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Iyad Allawi Addresses Congress, Huddles With Bush; U.S. Wants Trained Iraqi Forces to Handle Insurgents
Aired September 23, 2004 - 13:59 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.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: And we begin this hour with the pomp, the politics, the prime opportunity surrounding the Iraqi interim prime minister's busy day in Washington. If you've been watching CNN today, you've seen Iyad Allawi's enthusiasm welcomed on Capitol Hill, followed by a shoulder-to-shoulder news conference with President Bush at the White House. Later, he's meeting with the World Bank and the Council on Foreign Relations, a mission many Democrats consider a Bush campaign event by proxy.
CNN's Dana Bash has a roundup from the White House.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Drew, the president, of course, was in the Rose Garden today. He was not in a swing state, not officially on the campaign trail. But everything that the president said, his message today, was intended to rebut the accusations from his opponent, John Kerry, that he was not truthful with the American people on the way to war in Iraq and that he has not handled it thus far correctly, and that things have really spiraled out of control, and that he's not leveling with the American people.
Now, the president said today that it's important to stay the course in Iraq because otherwise, he said, terrorists can plot and plan elsewhere in America and other countries. He said this is really an issue of America's national security.
Now, the goal today, standing next to the Iraqi interim prime minister, was, if you don't believe what I'm telling you here and on the campaign trail, that Iraqis do have the will, that Iraqi police are being trained, that Iraqi elections will go on in January, listen to this man now. Listen to the man who is -- who is leading the Iraqi people.
Now, he said he does understand Americans are seeing beheadings on their TV screens, increasing violence, but he also -- and he said that violence will continue as the elections in January approach. But he also said you can be optimistic and still think things are hard.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, you can understand it's tough and still be optimistic. You can understand how hard it is and believe we'll succeed.
I remember when some were talking about the possibility of success in Afghanistan in pretty stark terms. I don't know if you remember that period or not. But there was a period some were saying that -- impossible for democracy to come forward in Afghanistan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: And the other issue today is whether or not there needs to be more troops, international troops on the ground in Iraq. General John Abizaid suggesting that perhaps not necessarily U.S. troops, but more troops from around the world will need to be in place for the January elections. Well, Prime Minister Allawi said today that he doesn't necessarily think so, that international troops are not the answer at this point.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IYAD ALLAWI, INTERIM IRAQI PRIME MINISTER: ... to have more troops we don't need. What we need really is to train more Iraqis because this is ultimately for Iraqis, for Iraqi security forces to take responsibility for their own security and to defend the rest of the civilized world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, it wasn't just the president necessarily subtly or not so subtly rebutting John Kerry. Prime Minister Allawi seemed to be responding to John Kerry as well when he said that doubters underestimate our country -- meaning the Iraqi country -- and risk stealing the hopes of terrorism -- Kyra.
GRIFFIN: Dana, I'll take it here.
BASH: Drew -- I'm sorry.
GRIFFIN: As this becomes the centerpiece of both of these campaigns, Senator Kerry did make a brief appearance this morning in Columbus, Ohio. You can find his remarks to the conflict in Iraq, speaking among Columbus firefighters there. Kerry charged that President Bush has erred at every turn in the road.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This president rushed to war without a plan to win the peace. And asked the military leaders, go ask the military leaders. General Shinseki told this country how many troops we'd need. The president retired him early for telling the truth. That's why you have Fallujah, that's why you have a mess in Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: Senator Kerry also charged that President Bush, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell can't keep their story straight on Iraq. And he's also stated once again that a president's first duty in war time is to tell the truth to the American people, to which he says the president is not -- Kyra.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The top gun at CENTCOM is telling Congress he made need more troops between now and the January elections, but they may not have to be American. On Capitol Hill yesterday, General John Abizaid says that for now he's comfortable with the 138,000 U.S. troops in Iraq at the moment. And if more troops really are needed, it's his belief that Iraqis or other allies can fill the bill, but possibly not.
It's highly possible this will come up when Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee later this hour. We're going to listen in starting around 2:30 p.m. Eastern, roughly about 25 minutes from now.
Well, sending more troops to Iraq may not be enough to stop the insurgent violence. That's according to some military experts. However, the Pentagon insists it has a strategy that will provide a victory in the end. CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The U.S. strategy is to wait several months for more Iraqi forces to finish training so they can lead the way in retaking insurgent strongholds like Fallujah. The approach is rooted in the belief that only an Iraqi solution can produce a lasting peace. But the practical effect is to allow anti-U.S. militants, including followers of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, to use Fallujah as a base of operations for kidnappings, beheadings and car bombings.
BUSH: These people cannot beat us militarily. And so they use the only tool at their disposal, which is beheadings and death, to try to shake our will.
MCINTYRE: But waiting for Iraq's military to mature has also forced the U.S. to resort to not always precise air strikes to target insurgent safe houses. The U.S. claims hundreds of insurgents have been killed. But so have innocent civilians, which only fuel support for the terrorists. It's a problem military thinkers argue that simply cannot be solved militarily.
COL. THOMAS HAMMES, NATIONAL DEFENSE UNIVERSITY: You cannot win an insurgency by simply killing more insurgents. I think the -- the Soviets pretty much proved that in Chechnya and Afghanistan.
MCINTYRE: Marine Colonel Thomas Hammes is a senior military fellow at the National Defense University. He's written a book on dealing with insurgencies.
HAMMES: Insurgencies are long wars. A short insurgency lasts 10 to 12 years. A long insurgency is 30 to 35 years.
The Vietnamese fought for 30 years. The Palestinians have been at it since 1968. So if you keep those two points in mind, that it's essentially a political struggle, and that it's a very long-term struggle, then it changes your strategy. You don't worry so much about what happens this week. You're looking long term.
MCINTYRE: But the U.S. and Iraq's interim government are looking short term, pinning hopes for nationwide elections in January on Iraq's ability with U.S. help to launch a series of offensives before the end of the year to regain control of a number of enemy enclaves in the so-called Sunni Triangle, including Fallujah, Samarra and provincial capitals, Baquba and Ramadi.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld scoffs at predictions, insisting how long the insurgency will last is unknowable.
DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: And I think anyone who pulls a number out of mid air and says it will take one year or five years or 10 years, must have mystical powers that most people don't have.
MCINTYRE (on camera): The linchpin of the strategy is getting enough motivated, well-trained Iraqi troops in order to convince the average Iraqi the U.S. is not running the show. But given the uneven performance of Iraqi forces in the past, the idea they could route the insurgents in just four months strikes many experts as wishful thinking,
Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFIN: They are the storms that just won't go away. Ivan and Jeanne, a deadly duo that's already killed and destroyed, could hit the U.S. again. CNN meteorologist Orelon Sidney joins us with details on these stubborn storms -- Orelon.
ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Thanks a lot, Drew.
The good news is that Ivan now is certainly not the Ivan of old that we remember. It's barely holding on to tropical storm strength. And I'll show you on the radar in a moment, it's really not going to be much of a player, certainly not wind-wise.
You may find some heavy rains in Texas. And, in fact, you do have flash flood watches out for southeastern Texas and western Louisiana.
Tropical Storm Ivan now almost on the coast, 50 miles southeast of Cameron, Louisiana. Winds are 50 miles an hour. That's down 10 miles an hour from three hours ago, moving to the northwest at eight and rapidly weakening.
What you're going to find with this storm, maybe some gusty winds in some isolated areas right where the center -- there's the center right there -- right where it goes on the coast you may see some gusty winds, maybe a pretty good thunderstorm or two. And the eastern side here, you can see it's starting to flare up to the south of Baton Rouge.
Basically, you're looking at thunderstorms, you're looking at heavy rain, maybe as much as 10 inches in some very localized areas. Most folks are going to see two to four inches of rain. As the storm moves on into Texas, it will slow down and probably cause some problems in hill country with rainfall. Jeanne is a whole different ball game; 105-mile-an-hour winds, Category 2, moving to the west now at six miles an hour. Where it's going to go is almost anybody's guess.
This is the best estimate right now. And remember, there's a big wide area of possibility around this. But it looks like it may gain Category 3 strength as it moves through the central Bahamas. A hurricane watch is now out for the northern Bahamas.
By Sunday, it looks like it may make a very close approach to the Florida coast. But look at this. Then it scrapes up along the coast through Savannah, Charleston, all the way up to Wilmington by 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday.
Believe it or not, this could be good news. Because, if that, in fact, does happen, the eastern side of the storm, which is always the roughest side, is going to be out across the ocean. The western side then will be inland if this verifies it. We certainly have a long way to go before we know whether or not this will be the case -- Drew.
GRIFFIN: We'll let you keep track of it for us, Orelon. Thanks a lot for that.
Ivan is already causing some high tides along the coast of Texas. Take a look.
The people of Galveston dealing with minor flooding there. The National Hurricane Center has issued a tropical storm warning for that Gulf Coast, as Orelon reported.
Haitian officials hoping their storms are done. More than 1,100 people killed by Tropical Storm Jeanne. Authorities expect that death toll to go higher once the floodwaters reseed. An estimated 250,000 people homeless because of that hurricane.
PHILLIPS: Well, all these weather stories might give you the impression that this year's storm season is weirder and wilder than seasons past. Well, you'd be exactly right. But there is an explanation, and no, it's not angry Mother Nature. Here's Chad Myers with the science behind the cycles.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): They come in with whipping winds severe storm surge, devastating floods and killer tornadoes. Wild weather defines the 2004 hurricane season. But why is this year so stormy? NOAA scientists say that an unusually warm Atlantic ocean, below average wind shear and other atmospheric conditions are creating the prime recipe to stir up a big batch of storms.
CHRIS LANDSEA, NOAA HURRICANE RESEARCH DIRECTOR: It's turned out to be a very busy season.
MYERS: So far there have been 12 named storms. Names are given to tropical storms with at least 39-mile-per-hour winds. Seven have become hurricanes, with winds of at least 74 miles per hour.
And five, major hurricanes, Category 3 or higher. And several of those made landfall. And the season isn't over yet.
LANDSEA: We're only about two-thirds of the way through the season. So we may very well have one, two, maybe three more hurricanes before the season is done in November.
MYERS: But although Florida residents may be calling foul, and despite the massive death and destruction throughout the Caribbean and the U.S. this year, the 2004 storm season has not broken many records. The most active year on record was 1933, 21 storms. The deadliest killed an estimated 8,000 to 12,000 people in Galveston, Texas, in 1900. And the costliest, Hurricane Andrew, socked the U.S. with more than $26 billion in damage.
But with such an active storm season so far, all eyes remain on the Atlantic to see what Mother Nature gives birth to next.
Chad Myers, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Other news across America today.
In the mountains of Montana, a small plane crash has a surprise ending.
Also ahead, watch list wonder. The former Cat Stevens finally lands in London. Get the LIVE FROM update.
And forget who's wearing the pants. What about who's spending the money? Advertising's misstep ahead in "Biz."
We're back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: "News Across America" now.
The Florida Supreme Court has struck down Terri's Law, calling it unconstitutional. That's the law named after Terri Schiavo, a severely brain-damaged woman who has been kept alive on a feeding tube. But that's not the final word on the matter. Florida Governor Jeb Bush, at whose urging the law was passed, is looking into a possible appeal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: I'm disappointed for the moral reasons of -- of -- of the taking of innocent life, and without having, I don't think, a full hearing on the facts of what her intents were.
Now, with that, you know, we will -- we will review what the ruling says. We will make a determination if there are any additional steps that can be taken. If there are, we'll take them. If not, we will -- we will let the -- the action of the Supreme Court stand.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: A Utah man accused of killing his wife and disposing her body in a dumpster has waived his right to a prelim hearing. Mark Hacking is charged with the murder of Lori Hacking and three counts of obstruction of justice.
Two forest service employees thought to have been killed in a plane crash in Montana are recovering in a hospital. They walked away from the crash site on Mount Lee (ph), south of Glacier Park. Three others died in that crash.
GRIFFIN: The pop singer once known as Cat Stevens back home in London today, leaving behind abandoned plans and a few lingering security questions in the United States. His London to Washington flight diverted Tuesday when his Muslim name, which is Yusuf Islam, showed up on a terror watch list.
Homeland Security officials say the discovery should have been made earlier before he boarded the flight. The Muslim convert, however, says his name shouldn't be listed at all.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YUSUF ISLAM, SINGER: I'm totally shocked, obviously. I mean, half of me wants to smile and half of me wants to growl.
I was traveling to Nashville actually with my daughter to initiate some recordings, and, you know, suddenly, we were forced to land. And suddenly, I was being interrogated by all these FBI officers.
And, you know, the whole thing is totally ridiculous. Everybody knows who I am. You know, I'm no secret figure. Everybody knows my campaigning for charity, for peace, and there's got to be a whole lot of explanations. Hopefully there'll be that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: U.S. officials are providing few details, other than to say recent information heightens concerns over the former singer. British foreign secretary, Jack Straw, however, is filing a complaint with the U.S.
Well, that incident and a new report out on airport screenings has some people asking just how effective is homeland security. The report from the Homeland Security's inspector general says security has improved, but much more progress is needed.
During spot checks last year, undercover investigators were able to slip so-called threat objects past security screeners at several airports around the country. The report suggested multi-view x-rays and a reevaluation of procedures at screening checkpoints.
PHILLIPS: Top military brass takes to the Hill in just a few moments.
GRIFFIN: We await the appearance of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. And we'll bring it to you live as soon as he starts talking.
DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: A high-tech treasure hunt could be happening right now in your neck of the woods. I'm technology corespondent Daniel Sieberg. Stay tuned to find out how you can join in.
RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Rhonda Schaffler, live from the New York Stock Exchange. Women have more money than ever, and they are ready to spend it. So why are advertisers pushing them away? I'll have that story right after the break
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, gone are the days of going on that scavenger hunt, armed with paper, a pen and a compass. Remember those days? We're aging ourselves.
The time-honored tradition has now gone high-tech with the help of GPS. CNN technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg shows us how it all works.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICK CLAWSON, GEOCASHER: So, are you ready to go Geocach?
SIEBERG (voice-over): To go on a high-tech treasure hunt, all you need is a GPS device, some good walking shoes, and a little patience. Age is not an issue.
We tagged along with Rick Clawson and his daughter, Emily, to find one of the thousands of Geocach sites out there. This one just outside Atlanta, off the beaten spots, where someone has hidden, well, a hidden treasure of sorts.
CLAWSON: My wife calls it Pavlovian hiking, because there's a little reward at the end.
SIEBERG: A stay-at-home artist, Clawson only started Geocaching late last year, but now says he's totally hooked. A Geocaching Web site provides us with the coordinates.
(on camera): So, where are we headed?
CLAWSON: Right down the trail here onto the Silver Comet Trail.
SIEBERG: OK. Is it going to be pretty rough terrain or...?
CLAWSON: No...
SIEBERG: Can Emily handle it?
CLAWSON: Yes, she can handle it. SIEBERG: If she can handle it, then we can handle it.
(voice-over): The idea of trekking across country with just a few satellite points to guide the way has actually been around for a few years, but it's increasing in popularity as the GPS devices get cheaper and some of the prizes provided by sponsors like Magellan and Jeep get better.
RANDY HALL, MAGELLAN GPS: It wasn't started by any company or anything like that. It was really enthusiasts who love their GPS and want to be able to be in the outdoors and -- and go explore. And so they've invented this treasure hunt game.
And it's Internet-based, and it kind of just took off on its own.
SIEBERG (on camera): Now, it looks like it's telling us to go off that way?
CLAWSON: Yes, the path will wind around to the right over here.
SIEBERG: OK.
CLAWSON: And it should join the Silver Comet Trail.
SIEBERG: You having fun, Emily? Yes?
All right, so now it says we're about 100, 120 feet away?
CLAWSON: I got 107 right back here.
SIEBERG: Emily's taking a little nap.
CLAWSON: Yes. We'll wake her up for the cach.
SIEBERG: Go right up the hill? Scramble up?
CLAWSON: Yes.
SIEBERG: OK, sure. You got it?
CLAWSON: Yes. You're almost standing on it.
SIEBERG: Really? I'm almost standing on it? Oh, see, now that is camouflaged like so many of these other things around here.
CLAWSON: Exactly.
SIEBERG: And you're allowed to take whatever you want as long as you put something in there?
CLAWSON: Right, if you take two things, put in two things, or put in more. You can put in as much as you like. A little first aid kit.
SIEBERG: I could use some of those moist wipes right now.
CLAWSON: Sunglasses case, mini pocket knife, odd little lava ball.
SIEBERG: Oh, that's kind of cool.
CLAWSON: You never know what you're going to find.
SIEBERG: How does it feel once you're -- once you're here, once you solved it?
CLAWSON: Oh, it's fun. It's like, you know, a sense of accomplishment. And the fact that you've got a highway right here with all these people zooming by, have no idea that somebody's up here playing with toys and finding treasure.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIEBERG: Incidentally, we had a producer looking after Emily as Rick and I were scrambling around on that hill there. You know, I'm not sure if you could tell, but Geocaching is actually a good workout. Rick says he's lost 25 to 30 pounds just in the past year, probably from carrying Emily on his shoulders.
There are different theme Geocaches, like "Star Trek." And then, in fact, there are more than 200 countries that have Geocaches listed, and it really is growing as a sport or as a hobby, depending on how you look at it.
PHILLIPS: Why didn't you just wake Emily up? That was the big prize, the treasure.
SIEBERG: I -- later we woke her up, and she was really (UNINTELLIGIBLE) about it. Can you believe that?
PHILLIPS: Yes, whatever.
SIEBERG: She was like, "Great, thanks, neat -- another key chain, Dad. Thanks."
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: Did he put two more things in there, like he was supposed to?
SIEBERG: He did put a couple of things in there. He also signed a logbook, which is part of every Geocache site, so you can tell people what you thought of the hike and what you thought of what you found.
PHILLIPS: All right. Daniel Sieberg, it looks like fun.
SIEBERG: Yes.
PHILLIPS: I still miss the old days, though, with the paper...
SIEBERG: You know, you can do that, too. You can just -- whichever, yes.
PHILLIPS: Old school.
SIEBERG: Yes.
PHILLIPS: All right. Thank you.
SIEBERG: All right.
PHILLIPS: Well, more women are buying decisions, and advertisers are stepping up their campaigns to reach them. But instead of winning their loyalty, I guess, could the ads be driving women away?
GRIFFIN: Well, Rhonda Schaffler is going to join us live from the New York Stock Exchange with that story -- Rhonda.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired September 23, 2004 - 13:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: And we begin this hour with the pomp, the politics, the prime opportunity surrounding the Iraqi interim prime minister's busy day in Washington. If you've been watching CNN today, you've seen Iyad Allawi's enthusiasm welcomed on Capitol Hill, followed by a shoulder-to-shoulder news conference with President Bush at the White House. Later, he's meeting with the World Bank and the Council on Foreign Relations, a mission many Democrats consider a Bush campaign event by proxy.
CNN's Dana Bash has a roundup from the White House.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Drew, the president, of course, was in the Rose Garden today. He was not in a swing state, not officially on the campaign trail. But everything that the president said, his message today, was intended to rebut the accusations from his opponent, John Kerry, that he was not truthful with the American people on the way to war in Iraq and that he has not handled it thus far correctly, and that things have really spiraled out of control, and that he's not leveling with the American people.
Now, the president said today that it's important to stay the course in Iraq because otherwise, he said, terrorists can plot and plan elsewhere in America and other countries. He said this is really an issue of America's national security.
Now, the goal today, standing next to the Iraqi interim prime minister, was, if you don't believe what I'm telling you here and on the campaign trail, that Iraqis do have the will, that Iraqi police are being trained, that Iraqi elections will go on in January, listen to this man now. Listen to the man who is -- who is leading the Iraqi people.
Now, he said he does understand Americans are seeing beheadings on their TV screens, increasing violence, but he also -- and he said that violence will continue as the elections in January approach. But he also said you can be optimistic and still think things are hard.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, you can understand it's tough and still be optimistic. You can understand how hard it is and believe we'll succeed.
I remember when some were talking about the possibility of success in Afghanistan in pretty stark terms. I don't know if you remember that period or not. But there was a period some were saying that -- impossible for democracy to come forward in Afghanistan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: And the other issue today is whether or not there needs to be more troops, international troops on the ground in Iraq. General John Abizaid suggesting that perhaps not necessarily U.S. troops, but more troops from around the world will need to be in place for the January elections. Well, Prime Minister Allawi said today that he doesn't necessarily think so, that international troops are not the answer at this point.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IYAD ALLAWI, INTERIM IRAQI PRIME MINISTER: ... to have more troops we don't need. What we need really is to train more Iraqis because this is ultimately for Iraqis, for Iraqi security forces to take responsibility for their own security and to defend the rest of the civilized world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, it wasn't just the president necessarily subtly or not so subtly rebutting John Kerry. Prime Minister Allawi seemed to be responding to John Kerry as well when he said that doubters underestimate our country -- meaning the Iraqi country -- and risk stealing the hopes of terrorism -- Kyra.
GRIFFIN: Dana, I'll take it here.
BASH: Drew -- I'm sorry.
GRIFFIN: As this becomes the centerpiece of both of these campaigns, Senator Kerry did make a brief appearance this morning in Columbus, Ohio. You can find his remarks to the conflict in Iraq, speaking among Columbus firefighters there. Kerry charged that President Bush has erred at every turn in the road.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This president rushed to war without a plan to win the peace. And asked the military leaders, go ask the military leaders. General Shinseki told this country how many troops we'd need. The president retired him early for telling the truth. That's why you have Fallujah, that's why you have a mess in Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: Senator Kerry also charged that President Bush, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell can't keep their story straight on Iraq. And he's also stated once again that a president's first duty in war time is to tell the truth to the American people, to which he says the president is not -- Kyra.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The top gun at CENTCOM is telling Congress he made need more troops between now and the January elections, but they may not have to be American. On Capitol Hill yesterday, General John Abizaid says that for now he's comfortable with the 138,000 U.S. troops in Iraq at the moment. And if more troops really are needed, it's his belief that Iraqis or other allies can fill the bill, but possibly not.
It's highly possible this will come up when Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee later this hour. We're going to listen in starting around 2:30 p.m. Eastern, roughly about 25 minutes from now.
Well, sending more troops to Iraq may not be enough to stop the insurgent violence. That's according to some military experts. However, the Pentagon insists it has a strategy that will provide a victory in the end. CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The U.S. strategy is to wait several months for more Iraqi forces to finish training so they can lead the way in retaking insurgent strongholds like Fallujah. The approach is rooted in the belief that only an Iraqi solution can produce a lasting peace. But the practical effect is to allow anti-U.S. militants, including followers of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, to use Fallujah as a base of operations for kidnappings, beheadings and car bombings.
BUSH: These people cannot beat us militarily. And so they use the only tool at their disposal, which is beheadings and death, to try to shake our will.
MCINTYRE: But waiting for Iraq's military to mature has also forced the U.S. to resort to not always precise air strikes to target insurgent safe houses. The U.S. claims hundreds of insurgents have been killed. But so have innocent civilians, which only fuel support for the terrorists. It's a problem military thinkers argue that simply cannot be solved militarily.
COL. THOMAS HAMMES, NATIONAL DEFENSE UNIVERSITY: You cannot win an insurgency by simply killing more insurgents. I think the -- the Soviets pretty much proved that in Chechnya and Afghanistan.
MCINTYRE: Marine Colonel Thomas Hammes is a senior military fellow at the National Defense University. He's written a book on dealing with insurgencies.
HAMMES: Insurgencies are long wars. A short insurgency lasts 10 to 12 years. A long insurgency is 30 to 35 years.
The Vietnamese fought for 30 years. The Palestinians have been at it since 1968. So if you keep those two points in mind, that it's essentially a political struggle, and that it's a very long-term struggle, then it changes your strategy. You don't worry so much about what happens this week. You're looking long term.
MCINTYRE: But the U.S. and Iraq's interim government are looking short term, pinning hopes for nationwide elections in January on Iraq's ability with U.S. help to launch a series of offensives before the end of the year to regain control of a number of enemy enclaves in the so-called Sunni Triangle, including Fallujah, Samarra and provincial capitals, Baquba and Ramadi.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld scoffs at predictions, insisting how long the insurgency will last is unknowable.
DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: And I think anyone who pulls a number out of mid air and says it will take one year or five years or 10 years, must have mystical powers that most people don't have.
MCINTYRE (on camera): The linchpin of the strategy is getting enough motivated, well-trained Iraqi troops in order to convince the average Iraqi the U.S. is not running the show. But given the uneven performance of Iraqi forces in the past, the idea they could route the insurgents in just four months strikes many experts as wishful thinking,
Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFIN: They are the storms that just won't go away. Ivan and Jeanne, a deadly duo that's already killed and destroyed, could hit the U.S. again. CNN meteorologist Orelon Sidney joins us with details on these stubborn storms -- Orelon.
ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Thanks a lot, Drew.
The good news is that Ivan now is certainly not the Ivan of old that we remember. It's barely holding on to tropical storm strength. And I'll show you on the radar in a moment, it's really not going to be much of a player, certainly not wind-wise.
You may find some heavy rains in Texas. And, in fact, you do have flash flood watches out for southeastern Texas and western Louisiana.
Tropical Storm Ivan now almost on the coast, 50 miles southeast of Cameron, Louisiana. Winds are 50 miles an hour. That's down 10 miles an hour from three hours ago, moving to the northwest at eight and rapidly weakening.
What you're going to find with this storm, maybe some gusty winds in some isolated areas right where the center -- there's the center right there -- right where it goes on the coast you may see some gusty winds, maybe a pretty good thunderstorm or two. And the eastern side here, you can see it's starting to flare up to the south of Baton Rouge.
Basically, you're looking at thunderstorms, you're looking at heavy rain, maybe as much as 10 inches in some very localized areas. Most folks are going to see two to four inches of rain. As the storm moves on into Texas, it will slow down and probably cause some problems in hill country with rainfall. Jeanne is a whole different ball game; 105-mile-an-hour winds, Category 2, moving to the west now at six miles an hour. Where it's going to go is almost anybody's guess.
This is the best estimate right now. And remember, there's a big wide area of possibility around this. But it looks like it may gain Category 3 strength as it moves through the central Bahamas. A hurricane watch is now out for the northern Bahamas.
By Sunday, it looks like it may make a very close approach to the Florida coast. But look at this. Then it scrapes up along the coast through Savannah, Charleston, all the way up to Wilmington by 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday.
Believe it or not, this could be good news. Because, if that, in fact, does happen, the eastern side of the storm, which is always the roughest side, is going to be out across the ocean. The western side then will be inland if this verifies it. We certainly have a long way to go before we know whether or not this will be the case -- Drew.
GRIFFIN: We'll let you keep track of it for us, Orelon. Thanks a lot for that.
Ivan is already causing some high tides along the coast of Texas. Take a look.
The people of Galveston dealing with minor flooding there. The National Hurricane Center has issued a tropical storm warning for that Gulf Coast, as Orelon reported.
Haitian officials hoping their storms are done. More than 1,100 people killed by Tropical Storm Jeanne. Authorities expect that death toll to go higher once the floodwaters reseed. An estimated 250,000 people homeless because of that hurricane.
PHILLIPS: Well, all these weather stories might give you the impression that this year's storm season is weirder and wilder than seasons past. Well, you'd be exactly right. But there is an explanation, and no, it's not angry Mother Nature. Here's Chad Myers with the science behind the cycles.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): They come in with whipping winds severe storm surge, devastating floods and killer tornadoes. Wild weather defines the 2004 hurricane season. But why is this year so stormy? NOAA scientists say that an unusually warm Atlantic ocean, below average wind shear and other atmospheric conditions are creating the prime recipe to stir up a big batch of storms.
CHRIS LANDSEA, NOAA HURRICANE RESEARCH DIRECTOR: It's turned out to be a very busy season.
MYERS: So far there have been 12 named storms. Names are given to tropical storms with at least 39-mile-per-hour winds. Seven have become hurricanes, with winds of at least 74 miles per hour.
And five, major hurricanes, Category 3 or higher. And several of those made landfall. And the season isn't over yet.
LANDSEA: We're only about two-thirds of the way through the season. So we may very well have one, two, maybe three more hurricanes before the season is done in November.
MYERS: But although Florida residents may be calling foul, and despite the massive death and destruction throughout the Caribbean and the U.S. this year, the 2004 storm season has not broken many records. The most active year on record was 1933, 21 storms. The deadliest killed an estimated 8,000 to 12,000 people in Galveston, Texas, in 1900. And the costliest, Hurricane Andrew, socked the U.S. with more than $26 billion in damage.
But with such an active storm season so far, all eyes remain on the Atlantic to see what Mother Nature gives birth to next.
Chad Myers, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Other news across America today.
In the mountains of Montana, a small plane crash has a surprise ending.
Also ahead, watch list wonder. The former Cat Stevens finally lands in London. Get the LIVE FROM update.
And forget who's wearing the pants. What about who's spending the money? Advertising's misstep ahead in "Biz."
We're back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: "News Across America" now.
The Florida Supreme Court has struck down Terri's Law, calling it unconstitutional. That's the law named after Terri Schiavo, a severely brain-damaged woman who has been kept alive on a feeding tube. But that's not the final word on the matter. Florida Governor Jeb Bush, at whose urging the law was passed, is looking into a possible appeal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: I'm disappointed for the moral reasons of -- of -- of the taking of innocent life, and without having, I don't think, a full hearing on the facts of what her intents were.
Now, with that, you know, we will -- we will review what the ruling says. We will make a determination if there are any additional steps that can be taken. If there are, we'll take them. If not, we will -- we will let the -- the action of the Supreme Court stand.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: A Utah man accused of killing his wife and disposing her body in a dumpster has waived his right to a prelim hearing. Mark Hacking is charged with the murder of Lori Hacking and three counts of obstruction of justice.
Two forest service employees thought to have been killed in a plane crash in Montana are recovering in a hospital. They walked away from the crash site on Mount Lee (ph), south of Glacier Park. Three others died in that crash.
GRIFFIN: The pop singer once known as Cat Stevens back home in London today, leaving behind abandoned plans and a few lingering security questions in the United States. His London to Washington flight diverted Tuesday when his Muslim name, which is Yusuf Islam, showed up on a terror watch list.
Homeland Security officials say the discovery should have been made earlier before he boarded the flight. The Muslim convert, however, says his name shouldn't be listed at all.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YUSUF ISLAM, SINGER: I'm totally shocked, obviously. I mean, half of me wants to smile and half of me wants to growl.
I was traveling to Nashville actually with my daughter to initiate some recordings, and, you know, suddenly, we were forced to land. And suddenly, I was being interrogated by all these FBI officers.
And, you know, the whole thing is totally ridiculous. Everybody knows who I am. You know, I'm no secret figure. Everybody knows my campaigning for charity, for peace, and there's got to be a whole lot of explanations. Hopefully there'll be that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: U.S. officials are providing few details, other than to say recent information heightens concerns over the former singer. British foreign secretary, Jack Straw, however, is filing a complaint with the U.S.
Well, that incident and a new report out on airport screenings has some people asking just how effective is homeland security. The report from the Homeland Security's inspector general says security has improved, but much more progress is needed.
During spot checks last year, undercover investigators were able to slip so-called threat objects past security screeners at several airports around the country. The report suggested multi-view x-rays and a reevaluation of procedures at screening checkpoints.
PHILLIPS: Top military brass takes to the Hill in just a few moments.
GRIFFIN: We await the appearance of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. And we'll bring it to you live as soon as he starts talking.
DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: A high-tech treasure hunt could be happening right now in your neck of the woods. I'm technology corespondent Daniel Sieberg. Stay tuned to find out how you can join in.
RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Rhonda Schaffler, live from the New York Stock Exchange. Women have more money than ever, and they are ready to spend it. So why are advertisers pushing them away? I'll have that story right after the break
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, gone are the days of going on that scavenger hunt, armed with paper, a pen and a compass. Remember those days? We're aging ourselves.
The time-honored tradition has now gone high-tech with the help of GPS. CNN technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg shows us how it all works.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICK CLAWSON, GEOCASHER: So, are you ready to go Geocach?
SIEBERG (voice-over): To go on a high-tech treasure hunt, all you need is a GPS device, some good walking shoes, and a little patience. Age is not an issue.
We tagged along with Rick Clawson and his daughter, Emily, to find one of the thousands of Geocach sites out there. This one just outside Atlanta, off the beaten spots, where someone has hidden, well, a hidden treasure of sorts.
CLAWSON: My wife calls it Pavlovian hiking, because there's a little reward at the end.
SIEBERG: A stay-at-home artist, Clawson only started Geocaching late last year, but now says he's totally hooked. A Geocaching Web site provides us with the coordinates.
(on camera): So, where are we headed?
CLAWSON: Right down the trail here onto the Silver Comet Trail.
SIEBERG: OK. Is it going to be pretty rough terrain or...?
CLAWSON: No...
SIEBERG: Can Emily handle it?
CLAWSON: Yes, she can handle it. SIEBERG: If she can handle it, then we can handle it.
(voice-over): The idea of trekking across country with just a few satellite points to guide the way has actually been around for a few years, but it's increasing in popularity as the GPS devices get cheaper and some of the prizes provided by sponsors like Magellan and Jeep get better.
RANDY HALL, MAGELLAN GPS: It wasn't started by any company or anything like that. It was really enthusiasts who love their GPS and want to be able to be in the outdoors and -- and go explore. And so they've invented this treasure hunt game.
And it's Internet-based, and it kind of just took off on its own.
SIEBERG (on camera): Now, it looks like it's telling us to go off that way?
CLAWSON: Yes, the path will wind around to the right over here.
SIEBERG: OK.
CLAWSON: And it should join the Silver Comet Trail.
SIEBERG: You having fun, Emily? Yes?
All right, so now it says we're about 100, 120 feet away?
CLAWSON: I got 107 right back here.
SIEBERG: Emily's taking a little nap.
CLAWSON: Yes. We'll wake her up for the cach.
SIEBERG: Go right up the hill? Scramble up?
CLAWSON: Yes.
SIEBERG: OK, sure. You got it?
CLAWSON: Yes. You're almost standing on it.
SIEBERG: Really? I'm almost standing on it? Oh, see, now that is camouflaged like so many of these other things around here.
CLAWSON: Exactly.
SIEBERG: And you're allowed to take whatever you want as long as you put something in there?
CLAWSON: Right, if you take two things, put in two things, or put in more. You can put in as much as you like. A little first aid kit.
SIEBERG: I could use some of those moist wipes right now.
CLAWSON: Sunglasses case, mini pocket knife, odd little lava ball.
SIEBERG: Oh, that's kind of cool.
CLAWSON: You never know what you're going to find.
SIEBERG: How does it feel once you're -- once you're here, once you solved it?
CLAWSON: Oh, it's fun. It's like, you know, a sense of accomplishment. And the fact that you've got a highway right here with all these people zooming by, have no idea that somebody's up here playing with toys and finding treasure.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIEBERG: Incidentally, we had a producer looking after Emily as Rick and I were scrambling around on that hill there. You know, I'm not sure if you could tell, but Geocaching is actually a good workout. Rick says he's lost 25 to 30 pounds just in the past year, probably from carrying Emily on his shoulders.
There are different theme Geocaches, like "Star Trek." And then, in fact, there are more than 200 countries that have Geocaches listed, and it really is growing as a sport or as a hobby, depending on how you look at it.
PHILLIPS: Why didn't you just wake Emily up? That was the big prize, the treasure.
SIEBERG: I -- later we woke her up, and she was really (UNINTELLIGIBLE) about it. Can you believe that?
PHILLIPS: Yes, whatever.
SIEBERG: She was like, "Great, thanks, neat -- another key chain, Dad. Thanks."
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: Did he put two more things in there, like he was supposed to?
SIEBERG: He did put a couple of things in there. He also signed a logbook, which is part of every Geocache site, so you can tell people what you thought of the hike and what you thought of what you found.
PHILLIPS: All right. Daniel Sieberg, it looks like fun.
SIEBERG: Yes.
PHILLIPS: I still miss the old days, though, with the paper...
SIEBERG: You know, you can do that, too. You can just -- whichever, yes.
PHILLIPS: Old school.
SIEBERG: Yes.
PHILLIPS: All right. Thank you.
SIEBERG: All right.
PHILLIPS: Well, more women are buying decisions, and advertisers are stepping up their campaigns to reach them. But instead of winning their loyalty, I guess, could the ads be driving women away?
GRIFFIN: Well, Rhonda Schaffler is going to join us live from the New York Stock Exchange with that story -- Rhonda.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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