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G-20 Protests Escalate; Gen. Petraeus on The Hill; New Threat Against the U.S.; Protestors Use "Twitter" to Make Plans
Aired April 01, 2009 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Live pictures right now. Welcome back, we're in the NEWSROOM right now. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
Live pictures coming in as well as taped images. You're seeing the crush, the melee here between protesters and police there in London as thousands of people have crowded the downtown streets of London in the midst of the G-20 summit. World leaders from the leading industrialized nations meeting.
We know that President Obama has had his face-to-face meeting with British prime minister as the host of the G-20 summit, Gordon Brown. But on the outside, on the streets there, the crush of protesters, all for the most part, protesting the global financial crisis. And they have come down, particularly, on a couple of banks in London.
We understand that a great number of protesters have collected outside the Bank of England. And then most recently, we're hoping to get images, showing how now protesters have actually entered and caused physical damage to the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Some of the images here of arrests that have taken place. We don't know exactly some of the circumstances of what's led to the clashes between the protesters here and some of the police there on the streets of London. But we understand that it is getting quite heated in many parts of downtown London.
Suzanne Malveaux is traveling with President Obama, as he makes his first foray across the seas there to this G-20 summit. All taking place in London.
Suzanne, what's the White House reaction, if any, at this point as we're looking at images of physical damage being brought, possibly that is the Royal Bank of Scotland? We understand it is, indeed, the Royal Bank of Scotland, which is one of the banks that has -- has had some significant problems in the global economic crisis as well. Suzanne?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And, Fred, it's one of the banks, too, that got a huge bailout deal. So there's a lot of frustration among people here, the British, and what the White House is trying to do and what we saw the president actually trying to do earlier today when he was with British prime minister, Gordon Brown, is really to strike a balance here and to show and acknowledge that he understands the anger and frustration that people are feeling here. There are a lot of folks, Fred, who actually blame the United States, the administration, not Barack Obama personally, but the U.S. for starting this global financial crisis, because that is where it began, and then it spread.
And so we heard President Obama acknowledging, saying, yes, when he was asked whether or not the U.S. was to blame, that there was some regulatory problems, but he also said that the blame was shared here, same problems in England. But he said he didn't want to focus on the blame so much. More about looking ahead and trying to find a solution.
I want you to take a listen to how he put it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I came here to put forward our ideas, but I also came here to listen, not to lecture. Having said that, we must not miss an opportunity to lead. To confront a crisis that knows no borders.
We have a responsibility to coordinate our actions, and to focus on common ground, not on our occasional differences.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: And, Fred, what you're hearing there is, obviously, President Obama saying, this is not going to be business as usual. There's going to be a different tone here, that he's going to be listening as well as leading, but there's also the reflection of where the United States is, its position.
You had President Bush before who didn't necessarily have to listen because of the position, the strong economic position, of his administration. Now President Obama inheriting an economic crisis. Really does have to listen, Fred.
WHITFIELD: It really is an interesting juxtaposition, because while the U.S. is getting a lot of blame for the global economic crisis here at this G-20 summit, there's also a lot of attention being placed on the U.S. to actually help come up with a solution to help mend the world as it pertains to the economic crisis.
Suzanne Malveaux, thanks so much, joining us from London. We'll check back with you.
In the meantime, let's talk a little bit more about the protests. You're seeing the images right here. A huge crush of people in the streets of London.
Our Phil Black is near, I believe, the Royal Bank of Scotland, which is now sustaining some physical damage to that building, and at the same time, Phil, you can confirm this with me now, I understand that there's actually been entry by some of the protesters into the bank.
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fredricka, that's right. I'm standing amid across to 1,000, maybe 2,000 people, these protesters who have been gathered initially outside the Bank of England this morning. They have been hemmed in by police rather effectively and they grew increasingly frustrated by that, surging against the police line.
They eventually broke through them and they've now moved up along an adjoining build, the Royal Bank of Scotland. The police have re- deployed in full protective riot gear and they're holding them in, again, but now the crowd is increasingly turning -- Royal Bank of Scotland building, several windows of that building have been broken.
Some smoke bombs appear to have been thrown into the building and we've seen protesters enter the building as well. For the most part, the police are containing the crowd.
WHITFIELD: OK. And, Phil, if you could kind of describe for me, I mean, the protesters who are there, is anyone willing to say, these are kind of the usual suspects who often make themselves present when it whether it was -- whether it was the G-18 or whether it's now the G-20, whether they travel the globe to make their voices heard, even perhaps during world economic summits as well?
BLACK: That was certainly one of the police's fears, that you get those sort of veteran protesters showing up here.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
BLACK: It's hard to say. We're all pinned in very tightly. Certainly the crowd is a young one. Probably it's fair to say that many of them are university or college students and that it is mixed.
There is a mixed crowd here. Many of them are concealing their faces, are marching with red and black flags that designate them as anarchists, if you like. These are the groups that the police are particularly worried about, because they're the ones that have shown a willingness to get violent in the past.
But there is a mix. There's a mix of people who are constantly pushing the police lines forward. It's just happening right now as we speak. But others are just simply standing by and watching, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: OK, and, Phil, you know, if you would, please, kind of elaborate on what is really the point here of the protesters? We know they are -- they have made it clear that they are expressing outrage of the global economic crisis, but what is to be accomplished by the great numbers, the crush of people, and if there's one or two points they're trying to make, what might they be?
BLACK: Broadly speaking, they're all anti-capitalist, I think, is probably the one thing they would agree on. There are many other groups here, though some are political in their intent.
Others are very much environmental protesters. But they all seem to be formed along this line that capitalism is bad and is responsible for the mess and for the current economic crisis that the world sees itself in, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: OK. And we're looking at the images now that we continue to get here. We saw some of the protesters using signs to actually crush the windows. We saw people climbing in. And now we're seeing some people, who are protesters presumably, climbing out of those broken windows.
Do you know anything more about the details of what they were met with once inside that building?
BLACK: I'm standing only a few meters from that. I can tell you that there are police officers in that building. We've seen them on the other side of some of the glass that hasn't been broken yet. We're not sure to what degree they confronted those people who climbed in.
We see police intelligence officers taking photos of people right up against that glass line there. But certainly the police have formed a ring around part of that building. They are inside. It's unclear as to whether there have been any direct arrests just yet as a result of that damage there.
WHITFIELD: And Phil, we know, in many parts, of London during this G- 20 perhaps in anticipation of the protesters, there were a number of storefronts and businesses that vowed to be closed today. These banks -- the World Bank of Scotland, was that among those businesses that wanted to be closed today?
BLACK: Yes, certainly this bank building does appear to be closed for business, as do most of the buildings sort of in the immediate vicinity of where I am. That is the Bank of England which is always the center point for this protest today.
Strangely, though, that Royal Bank of Scotland building doesn't have its windows boarded up as do many of the other buildings directly adjoining the Bank of England.
WHITFIELD: Yes, and...
BLACK: But certainly it appears that there are no workers inside today.
WHITFIELD: Yes, I guess boarding up might have been a good idea for the Royal Bank of Scotland, because at least looking from this side of the exterior of the building, it's all glass, but now all shattered glass.
Phil Black, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
All right, President Obama has several important introductions today. Despite all the protests taking place throughout the streets of London, and all this taking place before the actual G-20 even begins.
The president is meeting, at this hour, with China's president, Hu Jintao.
CNN's John Vause joins us now from Beijing. And, John, what is the local reaction there in China to this meeting to take place, aside from what they might even be thinking about the protests throughout the city of London?
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, the opinion here is one which has been put out by the communist government for quite a few months, which is that, just because China has worked hard, has not been reckless and has built up this massive reserve of foreign currency and treasury bills, almost 2 trillion U.S. dollars worth of foreign reserves, it is unfair to think that China is in a position to save the rest of the world.
And the argument goes like this. It may very well be the world's third largest economy, but this is still a very poor country on a per capita basis. In fact, if you look at that per capita basis, GDP numbers, China is way down the list according to the IMF. It's between El Salvador and Egypt.
There's also a common feeling here that if the world wants China to pitch in and help the rest of the world economies out, rich nations like the United States and Great Britain, well, then, it's time for the west to show China some respect. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: All right, John Vause joining us from Beijing. Thanks so much.
Of course, while China is focusing on the business of the G-20, let's go back now to London, where, sadly, the business of the G-20 is also being upstaged by the protests of the G-20 throughout the city of London.
Becky Anderson is joining us now. And it appears, Becky, that some of the protesters have some long-term plans, because I'm seeing tents behind you.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, this is the fairly good-natured part of what is a lockdown in the city of London today. Behind my cameraman, I'm going to ask him to swing down, if you go down this street and you just turn right, that is the Bank of England and that is where we've seen the protests, more getting into a little bit of anger today.
But, here, this is a climate camp and there are an awful lot of different people here with different axes to grind against the governments around the world and the issues at hand at the present.
I tried to talk to what is an angry capitalist, that's how he described himself to me, earlier on today, to find out why some of the people are here. I've got Jeremy Leggett with me at the moment. I just want to give you a sense of what the metropolitan police are saying today.
We can't get numbers as of yet, but there are tens of thousands of people out here in the city of London protesting at the moment. We have seen a little bit of trouble myself and my producer were caught behind the police cordon at one stage and it was a pretty angry situation, but we're hearing from them there, and I quote today, "We are aware that missiles have been thrown at offices, but as far as we are concerned or aware, cordons do remain in place."
He's also seeing the same (INAUDIBLE) some windows being smashed and one of the banks being ransacked in the city, the Royal Bank of Scotland, right at the heart of the bailout plan from the U.K. government. A lot of anger from a lot of people around that bank today.
I want to introduce you now, though, to Jeremy Leggett, who found me here as we were reporting on the street earlier on.
You described yourself to me as an angry capitalist. So, Jeremy, why are you here today?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our system is broken. The operating system is broken and people have to protest. We've got to send a message to leaders. They've got to fix this, and it's got to involve regulation. It's got to involve leadership. And most of all, we need a green new deal.
We need them to do what they're talking about, many of them, which is to build jobs with green, new technologies that fix the climate issue, that these young people are protesting about.
ANDERSON: All right, well, you fit in fairly well at this climate camp then because you're talking about green issues. But, Jeremy, let me put this to you. You're the CEO of one of the fastest-growing energy companies in the country here in the U.K. at present.
You're not telling me that you've never been part of the problem, are you? As a capitalist, as somebody's who's been involved in business for years and years and years?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have been part of the problem. I feel that I've been asleep at the wheel. I let the system, this banking system run away without ever saying anything in business meetings. So I do feel guilty, yes. But I'm chairman of a solar energy company and renewables and energy efficiency really are very much part of the solution.
We can build jobs quickly. These are job-rich industries. We can deal with climate change. We can generate energy at home where people need it, so they don't have to go to war.
ANDERSON: All right, good stuff, thank you very much, indeed. You can see that there's lots of different people around -- within the cordon of the city of London today. We describe them as anti- capitalists, as angry CEOs and chairman of companies of all ages. (INAUDIBLE) around, they always are at things like this, because I say in this part, certainly, in the city of London at the moment fairly mellow and good natured.
Back to you, guys.
WHITFIELD: Yes. Except not far away from you, we are seeing anger being displayed in a much more fervent way, particularly outside the Royal Bank of Scotland.
We're continuing to follow the breaking story here. New videos right now of this broaching of -- breaching of security right here at the Royal Bank of Scotland. Protesters enter, and then they are met with what we understand to be police inside.
We're continuing to watch the developments here of the protesters that have come out in very big numbers there in London. All this while the G-20 summit gets under way.
Much more straight ahead.
ANNOUNCER: "First 100 Days" is sponsored by...
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: We continue to follow here in the NEWSROOM breaking news out of London. You're seeing some of the newer images coming in. Clashes between police and protesters there. Many of the protesters turning out for the G-20 summit.
In a sense showing anti-capitalism and expressing their concerns and anger, for the most part, about the global economic crisis and the global economic crisis is, in part, exactly what's attracted the G-20 summit already under way with a meeting between President Obama and British prime minister, Gordon Brown, hosting this year's summit.
We're going to continue to watch the developments there. We already know that a breach of security has taken place outside the former Royal Bank of Scotland.
Meantime, President Obama is looking to make some economic recovery a team effort. He is spending the day meeting with other world leaders before the G-20 summit actually gets under way officially.
First up, British prime minister, Gordon Brown, whose country is actually hosting the event as I mentioned. Christine Romans joins us now from New York.
So, Christine, what does Prime Minister Brown think actually needs to happen at this year's G-20?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Really, Fredricka, a remarkable press conference between the two of these men for more than 45 minutes, answering questions on a wide range of subjects that you can imagine, the economic crisis first and foremost.
And Gordon Brown, the prime minister of Britain, had five tests, he said, that would be the tests for how well this G-20 meeting goes. First, fix the banks. Fix the banking system. Get stability there. Spur economic growth. Get the world economy back to economic growth.
As you know, for the first time since World War II, really, for the first time since -- in 80 years or so, you're looking for a shrinking economy for the world. How are we going to support developing countries, and what are we going to do to continue that and bring more people to the table and decision making and how the financial system is going to look.
We have to guard against protectionism he said and spur global trade. How are we going to do those things? That's another very important part of the task he said for this G-20 and for whether there is progress today, and also aiding poor countries, making sure that the pledges for aid from the rich and developed countries are held fast and that those are not reneged.
These are the five specific tests that he said he'd like to see the president of this country, on the other hand, didn't have specific goals like that. But he did talk about global, coordinated stimulus, and he talked about regulation and the things that we need to do and the things that we've already talked about from our perspective in this country to get things back on track.
WHITFIELD: So he talked about regulation. What would global financial regulation actually look like?
ROMANS: Well, his treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, has been very clear on this and Timothy Geithner is there at this meeting as well, along with secretary of state, Hillary Clinton.
What it would look like would be better and more exhaustive regulations in all countries. Not a global regulator, but every country raising their standards, taking a look at hedge funds, regulating hedge funds, making sure these complex derivatives and these shadow banking system that we have are all -- are all watched and that systemically important companies like the AIGs of the world and big hedge funds, that those are regulated and not allowed to take down the global economy.
WHITFIELD: Yes, when you mentioned developing countries and there would be this commitment, at least according to the prime minister, to assist more developing countries. I guess on the receiving end you have to know that those developing country actually want the help.
ROMANS: Yes. That's -- that's a very good point, too. Look, a lot of people are saying the conventional wisdom now is that the G-20 is the new G-8, meaning we know that there are a lot of powerful, developing countries like China, Russia, Brazil, India, and others, who need to be a part of this solution, because, listen, this is a global interconnected financial system and we all have to raise our standards and find out a way to get a robust and stable financial system.
And so some people are saying that this is -- there are going to be more voices heard at the table here and that that is a reflection of how interconnected the whole system is. Others, though, are telling me, look, it is still Europe, the U.S., the U.K., Canada -- these are still the big, rich nations, still are the ones who have the ability and the banking systems to call the shots.
So there's a little disagreement about just how much different it will be, but -- but clearly, this is an incredibly important meeting.
WHITFIELD: All right, Christine Romans, thanks so much, appreciate it, from New York.
And we talk about relationships, how about the U.S. and Russia. Those relations, even President Obama admits that it's a bit strained, but despite tensions, Mr. Obama met this morning with Russia's president, and the two leaders talked about nuclear arms reduction.
Let's go live now to CNN's Matthew Chance, who joins us from Moscow.
What are the expectations?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the meeting has now come to an end, Fredricka, and they seem to have gone pretty well. Remember, it's the first meeting between President Obama and his Russian counterpart, Dmitri Medvedev. And a lot of expectation about what they'd be able to achieve.
But, again, it seems to have gone pretty well. In fact, Obama -- President Obama straight after the talks is being reported as saying that he'd begun, they'd begun, the two leaders, an area, a time of constructive dialogue. He said that the meeting presented great promise. And so, very positive words coming from the U.S. president.
They released a number of joint statements including one saying that they would immediately begin negotiations to reduce the number of nuclear warheads that both countries hold. Arms reduction has been identified as one of the areas between the two countries where there is this scope of cooperation.
In a relationship which has, of course, been severely strained over recent years over a range of issues, NATO expansion into eastern Europe, deployment of the U.S. missile defense elements in eastern Europe as well, and so the two leaders have been determined to try and reset that relationship and to try and find areas where they can actually talk about working together positively, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Did Afghanistan come up in discussions?
CHANCE: Yes, certainly. This is an area where, of course, the -- the interests of both the United States and Russia very much overlap. Russia sees that central Asia region very much as its kind of backyard, its sphere of influence. It gets a lot of the drugs that it produced in Afghanistan. They end up on the streets of Russia and Moscow, a lot of cities around the countries as well.
And so they very much want to work, they say, with the United States to try and bring the security situation in that country under control.
WHITFIELD: Matthew Chance from Moscow, thanks so much.
The G-20 summit being watched all over the world and a lot, of course, is taking place right in London. Besides the meetings that are about to be under way, but also the protests, as you continue to see there in the bottom corner of the screen.
We're continuing to watch the developments. Meantime, back in this country. President Obama's aunt is in immigration court in Boston this morning. It's her second bid seeking asylum from Kenya. Zeituni Onyango was ordered deported in 2004. Instead, she stayed and has been living in public housing, in Boston.
Her asylum request is being reconsidered under a little-used provision. It allows denied asylum claims to be reheard if applicant can show something has changed to make them eligible. Her reasons for seeking asylum have not been made public.
Former senator, Ted Stevens, convicted, but not sentenced, and now it looks like he won't be. The Justice Department wants nothing more to do with that case.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A motion to dismiss. Court documents show the Justice Department has asked all charges be dropped against former Alaska senator Ted Stevens. He was found guilty last fall of corruption.
The indictment accused him of trying to conceal hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts and home renovations. His lawyers in turn accused federal prosecutors of misconduct. Reports indicate Attorney General Eric Holder decided to dismiss the indictment after personally reviewing it. No comment yet from Stevens.
All right. Let's check in with our Rob Marciano at the Weather Center. Some pretty nasty weather particularly in the southeast.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MARCIANO: Fredricka, back over to you.
WHITFIELD: That would be not good.
MARCIANO: We'll work on that.
WHITFIELD: Nasty stuff. Yes.
MARCIANO: All right.
WHITFIELD: Got a little time to work on it. Thank you, Rob.
MARCIANO: You got it.
ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Fredricka Whitfield.
WHITFIELD: All right. Wall Street has closed the books on a horrible first quarter. It's the worst start of the year for the Dow since 1939. In the second quarter presenting some challenges for the bulls.
Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with a preview on that, as the market now is officially open.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Perfect timing, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: That was a nice punctuation.
LISOVICZ: Yes, it was a very nice punctuation. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that the second quarter won't get off to a very good start. We had a nice rally on the final day of the first quarter, but for the first three months of the year the Dow Industrials plunged more than 13 percent.
Second quarter starting with a thud as well amid undeniable evidence that the labor market is getting worse. Payroll processing firm, ADP, says a whopping 742,000 jobs were lost last month. It's much worse than expected, and sets us up for the more comprehensive report from the government on the labor market on Friday. Brace yourselves.
The latest companies slashing jobs is 3M, the maker of scotch tape and post-it notes. Cutting 1200 positions globally. Although, that number does include some cuts that were made earlier this year. Many of the U.S. cuts will be in Minnesota, where the company is based.
Honda motor also working to cut costs here in North America. The automaker will temporarily shut down some factories, reduce the pay of salaried workers and offer some buyouts.
Unfortunately, we're not seeing some buying in the first minute of trading. Right now, the Dow, the NASDAQ, and the S&P 500 each down at least 1.25 percent.
Ringing the opening bell, which punctuated our report so nicely, Fredricka, Disney to celebrate the first film in its nature series. "Earth" is narrated by James Earl Jones.
I wonder where I've heard that voice before?
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: I know. Powerful, powerful voice.
LISOVICZ: This is CNN, right?
WHITFIELD: I know. I love it. I can't wait to see it. When I saw the previews, I thought, oh, my gosh, this is just so riveting. I think everyone is going to be -- it's kind of like -- it seems like a pretty eye-opening experience for everybody. It almost feels like you're on a journey by seeing the earth.
(CROSSTALK)
LISOVICZ: You get away from it all.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
LISOVICZ: That's why we seek out entertainment.
WHITFIELD: Yes. All right. Thanks so much, Susan. Appreciate it.
LISOVICZ: Thanks, Fred. WHITFIELD: All right, President Barack Obama says the world cannot afford what he calls half measures to address the global financial crisis. He actually joined Prime Minister Gordon Brown at a news conference in London earlier today. The two leaders sat down for talks a day ahead of the G-20 economic Summit. And Brown called for cooperation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GORDON BROWN, BRITAIN PRIME MINISTER: It's a global problem that requires a global solution. What essentially happened is that the speed and the pace and the scope of global financial changes, the mobility of capital around the world, overwhelmed systems of national regulation? And if we don't accept that as the problem that we've got to solve, then we will not solve the problem this week.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: History shows us that when nations fail to cooperate, when they turn away from one another, when they turn inward, the price for our people only grows. That's how the Great Depression deepened. That's a mistake that we cannot afford to repeat. So, in the days ahead, I believe we will move forward with a sense of common purpose. We have to do what's necessary to restore growth and to pursue the reforms that can stabilize our financial system well into the future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. And this news just out of London -- the Associated Press is reporting President Obama will visit China in the second half of this year.
And now new images right now, you heard our reporter talking earlier out of Moscow about the meeting taking place between President Obama and his Russian counterpart, Medvedev, there in London. And they talked for the most part about arms reduction, and they also talked about seeking common ground as it pertains to Afghanistan. New images right there of the handshake. And we also understand that President Obama will be visiting Russia come July.
All right, meantime, rage in the streets of London, and a message that is being sent around the world. We'll have the latest on the anger that now threatens to overshadow the G-20 Economic Summit.
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WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back to the NEWSROOM. Live pictures right now. Protesters gathering there in the streets of London. And you can see from the aerial view there, pretty widespread. We've also heard of pretty aggressive reports coming from our sources on the ground. Protesters have actually penetrated the Royal Bank of Scotland. Breaking the glass. Actually going into the building and also being met by security, and then making a quick exit. You see that the melee there has also become rather bloody for some of the protesters as well. Many arrests have also taking place.
We're keeping a close watch on the developments there just as the G-20 Summit gets underway.
Protesters there saying this is their way of expressing the anger at capitalism and their way of expressing anger at the global economic crisis.
In the meantime, Britain is spending an estimated $10.4 million, U.S. dollars, on security. It is one of London's largest police efforts ever. All to protect world leaders at the G-20 Summit.
And CNN international security correspondent, Paula Newton, joins us live from the British capital.
We know lots of money being spent on security. But looking at the crush of protesters, do the security forces feel happy with what they've prepared for?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: I would say absolutely. What's going on there was very much expected in terms of the kinds of protests that we've seen in London before, Fredricka. Really, this is what we're used to.
I think what they were most concerned about is what you just talked about, and that's the penetration of the building. You know, a lot of these protesters have been talking to us for weeks now, and they have some very clear and valid points, and they articulate them very well. Certainly here in Britain we're used to a lot more of the ingenious -- ingenious stunts.
I mean, they've gotten on the top of parliament buildings here in Westminster, and unfurl the banner. And some of us kind of sit there and think, wow, how did you penetrate security that way? And I think that that gets them a lot of attention. It is the violence, the pictures that you showed, the broken glass, that really alienates them from the message they are trying to portray.
And let me tell you about security here right now. I'm at 10 Downey Street. I mean, it's a revolving door of activity. President Obama here earlier, now President Medvedev fresh from his meeting from Barack Obama now here to meet Gordon Brown. This is the key priority of security services, Fredricka. We have 20-plus leaders each with their own motorcade running around this city shuttling from meeting to meeting, and that is really their primary concern.
WHITFIELD: And how about the general public or even protesters there, they try to get near 10 Downing Street right now? How far away might that cordoned-off area be?
NEWTON: I think they'll be looking very closely for groups of protesters. I can tell you, though, there were tourists outside the gates. They were cheering on Barack Obama earlier today. That is not a problem. What police are trying to do is make sure that these very concentrated groups of protesters do not end up sneaking their way into the streets here. But, you know, from what everyone's saying, they do eventually hope to make it here to 10 Downing Street later tonight when the leaders sit down for their dinner. WHITFIELD: Are you able to tell me the kind of proximity of 10 Downing Street to say where the violence of the protesters have become particularly --
NEWTON: It's probably a couple -- yes, it's probably a couple miles, Fredricka, but really, it wouldn't take them long to walk here. You can probably walk it in about 40 minutes, maybe even less.
The point is, well, they use the underground train here, the tube, and maybe trying to come out at a different tube stop. They are using Twitter right now, we are told, to communicate with each other, text messaging, maybe even encode to figure out where to be at what time. Again, Fredricka, if it cause problems, it doesn't take thousands of people, really just a cluster of a few and they could cause a lot of problems to a lot.
WHITFIELD: All right. OK, Paula Newton, thanks so much, right outside 10 Downing Street. Of course, very busy today. As she mentioned, the leaders of 20 nations are getting together.
All right. Well, more U.S. troops will now be headed to Afghanistan. We want to shift gears a little bit. Right now, President Obama's top general for the region is in this country, on Capitol Hill. General David Petraeus is answering questions about the shift in U.S. strategy.
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WHITFIELD: General David Petraeus is on Capitol Hill this morning. He's appearing in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee right now, as you see. Well, right there is Mr. Levin, actually. He will answer questions about U.S. strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Last week, President Obama announced the U.S. would send 4,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. The administration is also considering a plan that would open a direct dialogue with Taliban fighters.
All right, in Afghanistan, meantime, today, three suicide bombers carried out a coordinated attack on a government compound in Kandahar. Six people are dead. Witnesses say the attackers were wearing Afghan army uniforms.
Also this morning, a local official says a U.S. missile strike killed 12 people in northwest Pakistan. The U.S. military has not commented on the claims. The supposed target was a compound connected with a Taliban commander, who has threatened attacks on the U.S.
That leader says the attack will amaze the world. So, is it idle talk or legitimate concern? CNN's homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve, takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A Pakistani tribal leader is claiming responsibility for the shootout at a police academy in Lahore, Pakistan, Monday, and is threatening further violence in the U.S. In an interview with the Associated Press, Baitullah Mehsud says, "Soon, we will launch an attack in Washington and the White House that will amaze everyone in the world."
FRANCES FRAGOS TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: He has access to Al Qaeda and its -- its strategic resources, including those that could be deployed against the United States. And so when Mehsud talks about a threat to Washington, D.C. I can't imagine that anybody wouldn't take that seriously.
MESERVE: But current U.S. counterterrorism officials say it is unlikely Mehsud could carry out an attack in the U.S. One describes Mehsud chiefly "as a regional player, a dangerous one, who moves in the same circles as Al Qaeda, but he is not part of Al Qaeda."
The U.S. has put a $5 million price tag on Mehsud's head, saying he poses a clear threat to American persons and interests in the region. He is also viewed as a serious threat to Pakistan. The assassination of former Pakistani president, Benazir Bhutto, was pinned on Mehsud by former CIA director, Michael Hayden.
Though officials are skeptical that anyone serious about staging a terrorist attack in the U.S. would advertise it so specifically and publicly, some experts are not.
STEVE COLONEL, PRESIDENT, NEW AMERICAN FOUNDATION: If he sees the United States as his enemy, American drones are trying to kill him, frankly.
MESERVE (on camera): The FBI says it is not aware of any imminent or specific threats to the U.S. The agency points out that Mehsud has posted before that he would hit the homeland, but no attacks have materialized.
Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, back to the focus on the G-20 Summit being held thousands of miles away. But how does it affect us on this side of the pond? Our Josh Levs in the atrium here at the CNN center.
And are folks so pretty opinionated about the G-20 -- do they even care?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are actually, Fred. You know, we've been down here talking with some people. You're going to hear a little bit of that. And I'll tell you, we've gotten some interesting and maybe surprising insight. We'll have your chance to weigh in, how the G-20 could affect you, coming right up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. With so many influential groups and economic leaders gathered in London for the G-20 Summit, plus the thousands of people protesting on European streets, where do Americans fit into this very big picture? And how does the summit so far away actually affect them?
Our Josh Levs went to get the pulse from some of the people right at the CNN center, which you have gathered behind you. And what do they say?
LEVS: You can see them?
WHITFIELD: Yes.
LEVS: Yes, we've got a really great crowd here, Fred. We're going to talk with several of our guest right now. We're going to talk about how this G-20 might ultimately affect you.
Let's start off behind me over here, because I want to talk with some of the people we've gathered here. We're going to start with Frank.
Frank, tell us a little bit about yourself, and do you think the G-20 could actually affect your financial life?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm an attorney from Spartanburg, South Carolina. I don't really believe that the G-20 will much affect my practice and what I do.
LEVS: You don't?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I do not.
LEVS: Why is that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I think they're going to have a difficult time overcoming their individual interests to be able to come up with a common plan that's going to affect us.
LEVS: So you don't expect a consensus, then?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It would surprise me.
LEVS: OK. Let's talk to Sam a little bit. I'd like to hear a little bit about you. Tell us what you do, professionally. I think you just got a job, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
LEVS: And tell us about the role of the G-20. Do you think it will help you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it will help all of us. I have a lot of confidence in President Obama. And from what I've seen in the -- you know, during the campaign, and what he has done up to this point, I think he will have a profound effect on the other leaders of the world.
LEVS: So you think they will really listen to him, and that might make a difference for you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they will. I believe he can be that persuasive.
LEVS: All right. Let's move down the road here. I want to talk to * a little bit. Now you live in Kentucky as I understand, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: London, Kentucky.
LEVS: London, Kentucky. What kind of work do you do? And do you think the G-20 meeting will affect you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a physician. I think this G-20 is one of the most critical of the meetings in the recent past, because of what has happened in the last year -- year-and-a-half. And eventually, the rest of the world will catch up with what is happening, and has to bear down, cut down the costs. For example, the health care industry in this country is -- the budget is so big that everybody has to bear down, buckle down and eventually cut down costs.
LEVS: And as a physician, you look to this meeting to think maybe it will actually affect health care in this country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No question.
LEVS: OK. Thank you very much for that.
We have one more person to talk to who is from France. Martin (ph) is joining us here.
Oh, I don't want to pass by you. Hello, you're here with your dad?
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Yes.
LEVS: Really, quickly, Martin (ph), you're here from France, and tell us a little bit about your experience and what do you expect out of the G-20 to affect you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, French people are very happy since Obama has been elected -- your president. And we do hope that things are going to get better on many levels. First, the economic crisis, of course, but -- excuse my English, which is not that good, sorry. And we do hope things are going to get better, because now many people have problems. Employment, one, money problems, financial, and so many things. So we have a lot of hopes in France.
LEVS: A lot of hope for this specific meeting right now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Yes.
LEVS: All right. Well, thank you very much. And thanks to all of you.
And Fred as you can hear, you know, there is a lot of optimism down here. We are finding more and more optimism as we talk to people today. Anyone can weigh in -- iReport.com. Send us your thoughts on the G-20 meeting, and we'll keep bringing them to you right here, Fred.
WHITFIELD: That's perfect. I like it. And, of course, we love to hear what people are thinking and feeling about this.
Josh, appreciate it.
LEVS: Yes. It's really interesting. You know, a lot of optimism, yes.
WHITFIELD: All right. Very good.
All right, a lot happening this morning. Let's underscore that. Our correspondents are already hard at work, keeping us up-to-date. We'll bring you live coverage of the protests in London, and we've got other things, as well.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: I'm Gerri Willis. You may be getting more money in your paycheck, starting today. I'll tell you all about it at the top of the hour.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN severe weather center. More rain across the southeast. Flooding in Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Louisiana, with more storms on the way tonight. Complete weather, Fredricka, is coming up at the top of the hour.
WHITFIELD: All right. Excellent. OK, we're across the board. Thanks to all of you.
In addition, know the computer worm that we have all been worried about? It's surfaced. We'll check in to see exactly what kind of damage it is causing.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Demonstrators against the G-20 Summit have found a way to make Twitter work as something besides a way to check with their friends. They're sending tweets to each other as they plan their protests. CNN's Errol Barnett joins us now.
People are getting very inventive with that Twitter.
ERROL BARNETT, CNN IREPORTER CORRESPONDENT: They all, Fred. And they're using it to let us know what they're doing, these thousands of protesters in one financial district in London. Let me show you what's being said right now.
One person actually at a police line at Poultry. He says, "More movement here than a thread needle." Another person is on their way to a march at Trafalgar Square, a popular tourist destination there in London. Other tweets coming in right now. And this person says they just saw 20 police ambulance vehicles fly past their office window. We also found out about a bank office window, the RBS building being smashed in. We found out about it here on Twitter first.
And the organizers of this protest, they're using all sorts of social medium to get the word out. They have a Facebook group, G-20 meltdown. Some comments here, "Maybe the police will turn with the crowd." Posted just a few minutes ago. Not likely.
This person writing to ask, "Why they hate the "bankers,"?" And they want those questions, because they're also posting links to their Web site, "G-20 Meltdown in the City." One thing they have done is posted quite openly when and where these protests will take place. This has actually helped police in their planning to protect people and put barricades up.
We have also received some iReport, first person, citizen journalism. Images from London. Let me show you one that was sent to us by iReporter Gabrielle Libdon (ph). She is in, what's called The City.
This is an area that shut down -- it's a financial district in London. Think of the English version of Wall Street. Here is some images, protesters outside. She said she was actually there hours ago when things were much more calm. In the hours that have followed, things have become much more intense. But you have to think about what these protesters are saying.
They feel like many Americans do in England, seeing bankers and wealthy financial individuals getting bonuses, and those sorts of things, while unemployment in England, as in the United States, is up. So there is a lot of anger here.
The organizers of this protest, using social networking sites, showing us images to give us really a first-person account of what's taking place in London.
Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: You know, and it's interesting, too, Errol, you talk about while folks are, you know, twittering to help each other navigate their next protest, and police are using it as a tool to kind of fight against exactly what they're doing, I wonder if the police or if anyone can go a step further and actually almost interfere or shut down this kind of communication to deter.
BARNETT: That's the thing about social networking sites. It's open and free media, so as soon as they communicate where they're heading or what they're doing, police are going to have to be two steps ahead to shut that down. It's extremely challenging. And there's only a few hundred members, for example, on the Facebook group. But in London, right now, there are thousands of protesters that have taken to the streets. So it's just one tool that they're using to communicate and organize.
WHITFIELD: Wow, that's amazing. All right, Errol Barnett, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
All right. Quick look at what's happening right now. President Barack Obama is in London for the opening of the G-20 Summit. So far today, he has met with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev. This hour, he is meeting with China's president Hu Jintao. So thousands of protesters are taking advantage of the G-20 Summit. Spotlight on London today. They are in the streets in front of the Bank of London today. They are demonstrating over a lot of different issues from the economy, to the environment, and to a free Palestinian state.
And charges are now being dropped against former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens. He was convicted in October for lying on financial disclosure forms. Well, the Justice Department had been looking into the claims of misconduct by the prosecutors. Stevens narrowly lost in his Senate re-election bid shortly after the conviction.
Anger grows and violence flares in the heart of London's financial district, right there. Thousands of activists say that they are speaking for you, the everyday citizens, who are now struggling to survive amid a global recession. Inside the G-20 Summit the world's economic super powers. They are searching for ways to diffuse the global financial --
