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Live From...
Ukraine Power Struggle
Aired November 30, 2004 - 13:30 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: Big announcement today. We were the first to tell you about it. Not long ago, Tom Ridge, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, expected to resign today, holding a news conference 2:45 Eastern Time. We'll take it live as soon as it happens.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: On the health front, can stress make you age faster? a new study finds immune systems in women under extreme mental stress age faster than those who live more normal lives. One researcher calls the results striking. The study is published in proceedings of the national academy of sciences. researchers find a possible new way to detect bipolar disorders. They found that MRIs show chemical abnormalities in the brains of patients who suffer from the disorder. Bipolar disorder can be difficult to diagnose because patients may confuse it with depression.
India takes a big step in the fight against AIDS. The home of the second-largest HIV-positive population in the world is set to begin human trials of the new HIV vaccine. It will be the first time human trials are conducted in India.
(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Stories now in the news. CNN's learned that Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge plans to step down from his job in the Bush cabinet. He's expected to make that announcement at a little more than an hour from now, about 2:45 Eastern Time. CNN will bring that to you live.
HARRIS: Now the latest on the violence in Iraq. Five U.S. soldiers have been wounded in a car bomb attack in western Baghdad. It happened on the notoriously dangerous road to the Baghdad airport, which was closed for several hours afterward.
In the northern city of Baiji, seven Iraqi civilians were killed, and 20 people, including three U.S. soldiers, were wounded. A car bomb attack on an army patrol produced all but one of the casualties. One soldier was wounded during a second attack when insurgents struck a U.S. tank.
And Iraq's interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi says he will plan to Jordan this week. He plans to meet with Iraqi exiles to convince them to take part in the January elections.
U.S. military deaths in Iraq rose again, following the Falluja offensive; 134 troops have been killed this month in Iraq. That makes November the deadliest month since last April; 1,251 troops have been killed in Iraq since the war began last year.
PHILLIPS: Well, CIA officials continue a technical analysis of the latest tape from Osama bin Laden's right-hand man. Others security analysts focus on message and its possible subtext. In the tape, Ayman Al Zawahiri vows to continue fight against the U.S. until Washington changes its policies toward Muslims. Officials voiced concerns that the message may be a signal, triggering another terror attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE SIMON, SR. ANALYST, RAND CORP.: Statistically, attacks do follow within about a 60-day period of tapes like this. Whether this statistical pattern holds in this case, we'll see.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Time is also a factor in Iran's voluntary nuclear freeze. Speaking today in Tehran, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator says the country's suspension of its uranium-enrichment program was undertaken voluntarily to create trust. Hassan Rohani says that the freezes will last just long enough for Iran to complete negotiations with Europe, possibly just a few months. Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, aimed at generating power, despite the country's massive oil reserves.
Harsh charges on harsh treatment. In confidential reports obtained now "The New York Times," the International Red Cross says that U.S. officials have failed to address concerns about possible abuse of terror suspects held at Guantanamo Bay. The historically neutral agency declines to publicly confirm or deny details in the "Times" article. But a Pentagon spokesperson says the International Red Cross has made it clear it believes the indefinite detention of terror suspects at Gitmo amounts to torture. The spokesperson adds that the Bush administration does not share that viewpoint.
Other news around the world now. In Havana, a Cuban dissident is freed from jail one year after being taken into custody. Raoul Rivera (ph) had not been sentenced to 20 years for opposing the government of Fidel Castro. Rivera's wife says that her husband, who has emphysema and kidney problems, was released on medical parole after a checkup at a prison hospital.
In Italy, tens of thousands of demonstrators flood the streets to protest the proposed budget of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, while a general strike against the government put the breaks on buses trains and trams. Similar demonstrations were planned in dozens of other Italian cities.
In the Philippines, the death toll is at nearly 350, with more than 100 people still missing, after flash floods hit an area already reeling from a typhoon. Most of those victims drowned or died in flood-related landslides, and that bad weather and washed-out roads have prevented the arrival of rescue-and-relief efforts. HARRIS: All right, still ahead on LIVE FROM, is it democracy in action or disaster in waiting? The political fight in Ukraine and what it means for Americans.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: The political crisis is intensifying in Ukraine, a country still without a president nine days after a bitterly disputed election. Critics say the election was marred by widespread fraud that included ballot stuffing and ballot tampering. How probable is this?
John Didiuk knows about the election process in Ukraine firsthand. He was an observer in Ukraine's 1999 election.
Good to see you, John.
JOHN DIDIUK, FMR. UKRAINE ELECTION MONITOR: Hi, Kyra. Thanks for having me.
PHILLIPS: It's a pleasure.
I want to get to your experience there and talk about the election fraud and your firsthand experience, even working in the embassy there. But first, as we look at these live pictures, I guess what's amazing to all of us here from the very beginning, just the thousands of people that have showed up now, day after day, braving the cold, these performances that are taking place on stage, talk to us about this youth movement, and are we sort of missing the bigger picture here of what's happening among the younger people in Ukraine?
DIDIUK: Sure. Well, Kyra, I think young people in Ukraine -- and by that, I mean people in their late teens or mid-20s, are really the engine that are driving the opposition movement in Ukraine. They're very bright, energetic and cosmopolitan. By that, I mean, a large majority of them have lived and studied abroad. They understand how government and elections are run in other countries. They're also well organized. They've been planning for this result for the last year, and they're taking advantage of technologies like the cell phone and the Internet that weren't available to earlier student movements in Ukraine.
And then lastly, I'm really struck by young people in Ukraine, my friends, or ones that I meet here in the United States, just how passionately committed they are to the cause. I think they realize that this isn't only about free and fair elections and the direction of their country, but it's really about their immediate future and what role they'll play in that.
PHILLIPS: So it's interesting, you say a lot of them have spent time in the United States, appreciate democracy, now they've come back to their own homeland to try and make a difference. Is there a fear about being controlled by the Kremlin? Is there a fear with regard to Vladimir Putin and his control and attempted control over certain aspects of what comes in and out and through Ukraine to Russia?
DIDIUK: Well, I think in a lot of ways, for young people and the people involved in the opposition movement, this election is really about a break from the Soviet past. And for young people, the Soviet past might be even just a distant memory or no memory at all. but what I think this election signifies for young people and for the opposition, is that they get to decide the direction that their country takes, not people in Russia, not the previous government of Ukraine, but they themselves, the people of Ukraine, get to decide the direction for their country.
PHILLIPS: Of course now I've asked you about the fraud that happened during this election, the alleged fraud. You said it didn't happen in '99 when you were there. So you're not surprised that fraud has -- well, has allegedly taken place?
DIDIUK: Well, there was fraud in '99 but it wasn't as widespread, nor as expected as in this election, because I think this election was a lot closer than the previous election in '99. There's different types of fraud that were involved in these two rounds of Ukrainian presidential elections. One that I point out was mentioned in one of the reports by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which fielded about 500 international observers for the Ukrainian elections. And it noted that five percent of new voters were registered to vote on election day, and the majority of these people used absentee ballots to vote. This is an incredible way to get the results that you want to have if you use absentee ballots and newly registered voters.
So if and when there are another round of elections in Ukraine, the question of absentee ballots and who controls absentee ballots will be first on the plate.
PHILLIPS: And you know, we've been talking about this, you were talking about this just within the past 24 hour, allegedly, negotiations are off. So where do things go from here with this movement, with the dispute with somebody running Ukraine?
DIDIUK: Yes, I guess the latest news is that the negotiations have deadlocked. And it will be interesting to see where things go from here. I think since the second round of Ukrainian elections on November 21, there has been a balance of power or momentum that initially was with the government, but because of the protests and the size of the protest, it's shifted to the opposition and to Viktor Yushchenko. And now he realizes that the momentum is in his hands and he has to keep the movement going. And where it goes from here, really, you have to just wait and see.
PHILLIPS: John Didiuk, thank you so much for your time today, we'll stay in touch with you. And I'm sure we'll be talking quite a bit more, thanks, John.
DIDIUK: Thanks, Kyra.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
PHILLIPS: Well, coming up in the second hour of LIVE FROM, a live news conference with President Bush and Canadian Prime Minister Martin. We're going to bring that to you live when it happens. Don't go away. Also, we're expecting Tom Ridge, secretary of homeland security stepping down, his resignation about to be announced, 2:45 Eastern time. We'll bring that to you also, stay with us.
(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 November 30, 2004 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Big announcement today. We were the first to tell you about it. Not long ago, Tom Ridge, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, expected to resign today, holding a news conference 2:45 Eastern Time. We'll take it live as soon as it happens.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: On the health front, can stress make you age faster? a new study finds immune systems in women under extreme mental stress age faster than those who live more normal lives. One researcher calls the results striking. The study is published in proceedings of the national academy of sciences. researchers find a possible new way to detect bipolar disorders. They found that MRIs show chemical abnormalities in the brains of patients who suffer from the disorder. Bipolar disorder can be difficult to diagnose because patients may confuse it with depression.
India takes a big step in the fight against AIDS. The home of the second-largest HIV-positive population in the world is set to begin human trials of the new HIV vaccine. It will be the first time human trials are conducted in India.
(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Stories now in the news. CNN's learned that Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge plans to step down from his job in the Bush cabinet. He's expected to make that announcement at a little more than an hour from now, about 2:45 Eastern Time. CNN will bring that to you live.
HARRIS: Now the latest on the violence in Iraq. Five U.S. soldiers have been wounded in a car bomb attack in western Baghdad. It happened on the notoriously dangerous road to the Baghdad airport, which was closed for several hours afterward.
In the northern city of Baiji, seven Iraqi civilians were killed, and 20 people, including three U.S. soldiers, were wounded. A car bomb attack on an army patrol produced all but one of the casualties. One soldier was wounded during a second attack when insurgents struck a U.S. tank.
And Iraq's interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi says he will plan to Jordan this week. He plans to meet with Iraqi exiles to convince them to take part in the January elections.
U.S. military deaths in Iraq rose again, following the Falluja offensive; 134 troops have been killed this month in Iraq. That makes November the deadliest month since last April; 1,251 troops have been killed in Iraq since the war began last year.
PHILLIPS: Well, CIA officials continue a technical analysis of the latest tape from Osama bin Laden's right-hand man. Others security analysts focus on message and its possible subtext. In the tape, Ayman Al Zawahiri vows to continue fight against the U.S. until Washington changes its policies toward Muslims. Officials voiced concerns that the message may be a signal, triggering another terror attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE SIMON, SR. ANALYST, RAND CORP.: Statistically, attacks do follow within about a 60-day period of tapes like this. Whether this statistical pattern holds in this case, we'll see.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Time is also a factor in Iran's voluntary nuclear freeze. Speaking today in Tehran, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator says the country's suspension of its uranium-enrichment program was undertaken voluntarily to create trust. Hassan Rohani says that the freezes will last just long enough for Iran to complete negotiations with Europe, possibly just a few months. Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, aimed at generating power, despite the country's massive oil reserves.
Harsh charges on harsh treatment. In confidential reports obtained now "The New York Times," the International Red Cross says that U.S. officials have failed to address concerns about possible abuse of terror suspects held at Guantanamo Bay. The historically neutral agency declines to publicly confirm or deny details in the "Times" article. But a Pentagon spokesperson says the International Red Cross has made it clear it believes the indefinite detention of terror suspects at Gitmo amounts to torture. The spokesperson adds that the Bush administration does not share that viewpoint.
Other news around the world now. In Havana, a Cuban dissident is freed from jail one year after being taken into custody. Raoul Rivera (ph) had not been sentenced to 20 years for opposing the government of Fidel Castro. Rivera's wife says that her husband, who has emphysema and kidney problems, was released on medical parole after a checkup at a prison hospital.
In Italy, tens of thousands of demonstrators flood the streets to protest the proposed budget of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, while a general strike against the government put the breaks on buses trains and trams. Similar demonstrations were planned in dozens of other Italian cities.
In the Philippines, the death toll is at nearly 350, with more than 100 people still missing, after flash floods hit an area already reeling from a typhoon. Most of those victims drowned or died in flood-related landslides, and that bad weather and washed-out roads have prevented the arrival of rescue-and-relief efforts. HARRIS: All right, still ahead on LIVE FROM, is it democracy in action or disaster in waiting? The political fight in Ukraine and what it means for Americans.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: The political crisis is intensifying in Ukraine, a country still without a president nine days after a bitterly disputed election. Critics say the election was marred by widespread fraud that included ballot stuffing and ballot tampering. How probable is this?
John Didiuk knows about the election process in Ukraine firsthand. He was an observer in Ukraine's 1999 election.
Good to see you, John.
JOHN DIDIUK, FMR. UKRAINE ELECTION MONITOR: Hi, Kyra. Thanks for having me.
PHILLIPS: It's a pleasure.
I want to get to your experience there and talk about the election fraud and your firsthand experience, even working in the embassy there. But first, as we look at these live pictures, I guess what's amazing to all of us here from the very beginning, just the thousands of people that have showed up now, day after day, braving the cold, these performances that are taking place on stage, talk to us about this youth movement, and are we sort of missing the bigger picture here of what's happening among the younger people in Ukraine?
DIDIUK: Sure. Well, Kyra, I think young people in Ukraine -- and by that, I mean people in their late teens or mid-20s, are really the engine that are driving the opposition movement in Ukraine. They're very bright, energetic and cosmopolitan. By that, I mean, a large majority of them have lived and studied abroad. They understand how government and elections are run in other countries. They're also well organized. They've been planning for this result for the last year, and they're taking advantage of technologies like the cell phone and the Internet that weren't available to earlier student movements in Ukraine.
And then lastly, I'm really struck by young people in Ukraine, my friends, or ones that I meet here in the United States, just how passionately committed they are to the cause. I think they realize that this isn't only about free and fair elections and the direction of their country, but it's really about their immediate future and what role they'll play in that.
PHILLIPS: So it's interesting, you say a lot of them have spent time in the United States, appreciate democracy, now they've come back to their own homeland to try and make a difference. Is there a fear about being controlled by the Kremlin? Is there a fear with regard to Vladimir Putin and his control and attempted control over certain aspects of what comes in and out and through Ukraine to Russia?
DIDIUK: Well, I think in a lot of ways, for young people and the people involved in the opposition movement, this election is really about a break from the Soviet past. And for young people, the Soviet past might be even just a distant memory or no memory at all. but what I think this election signifies for young people and for the opposition, is that they get to decide the direction that their country takes, not people in Russia, not the previous government of Ukraine, but they themselves, the people of Ukraine, get to decide the direction for their country.
PHILLIPS: Of course now I've asked you about the fraud that happened during this election, the alleged fraud. You said it didn't happen in '99 when you were there. So you're not surprised that fraud has -- well, has allegedly taken place?
DIDIUK: Well, there was fraud in '99 but it wasn't as widespread, nor as expected as in this election, because I think this election was a lot closer than the previous election in '99. There's different types of fraud that were involved in these two rounds of Ukrainian presidential elections. One that I point out was mentioned in one of the reports by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which fielded about 500 international observers for the Ukrainian elections. And it noted that five percent of new voters were registered to vote on election day, and the majority of these people used absentee ballots to vote. This is an incredible way to get the results that you want to have if you use absentee ballots and newly registered voters.
So if and when there are another round of elections in Ukraine, the question of absentee ballots and who controls absentee ballots will be first on the plate.
PHILLIPS: And you know, we've been talking about this, you were talking about this just within the past 24 hour, allegedly, negotiations are off. So where do things go from here with this movement, with the dispute with somebody running Ukraine?
DIDIUK: Yes, I guess the latest news is that the negotiations have deadlocked. And it will be interesting to see where things go from here. I think since the second round of Ukrainian elections on November 21, there has been a balance of power or momentum that initially was with the government, but because of the protests and the size of the protest, it's shifted to the opposition and to Viktor Yushchenko. And now he realizes that the momentum is in his hands and he has to keep the movement going. And where it goes from here, really, you have to just wait and see.
PHILLIPS: John Didiuk, thank you so much for your time today, we'll stay in touch with you. And I'm sure we'll be talking quite a bit more, thanks, John.
DIDIUK: Thanks, Kyra.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
PHILLIPS: Well, coming up in the second hour of LIVE FROM, a live news conference with President Bush and Canadian Prime Minister Martin. We're going to bring that to you live when it happens. Don't go away. Also, we're expecting Tom Ridge, secretary of homeland security stepping down, his resignation about to be announced, 2:45 Eastern time. We'll bring that to you also, stay with us.
(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
