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Evacuations Underway due to Record River Levels in Fargo; Tips for Lowering Property Taxes; What's the Secret to Success in Afghanistan?; Cartel Member Sheds Light on Practices; Severe Weather Blasts Country's Midsection; Ga. National Guard Headed to Middle East; Vets Test Positive For Diseases

Aired March 27, 2009 - 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: We're pushing forward in the Red River Valley. In Fargo, the river's still rising. A century-old record has fallen, and the levies are anybody's guess. We're live in the danger zone.

And we're staying on the health care involving thousands of veterans and dirty colonoscopies. For some of those vets now, it's more than a scare.

Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

And our two big stories this hour: President Obama lays out a new plan of attack in Afghanistan. Not just more troops, but more training, more expertise, and a lot more money.

More river is the last thing they need in North Dakota, but that's what they're getting. In Fargo, the Red River's never been higher and won't top out until tomorrow.

We're also keeping an eye out for the White House briefing. It's due to start at 1:30 Eastern Time. That's the bottom of the hour. We're going to bring you the first few minutes live right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

All right. Let's start with that record flood, blinding blizzard and another round of tornadoes. A big chunk of the U.S. from the plains to the Deep South is getting slammed right now by some dangerous weather this hour. And the worst is far from over.

We're covering all angles for you. Our iReporters are sending in their pictures, and we've got reporters fanned out across the region. Ted Rowlands live in Fargo, North Dakota, where floodwaters have smashed records set over a century ago. And Jim Spellman is at a truck stop near Denver where the only thing do is wait out the blizzard. And then Jacqui Jeras, of course, has up-to-the-minute information for us from the CNN severe weather center.

First up, Ted Rowlands, let's go to you in Fargo, where evacuations are under way -- Ted.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the sandbagging, as you can see, continues here in Fargo. And there's really sort of a nervous tension in the city because of the different forecasts as far as how high the Red River is going to get.

Earlier this morning they came out and said that it might get to 43, and that really sent shock waves to this community, because the sense was that that might be too much and that they were fighting this battle that they were not going to be able to win.

Now in the last few hours the estimations have gone down now to 42.

So people are getting a lot of work down here. People have been here every day around the clock, and that's been well-documented.

But what is interesting is outside of here, where people are working, was there is a lot of people at home gathering their things, gathering their materials, their property, their medicines, and getting ready for that call, if they get it, if there is a breach in the dike where they're near.

And there's a lot of this sort of sense of apprehension and tension, just waiting and hoping that the dike system is going will to hold here as the river continues to rise.

But right now it is more of the same in terms of the volunteer effort. It's really unbelievable the way that this community has come together. This is just one snapshot of what's been going on over the last three days. Two million sandbags, people donating their time. We talked about the young man right here has been here every single day, eight hours a day. So the work continues here. The apprehension throughout the city, just waiting and waiting and hoping that the dikes will hold as the Red River continues to rise.

PHILLIPS: OK, Ted. We'll talk to you some more.

Plus, we've got a lot of iReporters, too, sending in pictures for us. Let's go ahead and go over now to Commerce City, Colorado. Jim Spellman is waiting out the big snowstorm there -- Jim.

JIM SPELLMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the sun's come out now, and it's starting to warm up. The plows are out in the streets. But don't let that fool you; this was an intense storm. In the height of it, it felt to me more like being in a hurricane than being in a snowstorm. Just blinding wind, the snow just whipping and hitting as hard as you could -- as hard as you could imagine.

We spoke with one truck driver who was here at this truck stop, waiting out the storm. And he described to me what it was like in the middle of the storm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUGLAS JONES, TRUCK DRIVER: One of the worst I've seen. One of the worst. Because it was all at once. I came up yesterday, there was no snow at Pueblo. Got over to Colorado springs and it was a whiteout. So this is one of the worst I've had this year. I've heard about some bad ones. This is the worst I've been in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SPELLMAN: And Doug Jones, that truck driver, he's heading now to Oklahoma. And that's right where the storm is. He's decided to just wait it out here instead of driving right into that storm and getting more of this as he goes along -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Jim, thanks. We'll wait out the entire storm with you, as well.

Jacqui Jeras also waiting everything out. She's keeping track of all the extreme weather for us.

Jacqui, what do you have for us?

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: So much extreme weather, Kyra. And you know, we're getting new developments every hour.

We're going to start out along the Red River in North Dakota in Minnesota, where our new developments there are that 800 more National Guard troops are going to be monitoring the dikes and build levees in this area to look for seepage.

We've had some seepage being reported around the Linwood area and Fargo, and that's cause for some evacuations in parts of Fargo, as well as into the Moorhead area. At least 500 people have been evacuated in this area because of seepage on that dike. Now it hasn't broken; it's just leaking some water through. But if it does break ultimately, we could be seeing that impacting 5,000 to 6,000 residences in this area. So it's a really bad situation still ongoing.

The river levels -- let's go ahead and show you where it's at right now. The most recent observation has the river level of 40.65 feet. So that is above the record stage. This black line here, that's the previous record, set back in 1997. The crest looks like it's not going to happen until late Saturday into Sunday so sometime over the weekend.

And that 42-foot mark is a little bit iffy. We've never seen the river this high in recorded history. So nobody living has ever seen anything happen like this before. And when you get into uncharted territory like that, there's a lot of uncertainty on how that river is going to actually be behaving.

Now, in addition to the flooding, we've got severe weather to talk about. A tornado watch still in effect for parts of Florida and into southern parts of Georgia. Damage being reported now in the Tallahassee area, mostly trees, perhaps some power outages. And this line continues to march eastward, bringing 60- to 70-mile-per-hour wind gusts with it.

A new severe thunderstorm watch has just been issued, which includes you in Houston, while southeast Texas is dealing with severe weather right now. We're looking at blizzard conditions into the panhandle. Winds here have been gusting between 60 and 70 miles per hour with 17 inches of snow in southeastern Colorado. So that's more like a hurricane creating whiteout conditions.

This is a crippling storm here, Kyra. And we could be seeing snowdrifts 10 to 20 feet high. Imagine: you can't even get out of your door when you're talking about drifts that big.

PHILLIPS: All right. That's a little scary.

JERAS: A lot scary.

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll talk, of course, throughout the afternoon. Thanks, Jacqui.

Well, folks in Fargo, North Dakota, and other parts of the country slammed by bad weather are going to need a lot of help rebuilding their lives. And here's how you can help. All you have to do is logon at CNN.com/impact.

Well, the president calls it an international security challenge of the highest order. He's ordering new troops and a new approach to the war in Afghanistan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: As if things were bad enough, property taxes are going up all over the country. What can do you about it? Gerri Willis joins me with some tips you can't afford to miss.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Checking your money: a glimmer of hope for economy watchers. Consumer spending rose for the second straight month in February. The government says that spending climbed .2 of a percent last month following January's revised uptick of one percent. Until January, consumer spending had fallen for six straight months.

Well, tough times continue at both old and new media. Google is laying off nearly 200 people who work in the company's advertising sales department.

"The New York Times" is laying off 100 people and cutting pay for most employees by five percent. Those pay cuts are supposed to be temporary and last through December.

But "The Washington Post" is launching its fourth round of employee buyouts since 2003. No word on how many management is being sought out for that.

Well, job losses and falling home values are about enough. Now property taxes are spiking all over country as local governments are just trying to make up for the lost revenues.

Our personal finance editor, Gerri Willis, has these strategies for lowering your property tax bill -- Gerri.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Yes, this is a big deal for lots of people, Kyra. And let me tell you, Philadelphia's raised property taxes 19 percent for next year. Prince William County in Virginia is looking at a 25 percent property tax hike. And residents in Hoboken will see a 47 percent increase in their property taxes.

So what's going on here?

Well, despite the lower market, property taxes are higher, and that's because property assessments are not entirely based on market value. There's really a lag time. Assessments are done every two to three years. Local governments are hurting for cash. And the fact that assessments are not based on market value means that they're actually based on what it would cost you to replace the house, and that number has not changed.

So here's how you can try to cut your own taxes. First check the assessment's accuracy. Go to the assessor's office. Look at what they call the property card. And then go through it carefully looking for errors. Do they say you have five bedrooms when you only have four?

These assessments are not even done from the street; they're done by computers, so they have lots of errors. Find out what your neighbors are paying, especially neighbors that might have houses similar to yours. There are often errors in these statements. You can actually make money by spotting them -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. So how do you -- how do you state that case and then get your taxes lowered?

WILLIS: All right. So what you do is you gather evidence. You take photos of similar houses with lower assessments. You may need to get an appraisal in some cases, but be careful, because this can cost you a couple hundred dollars.

Generally, you have one to two months after you get your tax bill to appeal that property tax to your county assessor's office. You may need to have a hearing before a local property tax appeals board to get the work done.

Let me tell you: individuals are often successful. The success rate for lowering your property tax is about one in two. So if you make the right pitch, you do it correctly, you have a good chance of getting your taxes lowered. And isn't that what we all want?

PHILLIPS: Absolutely. Especially when we're in the middle of filing for taxes right now.

WILLIS: That's right.

PHILLIPS: All right, Gerri, thanks.

WILLIS: My pleasure.

PHILLIPS: Drugs, torture, murder, a day in the life of a Mexican drug cartel. CNN actually talked to a member of one cartel. You won't see his face, but you won't forget his words. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Disrupt, dismantle, defeat. President Obama's plan for al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan. As you may have seen live here on CNN, the commander in chief today set a new course for a war that he says is increasingly perilous.

He's sending 4,000 troops to act as trainers for Afghan troops. That's in addition to the 17,000 new combat troops announced weeks ago. He's also sending hundreds of civilian experts and advisors. And he's asking Congress for new aid to boost the Afghan and Pakistani economies. At stake, says the president, is the safety of the people around the world, especially Americans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Al Qaeda and its allies, the terrorists who planned and supported the 9/11 attacks are in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Multiple intelligence estimates have warned that al Qaeda is actively planning attacks on the United States homeland from its safe haven in Pakistan. And if the Afghan government falls to the Taliban or allows al Qaeda to go unchallenged, that country will again be a base for terrorists who want to kill as many of our people as they possibly can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Let's get some more on the military angle from Brigadier General Richard Blanchette. He's a spokesperson for the NATO mission in the Afghan capital.

Sir, good to see you. I want to get right to it with regard to Pakistan being this refuge for al Qaeda. As soon as it wants to run and hide, this is where it goes. Why?

BRIGADIER GENERAL RICHARD BLANCHETTE, SPOKESPERSON, NATO: Well, we've been quite impressed, actually, with the good coordination we've had with the Pakistanis. But obviously more need to be done. We have the tri-parteid commission that meets on a regular basis, and General McKiernan, who's the commander of ISAF, has been quite positive about the good work that has been done with General Kiani (ph) and with General Bzuakhan (ph) from the Afghan forces.

PHILLIPS: And it's good to hear about the progress and the efforts being made towards this mission. But at the same time, sir, I mean this is a breeding ground for terrorists and it continues to be. The U.S. continues to funnel millions of millions of dollars into Pakistan and into its military.

So at what point do you stop that financial support and truly go after the main problem, which is breeding right in Pakistan? How can your men and women do that?

BLANCHETTE: Well, we are welcoming the extra resources that will go and help influence this aspect. Of course, more political discussion has to take place. But for us in the feel here, we have many forces on the border. We are keeping an eye -- close eye on the border.

And we know that this chorus line has to be watched. We have to deploy our forces at the right place, but this has to be in coordination with the Pakistani authorities. And it's only through dialogue, through discussions with them that we can achieve this.

PHILLIPS: So is it hurting your mission in Afghanistan, the fact that there's very little accountability for where U.S. dollars go when it goes into Pakistan?

BLANCHETTE: ISAF is responsible for the pillar of security; there's no doubt about it. However, if you look at governance, reconstruction and development, the international community has to pour more resources in and more discussion has to happen with this.

But we know that government has to realize that if they want to make a difference on the insurgency, they have to improve the day-to- day lives of its people. And there's a lot of work being done. However, more needs to be done. And this is why political discussions have to take place to lead to this improvement for the day-to-day lives of the Afghans.

PHILLIPS: Where will the extra forces and the extra dollars go first off when you receive them for these new efforts in Afghanistan? Will it go into training Afghan security forces? Will it go to drug -- counter-drug efforts?

BLANCHETTE: The emphasis has to be on training. And we are welcoming again these extra resources, those 4,000 officers and NCOs who will come to help with the training.

I've seen the training. It's quite encouraging to see all the good work is that is happening. But again more needs to be done because we need to have more Afghan national security forces. This is really the way to the future.

These are flourishing institutions. Both the army and the police are doing better. But they need to continue this line of improvement, because at one point, they have to do it on their own. We are aiming towards that tipping point. We're not there yet. More needs to be done.

But we also have to deploy more forces to the south. This is a huge area. This is one-third of the country, and we haven't had enough forces down there in the past. And the arrival of these forces will allow us to create more with the security, where you can have better governance, followed by better reconstruction and development.

PHILLIPS: Brigadier General Richard Blanchette, appreciate your time, sir.

Well, everybody talks about the Taliban and al Qaeda but the Afghan war is a lot more complicated. The Taliban ruled and sheltered al Qaeda from the mid-1990s until late 2001, and it launched its comeback in earnest in 2005.

There's also the so-called Haqqani network, and that's tied but separate from the Taliban and al Qaeda. It dates back to the '80s when the CIA and Saudi Arabia were backing Afghan Mujahideen against the Soviets. Same goes for the final group whose well-known founder has battled or partnered with just about everybody in the region over the past three decades.

Well, violence along the U.S.-Mexico border claims another American life. You're seeing the body of a fugitive U.S. marshal found in the border city of Juarez, Mexico.

A U.S. law enforcement source says that Vincent Bustamante appears to have been shot in the head execution style. Bustamante was accused of stealing U.S. government property, including handguns and a shotgun but failed to show up for court in El Paso last week. The area where he was found has been the scene of repeated drug violence.

And getting an inside look at that violence, our own Anderson Cooper. Anderson has been reporting live from the U.S.-Mexican border this week. And he's interviewed a man who claims that he's a mid- level member of one of Mexico's warring drug cartels. Two trusted sources of ours confirm his claim based on their long-time work in the region.

We agreed we wouldn't use the man's name and that we would conceal his identity. Here's part of Anderson's exclusive interview. We want to warn you: what you're about to hear is pretty disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): How are people tortured?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we've got different ways. Burn them. You burn his testicles. Ice picks in his feet.

COOPER: Ice picks into people's feet?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. We'll pull off his nails one by one with some pliers. Whatever they can think of.

COOPER: You say they burn people. With what?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A torch.

COOPER: Like a blow torch?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like the ones you use for the -- at a body shop.

COOPER: Is everybody corruptible?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe one out of ten -- I mean, nine out of ten, it is; in Mexico, it is. COOPER: You think nine out of ten people in Mexico, whether they're military or police or officials or just regular people, nine out of ten are corruptible?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would say so. I think so.

COOPER: And is -- it's just the need for money, the desire for money?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not only that, but their families, their lives depends on it. They want to cooperate, and they either cooperate or get killed. You have no choice.

COOPER: But there is corruption in law enforcement; there is corruption in border enforcement here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, there is. I knew an agent in U.S. Customs, they offered him $50,000 for a vehicle just to cross over, and he took it. So I think there is.

COOPER: Simple as that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Simple as that. You don't have to ask what's in it. You can just say it's American and will cross. He doesn't know what's in the trunk or anything, but there's a body in the truck.

COOPER: So anything could be brought across the border if the money's good?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes.

COOPER: What's it like working inside a cartel? Are you nervous, are you scared?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The money, the life, the fast life, the cars, the women, everything in it. After a little while, it gets out of hand, and once you realize that it's a little bit out of hand, it's too late. It's a little bit too late for you to back out. There's only one way, and that's being killed.

COOPER: There are drug cartels operating in every state in America?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have certain states, but throughout America, yes, there is. But there are certain states where they operate the most.

COOPER: What states are those?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, North Carolina, South Carolina, East Coast, West Coast.

COOPER: How much does it cost to get somebody killed?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now? Across the border, it's $100.

COOPER: A hundred dollars?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

COOPER: In Mexico, if you wanted to have somebody killed in Mexico, it would cost $100?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It costs a hundred dollars.

COOPER: What about the United States?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe $500 to $1,000.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, tonight Anderson takes an up-close look at the drug war along the border and how it's affecting each and every one of us. "THE WAR NEXT DOOR" a special "AC 360," live from the U.S./Mexico border. Catch it tonight 10:00 Eastern only on CNN.

Water everywhere, and it will be that way for days. Parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota are under water as the Red River hits a record high.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER SONDAG, CNN IREPORTER: This evening I have been working on packing up stuff from the basement to get it out of the way. I was talking to my parents earlier and asking them, "Do you really think that we'll really get water if the basement?"

And they said, yes, the whole basement could be flooded with water if the dikes break.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Fargo, North Dakota, has never seen anything like it, and the Red River at its highest level since record keeping started more than 100 years ago. Floodwaters are everywhere, homes and businesses swamped, and hundreds of people heading for higher ground.

In the southern plains the snow is piling up, and it's moving east. Parts of Colorado got nearly a foot and a half, and a state of emergency is now in place.

In the south, another round of ferocious thunderstorms, as well. In Alabama, a suspected tornado touched down this morning near mobile.

Jacqui Jeras keeping track of all the extreme weather for us -- Jacqui.

JERAS: Hey, Kyra. We're going to focus on flooding this go-around, because we've seen some new developments going on along the Red River and concerns with some seepage on the area dikes, and more than 800 additional National Guardsmen are being called in to check and monitor the dikes and levee system here to check for any more breaches. So evacuations have taken place.

This is Moorhead, Minnesota, and the core of the downtown area has been evacuated. Then over here, in Fargo, evacuations taking place east of the Fourth Street area between South River Road and Lindenwood Drive there.

So, this core area of Fargo is being evacuated. Right now, they think that's all they're going to have to do unless we see more changes on the river. We're already at record levels, and we're not expected to crest until late tomorrow, maybe even early Sunday, and stay at an elevated level.

You know that the massive sandbagging effort is taking place. They're trying to fill up three million all together to try and protect this city. Now, while things have been frantic here in Fargo, just downriver in East Grand Forks and Grand Forks, you know, even though they're in major flood, they're not all that worried about it. And we're going to tell you the story of what's been going on here and why.

First of all, let's show you what happened back in 1997. That's really the landmark flood situation. East Grand Forks and Grand Forks saw the worst of the flooding on the Red River; 60,000 people were put out of their homes. Downtown was burning (ph). Almost every home in East Grand Forks sustained some type of damage. After the flooding, thousands of volunteers came to clean up.

Many of them lost their homes, their cars, really everything they had, and some of these neighborhoods weren't rebuilt. But the city spent the next ten years with a massive initiative to protect the city. And they built this new dike system and an invisible floodwall to try and protect the city. And this will protect East Grand Forks and Grand Forks up to 63 feet. It's a concrete slab, and they put in those pillars and those dikes to help protect the city so it's up when they need it. Otherwise they get a nice view of the river.

And let's go ahead and show you some of those river levels that we're expecting in the Grand Forks area, if we could go back to the gauge map, Dave. And there you can see it. This is the record stage right now. The initial crest keeps it below it at 52 feet. And we're protected to 63. So, really, a tale of two cities, Kyra. While Fargo is franticly trying to save theirs, East Grand Forks took those steps from last go around and are doing OK, at least for now.

PHILLIPS: OK. We'll keep talking. Thanks, Jacqui. Well, the floods and tornadoes are impacting a lot of lives, and a lot of people are going to need help rebuilding their lives. There's information, too, how you can help. All you have to do is log on to CNN.com/impact. Other top story. President Obama aims to impact the war in Afghanistan with a lot more money and manpower. He's sending 4,000 U.S. troops to train Afghan troops. That's in addition to the 17,000 more combat troops already announced. About 38,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan right now, and he's also sending hundreds of civilian advisers and asking Congress for new aid to boost the Afghan and Pakistani economies.

Well, some of those reinforcements are coming from the Georgia National Guard. And today, those troops and their families are holding a farewell barbecue and the guest list includes the Barroqueiro family. Capt. Frank Barroqueiro is with the 121st infantry. He joins us now with his wife, Bethany, and also his son, Hayden. Frank, it looks like Hayden's already getting anxious. He doesn't want you to go.

CAPT. FRANK BARROQUEIRO, GEORGIA NATIONAL GUARD: Yes. He's dying to get to some of the games we have going on here.

PHILLIPS: OK. We'll try and make this short and sweet, Bethany, so you can get him over there to play with the games.

But Frank, on a serious note, we wanted to talk to you today because you're ready to get -- you're getting ready to go over to Afghanistan, a place that President Obama has been talking about since he was campaigning for president. And there's been so much focus on Iraq. Now it seems like there's even more focus on Afghanistan. How have you prepped for that, and what exactly will your mission be when you go over there?

F. BARROQUEIRO: Well, I'm not really at liberty to talk about the mission we'll be doing, ma'am, but as far as prep, the National Guard is constantly training and preparing for missions. So, we're pretty ready to go.

PHILLIPS: Well, the president has been pretty blunt in saying that Pakistan has been a tremendous problem, and it's been a place that has protected al Qaeda, protected the terrorists. That's where they run and hide. Can you talk about why your focus is not only Afghanistan but also Pakistan and how you hope to make an impact on that new effort that the president has been talking about today?

F. BARROQUEIRO: Well, ma'am, as far as Pakistan, I mean the president is the subject-matter expert as far as what's going on there. Our mission is to go over and just facilitate and help the Afghani forces secure and provide security and a working government for themselves.

PHILLIPS: Are you going to help the Afghans train securitywise to help take over and protect their own country?

F. BARROQUEIRO: Well, they're already doing it, ma'am, from the reports I've seen and folks I've spoken to. We're just going over to augment and help them train more folks. But they've already seem to have been doing a great bit of the amount of work themselves. PHILLIPS: So, Bethany, from a human side here, as your husband gets ready to go over to Afghanistan, tell me -- I mean, this is tough on the family. It's tough on Hayden. You know, what's it like as a mom and a wife, specifically a wife of a soldier?

BETHANY BARROQUEIRO, WIFE: Of course, it's very challenging, and it's been challenging, with him coming and going with all the training that they've been doing. We've had no consistency. And now, as he deploys, of course it continues to be challenging and scary.

PHILLIPS: No doubt. Well, I'll tell you what, we're going to follow you guys. We're going to keep an eye on Hayden, Frank. So, good luck over there in Afghanistan. Bethany, thanks so much. You guys go enjoy the games. We'll be thinking about you on your new mission.

B. BARROQUEIRO: Thank you so much.

F. BARROQUEIRO: Thank you, ma'am.

PHILLIPS: All right. Well, how much help is the U.S. getting in Afghanistan? Here's a breakdown. Britain currently has 8,300 troops in Afghanistan. And today, the head of the British army says that he might send more if asked. The Afghan national army is nearly 83,000 strong, but that number's expected to go up to 122,000.

Now, some of the other power players in Afghanistan, Germany has more than 3,600 troops. Canada and France have around 2,800 each, and Italy has more than 2,300.

Well, it's disturbing and it's inexcusable, and it happened to thousands of America's veterans. Unsanitary equipment may have exposed them to dangerous viruses. And now we're pushing forward on a story that you need to know more about.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, it is a disturbing story, outrageous really, and it's sure to make you ask, how in the world could this happen? Thousands of vets exposed to infectious diseases, possibly even AIDS, at three different V.A. clinics. It's a story we've been pushing forward all week to bring you the latest. And our senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, joins me now. We actually have test results from two of those V.A. facilities, and the results are not exactly what we wanted to hear.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, exactly. There have -- there are some of these vets that are testing positive for some of these diseases. So, basically, to recap, what they found is that these two V.A. centers that there was some problems with the equipment and that vets might have gotten infected with some diseases like hepatitis or HIV.

So, they called these thousands of vets in and tested them. What they found is that in Murfreesboro, Tennessee that ten vets have tested positive for viruses, four for hepatitis B and six for hepatitis C. In Augusta, Georgia, at that V.A. medical center, we're being told me that six vets have tested positive. They're not saying what they've tested positive for, but we know that they did test them for things like hepatis, HIV and for other diseases.

Now, I think it's very important to be clear about what happened here. In Tennessee, what happened to possibly have caused these problems is that they switched out some parts in the machinery that they were not supposed to switch out. I mean, the manual apparently was quite clear not to do this. And then in Augusta, what happened was that they didn't disinfect some of the machinery as they were supposed to disinfect it.

PHILLIPS: So, how do you know if these vets -- and is there a way to prove that these vets actually got the illnesses from this machine at this facility?

COHEN: That is the crucial question. And right now, we are being told that they don't know how these vets got infected. All they know is these vets now have hepatis. Did they get hepatitis from a colonoscopy machine that wasn't cleaned properly? Who knows? Maybe they got hepatitis some other way. There are many ways of getting hepatitis. They might have contracted hepatitis before the colonoscopy. They might have contracted it after. They don't know, and so -- they may never know.

PHILLIPS: Well, what's the V.A. going to do for them, and do they have a lawsuit?

COHEN: Well, the V.A. says that they're going to take care of these patients and take care of their diseases. They would do that anyhow. The vets, of course, are their patients. And we asked some lawyers, do these vets now have a lawsuit? And they said, you know what, that's very tricky. It might be very hard for them to prove, aha, I got hepatitis from this colonoscopy with this dirty equipment. It's going to be hard for them to prove that because, again, you can get hepatitis a number of ways.

PHILLIPS: Well, we're going to keep following this. That's for sure. Elizabeth, we really appreciate it.

What we didn't talk about was the Miami hospital. What about the Miami V.A. hospital that we told but this week? Inspections revealed that thousands of patients there also could be infected. Now, Florida congressmen are calling for an investigation. So, what's the status?

We turn once again to Dr. John Vara. He's the chief of staff at the Miami V.A. facility. He joins me once again by phone.

Dr. Vara, I appreciate you talking with us again. Let's talk about your hospital. Have any patients come forward after being tested -- and I know there are still a lot that need to be tested, thousands of them -- and said to you, or have they received their test results and are they infected?

DR. JOHN VARA, CHIEF OF STAFF, MIAMI V.A. HEALTHCARE (via telephone): At this point in time, we've just started getting results back, and I have no data to give you about any positives that way.

PHILLIPS: So, so far, no patients are coming forward with hepatis B, C or HIV?

VARA: At this time.

PHILLIPS: OK. And how many test results are in out of the couple of thousand that you have asked of the patients to take?

VARA: Right. At this point, you know, we just have about 200 results in. And, you know, there's -- you know, we've had over 1,000 people come in and be tested.

PHILLIPS: Still a couple thousand more to go. All right, a couple of questions. With regard to this patient safety alert that came forward back in December, and that was -- it came forward. You were told to check the problems with the colonoscopy equipment. What happened in the hospital, your efforts, with regard to following up on that safety alert once it came out?

VARA: We followed up on it. However, there appears to be a problem with that, and that's currently under investigation. When we went back with this more intense endoscopic step-up, senior leadership was very involved in that. That was a national V.A. initiative. And we're looking comprehensively at a lot of elements. And that's when the problem was discovered, and that point we disclosed that both to V.A. central office and to, ultimately, to the media and the community and congressional officers. PHILLIPS: So, Dr. Vara, the alert came out in December. In January, your hospital said, hey, we've got a clean bill of health. And now look at the situation that you're in. So, where is the quality control? Do you think this was not taken seriously enough?

VARA: That would be very difficult for me to say at this point. We have several reviews going on. In addition, as I'm sure you know, that Secretary Shinseki is aware of this and Congressman Meeks, certainly, and Senator Nelson, that we have the office of the inspector general involved, which is actually a separate office, not directly associated with the V.A. And they're working closely with another group that's in here doing an investigative board, and we want to find out, you know, exactly how all this happened.

PHILLIPS: So, from this point forward, is anyone coming in for a colonoscopy? Are you giving them a colonoscopy? And do you believe in your process right now?

VARA: We're checking everything, and so we want to be able to absolutely say to people that, you know, we are in full compliance with everything. So, every piece from A to Z is being checked. And what we want at the end of the day is to be able to provide the absolute best care. I think Secretary Shinseki has made it perfectly clear that we need to make sure our processes are standardized and that veterans are not put at any risk, which is the same mission that we share.

PHILLIPS: So, Dr. Vara, if a vet were to come in today needing that procedure, would you are 100 percent confidence in giving that vet that procedure today?

VARA: I would say that today -- you're putting me -- tough question. I would be very confident about the procedure today.

PHILLIPS: OK. Dr. John Vara, we'll be following up. Appreciate your time.

VARA: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back.

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PHILLIPS: We are checking in on the White House briefing. Robert Gibbs supposed to step up to the mike any minute now. We will take that live as soon as it happens and monitor what he has to say.

Well, check out the highlighted circle on the upper right. See the white SUV and the suv and the car behind it? See the car hit the SUV? Well, guess who's in the car. It's the police chief of a Seattle suburb. Chief Brian Wilson, well, apparently he got distracted by his -- oh, his BlackBerry, and he hit the SUV right in front of him. The town of Federal Way says Wilson is, quote, "mortified." The city gave him a reprimand. Well, we give him a "What the...?"

Now, to eastern New York State, where police say a dogcatcher turned into a dog killer. Animal control officer Matt Beck (ph) accused of killing two loose dogs that he picked up, then filing false paperwork to fool the owner about what happened. Owner April Stevens (ph) says that her three dogs got loose last month, and only one returned. She wants Beck (ph) to do some jail time. He's pleaded not guilty to misconduct charges.

Two words that should never go together, spring and blizzard. It ain't your typical day in Texas, and we're going to take you to the heart of the storm.

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PHILLIPS: All right. We're still following Robert Gibbs and waiting for him to step up to the podium there to give the White House briefing. We'll take it live as soon as it begins.

Meanwhile, it's his war now. President Obama announces his new strategy in Afghanistan, ordering another 4,000 troops into the war zone. The president's vowing to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda and Taliban terrorists. No word on the cause. No talk of timetables. We're going to dig a little deeper and put some human faces on the conflict next hour.

And record flooding, heavy snow and the threat of tornadoes. Extreme weather is pounding a big chunk of the country from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico. The situation especially serious in parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota, where a lot of people are seeing their homes and businesses threatened by floodwaters. In the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM, we're going to go live again to Fargo for the latest on the flooding.

Well, spring is here, and that means warm breezes and balmy temps, right? Well, try telling that to the people getting socked right now by late winter weather. Matter of fact, the Texas panhandle is nearly shut down right now. John Harris from our Amarillo affiliate KAMR is right there in the thick of it. How's it doing?

JOHN HARRIS, KAMR-TV CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, right now, it is extremely cold. We have windchills running close to zero. So, it does not take long for hypothermia or frostbite to set in. And of course, we are seeing heavy-duty snow across the Texas panhandle now. Right here in the city of Amarillo thus far, we've had upwards of four to five inches. We've been seeing some snow drifts upwards of maybe eight inches to a foot. But this blizzard is going to be with us for a better part of the day.

So we are actually looking at snow totals right here in the city of Amarillo, Texas upwards of 7 to 10 inches and possibly drifts upwards of 10 feet to 20 feet in some of our area. The traffic is basically at a standstill in the central (ph) part of the Texas panhandle.

One of our major arteries, Interstate 40, is closed from Amarillo to the Oklahoma state line and from Amarillo to Santa Rosa, New Mexico. We have numerous roads that are closed in our northern counties of the Texas panhandle. So, basically, this is the place not to be.

The last time we've seen a blizzard like this or the threat of a blizzard like this was back in 1957. So, it has happened before. But right now we basically have got the snow flying, and we have more on radar that will move in over the panhandle as we travel throughout the day -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: OK, now, John, I remember living in Lubbock, Texas, and we got snow. I think it hadn't happened in, like, 40 years. And nobody knew what to do or how to travel. Have you seen a complete lockdown there in Amarillo?

HARRIS: Well, I'll tell you what, we're far enough in the state of Texas that we can actually see all four seasons up here. So our crews, TxDOT, they are actually prepared for it. We do actually have snowplows, and they do a fantastic job with the city streets and with the roads around the Texas panhandle. So, we are prepared for it, and we're ready for this one, and we'll see what happens in the end, I guess.

PHILLIPS: OK. John Harris, appreciate it. Great state of Texas.

Well, Texas is just one of several states getting blasted by the extreme weather, from blizzard conditions in the southern Plains to fierce thunderstorms and the threat of tornadoes in the Deep South. And in parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota, flooding like they've never seen before. It could be days before the water starts to drop. North Dakota's biggest city is in the bull's-eye in this record flooding on the Red River. CNN's Ted Rowlands joins us now live from Fargo. Hey, Ted.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra. Yes, the Red River now is at record levels. It hasn't been this high since the 1800s. Meanwhile, it is getting higher. And there is a lot of tension, of course, as you can imagine. In town, people are hoping that the dike system and the levees are going to hold, and they are doing everything they can to help out Mother Nature in the form of sandbagging and adding more real estate, if you will to these dikes.

And you look here. This has been going on for days, and it's really amazing the amount of people who have come out here. It's a beehive of activity, and it's been going 24 hours a day. Thousands of people are coming here and donating their time, and a lot of these people have homes in the potentially threatened areas. The National Guard is here as well. Renee O'Connor (ph) is part of the National Guard and has been out here since Monday. We were talking earlier. This is truly amazing, the volunteer effort from everybody.

RENEE O'CONNOR (ph), NORTH DAKOTA NATIONAL GUARD: I actually just talked to twtwo guys upstairs. They are on their spring break from Chicago and just drove down here to help with the flood. This is not only -- obviously, just the nature of North Dakota and Minnesota residents, we pull together on stuff like this. But it just awed me that there are two kids who gave up their spring break to come do this.

ROWLANDS: It's pretty chilly for a spring break. I remember going to Florida as a youngster.

O'CONNOR (ph): And they went to North Dakota.

ROWLANDS: Yes. You have a home in town. And a lot of people here have homes in town that potentially, if this water gets over 43, could be in jeopardy. Talk about sort of that uneasiness that everybody has a bit of.

O'CONNOR (ph): Of course, when you're looking at losing your home or anything like that, everyone's going to be a little nervous. But I do believe that what we're doing here and what the city has done with building the dikes and all the other processes, I believe every step that could possibly be taken is being taken.

ROWLANDS: And one of the steps, Kyra, is the "spider." It's sand going up a conveyor belt and down through different tubes. People filling sandbags that way. They're also doing it the old- fashioned way, with shovels, and they're coming in with front-loaders and taking them off.

We just actually, within the last hour, there was a call for volunteers to go to the dike near the airport. There was one small breach in southern Fargo, but not a lot of water came of it. There were 150 people that were evacuated from their homes, but thankfully, right now, most of it -- all of it is really holding in the city, and it's just a "wait and see" game to see how high this water gets. People hoping, praying and sandbagging.

PHILLIPS: Yes, we're watching it by the minute. Thanks so much, Ted.