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CNN Live Saturday

Fresh Surge of Violence in Iraq; Bush Defends Iraq War Against Critics; FEMA to Stop Paying Hotel Bills for Katrina Victims

Aired November 19, 2005 - 12:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Another day of violence in Iraq with a series of bombings killing more than two dozen people.
And more than 1,200 firefighters hold back a wildfire in California. Also, thousands of Hurricane Katrina victims bracing for another potential disaster, a looming deadline to cut off FEMA funding for temporary housing.

Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. A busy hour straight ahead, but first, a look at other stories now in the news.

A strong earthquake strikes off the western coast of Indonesia. The U.S. Geological survey says today's quake had a magnitude of 6.5m but the agency says there are no plans to issue a tsunami warning. The quake struck near Aceh Province where a massive quake triggered a tsunami last December 26 killing more than 170,000 people.

Pakistan apparently will get enough money to rebuild areas that were devastated by a major earthquake last month. Dozens of governments and financial institutions are pledging $3 billion to help the area recover. The pledges were made at a donor's conference in Islamabad. With the new pledges Pakistan is expected to receive nearly $5.5 billion to rebuild the quake-stricken region.

In the Caribbean, Tropical Storm Gamma is spinning toward Mexico's Yucatan peninsula and its effect could be felt along parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast days from now. Forecasters now predict the storm will skirt just south of Florida by Monday afternoon. Gamma is the 24th named storm of this record setting Atlantic hurricane season.

The fight for Iraq is now being fought on many fronts, including an angry and bitter war of words erupting in Congress over proposed immediate troop withdrawal. A stern response from President Bush and Asia as well. Meantime, in Iraq, a series of car bombings today have killed at least 30 civilians in and near Baghdad.

Let's begin there where CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson joins us live from the Iraqi capital.

And Nic, how is this war of words in Washington being received in Baghdad where the U.S. Troops are?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's certainly going sort of over the heads of most of the Iraqi public, if you will. But as the political debate heats up in advance of the elections, it's certainly going to sharpen that debate.

We've heard a lot of acrimony this week, and division, over the very fact that at a military of interior jail there was allegations and indeed cases of torture, that's helped divide the community, but the politicians have also sounded off on it, they've been very divided. But the notion that U.S. troops could begin to pull out -- might pull out, that it's even being talked about will sharpen all that debate in advance of the elections.

Today, just at sunset, though, more suicide attacks. A suicide bomber drove a car full of explosives into a crowd of people inside a tent gathered for a funeral. That was about 55 miles northeast of Baghdad. The bomber killed 25 people, 30 people were wounded. They were all friends, relatives, family of an elderly man who they'd gathered to bury.

And earlier in the day in Baghdad, a market was the -- a crowded market was the target of a bomber there; 11 people killed, 20 wounded when those explosives were detonated. And a little later in the center of Baghdad, again, a crowded street was where the bomber struck, this time, targeting police. Four policemen were wounded. But it was one civilian passing by that was killed and another six passersby also wounded in that particular attack, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Nic Robertson in Baghdad, thanks so much for that update.

As the White House battles its critics in Washington over President Bush's Iraq war policies, the issue remains a contentious one for the president as he continues his trip to Asia. Mr. Bush has arrived in China's capital for a two-day state visit with a major focus on trade issues. But during an earlier stop at an air base in South Korea, the Iraq war was front and center and Mr. Bush went on the offensive as he delivered a pep talk to the American troops there.

Here's CNN's White House correspondent Dana Bash.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president stood before U.S. troops here at Osan Air Base in South Korea and focused not on a threat they're to stand watch over, that's North Korea, but instead the ongoing war in Iraq.

Mr. Bush used his appearance in a sea of camouflage to engage in the debate raging back in Washington over the U.S. troop presence in the increasingly unpopular war in Iraq and the president's policy there. He said he will never accept anything less than a complete victory, and quoted a U.S. military commander in Iraq saying, setting a deadline for withdrawal would be a, quote, "recipe for disaster."

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So long as I'm the commander in chief, our strategy in Iraq will be driven by the sober judgment of our military commanders on the ground. We will fight the terrorists in Iraq. We will stay in the fight until we have achieved the brave -- the victory that our brave troops have fought for.

BASH: That was added to Mr. Bush's speech in order to respond to a call from Congressman John Murpha, a hawkish and influential democrat who says forces in Iraq should come home in six months.

Before coming here, Mr. Bush closed a two-day summit in Osan South Korea with 20 other world leaders, pledging initiatives to combat the bird flu, including building a regional register of experts and promising to hold a simulation exercise to test preparedness of the epidemic.

Dana Bash, CNN, Osan Air Base, South Korea.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: A wind-driven wildfire snaking through a canyon near Ventura, California, is reported to be about 30 percent contained. Calmer winds could help the 1,200 firefighters battling the 4,000-acre blaze. At one point, hundreds of homes were threatened and many evacuated.

CNN's Kareen Wynter joins us now from Ventura, about 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

And how are things looking right now?

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the conditions have greatly improved, Fredricka, since yesterday. I can tell you, the overnight efforts by firefighters, as well as the calming wind conditions have basically brought us to where we are. Again, 30 percent containment with the fire.

There are some hot spots, but no flames actively burning, according to officials here in the staging area where we are right now. And those crews are currently working in an area far removed from where we are. In fact, it's tucked away in a rugged hillside. But there are no homes that are being threatened. No evacuation orders in effect and no road closures, but about 3,700 acres have burned so far.

Yesterday, around this time, a dramatic scene of events as flames shot from the hillsides here in the canyons. It was a very, very scary situation for residents, some of them fleeing in their pajamas, others quickly grabbing whatever personal belongings they could, fleeing this area. And firefighters said that it was such a tedious task, because at times it felt as if they had the upper hand on these flames and then the wind would play such a role here in causing things to turn and shooting those flames even further in the air.

I want to bring in now a spokesperson with Ventura County Fire Department, Captain Mike Lindberry.

First of all, we know that the conditions here are always ripe, with the winds, as well as the temperatures out here. But is that what sparked this fire? Do we know right now? CAPT. MIKE LINDBERRY, VENTURA CO. FIRE DEPT.: Well, as far as what sparked the fire, it's under -- the cause of the fire is under investigation. We do know that anytime when we have a northeasterly wind condition, hot, dry Santa Ana winds, and we have any heat source or ignition source into the brush-like weed, we had yesterday, we're going to have a major event and that's what occurred yesterday, as you explained.

We've had, actually, a turn-around now. We're -- we have a westerly onshore flow. And even though it's not as moist, the air isn't as moist as we hope, it's given us an opportunity to go direct on the fire and get down there right on the fire lines, instead of being in a defensive posture. So, we're getting some work done today and it's looking good.

WYNTER: What's the biggest challenge for your guys?

LINDBERRY: Well, you know, they're battling some exhaustion, they've been out there 30 hours now and a lot of them are fatigued. We have some very steep and serious terrain they have to deal with. And then heat exhaustion comes into play, as we go later in the day, we're looking at temperatures in the mid-80s, possibly. So they have actually a lot of hazards to look out for.

WYNTER: OK, Captain, you have a long day ahead of you. We'll let you get back to work. Just to add to what the captain was saying, there were also two injuries reported, Fredricka. Two firefighters sustained minor injuries, one as a result of smoke inhalation, the other a back injury. Now, the question is, when will this be contained? And preliminary estimates tell us perhaps around 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Kareen, as that captain was talking about the fatigue that they also have to fight. Does this mean that they're also getting some support from other jurisdictions or perhaps even across state lines?

WYNTER: Absolutely. There are several counties involved here with fire crews coming in. The staging area is great, because there's so much aid on, from food and water, to just other personnel here, so a huge support system here and they're rotating their guys. You know, as one team goes in, and the other will be able to be standing by to relieve the others.

WHITFIELD: All right, that's good to hear. Kareen Wynter, thanks so much from Ventura, California.

Well, they survived the worst natural disaster to hit the United States, and now many of the victims of Hurricane Katrina are faced with another dilemma coming from the agency they thought would help them: FEMA. We will explain and get both sides of the story from a Louisiana government official and a victim.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider with a look at your cold and flu report for this Saturday. As we check things out across the country, you'll see most of the nation is managing to stay quite healthy. No report of flu across much of the eastern half of the country, with some exceptions. Sporadic outbreaks have been reported in parts of New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts, down through Florida as well.

Out to the west, sporadic activity reported in California, and down through parts of Arizona. Now, as we look in Texas, you'll see there's regional outbreaks reported for the flu so far this season. That's a look at your cold and flu report. I'm meteorologist Bonnie Schneider, hope everyone has a healthy and safe weekend.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Thousands of Katrina evacuees are starting and they're staring at a critical deadline. Just 11 days from now, FEMA will stop paying hotel bills for most of them, with just two weeks' notice many face the real possibility of returning to a shelter or even living on the streets, that's the extreme. I'll talk to a Katrina evacuee in a moment, as well as a state social worker from Louisiana.

First, some background. Here's CNN's Jason Carroll in New York.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This morning Quintin Garrus took time to play with his kids, nine-month-old Justice and two-year-old Zaria. For the family, a brief moment of happiness before harsh reality sets in.

QUINTIN GARRUS, KATRINA EVACUEE: We frustrated, angry, tired, disgusted, disappointed. Just ready to settle down.

CARROLL: Since September, this family of four, forced from their New Orleans home by hurricane Katrina, has been living in a New York hotel room, temporary housing paid for by FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The family's funds are running low. They've been unable to find work or affordable permanent housing in a city where the average cost of a one-bedroom apartment is more than $1,000 a month. They say FEMA has done little to help.

DANIELLE WEST, KATRINA EVACUEE: FEMA never came here and said well, this is what we're doing for you all, this is housing, and you can go here and they're going to have this and that for you.

CARROLL: Now FEMA says as of December 1, it will stop paying hotel bills for Quintin and some 51,000 other evacuees living in hotels across the country.

WEST: I can't imagine being homeless with two children. On the first all of my things are going to be put out on the street.

CARROLL: We don't know what to do at this point because we keep getting pending, pending, pending.

CARROLL: On Friday, a roomful of evacuees living in New York hotels faced FEMA and city officials. KEN CURTIN, FEMA: And I'm here to tell you what the reality is. I'm the messenger.

CARROLL: Danielle West hoped to hear something encouraging, but most of what she listened to were complaints from others just like her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have not received a check. I have not received any assistance whatsoever from FEMA.

CURTIN: But if they've told you that there's a check that's been sent. That in a way is good news, because that means you're eligible and we need to find that check.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The December 1 date was not told to us. OK? We found that out through rumors.

CARROLL: Then some encouraging words. New York City officials say the city would pick up the tab, and allow evacuees, under certain conditions, to stay in hotels until January 1. But then the city representative said something no one wanted to hear.

MONICA PARIKH, New York City OF HOMELESS SERVICES: But the shelter system is an available resource.

CARROLL: Critics say some of the city shelters are unsafe, even the homeless won't stay there. West had enough.

WEST: I've never been homeless a damn day in my life...

(CROSSTALK)

WEST: ... and a two-year-old.

PARIKH: I know it's hard.

CARROLL: West was too upset to talk with us after that. FEMA's representative didn't want to talk either.

(on camera): Why, at this point, are we still carrying the same kind of complaints we heard several weeks ago, more than a month ago? Why are we still here?

Late Friday, New York City's mayor sends a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, asking them to extend hotel funding and consider postponing the deadline.

(voice-over): Despite the city's efforts, many here aren't sure what their futures now hold, or who they can turn to for help.

Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, Katrina evacuee, Carlanda Isaac, joins me here in Atlanta. She is a mother of four children, including two-year-old twins. Since the hurricane her family has moved to at least seven towns across three states.

Good to see you, Carlanda. We're talking about you first evacuated from the New Orleans area to Baton Rouge, then you ended up in Texas, and various cities, and then made your way to Georgia, here in Atlanta. You've really been moving around a lot.

Your story is very common. A lot of evacuees have been having to go to a lot of different cities to find temporary housing. You've been here in Atlanta for about how long? And where are you staying? In a hotel or with friends?

CARLANDA ISAAC, HURRICANE EVACUEE: I've been here about a month. I have an apartment now in Lawrenceville, Georgia. We were told that we had to be out of the hotel on November the 23, so we moved out and found an apartment.

WHITFIELD: And you got that notice with very short notice.

ISAAC: Right.

WHITFIELD: Here we are right before the Thanksgiving holiday. You thought perhaps you would be staying in the hotel for a bit longer.

ISAAC: Right.

WHITFIELD: And now you have eventually found temporary housing, but you still need assistance from FEMA for that. Will you be getting it?

ISAAC: I'm not sure. I'm talking to FEMA every day, and FEMA is unsure of what happens next. So we basically don't know what's going on and what what's the next surprise.

WHITFIELD: Why has this been so difficult to get answers? How hard has it been to get some sort of straight guidance from FEMA or any other relief agency, if not the government relief agency, then perhaps other agencies like Red Cross, non-government agencies, Red Cross, etcetera? What's going on?

ISAAC: Everything changes from day to day.

WHITFIELD: What do you mean?

ISAAC: I have been to every agency in Houston. I have been to every agency in Georgia and promises that this assistance would be available for me, for rental, for clothing, gas assistance. Nothing has been stable. Everything has changed. We went into some United Way funding agencies. These agencies are saying that you have to have a job in order to be assisted. In other words, they won't pay your rent unless you can show that you have income coming in.

WHITFIELD: And the difficulty has been, for you and a lot of other people, trying to find a job when you don't have any kind of permanent housing.

ISAAC: Right.

WHITFIELD: When you apply for a job, and so that's one strike against you isn't it?

ISAAC: Right. If I'm going to be in East Point this week, and next week in Marietta, and then the week after in Norcross, I don't know where I should apply for a job in. The next thing is schooling. Schooling is impossible for the kids if you're traveling from area to area in hotels.

WHITFIELD: And you have four kids. We talked about you have the two-year-old twins, but you also have school age kids ages eight and 14.

ISAAC: Correct.

WHITFIELD: How have they been handling all of this? What do you tell your kids when you have to pack up and move from place to place?

ISAAC: I don't give them promises, but I tell them, it's going to get better. It's going to get better. They're in school now.

WHITFIELD: And do you even believe that, it's going to get better, given the fact that you're not able to get the straight answers you've needing in the past two months?

ISAAC: FEMA's not going to do anything more for us. I think that (INAUDIBLE).

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: You're convinced of that?

ISAAC: ... totally failed us. And I see that they're getting out of the promises, and they are backing up from this disaster and moving on to other things now.

WHITFIELD: Is that your feeling? Because, you know, you're one of something like 53,000 people from Texas, Louisiana, folks in Georgia, Mississippi, who are living in temporary housing, mostly hotels as a result of Katrina and Rita. Do you feel like the system is just overwhelmed, didn't know what to do with the volume of people who are needing housing? Or is it your feeling that it is just what FEMA says, we're out of money, we just don't have the funding anymore?

ISAAC: FEMA, along with Red Cross, along with other agencies have misappropriated funds. Enough money was donated, enough funds were distributed by FEMA in order to provide for every household in New Orleans. Louisiana, New Orleans, the metro area is very small. $465 million as of October the 3rd has been directed towards hotel lodging. There was enough money to house every evacuee for a six- month period.

WHITFIELD: And just for the record, we have requested that FEMA come on this program to help spell out exactly what is at issue, and has there been enough money allocated, and has it been appropriated and we really don't know the answers because they have denied our request to come on this program just for the sake of fairness.

Meantime, I also hear from you, not only are you frustrated, but you are feeling quite angry, aren't you, that you and others were let down from the government that you thought might be able to help you in a situation like this?

ISAAC: Right. That's why I pay taxes. I'm 32. I've been paying taxes for 12 years. And I pay taxes to set aside for situations like this. That's what the IRS is for. And it has definitely failed us. And even if we're not depending on FEMA, people, celebrities, citizens, churches have come together and donated money to Red Cross. Red Cross has not halfway distributed that money. FEMA has distributed money to United Way. United Way has not given us the money that we need to start over.

WHITFIELD: And so now, Carlanda, in the meantime, you are in temporary housing, you're in the Atlanta area in an apartment. How are you going to continue to pay rent? You haven't found -- been able to find the job because of the obstacles you just expressed.

ISAAC: Right. Right.

WHITFIELD: What are you going to do? Can you look beyond this week?

ISAAC: No. I tell you that I can. The only thing that I can do is continue to be resourceful. I can continue to use the skills that I have in trying to locate a job and I can just pray.

WHITFIELD: All right, Carlanda Isaac, thanks so much and best of luck to you and your four kids here in the Atlanta area and hope that you're able to find that kind of permanent employment so that you can then get that permanent housing. Best of luck to you.

ISAAC: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Well, evacuees in Louisiana and Mississippi hotels have a different deadline, meaning those who are staying in those states, because of the housing shortage in those areas, FEMA will cover hotel bills in Louisiana and again in Mississippi until January 7. Still, state officials say they've been blindsided by FEMA's short notice.

Let's talk to Lisa Woodruff-White in Baton Rouge. She's with Louisiana's Department of Social Services. Glad you're able to be with us.

LISA WOODRUFF-WHITE, BATON ROUGE DEPT. OF SOCIAL SERVICES: Sure.

WHITFIELD: Well, you've got a chance to hear from Carlanda Isaac and her dilemma. She's from Louisiana area but she's been staying here in the Atlanta, Georgia area.

Meantime, you've got a number of evacuees who are still in Louisiana and in Mississippi. They have a deadline that's a bit longer, January 7, before they have to move on from their temporary housing, provided assistance from FEMA and now independently beyond their own. Do you see the prospects are good that these many people, nearly 50,000 folks will be able to do that, even by January 7?

WOODRUFF-WHITE: The deadline is very problematic. It's problematic for the country. This is a national problem. FEMA has issued this policy without a plan on how it will be implemented when the reality is we have so many people like her who are in situations where they are trying to move toward some sense of stability, but it's very difficult to do when you're not in a permanent or long-term housing situation.

WHITFIELD: So what do you tell people who are calling you, who are there in Louisiana, who are saying, you know, I'm down to my last dime, I don't have a place over my head after today. Or after -- whether it's December 1. Bottom line, it's soon. What do you tell them, especially when they do have families, they have children, and they don't have a job? They don't have any income coming in?

WOODRUFF-WHITE: You know, it is very important for people to make sure that they register with FEMA. But I'll tell you, here in...

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: And how do they do that? Isn't that also a complicated matter?

WOODRUFF-WHITE: Well, registration with FEMA is something that they can do over the phone, but FEMA can speak to those options. We in this state have pushed very hard for FEMA on housing solutions, here. Our governor has made it very clear that we want our citizens back in Louisiana. Unfortunately, while the goal is to have 75,000 to 100,000 temporary housing solutions for people, we only have about 10,000, and we are three months out from this disaster.

WHITFIELD: And where do you get that temporary housing from? FEMA had talked about some of the trailers that it wanted to move into place, whether it be Louisiana or Mississippi, or some of the other states. Is that, by definition, some of the temporary housing that you're talking about?

WOODRUFF-WHITE: Sure. Temporary travel trailer communities in the state of Louisiana. So, they're...

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: And where are those trailers? Where are we in that process?

WOODRUFF-WHITE: We are, again, there are about 10,000 that are out occupied now, but the goal is 75,000 to 100,000. So we're very far from that. We are very focused on trying to get these travel trailers in communities where people close to the New Orleans area, where people can...

WHITFIELD: So, I suppose that is my question, where are the...

(CROSSTALK)

WOODRUFF-WHITE: You know, as the woman just stated, it is very difficult for citizens to do that when they are being moved from place to place and...

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: OK, well, if we could then back up, Ms. White, if we could back up for a moment, when you talk about, you've got 10,000 that are out in...

WOODRUFF-WHITE: I think I've lost side.

WHITFIELD: The goal is up to 100,000. That means you're short 65,000 to 90,000 trailers.

WOODRUFF-WHITE: I can't hear.

WHITFIELD: You can't hear me right now?

OK, we're going to try to reestablish that connection so we can continue this dialog and we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, welcome back to CNN weekend, we're talking about the housing quandary in Louisiana, specifically, as it relates to Katrina evacuees.

Lisa Woodruff-White is with the Department of Louisiana Social Services. She's back with us. We've worked out our audio problems there.

And just before the problems with our audio, Lisa, we were talking about -- there are already 10,000 trailers that are in place and occupied. But still, you're short some 65,000 to nearly 90,000 that you want to put in place to help out with this shortage of housing. What happens from here? When might you see those trailers in place to be made available to the many evacuees?

WOODRUFF-WHITE: Well, again, progress is evident, but unfortunately it's not proceeding quickly enough. And our challenge is, FEMA is aware of that, yet policies like this that cease the hotel payment come out with very little notice, without ongoing discussions with the state. From this point, I would love to see solutions that are very focused on what people's real needs are, that really do help people to get to the independence that, you know, we really do want.

WHITFIELD: And that would be jobs and some source of income, right?

WOODRUFF-WHITE: That is correct. But you have to understand, as the woman said, that is a very difficult thing to do when you are being forced to move...

WHITFIELD: Move from place to place. WOODRUFF-WHITE: ... from place to place, yes.

WHITFIELD: All right. So who makes the determination of what issue to address first? Because they're all related, and you end up having a situation times 53,000, just like we heard from Carlanda Isaac.

WOODRUFF-WHITE: Sure. One of the most important things that has to happen is more housing should become available to people in the state of Louisiana. The second thing is, there has to be an extension of this deadline. Because I don't think it is realistic that 51,000 people or more will be moved into, you know, temporary solutions that help them get toward independence in that very short period of time. And for Louisiana...

WHITFIELD: And we're talking about the FEMA-imposed deadline of January 7th, when they would no longer be providing financial assistance in temporary housing like hotels. But FEMA says it will continue some sort of assistance in temporary housing in the form of helping to pay rent, et cetera. Are you hopeful about that?

WOODRUFF-WHITE: Yes. We -- let me just clarify. The deadline that FEMA has imposed is December 1st. For Louisiana and Mississippi, there is the opportunity for two 14-day extensions until that January 7th deadline. So we are very hopeful that will happen in Louisiana. We've gotten some commitment and great cooperation from the FEMA folks here on the ground in Louisiana.

WHITFIELD: All right.

WOODRUFF-WHITE: But that is something that really needs to -- that deadline needs to be extended throughout the country.

WHITFIELD: All right. Lisa Woodruff-White of the Department of Louisiana Social Services. Thank you so much for taking the time out to talk with us...

WOODRUFF-WHITE: You're welcome.

WHITFIELD: ... from Baton Rouge.

WOODRUFF-WHITE: Sure. Sure.

WHITFIELD: And we'll be right back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: During this hour, we dedicated a lot of time to talk about the housing crisis as a result of Hurricane Katrina, and what a lot of people are having to do based on a FEMA-imposed deadline in terms of hotel assistance. So in all fairness, we do want to present FEMA's side of the story. It's important to note that many hotel- dwellers will qualify for rent assistance from FEMA once they move into an apartment.

CNN invited a FEMA representative to join today's discussion. The agency declined. But it provided this statement from David Garratt, FEMA'S acting director of recovery. It says, quote: "Finding longer-term housing for all evacuees is FEMA's highest housing priority. We are working closely with state and local officials to reach out to all 53,000 families across the country." End quote.

"Long-term options are critical to establishing a sense of normalcy, and we encourage any evacuee who has not registered with FEMA to do so immediately. While December 1st is our goal to provide a more stable housing situation for families currently living in hotels" -- this is from FEMA -- "it is by no means the end of our commitment to helping people get back on their feet." That, another statement from FEMA.

If you are one of the people displaced by Katrina, you can contact FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA.

Now, meantime, a new audiotape purporting to be from terrorist leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi, has shown up on the Internet. On it are claims of responsibility for the November 9th attacks on hotels in Jordan and a serious threat against Jordan's King Abdullah.

CNN's Brian Todd reports the CIA is working to verify the voice on the tape.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He is the face of the violent insurgency against coalition forces in Iraq. Now, it is his apparent voice raising the attention of intelligence officials in Washington and the Middle East.

An audio statement believed to be from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, claims the group did not intentionally target civilians in the deadly November 9th hotel bombings in Amman, Jordan.

According to the speaker, the targets were U.S., Iraqi and Israeli intelligence agents working inside the three hotels hit by three suicide bombers.

VOICE THOUGHT TO BE ABU MUSAB AL-ZARQAWI (through translator): Three lions left their dens in Baghdad and headed to the heart of Amman to carry out the blessed attacks against three targets known to be headquarters of Jews, Crusaders, and other enemies of God.

TODD: CNN cannot independently verify that this is in fact Zarqawi speaking, but our experts say it sounds like his voice. And the audio was posted on an Internet message board used by radical Islamists in the past, including Zarqawi's group. U.S. officials say the CIA is conducting technical analysis of the tape.

When we asked if members of any intelligence agency were among the casualties in the Amman attack, U.S. counterterrorism officials would not comment. Most of those killed were Jordanians attending a wedding party at the Radisson Hotel.

We asked terrorism expert Bruce Hoffman about the claim that those civilians were not part of the plan.

BRUCE HOFFMAN, TERRORISM EXPERT: I would think this is almost the height of one of the most cynical claims we ever heard, because al-Zarqawi has built his representation, precisely on the bloodshed and bodies of innumerable victims of terrorism, who are innocent civilians in Iraq.

TODD: This would be the fourth statement issued by al-Zarqawi's group since the Amman bombings. Including the initial claim of responsibility. They come after widespread protests and condemnation of al-Zarqawi in his native Jordan.

Why the apparent P.R. campaign from a shadowy insurgent leader who's in hiding?

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SR. ARAB AFFAIRS EDITOR: He has to come out. He feels that this was a successful operation. And he feels that he has to go and take credit and basically take a shot at the Jordanian government and the Jordanian leadership in the person of the King of Jordan, King Abdullah.

TODD: Near the end of the tape, the speaker does more than that, making a direct threat against the life of the king.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Still ahead, President Bush's trip to China. A lot of what he hopes to accomplish will rely on that country's president. So what do we know about the leader of China? An inside look, straight ahead.

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WHITFIELD: President Bush is in China now, the third country on his eight-day trip to Asia. The president will attend church in Beijing tomorrow. That continues one theme of his trip, to gently prod China toward Democratic reform. Mr. Bush also meets with the Chinese president. He is relatively new to the job, the president of China is. And President Bush, perhaps, and the Chinese people are still trying to figure out who he is.

Here's more from senior international correspondent Stan Grant in Beijing.

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STAN GRANT, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jiang Zemin loved to sing, he loved to swim. So did Mao Tse-Tung. Deng Xiaoping liked to dress up. All Chinese leaders, all with distinct personalities. But who is who?

JIN CANRONG, CHINA ANALYST: I don't know. Actually, even Chinese, President Hu Jintao is a myth. GRANT: It wasn't all that long ago even Chinese were not sure who Hu Jintao was.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A young man, a young woman, less than 50.

GRANT: Hu Jintao, it is said, is a technocrat, a man of detail with a photographic memory. Some have looked to him as a reformer. In 2003, he ended the cover-up over SARS. But under his rule, restrictions have tightened on the media and the Internet, the gap between rich and poor has grown wider, social protest is rising. All challenges for a president still feeling his way.

CANRONG: On the surface, he's a man with politeness. But also with determination. Many people can see that he's a typical technocrat, see things into detail. The possible problem is lack of vision.

GRANT: And vision needed in China's relationship with the United States; disputes over trade and concern in the U.S. about China's extra military muscle. The image differences between the two leaders could not be more stark. George W. Bush, the amiable shirt-sleeved cowboy, and Hu Jintao, the staid, button-downed technocrat. Yet beneath the surface, say analysts, the two have much common ground.

WANG JISI, CHINA ANALYST: Of course they are both very strong politicians, and they have to work based on their domestic interests and domestic perspectives. But both are great politicians who can see the world as a whole. And they respect each other and they can talk to each other.

GRANT: So who is Hu? he remains an enigma. Conservative, liberal -- even that is not yet clear. His predecessor Jiang Zemin once played a piano belonging to Mozart, the melody easy to comprehend. With Hu Jintao, the curtain is still rising.

Stan Grant, CNN, Beijing.

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WHITFIELD: And what is the secret to living a long and healthy life? The answer may be hidden in the remote hills of an Italian isle, where hard work, a hearty diet and strong family ties are all part of the daily routine.

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WHITFIELD: We want to show you new video now coming in of that car bomb attack today in Abu Sayda, Iraq, north of Baghdad. The blast happened during a funeral ceremony for the father of the man who actually leads the city council there. Twenty-five people were killed, 30 wounded. And police say that the attack was carried out by a suicide car bomber driving into a mourning tent in front of a house there as mourners were reading verses from the Koran. So that video just now coming in. Twenty-five dead and 30 wounded there in Abu Sayda, Iraq. Right now, we want to shift gears quite a bit. We're going to share a couple of secrets with you about how to live a very long and healthy life.

CNN's Alessio Vinci went to Sardinia, Italy, where living 100 years or more is not all that uncommon.

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ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One of the great secrets of longevity lies here in the remote hills of Sardinia. In fact, it's a few secrets. It's about vigorous work, a hearty diet and strong family values.

In this region, with a population of 1.5 million, there are more than 100 Sardinians who are currently 100 or older. Rafaela (ph), 107 years old, is believed to be the oldest woman on the island. Her grandniece, Sylvia (ph), is 105 years younger.

In this village of only 2,400, locals say over the last century, 91 people lived past 100. But these facts mean nothing to Tonino Tola, a 75-year old farmer. Longevity, he says, is something he rarely thinks about. What keeps him going is a passion for work and the well-being of his family.

TONINO TOLA, FARMER: Of course, I don't like the idea of dying. I like to live.

VINCI: Tonino believes every day at dawn. By mid-morning he has already milked the cows, walked miles to reach the pastures, and chopped enough wood for his brick oven back at home.

Here, he takes his first break of the day. Givan Nehi's (ph) 70- year old wife is in charge of breakfast and as is tradition here, of everything else around the house. Tonino has time to relax.

He doesn't even have to stir his own coffee. Coffee is usually followed by homemade pecorino cheese, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and a glass or two of the red wine Tonino makes in his small vineyard.

Tonino's healthy, low-stress rural lifestyle may explain why here in Sardinia there is roughly an equal number of male and female centenarians; whereas, in the U.S., for example, women outlive men by four to one, after the age of 95.

By mid-afternoon, Tonino is back at work, climbing hills with the agility of someone far younger.

(on camera): Watching Tonino at work, one definitely gets the impression that people here age at a slower pace. The environmental factors clearly play a role. But you can find good weather and good food in many of the parts of Italy and there people don't necessarily live any longer.

(voice-over): And that is why scientists believe the secret of longevity here may also be hidden in the genes. And that brings us to the second secret.

Like most people in these remote villages, Tonino married a local. A general wariness of outsiders following centuries of foreign occupation means most Sardinians are believed to descend from a few founding families, making Sardinia essentially an island of genetic purity.

DAN BUETTNER, FOUNDER, BLUEZONES.COM: Well, what you have here is a bronze-age culture that has been pushed by Phoenicians and Romans, actually, up into these highlands of Sardinia, where they remained isolated for about 2,000 years and they intermarried, which created what I think of as a sort of a genetic incubator of sorts.

VINCI: And this is secret number three: An endlessly upbeat attitude towards life.

TOLA: If you don't drink to avoid dying, if you don't eat to avoid dying, if you don't smoke to avoid dying, and if you see a beautiful woman and you don't go after her, then you may as well be buried alive!

VINCI: A weekend lunch is a big affair here. A 90-year old relative is put to work making fresh ravioli. Davona (ph) takes care of the bread. Each family member, young and old, contributes to a feeling of togetherness that gives them all a sense they are protected.

To put him in a hospice away from all this, Tonino says, would be like digging his grave.

Alessio Vinci, CNN, in Sardinia, Italy.

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WHITFIELD: Well, thanks, Tonino. We've all been taking the notes.

Well, coming up, the pain and the soul of a great American city. Stay with us.

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WHITFIELD: One first line or second line step at a time. That's how New Orleans is taking things as the city strives to recover from Hurricane Katrina. It's not an easy process for what's been known as the Big Easy, but the people there persist with a tenacity that's quite unique.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In New Orleans, the jazz funeral is like the biggest honor someone could ever have. I think the most interesting thing is the first song, the dirge. That's where I think you hear a lot of the pain and soul of the city. After the dirge, we start to speed it up. I think that's truly the celebratory aspect of New Orleans. You know, this is kind of like a memorial for our city of what it was. But it's also a celebration of what the city is going to be.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Down by the riverside.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm from here. It's beyond words.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful thing!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Music is the only art form that's in the same space as emotion. So music a great healing tool. And I guess we're kind of really trying to show an example to the rest of world of how we can rebuild and how we use our culture to help us do that.

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WHITFIELD: So much more ahead on CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

"IN THE MONEY" is next, after a check of the headlines now in the news.

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