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CNN Live Saturday

Severe Weather Slams Texas; Rush Limbaugh Still Under the Thumb of Drug Problem

Aired April 29, 2006 - 17:00   ET

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

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. troops in Iraq reach a grim milestone this month.
Mexico-makes a major move to partially legalize small amounts of narcotics. We'll tell you why and what people think about it.

And 12 years spent living the life of a college student. You'll hear from the man who made every student's fantasy a reality.

Hello and welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

I'm Susan Roesgen filling in for Carol Lin.

Here's what's happening now in the news.

A big mess in Texas. Tornadoes have damaged homes and knocked down power lines and trees in five east Texas communities. And the bad weather isn't over yet. We'll have your complete focus straight ahead.

A series of deadly raids across southern Afghanistan. Afghan troops, backed by coalition forces, killed 11 Taliban militants and detained a dozen, including some top commanders. But insurgents ambushed three policemen, shooting them dead.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is expected to resign on Tuesday. He narrowly lost an election to incoming premier, Romano Prodi, and earlier had vowed to challenge the results.

The government wants information on you and it's trying to get it. Using their expanded powers under the Patriot Act, federal agents sent out more than 9,200 national security letters last year. Their purpose was to seek information on more than 3,500 U.S. citizens.

In the meantime, the government is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit involving its secret surveillance program. Phone customers are suing AT&T, saying the company's cooperation in the program violates their rights.

And now our top story.

It's been a bumpy 24 hours in Texas. Look at the pictures. Tornadoes pounded five communities near Houston today. Several houses were damaged, but no serious injuries reported.

Farther north, storms in the Dallas area last night brought high winds, baseball-sized hail and sporadic flash flooding. At least two people were injured there and the damage is widespread. Dozens of homes damaged or destroyed.

So let's go straight to meteorologist Jacqui Jeras and see what's on the horizon right now -- Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Susan, move severe storms are going to be possible.

(WEATHER REPORT)

ROESGEN: Here now is the latest on the war in Iraq. And the news is grim. Sixty-nine U.S. military deaths in april, making it the deadliest month for American troops in Iraq this year. Numbers like that are bringing out anti-war protesters. Thousands rallied in New York City today.

In the meantime, al Qaeda's bum brags about the Iraqi insurgency. In a new video, Ayman el-Zawahiri says the insurgents have broken the back of America. And the State Department is underscoring the problem.

Here is Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr with a "SITUATION ROOM" report.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): April is now the deadliest month of 2006 for U.S. troops in Iraq. In Baghdad earlier this week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld lending their support to the new Iraqi leaders. But a State Department terrorism report makes clear Iraq is a key battleground for homegrown insurgents and those trying to incite sectarian violence, as well as global terrorist networks.

AMBASSADOR HENRY CRUMPTON, U.S. COORDINATOR FOR COUNTER- TERRORISM: For some terrorists, Iraq is also a cause. Networks that support the flow of foreign terrorists to Iraq have been uncovered in several parts of the world.

STARR: The challenge for the new government and the U.S. still staggering levels of violence. According to the report, in 2005 alone, there were some 2,800 terror incidents, resulting in death, injury or kidnapping. And, as a result of these incidents, more than 20,000 people were killed, hurt or kidnapped.

Behind the statistics, a brutal reality -- attacks against Iraqis doubled in 2005, according to the State Department. The report says terrorists want Iraq for themselves.

CRUMPTON: Al Qaeda and affiliates are desperate to claim Iraq as their own. This is why Zarqawi fears a viable Iraqi nation and foments terrorist attacks and sectarian violence.

STARR: Secretary Rumsfeld making it clear he has big hopes for the new Iraqi leaders. DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: They are serious people. They recognize the difficulties of the tasks they are facing and they intend to get about the task of governing this country in a responsible way. So I come away very encouraged by them.

STARR (on camera): Secretary Rumsfeld still putting U.S. hopes in that new Iraqi government, the hope that Iraqi security forces can take over and still hoping to bring some U.S. troops home.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

ROESGEN: And be sure to tune into CNN's "SITUATION ROOM" every weekday afternoon at 4:00 Eastern, 1:00 Pacific.

And don't miss "LATE EDITION WITH WOLF BLITZER" tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. Wolf's special guest will be Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Now the face of terror. Al Qaeda's number two has shown himself again in a video that surfaced yesterday. It's the third message this year from Islamic militant Ayman el-Zawahiri and the third message in a week from the top ranks of al Qaeda.

El-Zawahiri says Iraq has become a disaster for the United States and its allies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AYMAN EL-ZAWAHIRI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We praise Allah that three years after the crusader invasion of Iraq, America, Britain and their allies have achieved nothing but losses, disaster and misfortune. The group al Qaeda in the land of the two rivers alone has carried out 800 martyrdom operations in three years, besides the sacrifices of the other Mujahedeen, and this is what has broken the back of America in Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROESGEN: Well, last Tuesday brought a message from Abu Musab al- Zarqawi, al Qaeda's top man in Iraq. Zarqawi said he was speaking on april 21st. He denounced Iraq's new government and he promised more attacks.

Then two days before that, on last Sunday, Osama bin Laden was heard from, his second voice message this year.

Analysts say their recent communications may be an effort to boost al Qaeda's profile.

What intelligence can American investigators gain from those terror tapes?

Coming up at the bottom of the hour, we'll give you an insider's look at the war on terror. Well, it's a done deal. Talk show host Rush Limbaugh has negotiated an agreement with prosecutors that will spare him a trial. Limbaugh has been charged with concealing information to get prescription drugs.

But his attorneys say the charge will be dropped in 18 months if Limbaugh remains in treatment for drug addiction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROY BLACK, LIMBAUGH'S ATTORNEY: The agreement was that Mr. Limbaugh would enter a plea of not guilty and never change that plea. And he has steadfastly denied and continues to deny that he ever did any doctor shopping.

What he does say is that he was addicted to prescription pain medication, which, of course, he admitted back in 2003 when all this began.

So he has adamantly said he has not committed a crime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROESGEN: Well, under the deal, Limbaugh must also repay the State of Florida $30,000 to help cover the costs of the three year investigation.

Mexican President Vicente Fox is about to legalize the possession of small quantities of some hard core drugs, including cocaine and heroin. But this new law would also toughen the penalties for drug trafficking.

Tina Azedin with our affiliate KGTV in San Diego has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

TINA AZEDIN, KGTV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The strongest, most dangerous drugs -- cocaine, marijuana, Ecstasy and heroin -- could soon be legal in Mexico, a stunning move that has San Diego leaders outraged.

BONNIE DUMANIS, SAN DIEGO DISTRICT ATTORNEY: I just cannot believe it. One has to ask the question, are the drug lords running the show?

AZEDIN: Possessing the drugs in limited amounts would be legal, yet selling them would remain illegal under the proposed law.

MAYOR JERRY SANDERS, SAN DIEGO: I want to call this action what it is -- appallingly stupid, reckless and incredibly dangerous.

AZEDIN: Mexico's Congress says the change would allow police to focus on major drug traffickers rather than smaller drug users. Critics say at a time when Mexico-is pushing for open borders for immigrants, this latest proposal couldn't come at a worse time. AL DOMINGUEZ, OPPONENT OF PROPOSED LAW: It would be a sad day, I think, for both sides of the border and really a scary time for both sides, I think.

AZEDIN: On a Friday evening at the border, as hundreds cross into Tijuana to party, Randy Arms will visit Tijuana with his 11-year- old son. He is concerned.

RANDY ARMS, TIJUANA, MEXICO VISITOR: I have two other sons, too, and I'm constantly, you know, overlooking them and making sure they don't get involved in gangs and -- gangs and drugs. And the drugs come from somewhere.

AZEDIN: The debate over legalizing drugs can be sobering. When you listen to this 19-year-old who says if drugs are legalized, people won't be so curious to try them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not curious about it and they will just forget at drugs and doing it.

AZEDIN: America's old war on drugs has become San Diego's latest battle at the border.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

ROESGEN: Tina Azedin with our San Diego affiliate KGTV.

The new law in Mexico-could, indeed, have a ripple effect on drug enforcement on this side of the border.

Could it help, though? Or will it just hurt?

You'll hear from both sides of the debate, coming up next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think it's conceivable that a clue off of an audiotape might lead U.S. intelligence to Osama bin Laden one day?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Possibly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROESGEN: We'll show you how America's war on terror may be helped every time an al Qaeda leader puts his words to tape.

And, Hollywood stars in the Sudan -- thousands of refugees getting some powerful public support.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROESGEN: We have this video just in to CNN.

You saw the weather map earlier. Here's the video on the ground. This is from Gainesville, Texas, where strong winds and heavy rains brought tornado warnings and hail to northern parts of the state there in Texas. Several towns reported losing power. Part of Interstate 35 near the Oklahoma border has been shut down briefly after power lines fell in the road. A tornado watch is in effect for Arkansas and Louisiana this evening and we will continue to monitor that region and bring you the very latest information.

Now more on Mexico's decision to legalize small amounts of narcotics and what it could mean for America's war on drugs.

Bonnie Dumanis is a district attorney in San Diego County and Ethan Nadelmann is the founder and executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance in New York.

District Attorney Dumanis, I'd like to start with you first.

What do you think of the new law in Mexico.

BONNIE DUMANIS, SAN DIEGO COUNTY, DISTRICT ATTORNEY: I think this is a critical mistake and it's irresponsible. And it begs the question are the drug lords running the shots?

ROESGEN: Well, now, this new law allows the possession of small amounts of these drugs, for instance, a fifth of an ounce of marijuana.

By not focusing on the small amounts, doesn't that free up law enforcement in both countries to go after the big time traffickers?

DUMANIS: They're just creating more addicts. If they wanted to adjust their priorities, they didn't need to change this law. The more addicts you create, the more supply you create. And it's just going to have health benefits and it's going to ravage our San Diego community.

ROESGEN: In what way?

What are you concerned about there?

DUMANIS: I'm concerned about the kids that go across the border who will be using drugs and will come across and will be our problem in the emergency rooms, in the court systems. We will have to treat them here in San Diego. And they will be stealing and dealing here in San Diego.

ROESGEN: But, come on, Bonnie, isn't the big problem there in San Diego really the large amounts, the kilos coming across the border? Isn't that what you're really concerned about? How would this law affect your cracking down on that sort of trafficking?

DUMANIS: Well, we have the Mexican mafia coming across the border now on a regular basis. We just had a case where we had to have our prosecutors escorted to and from the courtroom because of the dangers they face. This is a betrayal to the law enforcement who have suffered and who have given their lives in trying to protect us all from drugs.

ROESGEN: All right, let's bring in Ethan Nadelmann.

Ethan, your group advocates decriminalizing drug possession in this country.

What do you think of the new law in Mexico?

ETHAN NADELMANN, DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE: Well, I think the Mexicans are taking a step in the right direction. I mean, what they're doing is essentially consistent with what's going on in Western Europe and Canada and even other parts of Latin America.

It reflects a sensible reprioritization of police resources. It's basically a policy that says let's stop busting people in possession of a joint or some other drug, let's focus on serious crime, on organized crime, on violent crime.

You know, the Mexican border, the border in the San Diego area is plagued, as Bonnie just said, with organized crimes, all this sort of stuff. Why should we devote police resources to going after the little guys like this?

I think the principle impact in Mexico-is that it's going to reduce dramatically the opportunities for corruption and harassment between Mexican police and lots of ordinary citizens and tourists.

ROESGEN: Well, you're talking about serious crime.

Let's talk about some of the serious drugs here.

I mentioned that this new law allows small amounts of marijuana. But it also allows the possession of small amounts of heroin, cocaine, LSD, drugs that we don't consider recreational or medicinal in this country. Those drugs scare a lot of people in law enforcement a lot more than marijuana.

NADELMANN: I know. But, you know, Fredericka, the basic point is those drugs are already widely available. Americans are already going over the border to get booze, prescription drugs, to get, you know, all of these illicit drugs. This is not really going to change the availability of these drugs in any significant way, just as it hasn't changed the availability in Western Europe or Canada.

What it's simply going to do is reduce the number of arrests of ordinary citizens.

ROESGEN: Let's go back to D.A. Dumanis for a minute.

You have said, Bonnie, that you didn't see this new law coming.

Where was the Drug Enforcement Administration on this one?

DUMANIS: Well, what was the Mexican government doing keeping this a secret from us? They should have been talking with us.

Again, are the drug lords calling the shots?

You know, I want to comment on something Ethan said. You know, PCP is one of those drugs that they're going to legalize. That's angel dust. That's a tranquilizer for large animals.

What possible medicinal benefit will that have?

Methamphetamine -- people that go across the border and use methamphetamine are going to come here and create violent crime, because those addicted to meth do the violence here.

ROESGEN: Ethan, your thoughts?

NADELMANN: Well, I mean, quite frankly, these drugs are pervasively available already in San Diego and in Mexico. It's not going to have any impact on supply. The vast majority of Americans, 99 percent of Americans, don't want to use PCP anyway.

But I'll tell you this, also, Fredericka. It would be crazy for any foreign government to follow in the footsteps of the United States in this area. We have 5 percent of the world's population in America. We have 25 percent of the world's prison population. We lock up more people on drug charges in America than all of Western Europe locks up for everything. In fact, we lock up more people on drug charges in America than all of Latin America locks up for everything.

So here we're spending tens of billions of dollars locking up people, including lots of non-violent drug possession offenders. I think Mexico-is making a very intelligent, sensible decision. It's a step in the right direction and the U.S. should be following the Mexican lead in this case, not the other way around.

ROESGEN: A big divide on both sides.

Ethan Nadelmann and Bonnie Dumanis, thank you both for joining us.

NADELMANN: Thank you.

DUMANIS: You're welcome.

ROESGEN: Coming up, the changing face of AIDS in America. Find out which region of the country is at the greatest risk today.

Is it yours?

And the details on why some lawmakers spent their Friday proudly getting arrested in the nation's capital.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROESGEN: In our World Rap tonight, a powerful cyclone slammed into South Asia today. The Red Cross is reporting two deaths and 50 injuries in Myanmar. The storm, with winds up to 150 miles an hour, tore the roofs off dozens of buildings in that country. Rolling Stone guitarist Keith Richards rolled right out of a palm tree in Fiji on vacation. Richards is now in the hospital with a mild concussion. He was flown to New Zealand for treatment.

Britain's Prince Harry has established a charity to help AIDS orphans in Lesotho, Africa. The 21-year-old prince is following in the footsteps of his late mother, Princess Diana, who was a tireless promoter of AIDS awareness and charity.

One day we could see a world without AIDS. Powerful drugs are allowing many people with HIV to live longer. But the drugs are expensive and not available to many people.

Later tonight, "CNN PRESENTS: THE END OF AIDS" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There are more than one million people living with HIV or AIDS in the United States and John Paul Wimple is one of them. Wimple was diagnosed 14 years ago, just two years after his own father, an ex-Southern Baptist minister, died in the first wave of the AIDS epidemic.

JOHN PAUL WOMBLE, HIV POSITIVE 14 YEARS: Lots of people have excuses. Lots of people have legitimate stories of they didn't know better. I knew better. You can be stupid, like I was, young and feeling invincible.

GUPTA: As gay white men, John Paul and his father were once considered typical AIDS patients.

WOMBLE: Tell me what you're scared about. You're scared that it's going to have what effect? Tell me.

GUPTA: But now, that's changed.

WOMBLE: The goal is, when you talk about a drug cocktail and treating with medications...

GUPTA: Today, John Paul works with victims of HIV like Antoine and Peaches Davis -- poor, married and in their 20s.

ANTOINE DAVIS, HIV POSITIVE: Sleeping on the street, trying to look for a job is a real hard task and we've done it for a while. And then also having the virus on top of that is extra hard.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi.

How are you doing?

GUPTA: African-Americans are the hardest hit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just look at me. GUPTA: While they represent only 13 percent of the population...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No pain with that?

GUPTA: ... they make up 40 percent of those diagnosed AIDS cases.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

Why don't you have a seat right here?

GUPTA: And consider this -- an African-American women is 14 times more likely to get HIV than a Caucasian woman. Fourteen times.

AIDS has moved beyond major metropolitan areas. The South had the greatest number of people living with and dying from AIDS in 2004.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What I'm going to do today...

GUPTA: Almost half of people living with the disease in this country do not get regular HIV care or treatment.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's it.

Thank you for coming and I'll see you back in a month.

EVELYN FOUST, SOUTHERN AIDS COALITION: If you make $13,000 a year, you can't afford your medication. So there are people that choose not to work. They want to work, but they can't or they'll lose their medication, which is keeping them alive.

GUPTA: And without insurance or assistance, the cost of treatment is anywhere from $12,000 to $30,000 a year.

But for Antoine, hope goes hand in hand with sharing his story.

DAVIS: If people just hide and close their doors, the more the infection is spreading around and people are dying off without being helped.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

ROESGEN: And be sure to watch "CNN PRESENTS: THE END OF AIDS. A GLOBAL SUMMIT WITH FORMER PRESIDENT CLINTON." That's tonight and Sunday night at 8:00 Eastern.

The stars are turning out to try to help the people in Darfur. And some U.S. lawmakers are accused of breaking the law.

Will it lead to real change?

A U.S. senator joins us next.

Plus, verifying Osama bin Laden's voice. We'll see how it's done and we'll look at how an audio clue might lead investigators to his hideout. That's coming up after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROESGEN: April now is the deadliest month of 2006 for American troops in Iraq. A soldier was killed today, raising the total this month to 69, more than twice the number in March and the highest monthly total since last November.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched today in New York demanding that President Bush bring troops back home from Iraq. Marchers included Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and the actress Susan Sarandon.

Tornadoes damaged homes east of Houston overnight and tornado watches now are in effect for parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. No serious injuries reported here in these storms that hit late Friday and early today.

Iran says it will allow snap inspections of nuclear sites if the U.N. Security Council removes itself from those inspections. Yesterday, the U.N. nuclear watchdog criticized Iran for ignoring a deadline to stop uranium enrichment.

And hundreds of deep water dolphins were buried today in Tanzania. Marine biologists still don't know why the dolphins washed up dead at a tourist destination on Friday.

The desperate situation in Sudan's Darfur shows no sign of improvement. President Bush has described conditions there as genocide.

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