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Two Marines Killed Overnight in Iraq; Justice Dept. Officials Testify Before 9/11 Commission
Aired April 13, 2004 - 13:00 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.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LOUIS FREEH, FMR. DIR., FBI: We were using grand jury subpoenas and arrest warrants to fight an enemy that was using missiles and suicide boats to attack our warships.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: America's approach to terror before September 11. A former FBI chief and a former attorney general take the hot seat.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Fallujah firefights. U.S. Marines hot on the trail of a militant with links to al Qaeda. We have reports from the front lines in Iraq.
PHILLIPS: Will two surviving sister soldiers go back to the battlefield? A live news conference this hour.
O'BRIEN: And grinning over the green jacket. Masters champ Phil Mickelson will join us. We've got the interview on LIVE FROM...
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Miles O'Brien.
PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. It's Tuesday, April 13. CNN's LIVE FROM... starts right now.
O'BRIEN: And we begin this hour in Iraq, but where to begin in Iraq? More hostages taken, others released. More U.S. troops attacked, ambushed, killed and wounded. More grim warnings from Shiite clerics, one of whom may be in for the showdown of his life.
The scene you're about to see in Fallujah, where at least two Marines were killed overnight by insurgents who had lobbed mortars and/or rockets on their quarters. Marines in Fallujah had been observing a unilateral cease-fire.
CNN's Karl Penhaul is keeping watch of all of this from Baghdad -- Karl.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Miles. Certainly that cease-fire in Fallujah pretty shaky. The rules of engagement right now we understand for the U.S. Marines entrenched there is that they will not fire on Iraqi insurgents unless they are fired on first. That certainly happened in a big way last night. In fact, pretty close to where a U.S. network's pool was in place.
There was, according to the pool report, a big exchange of gunfire, pretty intense fighting there for the space of about an hour. At one point a mortar flew over into the compound where the Marines were entrenched together with that reporting team. One of those reporters suddenly found himself after a flash and a bang on his back and around him lay dead two Marines. Eight others were wounded.
Now, in addition, Miles, to those pretty dramatic pictures out of Fallujah, there are growing tensions between the coalition authorities and Muqtada al-Sadr. He's the firebrand Shiite cleric whom coalition authorities want to arrest on a warrant from an Iraqi court that links him to the murder of a rival cleric about a year ago.
And we saw part of that growing conflict here in Baghdad today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PENHAUL (voice-over): Cleric Said Hazim al-Araji (ph), minutes after meeting reporters at the Baghdad hotel, just before being detained by U.S. troops for several hours.
It seems my picture is on a list, he says. He's a top deputy here in Baghdad for this man, radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Coalition commanders vowed Monday to kill or capture Sadr and have vowed to crush his armed militia, the Mehdi Army.
An arrest warrant is out for Sadr in connection with last year's murder of a rival cleric. The coalition blames the Mehdi Army and Sadr's supporters for violent revolt against the coalition occupation in parts of Baghdad in the south.
Coalition forces arrested another top Sadr aide earlier this month. That ignited riots and demonstrations that left at least 48 Iraqis and nine coalition troops dead.
The personal translator for the cleric arrested today tries to explain.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you bring the radio here? I'm going to need your (UNITELLIGIBLE) doing something right here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir, we're doing our job here.
PENHAUL: The translator says Hazim is a moderate voice, an explanation accepted by the coalition later in the day. Hazim seems taken by surprise.
They're trying to force us into a position, he says. His translator warns of a potential backlash amongst Iraq's majority Shiite Muslim population.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The situation will be very ugly.
PENHAUL: Inside the hotel, U.S. troops insisted on detaining Hazim. Pushing, shoving and tempers flare. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) back! Get the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) back now!
PENHAUL: But after all that, Hazim was released following questioning. Coalition authorities saying they were satisfied he had no hand in anti-coalition violence.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PENHAUL: That certainly hasn't, though, put an end to the tension and the confrontation between coalitional authorities, Sadr's supporters and his Mehdi Army. In fact, this afternoon in a press briefing, the coalition military spokesman, General Kimmitt, told us that a significant force of U.S. troops was now on its way to the area around Najaf.
He, though, is giving Sadr still a choice. He's saying that Sadr can hand himself over if he wishes to avoid some kind of military confrontation -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Karl, that's one fluid situation. Let's talk about another, the hostage situation, what's the latest on the numbers of people who are thought to be kidnapped or held hostage at this moment?
PENHAUL: Again, Miles, some important information coming out of that afternoon press briefing, this time from Dan Senor, the civilian spokesman for the coalition. He has told us that currently, as of today, he believes that 40 international hostages from 12 different countries are currently in the hands of Iraqi insurgents.
The latest of those we understand to be kidnapped are four Italians. We understand they were working for a private security company for a U.S. contractor. Earlier in the day we also received news of a group of Russians who had been kidnapped. But we do understand that those were subsequently released.
But as I say, the information, 40 international hostages from 12 different countries -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Karl Penhaul -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Our other big story, the FBI in the crosshairs of the independent panel investigating September 11. If you've been watching CNN, you've seen the polite yet pointed questioning of former FBI Director Louis Freeh and his one-time boss, ex-Attorney General Janet Reno.
Ahead of their testimony the panel put out a blistering assessment of FBI failures and deficiencies largely in the areas of intelligence gathering and sharing. While acknowledging problems, Freeh pointed out the distinction between law enforcement and war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FREEH: Neither administration put its intelligence agencies or law enforcement agencies on a war footing. A war footing means we seal borders. A war footing means we detain people that we're suspicious of. A war footing means that we have statutes like the Patriot Act, although with time-set provisions give us new powers.
We weren't doing that. Now, whether there was a political will for it or not, I guess we could debate that. But the fact of the matter is we didn't do it. And we were using grand jury subpoenas and arrest warrants to fight an enemy that was using missiles and suicide boats to attack our warships.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And for her part, Reno says the Clinton team made an effort to break down some procedural barriers that would later fall under the Patriot Act.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JANET RENO, FMR. ATTORNEY GENERAL: One of the frustrations is that the bureau, even when it finds that it has something, doesn't share. And it says it doesn't share because legal authorities prohibit it from sharing. But I haven't been able to find with respect to the one instance of the two who came into this country and how we just missed them, what prevented anybody from sharing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Still ahead testimony by former acting FBI Director Thomas Pickard and former CIA counter-terrorism chief, Cofer Black. Pickard's request for more funding was turned down by current Attorney General John Ashcroft on September 10, 2001. Ashcroft, too, will testify today, starting at 3:30 p.m. Eastern, 12:30 Pacific. You can see it all live right here on CNN.
O'BRIEN: President Bush is preparing to face questions from the White House press corps primetime tonight. He's only done it twice in his three-plus years in office.
CNN's Elaine Quijano with a preview -- Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Miles.
Well, White House spokesman Scott McClellan says President Bush is working on finalizing his opening remarks. The president is expected to give a 12-minute opening statement on Iraq before taking questions from reporters.
Now, why a 12-minute statement during what is supposed to be largely a question and answer session? The White House says a lot has been happening in Iraq and the president wants to talk to the American people about the situation now and in the future there.
Specifically the president is expected to talk about the recent violence in Iraq. His news conference coming at a time of heightened activity by Iraqi insurgents, something the administration has said is to be expected as that June 30 deadline to transfer sovereignty approaches. At the same time, however, the administration is very mindful of images, some of them violent, coming out of Iraq with this being an election year.
Now, the president is also preparing to answer tough questions and respond to continuing criticism on another issue, that August 6, 2001 PDB or Presidential Daily Brief titled "Osama bin Laden Determined to Attack in U.S..."
The White House said today that administration officials are talking with the September 11 Commission members on whether to allow the panel to interview the author of that memo, which was declassified over the weekend.
Now, critics charge that the information contained in that August 6 PDB should have alerted authorities that an attack could happen in the U.S. But the president has maintained that the document did not have specifics and did not warn of an imminent attack.
Both issues very important to the administration during this election year. By the way, this news conference just the twelfth time that President Bush has called a formal news conference since he took office -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Elaine Quijano at the White House, thanks very much.
Don't forget, CNN's special coverage of the president's primetime news conference begins with "PAULA ZAHN NOW," that's not now, though, it's at 8 p.m. Eastern, 5 Pacific. The president speaks a half hour later, 8:30 Eastern, 5:30 West Coast.
PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, uncovering a dangerous discovery.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTA BURROUGHS, FBI SPOKESWOMAN: It is enough to cause concern that it could harm someone, it could kill someone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And now a man described as a quiet guy is under arrest. More on that ahead.
And sisters serving in uniform, one is killed, now will the others go back to battle? A live news conference expected in just a few minutes.
Saving a national symbol, rushing to the rescue of some very cute little eagles. We'll fly that one home later on LIVE FROM...
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: A Washington State man is in custody, accused of possessing a enough ricin to hurt or kill someone. The FBI says it found the deadly poison in the man's apartment. The question was, what was he doing with it?
Elisa Hahn from CNN affiliate KING reports. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELISA HAHN, KING REPORTER (voice-over): FBI agents combed through this Kirkland home on Friday focusing on the apartment above the garage. Today agents tell King 5 News that they found the deadly toxin known as ricin inside the man's home.
BURROUGHS: The ricin was found in his apartment after agents went in there on Friday. And once they confirmed it was there, he was arrested and taken into custody.
HAHN: The man arrested is 37-year-old Robert Alberg of Kirkland, charged with one count of possession of a biological agent or toxin. Agents believe he was making the ricin at the home but would not say how much.
BURROUGHS: It is enough to cause concern that it could harm someone, it could kill someone.
HAHN: Ricin is a derivative of the castor bean, the same poison found in the mail room at Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's office last February.
SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), MAJORITY LEADER: It's a toxin. It is a poison. It is not contagious. It has no antidote or specific treatment.
HAHN: Agents would not say what they believe Alberg was planning on doing with the poison.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think that he would be the guy that would do anything to harm anybody with it.
HAHN: Neighbors describe Alberg as a recluse, but they have a hard time believing he planned on using the ricin maliciously.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it's kind of scary in a way, but I don't believe that he is the type of guy that would be doing anything with it other than experimenting with it, playing, I don't know.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: That report from Elisa Hahn with KING. Court documents describe Alberg as having autism. He is to appear in federal court on Thursday.
PHILLIPS: On the medical front, many people may not know that you can get access, even copies of your medical records. But some doctors say it may not be a good idea. Our medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta tells us how we can get our records and use them to our benefit.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: While all patients have legal access to their medical records as of a few years ago, not everybody always gets their medical records. So this is the subject of a new study in the archives of internal medicine trying to figure out who gets their medical records and why they do it.
The results somewhat surprising. First of all, overall percentage-wise, about 36 percent of the people very interested in taking a look at their medical records; 43 percent somewhat interested; the rest not all that interested.
Perhaps even more fascinating is why people want to look at their medical records. What they wrote down as the number one reason, first of all, they wanted to see the physician comments. They wanted to see what the doctors were writing about them. They also wanted to be more involved with their health care.
People who are very interested in looking at their medical records are also very interested in taking charge of their own health care. And they want to better understand their medical condition or disease or whatever it is that took them to the doctor's office in the first place.
All of this is predicated on something known as the Health Accountability and Portability Act. This is HAPA. And it's something that's pretty big in the medical circles. What is basically means with regards to medical records is the following: You have access to see and get copies of your medical records; patients can request corrections, also an important point; health providers should provide those records within 30 days; and there are charges only for copying and sending.
So all of these being important points, there are cons and pros to certainly getting your own medical records. One of the biggest cons, perhaps an obvious one, is that sometimes it's hard to digest all of this medical information, all of this medical jargon. What do you do with it? The old adage: Sometimes a little bit of information can be a dangerous thing.
There are also pros. One of the pros, as the researchers pointed out, is that this will probably improve communication because patients and doctors because patients will still start to ask good questions.
Bottom line is this, health care is an expensive thing. Patients have a right to know what is being said about them, what is in their medical chart. Just make sure you contextualize that information, get access to your medical records if you want it.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: All right. Let's go live to Brookfield, Wisconsin. We've been telling you the story of the Witmer sisters, one whom died in Iraq. The remaining two sisters, the question is, should they return to Iraq? Their parents would like them not to.
Let's listen to representatives of the family as well as the military live now from Brookfield, Wisconsin. (JOINED IN PROGRESS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... like to release a statement read by their family spokesperson, Joan Apt.
They will not be available to take any of your questions today. Please respect their wish.
In addition to the Witmer family and family spokesperson Joan Apt, Lieutenant Colonel Tim Donovan (ph), the public affairs officer for the Wisconsin National Guard will be available to answer your questions following the family statement.
I would now like to introduce Joan Apt.
JOAN APT, WITMER FAMILY SPOKESMAN: Thank you. Thank you for coming. I'd like to offer this statement on behalf of the Witmer family.
We would like to extend our profound gratitude for the outpouring of support we have received from both home and abroad. We would also like to express our deepest sympathy to those families who have lost loved ones in service of their country.
Rachel and Charity would like to express to their fellow soldiers in the 32nd MP Company and Company B 118th Medical Battalion, our thoughts and prayers are with you. Not a minute goes by that we don't think of you. We're conflicted because we have two families and we can't be with both at the same time.
Yesterday we received news from Lieutenant Colonel Tim Donovan of the Wisconsin Army and Air National Guard, who is here with us today, that Charity and Rachel will not be required to return to Iraq.
According to Defense Department Directive No. 1315.7, service members who lose a family member in hostile action can be exempted from service in the hostile action at their request.
At this time, Charity and Rachel are deferring their decision regarding their future plans. They are focusing their attention on spending time with their family and grieving the loss of Michelle.
A public memorial service for Michelle will be held here at Elmer (ph) Church, located at 777 South Park Road in Brookfield tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. A private burial will take place at a later time.
In response to requests, the Michelle Witmer Memorial Fund has been established at Rockasha (ph) State Bank. Contributions will benefit the Missionaries of Charity Orphanage in Baghdad whose ministry to handicapped children made such a profound impression upon Michelle's heart.
Thank you.
O'BRIEN: We have been listening to a spokesperson for the Witmer family there, that coming to us live from Wisconsin. You heard the announcement. The military will not be requiring the surviving two Witmer daughters to return to Iraq. What had been the delay in all of this was that the request had to come not from the parents but from the daughters themselves.
And we'll keep you posted on that story as events progress. Where are we headed next? All right, taking a break. Back with more in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired April 13, 2004 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LOUIS FREEH, FMR. DIR., FBI: We were using grand jury subpoenas and arrest warrants to fight an enemy that was using missiles and suicide boats to attack our warships.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: America's approach to terror before September 11. A former FBI chief and a former attorney general take the hot seat.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Fallujah firefights. U.S. Marines hot on the trail of a militant with links to al Qaeda. We have reports from the front lines in Iraq.
PHILLIPS: Will two surviving sister soldiers go back to the battlefield? A live news conference this hour.
O'BRIEN: And grinning over the green jacket. Masters champ Phil Mickelson will join us. We've got the interview on LIVE FROM...
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Miles O'Brien.
PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. It's Tuesday, April 13. CNN's LIVE FROM... starts right now.
O'BRIEN: And we begin this hour in Iraq, but where to begin in Iraq? More hostages taken, others released. More U.S. troops attacked, ambushed, killed and wounded. More grim warnings from Shiite clerics, one of whom may be in for the showdown of his life.
The scene you're about to see in Fallujah, where at least two Marines were killed overnight by insurgents who had lobbed mortars and/or rockets on their quarters. Marines in Fallujah had been observing a unilateral cease-fire.
CNN's Karl Penhaul is keeping watch of all of this from Baghdad -- Karl.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Miles. Certainly that cease-fire in Fallujah pretty shaky. The rules of engagement right now we understand for the U.S. Marines entrenched there is that they will not fire on Iraqi insurgents unless they are fired on first. That certainly happened in a big way last night. In fact, pretty close to where a U.S. network's pool was in place.
There was, according to the pool report, a big exchange of gunfire, pretty intense fighting there for the space of about an hour. At one point a mortar flew over into the compound where the Marines were entrenched together with that reporting team. One of those reporters suddenly found himself after a flash and a bang on his back and around him lay dead two Marines. Eight others were wounded.
Now, in addition, Miles, to those pretty dramatic pictures out of Fallujah, there are growing tensions between the coalition authorities and Muqtada al-Sadr. He's the firebrand Shiite cleric whom coalition authorities want to arrest on a warrant from an Iraqi court that links him to the murder of a rival cleric about a year ago.
And we saw part of that growing conflict here in Baghdad today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PENHAUL (voice-over): Cleric Said Hazim al-Araji (ph), minutes after meeting reporters at the Baghdad hotel, just before being detained by U.S. troops for several hours.
It seems my picture is on a list, he says. He's a top deputy here in Baghdad for this man, radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Coalition commanders vowed Monday to kill or capture Sadr and have vowed to crush his armed militia, the Mehdi Army.
An arrest warrant is out for Sadr in connection with last year's murder of a rival cleric. The coalition blames the Mehdi Army and Sadr's supporters for violent revolt against the coalition occupation in parts of Baghdad in the south.
Coalition forces arrested another top Sadr aide earlier this month. That ignited riots and demonstrations that left at least 48 Iraqis and nine coalition troops dead.
The personal translator for the cleric arrested today tries to explain.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you bring the radio here? I'm going to need your (UNITELLIGIBLE) doing something right here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir, we're doing our job here.
PENHAUL: The translator says Hazim is a moderate voice, an explanation accepted by the coalition later in the day. Hazim seems taken by surprise.
They're trying to force us into a position, he says. His translator warns of a potential backlash amongst Iraq's majority Shiite Muslim population.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The situation will be very ugly.
PENHAUL: Inside the hotel, U.S. troops insisted on detaining Hazim. Pushing, shoving and tempers flare. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) back! Get the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) back now!
PENHAUL: But after all that, Hazim was released following questioning. Coalition authorities saying they were satisfied he had no hand in anti-coalition violence.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PENHAUL: That certainly hasn't, though, put an end to the tension and the confrontation between coalitional authorities, Sadr's supporters and his Mehdi Army. In fact, this afternoon in a press briefing, the coalition military spokesman, General Kimmitt, told us that a significant force of U.S. troops was now on its way to the area around Najaf.
He, though, is giving Sadr still a choice. He's saying that Sadr can hand himself over if he wishes to avoid some kind of military confrontation -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Karl, that's one fluid situation. Let's talk about another, the hostage situation, what's the latest on the numbers of people who are thought to be kidnapped or held hostage at this moment?
PENHAUL: Again, Miles, some important information coming out of that afternoon press briefing, this time from Dan Senor, the civilian spokesman for the coalition. He has told us that currently, as of today, he believes that 40 international hostages from 12 different countries are currently in the hands of Iraqi insurgents.
The latest of those we understand to be kidnapped are four Italians. We understand they were working for a private security company for a U.S. contractor. Earlier in the day we also received news of a group of Russians who had been kidnapped. But we do understand that those were subsequently released.
But as I say, the information, 40 international hostages from 12 different countries -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Karl Penhaul -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Our other big story, the FBI in the crosshairs of the independent panel investigating September 11. If you've been watching CNN, you've seen the polite yet pointed questioning of former FBI Director Louis Freeh and his one-time boss, ex-Attorney General Janet Reno.
Ahead of their testimony the panel put out a blistering assessment of FBI failures and deficiencies largely in the areas of intelligence gathering and sharing. While acknowledging problems, Freeh pointed out the distinction between law enforcement and war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FREEH: Neither administration put its intelligence agencies or law enforcement agencies on a war footing. A war footing means we seal borders. A war footing means we detain people that we're suspicious of. A war footing means that we have statutes like the Patriot Act, although with time-set provisions give us new powers.
We weren't doing that. Now, whether there was a political will for it or not, I guess we could debate that. But the fact of the matter is we didn't do it. And we were using grand jury subpoenas and arrest warrants to fight an enemy that was using missiles and suicide boats to attack our warships.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And for her part, Reno says the Clinton team made an effort to break down some procedural barriers that would later fall under the Patriot Act.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JANET RENO, FMR. ATTORNEY GENERAL: One of the frustrations is that the bureau, even when it finds that it has something, doesn't share. And it says it doesn't share because legal authorities prohibit it from sharing. But I haven't been able to find with respect to the one instance of the two who came into this country and how we just missed them, what prevented anybody from sharing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Still ahead testimony by former acting FBI Director Thomas Pickard and former CIA counter-terrorism chief, Cofer Black. Pickard's request for more funding was turned down by current Attorney General John Ashcroft on September 10, 2001. Ashcroft, too, will testify today, starting at 3:30 p.m. Eastern, 12:30 Pacific. You can see it all live right here on CNN.
O'BRIEN: President Bush is preparing to face questions from the White House press corps primetime tonight. He's only done it twice in his three-plus years in office.
CNN's Elaine Quijano with a preview -- Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Miles.
Well, White House spokesman Scott McClellan says President Bush is working on finalizing his opening remarks. The president is expected to give a 12-minute opening statement on Iraq before taking questions from reporters.
Now, why a 12-minute statement during what is supposed to be largely a question and answer session? The White House says a lot has been happening in Iraq and the president wants to talk to the American people about the situation now and in the future there.
Specifically the president is expected to talk about the recent violence in Iraq. His news conference coming at a time of heightened activity by Iraqi insurgents, something the administration has said is to be expected as that June 30 deadline to transfer sovereignty approaches. At the same time, however, the administration is very mindful of images, some of them violent, coming out of Iraq with this being an election year.
Now, the president is also preparing to answer tough questions and respond to continuing criticism on another issue, that August 6, 2001 PDB or Presidential Daily Brief titled "Osama bin Laden Determined to Attack in U.S..."
The White House said today that administration officials are talking with the September 11 Commission members on whether to allow the panel to interview the author of that memo, which was declassified over the weekend.
Now, critics charge that the information contained in that August 6 PDB should have alerted authorities that an attack could happen in the U.S. But the president has maintained that the document did not have specifics and did not warn of an imminent attack.
Both issues very important to the administration during this election year. By the way, this news conference just the twelfth time that President Bush has called a formal news conference since he took office -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Elaine Quijano at the White House, thanks very much.
Don't forget, CNN's special coverage of the president's primetime news conference begins with "PAULA ZAHN NOW," that's not now, though, it's at 8 p.m. Eastern, 5 Pacific. The president speaks a half hour later, 8:30 Eastern, 5:30 West Coast.
PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, uncovering a dangerous discovery.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTA BURROUGHS, FBI SPOKESWOMAN: It is enough to cause concern that it could harm someone, it could kill someone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And now a man described as a quiet guy is under arrest. More on that ahead.
And sisters serving in uniform, one is killed, now will the others go back to battle? A live news conference expected in just a few minutes.
Saving a national symbol, rushing to the rescue of some very cute little eagles. We'll fly that one home later on LIVE FROM...
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: A Washington State man is in custody, accused of possessing a enough ricin to hurt or kill someone. The FBI says it found the deadly poison in the man's apartment. The question was, what was he doing with it?
Elisa Hahn from CNN affiliate KING reports. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELISA HAHN, KING REPORTER (voice-over): FBI agents combed through this Kirkland home on Friday focusing on the apartment above the garage. Today agents tell King 5 News that they found the deadly toxin known as ricin inside the man's home.
BURROUGHS: The ricin was found in his apartment after agents went in there on Friday. And once they confirmed it was there, he was arrested and taken into custody.
HAHN: The man arrested is 37-year-old Robert Alberg of Kirkland, charged with one count of possession of a biological agent or toxin. Agents believe he was making the ricin at the home but would not say how much.
BURROUGHS: It is enough to cause concern that it could harm someone, it could kill someone.
HAHN: Ricin is a derivative of the castor bean, the same poison found in the mail room at Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's office last February.
SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), MAJORITY LEADER: It's a toxin. It is a poison. It is not contagious. It has no antidote or specific treatment.
HAHN: Agents would not say what they believe Alberg was planning on doing with the poison.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think that he would be the guy that would do anything to harm anybody with it.
HAHN: Neighbors describe Alberg as a recluse, but they have a hard time believing he planned on using the ricin maliciously.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it's kind of scary in a way, but I don't believe that he is the type of guy that would be doing anything with it other than experimenting with it, playing, I don't know.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: That report from Elisa Hahn with KING. Court documents describe Alberg as having autism. He is to appear in federal court on Thursday.
PHILLIPS: On the medical front, many people may not know that you can get access, even copies of your medical records. But some doctors say it may not be a good idea. Our medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta tells us how we can get our records and use them to our benefit.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: While all patients have legal access to their medical records as of a few years ago, not everybody always gets their medical records. So this is the subject of a new study in the archives of internal medicine trying to figure out who gets their medical records and why they do it.
The results somewhat surprising. First of all, overall percentage-wise, about 36 percent of the people very interested in taking a look at their medical records; 43 percent somewhat interested; the rest not all that interested.
Perhaps even more fascinating is why people want to look at their medical records. What they wrote down as the number one reason, first of all, they wanted to see the physician comments. They wanted to see what the doctors were writing about them. They also wanted to be more involved with their health care.
People who are very interested in looking at their medical records are also very interested in taking charge of their own health care. And they want to better understand their medical condition or disease or whatever it is that took them to the doctor's office in the first place.
All of this is predicated on something known as the Health Accountability and Portability Act. This is HAPA. And it's something that's pretty big in the medical circles. What is basically means with regards to medical records is the following: You have access to see and get copies of your medical records; patients can request corrections, also an important point; health providers should provide those records within 30 days; and there are charges only for copying and sending.
So all of these being important points, there are cons and pros to certainly getting your own medical records. One of the biggest cons, perhaps an obvious one, is that sometimes it's hard to digest all of this medical information, all of this medical jargon. What do you do with it? The old adage: Sometimes a little bit of information can be a dangerous thing.
There are also pros. One of the pros, as the researchers pointed out, is that this will probably improve communication because patients and doctors because patients will still start to ask good questions.
Bottom line is this, health care is an expensive thing. Patients have a right to know what is being said about them, what is in their medical chart. Just make sure you contextualize that information, get access to your medical records if you want it.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: All right. Let's go live to Brookfield, Wisconsin. We've been telling you the story of the Witmer sisters, one whom died in Iraq. The remaining two sisters, the question is, should they return to Iraq? Their parents would like them not to.
Let's listen to representatives of the family as well as the military live now from Brookfield, Wisconsin. (JOINED IN PROGRESS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... like to release a statement read by their family spokesperson, Joan Apt.
They will not be available to take any of your questions today. Please respect their wish.
In addition to the Witmer family and family spokesperson Joan Apt, Lieutenant Colonel Tim Donovan (ph), the public affairs officer for the Wisconsin National Guard will be available to answer your questions following the family statement.
I would now like to introduce Joan Apt.
JOAN APT, WITMER FAMILY SPOKESMAN: Thank you. Thank you for coming. I'd like to offer this statement on behalf of the Witmer family.
We would like to extend our profound gratitude for the outpouring of support we have received from both home and abroad. We would also like to express our deepest sympathy to those families who have lost loved ones in service of their country.
Rachel and Charity would like to express to their fellow soldiers in the 32nd MP Company and Company B 118th Medical Battalion, our thoughts and prayers are with you. Not a minute goes by that we don't think of you. We're conflicted because we have two families and we can't be with both at the same time.
Yesterday we received news from Lieutenant Colonel Tim Donovan of the Wisconsin Army and Air National Guard, who is here with us today, that Charity and Rachel will not be required to return to Iraq.
According to Defense Department Directive No. 1315.7, service members who lose a family member in hostile action can be exempted from service in the hostile action at their request.
At this time, Charity and Rachel are deferring their decision regarding their future plans. They are focusing their attention on spending time with their family and grieving the loss of Michelle.
A public memorial service for Michelle will be held here at Elmer (ph) Church, located at 777 South Park Road in Brookfield tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. A private burial will take place at a later time.
In response to requests, the Michelle Witmer Memorial Fund has been established at Rockasha (ph) State Bank. Contributions will benefit the Missionaries of Charity Orphanage in Baghdad whose ministry to handicapped children made such a profound impression upon Michelle's heart.
Thank you.
O'BRIEN: We have been listening to a spokesperson for the Witmer family there, that coming to us live from Wisconsin. You heard the announcement. The military will not be requiring the surviving two Witmer daughters to return to Iraq. What had been the delay in all of this was that the request had to come not from the parents but from the daughters themselves.
And we'll keep you posted on that story as events progress. Where are we headed next? All right, taking a break. Back with more in a moment.
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