Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Israel Condemned for Deadly Raid; Fort Hoot Shooting Suspect in Court; Double Threat: Hurricanes and Oil; Al Qaeda Confirms a Top Commander is Dead after U.S. Air Strike; Obama Comments on Meeting with Oil Commission
Aired June 01, 2010 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Thank you.
Good morning, everyone. Live from Studio 7 -- art in the eye of the beholder, I guess -- at CNN world headquarters, CNN marks 30 years of news today.
Tuesday, June 1st, day 43 of the Gulf oil disaster, day one of the Atlantic hurricane season. A double threat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILLY NUNGESSER, PRESIDENT, PLAQUEMINES PARISH, LOUISIANA: It scares the hell out of me. And let me tell you, we're worn down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: A hurricane's potential impact on the vast pool of oil floating in the Gulf of Mexico.
Anger around the world directed at Israel. Nation after nation condemns the Israeli raid on six Gaza-bound ships.
And one after the GM bankruptcy, dealerships say they can't keep up with customer demand.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the real key is great products, believe it or not, as corny as that sounds.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: An American automaker shifts into high gear after a near-fatal financial wreck.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris. Those stories and your comments right here, right now in the CNN NEWSROOM.
We are tracking new developments unfolding on day 43 of the oil leak in the Gulf. In just a few minutes, President Obama meets with the heads of a special commission investigating the disaster. We expect to hear from the president next hour after his meeting with former Senator Bob Graham and former EPA administrator William Reilly. Also happening now, BP says its latest attempt to reduce the oil flow is under way. We will keep you updated on all those developments.
Checking other big stories right now.
Nidal Hasan, accused of a deadly shooting spree at Fort Hood, in court for the first time today. A previous hearing was held in his hospital room.
Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, was paralyzed from the waist down during the shootings last November. Thirteen people were killed, 30 wounded.
Some terrifying weather in the Great Plains to tell you about. Take a look at this.
A tornado on the ground in rural Colorado. The funnel cloud touched down in southeastern sections of the state. It knocked down power lines, but there were no immediate reports of any damage or injuries.
Our other top story, Israel being accused of a massacre. The U.N. calling for an investigation. Countries around the world condemning the Jewish state, all reactions to Israel's raid on aid ships heading to Gaza yesterday that left at least nine activists dead. Most of those on the ships and those killed were Turkish.
Our Ivan Watson is in Istanbul, Turkey.
Ivan, nothing particularly diplomatic about the language coming out of Turkey over the incident. The Turkish prime minister demanding that Israel tell the truth about what happened and why.
IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. There's a lot of anger here both on the streets and at the highest levels of government.
Part of the problem is that people haven't been able to get in touch with many of the passengers, the hundreds of passengers who were on board these ships, because there's been a virtual communications blackout with those hundreds of people since they were taken into custody by Israeli authorities after this deadly military raid that took place early Monday morning.
However, a few people have been released and have started to trickle out and come out on flights out of Israel. One of them this morning, it was a 13-month-old child, the son of one of the crew members aboard one of these six ships in the so-called Freedom Flotilla, which was trying to run the Israeli blockade around Gaza, trying to deliver what organizers called humanitarian assistance to people in Gaza.
Let's take a listen to one of the captains of one of the six ships had to say when he arrived in Istanbul late last night.
Take a listen, Tony.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(through translator): We continuously told them we didn't have weapons. We came here to bring humanitarian help, but not to fight.
The attack on Mavi Marmara came in an instant. They attacked it with 12 or 13 attack boats, and also with commandos from helicopters.
They decided to attack Marmara. We heard the gunshots over and through handheld systems we used to call Mavi Marmara because our communications system was disrupted.
There were three or four helicopters also used during the attack. We were told by Mavi Marmara their crew and civilians were being shot at. Windows, doors are being broken by Israelis.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: Now, Tony, the Israeli government insists that the people on board that ship, the Mavi Marmara, they were armed, that they showed metal clubs, slingshots and marbles that they say were weapons, showing that these activists were ready to fight against the Israeli commandos who ended up killing at least nine of the people, at least four of them being Turkish citizens. The Turkish government today insists it searched this vessel before it left Istanbul a little bit more than a week ago, and there were no weapons on board -- Tony.
HARRIS: OK. Any more official on the record, reaction, response from the Turkish government?
WATSON: Absolutely. The Turkish prime minister, he cut short his trip to South America, raced home -- he raced home and gave a fiery speech before the Turkish parliament today, Tony.
He repeatedly denounced what he described as an active Israeli piracy since the raid took place out in international waters. He says that's a violation of an international law, and he suggested that Turkey's longstanding military alliance with Israel probably is over. He said nothing will be the same after this day.
Take a listen to some of the rhetoric that came from Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, TURKISH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): This is international waters, open sea. People on that ship were trying to take aid to Palestinians who were hungry and had their houses devastated. Such an attack against this group of people is actually an attack on the fundamental philosophy of the United Nations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: And despite this heated rhetoric, these two Middle Eastern countries are still communicating. Three ambulance planes from Turkey left for Israel earlier this morning to try to pick up some of the dead and wounded and some of the hundreds of people who are now effectively prisoners in the custody of Israeli authorities -- Tony.
HARRIS: And Ivan, as you know, an important meeting going on in Washington between Turkey's foreign minister and his counterpart here in the United States, the secretary of state, Hillary Clinton. We will, of course, be following developments on that front.
Ivan Watson for us in Istanbul, Turkey.
An American woman who helped organize the flotilla was on board one of the humanitarian ships, and she spoke to CNN's Brooke Baldwin a short time ago after being released from Israeli custody.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUWAIDA ARRAF, PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN ACTIVIST: We were well into international waters. We were traveling relatively close, these six vessels. And our vessel was right next to -- our vessel was much smaller, but it was right next to the Mavi Marmara, the Turkish ship.
And we saw the Israeli naval boat goes up to them and start firing. And we heard a number of explosions from the passengers that were on the Marmara. We could see them using hoses to defend themselves, to keep the soldiers back. But the soldiers were throwing concussion (ph) grenades and firing also at the ship.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: So from your vantage point -- from your vantage point, Huwaida, you probably couldn't tell who fired first. Could you tell?
ARRAF: I saw the people on the ships just using hoses, and I saw the Israeli navy soldiers throwing things. I'm assuming concussion (ph) grenades, because we heard explosions. But from the ship, all we could see -- the people on the ship -- we could just see them using hoses in order to keep the soldiers away. But then --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: First, the massive oil slick. Now hurricane season. It is a double threat for residents of the Gulf Coast. Our Rob Marciano reports from the region.
And Jacqui Jeras is in the Weather Center. The Atlantic hurricane season starts today, and she will tell us what we can expect.
We'll to Jacqui in just a couple of minutes right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Nidal Hasan, the alleged Fort Hood shooter, has just made his first appearance in military court. The Army psychiatrist, as you know, is accused of killing 13 people during a shooting rampage at the Army post.
CNN Pentagon Chris Lawrence was in the courtroom for this pretrial hearing.
And Chris, good to speak with you here.
If you would, tell us what happened.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, I think the first two things that jumped out at me was the incredible security around the courtroom. I've been to several military trials and hearings and never seen anything quite like this, where the security had blocked out entire streets around the courthouse. Bomb-sniffing dogs were on hand. Only about 10 of us reporters were allowed inside.
We were wanded down with the wand, and when we got inside the building, we had to pass through another airport-style metal detector. Just an incredible amount of security.
And you have to remember, this is already on a military base. So we had already passed through the initial base security at the gate.
Inside the courtroom, the thing that struck me was that Major Hasan looked a lot stronger than I would have thought after hearing the extent of his injuries and knowing that he was paralyzed. He wheeled himself into the courtroom, probably two feet away from me, using his arms to wheel his wheelchair.
He seemed -- he's been complaining of being cold, so he wrapped himself in a blanket shortly into the hearing. And on several occasions, we saw him conferring with his attorneys. You know, able to move his head. He seemed very alert, very serious and stoic. He answered several questions to the judge when the judge asked him about representation and things like that.
The big thing that came out of this hearing was that the defense had asked for a delay until October, and the judge did grant that. So the trial is going to get started on October 4th.
And the big issues that are still outstanding are the defense has asked for certain documents and reports about some of the government findings into Major Hasan's mental state. You know, things he had done leading up to the Fort Hood incident.
Some of those are in classified reports, and the defense has asked for the release of those. And so the prosecutor said they are moving along with trying to declassify some of those documents. And the prosecutor has already agreed to give the defense any e-mails, any specific e-mails or other correspondence between Major Hasan and Anwar al-Awlaki, the Islamic cleric who has suspected ties to al Qaeda -- Tony.
HARRIS: Hey, ,Chris, did Major Hasan say anything to the court?
LAWRENCE: He just answered the judge's questions when he asked him about, "Do you understand your rights?" He said, "Yes, sir," answered a few other questions, "Yes, sir."
His voice sounded strong. He looked engaged and knew what was going on. And like I said, several times he leaned over and his attorneys would speak with him, ,and they would have small, private conversations as well.
HARRIS: What would you estimate, from start to finish, how long was he in the courtroom?
LAWRENCE: He was in the courtroom probably for less than an hour and a half. It was a fairly quick hearing.
One thing that his defense attorney told us afterwards was that they had brought him over to the courthouse in leg irons and had his arms restrained. We did not see that. His defense attorney says that they took off the leg irons in a separate room, and then Major Hasan was allowed to, you know, wheel himself into the courtroom.
HARRIS: Any of Major Hasan's family members present, any family members of the victims?
LAWRENCE: No family members. No witnesses. Really, the only people that were there were the security, the defense and prosecuting teams, and the 10 of us journalists who were allowed in. That's it.
HARRIS: OK. All right.
Our Pentagon correspondent, Chris Lawrence, for us.
Chris, appreciate it. Thank you.
LAWRENCE: Sure.
HARRIS: Day 43 of the oil leak in the Gulf, and President Obama is focused on the disaster this hour. He is meeting with the heads of a special commission investigating what went wrong. We expect to hear from the president next hour, after the meeting. We will bring you his remarks live.
It is day one of the Atlantic hurricane season. Some Gulf Coast residents are concerned about a storm pushing the oil inland and damaging their homes and property. So who pays if that happens?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIANA PHILLIPS, HOMEOWNER: I have a verbal and an e-mail from my insurance company that says if I have oil-impacted damage to my home, they're not going to cover it and I need to file with BP.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRAIG TAFFARO, ST. BERNARD PARISH RESIDENT: I have a situation where insurance carriers feel like they're not responsible and dump it to BP. BP basically taking the approach, we're not responsible, it's an insurance claim. And then the homeowner gets caught in the middle of that. We would hope that that doesn't happen, and obviously we're starting those discussions at this point.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: One of the chemicals BP is using in the Gulf is banned in other countries. I'm not sure you knew that. So why are chemicals that are prohibited in other countries allowed in everyday products here in the United States?
Watch "Toxic America," a two-night special investigation with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, starting tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Got to tell you, some Gulf Cast residents say they are scared to death of what can happen if a hurricane mixes with the oil leak.
CNN's Rob Marciano looks at the double threat coastal residents are facing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROB MARCIANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Almost five years later, signs of hurricane Katrina are still evident in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. And this year's hurricane forecast calls for up to 23 named storms, not exactly what Louisianans want to hear.
NUNGESSER: It scares the hell out of me. And let me tell you, we're worn down. We're working 24/7. I'm sleeping two or three hours a night.
MARCIANO: Billy Nungesser's Parish is not just the bulls-eye for hurricanes. Oil from the BP spill is already in the barrier wetlands here.
NUNGESSER: You saw the pelicans. Imagine a storm rolling that up and bringing it in here and laying it down where we are here. Imagine that on everything. We'll never clean it up. We will devastate coastal Louisiana forever.
MARCIANO: That's the kind of unimaginable devastation that Dolphin Island, Alabama, is trying to avoid.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The tide is down right now so the water is below the basket. MARCIANO: The Alabama National Guard is erecting a four and a half mile border to keep the oil from impacting protected wildlife here. The baskets are filled with a powder that can turn the wet oil into a solid, making it easier to collect by hand. But what happens to these oil barriers if a major hurricane hits?
(LAUGHTER)
DAN KOONTZ, CI AGENT SOLUTIONS: They will be gone like everything else around here too. A category five will take out the houses and every structure on island probably.
MARCIANO (on camera): We're around the thick oil around the Gulf of Mexico. What does the oil do for hurricanes? It will have a hard time developing over the oil because the oil actually suppresses evaporation, but that's actually one of ways that the oil cools.
So between lack of evaporation and the darkness of that oil actually heats up the Gulf. This will actually feed it if anything and bring it onshore and everything with it, including this big mess.
MARCIANO (voice-over): More bad news for Plaquemines Parish which lacks the needed founding and is still waiting for federal approve to reinforce its barrier islands. Nungesser knows his clock is ticking.
NUNGESSER: We have to get this barrier island. This is the only thing that can give us a fighting chance of saving south Louisiana.
MARCIANO: Rob Marciano, CNN, Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: While we're bringing you news from around the world, we're also watching what's hot online.
Ines Ferre is here, and she is searching the Web.
What have you found for us, Ines?
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, I want you to take a look that the. It's one of the most popular ones on CNN.com right now.
And this viral video of a 2-year-old -- yes, a 2-year-old -- smoking, well, it's caused global outrage. And now the mom is responding.
And also, this looks like a scene from a horror film. A giant sinkhole in Guatemala City is getting a lot of attention online -- Tony.
HARRIS: We're back in a moment.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Let's get you caught up on top stories right now.
Underwater robots are preparing a busted oil well for a cut and cap operation today, day 43 of the Gulf oil leak. A saw will shear off the damaged pipe that is spewing oil. A cap would be lowered to capture the oil and funnel it to the surface.
Protests against Israel around the world today. The United Nations is demanding a "impartial investigation" into Israel's raid on six Gaza-bound ships carrying humanitarian supplies. Nine people were killed.
And computer maker Hewlett-Packard is cutting 9,000 jobs as it shifts its data centers to automation. At the same time, HP plans to add 6,000 workers to its sales and delivery teams.
More from our CNN Money team in the next half hour.
We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Fighting the oil leak and prepping for hurricanes, double trouble now for the Gulf Coast.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: BP is moving ahead with a plan for cut and cap the damaged oil well in the Gulf. Saws will slice off the damaged pipe that is gushing oil. A tight-fitting cap would be lowered over the clean cut to capture the oil.
A BP executive seemed upbeat on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB DUDLEY, MANAGING DIRECTOR, BP: We learned a lot in the first containment zone that we tried. We understood the effects of the hydrates, so we designed this cap to pump warm seawater down with a little methanol to mitigate the risks of the hydrates.
The engineering on this, while it's never been done at 5,000 feet, is more straightforward. This operation today is one -- is the first step in a series of three containment steps that we'll take. After this cap is on with the objective of eliminating and minimizing the flow into the Gulf, we'll start a second one to create a second flow path through the blowout preventers on the top of the well by using the equipment that was used in the top kill.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Do you have enough certainty in this method that you're willing to risk a temporary increase in the flow of oil?
DUDLEY: Yes, we do.
It's hard to say. I mean the flow rate increase can be anywhere from zero to twenty. There were some large holes in the top of that riser due to the heavy flows of mud there. Even with an increased flow rate this cap will be able to handle this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Preparing for hurricane season takes on new urgency for residents along the Gulf Coast. Not only are they dealing with the storm threat, but also the massive oil leak. CNN's John Zarrella is just back from a meeting on hurricane preparedness and he joins us from Bell Chase, Louisiana.
John, as always, good to see you. Any takeaways from the meeting?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know what, Tony, as you heard Jacqui Jeras was saying, early season, storms likelihood, more likely to pop up in the Gulf of Mexico. Just something else they have to worry about here.
This is Plaquemines Parish, a workshop that they conducted today. First day of hurricane season. See behind me, they've got air boats, generators, sandbags, some boom material. A lot of folks coming to try to get an idea of what they can expect, what they can do in the event the storm comes.
Well, Billy Nungesser, the President of Plaquemines Parish spoke this morning and he said, you know what, if we get a bad hurricane there is no question that there will be oil coming inland in Plaquemines Parish.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILLY NUNGESSER, PLAQUEMINES PARISH PRESIDENT: If a storm does pop our levies, it will probably bring oil with it. So keep in mind as you're around your home, the thought that if you evacuate, you may be coming back not to a flooded home, but to a home that is completely contaminated with this oil. I don't know how to solve (INAUDIBLE).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA: Now Nungesser expects a big decision to be made today. This afternoon there's a meeting at the Port Authority, actually a public hearing. Scientists are going to testify. Coast Guard will be there, Nungesser will be there. And the decision is supposed to be made, he says, on whether Plaquemines Parish will be allowed, at BP's expense, to build six berms out there to try to hold back the oil from reaching the shoreline even in the event of a hurricane. Of course, a bad hurricane, forget it. It's going to overtop whatever they build. No question about that.
And as you also pointed out today, Tony, a lot of pictures from under water. The lower marine riser packaged cap being ready for that next try by BP to go and shut down the oil. A lot of preparations are under way to cut away that riser pipe with the diamond-cutting tool down under water at 5,000 feet. That going on, as well. And one thing that BP did say in relation to hurricane season, they're going to try to add a detachable hose at the top so they can pull it off, Tony, in the event of a storm and get the rigs out of there -- Tony.
HARRIS: Boy, a lot of variables there.
John Zarrella for us. John, good to see you. Thank you.
HARRIS: Damage from the oil leak is mounting and so are questions about BP's financial future. Christine Romans of our Money Team, live from New York, with that part of story for us.
(BUSINESS REPORT)
HARRIS: And a reminder here, President Obama is focused on the disaster. Right now he's meeting with the heads of a special commission investigating what went wrong. Expect to hear from the President any minute now and we will bring you his remarks live.
One of the chemicals BP is using is banned in other countries. So why are chemicals prohibited in other countries used in everyday products here in the United States? Well, watch "Toxic America," a two-night special investigation with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Wednesday and Thursday night, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Man, oh, man, what a turnaround. A year ago today General Motors filed for bankruptcy and now the big automaker is back in the black.
CNN's Maggie Lake looks at the rebound.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our goal is to get GM back on its feet, take a hands off-approach and get out quickly.
MAGGIE LAKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As President Obama announced, he was backing GM.
Dealership owner David Ferraez watched the speech from his office in New Jersey. Unlike most, he was optimistic. Now on the anniversary of GM's bankruptcy he has 90 vehicles on site, the most in 18 months.
(on camera): So it's hard to believe that it's a year since we were standing here when GM announced they'd be filing for bankruptcy.
How does it feel?
DAVID FERRAEZ, GM DEALER: Oh, it's a difference of night and day. We were in shock a year ago wondering if we would be in business, wondering who was going to be in business. And here we are a year later and business is strong, our sales are up, way up over last year, and we can't get enough product to meet the demand.
LAKE: What do you think is the key to the success that we've seen over the last year?
FERRAEZ: I think the real key is great products. Believe it or not, as corny as that sounds, the new Terrain gets six miles to the gallon better than a Honda.
LAKE (voice-over): We took one of his latest models, a Buick Regal for a spin. At lease costs of $299 per month, it's a competitive prospect. (on camera): This does not feel like an economy car.
How are they able to price it at that level?
FERRAEZ: Well, I think a lot of their overhead, their legacy cost is gone now.
LAKE: So the manufacturing costs have changed?
FERRAEZ: Significantly to where they're on par or less than Honda and Toyota.
LAKE: And so that means they're able to push out a different kind of product.
FERRAEZ: Absolutely. A better product for less money. And GM could never do that before.
LAKE: Toyota and Honda aren't going to give up that easily.
FERRAEZ: No. And they're great competition. And they're worthy competition and you're absolutely right; they won't give up. But neither will General Motors and neither will American General Motors dealers. Don't think we'll ever give up to the competition. It won't happen.
LAKE: Your sons are in this dealership with you.
Do you think that their experience as a dealer is going to be different than yours has been so far?
FERRAEZ: Well, they were in this with me, thank goodness, through the last -- well, they've been with me for 12 years. So they're in the middle of this and they know how close we came to losing our dream, our family business, how close we were to losing it. And they're going to work and make sure this thing moves forward.
LAKE (voice-over): For that to happen, GM must prove it can attract sustained numbers of new customers. But for now, morale is high.
Maggie Lake, Greenbrook, New Jersey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Entrepreneurs pitch what they hope would be the next big thing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With gift hound (ph), they're available. It's 24/7, it's automatic. You walk up to the cab and you're done.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So what if I told you that just by drinking wine you could uplift and education while reducing poverty and inequality? (END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Investors listen for who has the right stuff in this new economy and these are just college students. It is the first in our "Next Big Thing" series coming up next hour in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Let's get you caught up on top stories right now. It is Day 43 of the massive oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. BP says another round of operations is underway to try to stop the flow of oil. Robots are preparing the site for a cut and cap operation.
We're expecting President Obama to have comments after his meeting with the heads of a new commission investigating the disaster.
At Fort Hood, Texas, a preliminary hearing for the U.S. Army psychiatrist accused in last year's shooting rampage has adjourned until mid-July. Major Nidal Hasan is accused of killing 13 people and wounding dozens more.
Israel faces growing condemnation for its raid on an aide flotilla bound for Gaza. The raid killed at least nine activists. Turkey is calling the incident murder.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
An apparent U.S. drone strike takes out al Qaeda's number three. The terror group confirms It confirms Mustafa Abu Yazid, who ran Afghanistan's operations is dead.
Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is live with us now from Kabul.
Nic, we know this man was a top financial chief for al Qaeda. So just how significant a blow is this to al Qaeda?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is a very significant blow, Tony. The 9/11 Commission said he was in charge of the al Qaeda's finances during the period of that attack. He went underground pretty much for about six years, re-emerged in 2007, has been on a lot of al Qaeda promotional videos as recently as early this year, claiming credit and responsibility for the attack on the CIA base here in Afghanistan late last year that killed seven CIA operatives.
And we also know that has been meeting with would-be jihadists who are from the United States to al Qaeda training camps in Pakistan. Some of them wanting to go fight U.S. troops in Afghanistan. He's been part and parcel, and convincing them to go back to the United States and perpetrate attacks in the United States. So he's a key idea logger, financier and operations manager, as well as somebody that's been in on the ground floor since al Qaeda was created.
Big, big hit.
HARRIS: So, will this in some way, in any way affect how al Qaeda gets and distributes money for its operations? ROBERTSON: This is going to have an impact on them, perhaps in the short term that this key trusted figure, this lieutenant, the number three to bin Laden and his deputies Zawahiri.
And let's face it, it's been really nine years since somebody of that stature in al Qaeda has been killed by U.S. forces. So it's going to send shockwaves through them, but disrupt al Qaeda's long- term ability to do what it's doing, which is spread this idea that the United States is against Islam and all Muslims should attack the United States, and to try and perpetrate attacks against U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and these kind of things?
No. They'll find somebody to step in and fill his shoes. But it's a very clear warning and it's got to be worrying for Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri who are the last two leaders left atop of the organization.
HARRIS: Well, that's interesting. That's an interesting point. Let me pick up on that.
Do you think this brings us any closer to bin Laden?
ROBERTSON: Well, you know, if you're going by sort of attrition and taking out of senior figures and, you know, and improving the odds of getting to the people at the very top. Yes, then it has to be a step in that direction because you're removing some of the pieces along the way.
And it would have been information, intelligence garnered, we know not how, that would have led to the attack to the compound he was living. So you have to take from that that al Qaeda's leadership somehow, giving away clues about where they're hiding and there's somebody in there who's passing that information on.
So, yes, this has to be a closer step to bin Laden's way (ph). But nobody should expect it tomorrow. And look, it's taken nine years to get this particular person.
HARRIS: Nick, appreciate it.
Let's get you to the President of the United States now.
(BEGIN COVERAGE)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good morning, everybody.
I just met with these two gentlemen, former Senator Bob Graham of Florida and former EPA Administrator Bill Reilly. They will lead the national commission on the B.P. oil spill in the Gulf, which is now the greatest environmental disaster of its kind in our history.
Their job, along with the other members of the commission, will be to thoroughly examine the spill and its causes so that we never face such a catastrophe again. At the same time, we're continuing our efforts on all fronts to contain the damage from this disaster and extend to the people of the Gulf the help they need to confront this ordeal.
We've already mounted the largest clean-up effort in the nation's history and continue to monitor, minute to minute, the efforts to halt or capture the flow of oil from the wrecked B.P. well.
Until the well is stopped, we'll multiply our efforts to meet the growing threat and to address the widespread and unbelievably painful losses experienced by the people along the Gulf Coast.
What's being threatened; what's being lost isn't just the source of income but a way of life, not just fishable waters but a national treasure. There are now more than 20,000 men and women in the region working around the clock to contain and clean up the oil.
We've authorized more than 17,000 National Guard members to respond across four states. More than 1,700 vessels are currently aiding in the response and will ensure that any and all responsible means of containing this leak are pursued as we await the completion of the two relief wells.
I've also directed Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Admiral Thad Allen, who's the national incident commander, to triple the manpower in those places where oil has hit shore or is within 24 hours of impact.
The economic response continues as well. We've ordered B.P. to pay economic injury claims and we will make sure they deliver. The Small Business Administration has stepped in to help businesses by approving loans and allowing deferrals of existing loan payments.
We've stationed doctors and scientists across the region to look out for people's health and monitor any ill effects felt by clean-up workers and residents. And we will absolutely continue to hold B.P. and any other responsible parties accountable for financial losses born by the people in the region.
But our responsibility doesn't end there. We have an obligation to investigate what went wrong and to determine what reforms are needed so that we never have to experience a crisis like this again. If the laws on our books are insufficient to prevent such a spill, the laws must change. If oversight was inadequate to enforce these laws, oversight has to be reformed. If our laws were broken, leading to this death and destruction, my solemn pledge is that we will bring those responsible to justice on behalf of the victims of this catastrophe and the people of the Gulf region.
When Interior Secretary Ken Salazar took office, for example, he found a Minerals and Management Services Agency that had been plagued by corruption for years, corruption that was underscored by a recent inspector general's report that uncovered appalling activity that took place before last year.
Secretary Salazar immediately took steps to clean up that corruption but this oil spill made clear that more reforms are needed. For years there's been a far-too-cozy relationship between oil companies and the agencies that regulate them. That's why we've decided to separate the people who permit offshore leases, who collect revenues, and who regulate the safety of drilling.
In addition, we've placed a six-month moratorium on drilling new deep-water oil and gas wells in the Outer Continental Shelf.
And now that a 30-day safety and environmental review is complete, we're making a series of changes. The review recommended aggressive new operating standards and requirements for offshore energy companies, which we will put in place. And I've also called on Congress to pass a bill to provide critical resources to respond to this spill and better prepare us for any spills in the future.
Now, all that has to do with dealing with the crisis at hand.
But it's critical that we take a comprehensive look at how the oil and gas industry operates and how our government oversees those operations. That's why I signed an executive order establishing this national commission, and I'm extraordinarily pleased that Bob Graham and Bill Reilly have agreed to be its co-chairs.
Bob served two terms as Florida's governor, represented Florida in the Senate for almost two decades. And during that time, he earned a reputation as a champion of the environment, leading the most extensive environmental protection effort in the state's history.
Bill's -- Bill is chairman emeritus of the board of the World Wildlife Fund and is also deeply knowledgeable of the oil and gas industry. He also was EPA administrator during the first Bush administration, serving during the Exxon Valdez disaster.
So I can't think of two people who will bring greater experience of judgment to this task. I personally want to thank both of them for taking on this arduous assignment, for demonstrating a great sense of duty to this country.
Very soon, I'll appoint five other distinguished Americans, including leaders in science and engineering, to join them. And they'll work alongside other ongoing reviews, including an independent examination by the National Academy of Engineers. And I've authorized the commission to hold public hearings and to request information from government, from not-for-profit organizations, and from experts in the oil and gas industry both at home and abroad, as well as from relevant companies, including B.P. Transocean, Halliburton and others.
I just said in our meeting, in doing this work they have my full support to follow the facts wherever they may lead, without fear or favor. And I am directing them to report back in six months with options for how we can prevent and mitigate the impact of any future spills that result from offshore drilling. Now, as a result of this disaster, lives have been lost, businesses have been decimated, communities that had already known great hardship now face the specter of sudden and painful economic dislocations, untold damage is being done to the environment; damage that could last for decades. We owe all those who've been harmed, as well as future generations, a full and vigorous accounting of the events that led to what has now become the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Only then can we be assured that deep-water drilling can take place safely.
Only then can we accept further development of these resources as we transition to a clean energy economy. Only then can we be confident that we've done what's necessary to prevent history from repeating itself.
All right. Thank you very much, everybody.
(END OF COVERAGE)
HARRIS: And you hear reporters firing questions to the President, and he's not taking any at this moment. The President wrapping up a meeting with the chairs of his oil commission. The President making comments from the Rose Garden and the President reporting that 20,000 people are in the region right now working on the spill. Another 17,000 national guard troops available to respond as need.
We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
