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CNN Live Saturday

Tropical Storm Brewing in the Carribean; A Look at the Remains of Zarqawi's Safe House; Military Still Frustrated by Efforts to Find Bin Laden; Evidence Surfaces that the White House May Have Allowed Michael Brown to be it's Scapegoat

Aired June 10, 2006 - 14:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, the first tropical depression of the season is moving across the Caribbean. It could become a tropical storm later on today and move into the Gulf of Mexico. We're tracking it form your hurricane headquarters in the weather center here at CNN. A full report coming up in one minute.
Here's where it happened. These latest pictures show all that's left of a hideout used by al Qaeda terrorists Abu Musab al Zarqawi. Two 500-pound bombs destroyed the safe house near Baquba. Al Zarqawi's body is undergoing an autopsy today.

Hamas fires rockets from Gaza into Israel, but one lands in this Gaza refugee camp. The group's military wing says the action is in retaliation for an Israeli artillery attack yesterday. At least seven Palestinian civilians were killed in that attack on the beach. Israel has apologized.

In the nuclear standoff, Iran says it may make a counterproposal to a deal offered by world powers. President Bush says Tehran has only a week to accept the proposal and suspend its uranium enrichment or face UN Security Council action.

We update the top stories every 15 minutes on CNN LIVE SATURDAY. Your next update is coming up at 2:15 Eastern.

And welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Ahead this hour, hunting bin Laden. With the death this week of Abu Musab al Zarqawi, refocusing on al Qaeda's elusive top man.

Also ...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT: I want to thank you all for - And Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Remember those words of praise? Find out why a heck of an e-mail could prove embarrassing to the president. But first, to our top story.

ANNOUNCER: You're watching CNN, your severe weather headquarters.

WHITIFIELD: Just over a week into the 2006 hurricane season, first tropical depression has popped up. It's centered off the coast of Cuba. And after last year's terrible hurricane season, it's getting a lot of attention. Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is in the weather center. And Jacqui, what are the chances this depression could indeed develop into a tropical storm?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, we think it's pretty likely, actually, Fredricka. And it will probably happen later on today. As we speak, the hurricane hunters are flying into this storm and they're going to be recording data. And depending on what they find, that's how we're going find whether or not this will become Tropical Storm Alberto. Winds right now at 35 miles per hour. You've got to get up to 39 for it to be considered a tropical storm. Once it gets that status, it gets a name.

Right now it is 45 miles to the west of Cabo San Antonio, Cuba. And our biggest concern about this at this hour is going to be the very heavy rainfall. We're talking about the potential of 10 to 20 inches of rain across the Isle of Youth and into western Cuba. There you can see that the rain showers have already pushed into the Florida Keys and into South Florida. Some of these will be quite heavy, producing some gusty winds around 30 miles per hour, as these bands are pushing off in a westerly direction. So it's coming at you from this side with this storm. Expect to see potential of four to eight inches of rain across southern Florida and into the Florida Keys between now and late on Sunday.

So certainly a very big rainmaker. If there's any silver ling with this at all, Fredricka, is that we're looking at a drought ridden area here in central parts of Florida. So they could use some of this rainfall. This is the forecast track and what we're expecting, it is probably going to become a tropical storm later on today. It is going to be moving into the Gulf of Mexico over the next couple of days.

Most of the computer model forecasts are in fairly good agreement here, bringing it somewhere into Florida. But look at how big that cone of uncertainty is. Quite large. So we're looking anywhere from the Panhandle all the way down towards the Naples/Ft. Myers area. So we really don't want to pinpoint where potential landfall is right now but it looks like best estimates at this time somewhere into the Big Bend.

The winds a little bit on the weak side right now. So that means it's favorable for development. But the air in the Gulf are very dry right now. That is going to knock it down and prevent this hopefully from becoming our first hurricane as well.

Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right, Jacqui, thanks so much.

CNN Havana bureau chief Morgan Neill is watching the skies over Cuba. He joins us now from Havana. So, Morgan, how does it look? MORGAN NEILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on phone): Well, Fredricka, within the last hour, the latest we've heard from the head of Cuba's forecast center. He's predicting heavy rains continue from the west to the center of the country. Particularly he's warning people to stay alert and watch out for rising rivers and reservoir.

But there has been no tropical storm warning issued here. Out here in Havana, in the capital, we've seen steady rains from last night. They continued through the morning. They picked up, although in the last hour they've really disappeared here. But the worst rains appear to be falling to the west of the capital where there has been some flooding reported.

Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: And Morgan, how concerned are a number of the residents, many of whom don't live in very strong or fortified type houses or homes. How concerned might they be?

NEILL: Well, the real concerns that you hear here more than anything else is over flooding. It's not wind. It's important to be clear about that. That's why here in Cuba they're putting a big emphasis on the amount of rains and the danger that the rains could build up. So it's almost quick rapid rising water that pose the greatest danger here.

WHITFIELD: All right. Morgan Neill, thanks so much. Our Havana bureau chief joining us from Havana.

Well, medical examiners are conducting autopsies today on the body of Abu Musab al Zarqawi. The leader of al Qaeda in Iraq died after a U.S. air strike on his hideout near Baquba this week. But while the first reports said he died instantly, officials later said he died after U.S. ground troops arrived on the scene.

Although officials have already confirmed the identity of al Zarqawi's body, they're waiting for the results of DNA tests that will complete the process. At Camp David this weekend, President Bush has been discussing the aftermath of al Zarqawi's death. In a bid to prevent Iraqi insurgents from regrouping, U.S. forces have been conducting a series of military strikes.

It took two 500-pound bombs to destroy the safe house where al Zarqawi was hiding out. CNN's John Vause got a look at the aftermath.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is all that's left of Zarqawi's safe house, a house made of concrete and steel. All of this destruction caused by two 500-pound bombs.

The impact from the blast was so powerful, we're told by the U.S. military, that initially this hole in the ground, about 35, maybe 40 feet deep. Now, the day after the air strike, the rubble around the area was mostly cleared and bulldozed into that crater. It is still more than 10 feet deep as well. It was an incredibly powerful blast. Rubble is strewn around this area. Six hundred feet, maybe even 1,000 feet away. And signs of the people who once lived in this house. Over here is a towel left behind thrown clear as part of the debris. Just over here as well, we can see a pillow and just next to it a blanket as well.

They say this was a safe house in an isolated area. Indeed, it was very isolated. Take a look at the trees, the palm trees and the date trees which surround this area.

At the time of the air strike, a top level al Qaeda meeting was under way. Al Zarqawi, five others, including his spiritual adviser, the man who was traced to this house and ultimately led to al Zarqawi's downfall.

And a fter this powerful blast we're told somehow al Zarqawi managed to survive if only for a few moments. John Vause, CNN, near the city of Baquba.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: President Bush reflected on the death of al Zarqawi during his weekly radio address this morning. CNN White House correspondent Elaine Quijano is standing by. Elaine?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Fredricka. President Bush says this has been a good week for the cause of freedom, but he is once again tempering his comments, noting that there may be more difficult days ahead in Iraq.

Now, Mr. Bush is at the presidential retreat at Camp David in Maryland where he met yesterday with Denmark's prime minister. But this morning in his radio address, the president called the death of terrorist Abu Musab al Zarqawi in Iraq an important victory in the war on terror. But he also cautioned that the fighting is expected to continue.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BUSH: In the weeks ahead, violence in Iraq may escalate. The terrorists and insurgents will seek to prove that they can carry on without al Zarqawi, and coalition and Iraqi forces are seizing this moment to strike enemies of freedom in Iraq at this time of uncertainty for their cause. The work ahead will require more sacrifice and the continued patience of the American people.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Yet Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid says President Bush must find the political solutions needed so that American forces can start returning home.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID, (D) NV: Our troops and the American people have been exceedingly patient as previous mileposts in Iraq have passed without progress. The president is asking too much if he expects us to do it again. With al Zarqawi gone and the Cabinet filled, we need more than platitudes next week when the president convenes a conference with Iraq's leaders and his war cabinet. He must present a concrete plan, a plan for Iraqis to take control of their own security.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now, as for those meetings on Monday, the president will huddle at Camp David with his national security team and other key Cabinet officials. Then on Tuesday they'll be joined via video conference by their Iraqi counterparts. The president says the focus will be on the way forward in Iraq and also on how best to deploy America's resources in that country. A senior administration official says that it is not expected that they will discuss a U.S. troop drawdown, but rather, how best to deploy and what, in fact, the configuration of U.S. forces should be in Iraq. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right. Elaine Quijano from the White House, thanks so much.

Tonight at 7:00, CNN correspondents bringing you the only in depth look at the major events in the war on terror including the strike on al Zarqawi in Iraq. Wolf Blitzer hosts "Iraq, a Week at War" beginning at 7:00 Eastern, 4:00 Pacific, only on CNN.

A quick check of news across America. Pit bulls terrorize students inside a middle school in San Fernando, California. Police say two of the dogs invaded the school and mauled an 11-year-old girl. She is going to recover. The dogs are in lockup. The owner under arrest.

In Detroit, two 911 operators plead not guilty to charges of willful neglect of duty. They're the women who decided that distress calls from a five-year-old boy were just a prank. The child's mother had collapsed. By the time police were dispatched, the boy's mother had died.

Police in Long Island, New York, wanted to know who painted a 24-foot swastika in a neighborhood cul-de-sac. Authorities say it doesn't appear anyone in particular is being targeted. However, they are treating it as a hate crime.

And what makes an albino alligator tick? This one was blindfolded, wrapped up and put through a C.T. scan in Orlando, Florida. The look inside is part of a documentary. The patient is a rare breed and there are fewer than 100 known albino alligators in world.

Well, they got al Zarqawi, but they haven't been able to track down the world's top terrorist. We'll see why in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A quarter past the hour, here's what's happening right now. Just 10 days into the new hurricane season, a tropical depression is brewing in the Caribbean. It's about 45 miles off Cuba's western tip. Forecasters say it could become a tropical storm later today. Lets a check back in with Jacqui Jeras in the weather center. Jacqui?

JERAS: Yeah, Fredricka, we are expecting some additional strengthening throughout the day today. It could become our first tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. It would be called Alberto. Right now it's bringing in some heavy rain showers across the Florida Keys. On up towards Miami. These are all pushing in a westerly direction.

We also have the threat of some water spouts. Keep in mind, not a great day to be out in the boats here out on the high seas. We're going to see gusty winds around 30 miles per hour or so.

Right now, it's about 45 miles to the west of Cuba. Through can see all that heavy rain, all that moisture pushing over western Cuba. And flooding will be the biggest concern here. In fact, we're looking at 10 to 20 inches of rainfall over the next 24 hours or so.

Now there will be a great threat of mudslides to go along with that. This is the forecast track from the National Hurricane Center. Landfall could be as early as Monday, possibly into Tuesday as a tropical storm. So right now we're not anticipating it will get to hurricane strength, but we still have a couple of days to go. And Fredricka, the water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico plenty warm to support that. They are at least 80 degrees.

WHITFIELD: That's right, doesn't help at all, at least not the situation for the people on the ground. Thanks so much.

Hamas militants fire a barrage of rockets at Israel, but one lands in a refugee camp. Israel says there were no casualties. The attack came in response to an Israeli artillery strike in Gaza that killed seven civilians. Israel has apologized for the civilian casualties on the beach.

In southern Afghanistan, more firefights between coalition forces and the Taliban. Coalition officials say a few dozen Taliban fighters have been killed this week in two southern provinces.

A 16-year-old Michigan girl has some explaining to do. She's back ohm after she took a trip to the Middle East without her parents' permission. Authorities say Katherine Lester met a West Bank man on myspace.com, then she flew off to meet him after tricking her parents into getting her a passport. U.S. officials in Jordan persuade her to return home before she reached the West Bank.

We update the top stories every 15 minutes on CNN LIVE SATURDAY. The next update is coming up at 2:30 Eastern.

Well, it took three years to find and kill Abu Musab al Zarqawi. The same strategy has been under way even longer to get Osama bin Laden. But it's not working. CNN's Barbara Starr reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. troops got Abu Musab al Zarqawi the old fashioned way, tracking tips and assembling intelligence. And that is why four and a half years after the 9/11 attacks, it is still so hard to get Osama bin Laden.

LT. GEN. KARL EIKENBERRY, COMBINED FORCES COMMANDER, AFGHANISTAN: We will keep after him until one day he's either captured or killed.

STARR: Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry commands 23,000 troops in Afghanistan, but they are not allowed to cross the border into Pakistan, where bin Laden is believed to be sheltered by loyal tribes and Taliban fighters.

If there are tips, the U.S. either has to rely on Pakistani troops or armed drones to act on them. So far, neither has worked. Although many al Qaeda leaders have been taken out.

As the hunt has continued, the war in Afghanistan has taken a grim turn.

(on camera): The U.S. military says it's fighting an insurgency now here in Afghanistan. And a counterinsurgency campaign they say, could take years to succeed.

(voice-over): The Taliban are stronger now than anyone expected. Especially in the south and east along the Pakistan border.

MAJ. GEN. BENJAMIN FREAKLEY, COMBINED JOINT TASK FORCE: The fight is not diminished. But they have had time to reorganize. They've had time to recruit more. They've had time to get funding.

STARR: Eikenberry knows that can make getting bin Laden even tougher, but that's his mission.

EIKENBERRY: We have an obligation to one day either kill or capture bin Laden for the purpose of justice to the American people and indeed to the entire world for the misery that this man has inflicted. And we keep faith with that.

STARR: Intelligence officials tell CNN they continue to get unverified report of bin Laden sightings. If one of those tips ever pans out, the greatest likelihood is that the CIA would quickly launch a predator drone carrying the missile and attempt to kill the world's most wanted man. Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: According to a White House insider former FEMA director Mike Brown did the president a heck of a big favor. Find out what an intriguing e-mail says about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." Who can forget those words? President Bush praising then-FEMA director Michael Brown while thousands of Katrina victims suffered. Now there's a heck of an e-mail that might explain the real reason behind the president's praise. It's something you'll only see on CNN. CNN's Brian Todd filed a report for THE SITUATION ROOM WITH WOLF BLITZER.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Wednesday, August 31, 2005, New Orleans has been submerged for two days. In an interview with Larry King, FEMA director Michael Brown is on the defensive about government failure after Hurricane Katrina.

LARRY KING, CNN HOST: Where's the help?

MICHAEL BROWN, FEMA DIRECTOR: Larry, the help is right there, and it's going to be moving in very, very rapidly. I'm going to ask the country to be patient.

TODD: The next day the city still is overwhelmed by chaos and official paralysis. Brown is besieged with criticism. In another CNN interview, he admits he's just finding out about one of the most horrific human catastrophes.

BROWN: The federal government did not even know about the Convention Center people until today.

TODD: The following day the president declares the federal response is "not acceptable," but voices public support for Brown.

BUSH: Again, I want to thank you all for -- and Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job. The FEMA director is working 24 ...

TODD: Two days later, Brown's immediate boss, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, is asked by Wolf Blitzer if he still has confidence in his FEMA director.

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Look, I think Michael Brown has had a lot of experience, I think he's done a tremendous job under pressure.

TODD: But CNN has obtained an e-mail from three days after that, September 7, 2005, indicating the Bush administration may have been happy that Brown was taking the heat. A high-level White House official close to the president writes to Brown, "I did hear of one reference to you at the cabinet meeting yesterday. I wasn't there, but I heard someone commented that the press was sure beating up on Mike Brown, to which the president replied, 'I'd rather they beat up on him than me or Chertoff.' Congratulations on doing a great job of diverting hostile fire away from the leader."

Michael Brown, through his attorney, provided this e-mail to CNN on the condition that we redact the name, not revealing the identity of its author. CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of the e-mail, but it does have the White House eop.gov designation at the end, signifying Executive Office of the President.

Just two days after that e-mail is sent to Brown, Secretary Chertoff changes his tune.

CHERTOFF: I have directed Mike Brown to return to administering FEMA nationally. And I've appointed Vice Admiral Thad Allen of the Coast Guard as the principal federal official overseeing the Hurricane Katrina response.

TODD: Three days later, Monday, September 12th, Michael Brown resigns as FEMA director. The next day President Bush says this ...

BUSH: To the extent that the federal government didn't fully do its job right, I take responsibility.

TODD: Historian Douglas Brinkley, whose recent book chronicles the infighting of state and federal officials after Katrina, says the e- mail is consistent with information he received.

DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, HISTORIAN: It clearly shows that the Bush White House and the president himself was trying to scapegoat Michael Brown, who became the human pinata of the entire Katrina debacle.

TODD: But another analyst says traditionally it's the job of people like Michael Brown to absorb criticism for the president.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's what happens. We have an old saying in Washington: All good news comes from the White House and all bad news come from the departments and agencies.

TODD (on camera): We contacted a White House spokeswoman for reaction to our story. She replied in an e-mail, quote, "This is an old rumor that surfaced months ago and we're not commenting on it. This story has already been reported and I have heard nothing at all that would substantiate it.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: The terrorist with a $25 million price on his head is dead. Will that make the battle against insurgents less costly for America? We'll explore that question. Keep it right here on CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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