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First Ladies Commemorated Terror Attacks, San Bruno Natural Gas Leak, First-Responder Bill; Vets Get Aid to Dangerous Places; "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Ruling

Aired September 11, 2010 - 12:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: All right, nine years ago today America was in a state of shock. Terrorists had hijacked three airliners and carried out deadly attacks on the World Trade Center and the U.S. Pentagon.

Well, on this grim anniversary, Susan Candiotti is at the site of the World Trade Center, Barbara Starr is in Washington and Sandra Endo is in rural Pennsylvania where one of the hijacked planes crashed.

Let's get started in New York City where the deadliest attack took place. More than 2,700 people were killed at the World Trade Center, CNN's national correspondent Susan Candiotti attended today's memorial services at Ground Zero and she's still there now -- Susan.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred.

And as this is winding down, you know, every year this is a mixture of pain and pride. Pain, of course, shared by the families of those who are lost that day and the collective pain of a nation. But there is also pride, pride and shared memories of loved ones, pride in what they accomplished in, many of them, their short lives, but also pride in what this country stands for.

And there is also there is pride in what is taking place now, what is taking shape at Ground Zero and that is, particular this year, the 9/11 Memorial. Family members, for the very first time, were escorted by people who are actively involved in putting that memorial together.

So, for example, they are seeing the outlines of the reflecting pools there that are taking shape. They also saw the 16 swamp oak trees that have been brought to the plaza. These are trees that were partially grown in New York, in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and Virginia, all locations with ties to what happened on 9/11.

And of course, this memorial will be built -- will be opened one year from today, on the next anniversary, and everyone is looking forward to that.

People here who are leaving the ceremony are filled with emotion. Many of them describe it as being very powerful. Each year, many family members tell us, fewer and fewer families attend, but those who do say they do because they feel a need to be here. For others, it is far too a painful experience to repeat. But it is for many people here a ceremony that they would not want to miss, in particular, this year being no different. So once again, an interesting day to be sure to be a part of all this, but we have a lot ahead of us this day, Fred, as you know.

WHITFIELD: A lot of this, Susan, in great contrast to what will be taking place later on today. Apparently there will be some protests as well as demonstrations, so to speak, those for and those against the Islamic center that is proposed to be built just a few blocks away. You'll be attending and covering those events as well, right?

CANDIOTTI: That's right. And, you know, as we talk about that, I was discussing with a relative of someone who was lost that day, who was here and said she was very concerned that they would see some protests around Ground Zero during the ceremony, but that did not develop.

But, as you indicated early this afternoon, there will be opposing rallies, some who are for the proposed Islamic center and mosque and believe in the right of them to build it there, two blocks away from here, but others who are vehemently opposed to it and say it is simply not the right thing to do, too painful to the families, in particular, of those who died on 9/11.

They will be kept separate from each other. We talked with police commissioner, Ray Kelly about that. She said there will be very tight security. Again, the groups, there is no intention for the two groups to come together and the police department intends to do its best to make sure that doesn't happened.

The other thing is that they're also making sure the police are at that -- that the Florida pastor that we've all heard about, who was talking about burning Korans, is now saying he's not going to do that, but in fact he is not invited, we understand, from the organizers of those who are against the mosque, and he will not be here today.

WHITFIELD: All right. Susan Candiotti, thanks so much. We'll check back with you throughout the day, there in lower Manhattan. Appreciate that.

In the meantime, President Obama spoke at the 9/11 service at the Pentagon this morning in Washington. CNN's Barbara Starr joins us live now from Washington with more on that.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Fredricka.

Well, the president this morning made that short journey across the Potomac River from the White House to the Pentagon in northern Virginia, to mark the moment that American airlines Flight 77 hit the Pentagon with hijacked terrorists on board -- 184 people losing their lives at the Pentagon.

Also, of course, remembering events in New York and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. I want you to listen to a little bit of what the president had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: For a nation, this is a day of remembrance, a day of reflection, and with God's grace, a day of unity and renewal. We gather to remember this sacred hour on hallowed ground, at places where we feel such grief and where our healing goes on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: The president also, in the last several days, and again earlier this morning, reminding Americans that this war is not about Islam, very much trying to make a point, given the recent events going on in the country about all of this, reminding Americans, it is about terrorism, and it is about those who attacked on 9/11 -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: And Barbara, I know you have strong memories being that you were there at 9/11 at the same time, if I'm recalling properly, this is your birthday and what also can you tell me about some of the U.S. troops serving right now in Afghanistan, that war that began to combat terrorism shortly after 9/11?

STARR: Well, you know, eight years on, nine years on now, there are about 100,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, the largest number ever, the number of wounded, the number losing their lives in this war also reaching record levels, because perhaps there are so many troops, there.

The military, the Pentagon making the point that for some period of years, of course, their focus was on the war in Iraq, that the eye was taken off the ball, that the Taliban and al Qaeda movement gained strength in Afghanistan, and now they are beginning to deal with it.

General David Petraeus knows he needs to show progress of some sort by the end of the year. That is what they are looking for, and they feel they might be able to get a handle on it. That's what everybody is looking for. We will see next year, on the tenth anniversary of the attack attacks -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Barbara Starr, thanks so much from Washington, thanks so much.

All right, First Lady Michelle Obama joined former First Lady Laura Bush at a 9/11 service in Shanksville, Pennsylvania and that's where we find CNN's Sandra Endo.

SANDRA ENDO, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, the memorial service here wrapped up just about an hour ago, and still friends and family members of the victims of United Flight 93 are leaving mementoes behind me on the fence -- flowers, cards, American flags.

And as you mentioned, former First Lady Laura Bush, as well as First Lady Michelle Obama came here to commemorate the solemn day in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and they talked about the passengers on board that flight, everyday passengers who took a stand, a stand against those terrorists on board and became heroes and faced these extraordinary circumstances in the sky. Here's a little bit of what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: The men and women of Flight 93 were college students and grandparents, they were businessmen, pilots and flight attendants. There was a writer, an antique dealer, a lawyer, an engineer. They came from all different backgrounds and all walks of life, and they all took a different path to that September morning.

But in that awful moment, when the facts became clear and they were called to make an impossible choice, they all found the same resolve. They agreed to the same bold plan. They called the people they loved, many of them giving comfort instead of seeking it.

LAURA BUSH, FORMER FIRST LADY: This peaceful place was not chosen by the terrorists, they had other targets for their violence and hate. This spot was chosen by the passengers of Flight 93, who spared our country from even greater horrors.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENDO: And the field where the plane actually crashed is beyond the stage right there, and people are looking at the site, and it's cordoned off right now because construction is underway for a permanent memorial. They're hoping that will be up and ready by this time next year -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Sandra Endo, thanks so much. A lot to transpire, whether it be there at Shanksville, perhaps even the Pentagon and even Ground Zero where many of these memorials will be in place by next year marking that 10-year anniversary.

CNN's Josh Levs joins us now with details on exactly the progress of many of these sites, what they might look like and how the general public will be allowed to enjoy them later on.

JOSH LEVS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and to participate in what's there. I'm going to start off with Ground Zero. Let's go straight to this video. I want you to see the planned development.

This is actually what the official Web site of the Port Authority links to and tells us about. The plan is going include five new skyscrapers, a National September 11 Memorial and Museum, transportation hub, a retail complex, performing arts center, all inside, there.

And that central tower that we've been hearing so much about, the World Trade Center is going to rise to 1,776 feel. That's 1776 feet.

The Port Authority says it will redefine the New York skyline, reasserting downtown Manhattan's preeminence as a business center, while also establishing a new architectural icon for the entire country. Now let's go to this video of the pools, I want to see, the void where the World Trade Center towers stood are going to be the sites of these massive waterfalls leading into memorial pools with the names of all the nearly 3,000 people killed in the 9/11 attacks and trade center bombing in 1993 inscribed, each of these will be an acre in size, Fred, the memorial plaza is going to have about 400 trees across eight acres.

Let's jump over to the Pentagon. I want everyone to see the Pentagon because there's a lot of meaning in what is there. You have 184 bench-like structures there, each of which is dedicated to one of the victims from that day.

And there's this great concrete wall that begins at three inches tall, representing a 3-year-old girl, Dana Falkenberg, who was killed there, and continues up to 71 inches, representing the oldest victim, retired U.S. Navy Captain John D. Yamnicky, Sr. Again, 184 victims, there.

Finally to Shanksville, I want you to see a picture of what the construction has been lately. Let's go to that graphic. It's going to show you a picture of the construction that just took place this summer. This is where, as we know, 40 people were killed in that crash at Shanksville.

And here now, the next picture is what it's supposed to look like. There you go. It has a wall there as wall, as well. It will have its own version of memorial plaza. And that, Fred, should be up and going for next year. So, you know, you can look at that and say, hey, it's not that much, but it is the beginning of something, and should indeed be up for the 10-year anniversary next year.

WHITFIELD: Yes, and at the Shanksville location, the impression of the plane, or at least one very deep impression, apparently, is being preserved, because that would be part of that site. Very moving.

LEVS: In fact, ultimately they're building around that whole area.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Extraordinary. All right, thanks very much, Josh Levs, keeping us updated on that. We'll see you again throughout the day, of course.

All right, on to out West. Coming up, will Colorado firefighters battling a huge blaze get help from the weather? Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf has the answer, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Four dead, dozens wounded, a neighborhood practically leveled after a suspected natural gas leak sparked a massive blast and fire Thursday night in a San Francisco suburb, but the question remains, how did this happen?

CNN's Dan Simon is live from San Bruno's city hall. So Dan, I know you spoke with the lieutenant governor, Maldonado, who is also the acting governor right now, while Governor Schwarzenegger is overseas. What did he say?

DAN SIMON, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, first of all, we are at San Bruno city hall. We're expecting a press conference in about 30 minutes from now with the lieutenant governor as well as California Senator Barbara Boxer. We believe she's going to be talking about some of the federal efforts underway to help some of those devastated by this explosion, here in San Bruno.

One of the things that Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado said is he expressed frustration about the timeline that the NTSB says it will take to investigate this explosion. Yesterday they said it would take about 18 months, in his words, that is "unacceptable, this needs to be on an accelerated timeline." And he just doesn't understand why it would take that long to really get to the bottom of this incident.

Meanwhile, we know that residents are still not allowed back in. Obviously a lot of frustration with that, as we have been reporting, four people dead from this explosion, including a 44-year-old mother and her daughter. Jacqueline Greig, the 44-year-old, she actually worked for the California's Utilities Commission, the very agency that is regulating PG&E, Pacific Gas and Electric which, of course, is responsible for that natural gas pipeline.

Again, we're still trying to get some indication as to why that explosion occurred, as we've been reporting, some residents in the neighborhood said they detected the odor of gas for as long as three weeks, some even saying PG&E actually came out to investigate, even took a look at that area where the explosion occurred, but residents saying they still smelled that gas in the days before the explosion -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Dan Simon, thanks so much. And again, about what time approximately, how far away are we from the press conference involving the lieutenant governor?

SIMON: It's going to be in about 30 minutes, and of course we're set up to carry that live for you -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Perfect. We'll check back with you. Thanks so much. Appreciate that, Dan Simon.

All right, we'll have more, of course, on this story. And from an NTSB investigator on the scene, we'll be hearing from that person, plus our own Josh Levs, who takes a look at the prevalence of such gas lines across the country.

Let's talk some weather, right now. Boy, when you have fires like this, weather is all very important. What are the winds like? What is the rain forecast to be? All of that coming into play, right there in Colorado, near Boulder. This blaze is underway.

We're going to check in with our Reynolds Wolf now, and get an idea of what kind of forecast are we looking for, right now, as they try to battle that blaze?

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: One thing they've been dealing with over the last couple of days, they've been dealing with two key components, one very low humidity, the second has been the strong winds. Well, today they expect the humidity to be a little bit higher, the winds are going to die down a little bit. That is certainly some good news, however, it's still will be dry. In terms of rain, that's not going to be the forecast, the front range of the Rockies, so they're going to have a few issues out there, no question about it.

(WEATHER REPORT)

Back to you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, good, we can talk about that -- are we at peak now?

WOLF: Peak was actually yesterday. So we're right in the middle, but now we're starting to slowly go back down the slopes. So that's good news.

WHITFIELD: Oh boy. OK, good. Thanks very much, Reynolds. Check back with you.

All right, well, nine years after the 9/11 terror attacks, the legal fallout continues. Where do we stand, right now? Our legal guys, Richard and Avery, will be along right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: On this ninth anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, there is much still to be dealt with in the courts. Let's look at the legal docket as it pertains to 9/11 with our legal guys, civil rights attorney, Avery Friedman in Cleveland.

Hello to you.

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Hey, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And criminal defense attorney, Richard Herman in Las Vegas. Hello to you, as well.

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Hey, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right gentlemen, well, let's begin with this bill, a $7.4 billion fund that Congress is considering, and this would help take care of any medical problems that many first-responders have been complaining about and are needing resources in order to get some of this stuff done; however, it is hung up.

So, where are we, Avery, on this? And do they have any legal recourse as they await for Congress' decision?

FRIEDMAN: Well, there are a multitude of avenues which first responders who were injured in the rescue efforts have, but the fact is it's too long, it's tedious, it's expensive. The wonderful thing about the proposed legislation, Fredricka, is that the -- not only will they be compensated and have free health care, but often lawyers will take a chunk of their money, a third, 40 percent, under this legislation, legal fees will be limited to no more than 10 percent. This $7.4 billion legislation is so important.

It went up in smoke because of a rules battle in July, but we heard Carolyn Maloney, who's one of the members of Congress, tell our T.J. Holmes this morning, that as soon as they return next week, they're going to start this up, avoid the rules battle, go straight to a majority, and I think we're looking at success.

WHITFIELD: Are you still looking at a partisan battle, however? Or is this one of those issues that you don't have that?

FRIEDMAN: You only had 12 Republicans supporting it in July because of the rules issue, but that's right, that's right, it has been partisan.

WHITFIELD: OK, Richard, well, you know, you're a New Yorker, you live there, you hear probably more than anyone else in your legal offices about the complaints that many first-responders have. Do they stand to gain considerably from this fund, or might they have to go another round in order to get more immediacy?

HERMAN: No, no, this fund is going to be their answer, Fred. The question is, when and how long is it going to take to pass it? Eventually it will be passed. President Obama has already said he welcomes it, can't wait to sign this bill, except that it's just sad and disgraceful that once again partisan politics have clogged up something that is so important and so essential for these first- responders --

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: And we're talking nine years after the fact, nine years of suffering, nine years of discomfort for people who put their lives on the line.

HERMAN: And people are dying because they're not getting medical treatment.

WHITFIELD: What were you going to say, Avery?

FRIEDMAN: Well, beyond that, imagine, Fredricka, some of these heroes actually swallowed pulverized glass. Can you imagine the unspeakable suffering that these first-responders are going through? You're right, it has been nine years, and it needs attention now, and that's why Congress, both the House and Senate have to do something as soon as they return.

WHITFIELD: And is this fund, you know, kind of the answer, because many cities have immunity, in that you can't sue a city for negligence or for causing anything that, you know -- anything that causes you harm, an act, unwillful or not, that happens in that city, you can't really pursue that city. And is this fund the answer for these first-responders, because they really wouldn't be able to sue the city for, say, negligence?

HERMAN: They could not sue the city for negligence. They couldn't prove a theory of negligence against the city of New York for this, and, you know, this package, this is going to provide them with the needed compensation and medical treatment to be treated.

Now, the hang-up by the Republicans were that this also included some illegal aliens, and therefore they were listed in the definition of "eligible first-responders," so based on that, they couldn't vote for this and that's what they hung their heels on, blocking the bill.

FRIEDMAN: That's right.

HERMAN: But now, when -- Avery's right, when it goes to a simple majority, as opposed to a two-thirds majority, it's going to pass with flying colors, Fred, it will be signed probably this year.

WHITFIELD: OK, let's talk about Guantanamo now, because the detention center, well, we know Guantanamo has been around for a long time, it's the detention center at issue, here. Nine years that it has been in existence with prisoners or detainees being held there, many of whom, Avery and Richard, have not seen a day in court, have not met with an attorney, et cetera.

How much longer can this go on? We know the president said he was hoping that this center would be closed by next year, but which will come first, justice or representation for any one of these detainees, or closure of the facility? Avery, you first.

FRIEDMAN: Yes, it's a wonderful question. I think we're actually going to see both. Last November, I was very excited when the attorney general said we're going to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in the U.S. district court in New York. I felt strongly about it then, I feel strongly about it now. Many of these terrorists would have been tried convicted, punished, put away by now if it had been held in the federal district court, instead of congressional makeshift military tribunals, which they're still trying to tweak.

The fact is our super-maxes in America can hold these terrorists, can hold these prisoners, better than Guantanamo. Sooner or later, hopefully sooner, Guantanamo will be closed and we'll get these people to trial.

WHITFIELD: So Richard, are you seeing that in the year 2011? Or is it difficult to determine?

HERMAN: You know, Fred, every topic we're discussing today is sad and disgraceful. And nobody has more disdain for these animals than me, but we're nine years down the road, Fred, and as we sit here today, there are no charges pending against these people, none --

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Well, isn't part of the problem that it cannot be naturally assumed that everyone that's been detained is guilty because we've heard the cases of some who, I guess, are contending that they have done nothing wrong.

HERMAN: Yes, remember, this is the United States, they're innocent until proven guilty. And as we sit here today, there are no charges pending against them, because the military tribunal charges were dropped, because we thought they were going to be tried in federal district court in New York. Now, that's up in the air.

And, you know, Fred, I'm scared, because there is no end in sight. There may be five, 10 years before these people find their day in court.

WHITFIELD: Gosh! Real quick --

HERMAN: That's not right.

WHITFIELD: -- real quick, guys, maybe 40 seconds or so left, but there is an injunction, someone is suing. A conservative watchdog group has filed a suit against the imam of this New York proposed Islamic center. Where are we going with this, Richard?

HERMAN: You know, Fred, I tell me my students, for $225, anybody can sue anybody. It doesn't mean they're going to win. This case is ridiculous. It's going to get thrown out of court. It's outrageous. It's not provable. I don't believe it states a cause of action.

FRIEDMAN: Right.

HERMAN: This guy brought 18 litigations against President Clinton. It's a farce.

WHITFIELD: OK. Avery? You concur?

FRIEDMAN: Zero percent, it's going to be thrown out of court. Absolutely. Richard is exactly right.

HERMAN: Yes, we agree.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, gentlemen. Nice to see you agree, and we love it when you disagree, too. Appreciate it.

We may see you again later on this hour, but again, we're waiting a press conference coming out of California as it pertains to that fire explosion.

FRIEDMAN: Understood.

WHITFIELD: Of course, when that happens, we'll take that live. If that doesn't happen then I will see you again later on this hour.

FRIEDMAN: I hope so.

HERMAN: Yes. See you.

WHITFIELD: OK. All right. Well, how do you get humanitarian aid to some of the most dangerous places on earth? Send in combat veterans? We'll introduce you to Team Rubicon. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The death toll stands at four in this week's natural gas pipeline explosion near San Francisco. The search for victims is 95 percent complete, say officials. The explosion started a firestorm that destroyed 37 homes.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating, and one official was asked about reports that witnesses smelled gas before that blast.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTOPHER HART, NTSB VICE CHAIRMAN: The question is about residents who reported smelling gas. We've heard about those reports, we're aware of that, and one of the things that we will do in this process of investigation is to interview anybody that -- who has claimed that they noticed a gas odor. In that regard, I would like to say that if there's any person who is a potential witness to this event who has not yet been interviewed, please contact the local authorities and talk to them about it, because we need all the information we with get from whatever source we might get it. So, please contact the local authorities and we will get it from them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And, of course, we're still awaiting a press conference to take place involving the lieutenant governor.

Meantime, Josh Levs is here to look at the basics of that pipeline.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Fred.

And we pull out as soon as that starts. You know, look, what it's doing, this is drawing a lot of attention to what a lot of us don't think about which is what's underground, beneath us, almost wherever you are in the U.S. These are some of the latest photos that we're getting from, first, the destruction, and then the cleanup. And I'm going to be showing you more of those in just a second.

Well, I want to do now is jump over from here to a map. This comes from the Transportation Department. And if you take a look at this, see this as it zooms in.

See these blue lines everywhere? Everywhere you're seeing a blue line is an interstate gas pipeline in this country. Everywhere you're seeing a red line is an intrastate operating within the U.S. You can see a lot of those here in the south, Texas, Oklahoma has a bunch of them, but throughout the country, we have miles and miles and miles of these. They are all over.

These blue lines coming from everywhere are sign of just how many of these pipelines we have. Now, let's do this and I jump over here and give you some numbers. You can see just how big it gets. Pipelines in the U.S. -- 2.5 million miles of these things, 2.5 million miles of these pipelines in the United States, which is enough to circle the earth 100 times.

Let's take a look at this. We're going to break that down, see what it has inside it. Hazardous liquids, 175,000 miles of pipelines transporting that, 321,000 miles of gas transmission, and 2.1 million miles of these pipelines that are distributing natural gas, all underneath us within this country all over.

Now, a couple more things you should know -- one last thing that's important. It's not controlled by one major company. It's controlled by thousands of companies. The transportation says companies big and companies small come together to create a total of about 3,000 companies that are overseeing these.

So, as we take a look, and I know we have some video, at the kind of thing that we've been seeing in recent days as a result of this explosion, it is a time to stop and keep in mind what it is that operates at all times throughout this country and provides a lot of the energy that's important for a lot of things that we use every day, Fred. And that is this natural gas that is flying through these pipelines right underneath us, no matter where we are in this country -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Josh. Appreciate that.

LEVS: You bet. Sure.

WHITFIELD: All right. Combat vets step in to get aid to those in need in Pakistan. We'll tell you all about Team Rubicon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Some combat veterans are on a new mission. They're using lessons they learned on active duty to get aid to the world's most dangerous areas.

CNN's Kaj Larsen, a former Navy SEAL, takes us with him on a mission to flood-ravaged Pakistan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAJ LARSEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right. I'm packing for Pakistan.

(voice-over): I'm a member of the charity group Team Rubicon, a group made up of veterans of some of the most elite fighting forces in the world. No longer working for the military, we're now doing something different -- using military training and logistics and technical skills to conduct humanitarian missions in some of the most remote and dangerous countries.

(on camera): About five days ago, I got a call from them. They're sending a team to deploy to Pakistan to assist with the victims of the flooding disaster there. (voice-over): I headed to the airport to meet up with other Team Rubicon members who had volunteered for the Pakistan operation.

(on camera): Hi.

(voice-over): At the airport were three other teammates, including former Marine William McNulty.

WILLIAM MCNULTY, TEAM RUBICON: I spent eight years in the Marine Corps reserve. I've become an intelligence specialist. It's been our experience that we can respond to national disasters faster than larger NGOs. So, basically, we bring the skills that were developed on the battlefield.

LARSEN: Former Iraq vet Matt Pelak told me how this mission differs from what he used to do for the military.

MATT PELAK, TEAM RUBICON: It's good to come to an area like this and not have a gun in my hand and be able to, you know, actually, just get down and help people and not have people look at you with fear but with, you know, hope.

LARSEN: With the team assembled, first stop, Dubai.

(on camera): I think hour 23 of our journey to Pakistan. In the meantime, some of us are resting.

Just arrived to Islamabad airport, loaded all our gear into the team van, and we'll be heading down south to get closer to the affected areas where the aid work is going to begin.

(voice-over): We began the long drive to southern Punjab, a place where international aid is desperately needed for hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis. But the problem is: many western doctors are wary of coming here because of the precarious security situation.

MCNULTY: We, you know, assess the risks involved and mitigate what risk we can. We accept a certain level of risk in line with the mission and then we act.

LARSEN: Concerns about security are constant here. Upon our arrival, there had been three bombings in three days with more than 100 people killed.

(on camera): As we're driving to the areas in the southern Punjab region that are most affected by the floods, there's this long continuous line that's practically a mile long of trucks that are delivering aid to the region. I mean, just the sheer volume is incredible. There must have been 100 trucks just waiting to try and get supplies into the affected areas.

(voice-over): After 8,000 miles and three straight days of traveling, Rubicon finally arrives to a remote village that even a month into the floods is yet to receive medical aid. Undaunted by State Department and military warnings about security, the team begins saving lives. Dr. Eduardo Dolhun is a member of the team.

DR. EDUARDO DOLHUN, TEAM RUBICON: What we're going to do, this is our de facto triage area right here. We'll write -- diagnose and write the prescriptions.

LARSEN: As the team begins to set up a clinic in the abandoned building, the victims start arriving.

(on camera): Well, what's the issue with this guy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe he's totally floppy, totally unresponsive.

LARSEN: Yes. We're going to bring this baby to see Dr. Dolhun right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Baby is not able to swallow.

DOLHUN: So, we have a baby that's 10, 11 months old, having diarrhea for four to five days with vomiting. We now have a situation in which she is probably at dehydration to the point where maybe --

LARSEN (voice-over): It is here, despite all the concerns about safety, the Taliban threat, militants and sectarian violence the real threat Team Rubicon finds is that of children and elderly dying of dehydration. It's simple logistics. Lives can be saved if aid can get to it.

For all their skills, it's risking the journey to the victims that may be the team's greatest act on this mission. As baby Ali, just one of 2,000 villagers Team Rubicon will treat this day, fights for survival.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: We're going to move on to talk of politics coming up, sort of -- Sarah Palin and Arnold Schwarzenegger get into a Twitter spat. The latest headlines -- hot off the CNN political ticker -- right after this.

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WHITFIELD: All right, time for a CNN equals politics updates. We're keeping an eye on all the latest headlines on the CNN.com political ticker.

So, here's the first item on the list. Unity was on the menu at last night's Florida GOP dinner. Rick Scott recently defeated Bill McCollum in a bruising battle for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. But last night, our resolution affirming support for Scott passed by unanimous vote.

And have been waiting for the GOP Senate primary in Delaware, Christine O'Donnell has picked up another endorsement. She has won the support of South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint after getting earlier endorsements from Sarah Palin, the National Rifle Association, and the Tea Party Express. The party establishment is backing her opponent, Representative Mike Castle.

And two well-known Republicans are in a Twitter battle. It started when California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was flying over Alaska and sent a tweet, saying he couldn't see Russia. He was poking fun at former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

And Palin shot back with a tweet of her own. It mentioned Alaska's budget surplus, and asked what Schwarzenegger has been up to. That was an obvious dig at California's budget problems.

All right. The U.S. government is expected to appeal a federal judge's ruling that declares the military's "don't ask/don't tell" policy unconstitutional.

Let's bring in our legal guys back into the equation here. Civil rights attorney Avery Friedman in Cleveland and criminal defense attorney Richard Herman in Las Vegas. They're they are.

OK, gentlemen, this federal court in California, ruling "don't ask/don't tell" unconstitutional, but does it not take an act of Congress in order to actually repeal this policy -- Richard?

HERMAN: Yes, it does take an act of Congress, and Congress will act on this, Fred. You know, in order to be effective and not unconstitutional, this statute has to serve some legitimate and, you know, fine purpose. However, here, what this judge has ruled is that it's actually been harmful to the military, some 13,000 military personnel have been discharged based on violating this policy, and, you know, in this day and age, there really is no room for this type of unconstitutional statute controlling our lives.

WHITFIELD: So, Avery, do you agree, then, that this means this will expedite Congress to act on this?

FRIEDMAN: Maybe. I mean, one really has nothing to do with the other.

WHITFIELD: Really?

FRIEDMAN: This is a law that's been on the books. Yes, it's been around for 13 years. But a district judge says unconstitutional, the Obama administration has been proposing getting rid of the law anyway.

WHITFIELD: Right.

FRIEDMAN: All this really does is add another lever. It's unconstitutional. Congress should correct the mistake.

WHITFIELD: So, meaning this is another legal argument, could this potentially go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to hear those arguments? FRIEDMAN: No, no. The Obama administration has to appeal it because they've got to protect the law passed by Congress. The irony, Fredricka, is that they don't -- they agree with the federal district judge. And all they can do right now is work with Congress to create a new law addressing the issue.

The fact is that very few people doubted the law, even back in 1993, was constitutional. It took a federal court two days ago to say it is. It gives impetus to Congress now to do the right thing.

WHITFIELD: OK. And so, Richard, you want to take a stab at a timeline then?

(LAUGHTER)

HERMAN: No. I don't know when this is going to come down. But I want to give you a moment of reflection today, Fred --

WHITFIELD: OK. Let's reflect.

HERMAN: -- on 9/11, because anybody who was in New York City on that day, to this day, it will be like yesterday, they'll never forget the smells, they'll never forget the constant emergency vehicle sirens or the fighter jets circling Manhattan. No one will ever forget that. It seems like yesterday, and just a tragedy.

FRIEDMAN: And let me tell you something, Richard, America will never forget. Not just the folks who suffered deeply in New York City, but in Washington, D.C., certainly in Shanksville, and for the thousands of -- hundreds of thousands who are affected, this is a day of remembrance, and it's a day of reflection. And it also demonstrates that we are the greatest nation in the world, because we are a tolerant people, and we understand the significance of what this day really is.

WHITFIELD: Very well said. Thanks very much, gentlemen. Appreciate it. Good to see you this weekend and every weekend.

HERMAN: Have a good weekend, Fred.

FRIEDMAN: All the best to you. Take care.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Avery and Richard. Appreciate that.

And, of course, we'll be back with weather conditions on this September 11th anniversary day.

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WHITFIELD: As we await an update coming out of San Bruno, California, on that devastating fire, I want to bring in our Reynolds Wolf -- with kind of the before and after what took place before and after this, what is believed to be that gas explosion.

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it's amazing to see the imprint, the fingerprint that it left on the planet. I mean, it's just mind-numbing.

Let's go and show you the image that we have of what happened before the fire. Here's a shot of San Bruno, you can see there the city street, you see the sidewalks. That's before.

Now, let's transfer over to the after shot. And after shot, widespread devastation. It looks very similar to what you'd see if you had a large blast -- this obviously was the case -- or if you had, say, a large tornado going to the area, I mean, just utter devastation. Certainly, a horrible thing to see.

Weather conditions there today is still going to remain relatively dry. Conditions remain also relatively dry for much of the Central Rockies and back in the front range of the Rockies.

Of course, we've been talking over the last couple of days with the fire situation in parts of Boulder. Yesterday, they had what is referred to as a "red flag warning," that's when you have very low humidity and strong winds. Today, the winds are a bit weaker, the humidity is higher, that is certainly good news, but still they're going to have the work cut out for them. Unfortunately, no rain in the forecast.

An entirely different scenario when you get into the Midwest and the central and western Great Lakes. You got the frontal boundary. You've got the daytime heating, as well as the moisture coming all the way up to the Gulf of Mexico. Look for storms there.

Chance of storms also in parts of the Southeast, perhaps into Georgia, to Tennessee Valley, and certain into Arkansas, maybe even north Texas before the day is out.

In terms of your high temperatures, it's all Texas when it comes to the heat. Ninety-four degrees in Dallas, the high humidity in Houston is going to be felt today with 93, for the French Quarter, about 91 degrees there, 80 in Denver, Phoenix with102, and 95 in Las Vegas -- but that's a dry heat, whatever that's supposed to mean. It's still hot out there, let's be honest.

WHITFIELD: It means a better hair day with the heat.

WOLF: Exactly. And not a bad day for you in Boston with 73 degrees.

And for any of the memorial services you might be attending, say, at Ground Zero, temperatures will be in the 70s, very dry conditions there, Washington, D.C. 81 degrees, and in Pennsylvania pretty dry there, too, temperatures lean to the lower 80s, not bad at all.

What may be bad is something we're seeing out in the Atlantic. Right along the tropical convergence zone, as we wrap things up, we're keeping a very sharp eye on this system. That is Igor. And, of course, Jacqui Jeras is going to be in this afternoon and evening to give you the very latest on what's happening with that one. It could be a major hurricane possibly by the later half of next week.

WHITFIELD: Oh, boy, probably just in time for the weekend because that's usually the way it goes.

WOLF: There you go. Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: It churns up speed during the week, just to fall in our lap on the weekends.

WOLF: It always seems that way.

WHITFIELD: I know. All right. Reynolds, thanks so much. Appreciate that. Have a great day, too.

WOLF: You bet.

WHITFIELD: All right.

Later on, 2:00 Eastern hour, protesters for and against the Islamic center near Ground Zero in New York hitting the streets, along with our reporters. We'll give you updates on the activity there and we're taking an in-depth look at the intolerance and so-called Islamaphobia at the heart of this angry standoff.

"YOUR $$$$$" starts right now.