television on, I could see a little glimmer of a television. I was like -- that's it, the television and a kid.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Man. Too much TV turns out to be a good thing for one family.

LONG: An international tuberculosis scare taking a new turn. Just ahead, a new diagnosis.

HARRIS: From campfire to wildfire, growing danger in the west prompts some communities to rethink traditional Fourth of July celebrations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.G. COMPTON: Hey, my name is Lieutenant JG Crumpton, I'm from the Phillip Hospital here at Camp (INAUDIBLE) Kuwait, I'm from Eclectic, Alabama. I'd like to give a shout out to my family back out in Virginia Beach and just letting you know, Jennifer, Shay, Shelby, I love you. Happy Fourth of July and I'm coming home soon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: How about these live pictures, President Bush celebrating Independence Day in West Virginia this morning. He is meeting with members of the Air National Guard's 167th airlift wing. Live coverage of his remarks coming up in minutes right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LONG: He set off a Tuberculosis scare by traveling around the world. And now there is word that Andrew Speaker does not have the most deadline form of TB as previously diagnosed by the Centers for Disease Control. Now the CDD IS standing by its order to isolate the Atlanta attorney. But Speaker says the health agency went too far. He spoke with CNN's Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, AC 3650: So did the CDC apologize to you, do you think you're owed an apology by the CDC?

ANDREW SPEAKER, TB PATIENT: Yes, I do. I think they owe an apology to the people that they scared. It just -- I know they do duel testing here when they're running a test to see whether or not something has tuberculosis or what kind. They run two at the same time to make sure the results are correct. They created a huge international panic. They scared, you know, millions of people around the world.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

LONG: CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here to better understand this story. Now at this point does the CDC think that it owes Speaker and the family apology?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I think they don't. I think they would say, look, we stand by that first test. It showed XDR. When we did it that's what it showed. But even more importantly, I think what the CDC would say is, ok, so he has MDR. MDR, XDR, we would have done the same thing. We still would have told him not to get on an airplane. This doesn't change it at all. In some ways, I think what's been forgotten a little bit here is that MDR is still a vicious disease. 30 percent of the people who get MDR TB, they die. That is an incredibly high mortality rate. So the CDC says they wouldn't have changed anything. They still would have told him note to fly to Europe and they still will told him in Europe, don't fly home.

LONG: Ok,, so not XDR, now MDR and you said it's vicious. What do we know about MDR?

COHEN: Well we know about it, it's that it's resistant to many of the drugs that usually work against tuberculosis. And that's why doctors routinely tell patients with any kind of tuberculosis let alone a drug resistant kind, don't get on airplanes. So when someone has drug resistant tuberculosis like Andrew Speaker does, they have to take approximately two years worth of antibiotics. These are potentially very relatively toxic antibiotics. It is a tough, tough regimen. And again, one third of people do not survive this type of TB.

LONG: Let's reflect for a moment and talk about what Andrew Speaker did that led the Centers for Disease Control to issue that international alert.

COHEN: Right, it's important sometimes to get back to the basics. This story has gone for so long. What originally happened was that Andrew Speaker had TB and the doctor said to him, we would prefer that you not get on an airplane. That's not in dispute. Andrew Speaker agrees with that. So they told him we would prefer you do not get on an airplane. Please do not get on an airplane and he got on seven of them. He got on seven airplanes. And that's not in dispute whatsoever. What's also not in dispute is that they would have told him not to get on an airplane no matter what kind of TB you have. Even if you have the tamest kind of TB, which isn't what he has, he has a much more severe kind. Even if you have the tamest kind of TB, they will tell you, do not get on an airplane.

LONG: It was the long-range flights that were of particular concern.

COHEN: Right, exactly, because you're stuck in a plane breathing air that everyone else is breathing, with hundreds of people. The guy sitting next to you might have HIV. If he got TB, that's a bad situation. You don't know who's sitting next to you or in the row ahead or the row behind, you just don't know.

LONG: All right, medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen, thank you for sorting it all out for us, appreciate it.

HARRIS: Still to come, clouds may be gathering at the National Hurricane Center. The new director is in a little hot water. He is questioning the center's ability to make accurate forecasts.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Frederik Pleitgen at forward operating base (INAUDIBLE) in central Iraq where a lot of the soldiers here are not getting their fourth of July off, they're working very hard. That's coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: 9:24 in the morning in the nation's capital. President Bush today spending part of the Fourth of July with the National Guard, the 167th airlift wing. We're going to bring you back to the base in Martinsburg in just a moment.

HARRIS: No time for celebration. The fourth of July in Iraq just another dangerous day for U.S. troops. Details now from CNN's Frederik Pleitgen embedded with soldiers just south of Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So tonight, high risk for small arms fire, dismount IEDs.

PLEITGEN: For Lieutenant Jason Dupuis, this Fourth of July begins long before dawn, with a briefing for a dangerous mission in a rural area south of Baghdad. A raid in a neighborhood where only a few days before, Dupuis' platoon found IEDs and bomb making components. The neighborhood they know is hostile to American forces. What's the most dangerous thing here for you guys?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dismounted IEDs.

PLEITGEN: Why?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no armor around you, you know as your body armor, so no fragmentation can cause much bodily harm.

PLEITGEN: No Independence Day celebrations for these soldiers. To them they say the Fourth of July is just another day with another combat mission and Dupuis' main goal is bringing all his men back alive. This unit like so many others in Iraq is stepping up operations as a result of the U.S. troop increase, the so-called surge. Trying to disrupt insurgent activities around Baghdad. Operations the commanding general says are key to success.

MAJ. GEN. RICK LYNCH, U.S. ARMY: There has to be a long-term gain. It's got to be clear and hold and build and the only people can do the hold piece is the Iraqi security forces. Has to happen.

PLEITGEN: Jason Dupuis and his men wrap up their mission at the crack of dawn. They haven't found any new IEDs this time. Back at base Dupuis shows me what he says he's fighting for, his wife Tamara five months pregnant.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is his head right here, ok, there's his spine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Red one, are you ready?

PLEITGEN: On Independence Day especially Dupuis says he's proud to serve his country here in Iraq but he also says the Fourth of July is another day gone by, another day he gets closer to seeing his family again.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: CNN's Frederik Pleitgen joins us live now from forward operating base (INAUDIBLE) just south of Baghdad. Frederik, is anything planned at the base there to mark the holiday?

PLEITGEN: Well, Tony, actually, there's absolutely nothing planned here to mark the holiday. Basically what you'll see here on the base is you'll see a few more American flags flying, you'll see a lot of American flags in the mess hall, some banners in the mess hall. But that's basically it and literally all the soldiers that we have been talking to say to them this is just another day and interestingly what a lot of them have been saying is that they can't even afford to take a day off because there's so much activity going on here. There's so many operations going on here. This base is in a major anti-insurgent operation right now. They say they can't even afford to take this day off and a lot of them also say they quite enjoy doing a lot of work because basically that makes the time here in Iraq go by a lot quicker than if they were doing less work. But they say to them this is really just another work day and there's not much of a feeling of the Fourth of July here. Tony?

HARRIS: CNN's Frederik Pleitgen with U.S. troops just south of Baghdad. Frederik, thank you.

LONG: As promised, let's go back to Martinsburg now, President Bush spending the Fourth of July holiday with the 167th air lift wing. The National Guard. President Bush at the podium.

(BUSH SPEECH)

GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Citizens had to struggle for six more years to finally determine the outcome of the Revolutionary War. We were a small band of freedom-loving patriots taking on the most powerful empire in the world. And one of those patriots was the founder of Martinsburg, West Virginia -- Major General Adam Stephen. Of course, it wasn't West Virginia then, but it was Martinsburg. (Laughter.) He crossed the Delaware with Washington. He helped secure America's victory at the Battle of Trenton -- and he later went -- and later, when our liberty was won, delivered stirring remarks in the Virginia House of Delegates that helped secure ratification of our Constitution.

On Independence Day we give thanks, we give thanks for our Founders, we give thanks for all the brave citizen-soldiers of our Continental Army who dropped pitchforks and took up muskets to fight for our freedom and liberty and independence.

You're the successors of those brave men. Those who wear the uniform are the successors of those who dropped their pitch forks and picked up their muskets to fight for liberty. Like those early patriots, you're fighting a new and unprecedented war, pledging your lives and honor to defend our freedom and our way of life.

In this war, the weapons have changed and so have our enemies. But one thing remains the same. The men and women of the Guard stand ready to put on the uniform and fight for America.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: In this war against radicals and extremists, in this war on terror, you're showing that the courage which won our independence more than two centuries ago is alive and well here in West Virginia.

Since the attacks of September the 11th, 2001, every operational unit of the West Virginia National Guard has been deployed. And some are on their second and third deployments.

One member of the 167th Airlift Wing, Master Sergeant Richard Howeland (ph), has been deployed seven times since the 9/11 attacks. And this good man just volunteered to go to Baghdad for an eighth deployment in September.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: Our fellow citizens should listen to what Richard has said, what this volunteer has said. He has said: "It is my patriotic duty to do whatever I can to help. It feels good that I'm keeping a lot of people safe."

We're an incredible nation that has produced men like Richard Howeland and you, who, in the face of danger wear the uniform of the United States of America and step forward in freedom's defense. And I thank you for that.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: Since September the 11th, members of the West Virginia Air National Guard have earned seven Bronze Stars and four Purple Hearts. Two of those Purple Hearts were awarded to Staff Sergeant Brad Runkles and Derek Brown. They're here today.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: You're not related to them, are you?

Brad and Derek are childhood friends. They grew up right here in Martinsburg. And they signed up together to serve in the West Virginia guard. In 2004, they were driving together in the lead gun truck of a convoy in Iraq when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. Brad and Derek made it out, but they suffered burns on their hands and faces. They recovered from their wounds and in May of last year, they both reenlisted.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: Today is the day to celebrate courage in the face of adversity. I want you to hear what Derek says. He said: "This war is something that has to be done, either over there or here. And I think it's best we fight it over there," he said.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: "I'm proud to serve my country like those before me -- for the cause of freedom."

America is proud to have citizens like Derek and Brad, that we call neighbors and friends and defenders of the peace.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: And your service is needed. We need for people to volunteer to defend America. Because in this war we face dangerous enemies who have attacked us here at home. Oh, I know the passage of time has convinced some -- maybe convinced some that the danger doesn't exist. But that's not how I see it. And that's not how many of you see it.

These people want to strike us again. We learned on September the 11th that in the age of terror, the best way to do our duty, which is to protect the American people, is to go on the offense and stay on the offense. And that's exactly what we've been doing against these radicals and extremists.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: It is best that we take the fight to where the enemy lives, so we don't have to face them where we live. And so since 9/11, that's precisely the strategy we have followed. In Afghanistan, where I know some of you have been deployed and some of you are deployed, we removed a regime that gave sanctuary and support to Al Qaeda as they planned the 9/11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 citizens. They found safe haven. That's what they like. They like a place where they can plot and plan in relatively -- in security, all aiming to come and harm the citizens of the greatest face for liberty in the world.

Today, because we acted, terrorist camps in Afghanistan have been shut down. Twenty-five million people have been liberated and the Afghan people have elected a government that is fighting terrorists instead of harboring terrorists.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: These enemies of ours, they have got an ideology. They believe in something. In other words, the attacks are just a tactic to enable them to spread their dark vision of the world. Perhaps one way to differentiate between our thoughts is to just think about religion. In the great country of the United States, we believe that you should be able to worship any way you see fit, that you're equally American regardless of your religious beliefs.

They believe that if you don't worship the way they see it, then they're going to bring you harm. We believe in an Almighty. We believe in the freedom for people to worship that Almighty.

They don't. They don't believe you should worship the way you choose. They believe the only way you should worship is the way they choose. And therefore -- and therefore they will do anything they can to spread that ideology.

And it's our charge, it's our calling to keep the pressure on these people to defend America and to spread an ideology of hope and an ideology of peace so that the kids who came up here to give the Pledge of Allegiance will be able to live in peace and security.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: There's more than one front in this war against these radicals and extremists. And, obviously, the toughest front of all is in Iraq. In that country, we removed a cruel dictator who harbored terrorists, paid the families of Palestinian suicide bombers, invaded his neighbors, defied the United Nations' Security Council, pursued and used weapons of mass destruction.

The world is better off without Saddam Hussein in power.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: And today, U.S. and coalition troops are standing with the Iraqis' troops and the nearly 12 million Iraqis who voted for a future of peace. We're opposing ruthless enemies who want to bring down Iraq's democracy and turn that nation into a terrorist safe haven.

Earlier this year, I announced a new strategy in Iraq under the leadership of General David Petraeus and the new ambassador, Ryan Crocker. Our goal is to help the Iraqi government protect their population so they can make progress toward reconciliation and build a free nation that respects the rights of its people and upholds the rule of law and is an ally against these extremists and terrorists and killers. And so we sent reinforcements to help the Iraqis secure their neighborhoods and go after the terrorists and insurgents and militias that are inciting sectarian violence and help get the capital under control.

It's a tough fight. But I wouldn't have asked those troops to go into harm's way if the fight was not essential to the security of the United States of America.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: Many of the spectacular car bombings and killings you see are as a result of Al Qaeda, the very same folks that attacked us on September the 11th. A major enemy in Iraq is the same enemy that dared attack the United States on that fateful day.

Al Qaeda hasn't given up its objective inside Iraq -- and that is to cause enough chaos and confusion so America would leave and they would be able to establish their safe haven from which to do two things -- to further spread their ideology and to plan and plot attacks against the United States.

If we were to quit Iraq before the job is done, the terrorists we are fighting would not declare victory and lay down their arms. They would follow us here home. If we were to allow them to gain control of Iraq, they would have control of a nation with massive oil reserves, which they could use to fund new attacks and exhort economic blackmail on those who didn't kowtow to their wishes.

However difficult the fight is in Iraq, we must win it. We must succeed for our own sake. For the security of our citizens, we must support our troops. We must support the Iraqi government and we must defeat Al Qaeda in Iraq.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: Victory in this struggle will require more patience, more courage and more sacrifice. And we lost some good men and women in this fight.

And so on this Fourth of July, we pause to remember the fallen and the grieving families they have left behind. We hold them in our hearts. We lift them up in our prayers. And we pledge to honor their memory by finishing their work for which they have given their life. Here at Martinsburg Air National Guard base, you're living in a wonderful and caring community. Over the course of this struggle, you have looked out for each other and you've given strength to each other in difficult moments.

One of the community leaders making a difference on this base is Joey Anders (ph). A couple of you have heard of her.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: In case you haven't ever heard of Joy, she is the president of the 167th Airlift Wing Family Readiness Group. She and other members of the group make it their mission to care for the families of our deployed Guardsmen and women. Before one recent deployment, they took pictures of all the deploying airmen and created iron-on transfers to place on pillowcases for the children of the deploying troops.

It's a simple act. But it's an act of love and compassion that gave the children a sense that their moms and dads were nearby, even though they were deployed a thousand miles away.

Our military families miss their moms and dads and husbands and wives and sons and daughters. And they look forward to welcoming their loved ones home. And we all long for the day when there are far fewer servicemen and women in Iraq.

The time will come when Iraq has a stable, self-sustaining government that is an ally against these extremists and killers. That time will come when the Iraqi people will not need the help of 159,000 troops in their country. Yet withdrawing our troops prematurely, based on politics, not on the advice and recommendations of our military commanders, would not be in our national interests. It would hand the enemy a victory and put America's security at risk. And that's something we're not going to do.

Our troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and other fronts in the war on terror are serving in a cause that is vital and just. And on this Fourth of July, I ask every American to find a way to thank the men and women who are defending our freedom and the families that support them.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: There are many ways to show your gratitude. There are many ways for our fellow citizens to say thanks to the men and women who wear the uniform and their families. You can send a care package. You can reach out to a military family in your neighborhood with a mom or dad on the front lines.

You could ask somebody, what can I do to help you?

What do you need?

You can car pool. You can be on a bended knee and pray for a soldier and their families. You can help find ways to help the Department of Defense and set up a Web site. I would hope our fellow citizens all across the United States would call up americasupportsyou.mil. At this Web site, americasupportsyou.mil, you can learn about efforts in your own community as to how you can support our troops.

As we celebrate our independence on this 4th, we can have confidence in the enduring principles of our founding. The words of the Declaration hold a promise for all mankind and those ideals continue to inspire millions across the world.

Recently, Laura and I traveled to Prague, the Czech Republic, where I spoke to a conference of dissidents and democratic activists from 17 nations on five continents. I was proud to represent our country at that historic meeting. I was proud to tell those brave souls that America stands with them in their struggle for liberty, because we believe in the universality of liberty.

I personally believe that freedom is a gift from an Almighty to every man, woman and child on the face of the Earth. I looked down on that audience and I saw men and women who believe in the power of freedom to transform their countries and to remake the world. And I saw that those who live in tyranny and yearn for freedom still place their hopes in the United States of America.

For the past six-and-a-half years, it's been a privilege to be the president of such a good and decent nation, that inspires and holds out hope for people all across the world. It's an awesome experience and a humbling experience to hold a powerful office like president, that brings with it the great honor of being the commander- in-chief of the finest military the world has ever known.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: Because of the service of our military men and women, because our nation has got a military full of the bravest and most decent people that I have ever met, America remains a beacon of hope for all around the world. America remains the place where peace has the best chance to be encouraged. We're doing the hard work now so generations of American kids can grow up in peace. It's necessary work. It's important work. And I thank you for your sacrifices.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: May god bless you and may god bless America.

MELISSA LONG, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush on this Fourth of July, thanking the troops, thanking the National Guard, members of the 167th Airlift Wing. This is the base from Martinsburg, West Virginia.

The president asking all Americans to thank the troops, thank their families, saying send a care package, reach out to a military family and ask how you can help out, as well. The president right now in Martinsburg thanking the families with a simple handshake on this Fourth of July.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And still to come in THE NEWSROOM this morning, no relief for flood victims in parts of the American heartland. More people now on the run from high water.

LONG: The fiery attack on the Glasgow Airport -- now CNN learns a suicide note has emerged in the investigation. We're going to explain.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STAFF SERGEANT WRIGHT: Hi, this is Staff Sergeant Wright from the 386 Air Expeditionary Wing, Civil Engineering Squadron, Emergency Management Flight. I just wanted to give a shout out to all my family and friends back home in Bunker Hill, West Virginia. Have a happy and safe Fourth of July. I miss you all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And new developments to report in the British terror plot. Sources tell CNN that investigators have found a suicide note. We're told it's linked to the two men who rammed a vehicle into the Glasgow Airport. The Jeep was filled with explosives. Both men are in custody. The man on the left, you'll see here in just a second, was severely burned and is in critical condition. Authorities believe the two suspects are also responsible for last week's failed London car bombings. Both men are doctors. In all, seven of the eight suspects are doctors or medical students.

Earlier today, Britain's new prime minister vowed increased scrutiny of immigration policies.

NGUYEN: On this 4th of July, no break from the flooding in parts of the Midwest and the Southern Plains. In northeastern Oklahoma, a rising river has forced a new round of evacuations. Hundreds of people in Miami, Oklahoma fled their homes after the river spilled over its banks. And forecasters warn conditions could get worse.

Parts of Kansas and Texas are also coping with the high water.

So, a relentless drought, careless revelers -- a potential disaster this Fourth of July. So, some communities are banning a big holiday tradition.

Here's CNN's Chris Lawrence.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (voice-over): A wildfire rips through a picnic area near Santa Barbara and burns almost 500 acres of brush. Several camp sites have to be shut down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The kitchen, the living room was here, the back bedroom.

LAWRENCE: Near Lake Tahoe, hundreds of families are homeless this holiday and investigators suspect that blaze was caused by an illegal campfire.

(on camera): How bad could it be this 4th of July?

ASSISTANT CHIEF JIM HALL, U.S. FOREST SERVICE:

This 4th of July could be bad.

LAWRENCE: (voice-over): California forestry officials say thousands of campers could accidentally spark this dry, brittle brush.

HALL: Grab some of this stuff. This stuff is like a time bomb ready to just go off -- one little ember. Look at that. It -- it's ready to go off. A prime example --

LAWRENCE: Chief Jim Hall showed me exactly how fires start.

HALL: No one is here and they've left the stuff burning, a prime example. All we need is a gust of wind into the bushes and we're -- we're fighting fire.

LAWRENCE: Los Angeles just ended its driest rain year on record -- barely over three inches.

(on camera): With triple digit temperatures forecast for the rest of the week in parts of California, officials have banned some traditional holiday celebrations like fireworks.

HALL: And for five or 10 minutes of awe or five to 10 seconds of awe, I mean, we could have this whole hillside go up.

LAWRENCE: (voice-over): Almost all massive fires start from one little spark. So Hall warns families to clean out the area around their grills and pour enough dirt and water to cool it down.

Chris Lawrence, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HARRIS: Sometimes at the controls, other times seeming out of control. Actor Robin Williams shaking things up on LARRY KING LIVE.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AL QAIAR: How are you doing?

I'm Al Qaiar (ph).

I'm stationed in Bahrain and I would like to say a Happy Fourth of July to my wife Holly (ph) and daughter Isabella (ph) in Virginia Beach and best wishes for a safe and joyful Fourth of July.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

MICHAEL LA CALAMETO: That was the most fun I ever had waiting in line for anything, that's for sure.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: (voice-over): I-Reporter Michael La Calameto was 10th in line for an iPhone at this Apple store in Cincinnati, Ohio.

LA CALAMETO: It was a great experience. I -- I made friends with a couple of people that were sitting next to me. It was actually just a good time. The time flew right by.

The screen opened up. There was 40 Apple employees in there all screaming and yelling like you're at the end of a marathon.

It completely has lived up to its expectations as far as what Apple has said it would be able to do.

MARCIANO: Fireworks in Salina, Ohio. Jeff Ponstler sent us this clip from the Freedom Day's picnic held this past weekend.

And we want your Fourth of July pictures and videos. Send them to us by pointing your browser to cnn.com and look for the I-Report logo.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com