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Bush to Get Colonoscopy; General Reaffirms Importance of September Iraq Report; 4.2 Quake in Bay Area

Aired July 20, 2007 - 13:00   ET

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


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Justice for Genarlow Wilson. All sides agree that's the goal, but does it mean freedom or eight more years in prison for one act of teen sex? The highest court in Georgia will decide.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Also a federal grand jury has spoken, the NFL has spoken, even NIKE has spoken, now PETA speaks out in the dogfighting scandal surrounding NFL superstar Michael Vick.

PHILLIPS: Hello everyone, I'm Kyra Phillips at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.

HOLMES: And I'm T.J. Holmes, in again today for Don Lemon. And you're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: President Bush looking forward to a quiet Saturday at Camp David, or maybe he's not, looking toward to it, that is. Camp David will be the unlikely setting of a routine yet not especially enjoyable medical exam. Details of which I'm happy to leave to my colleague, Elaine Quijano, at the White House.

Hi, Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Kyra. That's right. President Bush will be undergoing a routine colonoscopy tomorrow, that according to his press secretary Tony Snow. And the president will be temporarily handing his presidential powers to Vice President Dick Cheney when this procedure takes place. White House press secretary Tony Snow announcing this a short time ago in the White House briefing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president will be under the effects of anesthesia. He once again, has elected to Section 3 of the 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Once enacted, the vice president will serve as acting president until such time as the president notifies the appropriate authorities that he's prepared to reassume the authority of...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now we're told that the vice president will be actually spending Saturday at his home on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Now Snow emphasized that as for the president himself, he was not showing any kind of symptoms, he did say, however, that before he became president, doctors actually did discover and removed several polyps during routine screening exams.

Snow said that doctors did not find any polyps when they examined President Bush for the same thing back in 2002. That's the last time he underwent an examination for this. Doctors told him back then to come back in five years and now we're about at the five year mark.

Kyra, as an aside, I did ask Tony Snow whether or not the first lady would be with him at Camp David, Snow says he didn't think so but the president would be surrounded by many, many staff members -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Elaine Quijano at the White House, thanks, Elaine.

HOLMES: And before the president deals with that bit of business this weekend, dealing with the business of Iraq today. Pleading once again for Congress to show patience in Iraq. He says lawmakers who don't support the war should at least provide the money and resources needed there, and he repeated a familiar reason why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Failure in Iraq would allow terrorists to operate from a safe haven with access to the world's third-largest oil reserves. Failure in Iraq would increase the probability that at some later date American troops would have to return to Iraq to confront an enemy more dangerous and more entrenched. Failure in Iraq would send an unmistakable signal to America's enemies that our country can be bullied into retreat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, it's also a day marked by a jump in coalition fatalities in Iraq. Two American troops and three British soldiers reported killed in separate insurgent attacks. Let's go live now to Baghdad, CNN's Frederik Pleitgen.

Frederik, what are the indications at this point that the U.S. strategy will work?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, it's good to see you. Well, certainly the commanders here in Iraq are saying that the increase in U.S. troops is having an effect on the battle field. They say that they are able to conduct more operations against insurgent groups and also go into areas that they haven't been in for a very long time.

And certainly the U.S. military is presenting the public with what they say are the fruits of all of these operations. Just this week the American military announced that it captured a senior member of al Qaeda in Iraq, a man they say was responsible for direct communication with Osama bin Laden -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Now, Fred, you are getting ready to go on an embed with troops, correct? What is the goal of that and what do you hope to be able to learn as all this is happening within the past 48 hours?

PLEITGEN: Well, certainly one of the things that we are hoping learn is to find out from troops on the ground how successful they believe that the surge is. And I've been on a couple of these embeds before. And what that -- I've been able to see on these embeds is that there is sort of a feeling of accomplishment. They are able to detain a lot of people, but there is also a feeling of frustration.

Because in many times, you will have American troops clearing out areas, you will have American troops going into areas and clearing out insurgents and then the Iraqi forces will move in and won't be able to hold those areas for a very long time. So there is a sense that American troops are changing something, but certainly the American troops on the ground do question how long-term the gains that they are fighting for and dying for right now are really going to be -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Frederik Pleitgen, live from Baghdad, thanks, Fred. We'll talk to you after that embed. Good to see you.

HOLMES: And the White House is sticking by its September timetable for a formal assessment on the war's progress. That is despite what may or may not be his adviser's confidence in that timetable. To the Pentagon now and our senior correspondent there, Jamie McIntyre.

Hello, Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, hello, T.J. You know, Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno raised some eyebrows when he suggested that maybe it would take longer than September to get a real good idea if the surge was working. He made his comments in a Pentagon briefing to reporters yesterday.

Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GEN. RAYMOND ODIERNO, CMDR., MULTINATL. CORPS-IRAQ: In order to do a good assessment, I need at least until November to do that assessment. And if I get 45 -- you know, 45 days from now, September 1st, I'll have a better -- I was talking about our trends. The fact that are trends were all going in the right direction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: September, is that the deal? Well, what we were seeing in the briefing yesterday, listening to that, it seemed like he meant to say September there, but today General Odierno issued a statement clarifying his comment from yesterday, saying: "There is no intention to push our reporting requirements beyond September." He said: "Nothing I said yesterday should be interpreted to suggest otherwise. My reference to November was simply suggesting that as we go forward beyond September, we will gain more understanding of trends."

Well, whether he was thinking of September or November, one thing is clear, U.S. troops are thinking -- U.S. commanders, rather, are thinking well beyond September for this surge to last. We're continuing to hear from commanders -- front-line commander who say they need troops to stay to hold onto the gains that they have won -- T.J.

HOLMES: Well, just a slip-up? We're going to go with that, just a mistake there. And is everybody on the same page? Is there any frustration (INAUDIBLE) -- a U.S. citizen and maybe even a reporter trying to figure out what the president is saying versus what the generals are saying? And you say he just made a mistake there.

MCINTYRE: Well, you know, it's not clear. He doesn't say that he misspoke. He said that when he talked about November, he was talking what would come after this formal assessment in September. But you know, you can already see people on Capitol Hill picking up on this, saying, whoa, wait a minute, we can't wait until November, we're expecting the September report.

Here is what Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, said when he was saying -- he pushing back on this idea of waiting until November.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MINORITY LEADER: I think September is the critical month. People on both sides expect policy post- September to be based in large measure on what General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker have to say.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Senator Mitch McConnell, very influential obviously, the Senate Republican leader saying that they really want to hear something in September. But you know, everything is pointing to the fact that in September we'll get a report from General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker that says success is mixed and they may need more time.

HOLMES: All right. Jamie McIntyre for us from the Pentagon. Jamie, thank you so much.

PHILLIPS: It's amazing the power of Google. Let's get to the New York Stock Exchange. Susan Lisovicz, the news today definitely making an impact on the markets.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No question about it, Kyra. And the bad news is, it's not only Google. Caterpillar is doing even worse. Right now its shares are down nearly 8 percent. Caterpillar, one of the Dow 30 stocks, Google is not. Check it out. The Dow is actually, one day after finally getting past the 14,000 closing there, the 14,000 level, down 200 -- more than 200 points at its low. Down 183 points.

The good news right now is that, Kyra, because it's at such lofty levels, that's a loss of only 1.33 percent. We'll talk about Caterpillar and Google, whose shares are down 5.5 percent a little bit later on in the program.

PHILLIPS: Sounds good, thanks, Susan. Well, talk about a rude awakening, the ground shook, alarms went off and anything on shelves came right off. CNN's Dan Simon among those who got all shook up when an earthquake rattled the San Francisco Bay Area.

Tell us more, Dan.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, Kyra. If you felt this earthquake, it certainly got your attention. It happened just before 5:00 in the morning. So a lot of people were sleeping, I will raise my hand and tell you I'm one of those people. I did not feel the earthquake. It was a 4.2 magnitude earthquake two miles northeast of Oakland was the epicenter.

But it could really be felt all over the Bay Area. Here in San Francisco, in San Jose, in Napa. No injuries, but there was some damage. There was a liquor store in Oakland that lost a bunch of wine bottles. Some other businesses recorded damage, including a Safeway grocery store had some broken glass.

All in all, though, a fairly light earthquake. Again, no injuries. But you did have some folks who lost some power. So an inconvenience for those people to say the least. About 1,000 people lost power. The power is back on for most of those folks. But again, and a fairly light earthquake, and fortunately no injuries -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Dan Simon, we'll follow it.

Well, from the shoe store to the Senate floor, dogfighting allegations against football star Michael Vick are drawing passionate reaction.

HOLMES: President Musharraf files a judge with the supreme court, puts him back on the bench. Who exactly is in charge of Pakistan?

PHILLIPS: Lesser fans might have pre-ordered the book, but others lined up to prove their devotion to all things Harry Potter. You are watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Live pictures now via our affiliate KTLA out of Los Angeles, California, this is actually the mountain side in Malibu, California. A rescue going on right now for a horse. It's a very popular area for folks in this area to ride horses. And apparently not sure if it was a male or female, was riding this horse through the grounds here and the horse somehow lost its balance, fell off the side of the cliff.

The person who was riding the horse was able to get out of that area and call for rescuers to seek help. Now, you can see they are trying to rescue that horse and get it up on top of the cliff. On the phone with us now, Inspector Ron Haralson, L.A. County Fire Department.

Ron, do you -- help me out. Fill in the details about how this happened and what exactly is being done to try to get to this horse?

RON HARALSON, INSPECTOR, L.A. COUNTY FIRE DEPT.: Well, we know at approximately 9:30 here West Coast time, we got the call to this area here in Malibu, one of the canyons. Unfortunately we did have a rider and a horse that were trapped down in the canyon. The rider was able -- as you mentioned, able to make their way out of canyon and call for help.

Right now, you see a lot of crews in there, very heavy vegetation. We're going to make our way in there and try to access the horse and determine the extent of any injuries.

PHILLIPS: Is the horse OK?

HARALSON: Right now, once we get in there with the team -- we have got a specialized team that will come in there with vets and also an urban search and rescue team, we'll be able to go in there and better assess the situation and hoist the horse up, if needed.

PHILLIPS: So would you have to air lift it out of there possibly?

HARALSON: Yes, that is definitely one of the options. We're prepared to do this. This is something we have done in the past. There is a special hoist and a special team in place that it's in place that will put all of this together and hoist the horse up, using the helicopter if needed.

PHILLIPS: So this has happened in the past, is it because the trails are really narrow, Ron? Give us an idea of why this happened?

HARALSON: Well, sometimes there are situations where the horse might lose its footing. Sometimes we are talking about soft mud or soil where the horse actually gets stuck in there. And because they are such large animals, there's a lot of weight involved here, so we'll have to come in with more of a technical rescue.

PHILLIPS: Was is it a male woman riding the horse, and is that person OK?

HARALSON: As we know it right now, the rider appears to be OK. We're not getting any reports of any injuries right now. And we're unsure, unclear right now if that's a male or a female.

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll keep following up. Inspector Ron Haralson with the L.A. County Fire Department, thanks, Ron.

HOLMES: All right. 1:15 now here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Here are three of the stories we are working on this hour. President Bush getting ready for a visit from the doctor. The president will have a routine colonoscopy at Camp David tomorrow. He will be under anesthesia so his powers will be transferred temporarily to Vice President Dick Cheney.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff focuses on port security today. We'll have his remarks live coming up here in about 15 minutes.

And the Georgia Supreme Court asked to free Genarlow Wilson. Lawyers for Wilson say his 10-year sentence for consensual teenage sex is cruel and unusual punishment.

Well, a heated legal controversy is going on -- about as far as it can go here in Georgia. The state supreme court asked to free Genarlow Wilson. He is serving a 10-year prison sentence for consensual teenage sex, and under a law that has since been changed. CNN's Rusty Dornin has been following this case, covering today's arguments as well.

So what happened?

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's tough. You know, they had an hour to argue these before the supreme court. But it's not just all about Genarlow Wilson. It has to do with the judge that ruled -- decided to re-sentence him and re-convict him on a misdemeanor and just let him go free.

The state attorney general is saying you can't do that. That is actually what they are arguing before the court. But certainly you could hear even from the judge's questions that they have other concerns besides the law.

Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUSTICE CAROL HUNSTEIN, GEORGIA SUPREME COURT: Teenagers make mistakes. And where is the justice in a 10-year sentence, and being on the sex offenders registry for the rest of that person's life?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: Georgia State Attorney General Thurbert Baker did issue a statement afterwards, and he said: "I personally believe that the sentence is harsh, but my personal beliefs are not argued before the court, only the law. Nor can personal beliefs override my constitutional obligation to enforce the law."

So it gets very sticky for the judges, because they certainly don't want to see this young man -- an injustice to this young man, but they are also obligated to protect Georgia's state constitution, and to do that, they have to enforce the law.

So no idea when they are going to have a ruling many. Apparently, they are technically out of session, but they fast-tracked this anyway. They weren't going to hear this until October and they decided to hear it today. So possibly we could hear earlier than September.

HOLMES: And in the meantime, he just continues to sit. Nothing else that can be done. It's at the supreme court now. There's nowhere else to go. DORNIN: That's right. That's right. They're just going to have to wait -- both sides are just going to have to wait for the supreme court to figure out what to do with this case.

HOLMES: And will this be definitive, will this be it?

DORNIN: This should be definitive. This should be it.

HOLMES: OK. All right. Rusty Dornin, been following this case for us. thank you so much, Rusty.

Well, Michael Vick, people connected with the NFL saying they'll let the legal process play out when it comes to Vick's dogfighting indictment. But some animal rights groups want the Atlanta Falcons quarterback sacked now.

PHILLIPS: And they are making sure the NFL knows exactly how they feel. CNN's Brianna Keilar joins us now with what the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is doing today.

Brianna, this is a story that has captivated a lot of people, outraged so many animal lovers.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It certainly has, Kyra. Now it is PETA is putting the pressure on Michael Vick and also on the NFL. Protesters out in front of NFL headquarters in New York today. Some of the protestors holding signs that said things like, "NFL, sack Vick and tackle cruelty." And they are very upset that the NFL is going to let Vick keep playing, even as legal proceedings soon begin getting under way.

Now Vick is also facing pressure right here in Washington. Now late yesterday on the floor of the Senate, West Virginia Democrat, and dog lover I should add, Robert Byrd, he said that Vick is innocent until proven guilty, but he said this to say about dogfighting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ROBERT BYRD (D), WEST VIRGINIA: And I am confident that the hottest places in hell are reserved for the souls of sick and brutal people who hold God's creatures in such brutal and cruel contempt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Atlanta Falcons' owner Arthur Blank put out a statement saying that he's saddened and distressed by the dogfighting charges that Vick is facing, and he also went on to say that this is an emotionally charged and complicated matter. That there are a wide range of interests and legal issues that need to be carefully considered as we move ahead.

He said that includes our need to respect the due process that Michael is entitled to. But for PETA and the also for the Humane Society in the U.S. -- or of the U.S., I should say, which is also doing an online campaign, trying to get the NFL to suspend Vick, this really isn't enough -- Kyra. PHILLIPS: Well, Brianna, just to put it in perspective too, it's really amazing we saw it in Katrina, with the controversy over animals dying and being stranded there. The power of these animal rights activists, PETA, these other organizations, it's a huge lobby.

KEILAR: It's huge, and you know, it really comes down I think to how Americans feel about their animals. We know that, you know, working at CNN, they love animal stories, and I think a really interesting statistic that we found came from the American Pet Association. They did a recent study that found 50 percent of American dog owners say they are more attached to their pet than an arguably important person in their life, be it their best friend, or even their spouse or their child.

So I think it comes down to Americans, they love their pets, they love their animals and they really don't want to see bad things happen to them -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: We'll keep following it. Brianna Keilar, thanks so much.

HOLMES: And take another look at the Big Board right now. The stock market down a bit, oh, down a pretty good bit, 161 points there, as you see. Susan Lisovicz is going to join us with an explanation of the negative numbers.

And also going to update you on this developing story, a horse rescue under way. More NEWSROOM coming up in just a moment. You are watching CNN, the most trust name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Once again, we want to update you on this horse rescue that is taking place in Malibu Canyon, just outside of Los Angeles, if you know the area well. Live pictures coming to us from KTLA, one of our affiliates in Los Angeles there. Apparently, there was a rider on this horse trail, and the horse lost its footing somehow and rescue crews are now in there trying to see if, indeed, the horse is OK. They might have to airlift it out of there if it's not able to get up and walk on its own.

The rider is okay, but the horse is now trapped. There is a veterinarian on the scene along with that rescue crew trying to decide how they are going to get the horse out of there and if, indeed, it is OK. They're actually working on it right now. We'll keep you updated on how it goes.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

HOLMES: Let's talk Google. When Google has expectations, they don't just meet them, they blow them out of water for the most part. Is that still the case? What's up with Google?

LISOVICZ: Well, that's the thing. I mean, you know, Google's earnings by -- for most companies would be spectacular. But the fact is Google missed what Wall Street was expecting. It did manage to post nearly a 30 percent rise in profits, but it was a bit lower than analysts were expecting.

And investors have been so accustomed to the tech darling blowing past estimates that anything less is seen as a big disappointment. It's really a shock. Because it's only Google's second earnings miss since it went public back in 2004. So Google is getting punished today.

Goggle shares are down 5 percent or about $27. But, hey, it's still trading at $522. And by the way, Google is the parent company of YouTube, which is -- I think we have been talking a lot about YouTube lately.

HOLMES: A little bit.

LISOVICZ: Just a little bit.

HOLMES: A little bit.

LISOVICZ: Also want to mention one other thing that is going on. And the headline here, the dateline is in Detroit. A critical round of auto talks beginning there. In the next hour of NEWSROOM I'll tell you what issue could make or break the nation's automakers. So we'll be talking to you shortly. T.J., back to you.

HOLMES: All right. We will see you then. Looking forward to it, Susan, thank you.

LISOVICZ: Likewise.

PHILLIPS: All right. We have got a visual on that horse that came off the trail there in Malibu Canyon. Poor guy. Veterinarian, rescue crews right there treating it, trying to figure out if they will be able to get him back on feet and get him out of that canyon area. He was riding along with the rider, lost his footing somehow, went down into the canyon.

The hiker -- or the rider, rather, was able to hike out and get help to the horse, but apparently according to the L.A. County Fire Department, this happens quite a bit. Horses losing their footing and they have got to get in there and make a rescue. Might have to airlift it out. We'll keep you posted.

A showdown in Pakistan, the supreme court versus the president, a controversial judge is reinstated and some people wonder if this means bigger problems ahead for the country's self-appointed leader, Perez Musharraf?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, live at CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.

HOLMES: And I'm T.J. Holmes, sitting in today for Don Lemon. Fasten those seat belts, it's a bumpy day on Wall Street.

PHILLIPS: What's up with a downturn, just a day after a record- setting close? You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

HOLMES: And taking a look at that Big Board, 160-plus-point hit that the Dow is taking today, just a day after closing for the first time at 14,000. Susan Lisovicz reporting that this often happens after we see a milestone day, we see things go the other direction the very next day, and that has been the case. Been hit certainly today by shares of Caterpillar that have dropped by 9 percent today. But we are keeping an eye on this, Susan Lisovicz all over this story for us today. We'll see where it ends up at the closing bell. But we have our eye on it.

PHILLIPS: President Perez Musharraf of Pakistan, well, he used to have strong opposition from his own people and his own government. But what happened today? Because some analysts say you should mark your calendars, it's an historic moment.

CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was the verdict most of Pakistan's lawyers were hoping for, the supreme court's reinstatement of its chief justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry, backed up by a strong condemnation of President Musharraf. The court ruling he acted illegally, forcing Chaudhry's suspension in March.

MUNIR A. MAILIK, CHAUDHRY'S ATTY.: We have seen today an historic judgment that has for the first time confronted the establishment. And we will keep the judiciary strong.

ROBERTSON: Jubilation flowing on to the streets after a long hard-fought case. Chaudhry was accused of embezzlement and nepotism and was Pakistan's first chief justice to stand up to presidential demands to resign. His supporters say it's the beginning of the end of President Musharraf's autocratic rule.

SYED MUNAWAR HASAN, SECY. GEN., JAMAAT-E-ISLAMI: The writing on the wall is very clear, that now the journey has started and the whole society is going to be freed from these (INAUDIBLE) dictators.

ROBERTSON: In the past few months there have been bloody and violent demonstrations in support of the chief justice. In Karachi, dozens were killed in clashes with police.

Even in his own government, President Musharraf has had little support for removing the chief justice, described by one leading senator as ill-advised. But it wasn't just demanding the chief justice resign that played against Musharraf, it was his personal handling of the case, using tactics described by his opponents as strong-arm.

Now though Musharraf has backed down, his government is claiming success.

TARIQ AZIM KHAN, PAKISTANI MINISTER OF BROADCASTING & INFORMATION: President Musharraf's position probably will be strengthened. I mean, let's face it, that, for the first time in history of Pakistan, I think that the (INAUDIBLE) did not choose any pressure on the judges and they were left to interpret the constitution as freely and as they felt the way it should be interpreted.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Now, Nic, this is obviously a major blow to Musharraf's leadership. So where does he go from here and how does this impact the war on terror and the pressure from radicals?

ROBERTSON: Well, he tries to weather the storm, he tries to come out looking stronger, he tries to use this to show his allies in the United States and in Europe that he's actually for democracy and this is a good thing that has happened. Whatever happens inside the country, the international image should be that Musharraf is for democracy.

Where does it get on the international war on terror? The United States is putting a lot of pressure on President Musharraf right now to let them help him out in the tribal regions where they say al Qaeda is getting stronger. Pakistan denies that, but perhaps now he doesn't have to deal with the whole chief justice issue, which was very volatile, people have died in demonstrations over that.

Perhaps President Musharraf can take a harder line against these Islamic radicals that have been upping the violent campaigns over the last couple of weeks, more than 100 people killed in the past week or so.

So perhaps it gives him an opportunity to tackle al Qaeda. But in the past, he has played the game both ways and has lost and that's one of the reasons he's in the deep political hole right now -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: And how could this affect what's happening in Iraq right now?

ROBERTSON: Well, if Musharraf does take on al Qaeda in the border region as the United States and others would like him to do. It weakens al Qaeda and therefore perhaps has a knock-on effect in Iraq that al Qaeda is weakened in its border region where it has been getting stronger, where it has been getting a stronger fight in Afghanistan against U.S. troops there, and NATO troops as well, that it will perhaps weaken and send a message to al Qaeda that they have no home to go to.

I can tell you one Islamic radical in Britain who told me just a few days ago he has left Britain and he has gone to Pakistan, because he believes Pakistan is a place for Islamic radicals and they can live freely there. So it would send a clear message to al Qaeda that another one of its bases is getting closed down.

PHILLIPS: Nic Robertson, live from London. Thanks, Nic.

HOLMES: Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is on the West Coast this hour talking port safety and security. He's making stops in Long Beach and Los Angeles, highlighting new government efforts to secure incoming cargo. We do expect some public remarks from him around 2:30. And you'll hear them right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Well, snakes on a plane, along with lizards, spiders and fish, chances are you don't know about some of the more exotic cargo flying around the world every year. And chances are neither do security screeners, but they soon will.

CNN's homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With fangs one and a quarter-inch-long, this viper is one of the most venomous snakes in the world. It strikes so fast, you have to slow it down to see really it.

Snakes like this are shipped in the same planes you fly in, along with spiders.

JOE FAUCI, SOUTHEAST REPTILE EXCHANGE: This is a pink-toed tarantula.

MESERVE: And lizards.

FAUCI: That's a baby.

MESERVE: And all manner of crawly creatures. Every week, Joe Fauci carefully packs and ships thousands of exotic animals to pet stores around the country, all as cargo on passenger planes.

FAUCI: We will mark the bag, one boa.

MESERVE (on camera): But Joe Fauci is afraid that a change in air cargo screening rules could put a squeeze on his business.

(voice-over): Right now, every airline passenger, every carry-on and every checked bag is screened. But not all cargo is, even though it's going on the same flight. The House and Senate have both passed legislation to change that. The House approach is more drastic, mandating inspection of every piece of cargo by 2009.

If technology to do that isn't ready in time, it might have to be checked with dogs or by hand, including those boxes shipped by Joe Fauci.

FAUCI: You could open a container and soon have tree frogs all over your terminal or snakes or whatever.

MESERVE: A frightening prospect, but not half as frightening as putting un-inspected cargo on planes, says Congressman Ed Markey. Markey fears another terrorist attack.

REP. ED MARKEY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: We know that this cargo hold is the place where they can place a bomb that can create another 9/11. MESERVE: But shippers predict businesses will be strangled if the 6 billion pounds of cargo put on passenger planes every year has to be inspected.

BRANDON FRIED, AIRFORWARDERS ASSOCIATION: That is going to create bottlenecks. And when you crate bottlenecks, you miss flights. And when you miss flights, that means goods don't get to market on time.

MESERVE: That could be a catastrophe for fish farmer Tim Hennessy.

TIM HENNESSY, EKK WILL WATERLIFE RESOURCES: These are Corydoras. That's a type of catfish.

MESERVE: He ships 6 million fish a month in the cargo hold of passenger planes. Usually, they arrive at their destination, like this pet store in Chicago, safe and sound. But a long wait for inspection in the hot Florida sun could kill them.

HENNESSY: We have to have some security. But I don't think somebody sitting on their butt in Washington is in the best position to determine what those actual steps should be.

MESERVE: Hennessy and his drivers have had background checks and training to secure cargo in the warehouse and during transport. The Senate says this known shipper program should be expanded to secure cargo.

But Ed Markey says it doesn't do the job.

MARKEY: America would be playing Russian roulette, because there really would be no true inspection of that cargo.

MESERVE: Markey says that leaves travelers vulnerable to something much more dangerous than snakes on a plane.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Tampa, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: New airline security rules could make flying easier for smokers and nursing moms. Starting August 4th, most types of cigarette lighters will no longer be banned from airplanes. The change is designed to save time and allow agents to search for more dangerous threats, like explosives.

It should also save money. The TSA confiscates about 22,000 lighters nationwide every day and it costs the government about $4 million a year to get rid of them, $4 million.

The TSA is also going to allow mothers to bring more than three ounces of breast milk aboard flights as long as they declare it for inspection at checkpoints.

HOLMES: Well, let others sneak peeks on the Web or wait for their preorder copies to be delivered, these are Harry Potter purists. And by Hagrid, they are going to wait until the midnight hour. I don't even know what I just said, but that story is on the way.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Western states on fire. Westerners on the run. Firefighters on their highest alert. Among their greatest challenges, fires raging across Idaho. One threatens to burn an entire town and residents of Murphy Hot Springs are being urged to get out before they get trapped by the flames.

Other crews have managed to contain the rangeland fire that scorched 14 square miles near a nuclear facility in the eastern part of that state. Crews are stretched pretty thin, battling more than 70 large wildfires in 10 states.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Want to take you back to Malibu, California, now. That horse that fell off the trail. The rider is OK, we didn't know about the horse. Well, this is the good news. Rescue workers and a veterinarian were able to get in there, and they have been able to work on the horse enough to get him up on his feet. It's coming up in just a minute. You're going to see it. They are just pulling him out right now. They were able to treat him, get him up out of that brush. And they're going to slowly kind of ease him up the edge of the canyon here.

It's a very popular place, just outside of Los Angeles. It's Malibu Canyon, right along the beach there, Highway 1, and trying to see -- it looks like -- I don't know if they are going to have to lift him out with a helicopter, a number of times that's what they have to do, or if they are going to be able to help him all the way up the side of that canyon.

We'll continue to monitor it. But it looks like that he's OK. Minor injuries, probably just a little scared. The rider is OK, working the horse out. We'll keep you updated.

HOLMES: Well, a book and a boy wizard makes people do some strange things. And Becky Anderson is seeing that firsthand.

Hello to you, Becky.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, T.J. Yes, I'm live here on top of the biggest bookstores in Europe as we await witching hour. It's Harry Potter mania, coming up next, CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, the clock is ticking and Harry Potter fans are anxiously standing by. Will the grim reaper cart off the beloved boy wizard in this final installment of the series? The book goes on sale tonight at midnight. And from author J.K. Rowling's home turf of London, we have our Becky Anderson who is having quite an interesting day outside the bookstore. ANDERSON: That's right. Absolutely. Along with more than 1,000 people, let me tell you, T.J., they are queuing around the block. We're outside one of Europe's biggest bookstores. No real surprise. There are a lot of people here. This is a much anticipated book, as you know. The final in the series.

Let me introduce you to some of the people that we have found in queue. Now this in know is a family from Arizona. So what on earth are you doing here dressed like that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For the seventh Harry Potter book. We have been planning this for two years now.

ANDERSON: I know you're on holiday. You have extended your holiday effectively to be here for this, have you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, we scheduled it to be here for this. Yes.

ANDERSON: Really?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. We waited and as soon as the news came out, then we made our plane reservation.

ANDERSON: My goodness, so you organized your holiday around the final episode, the launch of the final episode of this. But how excited are you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're really excited. It's going to be really cool.

ANDERSON: What do you think happens in this final book? Have you any idea?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not sure. I just hope Harry doesn't die.

ANDERSON: Really? I have a horrible feeling. Well, let's not say anything. No, no, no, let's not say anything. Listen. You've got about five hours until witching hour at this point. Let me just ask who you are, for those who don't know Harry Potter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lucius Malfoy.

ANDERSON: That's not a very nice name, is it? Now listen, are any of you going to get the book and read the back page?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. That would heresy, sacrilege. That would be terrible, no, no, never.

ANDERSON: Just one of the families here. One of the many, many hundreds of people, as I say, probably 1,000 people here outside the Waterstone's bookstop here in London. Let me tell you, I mean, the business of Harry Potter is absolutely huge. Don't forget, of the first six books, some 325 million copies sold, generated some $9 billion. So this is big, big business. And not surprisingly, it's generating an awful lot of interest.

There are -- oh, there are people who I didn't even recognize. I mean, there are people I didn't even think are associated with Harry Potter. There are a lot of very weird looking people outside. (INAUDIBLE) as I say, five hours to go, they will close this store. They will reopen it at midnight in the U.K. And then there will be about a minute before they unveil the books in the "Hogwart's Library," which is effectively what they are setting up in this store. And then the first lucky people get to unveil those books and get to read.

And they have got a MuggleNet, which is a social networking site, set up in the store as well. So if you really want to know what happens and you don't get a hold of the book, you can log on to MuggleNet and probably find out from the "Hogbloggers," T.J.

HOLMES: And, Becky, a lot of us are not that familiar with the characters in the book. But Lucius, the guy standing there next to you, he is supposed to be -- I assume Lucius is a man of few words and not a very nice guy for the most part?

ANDERSON: Yes.

HOLMES: Is that what he's supposed to be?

ANDERSON: He's not a particularly nice guy at all, is he? In fact, we've been talking to him earlier on, and he wasn't a nice guy then either. No, no, whoa! My, goodness. No, there is an awful lot of people here that you would normally not associate with people walking up and down Piccadilly Circus here in London.

The book is going to be 608 pages. There is a -- as this family has said, there's no way that any of the people here in this queue are going to flip to that last page. I might, though.

HOLMES: All right. Becky, thank you, and good luck out there with Lucius, all right? Thank you so much.

ANDERSON: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Well, food for thought. If you are trying to cut Chinese products from your shopping list, it could be much harder than you think. We'll have the details, straight ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, we've been telling you about a horse rescue. And there is the horse that has now been rescued. This is out of Malibu. KTLA has been providing these pictures for us. But a rider was on that horse there on a horse trail, and the two took a bad step somewhere and the rider is OK, was able to get out and try to get some help and get some folks in there to try to get this horse some help.

In was in -- kind of a wooded area, a mountainous area, but the rescuers were able to get there and the horse was able to get up, it appears, on its own and is walking back to the ranch, if you will. But just wanted to wrap that story up for you.

PHILLIPS: Former televangelist Tammy Faye Messner in what could be her last television interview. Messner is battling inoperative cancer and just -- and is down, rather, to 65 pounds. In a conversation that many call inspiring, Messner discussed her faith last night with CNN's Larry King.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "LARRY KING LIVE")

LARRY KING, HOST: And you firmly believe that are you going to heaven.

TAMMY FAYE MESSNER, HAS INOPERPERABLE CANCER: I know for sure, for positive.

KING: And having that belief, reduces fear -- makes -- should eliminate fear.

MESSNER: It does, Larry, to a certain extent. I would say 99 and 99-100 percent.

DEEPAK CHOPRA, SPIRITUAL TEACHER & AUTHOR: It was extremely inspiring to see her. As a physician I've seen people die in the emergency room and they first go through denial, then anger, then resentment, and then a desperate hopelessness. There's no peace. When we saw her, we saw peace because she has a relationship with that mystery that we call God. And that somehow gives her the strength to step into the unknown with that kind of peace and that inspiration.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: That was actually Tammy Faye's son that was right next to Deepak Chopra there. They were all on "LARRY KING" last night talking about her death. Now most of us came to know Tammy Faye Messner during the scandal that engulfed her ex-husband, Jim Bakker.

But you'll be amazed at her contributions and the lives that she has touched. We're going to hear more from her son and how he said that she made an impact on AIDS activism and also working within the gay community.

That will be in next hour which starts right now.

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