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Mourning Nine Heroic Firefighters; Deadly Deluge in Texas; Pregnant and Missing

Aired June 19, 2007 - 09:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Tony Harris. Heidi Collins joins me next hour.

Watch events come into the NEWSROOM live on this Tuesday morning.

It is June 19th. Here is what's on the rundown.

Charleston, South Carolina, mourning nine heroic firefighters. They lose their lives battling a massive furniture store blaze. Charleston's mayor live this hour.

Thousands of American troops on front lines of a new offensive against al Qaeda. It is taking place today in Iraq's Diyala province.

What does this toddler see, did he tell police? The child's pregnant mother missing almost a week now. The investigation in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Horrific news out of Charleston, South Carolina, this morning. Nine firefighters killed in the line of duty. Their bodies brought out of a smoldering warehouse one at a time. Colleagues saluting. They and others overwhelmed by the loss.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR JOSEPH RILEY, CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA: In my time as mayor, we have never had a fire like this. We haven't lost a firefighter. And to lose nine is -- is -- you know, it's just a tragedy of immense proportion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Sarah DeMarco of affiliate WCIV is in Charleston.

And Sarah, good to see you this morning.

I know you have put in a number of hours on this story. Many people in the West are just waking up to this horrific news.

What is the scene like there now that really the entire magnitude of this tragedy is setting in?

SARAH DEMARCO, REPORTER, WCIV: Tony, the scene is really just still a scene of disbelief and devastation. As you can see the building now in the daylight hours, just demolished, burned to a crisp. And learning the news for those who are just waking up, about nine firefighters perishing in this blaze last night.

The mayor this morning, the mayor of Charleston, praised them for their heroic efforts, complimenting them on going into the blaze, this building, this warehouse, completely engulfed, going in to make sure that no other civilians were trapped inside. And instead, themselves being trapped inside.

The mayor did tell us the bodies of those nine firefighters were found in different locations throughout the warehouse. They were not all trapped in one spot.

Witnesses, some witnesses tell us they saw maybe 15 firefighters go in at one point. And then only saw a few come out. We believe that's when we heard the call from the chief, Rusty Thomas (ph), asking everyone to clear out the warehouse. But it just wasn't in enough time, and nine of them were still trapped inside.

There has also been some speculation, some questions about whether or not there were any sprinkler systems inside. The mayor couldn't confirm if there were or not this morning. So that's part of the investigation.

Now, the South Carolina law enforcement division is on site. Also, ATF agents investigating. Of course, with law enforcement deaths, officer deaths, that's part of standard procedures.

So they are here and will work to try to determine the cause of this fire. But really, just absolute devastation. The building just barely standing behind me.

Some have said it is was so hot, the fire just went so quickly, that the structure somewhat melted as well. And there's some bulldozers that have been brought in for the clearing process. But we're not there yet. Of course, this investigation is still just beginning.

HARRIS: Sarah, just a quick question here. We know that there was one person inside, an employee inside of that warehouse that the firefighters were working desperately to rescue. And they were able to get that employee out.

I'm wondering if there were concerns that there were other employees possibly inside the building, and that is why the firefighters were still in that building at the time of the collapse.

DEMARCO: Well, that's what the mayor said. He said they went in to try to find anyone that might have been trapped inside.

So we don't know if there was conflicting information about whether or not someone may have still been in there or not. But they did go in believing someone was inside, or many people may have been inside, several, maybe more than one. So we just don't know if they knew, if they had the right information.

HARRIS: Yes.

Sarah DeMarco for us.

We appreciate it. Thank you for your time this morning.

Just a horrific story. More on this tragedy, how the city is coping, and what it is doing to help family members of those fallen firefighters when the mayor of Charleston joins us live just minutes from right now here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Unfolding this hour in Iraq, dozens killed in a massive blast in Baghdad. A truck bomb exploded in a crowded city square. Take a look at these pictures.

An Iraqi official says at least 75 people were killed, more than 200 others injured. The crowds were gathered near a Shiite mosque. It was damaged in that blast.

Also in Iraq, the U.S. military launching a new offensive. Thousands of American troops moving in to Baquba, just north of Baghdad. The military says at least 22 insurgents were killed in the first rounds of fighting.

This latest offensive in Baquba is part of a larger operation for U.S. troops. They are targeting Sunni insurgents, Shiite militias and al Qaeda operatives in areas outside of Baghdad.

Now the deadly floods in Texas.

In their mother's arms one moment, swept away the next. A search under way right now for a 2-year-old girl, one of at least five people missing from deadly flooding. Her 5-year-old sister and grandmother among those who lost their lives.

CNN's Rob Marciano is in hard-hit Gainesville, Texas.

Rob, I've got to tell you, those pictures yesterday right here in the NEWSROOM were amazing of the downtown area completely flooded out. How are the recovery efforts going today?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, the sun has risen now. And they are still on a -- not so much a rescue, but a search mission.

There's five -- there are five people still missing. Unofficial word of one of those being found alive. But still, there's an ongoing search for some bodies.

This stream, this creek yesterday was well above my head, well above the bridge which we are shooting from. And as quickly as these waters rose, they have since receded. But the damage and the debris is certainly strewn about this area, and you kind of get a sense for what kind of lives -- what has happened to people's lives.

I mean, this is a child's toy right there. That kind of hits home. Some sort of play carriage. And then you see debris all strewn, obviously, down river. You see -- you see trees and logs, pieces of sheet metal, signs that have been moved down -- down the stream.

Look at this. This is like -- this is an oil tank or some sort of fuel tank here. This is a big sucker. This thing has floated down.

This is cast iron here. And there's some sort of a refrigerator or freezer.

Usually, this creek and the Elk Creek run about 100 cubic fee per second. At one point yesterday, they were up to 40,000 cubic feet per second. That gives you an idea how powerful the water became.

Lives have been lost. Lives have been turned upside down. That's certainly the big story today.

And earlier this morning we spoke to a representative from the Red Cross, and she's got her pulse on what survivors are going through. Here is what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANITA FOSTER, RED CROSS SPOKESWOMAN: People have had a very traumatic experience. And that's understandable.

They were on their rooftops, water just racing at them. Many of them children trying to make decisions on how to survive within seconds.

You had to make these snap decisions whether you live or whether you don't. And so people were pretty traumatized yesterday.

Some good things that we saw, though, were the sound of chainsaws, we saw machinery starting to move about. These are signs of people recovering and beginning to rebuild. It just will not be a short process.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARCIANO: I think that the thing that was so eerie about yesterday's visuals that we were showing on the CNN NEWSROOM, those aerials of people climbing into their roofs, being rescued by water rescue and boats from their rooftops, eerily similar to New Orleans. What's different is that the water here sunk or receded as quickly as it rose.

One point that we need to make about flash flooding. It is the number one killer in weather-related fatalities. More so than hurricanes, more so than tornadoes, more so than lightning. This is what kills people. The power of water is truly unbelievable.

And today, Tony, the search goes on for four, if not five, missing people here in -- yes, in Gainesville, Texas.

HARRIS: Yes. We will -- we will continue to follow those developments, Rob. Appreciate it. Thank you so much.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Nine months pregnant and missing. It has been almost a week now since anyone has heard from an Ohio mother.

CNN's Jim Acosta has late developments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In her first frantic call alerting police that her daughter had vanished, Patty Porter makes it clear her grandson Blake was home alone.

DISPATCHER: And how is the child that was left alone?

PATTY PORTER, JESSIE DAVIS' MOTHER: She didn't leave him alone. My God, something's wrong.

ACOSTA: That makes this 2-year-old boy the only known witness in the disappearance of his 26-year-old mother, Jessie Davis, who is just a few weeks from delivering her second child. Blake did see something. He has been talking about it ever since.

PORTER: "Mommy is in the rug," he keeps saying.

ACOSTA: What Blake is referring to, his grandmother says, is the comforter that's now missing from Jessie's home.

PORTER: He wouldn't know the word "comforter". That wouldn't -- that's not a familiar word for a 2-and-a-half year old.

ACOSTA: Porter believes a stranger wrapped up Jessie in that comforter and carried her out of the house.

PORTER: That's the only way I can deal with this at this moment, is that I have to believe that this is someone that we don't know.

ACOSTA: But police are trying to learn more about people Jessie does know, including Bobby Cutts, the Canton police officer and father of Jessie's son and possibly her unborn child. Investigators searched Cutts' home, but there is no word on what, if anything, was found.

Seen here in these photos breaking down after learning of Jessie's disappearance, Cutts is married to another woman. But authorities stress Cutts and his current wife, who are reportedly estranged, are not suspects.

CHIEF DEPUTY RICK A. PEREZ, STARK COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: At this time we have no persons of interest, we have no suspects.

ACOSTA (on camera): Canton police took Officer Cutts off his shift as an overnight patrolman and placed him on administrative leave, because, his supervisors say, he's been traumatized by the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend.

BERNIE HUNT, CANTON PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR: He has indicated that he is having a difficult time coping with the circumstances.

ACOSTA (voice over): But Canton's public safety director did say he wants to see the case solved before putting Cutts back to work.

HUNT: We would like for the investigation to take its course. At this point in time the investigation is complete, we are hopeful that that will make Officer Cutts' situation clearer.

ACOSTA: With few clues about how a pregnant woman could vanish without a trace, clarity is something this case sorely needs.

Jim Acosta, CNN, Canton, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Turmoil in the Middle East at the top of the president's agenda this hour. He is set to meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in just a few minutes at the White House. A long-planned meeting now taking on more urgency in the aftermath of last week's takeover of Gaza by the militant group Hamas.

The two leaders are likely to talk about the possibility of restarting the Mideast peace talks. A possibility after U.S.-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dissolved the unity government with Hamas.

Abbas formed an emergency government in the West Bank. The U.S. has voiced its support and moved to resume aid. Aid was cut off when Hamas won Palestinian elections last year. The U.S. considers Hamas a terrorist organization.

A sad scene -- firefighters removing the bodies of nine fallen comrades.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RILEY: People who put on the badge prepare to go into a raging fire to risk their lives. .

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: A tragic day for Charleston, South Carolina. The mayor of that city that's in mourning next in the NEWSROOM.

Officers down. Police called to a domestic disturbance. Authorities say they became a teenager's target.

Details in the NEWSROOM.

Don't ask and you shall receive. The U.S. military gets billions for planes it doesn't want. Why are some in Congress saying they are needed?

We will sort it all out for you ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARRIS: Charleston, South Carolina, mourning the loss of nine firefighters, all killed while saving others in a huge overnight warehouse fire.

Mayor Joe Riley calls it a tragic reminder of their profession. He joins us now. He's on the phone with us.

Mr. Mayor, good to talk to you this morning. We are so sorry for your loss. Thanks for your time.

RILEY: Well, thank you very much, Tony. And thanks for your support and sympathy.

And I know our country feels this. Every community has firefighters, and we know intuitively that they are willing to put their lives on the line in a moment's notice. And that's exactly what happened in our community last night.

HARRIS: Mr. Mayor, you have been in office since 1975, I understand.

RILEY: That's right.

HARRIS: You're a Charleston native.

What compares to this tragedy?

RILEY: There is no comparison. Even during Hurricane Hugo, which is the worst hurricane we ever had, we lost one life. There is no comparison.

Every time a public safety officer is injured, to say nothing of killed in the line of duty, it is a grief-filled moment. But to have nine of our firefighters perish in one fire is just something hard to even begin to imagine.

And our heart goes out to them and to their families, and to all of our firefighters. Firefighters are a family unit. And they are grieving, and we really are going to be working closely with them and with the families in the hours and days ahead.

HARRIS: We are going take some time and talk to you this morning because we just want a bit of an understanding, as much as we can, of how this all unfolded.

Do you have any idea from talking to the chief and others who were working on the fire how this got so out of hand and became this deathtrap for these firefighters?

RILEY: Not yet. You know, we will know that. It's being investigated, and I think the important thing is not to make assumptions when eventually you will know the facts.

We know the call came in a few minutes after 7:00. One of our fire stations is about a half a mile from the store. So they were there immediately. I talked with the battalion chief in charge who went around to the back of the building and saw the fire. And they began to attack it.

What caused it, how it spread so quickly, we will find that out. It's a Sofa Super Store. So it is filled with sofas...

HARRIS: Plenty of fuel.

RILEY: ... plenty of fuel.

HARRIS: Yes.

RILEY: But important was that there were two employees in the building. So our firefighters -- and they got them out. The firefighters were in there not only fighting fire, they were in there seeking to save lives, and perished in the process.

HARRIS: Let me pick up on that point.

OK, so the firefighters were in there, A, trying to fight the fire, but more importantly, trying to get people out. Were the firefighters being informed that apart from the two who they were able to get out building, that there were perhaps others inside the building as well?

RILEY: No. I don't know that.

HARRIS: OK.

RILEY: One of the employees got out quickly. The other, they had to break in the back of the building and get them out.

But any -- every time you have a fire, the firefighters go in there assuming that there are people around. You know, the stories of firefighters on their hands and knees going into buildings and finding an infant under a bed or something. So they're -- you know, they are training is to put the fire out and to make sure, double-check, triple-check, that there's no one in the building.

And that's what they are doing, and that's what their profession instructs them to do. And that's what these brave people were doing last night.

HARRIS: Mayor since 1975. I would imagine that you know some of the family members of the now deceased firefighters.

RILEY: I do. A number of them have family connections.

Firefighting is something that often gets in the blood of these dedicated people. And we haven't announced the names, but I'm looking at the list that I wrote last night in the command center with our chief. And I know them. And I know their families.

And I know one's mother. And it's -- it's just absolutely heartbreaking. And it's just -- it's just terrible. These are wonderful people and wonderful families, and brave, heroic firefighters who now will become part of our city's history in a tragic way. But I'm looking in my hand of the names of these people, and they will -- they will be forever remembered as heroic examples of courage and bravery in the line of duty.

HARRIS: One of your responsibilities, as you know all too well, Mr. Mayor, is be this pillar of strength, this rock for that community to rely on at a time like this. And I'm wondering as you look down at that list, have you talked to some of these family members, some of the people that you know in that community? And how difficult has it been to either be in the room or on the phone as this news has been shared?

RILEY: Well, some have. We have them -- we sent our police officers out to tell the family members that their loved one was missing last night.

And even as I speak, the formal positive identification is still occurring. But I talked to some and greeted some, and we will be with all of them. They came from different parts of the community. And -- you know, the metropolitan area.

But I will. And in the community, you know, we -- as you can imagine, people love their firefighters to begin with.

Ours is -- we have the number one fire rating. It's only 36 fire departments in the country have the rating we do. It is a highly revered professional unit, and that our community absolutely loves.

HARRIS: Yes.

Are you aware of whether or not the building had working -- had a work sprinkler system?

RILEY: We don't know that. We don't know -- we don't have that information yet. And, you know, I think I have the information, but until we have all of the facts -- you know, in a situation like this, it is best rather than to speculate to get all the information before we make a categorical statement.

HARRIS: Mayor Riley, thanks for your time this morning.

RILEY: Thank you.

HARRIS: And our condolences go out to that wonderful city.

RILEY: Thank you very much.

HARRIS: And that wonderful community. Thank you for your time.

And still to come this morning in the CNN NEWSROOM, shuttle Atlantis ready to separate from the International Space Station, the journey back to Earth.

The story ahead in the NEWSROOM. A high honor for the homerun king. Hank Aaron now has his own plane. And you can ride in it, too.

ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Ali Velshi in New York.

A way to find out how green the company is that you are doing your shopping with, I will have that when we come back in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: A lofty tribute for baseball's homerun king. Delta Airlines unveiling the honor for Hammerin' Hank Aaron.

A larger-than-life portrait on the side of an airplane, look at that. It is called the Hank Aaron 755.

Looking good. Named after his record number of homeruns.

Aaron -- what's the music playing back there? Aaron may not be the homerun king much longer, with Barry Bonds just seven short of that record.

Climate Counts is a new nonprofit group that wants you, the American consumer, to factor climate change into your investment decisions. How do you do that? Well, they are doing it by releasing a scorecard ranking some of America's biggest companies on their environmental track records.

Ali Velshi is here "Minding Your Business".

How does this work, Ali? How many companies are involved in this? Do we know?

VELSHI: Well, Tony, they have got -- they have got a big list, 56 companies.

I've got to tell you, this is something I study a great deal about. It is very hard to pinpoint what a company's greenness is on the basis of how much they -- you know, how much they pollute and how much they save.

HARRIS: Yes. Yes.

VELSHI: So this company -- this Climate Counts, which goes online at noon today Eastern, is trying to do this. They -- here is what they measure about a company. They measure greenhouse emissions, what the company's plans to reduce them are, whether they support or oppose regulation of greenhouse emissions, and how much information they disclose.

Now, if you look at the top of this list, you have got Canon, Nike, Unilever, IBM and Toshiba. I should tell you that they are ranking consumer companies, companies that you buy from. Not necessarily industrial companies.

HARRIS: Yes.

VELSHI: Now, no company got 100 percent. Six companies scored zero. I will show you five of them here at the bottom of the list -- Jones Apparel; Burger King; Darden, which is Olive Garden and Red Lobster; Wendy's and Amazon.

I like the idea that these companies -- you know, this site is give us some information to work on.

HARRIS: Right.

VELSHI: I just want to, you know, I just want to be clear that I'm not sure -- it's hard to get this information.

Amazon, which is right at the bottom, you know, they said they gave Amazon a zero because they couldn't find enough information on the Web sight. Amazon's response was well, you didn't look hard enough.

HARRIS: I see.

VELSHI: So, hard to know.

HARRIS: Yes, yes. And these companies -- I think that the key part of that is just the information, being able to track that information...

VELSHI: Right.

HARRIS: ... to figure out what they're doing and, in some cases, I guess you're indicating it's still a bit difficult.

VELSHI: Well, you know, one of my -- one of the companies I really like a lot is Timberland, you know, the outdoor shoes?

HARRIS: Sure. Sure. Yes.

VELSHI: Well, Timberland, when you buy a pair of shoes, it's got an ingredients list on the side, which is basically how much energy, how green that product is that you're buying, how much energy went into, how much waste.

You know, some people think it's kitschy, but we just want information, right?

HARRIS: Right.

Right.

VELSHI: Whether you're buying food or clothing, you just want that information. And I think that's a big point, that -- and, you know, these companies should respond and say here's what we do.

HARRIS: Right.

VELSHI: This climate control said they will actually change their ratings and scores based on updated information.

HARRIS: Outstanding.

Hey, are you sitting in for Susan today or is Susan back there?

VELSHI: I'm not, unfortunately.

It was fun yesterday, though.

HARRIS: Was it?

Yes, yes.

All right, Ali Velshi minding your business this morning.

Ali, thanks.

VELSHI: Good to see you, buddy.

HARRIS: And good morning, everyone.

The bottom of the hour.

You are in THE CNN NEWSROOM.

Our top story, tragedy in Charleston, South Carolina this morning. Nine firefighters killed in a massive overnight furniture warehouse fire. Their bodies brought out of the smoldering rubble one at a time. Colleagues saluting. What a sight.

They and others remembering the fallen as brave and courageous.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR JOE RILEY, CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA: This will be a part of our history that will never be forgotten. And these nine men will always be revered and honored in our department. They fought the enemy -- the fire -- and they lost their lives seeking to protect the citizens of our city. And they're heroes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And ahead in the NEWSROOM, Atlanta's fire chief, Harold Miller, joins us to talk about the tragedy in Charleston.

Suspected Al Qaeda fighters trying to outrun a new U.S. offensive. And insurgents striking with deadly precision today. You'll be up to speed on Iraq in THE NEWSROOM.

Police say that he used the name of god to create a world of child brutality. A global pedophile ring busted.

Death in the emergency room. Now, a hospital report sheds new light on a troubling case. We will update you on the investigation.

You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. (STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: A grim search underway right now in North Texas. At least five people are still missing from deadly floodwaters, among them, a 2-year-old girl. The girl's sister and grandmother were killed, along with at least three other people.

The hardest hit area, the town of Gainesville, near the Oklahoma state line. About 500 homes in the area were flooded. The high water brought on by torrential rain.

The National Weather Service says at times the downpour fell at the rate of an inch every 15 minutes.

Chad Myers now in the Severe Weather Center -- and, Chad, are we looking the potential, at least, for a soaker here in the Southeast?

We could use it.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We really hope so, yes.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: An extended stay just about over. The Space Shuttle Atlantis separating from the International Space Station next hour. Atlantis has been docked there for nine days. Problems with the shuttle's heat blanket and the station's computers added two days to the mission. The shuttle is scheduled to land in Florida on Thursday.

A massive truck bombing to tell you about in Baghdad today. Dozens were killed in the blast near a Shiite mosque.

Let's get right to CNN's Frederik Pleitgen, live in Baghdad -- and, Frederick, good to talk to you.

It seems that an hour ago the death toll here was at 61 or so. And now I know it's at least up to 75.

FREDERICK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, you're absolutely right. The death toll in this being just keeps rising and rising. We confirmed that 75 people have at least been killed in that bombing, and over 200 were wounded when the bomb went off. And I can tell you that bomb seriously rocked central Baghdad this morning -- or, I should say, around noontime. And thick plumes of smoke were rising up over the city for almost an hour.

Now on the video, we can see that the bomb blast actually tore down one of the walls of that mosque. This is a very significant mosque containing a significant Shiite shrine. And, of course, this bombing comes only one week after a major bombing in Samarra, after a Shiite mosque was bombed over there. And, really, authorities here have been saying they believe that that bombing could lead to massive sectarian violence in this country.

So far, that hasn't been happening. But now it seems as though the period of calm appears to be over -- Tony.

HARRIS: Frederik, U.S. troops, we understand, have begun a new offensive against Al Qaeda northeast of Baghdad.

What can you tell us about that?

PLEITGEN: Absolutely, Tony.

U.S. authorities tell us that this is one of the biggest operations this they have actually launched since the year 2005. Ten thousand American troops are in Diyala Province, in Baquba specifically, conducting operations there. They say so far they've killed 22 believed insurgents there. And what one of the commanders says is he says that the mission that they are on is to uproot Al Qaeda in that area and really to get at the neck of Al Qaeda. And, of course, this also has to do with the fact that Diyala Province, that province north of Baghdad, really is a stronghold for Al Qaeda and for the insurgency.

So, really, the American forces say that's what they're trying to get at. And they say this operation really is in the opening stages right now. And they're not willing to tell us how long they believe this operation will go on. But it does seem as though it is a massive operation that they are conducting there in Baquba -- Tony.

HARRIS: It almost sounds like a Fallujah style operation.

PLEITGEN: It is almost like a Fallujah style operation, except that right now what the American forces are doing there is they're going around in the streets, they're looking for the insurgents and, also, the Iraqi Army is part of this. We've had Iraqi Army officials tell us that they are also part of this operation, that they have also been fighting against the insurgents.

HARRIS: OK.

PLEITGEN: Really, what this also does is it also reflects on the Baghdad security plan, because what forces here have been telling us is that with the Baghdad security plan in place, a lot of Al Qaeda terrorists, or Al Qaeda operatives, have been fleeing to Diyala Province to conduct their operations there. So that's where the Americans are trying to get at them right now -- Tony.

HARRIS: CNN's Frederik Pleitgen for us in Baghdad.

Frederik, thank you.

And still to come this morning in THE NEWSROOM, a sad scene. Firefighters saluting the bodies of nine fallen comrades.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People who put on the badge prepare to go into a raging fire to risk their lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: A tragic day for Charleston, South Carolina. What a great city. Continuing coverage in the NEWSROOM.

And next, don't ask and you shall receive. The U.S. military gets billions for planes doesn't want.

Why are some in Congress saying they're needed?

We'll sort it out.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And new pictures in to CNN. President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert meeting this morning. And I think you see pictures now of the Israeli prime minister arriving at the White House.

The meeting was already on the schedule for both men. But, clearly, this meeting will focus on the split within the Palestinian Territories and the ongoing violence there and the fact that Hamas is in charge in Gaza.

We will follow developments in this. We expect hear something from both men next hour right here in THE CNN NEWSROOM.

Buried in the fine print, billions in Congressional earmarks.

Where is the money going?

CNN investigative correspondent Drew Griffin follows one path.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE FROM "ANDERSON COOPER 360")

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The C-17 cargo plane is a winner -- a $200 million workhorse delivering troops and supplies around the world since 1993. The Air Force has 190 of the Boeing-made jets in its fleet or in the pipeline, and this year the Air Force has asked Congress for another two -- but only two. After that, the C-17 assembly line can shut down for good.

So why did these members of Congress want to give the Air Force 10 more C-17s than military officials say they need?

TOM SCHATZ, CITIZENS AGAINST GOVERNMENT WASTE: It is pork, and it's the worst kind of pork.

GRIFFIN: Tom Schatz and his analysts at Citizens Against Government Waste found a $2.4 billion earmark for 10 additional C-17s buried in this defense authorization bill, way down here in the really fine, fine print, on page 561.

Shads thinks he knows why Congress is trying to force more planes on the Air Force. It turns out the seven members of Congress fighting for the C-17s each have a piece of the plane being built in their home district, like these two Missouri lawmakers, Republican Todd Akin and Democrat Russ Carnahan.

REP. RUSS CARNAHAN, (D) MISSOURI: Clearly this creates jobs.

GRIFFIN: Republican Aiken says he's actually looking out for the Air Force. If Congress doesn't keep ordering C-17s, the assembly lines could shut down. And if down the road the Air Force changes its mind and wants more of the planes, says Akin, the costs could be astronomical.

REP. TODD AKIN, (R) MISSOURI: Ultimately what we're doing is saving money, because if we come back and don't have enough C-17s it's going to cost a tremendous amount more to build the next ones because you have to get all new subcontractors, all new tooling, all new people to build this aircraft over again.

GRIFFIN: What's more, he says, the Air Force actually does want the 10 additional planes. They just don't want to ask for them in their budget.

AKIN: They'll put their top priority things in the budget and they know that the congressmen think these other things are priorities, too. So if they can, they'll load the budget up with what their top priorities are, hoping that the congressmen won't then add to that a couple of extras. So they get a couple of freebies that way. So the budgeting process is a political one.

GRIFFIN (on camera): This is where it gets tricky. You see, even though officially the Air Force guys at the Pentagon have not asked for any more planes, according to the guys here in Congress, the Air Force actually does want those planes but will not ask for them because they're being pressured by the budget guys at the White House who don't want the Air Force to ask Congress for too much money -- knowing all along that the guys in Congress will actually vote to give the Air Force the planes it says it doesn't want.

Follow?

(voice-over): For the past three years, the Air Force has been telling Congress it really doesn't need any more of the planes. In 2005, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs told reporters, "We have sufficient airlift if we stay on a funded program that we currently have. No more are needed."

Which is why Tom Schatz is so troubled by the $2.4 billion C-17 earmark hidden deep in the very fine print of the defense bill.

SCHATZ: It doesn't matter whether it's a C-17 or a bridge to nowhere or a local museum. All of this funding, every earmark is done in a way that circumvents the normal process of consideration of federal spending.

GRIFFIN: And right now, according to the Democratic leadership, there are 32,000 earmark requests submitted in Congress buried in bills.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HARRIS: CNN's Drew Griffin reporting.

Officers down -- police called to a domestic disturbance. Authorities say they have became a teenager's target.

Also coming up, police say he used the name of god to create a world of child brutality. A global pedophile ring busted.

The story is ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Police say it started with a teenager and his mom arguing. When it was over, the boy and a sheriff's deputy were dead, and a second officer seriously wounded. The deputies were called to an Indiana home to investigate a disturbance involving the 15-year-old and his mother. Authorities say the teen shot the deputies as they arrived. According to police, the boy was later found dead in the home. No word on exactly how the boy died. The case is under investigation.

Chat room of child brutality -- tens of thousands of horrifying images of sexual abuse traded and a global pedophile ring now busted.

CNN's Diana Magnay shows us how police did it.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Son of God was the online name this man used to host an Internet chat room devoted to child pornography. According to British police, 27-year-old Briton Timothy Cox pleaded guilty to nine counts of possessing and distributing indecent images. He is now facing an indefinite jail term.

Police say Cox's computer had more than 75,000 pictures and videos of children suffering every conceivable form of sexual abuse.

JIM GAMBLE, CHILD EXPLOITATION ONLINE PROTECTION CENTER: Very often you'll see cues of people waiting to download those images, in some cases, up to 70 people waiting to download what is an abusive image of a child. That's a child being raped or brutalized by an adult, a child being photographed horrific circumstances.

MAGNAY: It was intelligence from Canadian authorities by a worldwide group of child protection agencies which led to a global task force which led British police to Cox. After arresting him in September last year, officers from as far away as Canada, Australia and the U.K. Then infiltrated a Web site he operated called "Kids: The Light of our Lives" to build up evidence on other offenders.

JULIAN SHER, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: For the first time, police across the world are doing exactly what the predators are doing -- they're using the tools of the Internet and turning it against them. They're working 24/7. The Internet is global. But they're infiltrating now inside the chat rooms. MAGNAY: Sophisticated tracking techniques which the task force highlights in a video as warning to other would-be pedophiles that they will be found out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM VIRTUAL GLOBAL TASKFORCE DEMONSTRATION)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I like to look at pictures of my friends or, even better, meet them in the flesh.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You think you know who you're talking to, think again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MAGNAY: In this investigation alone, police identified more than 700 suspects worldwide.

GAMBLE: So we'll be knocking on your door before you know it.

MAGNAY (on camera): Police say they've managed to rescue 31 children as a result of this operation, many of them babies not more than a few months old.

Now the challenge lies in rebuilding those children's very damaged lives.

Diana Magnay, CNN, London.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HARRIS: Our top story this morning just ahead -- nine firefighters put their lives on the line, all lost. Grieving in Charleston, South Carolina this morning. We will update you on this tragedy.

Suspected Al Qaeda fighters are trying to outrun a new U.S. offensive. And insurgents striking with deadly precision today. You will be up to speed on Iraq in THE NEWSROOM.

The audience abuzz and this actor has not even made his entrance on the presidential stage. Focus on Fred Thompson in THE NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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