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Insurgents Launch Attacks in 5 Iraqi Cities; 2 Bombings in Turkey

Aired June 24, 2004 - 14:00   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Leak investigation. President Bush interviewed in the Oval Office by government prosecutors. We've got the details.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Deadly day, simultaneous attacks in Iraq, signs of increased organization by the opposition with just days to go until the handover.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we have just grossly underestimated this threat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: A CIA agent speaks out. What he sees as missteps in America's war on terror.

WHITFIELD: Beating caught on tape. Los Angeles police investigate their own after an officer hits an unarmed suspect as he apparently surrenders.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. Miles is on assignment. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM... starts right now.

The handover will go forward. Iraqi leaders continue to have faith despite sweeping attacks across the nation. Predictions of an upsurge in violence came true with explosions, ambushes and fighting in five cities. At last count 92 people have been killed, a staggering 285 a wounded. On an Islamic Web site, followers of militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi claimed responsibility for that wave of violence. CNN's senior international correspondent Brent Sadler has more on a very bloody day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRENT SADLER, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Insurgents launched a wave of attacks on five major cities, including Baghdad. The onslaught targeted police stations in Mosul to the north of the capital as well as Ba'qubah to the northeast and Ramadi in the west. At the heart of the so-called Sunni Triangle, a persistent hotbed of anti-coalition violence.

Mosul was hit by a series of large explosions, claiming the lives of dozens of Iraqi victims. One U.S. soldier also died in the Mosul blasts. In Ba'qubah, scene of some of the heaviest clashes with U.S. forces, assailants launched attacks on police and government buildings, inflicting more loss of life, including two American soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division.

Gunfire rattled across the city as the authorities warned people to stay indoors, imposing a dusk-to-dawn curfew. Gunmen claiming loyalty to wanted Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi appeared on the streets of Ba'qubah for what appears to be the first time in street combat.

In Ramadi the tactics were similar, insurgents directing volleys of rocket propelled grenades and machine gun fire at more police targets. U.S. military officials say the series of attacks demonstrated a level of coordination. But they were at pains to play down the extent of damage done, claiming the attacks soon ran out of steam.

In further hostilities, U.S. forces around Fallujah ordered air strikes against insurgent positions after more clashes with U.S. Marines. A U.S. Cobra helicopter gun ship was forced down by small arms fire during battles. But the crew reportedly escaped unhurt.

Iraqis suffered the most casualties just days before the handover of sovereignty to an interim government. Prime Minister Iyad Allawi denounced the attacks as the work of desperate criminals who have lost the battle to prevent a transfer of power. But he predicted there may be worse to come.

Brent Sadler, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: In response to that violence now in Iraq, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice addressing reporters live from the White House.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: ... when you have been through periods of great violence and terrorism, understand what it means to try to rebuild the society, to have economic prosperity spring from what used to just be considered a chaotic situation.

(INSERT POLITICAL DOC)

RICE: I'll try to get back to you. Sorry. Yes, debt relief, just real quick, we have the Iraq debt sustainability study from the IMF. The IMF has said that the range is somewhere between 67 to 95...

PHILLIPS: National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice addressing reporters there at the White House, talking about Iraq, as the time ticks, getting closer to the handover there.

Also as bombs explode in Ankara and Istanbul in Turkey, just ahead of the NATO summit. Condoleezza Rice talking about the president's trip. World leaders, including the president, will be arriving in Turkey this weekend for the NATO summit. And of course, security forces have been tremendously beefed up.

In other developments as the handover nears, the Pentagon could tap into a new pool of soldiers to fill in the gaps in Iraq. It's considering recalling as many as 6500 individual ready reservists who have already done military service but still have time left on the contract. The U.S. will reportedly extend immunity for American troops past that handover. U.S. troops accused of crimes would be dealt with by the Pentagon, not local courts.

And the Senate passes a massive $447 billion defense bill, $25 billion of that would go to Iraq and Afghanistan. President Bush is expected to ask for $25 billion more this fall. Legislation would also add thousands of soldiers and boost military pay.

WHITFIELD: Joining me from Tucson, Arizona, Major General Don Shepperd, U.S. Air Force retired general. And he is a CNN military analyst.

Before I ask you, General, about the possible troop build-up. Let's talk about these simultaneous attacks taking place in Iraq. How do you dissect this being a new strategy?

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD, USAF (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, it is definitely the first time we have seen coordinated attacks across the country. On the other hand, Fredricka, it doesn't take a lot of coordination to say, let's go to five cities and set off bombs at 10:00 in the morning on Thursday.

But it is the first time we have seen this. And it clearly has been before, let's get rid of the occupiers, the Americans. That has been the strategy. Now the strategy is, let's attack Iraqis and make sure that the new government is not successful. Clearly the handover is going to take place -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And certainly a message is being sent to Iraqis given that they make up a majority of those that have been injured and killed. More than 90 now killed in these five different cities, five different attacks. The message being sent to them that as long as you support this Western occupation, this kind of violence will continue.

SHEPPERD: Indeed. These attacks are on -- for the most part on police headquarters and that type of thing, ministries and what have you. But innocent civilians are being held. The strategy is very effective by the way. It is, hey, don't put your faith in this new government. Put your faith in the old government. Let us take over again. At least you will have peace. You might not have a better future but you will have peace. The people in Iraq are going to have to decide, Fredricka, and it's not an easy choice.

WHITFIELD: Six days to go before the handover. Do you see attacks accelerating?

SHEPPERD: I do. I see attacks accelerating until the handover. And then after handover, the next excuse is there's an election coming up in January. So you have got six more months for these people to get better organized and continue to spread chaos throughout the country. The question for the Iraqis is, are we going to let the former regime, the thugs take over Iraq again to buy off peace? Or are we going to go for the new Iraq and the new government and place our faith in them. It's a very difficult choice, it's going to be a very bloody time.

WHITFIELD: Is there any significance of the locations, these five different cities, Ba'qubah, Fallujah, Ramadi, Mosul and Baghdad being targeted today?

SHEPPERD: No. Of the five, Mosul has really been the most peaceful of all of them. It's up toward the Kurdish area. Ba'qubah just northeast of Baghdad has been a hotbed. Baghdad itself, Ramadi, Fallujah, all of those are suspected areas where these insurgents are strong and known to be. The Iraqis know who these people are. They may be better at dealing with them and after their takeover than we are and more brutal.

WHITFIELD: And if there is indeed a troop call-up, how do you see these troops as perhaps helping to fortify or offer security to, say, the prime minister, Iyad Allawi, who has most recently gotten very direct threats coming from Zarqawi, and as well as the U.S. ambassador, the new U.S. ambassador, Negroponte?

SHEPPERD: Well, Negroponte is in danger. All of the members of this new government are in danger. Prime Minister Allawi and the President Yawar are clearly heroes that are going to be in danger for the foreseeable future. One thing you can do is move them into the green area and protect them, have them live there, of course, work there and what have you. That's one thing that this troop call-up could do.

I must tell you that the strategy of the insurgents is effective but it also has risk. You could see a prolonged occupation with many more U.S. forces than would be -- if they did not insert this violence across the country. So it is going to be a terrible time. Lots of difficulty. It's going to be very dangerous for anybody in the new government or that tries to cooperate to produce a new Iraq. This is a fight for the Iraqis themselves -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Major General Don Shepperd, thanks very much for joining us from Tucson, Arizona -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, as we told you earlier, powerful bombings in two cities in Turkey. The target of violence ahead of the NATO summit. A bomb tore apart this bus today in Istanbul. Four people were killed. At least a dozen others were wounded. The bus was approaching a busy downtown shopping area. Now earlier a blast in the Turkish capital of Ankara, the bomb went off in front of the Hilton Hotel, wounding three people. President Bush was to stay in that hotel this weekend before leaving for the NATO summit next week in Istanbul.

WHITFIELD: Back at home, President Bush answers the questions of a special prosecutor probing a CIA leak. The investigation involves whether any Bush administration officials disclosed the identity of a CIA officer. The White House says the president was not under oath during his interview this morning. The CIA officer is the wife of former Ambassador Joseph Wilson who had criticized the White House claims about Iraq and uranium.

PHILLIPS: Privacy versus an open record log. The Supreme Court rules the Bush administration won't have to turn over files from Dick Cheney's energy task force. CNN's Bob Franken has details now from the outside of the Supreme Court.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The fight over Vice President Cheney's right to confidentiality is a battle that goes all the way back to 1803, and the Supreme Court's decision supporting judicial review and oversight over the White House. The vice president claimed the list of participants in his meetings to formulate energy policy were the business of the executive branch alone. Court involvement in effect was meddling.

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We start down that road we're setting a terrible precedent. We're saying the vice president cannot have confidential meetings.

FRANKEN: The vice president has refused to provide a list of those that participated. His adversaries argue it would show heavy interest by corporate energy interests, including the likes of ousted Enron chief executive, Ken Lay.

DAVID BOOKBINDER, SIERRA CLUB LEGAL DIRECTOR: The final report of the energy task force reads as if it was written by the energy industry.

FRANKEN: Add to the intrigue one adamant Supreme Court justice, Antonin Scalia, who rejected demands to remove himself from the case after disclosures Cheney had taken him on a duck-hunting trip. "If it is reasonable," said Scalia, "to think that a Supreme Court justice can be bought so cheap, the nation is in deeper trouble than I had imagined."

BOOKBINDER: This is a question of public confidence in the courts.

FRANKEN: The entire matter, says the vice president, amounts to a tempest in a teapot.

CHENEY: It's a classic sort of feeding frenzy in Washington.

FRANKEN (on camera): Still to be decided before the end of the term by the Supreme Court, questions involving terrorism, the war on terror, Guantanamo, and some cases involving enemy combatants where the administration also argues that the courts have no role. Everybody will be watching to see if this ruling gives some indication about how the justices rule. Those orders are expected next week.

Bob Franken, CNN, the Supreme Court.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Missed opportunities and big mistakes.

PHILLIPS: An anonymous author makes some big accusations about America's war on terror. But his bosses at the CIA know exactly who he is. We'll hear from him just ahead.

WHITFIELD: And later, fast break for high schoolers who could become instant millionaires in the NBA draft. Is it too much too soon? We'll slam dunk that one later on LIVE FROM...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A new book out critical of the Bush administration. So what's new, you may ask? Well, this one, called "Imperial Hubris," is penned by an anonymous writer who was a top CIA operative still serving the government.

David Ensor has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the book, anonymous says President Bush and the West have seriously underestimated Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda.

"ANONYMOUS", AUTHOR, "IMPERIAL HUBRIS": I think there's a certain amount of, what can guys with turbans squatting in the desert do to the United States of America? I think we have just grossly under estimated this threat.

ENSOR: Anonymous writes he is certain that al Qaeda will attack the continental United States again, that its next strike will be more damaging than that of 11 September 2001 and could include weapons of mass destruction. It was the CIA which insisted on his appearing only in silhouette. Officials saying they don't want anyone to think he speaks for the agency. Anonymous says President Bush is flat wrong when he says the terrorists hate us for our love of freedom.

"ANONYMOUS": Bin Laden hates us for what we do in terms of our foreign policy.

ENSOR: He points to the six policies bin Laden has listed as anti-Muslim: U.S. troops on the Arabian Peninsula; U.S. support for corrupt, tyrannical Muslim governments; U.S. occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan; U.S. support for suppression of Muslim minorities by Russia, China and India; American pressure on Arab oil producers to keep the oil prices artificially low; and U.S. support for Israel, right or wrong. Why should anyone listen to a man in silhouette?

Terrorist expert Peter Bergen knows him well.

PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: He's regarded as one of the foremost authorities on bin Laden, al Qaeda, either within the government or outside it. So his views carry some weight. ENSOR (on camera): Other CIA officials describe Anonymous as, "kind of an angry fellow," and say he has been shunted off into meaningless work. They suggest he is angry and clearly he is. Angry, he says, because the government is not doing the right things to protect this country.

David Ensor, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Looking ahead to the handover in Iraq. We want to invite you to join us tomorrow at 1:00 Eastern for CNN's special event leading up to the handover in Iraq. John Mann will host a live one- hour town hall meeting, "The American Pulse." We'll hear from a guest panel about public opinion on the U.S. and Iraq -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: This just into CNN. It's a story we have been following since it happened. And we're talking about the Air Force has decided to dismiss charges against a pilot that was accused in an accidental bombing of Canadians.

You may remember it was near Afghanistan. Four Canadians had died. The Air Force has announced that it will dismiss all charges against the U.S. fighter pilot who accidentally dropped a 500-pound laser-guided bomb that killed the four Canadians in Afghanistan in 2002.

Major Harry Schmidt has accepted an Air Force offer to face administrative punishment in exchange for dismissal of four counts of dereliction of duty. That is according to the Air Force. We just got word of this. You will remember Schmidt originally was charged with manslaughter and aggravated assault when the bombing went down. Military officials have recommended the charges be dismissed and that Schmidt now face possible admin. punishment instead.

Now we're going to take a closer look at the faces of the guys in the following piece of video. Any of them look familiar to you? You may have seen them on your favorite cop show, maybe even a wanted poster. Their story later on LIVE FROM...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MARKET REPORT)

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 June 24, 2004 - 14:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Leak investigation. President Bush interviewed in the Oval Office by government prosecutors. We've got the details.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Deadly day, simultaneous attacks in Iraq, signs of increased organization by the opposition with just days to go until the handover.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we have just grossly underestimated this threat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: A CIA agent speaks out. What he sees as missteps in America's war on terror.

WHITFIELD: Beating caught on tape. Los Angeles police investigate their own after an officer hits an unarmed suspect as he apparently surrenders.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. Miles is on assignment. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM... starts right now.

The handover will go forward. Iraqi leaders continue to have faith despite sweeping attacks across the nation. Predictions of an upsurge in violence came true with explosions, ambushes and fighting in five cities. At last count 92 people have been killed, a staggering 285 a wounded. On an Islamic Web site, followers of militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi claimed responsibility for that wave of violence. CNN's senior international correspondent Brent Sadler has more on a very bloody day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRENT SADLER, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Insurgents launched a wave of attacks on five major cities, including Baghdad. The onslaught targeted police stations in Mosul to the north of the capital as well as Ba'qubah to the northeast and Ramadi in the west. At the heart of the so-called Sunni Triangle, a persistent hotbed of anti-coalition violence.

Mosul was hit by a series of large explosions, claiming the lives of dozens of Iraqi victims. One U.S. soldier also died in the Mosul blasts. In Ba'qubah, scene of some of the heaviest clashes with U.S. forces, assailants launched attacks on police and government buildings, inflicting more loss of life, including two American soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division.

Gunfire rattled across the city as the authorities warned people to stay indoors, imposing a dusk-to-dawn curfew. Gunmen claiming loyalty to wanted Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi appeared on the streets of Ba'qubah for what appears to be the first time in street combat.

In Ramadi the tactics were similar, insurgents directing volleys of rocket propelled grenades and machine gun fire at more police targets. U.S. military officials say the series of attacks demonstrated a level of coordination. But they were at pains to play down the extent of damage done, claiming the attacks soon ran out of steam.

In further hostilities, U.S. forces around Fallujah ordered air strikes against insurgent positions after more clashes with U.S. Marines. A U.S. Cobra helicopter gun ship was forced down by small arms fire during battles. But the crew reportedly escaped unhurt.

Iraqis suffered the most casualties just days before the handover of sovereignty to an interim government. Prime Minister Iyad Allawi denounced the attacks as the work of desperate criminals who have lost the battle to prevent a transfer of power. But he predicted there may be worse to come.

Brent Sadler, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: In response to that violence now in Iraq, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice addressing reporters live from the White House.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: ... when you have been through periods of great violence and terrorism, understand what it means to try to rebuild the society, to have economic prosperity spring from what used to just be considered a chaotic situation.

(INSERT POLITICAL DOC)

RICE: I'll try to get back to you. Sorry. Yes, debt relief, just real quick, we have the Iraq debt sustainability study from the IMF. The IMF has said that the range is somewhere between 67 to 95...

PHILLIPS: National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice addressing reporters there at the White House, talking about Iraq, as the time ticks, getting closer to the handover there.

Also as bombs explode in Ankara and Istanbul in Turkey, just ahead of the NATO summit. Condoleezza Rice talking about the president's trip. World leaders, including the president, will be arriving in Turkey this weekend for the NATO summit. And of course, security forces have been tremendously beefed up.

In other developments as the handover nears, the Pentagon could tap into a new pool of soldiers to fill in the gaps in Iraq. It's considering recalling as many as 6500 individual ready reservists who have already done military service but still have time left on the contract. The U.S. will reportedly extend immunity for American troops past that handover. U.S. troops accused of crimes would be dealt with by the Pentagon, not local courts.

And the Senate passes a massive $447 billion defense bill, $25 billion of that would go to Iraq and Afghanistan. President Bush is expected to ask for $25 billion more this fall. Legislation would also add thousands of soldiers and boost military pay.

WHITFIELD: Joining me from Tucson, Arizona, Major General Don Shepperd, U.S. Air Force retired general. And he is a CNN military analyst.

Before I ask you, General, about the possible troop build-up. Let's talk about these simultaneous attacks taking place in Iraq. How do you dissect this being a new strategy?

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD, USAF (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, it is definitely the first time we have seen coordinated attacks across the country. On the other hand, Fredricka, it doesn't take a lot of coordination to say, let's go to five cities and set off bombs at 10:00 in the morning on Thursday.

But it is the first time we have seen this. And it clearly has been before, let's get rid of the occupiers, the Americans. That has been the strategy. Now the strategy is, let's attack Iraqis and make sure that the new government is not successful. Clearly the handover is going to take place -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And certainly a message is being sent to Iraqis given that they make up a majority of those that have been injured and killed. More than 90 now killed in these five different cities, five different attacks. The message being sent to them that as long as you support this Western occupation, this kind of violence will continue.

SHEPPERD: Indeed. These attacks are on -- for the most part on police headquarters and that type of thing, ministries and what have you. But innocent civilians are being held. The strategy is very effective by the way. It is, hey, don't put your faith in this new government. Put your faith in the old government. Let us take over again. At least you will have peace. You might not have a better future but you will have peace. The people in Iraq are going to have to decide, Fredricka, and it's not an easy choice.

WHITFIELD: Six days to go before the handover. Do you see attacks accelerating?

SHEPPERD: I do. I see attacks accelerating until the handover. And then after handover, the next excuse is there's an election coming up in January. So you have got six more months for these people to get better organized and continue to spread chaos throughout the country. The question for the Iraqis is, are we going to let the former regime, the thugs take over Iraq again to buy off peace? Or are we going to go for the new Iraq and the new government and place our faith in them. It's a very difficult choice, it's going to be a very bloody time.

WHITFIELD: Is there any significance of the locations, these five different cities, Ba'qubah, Fallujah, Ramadi, Mosul and Baghdad being targeted today?

SHEPPERD: No. Of the five, Mosul has really been the most peaceful of all of them. It's up toward the Kurdish area. Ba'qubah just northeast of Baghdad has been a hotbed. Baghdad itself, Ramadi, Fallujah, all of those are suspected areas where these insurgents are strong and known to be. The Iraqis know who these people are. They may be better at dealing with them and after their takeover than we are and more brutal.

WHITFIELD: And if there is indeed a troop call-up, how do you see these troops as perhaps helping to fortify or offer security to, say, the prime minister, Iyad Allawi, who has most recently gotten very direct threats coming from Zarqawi, and as well as the U.S. ambassador, the new U.S. ambassador, Negroponte?

SHEPPERD: Well, Negroponte is in danger. All of the members of this new government are in danger. Prime Minister Allawi and the President Yawar are clearly heroes that are going to be in danger for the foreseeable future. One thing you can do is move them into the green area and protect them, have them live there, of course, work there and what have you. That's one thing that this troop call-up could do.

I must tell you that the strategy of the insurgents is effective but it also has risk. You could see a prolonged occupation with many more U.S. forces than would be -- if they did not insert this violence across the country. So it is going to be a terrible time. Lots of difficulty. It's going to be very dangerous for anybody in the new government or that tries to cooperate to produce a new Iraq. This is a fight for the Iraqis themselves -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Major General Don Shepperd, thanks very much for joining us from Tucson, Arizona -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, as we told you earlier, powerful bombings in two cities in Turkey. The target of violence ahead of the NATO summit. A bomb tore apart this bus today in Istanbul. Four people were killed. At least a dozen others were wounded. The bus was approaching a busy downtown shopping area. Now earlier a blast in the Turkish capital of Ankara, the bomb went off in front of the Hilton Hotel, wounding three people. President Bush was to stay in that hotel this weekend before leaving for the NATO summit next week in Istanbul.

WHITFIELD: Back at home, President Bush answers the questions of a special prosecutor probing a CIA leak. The investigation involves whether any Bush administration officials disclosed the identity of a CIA officer. The White House says the president was not under oath during his interview this morning. The CIA officer is the wife of former Ambassador Joseph Wilson who had criticized the White House claims about Iraq and uranium.

PHILLIPS: Privacy versus an open record log. The Supreme Court rules the Bush administration won't have to turn over files from Dick Cheney's energy task force. CNN's Bob Franken has details now from the outside of the Supreme Court.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The fight over Vice President Cheney's right to confidentiality is a battle that goes all the way back to 1803, and the Supreme Court's decision supporting judicial review and oversight over the White House. The vice president claimed the list of participants in his meetings to formulate energy policy were the business of the executive branch alone. Court involvement in effect was meddling.

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We start down that road we're setting a terrible precedent. We're saying the vice president cannot have confidential meetings.

FRANKEN: The vice president has refused to provide a list of those that participated. His adversaries argue it would show heavy interest by corporate energy interests, including the likes of ousted Enron chief executive, Ken Lay.

DAVID BOOKBINDER, SIERRA CLUB LEGAL DIRECTOR: The final report of the energy task force reads as if it was written by the energy industry.

FRANKEN: Add to the intrigue one adamant Supreme Court justice, Antonin Scalia, who rejected demands to remove himself from the case after disclosures Cheney had taken him on a duck-hunting trip. "If it is reasonable," said Scalia, "to think that a Supreme Court justice can be bought so cheap, the nation is in deeper trouble than I had imagined."

BOOKBINDER: This is a question of public confidence in the courts.

FRANKEN: The entire matter, says the vice president, amounts to a tempest in a teapot.

CHENEY: It's a classic sort of feeding frenzy in Washington.

FRANKEN (on camera): Still to be decided before the end of the term by the Supreme Court, questions involving terrorism, the war on terror, Guantanamo, and some cases involving enemy combatants where the administration also argues that the courts have no role. Everybody will be watching to see if this ruling gives some indication about how the justices rule. Those orders are expected next week.

Bob Franken, CNN, the Supreme Court.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Missed opportunities and big mistakes.

PHILLIPS: An anonymous author makes some big accusations about America's war on terror. But his bosses at the CIA know exactly who he is. We'll hear from him just ahead.

WHITFIELD: And later, fast break for high schoolers who could become instant millionaires in the NBA draft. Is it too much too soon? We'll slam dunk that one later on LIVE FROM...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A new book out critical of the Bush administration. So what's new, you may ask? Well, this one, called "Imperial Hubris," is penned by an anonymous writer who was a top CIA operative still serving the government.

David Ensor has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the book, anonymous says President Bush and the West have seriously underestimated Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda.

"ANONYMOUS", AUTHOR, "IMPERIAL HUBRIS": I think there's a certain amount of, what can guys with turbans squatting in the desert do to the United States of America? I think we have just grossly under estimated this threat.

ENSOR: Anonymous writes he is certain that al Qaeda will attack the continental United States again, that its next strike will be more damaging than that of 11 September 2001 and could include weapons of mass destruction. It was the CIA which insisted on his appearing only in silhouette. Officials saying they don't want anyone to think he speaks for the agency. Anonymous says President Bush is flat wrong when he says the terrorists hate us for our love of freedom.

"ANONYMOUS": Bin Laden hates us for what we do in terms of our foreign policy.

ENSOR: He points to the six policies bin Laden has listed as anti-Muslim: U.S. troops on the Arabian Peninsula; U.S. support for corrupt, tyrannical Muslim governments; U.S. occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan; U.S. support for suppression of Muslim minorities by Russia, China and India; American pressure on Arab oil producers to keep the oil prices artificially low; and U.S. support for Israel, right or wrong. Why should anyone listen to a man in silhouette?

Terrorist expert Peter Bergen knows him well.

PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: He's regarded as one of the foremost authorities on bin Laden, al Qaeda, either within the government or outside it. So his views carry some weight. ENSOR (on camera): Other CIA officials describe Anonymous as, "kind of an angry fellow," and say he has been shunted off into meaningless work. They suggest he is angry and clearly he is. Angry, he says, because the government is not doing the right things to protect this country.

David Ensor, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Looking ahead to the handover in Iraq. We want to invite you to join us tomorrow at 1:00 Eastern for CNN's special event leading up to the handover in Iraq. John Mann will host a live one- hour town hall meeting, "The American Pulse." We'll hear from a guest panel about public opinion on the U.S. and Iraq -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: This just into CNN. It's a story we have been following since it happened. And we're talking about the Air Force has decided to dismiss charges against a pilot that was accused in an accidental bombing of Canadians.

You may remember it was near Afghanistan. Four Canadians had died. The Air Force has announced that it will dismiss all charges against the U.S. fighter pilot who accidentally dropped a 500-pound laser-guided bomb that killed the four Canadians in Afghanistan in 2002.

Major Harry Schmidt has accepted an Air Force offer to face administrative punishment in exchange for dismissal of four counts of dereliction of duty. That is according to the Air Force. We just got word of this. You will remember Schmidt originally was charged with manslaughter and aggravated assault when the bombing went down. Military officials have recommended the charges be dismissed and that Schmidt now face possible admin. punishment instead.

Now we're going to take a closer look at the faces of the guys in the following piece of video. Any of them look familiar to you? You may have seen them on your favorite cop show, maybe even a wanted poster. Their story later on LIVE FROM...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MARKET REPORT)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com