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CNN Live Saturday
9/11 Commission to Recommend New Cabinet Position; Terror How- To Easy to Find Online; Reaction Mixed in Martha Stewart's Hometown; Baghdad Strives for Normalcy; Huge Radar to Assist Missile Defense; American Coaches Chinese Olympic Team
Aired July 18, 2004 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, ANCHOR: Martha Stewart's home crowd weighs in on her sentence.
A park opening, no big deal, right? Unless you're in Baghdad.
And what do you get when you mix a Texas coach with tiny basketball players? Hoop dreams.
Well, welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. And in 30 minutes, are you insured? And if you're not insured, do you still have medical debt? How to show for health insurance that's best for you and your family. That's our topic today on "DOLLAR SIGNS." Call us at 1-800-807-2620 or e-mail your questions to DollarSigns@CNN.com. "DOLLAR SIGNS" begins in 30 minutes.
But first, here's what's happening now in the news.
At least five people are dead after the car bombing of a government convoy in Baghdad. Other insurgent attacks in Iraq today killed a U.S. soldier, an Iraqi soldier, a suicide bomber and a police chief. Details on all of that coming up.
Gaza is in a state of emergency. Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei has resigned. Leaders of Yasser Arafat's Fatah Party are quitting and hundreds of party members today protested Arafat's security shakeup following a rash of political kidnappings in Gaza.
American cyclist Lance Armstrong is just 22 seconds behind Tour de France leader Thomas Voeckler. Armstrong won stage 13 today. He's well positioned for a sixth consecutive Tour title when the race ends July 25.
And we are waiting for sprint champion Marion Jones to hold a news conference and explain why she suddenly pulled out of the 200- meter event about a half an hour ago. Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.
Now, let's begin in the west, where some of the most beautiful parts of the country have turned into battle zones.
Two hundred fires in the last 48 hours. That's the daunting statistic firefighters are facing in California, Nevada and other states. What's being called the meanest and ugliest fire to hit Carson City, Nevada, is now 50 percent contained. But officials are concerned that gusty winds and extremely dry conditions could worsen the situation this weekend.
And there is mixed news for residents of Lake Hughes, California. Hundreds have begun returning home after being forced out by a wildfire, but hundreds more are still displaced.
Let's get more now on the situation where weather has been of some help as well as a hindrance. Let's check in with Jacqui Jeras.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WHITFIELD: Jacqui Jeras in the weather center, thanks very much for that update.
Turning now to homeland security. For decades the country has relied on intelligence gathered by the CIA, FBI and other agencies. But in the wake of recent failures, should they report to a new cabinet level intelligence boss?
A source tells CNN that will be the recommendation of the 9/11 commission next week. Let's get details now from CNN's Elaine Quijano -- Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Fredricka.
That's right. A source familiar with the September 11 commission final report, which is not due out until next week, officially, says that it will include a recommendation for the creation of a new cabinet level position, something to be called a new national director of intelligence, according to this source who has seen the report.
Now the purpose, according to this person, is to have one post overseeing intelligence duties that are now handled throughout the government. Commissioners have actually hinted at this idea in the past with comments they have made.
Now for its part, the White House is not responding officially, but a senior administration official does say that this recommendation is not unexpected. President Bush in the past has said in general terms that he is open to intelligence reform.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We must have better coordination among intelligence services. I need and the Congress needs the best possible intelligence in order to protect the American people. We're determined to make sure we get it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, the issue has come up during the campaign yesterday. President Bush's Democratic opponent, John Kerry, raised the issue during an appearance. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The first step and the most necessary step is to reorganize, fundamentally, the way in which we gather intelligence in this country.
I think that the president should long ago -- and this is not the first time that I've called for it. I've pushed for this previously. It is long overdo that we have a coordinator of national intelligence in this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, again, the September 11 commission's final report is not actually due out until next week. The White House not commenting specifically, yet saying that the president, though, is looking forward to the report as sort of a jumping off point for intelligence reform discussions -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And Elaine, doesn't the White House anticipate that criticism may be that adding yet one more layer may further muddy the waters?
QUIJANO: Criticism, yes. But at the same time we should tell you, Fredricka, this source also notes that within the report it has made clear that some of these problems that exist, some of the turf wars, the jurisdictional, the budget battles that exist existed well before President Bush came to office.
So in that particular sense, there will be some vindication on the part of the White House. They will see that there is, in fact, some sense that these problems, these difficulties that exist now are not necessarily the product of this administration -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And in what way might this be new position, if it comes to that, impact the position of the homeland security chief, Tom Ridge?
QUIJANO: Well, that remains to be seen at this point. As of right now, in fact, you know, the White House is not even talking about this on the record. All they're saying right now is that this is something that doesn't come as a surprise to them.
Because we have heard in the past a couple of the commissioners come out and talk about the central question throughout their investigation is, who is responsible? Who is in control? Who is in control?
So that overriding theme is not necessarily a surprising one to this particular White House. That is a good question, though, as to how, in fact, any responsibilities will be divvied up remains to be seen -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Elaine Quijano at the White House, thanks very much.
The September 11 attack showed just how vigilant the world has to be against al Qaeda. Amazingly, those who want to join the terror network don't have to look far for instructions. A few keystrokes can lead them to a chilling how to manual.
CNN's Sean Callebs reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Al Qaeda terror training is moving from the battlefield to the Internet.
GABRIEL WEIMANN, UNITED STATS INSTITUTE OF PEACE: They can use it to communicate, to recruit, to raise funds, to negotiate.
CALLEBS: The U.S.-led war on terror has shut down many terrorist camps. These days through the online magazine "Al Pettar," or "The Sword," al Qaeda is using the web to spread fear and promote Jihad.
"Al Pettar" looks like a slick, well-produced Web magazine: colorful, featuring a table of contents, an op ed page and a letters to the editor page.
JOHN DEVON, SITE INSTITUTE: It's not a manual that you would probably read at the CIA or something. It's -- it's in layman's terms, and it's meant for the average person who wants to get involved in this to start doing what al Qaeda wants them to do.
CALLEBS: Published twice a month, each issue of "Al Petar" focuses on one topic, such as cleaning and care of weapons, assassinations, targets inside cities and, in this case, kidnapping.
Al Qaeda watchers point out the rash of kidnappings in Iraq and Saudi Arabia flourished after the magazine articles came out.
WEIMANN: It's a detailed description, who should be chosen as a target, where should they actually be held, how should the hostage be kept, about negotiation, informing the media?
CALLEBS (on camera): Using the Web to promote terror is not a new idea, but al Qaeda watchers say seven years ago they monitored 12 terrorist web sites. Today that number has swelled to more than 4,000.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Experts say there is no way to shut down the sites. And the same analysts say it may sound odd, but the U.S. doesn't want to silence all the sites because they do provide analysts with important so- called chatter that could provide intelligence on possible terrorist attacks -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: So Sean, if no one can shut down this site, can anyone police it or in some way modify it or influence it in any way?
CALLEBS: They can be modified. They can be passed on. Just very difficult to shut down. In essence, someone can go to an Internet cafe in Paris, set up a site by contacting a service, say, in the U.S. And then someone in Malaysia can read all that information.
And as soon as someone can track down that site and endeavor to shut it down, it can be picked up somewhere else and, once again, broadcast to millions of people across the world.
WHITFIELD: Sean Callebs in Washington, thanks very much.
Here's a question for you. What is 100 feet tall, weighs about four million pounds and is part of the Bush administration's war on terrorism? This is. What is it and what it is for? We have a special report from national security correspondent David Ensor.
And reaction from Martha Stewart's back yard, the streets there in Westport, Connecticut. Deborah Feyerick is there live.
And a report from Baghdad, where street life in some areas is starting to look almost normal.
And coming up in less than a half an hour, shopping for health insurance. Are you having any problems finding the best medical insurance? Call us or e-mail us: 1-800-807-2620, or you can e-mail us at DollarSigns@CNN.com.
And we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Martha Stewart is still full of fight after receiving a five month sentence in prison for lying about a stock sale. She is appealing that sentence and trying to clear her name.
The domestic diva tells supporters, even if she does go to prison she'll be back.
Our Deborah Feyerick samples the local reactions in Stewart's hometown of Westport, Connecticut.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On Main Street in the town where Martha Stewart started her empire, art and music mix with opinion at an annual street festival.
Real estate agent Nancy Sheter, a long-time Westport native and fan.
NANCY SHETER, WESTPORT RESIDENT: I'm sure she's remorseful. I think that she's ashamed. I mean, she will have that on her resume, so to speak, a convicted felon, but I think in all she'd like to clear her name.
MARTHA STEWART, FOUNDER, MARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA: I'll be back.
FEYERICK: While five months of Stewart's sentence will be served in prison, the other five will be served under house arrest, not here in Westport, but likely at another home in nearby Bedford.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She doesn't do a lot for the town, so the town doesn't necessarily own her as one of their own, as one of our -- our town (ph).
FEYERICK: Some residents, like Whitney Finn, see the sentence as too lenient.
WHITNEY FINN, WESTPORT RESIDENT: I think she should just take responsibility for what she did, and that is what she did to her company, not what other people did to her company.
FEYERICK: Others, like Westport visitor Mark Moreno, say it's too harsh.
MARK MORENO, WESTPORT VISITOR: She didn't murder anybody. I mean, try to put it in perspective. And I'm -- I'm sure she'll bounce back.
FEYERICK: And though Stewart has minimized her crime, calling it a small personal matter, Westport native David Waldman says she can't really separate herself from corporate criminals like Enron's Ken Lay or WorldCom's Bernie Ebbers.
DAVID WALDMAN, WESTPORT RESIDENT: She ran her own company. It was a billion dollar company. She had employees that lost their jobs and it was a difficult situation all the way around. And you know, hindsight being 20/20, she probably wouldn't have done it for such a miniscule amount.
FEYERICK: As for Stewart's promise that she'll be back...
DAVID KELLY, WESTPORT RESIDENT: I think she will be back. I hope so. I mean, this whole thing has destroyed, pretty much, her Martha Stewart empire for no good reason.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: Martha Stewart's lawyers will be filing their formal appeal within the next two weeks. Pending the court's decision, Stewart remains free -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And Deborah, aside from the sentence, is Martha Stewart well liked in that community there?
FEYERICK: You know, that's what's so interesting. I spoke to the executive editor of "Westport Magazine," who said that the town's not really rallying the wagons around Martha Stewart. They're rallying the wagons around the town.
But Stewart was not particularly seen as a popular celebrity as are those Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, who live here and who are seen as having done a lot for Westport.
WHITFIELD: Deborah Feyerick in Westport, Connecticut, thanks very much.
Well, now that she has been sentenced, Martha Stewart is opening up to our Larry King in her first and only live primetime interview. Stewart tells all on "LARRY KING LIVE" on Monday night at 9 Eastern. She'll also be taking your phone calls right here on CNN.
Insurgent attacks have killed an American soldier in northern Iraq and reportedly a police chief in the town south of Baghdad. The deaths were among at least nine today in the Iraq conflict.
Iraq's minister of justice escaped unharmed from a car bomb attack on his convoy in Baghdad. But the blast killed five other people.
Another car bomb about 20 miles south of Baghdad killed an Iraqi soldier and the car's driver.
Despite the ever-present threat of guerrilla attacks, CNN Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf reports normal life is creeping back into some parts of Iraq's capital.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The trumpet and the city it serenaded were a little battered, but the song, "My Country, My Country," rang even more true.
After more than a year of occupation and U.S. soldiers prominent in the streets, Baghdad is being given back to Baghdadis.
Dozens of families dressed up their children and came to the reopening of this park on Baghdad's historic Abu Nawal (ph) Street.
With more Iraqi police in the streets and a few weeks of relative calm, parts of the city are beginning to feel almost normal.
"This is a wonderful occasion, because it's been over a year we couldn't go out," said Nadal Abu Kareem (ph). She and her husband, Omar Hashima Jamali (ph), came to watch their daughter, Tayeva (ph), at the top of her sixth grade class, recite a children's poem.
Reopening the park is part of the campaign to clean up the streets and encourage businesses to open again.
Local workers have been hired to do as much of the work as possible. U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry Division has been doing the rest.
They're trying to bring this riverside street with its famous fish restaurants back to life.
(on camera) On some streets the city's mayor has even begun dismantling some of the barbed wire and concrete barriers like this, meant to guard against car bombs.
(voice-over) Baghdad still sees some violence. This week at least ten Iraqis were killed when a car bomb exploded close to the interim government's headquarters.
But the mayor says Iraqis are so resilient they'll continue to go out despite the occasional explosion.
MAYOR ALAA AL-TAMIMI, BAGHDAD: This is Iraqi. They are very brave. This is their city. And I don't think this would prevent them from normal living. I don't think this prevents the Iraqis to live and to build (ph).
Reporter: In Baghdad, where neighborhoods come to life after the day's heat, a lot of streets are crowded again at night.
Actor Ali Sebmam (ph) says he was robbed at gunpoint not long ago.
"I was planning to leave the country," he says. But he adds "The streets have been safer in the past two weeks, since the transfer of authority." He says he believes he'll stay.
Jane Arraf, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Well, there is news today of a worsening crisis in the Palestinian leadership in Gaza and the West Bank.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei resigned his post, although President Yasser Arafat has apparently refused to accept the resignation.
And two senior security officials were replaced in an apparent bid by Arafat to consolidate power and reduce corruption.
The political crisis was set into motion by the kidnapping of four French charity workers by militants on Friday. All four were released unharmed after a few hours.
Most Americans think that if there is another terrorist strike it will come from al Qaeda. But there is another group that worries some U.S. officials and has the government spending hundreds of millions of tax dollars to protect the country against a potential attack.
Here's David Ensor.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Simply put, the radar under construction in Corpus Christi, Texas, is huge.
COL. MIKE SMITH, PROJECT MANAGER, XBAND RADAR: What you're looking at is the world's largest Xband phase ray radar. It's 100 feet tall in its present condition there and weighs about four million pounds.
ENSOR: Workers are racing to complete the radar this year to become part of the multi-billion missile defense that President Bush wants to deploy against ballistic missile attack by a rogue state like North Korea.
The radar's job to figure out which is the real warhead so that missile interceptors can be launched to try to stop them.
LT. GEN. RONALD KADISH, FORMER DIRECTOR, MISSILE DEFENSE OFFICE: This adds that type of capability and would increase our overall confidence that we're shooting at the right target.
ENSOR (on camera): And now a decoy?
KADISH: And not a decoy.
ENSOR (voice-over): How good is the Xband radar? Colonel Smith says if slugger Barry Bonds could hit a baseball into space from Giants stadium in San Francisco and the radar were deployed near Washington, it would...
SMITH: Not just see the baseball, but detect the strain of motion on the baseball. That's how powerful this radar is, and that's exactly why it was developed.
ENSOR: The radar will soon be placed atop this platform under preparation in Brownsville, Texas. It is a Norwegian built oil drilling platform, with four engines, which the Pentagon plans to deploy in the Pacific Ocean.
SMITH: The deck size here is large enough to hold an entire football field with both end zones.
ENSOR (on camera): Once the radar is in place and has been tested, it will start its roughly six-month journey around Latin America, back up through the Pacific Ocean to its future home port, which is an island in Alaska's Aleutian chain.
(voice-over) Based in Adak, Alaska, the giant radar vessel will have a crew of 62 and be proficient to operate at sea for 60 days without new supplies.
(on camera) One thing walking up here now but when it's rocking about in the Pacific Ocean it might be a little bit tougher.
SMITH: yes, that's correct. That's why it's a very hardy breed of people that do this kind of thing.
ENSOR (voice-over): The Xband radar vessel will be a strategic target for America's enemies. When at sea, officials say it will have protection from U.S. Navy ships and planes.
(on camera) In order to acquire its target, the Xband radar is on these giant wheels, which rotate it 270 degrees on this track right here. And of course, if they need to go further than that, they simply use the propellers in the water on the vessel.
(voice-over) Critics question whether the $815 million radar vessel will be able to survive the rigors of the Pacific. PHILIP COYLE, FORMER ASSISTANT DEFENSE SECRETARY: The issue is not simply the size of the waves, but whether or not all that salt water and spray will affect the highly sophisticated electronics.
ENSOR: But Pentagon officials say, like other radars, the Xband will be covered. The circuitry is extremely robust, and it will sit on two massive pontoons.
(on camera) It's going to take a beating all the way around, isn't it?
SMITH: It will take a beating, but it's built to withstand a beating. And that's exactly why we picked and oil drilling platform. The extreme stability.
ENSOR (voice-over): Built for stability and built to help stop a missile attack against the United States.
David Ensor, CNN, Corpus Christi, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Hoop dreams of gold. That's what's fueling China's Olympic basketball team. And as senior Asia correspondent Mike Chinoy reports, an American is key to making it happen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dell Harris is the most popular American in China and coaching the most popular Chinese in America.
NBA star Yao Ming and the rest of this country's 1.3 billion people, hoping Dallas Mavericks' assistant coach will lead China to its first Olympic medal.
(on camera) Translating that ambition into success is no guaranteed slam-dunk, or as the Chinese would say, kolang (ph).
Harris is trying to master hundreds of basketball terms in Chinese.
DELL HARRIS, COACHING CHINESE OLYMPIC TEAM: Believe me, I know hundreds of them. But transition of information has to be so rapid fire that I can't think of the Chinese word quickly enough and by the time I say what I want to say and the translator says it, the moment has passed.
CHINOY (voice-over): That's not the only coaching challenge.
HARRIS: Basically, they're not an aggressive, violent type of mentality.
CHINOY: But Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets says the team is thrilled.
YAO MING, CHINESE OLYMPIC BASKETBALL TEAM: Many new ways and many new ideas for helping us.
CHINOY: It's clear Beijing isn't Dallas. Standing at attention for the Chinese national anthem, the boys from the ministry of public security in the stands. The team, not yet, at NBA level.
But there's time because Harris knows the goal really isn't this year, but 2008, when the Olympics will be held here in Beijing and the Chinese get the home court advantage.
Mike Chinoy, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And I'll have the day's latest headlines straight ahead.
And then shopping for health insurance. What you need to know to pick the right coverage. Send your questions to us at DollarSigns@CNN.com or call us at 1-800-807-2620.
We'll be right back.
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Aired July 18, 2004 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, ANCHOR: Martha Stewart's home crowd weighs in on her sentence.
A park opening, no big deal, right? Unless you're in Baghdad.
And what do you get when you mix a Texas coach with tiny basketball players? Hoop dreams.
Well, welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. And in 30 minutes, are you insured? And if you're not insured, do you still have medical debt? How to show for health insurance that's best for you and your family. That's our topic today on "DOLLAR SIGNS." Call us at 1-800-807-2620 or e-mail your questions to DollarSigns@CNN.com. "DOLLAR SIGNS" begins in 30 minutes.
But first, here's what's happening now in the news.
At least five people are dead after the car bombing of a government convoy in Baghdad. Other insurgent attacks in Iraq today killed a U.S. soldier, an Iraqi soldier, a suicide bomber and a police chief. Details on all of that coming up.
Gaza is in a state of emergency. Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei has resigned. Leaders of Yasser Arafat's Fatah Party are quitting and hundreds of party members today protested Arafat's security shakeup following a rash of political kidnappings in Gaza.
American cyclist Lance Armstrong is just 22 seconds behind Tour de France leader Thomas Voeckler. Armstrong won stage 13 today. He's well positioned for a sixth consecutive Tour title when the race ends July 25.
And we are waiting for sprint champion Marion Jones to hold a news conference and explain why she suddenly pulled out of the 200- meter event about a half an hour ago. Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.
Now, let's begin in the west, where some of the most beautiful parts of the country have turned into battle zones.
Two hundred fires in the last 48 hours. That's the daunting statistic firefighters are facing in California, Nevada and other states. What's being called the meanest and ugliest fire to hit Carson City, Nevada, is now 50 percent contained. But officials are concerned that gusty winds and extremely dry conditions could worsen the situation this weekend.
And there is mixed news for residents of Lake Hughes, California. Hundreds have begun returning home after being forced out by a wildfire, but hundreds more are still displaced.
Let's get more now on the situation where weather has been of some help as well as a hindrance. Let's check in with Jacqui Jeras.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WHITFIELD: Jacqui Jeras in the weather center, thanks very much for that update.
Turning now to homeland security. For decades the country has relied on intelligence gathered by the CIA, FBI and other agencies. But in the wake of recent failures, should they report to a new cabinet level intelligence boss?
A source tells CNN that will be the recommendation of the 9/11 commission next week. Let's get details now from CNN's Elaine Quijano -- Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Fredricka.
That's right. A source familiar with the September 11 commission final report, which is not due out until next week, officially, says that it will include a recommendation for the creation of a new cabinet level position, something to be called a new national director of intelligence, according to this source who has seen the report.
Now the purpose, according to this person, is to have one post overseeing intelligence duties that are now handled throughout the government. Commissioners have actually hinted at this idea in the past with comments they have made.
Now for its part, the White House is not responding officially, but a senior administration official does say that this recommendation is not unexpected. President Bush in the past has said in general terms that he is open to intelligence reform.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We must have better coordination among intelligence services. I need and the Congress needs the best possible intelligence in order to protect the American people. We're determined to make sure we get it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, the issue has come up during the campaign yesterday. President Bush's Democratic opponent, John Kerry, raised the issue during an appearance. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The first step and the most necessary step is to reorganize, fundamentally, the way in which we gather intelligence in this country.
I think that the president should long ago -- and this is not the first time that I've called for it. I've pushed for this previously. It is long overdo that we have a coordinator of national intelligence in this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, again, the September 11 commission's final report is not actually due out until next week. The White House not commenting specifically, yet saying that the president, though, is looking forward to the report as sort of a jumping off point for intelligence reform discussions -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And Elaine, doesn't the White House anticipate that criticism may be that adding yet one more layer may further muddy the waters?
QUIJANO: Criticism, yes. But at the same time we should tell you, Fredricka, this source also notes that within the report it has made clear that some of these problems that exist, some of the turf wars, the jurisdictional, the budget battles that exist existed well before President Bush came to office.
So in that particular sense, there will be some vindication on the part of the White House. They will see that there is, in fact, some sense that these problems, these difficulties that exist now are not necessarily the product of this administration -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And in what way might this be new position, if it comes to that, impact the position of the homeland security chief, Tom Ridge?
QUIJANO: Well, that remains to be seen at this point. As of right now, in fact, you know, the White House is not even talking about this on the record. All they're saying right now is that this is something that doesn't come as a surprise to them.
Because we have heard in the past a couple of the commissioners come out and talk about the central question throughout their investigation is, who is responsible? Who is in control? Who is in control?
So that overriding theme is not necessarily a surprising one to this particular White House. That is a good question, though, as to how, in fact, any responsibilities will be divvied up remains to be seen -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Elaine Quijano at the White House, thanks very much.
The September 11 attack showed just how vigilant the world has to be against al Qaeda. Amazingly, those who want to join the terror network don't have to look far for instructions. A few keystrokes can lead them to a chilling how to manual.
CNN's Sean Callebs reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Al Qaeda terror training is moving from the battlefield to the Internet.
GABRIEL WEIMANN, UNITED STATS INSTITUTE OF PEACE: They can use it to communicate, to recruit, to raise funds, to negotiate.
CALLEBS: The U.S.-led war on terror has shut down many terrorist camps. These days through the online magazine "Al Pettar," or "The Sword," al Qaeda is using the web to spread fear and promote Jihad.
"Al Pettar" looks like a slick, well-produced Web magazine: colorful, featuring a table of contents, an op ed page and a letters to the editor page.
JOHN DEVON, SITE INSTITUTE: It's not a manual that you would probably read at the CIA or something. It's -- it's in layman's terms, and it's meant for the average person who wants to get involved in this to start doing what al Qaeda wants them to do.
CALLEBS: Published twice a month, each issue of "Al Petar" focuses on one topic, such as cleaning and care of weapons, assassinations, targets inside cities and, in this case, kidnapping.
Al Qaeda watchers point out the rash of kidnappings in Iraq and Saudi Arabia flourished after the magazine articles came out.
WEIMANN: It's a detailed description, who should be chosen as a target, where should they actually be held, how should the hostage be kept, about negotiation, informing the media?
CALLEBS (on camera): Using the Web to promote terror is not a new idea, but al Qaeda watchers say seven years ago they monitored 12 terrorist web sites. Today that number has swelled to more than 4,000.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Experts say there is no way to shut down the sites. And the same analysts say it may sound odd, but the U.S. doesn't want to silence all the sites because they do provide analysts with important so- called chatter that could provide intelligence on possible terrorist attacks -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: So Sean, if no one can shut down this site, can anyone police it or in some way modify it or influence it in any way?
CALLEBS: They can be modified. They can be passed on. Just very difficult to shut down. In essence, someone can go to an Internet cafe in Paris, set up a site by contacting a service, say, in the U.S. And then someone in Malaysia can read all that information.
And as soon as someone can track down that site and endeavor to shut it down, it can be picked up somewhere else and, once again, broadcast to millions of people across the world.
WHITFIELD: Sean Callebs in Washington, thanks very much.
Here's a question for you. What is 100 feet tall, weighs about four million pounds and is part of the Bush administration's war on terrorism? This is. What is it and what it is for? We have a special report from national security correspondent David Ensor.
And reaction from Martha Stewart's back yard, the streets there in Westport, Connecticut. Deborah Feyerick is there live.
And a report from Baghdad, where street life in some areas is starting to look almost normal.
And coming up in less than a half an hour, shopping for health insurance. Are you having any problems finding the best medical insurance? Call us or e-mail us: 1-800-807-2620, or you can e-mail us at DollarSigns@CNN.com.
And we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Martha Stewart is still full of fight after receiving a five month sentence in prison for lying about a stock sale. She is appealing that sentence and trying to clear her name.
The domestic diva tells supporters, even if she does go to prison she'll be back.
Our Deborah Feyerick samples the local reactions in Stewart's hometown of Westport, Connecticut.
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DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On Main Street in the town where Martha Stewart started her empire, art and music mix with opinion at an annual street festival.
Real estate agent Nancy Sheter, a long-time Westport native and fan.
NANCY SHETER, WESTPORT RESIDENT: I'm sure she's remorseful. I think that she's ashamed. I mean, she will have that on her resume, so to speak, a convicted felon, but I think in all she'd like to clear her name.
MARTHA STEWART, FOUNDER, MARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA: I'll be back.
FEYERICK: While five months of Stewart's sentence will be served in prison, the other five will be served under house arrest, not here in Westport, but likely at another home in nearby Bedford.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She doesn't do a lot for the town, so the town doesn't necessarily own her as one of their own, as one of our -- our town (ph).
FEYERICK: Some residents, like Whitney Finn, see the sentence as too lenient.
WHITNEY FINN, WESTPORT RESIDENT: I think she should just take responsibility for what she did, and that is what she did to her company, not what other people did to her company.
FEYERICK: Others, like Westport visitor Mark Moreno, say it's too harsh.
MARK MORENO, WESTPORT VISITOR: She didn't murder anybody. I mean, try to put it in perspective. And I'm -- I'm sure she'll bounce back.
FEYERICK: And though Stewart has minimized her crime, calling it a small personal matter, Westport native David Waldman says she can't really separate herself from corporate criminals like Enron's Ken Lay or WorldCom's Bernie Ebbers.
DAVID WALDMAN, WESTPORT RESIDENT: She ran her own company. It was a billion dollar company. She had employees that lost their jobs and it was a difficult situation all the way around. And you know, hindsight being 20/20, she probably wouldn't have done it for such a miniscule amount.
FEYERICK: As for Stewart's promise that she'll be back...
DAVID KELLY, WESTPORT RESIDENT: I think she will be back. I hope so. I mean, this whole thing has destroyed, pretty much, her Martha Stewart empire for no good reason.
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FEYERICK: Martha Stewart's lawyers will be filing their formal appeal within the next two weeks. Pending the court's decision, Stewart remains free -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And Deborah, aside from the sentence, is Martha Stewart well liked in that community there?
FEYERICK: You know, that's what's so interesting. I spoke to the executive editor of "Westport Magazine," who said that the town's not really rallying the wagons around Martha Stewart. They're rallying the wagons around the town.
But Stewart was not particularly seen as a popular celebrity as are those Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, who live here and who are seen as having done a lot for Westport.
WHITFIELD: Deborah Feyerick in Westport, Connecticut, thanks very much.
Well, now that she has been sentenced, Martha Stewart is opening up to our Larry King in her first and only live primetime interview. Stewart tells all on "LARRY KING LIVE" on Monday night at 9 Eastern. She'll also be taking your phone calls right here on CNN.
Insurgent attacks have killed an American soldier in northern Iraq and reportedly a police chief in the town south of Baghdad. The deaths were among at least nine today in the Iraq conflict.
Iraq's minister of justice escaped unharmed from a car bomb attack on his convoy in Baghdad. But the blast killed five other people.
Another car bomb about 20 miles south of Baghdad killed an Iraqi soldier and the car's driver.
Despite the ever-present threat of guerrilla attacks, CNN Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf reports normal life is creeping back into some parts of Iraq's capital.
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JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The trumpet and the city it serenaded were a little battered, but the song, "My Country, My Country," rang even more true.
After more than a year of occupation and U.S. soldiers prominent in the streets, Baghdad is being given back to Baghdadis.
Dozens of families dressed up their children and came to the reopening of this park on Baghdad's historic Abu Nawal (ph) Street.
With more Iraqi police in the streets and a few weeks of relative calm, parts of the city are beginning to feel almost normal.
"This is a wonderful occasion, because it's been over a year we couldn't go out," said Nadal Abu Kareem (ph). She and her husband, Omar Hashima Jamali (ph), came to watch their daughter, Tayeva (ph), at the top of her sixth grade class, recite a children's poem.
Reopening the park is part of the campaign to clean up the streets and encourage businesses to open again.
Local workers have been hired to do as much of the work as possible. U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry Division has been doing the rest.
They're trying to bring this riverside street with its famous fish restaurants back to life.
(on camera) On some streets the city's mayor has even begun dismantling some of the barbed wire and concrete barriers like this, meant to guard against car bombs.
(voice-over) Baghdad still sees some violence. This week at least ten Iraqis were killed when a car bomb exploded close to the interim government's headquarters.
But the mayor says Iraqis are so resilient they'll continue to go out despite the occasional explosion.
MAYOR ALAA AL-TAMIMI, BAGHDAD: This is Iraqi. They are very brave. This is their city. And I don't think this would prevent them from normal living. I don't think this prevents the Iraqis to live and to build (ph).
Reporter: In Baghdad, where neighborhoods come to life after the day's heat, a lot of streets are crowded again at night.
Actor Ali Sebmam (ph) says he was robbed at gunpoint not long ago.
"I was planning to leave the country," he says. But he adds "The streets have been safer in the past two weeks, since the transfer of authority." He says he believes he'll stay.
Jane Arraf, CNN, Baghdad.
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WHITFIELD: Well, there is news today of a worsening crisis in the Palestinian leadership in Gaza and the West Bank.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei resigned his post, although President Yasser Arafat has apparently refused to accept the resignation.
And two senior security officials were replaced in an apparent bid by Arafat to consolidate power and reduce corruption.
The political crisis was set into motion by the kidnapping of four French charity workers by militants on Friday. All four were released unharmed after a few hours.
Most Americans think that if there is another terrorist strike it will come from al Qaeda. But there is another group that worries some U.S. officials and has the government spending hundreds of millions of tax dollars to protect the country against a potential attack.
Here's David Ensor.
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DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Simply put, the radar under construction in Corpus Christi, Texas, is huge.
COL. MIKE SMITH, PROJECT MANAGER, XBAND RADAR: What you're looking at is the world's largest Xband phase ray radar. It's 100 feet tall in its present condition there and weighs about four million pounds.
ENSOR: Workers are racing to complete the radar this year to become part of the multi-billion missile defense that President Bush wants to deploy against ballistic missile attack by a rogue state like North Korea.
The radar's job to figure out which is the real warhead so that missile interceptors can be launched to try to stop them.
LT. GEN. RONALD KADISH, FORMER DIRECTOR, MISSILE DEFENSE OFFICE: This adds that type of capability and would increase our overall confidence that we're shooting at the right target.
ENSOR (on camera): And now a decoy?
KADISH: And not a decoy.
ENSOR (voice-over): How good is the Xband radar? Colonel Smith says if slugger Barry Bonds could hit a baseball into space from Giants stadium in San Francisco and the radar were deployed near Washington, it would...
SMITH: Not just see the baseball, but detect the strain of motion on the baseball. That's how powerful this radar is, and that's exactly why it was developed.
ENSOR: The radar will soon be placed atop this platform under preparation in Brownsville, Texas. It is a Norwegian built oil drilling platform, with four engines, which the Pentagon plans to deploy in the Pacific Ocean.
SMITH: The deck size here is large enough to hold an entire football field with both end zones.
ENSOR (on camera): Once the radar is in place and has been tested, it will start its roughly six-month journey around Latin America, back up through the Pacific Ocean to its future home port, which is an island in Alaska's Aleutian chain.
(voice-over) Based in Adak, Alaska, the giant radar vessel will have a crew of 62 and be proficient to operate at sea for 60 days without new supplies.
(on camera) One thing walking up here now but when it's rocking about in the Pacific Ocean it might be a little bit tougher.
SMITH: yes, that's correct. That's why it's a very hardy breed of people that do this kind of thing.
ENSOR (voice-over): The Xband radar vessel will be a strategic target for America's enemies. When at sea, officials say it will have protection from U.S. Navy ships and planes.
(on camera) In order to acquire its target, the Xband radar is on these giant wheels, which rotate it 270 degrees on this track right here. And of course, if they need to go further than that, they simply use the propellers in the water on the vessel.
(voice-over) Critics question whether the $815 million radar vessel will be able to survive the rigors of the Pacific. PHILIP COYLE, FORMER ASSISTANT DEFENSE SECRETARY: The issue is not simply the size of the waves, but whether or not all that salt water and spray will affect the highly sophisticated electronics.
ENSOR: But Pentagon officials say, like other radars, the Xband will be covered. The circuitry is extremely robust, and it will sit on two massive pontoons.
(on camera) It's going to take a beating all the way around, isn't it?
SMITH: It will take a beating, but it's built to withstand a beating. And that's exactly why we picked and oil drilling platform. The extreme stability.
ENSOR (voice-over): Built for stability and built to help stop a missile attack against the United States.
David Ensor, CNN, Corpus Christi, Texas.
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WHITFIELD: Hoop dreams of gold. That's what's fueling China's Olympic basketball team. And as senior Asia correspondent Mike Chinoy reports, an American is key to making it happen.
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MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dell Harris is the most popular American in China and coaching the most popular Chinese in America.
NBA star Yao Ming and the rest of this country's 1.3 billion people, hoping Dallas Mavericks' assistant coach will lead China to its first Olympic medal.
(on camera) Translating that ambition into success is no guaranteed slam-dunk, or as the Chinese would say, kolang (ph).
Harris is trying to master hundreds of basketball terms in Chinese.
DELL HARRIS, COACHING CHINESE OLYMPIC TEAM: Believe me, I know hundreds of them. But transition of information has to be so rapid fire that I can't think of the Chinese word quickly enough and by the time I say what I want to say and the translator says it, the moment has passed.
CHINOY (voice-over): That's not the only coaching challenge.
HARRIS: Basically, they're not an aggressive, violent type of mentality.
CHINOY: But Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets says the team is thrilled.
YAO MING, CHINESE OLYMPIC BASKETBALL TEAM: Many new ways and many new ideas for helping us.
CHINOY: It's clear Beijing isn't Dallas. Standing at attention for the Chinese national anthem, the boys from the ministry of public security in the stands. The team, not yet, at NBA level.
But there's time because Harris knows the goal really isn't this year, but 2008, when the Olympics will be held here in Beijing and the Chinese get the home court advantage.
Mike Chinoy, CNN, Beijing.
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WHITFIELD: And I'll have the day's latest headlines straight ahead.
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