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Two North Carolina Children Safely Recovered; Condoleezza Rice One Step Closer to State Department
Aired January 19, 2005 - 15:00 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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, two North Carolina children police say were kidnapped from foster care by their parents are now safe. And their parents are in police custody after five days on the run. We are going to have a live report straight ahead.
Condoleezza Rice is one step closer to being the next secretary of state. After more tough questions this morning, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to confirm her. The full Senate votes tomorrow. We are going to have the fireworks from today's hearings coming up.
More bloodshed in Baghdad. At least 25 Iraqis, most of them security forces, are killed in a series of car bombings. A terror network with ties to al Qaeda is claiming responsibility. More on that in a moment.
The death toll from last month's tsunami in South Asia soars above 200,000, as Indonesia officially declares that tens of thousands who had been unaccounted for are, in fact, dead. The government now says some 166,000 people died in Indonesia alone. More than 6,000 are still missing.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And we are following an Amber Alert issued several days ago for two children allegedly snatched by their parents from a foster home. There are new developments. They are positive.
Straight to Randi Kaye in Boone, North Carolina.
Randi, what's the latest?
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, just about 25 minutes ago, the two children who were taken out of their foster home Saturday morning, 9:15, arrived here at the Watauga County Sheriff's Department.
Take a look at these pictures. The children are safe and sound. They were picked up earlier today in Virginia. You see the young girl, Breanna, who's 11 months old and Paul, who is just 2 1/2, being taken out of that car, along with the sheriff's deputies, put into a van there that has some folks from the Department of Social Services, who will then spend some time with these children and determine when and if they will be returned to the foster family.
Sheriff Mark Shook here in Watauga County has been very involved in this manhunt, leading the manhunt here for five days now. First of all, I want to talk about the arrival of these kids here. You were very emotional. What did this mean to you?
MARK SHOOK, WATAUGA COUNTY SHERIFF: Just a lot of relief. I'm a parent myself. And I just couldn't imagine what these kids were going through, what their foster parents went through, and just not having those kids with them. And it's just very emotional for me. A lot of stress relief.
KAYE: I can tell you're still a bit emotional. You were wiping your eyes earlier. And I know we also even caught you on camera making some goo-goo faces at these children trying to calm them down, because it is a traumatic experience.
SHOOK: That's true. I mean, they came out of -- you know, with their parents, but then...
KAYE: In a meth...
SHOOK: In a meth lab.
Then basically tossed in with strangers that they didn't know, so we wanted to just soothe them and let them know that they're safe again.
KAYE: And this was the first time you had actually seen the children other than some pictures, first time in person?
SHOOK: That's right.
KAYE: Let's go back to the investigation, how your deputies ended up in Virginia today. There was a tip last night that took you to Ashe County this morning. You missed James Canter and Alisha Chambers by just about a half hour. How then did you end up in Virginia?
SHOOK: We did some interviews with the folks that we went to the house. And they gave us indication of the vehicle that they were in and locations that they may be going.
Our detectives and officers went to Virginia, went up Schoolhouse Road in White Top, Virginia, and located the vehicle behind a residence.
KAYE: And in that residence you found not just two adults with the children, but four adults. Who were these other two adults?
SHOOK: Jeff Brown and a Sharon Woodards.
KAYE: And what is their relation to the couple?
SHOOK: Family and an acquaintance.
KAYE: Jeff Brown is a cousin.
SHOOK: Yes. And Sharon is a friend. KAYE: And the children were unharmed?
SHOOK: The children were unharmed.
KAYE: And everybody was taken without incident?
SHOOK: That's correct.
KAYE: But James Canter looked a little bit different. Tell us a little bit about that.
SHOOK: According to our investigations, he had shaved his head, shaved his mustache, was trying to change his appearance. When he was approached, he even gave a false name, so then he then stated who he was.
KAYE: Well, I'm sure eight months after looking for James Canter, five days looking for these children and this couple, congratulations on the end of a manhunt.
SHOOK: I certainly do appreciate it. Thank you.
KAYE: Thank you, Sheriff Mark Shook here live in Watauga County, North Carolina. Some good news, these children found safe and sound -- Tony.
HARRIS: It is a good news ending to this story. Randi, we appreciate it. Thank you.
LIN: In the meantime, as we reported, Condoleezza Rice has passed her first hurdle. Late this morning, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee endorsed her nomination as secretary of state, but not without some partisan rancor, especially over Iraq.
For example, here's one Senate Democrat responding to Rice's claim that more than 100,000 Iraqis are trained and ready to go for Iraq security forces.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D), DELAWARE: Please do me a favor. Start to tell the whole deal.
And let's agree -- not agree. Let me cite a new definition of trained: If you're able to take the place of a U.S. force. Let's call it that.
And I'd like you to think about and in private tell us later after you're secretary, which I'm going to -- about to vote for you in about five minutes.
Tell us, how many of those folks you think, you think -- and for God's sake, don't listen to Rumsfeld. He doesn't know what in the hell he's talking about on this.
(END VIDEO CLIP) LIN: All right, let's go over those numbers; 120,000 is the number that Condoleezza Rice gave for trained Iraqi forces. Senator Biden put the numbers at a mere 4,000.
Joining me now from the Pentagon to try to straighten things, our Pentagon correspondent, CNN's Barbara Starr.
Barbara, parse those numbers. Who's telling the truth?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, everybody is in a way, Carol, because everybody looks at the numbers and sees what they want to see.
Now, according to the Department of State and the Pentagon, there are actually 127,000 fully trained, equipped, on hand, whatever you want to define it as, Iraqi security forces,127,000.
What Senator Biden is referring to is 4,000 Iraqi army forces trained and on hand, just a small fraction of that 127,000. But what has become clearer at this hearing and over the last several weeks is, no one feels they have a very good handle on how many of those forces are really capable, will go into battle, will fight for their country, will fight for Iraq, and can really be counted on to defend against the insurgents.
So, that is why there is a review going on right now of the Iraqi security forces, trying to get a better handle how many really are fully trained, fully equipped, have been through all of their programs, are ready to go, and actually capable of fighting.
And, of course, the reason this question is vital, as Condoleezza Rice says, the policy of the Bush administration now is this. Once the elections take place at the end of this month in Iraq, then more and more of the responsibility for Iraq's security will be turned over to those Iraqi security forces. As they are able to take over, then the U.S. may be able to consider drawing down, reducing the number of forces, of U.S. forces in that country.
But first, they really have to get a better handle, everyone agrees, on how many Iraqi forces really are capable of doing the job -- Carol.
LIN: All right, thanks very much, Barbara Starr, live at the Pentagon.
In the meantime, speaking of Iraq, Baghdad was ground zero today for deadly terrorist attacks, a series of car bombings within a matter of minutes, and one group laying claim to them all.
CNN's Jeff Koinange is there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wave after wave of car bomb attacks across Baghdad and beyond on this Wednesday. First, it was right outside the Australian embassy, a suicide bomber detonating himself, killing a bystander and wounding up to five. Two Australian soldiers are among the wounded.
Less than half an hour later, even more powerful car bomb. This one, right outside the Iraqi emergency police headquarters. This one killed up to 18 people, wounding more than 30.
Next up, right outside an Iraqi military complex, two soldiers killed when a suicide bomber detonated himself. And on the southern entrance to Baghdad, a suicide bomber detonated himself at an Iraqi National Guard checkpoint, killing four, including two Iraqi National Guardsmen. One U.S. soldier was also killed in the attack.
This was no doubt one of the bloodiest days in Baghdad in a long time, as insurgents step up their attacks ahead of the crucial January 30 poll, now just 11 days away.
Jeff Koinange, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Well, you've heard of breakthrough medical procedures before, but nothing quite like this. Ahead on LIVE FROM, surgery to save a baby's life before he was even born. You'll be amazed at how doctors did it.
Also, his replacement expected to be confirmed tomorrow. Hear what Secretary of State Colin Powell told his co-workers today.
Plus this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you swear to preserve, protect, defend the constitution?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You betcha.
(singing): Yes, I'm coming back to serve a second term.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: They're back. It's the guys from JibJab with their take on President Bush's next four years.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER UPDATE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Imagine this, a baby in the woman so sick it would not have survived being born. So what did doctors do? They operated while the baby was still inside the mother's body.
We've got this report now from reporter Helena Moreno of affiliate WDSU in New Orleans.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HELENA MORENO, WDSU REPORTER (voice-over): He wasn't expected to survive, but here he is, now more than a week old, due to a breakthrough medical procedure.
DR. NANCY ROSS-ASCUITTO, PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGIST: We decided to try it. We knew what the alternative was.
MORENO: Doctors determined that multiple heart defects made it impossible for the baby to survive long enough to put him on a bypass machine and then correct problems. So doctors attempted to attach the bypass machine called ECMO before the baby was actually born, only partially delivered by caesarean to his shoulders.
DR. WILLIAM GILL, NEONATOLOGIST: With the umbilical cord intact, attached to the placenta and therefore the mother was still supplying oxygen, carbon dioxide and nutrients.
MORENO: Once the baby was hooked up to ECMO, the umbilical cord was clamped and that's when he was officially born.
(on camera): Doctors at Tulane Hospital for Children say what they've been able to successfully perform is a very risky procedure. In fact, they say, this is only the second time it's been attempted in the United States.
What's called exit to ECMO was first tried in Philadelphia, but it did not go this well. Still, the road ahead for Tulane's baby boy will be a rocky one. He's in ICU and needs a series of heart surgeries. According to doctors, his chances of survival are 50/50.
ROSS-ASCUITTO: It could be better than that or it could be worse.
MORENO: But for now, doctors are overwhelmed that he has come so far.
Helena Moreno, WDSU, News Channel 6.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And this just in to CNN, news on the confirmation of Condoleezza Rice to be secretary of state.
Let's bring in congressional correspondent Ed Henry.
And, Ed, is this true, that Senate Democrats are going to attempt to delay the full Senate confirmation of Condoleezza Rice?
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a little bit of news coming in right now.
Senate Republicans in the White House thought that Condoleezza Rice nomination was going to sail through the full Senate tomorrow. As you know, it's already gone through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today. But we're now getting word that Senate Democrats want to drag out the floor debate a little bit tomorrow. Now, the Senate is going to come into session about 3:00, around about there, after the president is sworn in, about 3:00 p.m.
We're now hearing that Democratic senators like Barbara Boxer, who voted against the nomination in committee today, Senator Robert Byrd, they want to give long floor speeches tomorrow, hour-long speeches in the afternoon that will drag this out until about 7:00 p.m. tomorrow night. Why is that significant? At 7:00 p.m., all the inaugural balls around town get started.
So, Democrats think there's a little political gamesmanship here perhaps, that Republicans will want to get over to some of the parties and will not want to stay and debate this out, that they'll want to go home, and, as a result, this vote will be pushed back until next week, not this week.
Now, the bottom line is, Democrats realize this nomination is going to go through. Whether it's Thursday, whether it's Monday, it's going to go through. But they just want to maybe send a signal here from what we're getting from Democratic sources on the Hill, send a little bit of a signal to the White House that this second term isn't going to start off perhaps as nicely as everyone thought.
Now, I'm talking to Senate Republicans as well, staffers to senator Richard Lugar, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. They say they're going to push ahead and try to get this nomination through tomorrow. Others in the Republican leadership say it would be unfortunately if Democrats want to set things off on the wrong foot, perhaps, not start off with some bipartisanship.
And they think it could boomerang on the Democrats a little bit politically, because it might look like the Democrats are trying to block this nomination. The bottom line, another interesting note here is that Secretary of State Colin Powell, the outgoing secretary, already has had his farewell ceremony, as you saw live on CNN today. So, he's basically out as secretary of state, but he is technically staying on for a few days until Condoleezza Rice is sworn in.
So, even if there are a few more days of delay, Secretary Powell will stay on. He's technically -- he's out of the building right now and he's not at the State Department, but he's still on the job. And that's the bottom line, but a lit bit of political gamesmanship perhaps going on, Tony.
HARRIS: And, Ed, you mentioned Robert Byrd and Barbara Boxer making lengthy speeches. Do we have any idea what they would say or is it just more of what we heard in the hearings?
HENRY: Oh, more of what we heard. And that's why Republicans are getting a little frustrated here, because they say, look, for the last couple of days, Condoleezza Rice endured almost 10 hours of questioning yesterday, a couple more hours today.
They say everything that needs to be said has been said. But Democrats are pointing out they're welcome to have a floor debate. They want to debate this issue a little more. And so what will they say? They are going to beat up on her a little bit more. They are going to go after her on Iraq policy, go after her on pre-9/11 intelligence, a recap of what we've already seen, but Democrats want to make their point, Tony.
HARRIS: Ed Henry in Washington, Ed, we appreciate it. Thank you.
More LIVE FROM right after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: As Condoleezza Rice is finishing up today with her confirmation test, her predecessor said his farewell to the troops at the State Department. Standing before a banner signed by department employees, Secretary of State Colin Powell delivered an emotional swan song as his four-year tenure concludes.
Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I want to say to you here today that, after four years of being with you serving in this department, the relationship is the same. And even though I step down as your secretary, I will never leave you. I will always be a part of this wonderful family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: He might want to hang on just a little bit longer, because CNN's Ed Henry just told us that the Senate is going to be -- or actually some of the Democrats are going to be filibustering with hour-long speeches to delay Condoleezza Rice's confirmation vote in the full Senate. So, we'll see what happens. It's going to be a long day tomorrow on Capitol Hill.
HARRIS: Little gamesmanship on Capitol Hill.
Have you seen this yet?
LIN: Yes.
HARRIS: Oh, you have? OK.
LIN: This is funny.
HARRIS: It is funny, isn't it?
All right, the guys over at JibJab have struck again. Now, to the uninitiated, JibJab is, well, the two brothers who poke fun at political issues of the day with animations and song parodies.
LIN: Right, just in fun.
HARRIS: Yes.
LIN: Here's a look at the latest effort, a pre-inaugural look at President Bush's second term.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you swear to preserve, protect, defend the Constitution?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You betcha.
(singing): Yes I'm coming back to serve a second term. This time I won the national election. Oh, thanks to you, Ohio, and your brother, Jebediah, we get four more years to rule in Washington.
UNIDENTIFIED MALES (singing): Good god, he's coming back to serve a second term. We were hoping in '04 we'd get a turn. But we lost the vicious battle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Now they're stuck without a paddle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Who will save us from conservatism?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): I will stabilize Iraq in the second term. And I will amend the Constitution. Then I'll eliminate the taxes...
UNIDENTIFIED MALES (singing): ... that are breaking all our backses.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): And push for more privatization.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): We cannot believe he won a second term.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): He destroyed the Transatlantic alliance.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Heck, I'll extend a friendly offer, barbecue and beers in Crawford.
UNIDENTIFIED MALES (singing): Mending fences broken by preemption.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): We want peace on Earth throughout his second term.
UNIDENTIFIED MALES (singing): We want Iraqis to have free elections.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): If there's a beef here, let's dispatch it...
UNIDENTIFIED MALES (singing): ... and bury that old hatchet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Yes, we've been through stormy weather.
UNIDENTIFIED MALES (singing): Now it's time to work together.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Gather around the old chuck wagon. It's a grand time we'll be having in the four years I have left in Washington.
Yee-ha!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: I want to believe they'd be just as hard on a Democratic president.
HARRIS: Yes.
LIN: If he or she was being sworn in.
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: Well, apparently, these guys, whoever was elected, they were ready.
LIN: Yes.
HARRIS: They were ready and loaded for whoever was elected. And they say it's all in good fun. You don't want to be mean-spirited about this kind of thing.
LIN: No.
HARRIS: But it's all in good fun.
LIN: And it's probably the only chance you're going to see Dick Cheney in a swimsuit.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: I just want to know where they get the voices from. There are voice actors. I understand it, but it's a lot of fun.
LIN: Anyway, we've got much more ahead. we're -- in fact, we're going to bring you the latest news that's happening right now shortly after the 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 January 19, 2005 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, two North Carolina children police say were kidnapped from foster care by their parents are now safe. And their parents are in police custody after five days on the run. We are going to have a live report straight ahead.
Condoleezza Rice is one step closer to being the next secretary of state. After more tough questions this morning, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to confirm her. The full Senate votes tomorrow. We are going to have the fireworks from today's hearings coming up.
More bloodshed in Baghdad. At least 25 Iraqis, most of them security forces, are killed in a series of car bombings. A terror network with ties to al Qaeda is claiming responsibility. More on that in a moment.
The death toll from last month's tsunami in South Asia soars above 200,000, as Indonesia officially declares that tens of thousands who had been unaccounted for are, in fact, dead. The government now says some 166,000 people died in Indonesia alone. More than 6,000 are still missing.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And we are following an Amber Alert issued several days ago for two children allegedly snatched by their parents from a foster home. There are new developments. They are positive.
Straight to Randi Kaye in Boone, North Carolina.
Randi, what's the latest?
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, just about 25 minutes ago, the two children who were taken out of their foster home Saturday morning, 9:15, arrived here at the Watauga County Sheriff's Department.
Take a look at these pictures. The children are safe and sound. They were picked up earlier today in Virginia. You see the young girl, Breanna, who's 11 months old and Paul, who is just 2 1/2, being taken out of that car, along with the sheriff's deputies, put into a van there that has some folks from the Department of Social Services, who will then spend some time with these children and determine when and if they will be returned to the foster family.
Sheriff Mark Shook here in Watauga County has been very involved in this manhunt, leading the manhunt here for five days now. First of all, I want to talk about the arrival of these kids here. You were very emotional. What did this mean to you?
MARK SHOOK, WATAUGA COUNTY SHERIFF: Just a lot of relief. I'm a parent myself. And I just couldn't imagine what these kids were going through, what their foster parents went through, and just not having those kids with them. And it's just very emotional for me. A lot of stress relief.
KAYE: I can tell you're still a bit emotional. You were wiping your eyes earlier. And I know we also even caught you on camera making some goo-goo faces at these children trying to calm them down, because it is a traumatic experience.
SHOOK: That's true. I mean, they came out of -- you know, with their parents, but then...
KAYE: In a meth...
SHOOK: In a meth lab.
Then basically tossed in with strangers that they didn't know, so we wanted to just soothe them and let them know that they're safe again.
KAYE: And this was the first time you had actually seen the children other than some pictures, first time in person?
SHOOK: That's right.
KAYE: Let's go back to the investigation, how your deputies ended up in Virginia today. There was a tip last night that took you to Ashe County this morning. You missed James Canter and Alisha Chambers by just about a half hour. How then did you end up in Virginia?
SHOOK: We did some interviews with the folks that we went to the house. And they gave us indication of the vehicle that they were in and locations that they may be going.
Our detectives and officers went to Virginia, went up Schoolhouse Road in White Top, Virginia, and located the vehicle behind a residence.
KAYE: And in that residence you found not just two adults with the children, but four adults. Who were these other two adults?
SHOOK: Jeff Brown and a Sharon Woodards.
KAYE: And what is their relation to the couple?
SHOOK: Family and an acquaintance.
KAYE: Jeff Brown is a cousin.
SHOOK: Yes. And Sharon is a friend. KAYE: And the children were unharmed?
SHOOK: The children were unharmed.
KAYE: And everybody was taken without incident?
SHOOK: That's correct.
KAYE: But James Canter looked a little bit different. Tell us a little bit about that.
SHOOK: According to our investigations, he had shaved his head, shaved his mustache, was trying to change his appearance. When he was approached, he even gave a false name, so then he then stated who he was.
KAYE: Well, I'm sure eight months after looking for James Canter, five days looking for these children and this couple, congratulations on the end of a manhunt.
SHOOK: I certainly do appreciate it. Thank you.
KAYE: Thank you, Sheriff Mark Shook here live in Watauga County, North Carolina. Some good news, these children found safe and sound -- Tony.
HARRIS: It is a good news ending to this story. Randi, we appreciate it. Thank you.
LIN: In the meantime, as we reported, Condoleezza Rice has passed her first hurdle. Late this morning, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee endorsed her nomination as secretary of state, but not without some partisan rancor, especially over Iraq.
For example, here's one Senate Democrat responding to Rice's claim that more than 100,000 Iraqis are trained and ready to go for Iraq security forces.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D), DELAWARE: Please do me a favor. Start to tell the whole deal.
And let's agree -- not agree. Let me cite a new definition of trained: If you're able to take the place of a U.S. force. Let's call it that.
And I'd like you to think about and in private tell us later after you're secretary, which I'm going to -- about to vote for you in about five minutes.
Tell us, how many of those folks you think, you think -- and for God's sake, don't listen to Rumsfeld. He doesn't know what in the hell he's talking about on this.
(END VIDEO CLIP) LIN: All right, let's go over those numbers; 120,000 is the number that Condoleezza Rice gave for trained Iraqi forces. Senator Biden put the numbers at a mere 4,000.
Joining me now from the Pentagon to try to straighten things, our Pentagon correspondent, CNN's Barbara Starr.
Barbara, parse those numbers. Who's telling the truth?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, everybody is in a way, Carol, because everybody looks at the numbers and sees what they want to see.
Now, according to the Department of State and the Pentagon, there are actually 127,000 fully trained, equipped, on hand, whatever you want to define it as, Iraqi security forces,127,000.
What Senator Biden is referring to is 4,000 Iraqi army forces trained and on hand, just a small fraction of that 127,000. But what has become clearer at this hearing and over the last several weeks is, no one feels they have a very good handle on how many of those forces are really capable, will go into battle, will fight for their country, will fight for Iraq, and can really be counted on to defend against the insurgents.
So, that is why there is a review going on right now of the Iraqi security forces, trying to get a better handle how many really are fully trained, fully equipped, have been through all of their programs, are ready to go, and actually capable of fighting.
And, of course, the reason this question is vital, as Condoleezza Rice says, the policy of the Bush administration now is this. Once the elections take place at the end of this month in Iraq, then more and more of the responsibility for Iraq's security will be turned over to those Iraqi security forces. As they are able to take over, then the U.S. may be able to consider drawing down, reducing the number of forces, of U.S. forces in that country.
But first, they really have to get a better handle, everyone agrees, on how many Iraqi forces really are capable of doing the job -- Carol.
LIN: All right, thanks very much, Barbara Starr, live at the Pentagon.
In the meantime, speaking of Iraq, Baghdad was ground zero today for deadly terrorist attacks, a series of car bombings within a matter of minutes, and one group laying claim to them all.
CNN's Jeff Koinange is there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wave after wave of car bomb attacks across Baghdad and beyond on this Wednesday. First, it was right outside the Australian embassy, a suicide bomber detonating himself, killing a bystander and wounding up to five. Two Australian soldiers are among the wounded.
Less than half an hour later, even more powerful car bomb. This one, right outside the Iraqi emergency police headquarters. This one killed up to 18 people, wounding more than 30.
Next up, right outside an Iraqi military complex, two soldiers killed when a suicide bomber detonated himself. And on the southern entrance to Baghdad, a suicide bomber detonated himself at an Iraqi National Guard checkpoint, killing four, including two Iraqi National Guardsmen. One U.S. soldier was also killed in the attack.
This was no doubt one of the bloodiest days in Baghdad in a long time, as insurgents step up their attacks ahead of the crucial January 30 poll, now just 11 days away.
Jeff Koinange, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Well, you've heard of breakthrough medical procedures before, but nothing quite like this. Ahead on LIVE FROM, surgery to save a baby's life before he was even born. You'll be amazed at how doctors did it.
Also, his replacement expected to be confirmed tomorrow. Hear what Secretary of State Colin Powell told his co-workers today.
Plus this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you swear to preserve, protect, defend the constitution?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You betcha.
(singing): Yes, I'm coming back to serve a second term.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: They're back. It's the guys from JibJab with their take on President Bush's next four years.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER UPDATE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Imagine this, a baby in the woman so sick it would not have survived being born. So what did doctors do? They operated while the baby was still inside the mother's body.
We've got this report now from reporter Helena Moreno of affiliate WDSU in New Orleans.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HELENA MORENO, WDSU REPORTER (voice-over): He wasn't expected to survive, but here he is, now more than a week old, due to a breakthrough medical procedure.
DR. NANCY ROSS-ASCUITTO, PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGIST: We decided to try it. We knew what the alternative was.
MORENO: Doctors determined that multiple heart defects made it impossible for the baby to survive long enough to put him on a bypass machine and then correct problems. So doctors attempted to attach the bypass machine called ECMO before the baby was actually born, only partially delivered by caesarean to his shoulders.
DR. WILLIAM GILL, NEONATOLOGIST: With the umbilical cord intact, attached to the placenta and therefore the mother was still supplying oxygen, carbon dioxide and nutrients.
MORENO: Once the baby was hooked up to ECMO, the umbilical cord was clamped and that's when he was officially born.
(on camera): Doctors at Tulane Hospital for Children say what they've been able to successfully perform is a very risky procedure. In fact, they say, this is only the second time it's been attempted in the United States.
What's called exit to ECMO was first tried in Philadelphia, but it did not go this well. Still, the road ahead for Tulane's baby boy will be a rocky one. He's in ICU and needs a series of heart surgeries. According to doctors, his chances of survival are 50/50.
ROSS-ASCUITTO: It could be better than that or it could be worse.
MORENO: But for now, doctors are overwhelmed that he has come so far.
Helena Moreno, WDSU, News Channel 6.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And this just in to CNN, news on the confirmation of Condoleezza Rice to be secretary of state.
Let's bring in congressional correspondent Ed Henry.
And, Ed, is this true, that Senate Democrats are going to attempt to delay the full Senate confirmation of Condoleezza Rice?
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a little bit of news coming in right now.
Senate Republicans in the White House thought that Condoleezza Rice nomination was going to sail through the full Senate tomorrow. As you know, it's already gone through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today. But we're now getting word that Senate Democrats want to drag out the floor debate a little bit tomorrow. Now, the Senate is going to come into session about 3:00, around about there, after the president is sworn in, about 3:00 p.m.
We're now hearing that Democratic senators like Barbara Boxer, who voted against the nomination in committee today, Senator Robert Byrd, they want to give long floor speeches tomorrow, hour-long speeches in the afternoon that will drag this out until about 7:00 p.m. tomorrow night. Why is that significant? At 7:00 p.m., all the inaugural balls around town get started.
So, Democrats think there's a little political gamesmanship here perhaps, that Republicans will want to get over to some of the parties and will not want to stay and debate this out, that they'll want to go home, and, as a result, this vote will be pushed back until next week, not this week.
Now, the bottom line is, Democrats realize this nomination is going to go through. Whether it's Thursday, whether it's Monday, it's going to go through. But they just want to maybe send a signal here from what we're getting from Democratic sources on the Hill, send a little bit of a signal to the White House that this second term isn't going to start off perhaps as nicely as everyone thought.
Now, I'm talking to Senate Republicans as well, staffers to senator Richard Lugar, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. They say they're going to push ahead and try to get this nomination through tomorrow. Others in the Republican leadership say it would be unfortunately if Democrats want to set things off on the wrong foot, perhaps, not start off with some bipartisanship.
And they think it could boomerang on the Democrats a little bit politically, because it might look like the Democrats are trying to block this nomination. The bottom line, another interesting note here is that Secretary of State Colin Powell, the outgoing secretary, already has had his farewell ceremony, as you saw live on CNN today. So, he's basically out as secretary of state, but he is technically staying on for a few days until Condoleezza Rice is sworn in.
So, even if there are a few more days of delay, Secretary Powell will stay on. He's technically -- he's out of the building right now and he's not at the State Department, but he's still on the job. And that's the bottom line, but a lit bit of political gamesmanship perhaps going on, Tony.
HARRIS: And, Ed, you mentioned Robert Byrd and Barbara Boxer making lengthy speeches. Do we have any idea what they would say or is it just more of what we heard in the hearings?
HENRY: Oh, more of what we heard. And that's why Republicans are getting a little frustrated here, because they say, look, for the last couple of days, Condoleezza Rice endured almost 10 hours of questioning yesterday, a couple more hours today.
They say everything that needs to be said has been said. But Democrats are pointing out they're welcome to have a floor debate. They want to debate this issue a little more. And so what will they say? They are going to beat up on her a little bit more. They are going to go after her on Iraq policy, go after her on pre-9/11 intelligence, a recap of what we've already seen, but Democrats want to make their point, Tony.
HARRIS: Ed Henry in Washington, Ed, we appreciate it. Thank you.
More LIVE FROM right after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: As Condoleezza Rice is finishing up today with her confirmation test, her predecessor said his farewell to the troops at the State Department. Standing before a banner signed by department employees, Secretary of State Colin Powell delivered an emotional swan song as his four-year tenure concludes.
Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I want to say to you here today that, after four years of being with you serving in this department, the relationship is the same. And even though I step down as your secretary, I will never leave you. I will always be a part of this wonderful family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: He might want to hang on just a little bit longer, because CNN's Ed Henry just told us that the Senate is going to be -- or actually some of the Democrats are going to be filibustering with hour-long speeches to delay Condoleezza Rice's confirmation vote in the full Senate. So, we'll see what happens. It's going to be a long day tomorrow on Capitol Hill.
HARRIS: Little gamesmanship on Capitol Hill.
Have you seen this yet?
LIN: Yes.
HARRIS: Oh, you have? OK.
LIN: This is funny.
HARRIS: It is funny, isn't it?
All right, the guys over at JibJab have struck again. Now, to the uninitiated, JibJab is, well, the two brothers who poke fun at political issues of the day with animations and song parodies.
LIN: Right, just in fun.
HARRIS: Yes.
LIN: Here's a look at the latest effort, a pre-inaugural look at President Bush's second term.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you swear to preserve, protect, defend the Constitution?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You betcha.
(singing): Yes I'm coming back to serve a second term. This time I won the national election. Oh, thanks to you, Ohio, and your brother, Jebediah, we get four more years to rule in Washington.
UNIDENTIFIED MALES (singing): Good god, he's coming back to serve a second term. We were hoping in '04 we'd get a turn. But we lost the vicious battle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Now they're stuck without a paddle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Who will save us from conservatism?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): I will stabilize Iraq in the second term. And I will amend the Constitution. Then I'll eliminate the taxes...
UNIDENTIFIED MALES (singing): ... that are breaking all our backses.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): And push for more privatization.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): We cannot believe he won a second term.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): He destroyed the Transatlantic alliance.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Heck, I'll extend a friendly offer, barbecue and beers in Crawford.
UNIDENTIFIED MALES (singing): Mending fences broken by preemption.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): We want peace on Earth throughout his second term.
UNIDENTIFIED MALES (singing): We want Iraqis to have free elections.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): If there's a beef here, let's dispatch it...
UNIDENTIFIED MALES (singing): ... and bury that old hatchet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Yes, we've been through stormy weather.
UNIDENTIFIED MALES (singing): Now it's time to work together.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Gather around the old chuck wagon. It's a grand time we'll be having in the four years I have left in Washington.
Yee-ha!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: I want to believe they'd be just as hard on a Democratic president.
HARRIS: Yes.
LIN: If he or she was being sworn in.
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: Well, apparently, these guys, whoever was elected, they were ready.
LIN: Yes.
HARRIS: They were ready and loaded for whoever was elected. And they say it's all in good fun. You don't want to be mean-spirited about this kind of thing.
LIN: No.
HARRIS: But it's all in good fun.
LIN: And it's probably the only chance you're going to see Dick Cheney in a swimsuit.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: I just want to know where they get the voices from. There are voice actors. I understand it, but it's a lot of fun.
LIN: Anyway, we've got much more ahead. we're -- in fact, we're going to bring you the latest news that's happening right now shortly after the break.
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