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Iraq Progress Report

Aired July 12, 2007 - 11:30   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: There have you it. President Bush wrapping up a news conference on the Iraq progress report delivered this morning to Congress. I'm Tony Harris.
COLLINS: And I'm Heidi Collins. Listen now as the President defends his Iraq strategy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: I know some in Washington would like us to start leaving Iraq now. To begin withdrawing before our commanders tell us we are ready would be dangerous; for Iraq, for the region and for the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: CNN's covering this story from all angles now. Elaine Quijano is at the White House. Dana Bash has congressional reaction from Capitol Hill. Hala Gorani is in Baghdad and Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon. Elaine, I want to start with you --

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm sorry, I'm having difficulty hearing you. The President speaking there at the very end and passionate terms about his belief once more that al Qaeda continues to pose a threat to the United States, but the President responding to a question surprisingly, coming back to answer this, about a report insisting that al Qaeda has been weakened, he says significantly because of the efforts that his administration has undertaken.

Now, on this issue of the Iraq interim report, President Bush, as expected, laying out what he sees as some signs of progress on the military side, but also acknowledging that on the political side there have been unsatisfactory areas that the Iraqi government led by Nuri al-Maliki, the Iraqi Prime Minister has not so far met those benchmarks.

But, interesting to note, when the President was asked about whether or not he has confidence in the prime minister, the President essentially saying, look, I'm not making excuses but this is certainly hard. Overall, his argument continues to be that the security situation must, in fact, be stabilized first and that, he says, is something that is taking place in order for those political benchmarks to be achieved as well.

Interesting to note as well, he is sending his Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, as well as Defense Secretary Robert Gates, to the region to talk to Middle East allies. And the President noting that in his view, Congress must not take away any of his authority to conduct this war. The President insisting that as Commander in Chief, he and the commanders on the ground in Iraq, are the ones who understand this situation and who should be running this war.

Hiedi?

COLLINS: All right, Elaine, I know you're having a tough time hearing us so thanks much.

HARRIS: Turning now to CNN Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash live on Capitol Hill. Dana, the President, as you know, has been criticized heavily by some in Congress for his Iraq policy. You heard some of that criticism this morning. Let's listen to what Senator Russ Feingold had to say before the President's news conference and then a quick question.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Congress cannot wait for this president to change course in Iraq. Because you and I know he has no intention of doing so. He has made it clear he will continue to pursue massive military engagement despite the wishes of the American people, despite the fact that our military is stretched to the breaking point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Dana, we've been asking you this question all morning. Let's ask it again. How is this report likely to impact the debate on Iraq on the Hill?

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is likely to impact it, no question about it. One thing I think that is really worth noting here is you just played a sound bite from Russ Feingold, he was one of the earliest and most vocal opponents from this war. But what this report is is actually the brainchild of one of the most influential Republican senators here, Senator John Warner.

He was the one who came up with this idea, of the President even having to issue reports. That's why something that Elaine just touched on, Tony, I think is not going to really fly they well with some Republicans here on Capitol Hill. Something that the president said. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: I don't think Congress ought to be running the war. I think they ought to be funding our troops. I'm certainly interested in their opinion. But trying to run a war through resolution is a prescription for failure, as far as I'm concerned. And we can't afford to fail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, what's interesting about that is that, that is the kind of thing we heard time and time again from Republicans over the past couple of years across the board. We don't hear it as much from a lot more Republicans lately, Tony. More and more what we're hearing instead from Republicans is that Congress does need to start to take action.

Maybe not a deadline -- a firm deadline for withdrawal, but try to force the White House, try to force the President and the Pentagon to change course. Congress is seeing that as their role now, and you'll see that play out in debates over the next couple of weeks.

HARRIS: Our Congressional Correspondent, Dana Bash for us. Dana, thank you.

COLLINS: Well, what do the Iraqi people have to say about the U.S. military presence in their country? is in Baghdad for us. Hala, your thoughts as you were able to listen in to the President today?

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, some of the Iraqi officials I've been speaking with over the last few weeks realize that the President, the White House and many American officials would like these laws and these crucial benchmarks to pass. What they don't agree with necessarily and what they don't share necessarily is the enthusiasm of the President with regards to how quickly all of this should be done, especially regarding laws that are very important to bringing Iraqis together.

The law on sharing the revenues of oil, the laws on de- Baathification, for instance. Now, this interim report did stress that one of the key benchmarks reducing sectarian violence has actually been satisfactorily either met or is in the process of being met. Now, the numbers support that.

From 2000, deaths a month across the Iraqi capital of ordinary civilians found shot and oftentimes tortured about to about 600. But what we're seeing is, if you take it within the context of the Iraq War itself we're back to the levels of before the Samarra bombing of February 2006. So, if you take the entire trend since the invasion we're really back to where we were before that very provocative act in Samarra about a year and a half ago, Heidi.

COLLINS: All right CNN's Hala Gorani, coming to us live this morning from Baghdad. Hala, thank you.

HARRIS: And, let's go to CNN's Barbara Starr now live with a view from the Pentagon. Barbara, good to talk to you. Did you hear anything in the President's news conference this morning that suggested to you that the President is opening the door just a bit to a possible troop draw down?

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you bet, Tony. It was a very small aside by the President, but perhaps very significant. He said that there is a lot of discussion about the troop posture, and that maybe there would be a move down the road to move to some of the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group. What were those?

Essentially, move U.S. troops out of day to day combat, get them more into special operations going after al Qaeda, border security and training the Iraqi forces. That could be the route home for U.S. troops, of course, because the President said, quoting, "That is a position I would like to see us in." Nobody's saying when that might happen.

Certainly General Petraeus would have to make a recommendation. Security would have to improve. But even in this interim report, Tony, that very prospect was raised and the President has now spoken about it.

HARRIS: CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr for us this morning. Barbara, thank you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: New developments this hour. In a story we've been following all morning, American Airlines flight 136 diverted to New York's JFK Airport due to a possible security breach, but now it is unclear whether a breach ever took place. The flight originated in Los Angeles. Our Kara Finstrom is there. Kara, what's the latest?

KARA FINSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, a lot more questions than answers this morning. All of this centering around a possible security breach that was first raised to authorities by an American Airlines crew member. And, it ended up with a flight that was headed from LAX nonstop to London being diverted.

We do have a map where we can show you exactly what happened with this flight. It left here from LAX at 6:00 last night local time. It ended up being diverted over Newfoundland and then ended up arriving in JFK at about 2:30 a.m. eastern time. It was supposed to arrive five hours later in London.

Now, that crew member on board that American Airlines flight -- this all unfolded when they started questioning one of the passengers. That crew member thought they had seen the passenger get on board an employee-only shuttle in the parking area, take that to the airport, then get off there and go through an employee-only entrance.

Now, we've spoken with some security officials, FBI officials this morning. They tell us it's not clear at this point that that ever really did take place. They are still investigating. They also tell us that right now they don't believe this man who was taken off that flight poses any security risk.

What we do know about this man is that he's a U.S. born citizen and he also is a -- holds one of their frequent flier, an executive platinum card and actually purchased a round-trip ticket for this flight back in April and was -- had, again, purchased a round-trip ticket for in flight long before he took off.

Now, if this did, indeed, actually, Tony, unfold as the suspicions were of this American airlines employee, then of course it raises all kinds of questions about how he was able to get through airport security. But, at this point, it's not even clear that happened.

HARRIS: OK, CNN's Kara Finstrom for us. It's getting more and more interesting. Kara, thank you.

COLLINS: Let's take a closer look at this story now. We are joined by Larry Wansley, he's the former Head of Security for American Airlines. Thank you, Larry, for being with us. I want to ask you straight off the top, is there a universal screening process for employees, specifically when they come from their personal cars in those parking lots at the airport and get on the employee busses, which then take them to the airport?

LARRY WANSLEY, FMR. AMERICAN AIRLINES SECURITY DIR.: Well, there are screening processes in place, and no employee is allowed to walk right into the workplace without being screened.

COLLINS: What exactly is that screening process?

WANSLEY: First of all, your verification, your identity has to be verified. There are processes and people in place to ensure that before you actually get into the workplace.

COLLINS: OK. What about bags, then? I'm assuming that there are workers who, you know, come from their car, they have maybe a backpack with them, maybe their lunch inside. What happens with their baggage, specifically for the people who have access to the tarmac and the aircraft?

WANSLEY: Well, bags, backpacks, lunch boxes, things of that nature, those should be screened also. Certainly at American we had processes in place to do that.

COLLINS: How, then, does it seem possible if you're saying that this happens at least to your knowledge with American Airlines, that this gentleman was able to get on the employee bus? Aren't there swipe cards or checkpoint locations in those parking lots, where they're supposed to take an employee identification badge and either swipe it or show it to the bus driver as they're getting on?

WANSLEY: Well, there certainly are processes in place. That's the big question right now. I don't think anyone really knows until the investigation is completed. However, yes, indeed, there are steps that should be taken and no one without proper authority should be getting onto that employee bus.

COLLINS: Is it safe enough, the way that things are set up right now?

WANSLEY: Well, I don't know exactly how -- what the situation entailed this morning. But if the procedures and processes are followed the way that they're designed to, it certainly does create a very, very secure situation. With that said, nothing is absolute. And, I think it's a situation where we really need to understand all of the facts after the investigation is completed and then make adjustments thereto.

COLLINS: But Mr. Wansley, hasn't this been a concern for a long time, with the access to the aircraft and the people getting inside the airport coming straight from their cars and not going through security?

WANSLEY: Oh, I totally agree with you. Absolutely.

COLLINS: OK. Well, we will continue to get more information about this. Clearly, trying to figure out exactly what happened here. Thanks so much. Larry Wansley.

WANSLEY: Thank you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Al Qaeda, as strong as it's been since 9/11? That's the unsettling conclusion of a classified intelligence report. Earlier on CNN's AMERICA MORNING the nation's homeland security chief said the bottom line is clear.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: I think the real lesson here, and it's something we saw, for example, during the Cold War, is that we can never rest on our laurels. We have done a lot to secure this country over the last five years. And we've been fortunate, but also we reaped the harvest of that in that we have not had a successful attack here.

But the enemy is continuing to change and adapt. We cannot be static. That's why, as we go forward into this next year, I'm really urging people to take a close look at some of the additional security measures we're trying to put into place here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Michael Chertoff raised eyebrows earlier this week, you may recall what he said he had a gut feeling the U.S. could be attacked this summer. He is stressing now he doesn't know of a specific, credible threat.

If there popular as hamburgers in America, but there is not much meat in this Chinese sandwich called Bovi (ph). The main ingredient, reportedly, wasted cardboard gathered from the streets. Undercover reporters at China Central Television say makers used a caustic industrial solvent to soften the cardboard, then added MSG to enhance the flavor. CCTV says police have since broken up the unsavory ring. No word on whether anyone has fallen ill.

HARRIS: The Watergate tapes, filled with foul-mouthed tirades in the Oval Office, now more recordings and insight about Richard Nixon.

CNN's Brian Todd reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Election night, 1972, Richard Nixon celebrating his greatest political victory, a landslide win over George McGovern. In a phone conversation with Henry Kissinger shortly after midnight. Nixon lets loose on his opponent.

RICHARD NIXON, FORMER PRESIDENT (audio recording): This fellow to the last was a prick. Did you see his concession statement?

TODD: That excerpt, part of the Nixon Library's new release of hours of Nixon's phone conversation from that period. Shortly after Kissinger's call, Nixon speaks to his deputy counselor, Harry Dent and has not mellowed toward McGovern.

NIXON: That son of a bitch. Didn't you think he was about the worst, candidate, Harry.

HARRY DENT, RICHARD NIXON'S COUNSEL: Yes, sir.

NIXON: What he said, I think, we're not going to let him get with that you know. Even last night he started out nicely in his thing but then proceeded to jut his jaw out and said he wasn't going to support this or that. Did you notice that?

DENT: Yes.

NIXON: What'd you think of that? As far as grace, I came on quite graceful to the son of a bitch.

TODD: Thirty-five years later, George McGovern listens to us with his old foe. He says he never refused to support Nixon. He jokingly calls it a great distinction to be called those names by the president. But ...

GEORGE MCGOVERN, (D) FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I also found it rather sad. Here's this man who has just won the most smashing triumph of his entire life. Angry, frustrated. Peevish.

TODD: The director of the Nixon Library adds this perspective to that evening.

TIMOTHY NEFTALI, DIRECTOR, NIXON LIBRARY AND MUSEUM: On the night of his election, he's alone, contemplating the affect of his victory, complaining, if you will, celebrating. But it's Nixon alone.

TODD: A few days after his election victory, Nixon is shuffling his Cabinet, he talks about replacing the U.S. a ambassador to the U.N., a man named George Herbert Walker Bush.

NIXON: You know that staff up there is violently anti-Nixon and Bush hasn't done one damn thing about it. He's become part of it.

TODD: We contacted George Bush Sr.'s office about a response for that remark from Nixon. An aide said Mr. Bush would not comment.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Lady Bird Johnson, President Bush today saying former first Lady Bird Johnson brought grace to the White House and beauty to our country. The widow of President Lyndon Baines Johnson died Wednesday at her home in Austin. Lady Bird was known as a champion of education, parks and highway beautification. As for that nickname, a childhood nurse gave it to her. She said little (INAUDIBLE) also was pretty as a lady bird, and the name stuck. A private funeral is planned for Saturday, along with a private graveside service on Sunday. Lady Bird Johnson was 94.

HARRIS: Fighting flares at a refugee camp in Lebanon. It is part of a final push against Islamist extremists.

Tonight, 7:00 p.m. Eastern, drugs, alcohol and addiction. Congressman Patrick Kennedy and former first lady Rosalynn Carter talk about mental health in America, tonight in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: This year we're bringing you stories of people we are calling CNN Heroes. Today we introduce you to a man from Wisconsin who went from fighting insurgents in Iraq to becoming a single father. Scott Southworth is today's CNN Hero.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ready?

SCOTT SOUTHWORTH: Uh-huh.

No soldier goes to war with the expectation of coming home and adopting an orphan from the war zone. My name is Major Scott Harold Southworth. I'm a member of the Wisconsin Army National Guard and the proud father of an Iraqi orphan by the name of Ala'a Dem (ph).

Come on, Ala'a.

My soldiers and I volunteered at the Mother Theresa Orphanage in Baghdad, Iraq. I did not choose Ala'a, Ala' a chose me.

When the sisters informed me that they were going to have to move him to the government orphanage, I instantly told them that I would adopt them. There were a number of obstacles to bringing him to the United States. Not having enough money and not having a stable enough career, not having a wife.

But I could not, as a Christian man, walk away from that little boy. It really was a step of faith for me to just put that into action. He's a good little boy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am.

SOUTHWORTH: I know you are.

It's been what, 2 1/2 years since I picked Ala'a up in Baghdad. He's learning how to walk. He's doing addition and subtraction. He's learning to read the English language. He's just a brilliant little boy.

Come on, work those legs.

He's limited by some of the things he can do physically, but I never treat Ala'a as though he's disabled.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you.

SOUTHWORTH: I love you too, my buddy.

Ala'a is so much more a blessing to me than I am to him. I felt a ton of sympathy for Ala'a when I was in Iraq. But Ala'a didn't mean my sympathy. What he needed was some action.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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