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Blizzard Hits Northeast; Strategic Support Branch of Pentagon Beefs Up Intelligence; U.S., Iraqis Round Up Suspected Insurgents
Aired January 24, 2005 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CO-HOST: Live pictures from Boston's Logan Airport. Digging out from the drifts. Back to normal? Not just yet. Today the northeast battles back from a blizzard that dumped up to three feet of snow.
TONY HARRIS, CO-HOST: Explosions, arrests and terror tactics just six days before the Iraq elections. CNN's Christiane Amanpour reports from Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I can do it, anybody can. And that's the point that needs to come out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: He's a winner at losing. The man who once weighed in at half a ton hits a major milestone, dropping more than 400 pounds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNNY CARSON, FORMER HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Mount St. Helens, Three Mile Island and the Love Canal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: What are the three places where Johnny Carson will be missed? This hour, the best of the king of late night TV.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Tony Harris in for Miles O'Brien.
PHILLIPS: I'm Kyra Phillips. CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
Three feet of snow, nine-foot drifts, wind speeds higher than the temperatures. The cold, hard facts of the New England blizzard are all too apparent today in Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts and to a lesser degree, New York, Philly and Washington.
States of emergency are in effect in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Jersey. Boston's Logan Airport is back in business after more than 24 hours on ice. Delays are still running three to four hours.
CNN's Chris Huntington, he's on time, though. He's right in the middle of everything, though.
Hi, Chris.
CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right, Kyra. Well, Boston's got another big dig on its hands here. The storm that came whipping through here not a record breaker but by all accounts, a world-class blizzard.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTINGTON (voice-over): The storm battered the bay state from Cape Cod in the south, to the North Shore near Gloucester, and of course, downtown Boston, in between.
The peak hours early Sunday morning, snow fell at more than three inches an hour, dumping close to three feet in many towns and more than two feet in Boston Commons, where temperatures hovered around 10 degrees for most of the day.
But it was the hurricane force winds that caused most of the trouble, driving snow into dangerous whiteout conditions, plundering the plows' best efforts and whipping 10- to 15-foot waves on top of a storm surge along the coast.
The entire island of Nantucket lost power. Across the state of Massachusetts, more than 30,000 homes went dark.
Governor Mitt Romney declared a state of emergency, putting National Guard troops on alert for evacuation and rescue operations, and clearing the way for federal funding to help cover the considerable cost of snow removal.
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino announced that he would order only essential city personnel to work on Monday, and he said that Boston public schools would be closed through Tuesday.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTINGTON: As you can see here, it is actually a beautiful sunny day. That will certainly help with the snow removal. Overall, accumulation in downtown Boston, just shy of the record of 27 1/2 inches. The tally for this storm, 26 inches, although north of here in Salem they had 38 inches, south of here about the same.
Not as bad overall, the impact of this storm as the great blizzard of 1978. That remains the benchmark in this region. Nonetheless, this was a deadly storm, two fatalities. A former "Boston Globe" columnist died while shoveling snow, and a 10-year-old boy in the Roxbury section of Boston was asphyxiated by carbon monoxide seeking the warmth of an idling car.
There is more snow on the way on Wednesday -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: And a lot of safety precautions to take. Chris Huntington, thanks so much -- Tony.
HARRIS: Jacqui Jeras, more snow on the way for that -- you -- I thought we were going to order up a warm up. But I see that's not the case.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: OK, Jacqui, thank you. Appreciate it.
PHILLIPS: Clandestine yes; secret, no. The government's newest intelligence service is the buzz of Washington today. Their strategic support branch, a 2-year-old operation formed inside the Pentagon in the aftermath of September 11 and kept well under wraps until now.
CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has the details on its mission -- Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Kyra.
Well, it is now confirmed. The Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency for more than the last two years has been running a beefed-up clandestine human intelligence operation, essentially sending its operatives out around the world wherever they order them to go in clandestine operations to gather human intelligence.
This can range from essentially spying, gathering intelligence on the battlefield, conducting interrogations, that sort of thing.
How sensitive is all of this? Well, very sensitive. When the story broke in "The Washington Post" yesterday, the Pentagon initially put out a statement that technically, at least technically, denied that such an organization exists, Pentagon spokesman Larry DiRita saying, quote, "There is no unit that is directly reportable to the secretary of defense for clandestine operations."
But, Kyra, that unit does exist and it does report to the Defense Intelligence Agency.
One of the reasons all of this very controversial, a lot of discussion about whether or not the Pentagon is really trying to expand its intelligence portfolio and take away from the CIA.
Top officials insist, no, that is not what's going on, that they are simply trying to beef-up and have a more, quote, "robust military intelligence capability."
But operationally on the ground, it remains controversial, because what they are doing, what they are talking about, is putting DIA personnel in the field, on the front lines, with Special Forces, the troops that conduct some of the most secretive intelligence operations.
And the question that is emerging is whether those Special Forces really want DIA personnel, no matter how qualified they may be, along with them on their missions, because of course, Kyra, as these Special Forces guys will tell you, when they go out, when they go on their missions, when they so-called kick the door down, they don't like to have a lot of people watching. So all of this really does remain quite an issue of discussion. And it may only be the beginning of this whole story, because the Pentagon is continuing to try and beef up and revamp and overhaul its intelligence operations. Officials say there are 60 additional initiatives under way inside the Pentagon to try and make intelligence a better unit -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Barbara Starr. Thanks so much.
We're going to talk more about the strategic support branch with retired General David Grange coming up at the half-hour -- Tony.
HARRIS: And Kyra, the State Department hopes it's not a secret that a fruitful lead on Osama bin Laden can be worth $25 million to the tipster. "TIME" magazine reports a Bush administration P.R. blitz in Afghan and Pakistani media, highlighting hefty bounties on bin Laden, Mullah Omar and Ayman al-Zawahiri and 11 others.
OBL is still believed to be somewhere on the Afghan-Pakistani frontier, but there has been no trace of him for more than a year and a half. "TIME" says the bin Laden bounty is likely to double to $50 million by the end of next month.
PHILLIPS: Busted in Baghdad. A man who claims he's behind 75 percent of the car bomb attacks in the Iraqi capital since the start of the current war. The latest car bombing targeted the party headquarters of the sitting prime minister, though no one but the driver was killed.
We get the latest from CNN's Christiane Amanpour in Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the run-up to Sunday's elections here, the predicted violence does continue.
Today, early this morning, there was a big suicide car bomb attack in an area close to the political headquarters of the interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi. There was nobody killed in that attack, but 12 people were injured according to Baghdad police, among them 10 policemen.
Afterwards, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi the most wanted terrorist, connected to al Qaeda, we're told has in fact posted a statement claiming responsibility. And this follows a very virulent audiotape that he released, calling on people not to go to the elections, saying that they were -- the elections of the infidel and warning people not to participate.
It's clear that people here in Iraq are afraid, and to that end the U.S. And Iraqi forces are trying to crackdown on these insurgents in an increased crackdown leading up to the elections.
We're told by U.S. commanders that hundreds of suspected insurgents have been rounded up, and dozens of weapons caches have been discovered. In the meantime, they also say that one key insurgent with links to Zarqawi has been arrested, a key bomb maker, we're told by the Iraqi government.
Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Brazen attacks by insurgents just days before the Iraqi elections. Will they impact the vote? Our Arab affairs analyst has been watching their activities closely, and she joins us with some insights just ahead.
And John Ashcroft, one of the most polarizing figures in the Bush administration, set to say his goodbyes, but not before he talks with CNN. Just ahead.
And later on LIVE FROM, he's half the man he used to be. A Nebraska man who once tipped the scales at more than 1,000 pounds fulfills a dream.
ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: The incoming head of homeland security will have to choose a new undersecretary for borders and transportation. CNN has learned that the current holder of that office is leaving after being passed over twice in two months for the secretary's job.
He's Asa Hutchinson, former three-term Republican congressman for Arkansas and the head of the DEA after that. He's believed to be mulling a run for Arkansas governor in 2006.
Hail and farewell to John Ashcroft today at the Justice Department weeks after Ashcroft's written resignation, among the first in the aftermath of President Bush's re-election.
The soon to be ex-attorney general is addressing his department for the last time. Before that, though, Ashcroft sat on -- sat down, rather, for a one-on-one interview with CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena. The subject: his own controversial standing in the war on terror.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: I don't think this administration was concerned about who's a lightning rod and who's not.
The attacks of 9/11 focused this administration on more fundamental issues, the very -- the most basic issues of our culture: human dignity and freedom and survival and security.
And those issues simply crowded out all kinds of other things that might have otherwise arisen or might have been a part of what would normally be the politics or the give and take of bureaucratic endeavors. What we really found ourselves with was a serious challenge to the security of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Ashcroft's farewell ceremony begins a little more than an hour from now. We'll stop by for a listen.
HARRIS: With just six days until the election in Iraq, insurgents are becoming more bold and brazen in their attempt to sabotage the landmark vote. Days ago, insurgents beheaded two people on a busy sidewalk in full view of passersby. That was followed by the killing of an Egyptian hostage on an Iraqi street corner.
Why are the insurgents taking this approach? Joining me now, Octavia Nasr, senior editor of Arab affairs for CNN.
Octavia, good to see you, as always.
OCTAVIA NASR, SENIOR EDITOR OF ARAB AFFAIRS: Thank you for having me.
HARRIS: Well, here we go. The election is Sunday. And here we have these audiotapes from the Jordanian terrorist, Abu Musab al Zarqawi. You've translated these tapes. What is he saying? Is there anything new in it?
NASR: Well, yes, in a way, because this is the first time he launches an all-out war on elections.
HARRIS: On the actual election?
NASR: Absolutely. This is very specific. And we saw one response to that call today in a car bomb attack on the Allawi headquarters. This is the prime minister's headquarters. So this is working.
When you check the web sites, for instance, the Islamist web sites, you also see that people are responding. They're starting to prepare for attacks, at least get people excited, and going.
HARRIS: Now the beheadings. This is particularly disturbing, because for awhile there, there was a lull in the beheadings, and now they've started up again. They're on tape, and, this time around they're very public, aren't they?
NASR: Very public. And that is disturbing for a lot of people. Again, when you check web sites, I mean, pro and con, you know people are against, but also those who support these Zarqawi -- here you're looking at a still that we took from a film, a very disturbing film.
HARRIS: And these are average guys. These are guys just trying to make a living.
NASR: They were truck drivers.
HARRIS: Truck drivers. NASR: Exactly. And here you're looking at them. They were sort of being interrogated. They were asked questions about how much money they made, what exactly they did.
And they said, "We deliver food and supplies to a U.S. base in Ramadi." They were made to say things like Ramadi is the city of Mujahideen and stuff like that.
Unfortunately, when you watch this film, you think that these guys are answering the questions in the hope that they're going to be spared.
HARRIS: Yes.
NASR: But 10 minutes later we see the very gruesome video. Of course, we're not going to show them to our viewers, but this is the beginning of one of them, where the man is being -- look. This is a regular street...
HARRIS: Well, you can see it. You can see that you're on a sidewalk there.
NASR: It's daylight, exactly. And if you watch the video, you will hear the trucks and cars blowing horns in the background and, unfortunately, this man is beheaded. And his companion is beheaded right after him.
HARRIS: And Octavia, this is all about intimidation, isn't it?
NASR: It is. Basically when they play these videos, when they post them on the web sites, at the end of them there's a disclaimer basically saying this is going to be the fate of everyone who works with the infidels.
In their words, infidels are anybody...
HARRIS: Anybody.
NASR: ... who deals with the Iraqi interim government, with the U.S., with the coalition. All those people are infidels.
HARRIS: Well, just today we're getting word from the Iraqi government that they've made arrests of suspected terrorists and insurgents. Is that having any impact on the streets?
NASR: If you -- if you read those web sites, you notice that -- no impact. As a matter of fact, they take it as a joke. They say they didn't arrest anybody.
HARRIS: And this happened a week or so ago, didn't it?
NASR: A couple of weeks ago.
HARRIS: A couple of weeks ago?
NASR: The arrests are taking place. You know, we hear about them every now and then. Over the weekend, there was a rumor that Zarqawi himself was arrested.
HARRIS: Yes, yes.
NASR: So it seems that this is a response to that. That, no, he wasn't arrested but some of his top lieutenants and deputies and so forth. But the web sites are a clear indication that the business of hostage taking and innocent beheading goes on with the arrests and without them.
HARRIS: And the propaganda machine continues to churn out this kind of material, as well.
NASR: Absolutely. I mean this is propaganda at its best. I mean these people put together productions, you know, videos, with music and...
HARRIS: With effects. Music and effects.
NASR: Sound effects, yes. Wind blowing and water falling and stuff like that. It's very disturbing when you watch them. When your job is like mine...
HARRIS: Yes.
NASR: ... to watch these people on a regular basis, it's very disturbing to see how advanced they are technologically and propaganda wise.
HARRIS: All right. We'll keep our fingers crossed for the elections coming up on Sunday, Octavia. Thank you so much, as always.
We'll take a break. More LIVE FROM when we come back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS (voice-over): Next on LIVE FROM...
ED MCMAHON, FORMER ANNOUNCER, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Here's Johnny!
PHILLIPS: ... a salute to the man who made us laugh, made the careers of top comedians, and forever changed television: Johnny Carson.
Later on LIVE FROM, stem cells. Researchers hope they hold the keys to curing diseases and repairing damaged organs. But a new discovery could put some research in jeopardy.
Training to fight terror. But these are pilots, not police officers. Our Miles O'Brien takes you inside defending the cockpit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARSON: Let's get on with this. Mount St. Helens, Three-Mile Island and the Love Canal.
Where can you still buy a house for less than 100 grand?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: That's what we did. We just laughed. We watched and we laughed.
PHILLIPS: That's right. We talked about how you and I used to stay up late.
HARRIS: Yes. Do we have any time? No. That's a long story. But no, he was absolutely one of my first heroes. I know he was for you too.
Well, the showbiz tributes are still pouring in for Johnny Carson today.
HARRIS: And fans continue to pile up flowers and candles and notes upon his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Although Carson didn't invent the late night talk show, he made it his own in a way that totally defined it for generations of viewers from Baby Boomers on up. And even though it's been a dozen years since he pulled a Garbo and vanished from the public eye, well, Carson's comic stamp remains indelible.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MCMAHON: And now, here's Johnny!
RAY ROMANO, COMEDIAN: He had the ability to be funny, to be poignant, to be serious, to talk about any subject. We're going to miss him.
CARSON: No, no, no. No, I didn't...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was a giant. He had that cackle laugh, you know.
MCMAHON: I'm going to be out of town tomorrow, so...
CARSON: What do you mean, you're going to be out of town?
MCMAHON: I'm going to be...
CARSON: Tomorrow is Friday.
MCMAHON: I know. But I can take a day off once in awhile. You certainly invented it.
CARSON: Want a few grapes?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was game for anything, whether it was getting in the pool, or having the elephant lift him up in her trunk, or if I offered to bring him in, he would do just about anything.
DON RICKLES, COMEDIAN: I say, very honestly, he was so special, because Midwest guy -- and I'm a Jewish kid from New York. When I showed affection, it was hard for him to show that. But when I did, I knew he loved me. And he's in heaven now. And I know he loves me and my family, and I love him. And may God be good to this man. He was the best.
Could I do it a couple of minutes?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
CARSON: No, no.
RICKLES: Give me a break, I'm so lonely!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was important to all of our lives. Older people who remember staying up late at night to listen to him and going to bed feeling pleased and delighted and enjoying him. He's made late night television something of importance to people today, to young people as well, because of the shows that followed him.
CARSON: If I could magically somehow, that tape you just saw, make it run backwards, I'd like to do the whole thing all over again.
BETTE MIDLER, ENTERTAINER (singing): Make it one for my baby and one more for the road.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Wow. Tonight on CNN, an exclusive prime time interview with Johnny Carson's long-time sidekick, Ed McMahon.
PHILLIPS: I can't even do that. "You are correct, sir!" But Ed joins Larry King tonight at 9 Eastern with the inside story on "The Tonight Show" and his favorite Carson memories.
HARRIS: Moving on now, national security concerns are reportedly holding up a big deal for IBM.
PHILLIPS: Susan Lisovicz joins us live from the New York Stock Exchange with that story.
Hi, Susan.
(STOCK REPORT)
(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 January 24, 2005 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CO-HOST: Live pictures from Boston's Logan Airport. Digging out from the drifts. Back to normal? Not just yet. Today the northeast battles back from a blizzard that dumped up to three feet of snow.
TONY HARRIS, CO-HOST: Explosions, arrests and terror tactics just six days before the Iraq elections. CNN's Christiane Amanpour reports from Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I can do it, anybody can. And that's the point that needs to come out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: He's a winner at losing. The man who once weighed in at half a ton hits a major milestone, dropping more than 400 pounds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNNY CARSON, FORMER HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Mount St. Helens, Three Mile Island and the Love Canal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: What are the three places where Johnny Carson will be missed? This hour, the best of the king of late night TV.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Tony Harris in for Miles O'Brien.
PHILLIPS: I'm Kyra Phillips. CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
Three feet of snow, nine-foot drifts, wind speeds higher than the temperatures. The cold, hard facts of the New England blizzard are all too apparent today in Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts and to a lesser degree, New York, Philly and Washington.
States of emergency are in effect in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Jersey. Boston's Logan Airport is back in business after more than 24 hours on ice. Delays are still running three to four hours.
CNN's Chris Huntington, he's on time, though. He's right in the middle of everything, though.
Hi, Chris.
CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right, Kyra. Well, Boston's got another big dig on its hands here. The storm that came whipping through here not a record breaker but by all accounts, a world-class blizzard.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTINGTON (voice-over): The storm battered the bay state from Cape Cod in the south, to the North Shore near Gloucester, and of course, downtown Boston, in between.
The peak hours early Sunday morning, snow fell at more than three inches an hour, dumping close to three feet in many towns and more than two feet in Boston Commons, where temperatures hovered around 10 degrees for most of the day.
But it was the hurricane force winds that caused most of the trouble, driving snow into dangerous whiteout conditions, plundering the plows' best efforts and whipping 10- to 15-foot waves on top of a storm surge along the coast.
The entire island of Nantucket lost power. Across the state of Massachusetts, more than 30,000 homes went dark.
Governor Mitt Romney declared a state of emergency, putting National Guard troops on alert for evacuation and rescue operations, and clearing the way for federal funding to help cover the considerable cost of snow removal.
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino announced that he would order only essential city personnel to work on Monday, and he said that Boston public schools would be closed through Tuesday.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTINGTON: As you can see here, it is actually a beautiful sunny day. That will certainly help with the snow removal. Overall, accumulation in downtown Boston, just shy of the record of 27 1/2 inches. The tally for this storm, 26 inches, although north of here in Salem they had 38 inches, south of here about the same.
Not as bad overall, the impact of this storm as the great blizzard of 1978. That remains the benchmark in this region. Nonetheless, this was a deadly storm, two fatalities. A former "Boston Globe" columnist died while shoveling snow, and a 10-year-old boy in the Roxbury section of Boston was asphyxiated by carbon monoxide seeking the warmth of an idling car.
There is more snow on the way on Wednesday -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: And a lot of safety precautions to take. Chris Huntington, thanks so much -- Tony.
HARRIS: Jacqui Jeras, more snow on the way for that -- you -- I thought we were going to order up a warm up. But I see that's not the case.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: OK, Jacqui, thank you. Appreciate it.
PHILLIPS: Clandestine yes; secret, no. The government's newest intelligence service is the buzz of Washington today. Their strategic support branch, a 2-year-old operation formed inside the Pentagon in the aftermath of September 11 and kept well under wraps until now.
CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has the details on its mission -- Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Kyra.
Well, it is now confirmed. The Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency for more than the last two years has been running a beefed-up clandestine human intelligence operation, essentially sending its operatives out around the world wherever they order them to go in clandestine operations to gather human intelligence.
This can range from essentially spying, gathering intelligence on the battlefield, conducting interrogations, that sort of thing.
How sensitive is all of this? Well, very sensitive. When the story broke in "The Washington Post" yesterday, the Pentagon initially put out a statement that technically, at least technically, denied that such an organization exists, Pentagon spokesman Larry DiRita saying, quote, "There is no unit that is directly reportable to the secretary of defense for clandestine operations."
But, Kyra, that unit does exist and it does report to the Defense Intelligence Agency.
One of the reasons all of this very controversial, a lot of discussion about whether or not the Pentagon is really trying to expand its intelligence portfolio and take away from the CIA.
Top officials insist, no, that is not what's going on, that they are simply trying to beef-up and have a more, quote, "robust military intelligence capability."
But operationally on the ground, it remains controversial, because what they are doing, what they are talking about, is putting DIA personnel in the field, on the front lines, with Special Forces, the troops that conduct some of the most secretive intelligence operations.
And the question that is emerging is whether those Special Forces really want DIA personnel, no matter how qualified they may be, along with them on their missions, because of course, Kyra, as these Special Forces guys will tell you, when they go out, when they go on their missions, when they so-called kick the door down, they don't like to have a lot of people watching. So all of this really does remain quite an issue of discussion. And it may only be the beginning of this whole story, because the Pentagon is continuing to try and beef up and revamp and overhaul its intelligence operations. Officials say there are 60 additional initiatives under way inside the Pentagon to try and make intelligence a better unit -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Barbara Starr. Thanks so much.
We're going to talk more about the strategic support branch with retired General David Grange coming up at the half-hour -- Tony.
HARRIS: And Kyra, the State Department hopes it's not a secret that a fruitful lead on Osama bin Laden can be worth $25 million to the tipster. "TIME" magazine reports a Bush administration P.R. blitz in Afghan and Pakistani media, highlighting hefty bounties on bin Laden, Mullah Omar and Ayman al-Zawahiri and 11 others.
OBL is still believed to be somewhere on the Afghan-Pakistani frontier, but there has been no trace of him for more than a year and a half. "TIME" says the bin Laden bounty is likely to double to $50 million by the end of next month.
PHILLIPS: Busted in Baghdad. A man who claims he's behind 75 percent of the car bomb attacks in the Iraqi capital since the start of the current war. The latest car bombing targeted the party headquarters of the sitting prime minister, though no one but the driver was killed.
We get the latest from CNN's Christiane Amanpour in Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the run-up to Sunday's elections here, the predicted violence does continue.
Today, early this morning, there was a big suicide car bomb attack in an area close to the political headquarters of the interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi. There was nobody killed in that attack, but 12 people were injured according to Baghdad police, among them 10 policemen.
Afterwards, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi the most wanted terrorist, connected to al Qaeda, we're told has in fact posted a statement claiming responsibility. And this follows a very virulent audiotape that he released, calling on people not to go to the elections, saying that they were -- the elections of the infidel and warning people not to participate.
It's clear that people here in Iraq are afraid, and to that end the U.S. And Iraqi forces are trying to crackdown on these insurgents in an increased crackdown leading up to the elections.
We're told by U.S. commanders that hundreds of suspected insurgents have been rounded up, and dozens of weapons caches have been discovered. In the meantime, they also say that one key insurgent with links to Zarqawi has been arrested, a key bomb maker, we're told by the Iraqi government.
Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Brazen attacks by insurgents just days before the Iraqi elections. Will they impact the vote? Our Arab affairs analyst has been watching their activities closely, and she joins us with some insights just ahead.
And John Ashcroft, one of the most polarizing figures in the Bush administration, set to say his goodbyes, but not before he talks with CNN. Just ahead.
And later on LIVE FROM, he's half the man he used to be. A Nebraska man who once tipped the scales at more than 1,000 pounds fulfills a dream.
ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: The incoming head of homeland security will have to choose a new undersecretary for borders and transportation. CNN has learned that the current holder of that office is leaving after being passed over twice in two months for the secretary's job.
He's Asa Hutchinson, former three-term Republican congressman for Arkansas and the head of the DEA after that. He's believed to be mulling a run for Arkansas governor in 2006.
Hail and farewell to John Ashcroft today at the Justice Department weeks after Ashcroft's written resignation, among the first in the aftermath of President Bush's re-election.
The soon to be ex-attorney general is addressing his department for the last time. Before that, though, Ashcroft sat on -- sat down, rather, for a one-on-one interview with CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena. The subject: his own controversial standing in the war on terror.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: I don't think this administration was concerned about who's a lightning rod and who's not.
The attacks of 9/11 focused this administration on more fundamental issues, the very -- the most basic issues of our culture: human dignity and freedom and survival and security.
And those issues simply crowded out all kinds of other things that might have otherwise arisen or might have been a part of what would normally be the politics or the give and take of bureaucratic endeavors. What we really found ourselves with was a serious challenge to the security of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Ashcroft's farewell ceremony begins a little more than an hour from now. We'll stop by for a listen.
HARRIS: With just six days until the election in Iraq, insurgents are becoming more bold and brazen in their attempt to sabotage the landmark vote. Days ago, insurgents beheaded two people on a busy sidewalk in full view of passersby. That was followed by the killing of an Egyptian hostage on an Iraqi street corner.
Why are the insurgents taking this approach? Joining me now, Octavia Nasr, senior editor of Arab affairs for CNN.
Octavia, good to see you, as always.
OCTAVIA NASR, SENIOR EDITOR OF ARAB AFFAIRS: Thank you for having me.
HARRIS: Well, here we go. The election is Sunday. And here we have these audiotapes from the Jordanian terrorist, Abu Musab al Zarqawi. You've translated these tapes. What is he saying? Is there anything new in it?
NASR: Well, yes, in a way, because this is the first time he launches an all-out war on elections.
HARRIS: On the actual election?
NASR: Absolutely. This is very specific. And we saw one response to that call today in a car bomb attack on the Allawi headquarters. This is the prime minister's headquarters. So this is working.
When you check the web sites, for instance, the Islamist web sites, you also see that people are responding. They're starting to prepare for attacks, at least get people excited, and going.
HARRIS: Now the beheadings. This is particularly disturbing, because for awhile there, there was a lull in the beheadings, and now they've started up again. They're on tape, and, this time around they're very public, aren't they?
NASR: Very public. And that is disturbing for a lot of people. Again, when you check web sites, I mean, pro and con, you know people are against, but also those who support these Zarqawi -- here you're looking at a still that we took from a film, a very disturbing film.
HARRIS: And these are average guys. These are guys just trying to make a living.
NASR: They were truck drivers.
HARRIS: Truck drivers. NASR: Exactly. And here you're looking at them. They were sort of being interrogated. They were asked questions about how much money they made, what exactly they did.
And they said, "We deliver food and supplies to a U.S. base in Ramadi." They were made to say things like Ramadi is the city of Mujahideen and stuff like that.
Unfortunately, when you watch this film, you think that these guys are answering the questions in the hope that they're going to be spared.
HARRIS: Yes.
NASR: But 10 minutes later we see the very gruesome video. Of course, we're not going to show them to our viewers, but this is the beginning of one of them, where the man is being -- look. This is a regular street...
HARRIS: Well, you can see it. You can see that you're on a sidewalk there.
NASR: It's daylight, exactly. And if you watch the video, you will hear the trucks and cars blowing horns in the background and, unfortunately, this man is beheaded. And his companion is beheaded right after him.
HARRIS: And Octavia, this is all about intimidation, isn't it?
NASR: It is. Basically when they play these videos, when they post them on the web sites, at the end of them there's a disclaimer basically saying this is going to be the fate of everyone who works with the infidels.
In their words, infidels are anybody...
HARRIS: Anybody.
NASR: ... who deals with the Iraqi interim government, with the U.S., with the coalition. All those people are infidels.
HARRIS: Well, just today we're getting word from the Iraqi government that they've made arrests of suspected terrorists and insurgents. Is that having any impact on the streets?
NASR: If you -- if you read those web sites, you notice that -- no impact. As a matter of fact, they take it as a joke. They say they didn't arrest anybody.
HARRIS: And this happened a week or so ago, didn't it?
NASR: A couple of weeks ago.
HARRIS: A couple of weeks ago?
NASR: The arrests are taking place. You know, we hear about them every now and then. Over the weekend, there was a rumor that Zarqawi himself was arrested.
HARRIS: Yes, yes.
NASR: So it seems that this is a response to that. That, no, he wasn't arrested but some of his top lieutenants and deputies and so forth. But the web sites are a clear indication that the business of hostage taking and innocent beheading goes on with the arrests and without them.
HARRIS: And the propaganda machine continues to churn out this kind of material, as well.
NASR: Absolutely. I mean this is propaganda at its best. I mean these people put together productions, you know, videos, with music and...
HARRIS: With effects. Music and effects.
NASR: Sound effects, yes. Wind blowing and water falling and stuff like that. It's very disturbing when you watch them. When your job is like mine...
HARRIS: Yes.
NASR: ... to watch these people on a regular basis, it's very disturbing to see how advanced they are technologically and propaganda wise.
HARRIS: All right. We'll keep our fingers crossed for the elections coming up on Sunday, Octavia. Thank you so much, as always.
We'll take a break. More LIVE FROM when we come back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS (voice-over): Next on LIVE FROM...
ED MCMAHON, FORMER ANNOUNCER, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Here's Johnny!
PHILLIPS: ... a salute to the man who made us laugh, made the careers of top comedians, and forever changed television: Johnny Carson.
Later on LIVE FROM, stem cells. Researchers hope they hold the keys to curing diseases and repairing damaged organs. But a new discovery could put some research in jeopardy.
Training to fight terror. But these are pilots, not police officers. Our Miles O'Brien takes you inside defending the cockpit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARSON: Let's get on with this. Mount St. Helens, Three-Mile Island and the Love Canal.
Where can you still buy a house for less than 100 grand?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: That's what we did. We just laughed. We watched and we laughed.
PHILLIPS: That's right. We talked about how you and I used to stay up late.
HARRIS: Yes. Do we have any time? No. That's a long story. But no, he was absolutely one of my first heroes. I know he was for you too.
Well, the showbiz tributes are still pouring in for Johnny Carson today.
HARRIS: And fans continue to pile up flowers and candles and notes upon his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Although Carson didn't invent the late night talk show, he made it his own in a way that totally defined it for generations of viewers from Baby Boomers on up. And even though it's been a dozen years since he pulled a Garbo and vanished from the public eye, well, Carson's comic stamp remains indelible.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MCMAHON: And now, here's Johnny!
RAY ROMANO, COMEDIAN: He had the ability to be funny, to be poignant, to be serious, to talk about any subject. We're going to miss him.
CARSON: No, no, no. No, I didn't...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was a giant. He had that cackle laugh, you know.
MCMAHON: I'm going to be out of town tomorrow, so...
CARSON: What do you mean, you're going to be out of town?
MCMAHON: I'm going to be...
CARSON: Tomorrow is Friday.
MCMAHON: I know. But I can take a day off once in awhile. You certainly invented it.
CARSON: Want a few grapes?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was game for anything, whether it was getting in the pool, or having the elephant lift him up in her trunk, or if I offered to bring him in, he would do just about anything.
DON RICKLES, COMEDIAN: I say, very honestly, he was so special, because Midwest guy -- and I'm a Jewish kid from New York. When I showed affection, it was hard for him to show that. But when I did, I knew he loved me. And he's in heaven now. And I know he loves me and my family, and I love him. And may God be good to this man. He was the best.
Could I do it a couple of minutes?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
CARSON: No, no.
RICKLES: Give me a break, I'm so lonely!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was important to all of our lives. Older people who remember staying up late at night to listen to him and going to bed feeling pleased and delighted and enjoying him. He's made late night television something of importance to people today, to young people as well, because of the shows that followed him.
CARSON: If I could magically somehow, that tape you just saw, make it run backwards, I'd like to do the whole thing all over again.
BETTE MIDLER, ENTERTAINER (singing): Make it one for my baby and one more for the road.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Wow. Tonight on CNN, an exclusive prime time interview with Johnny Carson's long-time sidekick, Ed McMahon.
PHILLIPS: I can't even do that. "You are correct, sir!" But Ed joins Larry King tonight at 9 Eastern with the inside story on "The Tonight Show" and his favorite Carson memories.
HARRIS: Moving on now, national security concerns are reportedly holding up a big deal for IBM.
PHILLIPS: Susan Lisovicz joins us live from the New York Stock Exchange with that story.
Hi, Susan.
(STOCK REPORT)
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