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Withdrawal from Iraq; British Terror Investigations

Aired July 14, 2007 - 11:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: It is Saturday, July the 14th, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Hello to you all.

I'm T.J. Holmes.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Suzanne Malveaux in for Betty Nguyen.

Straight ahead this hour, terror charges. New information this morning in that U.K. Airport attack. We'll get the live, latest from London.

HOLMES: Also, Tokyo typhoon -- a powerful storm bears down on Japan.

Find out where the extreme weather is headed.

MALVEAUX: And would you run with the bulls?

Two American brothers did and got gored. They are now in the hospital. We'll talk to them ahead in THE NEWSROOM.

and two weeks after a pair of failed terror attacks in Britain, a second and third suspect have been charged -- one in Australia, the other in Britain.

We'll start in Britain, where police have just filed charges against a doctor born in India.

CNN's Alphonso van Marsh is in London.

ALPHONSO VAN MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Suzanne. We're getting the latest information from Metropolitan Police here.

As you mentioned, they have filed charges against Sabeel Ahmed under the Terrorism Act of 2000. Now, that, in essence, basically accuses him of having information that could have prevented an act of terror. That, of course, is connected to those failed car bombings in London and at Glasgow International Airport.

As you mentioned, this news that comes around the same time that authorities in Australia charged another suspect, another doctor, Mohammed Haneef, of basically providing support to a terrorist organization What makes this interesting is that the two trained at the same medical institution, according to our sources. And it's also possible, we understand, Suzanne, that they may be distant cousins -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Alphonso, thanks so much for the latest details.

And as we mentioned earlier, the other man charged today is in Australia. Dr. Mohammed Haneef is a cousin of the suspect who was charged in London today. He made a brief appearance in an Australian court. Now, he is accused of aiding the failed terror attacks by providing the conspirators with a mobile phone card. His wife calls the charge baseless.

HOLMES: Despite new calls from fellow Republicans for a withdrawal strategy, President Bush today urged Americans to be patient on Iraq. In the weekly radio address today, the president said there are some signs of progress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're starting to take the initiative away from Al Qaeda in aiding the rise of an Iraqi government that can protect its people, deliver basic services and be an ally in the war against extremists and radicals. By doing this, we're creating the conditions that will allow our troops to begin coming home. When America starts drawing down our forces in Iraq, it will be because our military commanders say the conditions on the ground are right, not because pollsters say it would be good politics.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And just yesterday, Republican Senators Richard Lugar and John Warner called on the president to draft plans for a possible troop withdrawal by the end of the year.

CNN's senior political correspondent Jamie McIntyre takes a look at some of the possibilities.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: (voice-over): North of Baghdad, where some of the surge battalions are engaged in the toughest fighting, U.S. commanders already have optimistic contingency plans to dramatically reduce forces beginning in January.

MAJ. GEN. BENJAMIN MIXON, U.S. ARMY: I currently have five or six brigades, depending on how you count the numbers of battalions, that, given the enemy's situation and as you move forward, after about an 18-month period of time, you could probably reduce that by about half.

MCINTYRE: The Pentagon has a rule of thumb for moving forces in and out of Iraq.

GENERAL PETER PACE, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: The system itself is designed right now to be able to increase or decrease about one brigade per month. MCINTYRE: So with 20 combat brigades now in Iraq, that's at least 20 months to get them out. Add in all the support troops and it's well over two years. The U.S. could speed that up, but it would be tough.

Consider the last Iraq War. In 1991, it took the U.S. military nearly a year to get all of its troops and equipment out of Kuwait -- in a permissive environment with some of the best sea and airports in the world.

ROBERT GATES, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: You're talking about not just U.S. soldiers, but millions of tons of contractor equipment that belongs to the United States government and a variety of other things. This is massive logistical undertaking, whenever it takes place.

MCINTYRE: (on camera): For now, the Pentagon's post-surge planning is based on the hope the strategy will work, allowing for an orderly withdrawal. But that could change in September, if General David Petraeus, who is known a straight shooter, concludes the surge is not working.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HOLMES: Police say they were planning a Columbine style massacre on the ninth anniversary of that assault. Two teenagers now under arrest for allegedly planning an attack next April on their high school in Bohemia, New York.

CNN's Jim Acosta has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (voice-over): Police on New York's Long Island arrested two teens after discovering what they described as a chilling journal, handwritten in elaborate detail by a 15-year- old juvenile.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The threats were to shoot students and staff and to detonate explosives tear gas at the school.

ACOSTA: The journal was found in the parking lot of this McDonald's, where the teen worked, and allegedly conspired with 17- year-old Michael McDonough, who went to a different school. Police would not provide details on McDonough's role, except to say McDonough agreed to go along with the plot.

Police say the two teens targeted Connetquot High School in Bohemia, where the 15-year-old was a student but had been on long-term suspension.

Police say the journal paints a picture of a troubled teen, with revealing excerpts reading: "I want to take out everyone there and then turn the gun on cops, then myself. I want to kill so many people in the war zone and the target, so many that this will go down in history." Authorities obtained a search warrant for the 15-year-old's house, where they found no weapons, but did find incriminating computer evidence and videotapes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The 15-year-old had made numerous inquiries and multiple attempts to purchase weapons, including an Uzi machine rifle or automatic rifle and five pounds of explosives black powder.

ACOSTA: Police described some of the tapes as alarming.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it was a very chilling tape. It was akin to the tapes that we all saw from Columbine.

ACOSTA: Connetquot's high school superintendent referred to the 15-year-old as social, but said the teen had been under watch for a while.

SUPT. ALAN GROVEMAN, CONNETQUOT SCHOOLS: This is a whole new world and we take different actions than we did five, six years ago. And that's why we were able to get right on top of it.

ACOSTA: Both were charged with conspiracy in the fifth degree. McDonough was arraigned and is held on $25,000 bail. His family and attorney gave no comment. Police continue their investigation into whether any weapons were actually obtained.

Jim Acosta, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HOLMES: And both teenagers entered pleas of not guilty at their arraignments. McDonough is expected back in court on Monday.

MALVEAUX: And more signs of progress for efforts to reign in North Korea's nuclear program. U.N. inspectors arrived in North Korea today, a few hours after the arrival of a South Korean tanker filled with fuel oil. In return for the oil, the North Koreans are expected to cease operations at their main nuclear reactor. U.S. envoy Christopher Hill predicts the reactor will be shut down within days.

HOLMES: Well, a strong typhoon bearing down on Japan today. The storm hit Okinawa with 130 mile per hour winds, then it soaked Japan's southernmost main island. At least one death and dozens of injuries have been reported. Flooding and landslides predicted as the typhoon moves north. The big storm expected to sideswipe Tokyo tomorrow.

MALVEAUX: And funnel clouds swarm at Lincoln County, Nebraska. Weather experts say at least one tornado touched down. One hundred homes were damaged. Crops took a hit, too. Corn stripped to the stalks by hail and strong winds.

HOLMES: And fire crews just can't get a break out West. Flames threatening 40 to 50 homes in Washington State today. Experts counted at least 195 new fires across the West Friday, dozens of them sparked by dry lightning. Well, interestingly here, fire season, while above average this year, is well below the 2006 levels. MALVEAUX: In late June, fire raged across the Southern Lake Tahoe area. Two hundred fifty-four homes burned. It took a week for crews to get out in front of the fire. That may be because early 911 callers weren't taken seriously.

Here's reporter Mark Hedlund with affiliate KXTV.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we could see smoke coming up the mountain to the west of us.

MARK HEDLUND, KXTV CORRESPONDENT: (voice-over): The first 911 call comes out Sunday at 2:02 p.m. Yet CHP dispatchers are nonchalant.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, they're doing a controlled burn there.

HEDLUND: But it was anything but controlled even nine minutes later, at 2:11 in the afternoon. Two CHP dispatchers blowing off reports of fire several times.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Up the hill.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that -- that's a controlled burn.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're coming down Echo Summit and I'm seeing white smoke from the side of it --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By the airport?

That's a controlled burn.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, COURTESY KXTV)

ASST. CHIEF SAL SAGURA, CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL:

It appears from our review that a total of five calls were dismissed initially by the Truckee CHP dispatchers as controlled burns.

HEDLUND: (on camera): And a gap of precious time -- a gap of seven to nine minutes before CHP dispatchers in Truckee even decide to check it out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We saw a lot of smoke.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a controlled burn, I'm pretty sure. So we're checking on it now.

HEDLUND: The Highway Patrol investigating and obviously upset at what appear to be serious mistakes.

SAGURA: We're always concerned when we find that our employees failed to handle something or apparently, at this point, in time failed to follow proper protocol and policy. The dispatchers are temporarily relieved of their dispatching duties. HEDLUND: Two experienced dispatchers on the hot seat. It's more than embarrassing. These delays coming to light now could have made a critical difference in this devastating wildfire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And a lot of those people are our friends, our neighbors. And we feel very badly for the individuals that may have lost property.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

MALVEAUX: The "Sacramento Bee" says there were no controlled burns that day. The dispatchers have been reassigned during an investigation.

And Pakistan is one of America's closest allies in the war on terror. But the government is under fire. We'll get an update on the volatile conditions there.

HOLMES: Also, in New Orleans, black-owned businesses like many others, were hit hard by Hurricane Katrina. Ahead, stories from those who are trying to make a comeback.

MALVEAUX: And later, we'll talk to two brothers who ran with the bulls and, well, the bulls won in this case so.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: A suicide attack -- this one in Pakistan. It happened today in the lawless tribal area along the border with Afghanistan. A car bomber slammed into an army convoy, killing at least 24 Pakistani soldiers. Al Qaeda threatened revenge this week for a Pakistani Army raid on a prominent Islamabad mosque.

Pakistan's president facing outside pressure to uproot extremists and also being squeezed from the inside.

Here's CNN's Brian Todd.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (voice-over): Anger on the street.

(VIDEOTAPE OF PROTESTS IN PAKISTAN)

TODD: And more pressure on a key U.S. ally.

(VIDEOTAPE OF PROTESTS IN PAKISTAN)

TODD: Calling President Pervez Musharraf a killer, protesters in Islamabad lash out after the Red Mosque standoff that left nearly 100 dead. After that crackdown on Islamic militants, Musharraf vowed to eliminate extremism in Pakistan.

One top Pakistani official tells us the Pakistani military is beefing up its presence in the remote border region with Afghanistan, a stronghold of the Taliban and al Qaeda, as a show of force against extremists.

But a U.S. official tells CNN there's no indication a major crackdown on Islamic radicals is about to begin.

And terrorism analyst Peter Bergen says Musharraf's previous attempts haven't worked so well.

PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: From 2003 to 2005, there was a major Pakistani military operation in the tribal regions that ended, really, in a political defeat, because it was unpopular in Pakistan and a military defeat, because the militants really held their own against the Pakistani military.

TODD: Following the Red Mosque siege, some of Pakistan's leading mullahs, who do not support the extremists, warned Musharraf not to launch a wider campaign against the madrassas, or religious schools. The government says it's only intent in rooting out extremists from madrassas.

MAHMUD DURRANI, PAKISTANI AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: The government has launched a major campaign to get hold of all the bad madrassas. They are trying to reform all the madrassas with the reason that they should get some modern education, too, besides religion.

TODD: (on camera): But we've been down this road before. After the London terror attacks two years ago, Musharraf promised a crackdown on madrassas that were training militants. But that crackdown was only partially concerned out.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HOLMES: And Griff Witte is bureau chief of "The Washington Post" in Islamabad, joining us now on the phone.

Mr. Witte, thank you so much for your time.

Tell me first here, how are things?

Is there a sense of tension there in Pakistan?

GRIFF WITTE, BUREAU CHIEF, "WASHINGTON POST": Well, there certainly is, T.J. I think that it -- the tension has shifted from what -- last week and the week before that we had seen a great deal of tension, obviously, in the capital, Islamabad, as this Red Mosque siege was underway.

But now what we're seeing is the battleground is really shifting westward and we're seeing the soldiers beefing up their presence in the northwestern part of the country and the area along the Afghan border. And, obviously, the Taliban and their sympathizers are reacting to that with the suicide attack that we saw today, which was one of the deadliest against the Pakistani military in years.

HOLMES: You mentioned the supporters of Al Qaeda there. But the protest and things that we're kind of seeing, is that from more the extreme element and those that support the extreme element or do your everyday and the general population, also, as well, upset with how Musharraf is handling things?

WITTE: You know, I don't think that the average person is sympathizing with the clerics who are in the Red Mosque and I don't think that they're sympathizing with the Taliban. Most Pakistanis remain relatively moderate and most Pakistanis, I think, would like to see a return to democratic civilian rule.

But what we're seeing is the extremists sort of at the fringe, they are taking up a lot of space and they're making a lot of noise. And they are certainly a major, major problem for President Musharraf.

HOLMES: And, Griff, you -- we heard in our piece there that, of course, Musharraf is being squeezed from inside and out.

Well, where is his support coming from?

Does he have any?

WITTE: Well, he has two major bases of support, really. He has the military, which -- he is a member of the military, a former commando. And he still continues to lead the military, continues to serve in the army. And his other main base of support is really the United States. The United States has stuck by Musharraf, has really not wavered, as these calls from democratic activists have gone up for Musharraf to step aside or to at least take off his uniform and become a civilian. And so I think that between the U.S. and the military, they are really helping Musharraf out quite a bit right now, as he deals with some very, very difficult problems.

HOLMES: And, also, it's been talked about here lately, given the report we saw about Al Qaeda being stronger, but them possibly now using Pakistan, finding safe haven along some of the border regions.

Is Musharraf doing enough, I guess, in some people's eyes -- or what is he doing trying to crack down and keep that from -- and keep his country in that border region from becoming a safe haven for Al Qaeda to recoup?

WITTE: Yes, well, this suicide attack today is very interesting because it took place in North Waziristan, which is an area along the border where there's technically a cease-fire in place. And it's a very controversial cease-fire because many analysts -- and a lot of folks in the U.S. in particular -- believe that this cease-fire has given the Taliban and Al Qaeda free reign to really reorganize themselves there. And with this attack today and with Pakistani troops building up in that area, it will be very interesting to see whether that cease-fire holds. We have indications that it might be collapsing.

HOLMES: And to wrap up here, we did see that suicide bombing that we're talking about. Don't know for sure, but indications possibly at least, possibly, that that was connected in some way to that -- to the Red Mosque siege.

Can we expect to see -- and we certainly see the calls for it by some of the extremist elements -- for folks to turn out against the -- against the government?

But can we expect more violence here in the coming days and weeks?

WITTE: I'm afraid so. This is -- this is a relatively ominous development that we're seen today. And I think that both sides are certainly increasing the rhetoric. They're becoming much more marshal in their tone and both sides are saying that they're going to carry out further attacks, that they're going to -- you know, the government is saying that they're going to crack down, to the extent that they can. The militants are saying that they're going to carry out attacks.

So, all in all, it's a troubling development here.

HOLMES: All right, Griff Witte, bureau chief of "The Washington Post" there in Islamabad.

Griff, we appreciate you taking some time out with us.

WITTE: T.J. thanks so much.

MALVEAUX: And to politics.

Are you a couple of the presidential frontrunners trying to squeeze out the competition?

Critics say their tactics are very debatable.

HOLMES: Also, just how strong is Al Qaeda?

We get a reality check. That's ahead in THE NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: I'm Suzanne Malveaux in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Stories happening now.

A strong typhoon churning across southern Japan. At least one death and dozens of injuries reported. The storm set to skirt Tokyo Sunday.

At least 24 Pakistani soldiers killed today by a car bomb. The attack in the northern tribal areas dominated by al Qaeda and Taliban.

Two people formally charged today in the failed U.K. Car bomb plot. One suspect in Britain and this man in Australia. Both are doctors.

HOLMES: Well, more now on the terror suspect charged in Australia today. He is 27-year-old Mohammed Haneef, a doctor from India and a cousin of the man charged in London today.

Kim Skubris of Australia's Channel 7 News reports on his court appearance.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

KIM SKUBRIS, CHANNEL 7 CORRESPONDENT: (voice-over): This was the moment of truth for Mohammed Haneef. He wasn't going home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The police are just bringing (INAUDIBLE) over Mohammed to be charged.

SKUBRIS: The doctor's hopes for freedom vanished at dawn, as Haneef officially became a test case for Australia's anti-terror laws, accused of this offense

COMMISSIONER MICK KEELTY, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE: That is to

providing support to a terrorist group.

SKUBRIS: Detectives charged the Gold Coast doctor after a marathon 12 hours of questioning at Queensland police headquarters overnight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's not very happy at the moment and one can understand that.

SKUBRIS: The ink was barely dry on the charge sheet when Haneef's defense team entered a not guilty plea and applied for a bail before a new magistrate.

So far, the Commonwealth basing its case on a mobile phone Sim card. It's alleged the 27-year-old doctor gave the card to his second cousins, U.K. Bombing suspects Sabeel and Kafil Ahmed, before moving to Australia.

(on camera): The prosecution claims the Sim card remained in his name and was used to give the terror suspects a new identity

But the court heard during the total 24 hours police questioned Haneef there was never any suggestion the card was used in the bombings.

(voice-over): Federal authorities have defended the decision to retain Haneef without charges for 12 days.

KEELTY: It was a question of balancing human rights, balancing the needs of the community and the needs of the organization to establish the facts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The anti-terrorism laws that this government has enacted are all, to their very last clause, needed.

SKUBRIS: The bail hearing was adjourned until Monday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're just going to take one step at a time and try to work our way through it.

SKUBRIS: Kim Skubris, 7 News.

(END VIDEO TAPE) MALVEAUX: and a new report says Al Qaeda is at its strongest since 9/11.

But what does that really mean?

Well, CNN's Josh Levs joining us with a reality check -- and, Josh, we've heard the president this week say that the people who attacked us on September 11th are the same people that we're fighting in Iraq.

But that doesn't seem true.

Are these people getting instruction from bin Laden?

JOSHUA LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT:

Right. That's why it's good to have us come along and draw that distinction, because it is not really the same people. And that's really important. You know, one thing we're going to look at here is the fact that there are these Al Qaeda groups out there, but not necessarily pledging allegiance directly to Osama bin Laden or getting directives from him.

Now, you do hear about a lot of Al Qaeda attacks all over the world. So what we wanted to do today is take a look at the actual size of Al Qaeda.

How big is this group for real?

And you're probably going to find that compared to what you're expecting, the real numbers are very different.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

LEVS: (voice-over): There are nearly daily bombings in Iraq, many of them blamed on Al Qaeda. And there have been attacks in recent years in London, Morocco, Jordan, Kenya. So many bombings believed linked to Al Qaeda it sometimes seems the group is a worldwide organization.

How big is it really?

There's no way to know for sure because Osama bin Laden's terror network is decentralized. But the non-partisan Council On Foreign Relations says estimates range from just several hundred to several thousand members.

CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen has found similar figures in his research. He estimates the number of Al Qaeda members who have sworn allegiance to Osama bin Laden in the low hundreds and those in affiliated groups, like Al Qaeda In Iraq at several thousand.

More have gone through training camps, as many as 20,000 before the September 11th attacks, according to the 9/11 Commission. But many are not selected to join Al Qaeda.

GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Al Qaeda is public enemy number one in America.

LEVS: Critics say the Bush administration is often too vague in describing Al Qaeda. The 9/11 Commission complained of an amorphous picture of the enemy that lowers expectations of government effectiveness. The administration has used some figures to dramatic effect. For example, in 2004, CIA officials said that of about two dozen at the top of Al Qaeda at the time of the 9/11 attacks, three quarters had been captured or killed, an estimate the president expressed this way.

BUSH: of course we're going to find Osama bin Laden. We've already got 75 percent of his people.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

LEVS: Now, Al Qaeda has connections to other groups out there, other terrorist groups. So in that sense, Al Qaeda is part of a larger terrorist network than just Al Qaeda itself.

But when we're looking at the numbers, Suzanne, for Al Qaeda, that's what we found -- smaller than a lot of people expect.

MALVEAUX: And, Josh, we hear the president all the time talking about Iraq being the central front in the war on terror.

But is it -- is it not true that Al Qaeda was not in Iraq at the time that the U.S. invaded?

LEVS: Right. Exactly. And, you know, you report for us out of Washington, so you certainly see a lot of that a lot of the time. And it's true. I mean and what now -- what we're seeing with this being, you know, the central front, there is this Al Qaeda group in Iraq.

But as we're showing you here, this Al Qaeda group in Iraq is not the exact same thing as the Al Qaeda that you've always heard of, because as Peter Bergen was pointing out, you've got these people who are inspired by Al Qaeda and who have taken on Al Qaeda but have not pledged allegiance directly to that same group. So, yes, Suzanne, that is an important distinction.

MALVEAUX: And we -- we have no idea where Osama bin Laden is.

But do we have any sense of the numbers, the members of Al Qaeda?

Is there any kind of formal grouping?

LEVS: Well, for bin Laden, there is a general sense that he's somewhere along the Pakistan-Afghan border.

But where, who knows?

And even still we can't be sure.

And as for numbers, that's a great question. We actually looked into that, because one thing we wanted to know, is Al Qaeda claiming any certain number? So we had people piece through these Web sites that Al Qaeda regularly uses to make all sorts of claims.

And you know what?

They could not find a single number in any of them. And there's a reason for that. The ambiguousness helps Al Qaeda. It makes them scarier if it seems like they could be very, very, very big. There you go.

MALVEAUX: Sure.

Well, Josh, thanks for the reality check.

Appreciate it.

LEVS: Thank you.

Thanks a lot.

MALVEAUX: and for Bonnie, as well, a reality check on the weather.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: And as that storm we were talking about heads toward Tokyo, folks out there have been sending us their I-Reports.

And Veronica de la Cruz has been going through those I-Reports for us and she has those to show us -- hello to you again, Veronica.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, T.J.

Good to see you.

You know, I've seen a lot of this video. It's been posted to YouTube and like you just said, we've received a lot of I-Report, as well.

Let's go ahead and start with this one from Zach Jump. He captured the storm as it punched its way across the southern island of Okinawa. It was powerful, but homes in this part of the world are built to withstand this sort of weather. All right, that was from Zach Jump.

This next I-Reporter's video also from Okinawa, from Julianne Miles. And, T.J. I wanted to tell you the good news here is that besides all of this heavy rain, the heavy winds, we haven't really seen a lot of damage in these I-Reports. So that is good news. Probably the worst is downed palm branches, also some downed power lines. As you know, there are some -- what, there's like 100,000 people still without power right now.

And we also received this video from Tony Farkas. This was shot from the doorway of his home in Okinawa. He says the winds have been so strong, this was the first time he could open the door since the storm began. He also said the eye of the typhoon barely missed his home.

Good to know that everybody is safe.

Thanks to all who have sent us their material. Please continue to send us your I-Reports. We will get them on the air. All you have to do is log onto cnn.com/exchange, especially since that storm moves toward Tokyo, please keep in touch with us -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Thank you.

and sometimes you run with the bulls and sometimes the bulls run you over.

HOLMES: Yes.

MALVEAUX: And that is an extraordinary story. We're going to hear from a couple of American brothers who got caught by some very sharp horns.

HOLMES: Also, the light is still on for the historic survivor in the Chesapeake Bay. Stick around for that story.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

GERRI WILLIS, PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: (voice-over): You've probably seen them, but you may not know what they're capable of. I'm talking about CFLs, those eco-friendly compact fluorescent light bulbs. CFLs use at least 60 percent less power than incandescents. By conserving energy, they reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower your electric bills.

That's this week's Greenhouse.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: The running of the bulls being held this week in Pamplona, Spain. And two brothers from the United States -- they think they're man enough to take it on.

And you know where they are right now?

They are in the hospital.

Yes, Lawrence Lenahan of Vermosa Beach, California and Michael Lenahan of Philadelphia were attacked by a bull that had broken from the pack and now, yes, they are in the hospital recovering from their injuries.

MALVEAUX: I'm sure there are some who are sympathetic and others who just simply want to know why --

HOLMES: Why?

MALVEAUX: -- why they bothered to do that. So we're going to ask them.

Lawrence and Michael Lenahan -- they're still in Spain and they're on the phone from Pamplona.

So I guess we should just start off by asking that question, what happened?

HOLMES: Yes.

MALVEAUX: Why did you guys do this?

LAWRENCE LENAHAN, GORED AT RUNNING OF THE BULLS: You know, the original reason behind the trip -- it was just something I've always wanted -- this is Lawrence speaking. It's something I've always wanted to do since I was about 12 years old. And then on top of that, Michael had recently survived a bout of cancer a few months back. And so it was sort of a combination of something I wanted to do and a celebration trip to celebrate life in a way a little bit more intensely.

HOLMES: So, Michael, you're going to celebrate life and surviving cancer by risking your life by running with the bulls. That is -- that's a heck of a way to celebrate.

MICHAEL LENAHAN, GORED AT RUNNING OF THE BULLS: Hat's great that you did beat cancer. That's great to hear.

But now tell us about your injuries. And we see a picture here of somebody holding up the picture from the front page of the paper. But tell us about both of your injuries.

MICHAEL LENAHAN, GORED AT RUNNING OF THE BULLS: Well -- this is Mike speaking. And you can't tell from that picture too well what exactly happened. But the bull caught me with his left horn behind my right leg, sort of behind the knee. At first, it looked pretty serious, as my leg was split wide open and I was running around --

HOLMES: Oh, my.

M. LENAHAN: But I've learned since then that it's -- although it's been patched up and it doesn't look good, it's going to be OK. So I'll be walking again in a couple of weeks and things should be fine.

MALVEAUX: Oh, that -- that does look very, very bad. And I understand the other one took it in the backside, I guess, a little bit.

L. LENAHAN: Yes. I -- this is Lawrence speaking. I took it directly in the left buttocks. And so I will have two -- two fairly big parallel scars on my left buttocks.

HOLMES: How are you going to tell this story later on?

We're seeing these pictures here.

But, Lawrence, you got -- you took one in the buttocks there.

How are your friends, your family and everybody kind of receiving this news?

MALVEAUX: Reacting?

How are they reacting?

L. LENAHAN: Originally before we took this trip, we didn't think it would probably be too high that two brothers would be gored at the same time by a bull. So everybody is a little bit shocked right now.

But, so far, we've just been telling the story how it is and how the one bull that got away, we were the first two to get gored of about eight people or so that day. And we didn't even know it happened to us at the exact same time until we saw the photos in the newspaper the next day. And it was -- it was a little surprising to see Michael there right next to me in the photos.

MALVEAUX: So would you do it again?

L. LENAHAN: I would not.

(LAUGHTER).

MALVEAUX: We don't blame you.

L. LENAHAN: I would never do that again.

M. LENAHAN: I'll come for the festival but never run, no.

L. LENAHAN: We'll both come for the festival. And I would probably run one more time, just because I failed so miserably this time. But I'd run with a few experts next time.

HOLMES: And who is this, Michael or Lawrence saying you'd do it again?

L. LENAHAN: This is Lawrence.

HOLMES: Lawrence, you're the one that took it in the left buttocks and you'll do it again?

L. LENAHAN: Yes, get up and do it again. I'll be able to run fine. But hopefully I'd do it a little bit smarter next time.

M. LENAHAN: Maybe he'll catch one in the right.

HOLMES: Yes, go for a matching scar on the right. Exactly.

Well, fellows, congratulations on surviving it, I guess.

But, really, Michael and Lawrence -- and, again, Michael, congratulations. Really, it's great to hear beating that bout with cancer. And you all did well and get on back here. We'll see you.

M. LENAHAN: All right, thank you.

L. LENAHAN: Have a good one.

MALVEAUX: Wow!

HOLMES: I don't know what to say about those fellows.

MALVEAUX: I couldn't do that. I couldn't do it.

HOLMES: That one picture was disgusting -- in the leg.

MALVEAUX: That's not my idea of celebrating, I'm sorry.

HOLMES: Yes. All right.

Well, we're going to talk about New Orleans here coming up. Hurricane Katrina, of course, dealt a powerful blow to the black businesses there. But some are on their way back. We're going to have their stories ahead here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: New Orleans struggling with a hurricane hangover. The road back long and torturously slow.

Here's Gulf Coast correspondent Susan Roesgen.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

SUSAN ROESGEN, GULF COAST CORRESPONDENT: (voice-over): Like much of the neighborhood around it, this New Orleans landmark is still closed. For more than six decades, Dooky Chase's restaurant has been serving red beans, stuffed shrimp and gumbo. But nearly two years after the hurricane, the doors to this world famous Creole restaurant are still not open.

LEAH CHASE, RESTAURANT OWNER: I feel like I'm missing out on the dollars.

ROESGEN: Eight-four-year-old Leah Chase had hoped to be up and running in time for the thousands expected to visit New Orleans for the Essence Festival. But one of the hurdles is finding enough staff to deliver good service.

CHASE: It is a big loss. I'm going to lose a lot. But I couldn't in my right mind do that to people. I think it's an injustice to people. It's not right.

ROESGEN: She's also faced problems with construction delays and issues over insurance and recovery money that hasn't arrived.

CHASE: The water in here might have been a foot.

ROESGEN: Nearly everything in the kitchen was lost. And had it not been for an outpouring of donations, Chase says her days of cooking would be over. CHASE: Now, my stove was gone, so this is my beauty right here that I truly love. I love it.

ROESGEN: The road to reopening has been a long one for many minority owned businesses.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think you left a cart on our truck at the airport a while back.

ARNOLD BAKER, BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: I sure did.

ROESGEN: Arnold Baker also lost everything in the flood. But he's been able to get his cement mixing company rolling again. Baker is the president of the New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce and he says many minority owned businesses didn't survive, partly because the flood wiped out so many African-American neighborhoods.

BAKER: More black businesses had a lot more to overcome than did non-black businesses. And so from that aspect, it has been a greater challenge. All businesses in this region suffered tremendously. We all had to go through, you know, trying to start businesses with new market dynamics.

ROESGEN: Still, Baker thinks business is about to get an economic boost as the city rebuilds with a lot of government contracts.

BAKER: When you have that amount of money creating that amount of opportunity, I mean it's -- I think you're really going to see a rebirth of the area, but, also, also a renaissance of black business here.

ROESGEN: Back in her neighborhood, Leah Chase is still waiting for that renaissance. But she has an unending supply of determination and faith.

CHASE: If this business doesn't come back in this community, you would be 20 years before you'd have a community again.

ROESGEN: The hope is that one day, the empty homes here, like the empty chairs in her restaurant, will be full of life again.

Susan Roesgen, CNN, New Orleans.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

MALVEAUX: and NEWSROOM continues at the top of the hour with Fredericka Whitfield.

HOLMES: Hello, dear, Fred.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Good to see you.

MALVEAUX: How are you doing, Fred?

WHITFIELD: Hello, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: It's nice to see you.

WHITFIELD: Good to see you in person.

MALVEAUX: Yes.

WHITFIELD: I see you all the time, but it's always good to see you, too, T.J.

(LAUGHTER).

HOLMES: Too late. Too late Fredericka. I understand.

WHITFIELD: There's a lot of love in the house.

All right, straight ahead in the noon hour, who hasn't noticed that just about every product in your home is made from China.

So how hard would it be if you were to decide to eliminate all the products, as a consumer, from your household made in China?

Well, one woman, Sara Bongiorno, actually did that, she and her family. She wrote a book about it.

Here's how it goes. No -- just kidding.

In the noon hour she will be joining us to tell us exactly how they were able to do it.

and then, what's with the fascination of the Beckhams out in L.A.?

David and Posh, they're there and there's so much buzz going on. And every time you turn around, there's Posh striking that pose, that kind of Zoolander thing?

HOLMES: It's a good looking pose.

WHITFIELD: See, look at that.

MALVEAUX: She copied your hairstyle. That's what we noticed.

WHITFIELD: That's right, she copied me.

(LAUGHTER).

WHITFIELD: We're going to get into what is the fascination behind this couple?

Why are we -- and everyone else -- so mesmerized by the Beckhams?

You've got answers, T.J. I can tell.

HOLMES: That's a good looking couple.

WHITFIELD: You're like biting your tongue.

HOLMES: That's a good looking couple.

WHITFIELD: Yes, they are good looking.

HOLMES: They've got the look, yes.

WHITFIELD: We're going to look at all of that in the noon Eastern hour.

HOLMES: Fredericka, thank you.

MALVEAUX: All right, thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right.

Good to see you both.

MALVEAUX: and a piece of history survives where others couldn't.

HOLMES: Yes, the last of the original Chesapeake Bay lighthouses ahead in THE NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

WILLIS: (voice-over): Hot temperatures and the hot sun can mean dehydration. Drink plenty of fluids, at least eight 8 ounce servings a day. Sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade can encourage more liquid consumption because they taste better.

An added benefit?

They contain sodium and electrolytes. Stay away from caffeinated beverages and alcohol, as both can actually bring on dehydration. Avoid carbonated beverages, as well, as they may cause you to feel fuller faster, and therefore drink less liquids.

(on camera): I'm Gerri Willis and that's your Tip of the Day.

For more ideas, strategies and tips to save you money and protect your house, watch "OPEN HOUSE" every Saturday, 9:30 a.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: if you're familiar with the Chesapeake Bay, chances are you might have heard or even seen the historic Thomas Point Lighthouse.

HOLMES: It's the last lighthouse on the Bay standing in its original location and it's being restored by volunteers now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EVELYN FRIEDMAN, LIGHTHOUSE LOVER: I live on the Chesapeake Bay and I am very thrilled to be here because this trip is a birthday present from my daughter.

TOM STALDER, ANNAPOLIS MARITIME MUSEUM: The Thomas Point Lighthouse is the only solar powered lighthouse that's operating as an aid to navigation in its original location on the Chesapeake Bay. The only one out of originally 40, 41 lighthouses that served that purpose. Thomas Point is the only one left.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I consider the Thomas Point Light my personal lighthouse. And I consider that it's been mine ever since we've lived there, which is about 25 years. And it's a wonderful sight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's my favorite. I've been going by it for about 40 years in my boat and drooling every time I go by it.

FRANK WELCH, ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND RESIDENT: I used a lot of lighthouses. They were my friend. They were my aid to navigation that got me, you know, overnight from one point to another.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: It's beautiful.

And CNN NEWSROOM continues with Fredericka Whitfield -- hey, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Hi.

Oh, it is beautiful. And I can't believe it -- I grew up in that area and I have never seen Thomas Point Lighthouse.

Now, I'm going to make it a point to check it out.

HOLMES: You've got to go.

All right.

WHITFIELD: All right, you all have a great weekend, Suzanne and T.J.

HOLMES: You, too.

MALVEAUX: Thank you.

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