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The Rice Report; Michael Chertoff Speaks to Employees; Corporate Jet Crashes in Colorado
Aired February 16, 2005 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Corporate jet crashes in Colorado within the past few hours, about three miles short of a runway there. We expect to hear from authorities on the scene there any moment. We'll bring it to you as soon as it does.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR: We are concerned that they are seeking weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons, so- called dirty bombs, or some form of biological agent such as anthrax.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Global terror and threats to American security. The FBI and CIA sound alarms on Capitol Hill.
O'BRIEN: And family reunion. A baby found amid the tsunami debris finally back in his family's arms.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Miles O'Brien.
PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
O'BRIEN: Up first this hour, red flags from a blue-ribbon assortment of U.S. officials on Capitol Hill. Everybody who's anybody in the U.S. security apparatus plus Alan Greenspan briefing congressional committees on nightmarish threats and administration responses.
The testimony comes during tense times on several fronts. Chief among them, Syria, Lebanon and Iran.
Condoleezza Rice appears a day after ordering the U.S. ambassador to Syria back to Washington, and the very day Damascus and Tehran declare a united front against challenges presumably posed by Washington. We get more on all this from CNN State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel -- Andrea.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPT. CORRESPONDENT: Miles, Secretary of State Rice was not asked specifically about that startling announcement out of Iran today. But senators did ask her what the Bush administration might be planning regarding the latest on Syria and Lebanon in the wake of Monday's assassination of Lebanon's former prime minister. Rice said that the United States, at this point, doesn't know who is responsible for Rafik Hariri's assassination, but said -- basically laying it out that the U.S. believes there is only one country that's at the top of the short list for suspects.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: The Syrians, given their position in Lebanon, given their interference in Lebanese affairs, given the fact that their forces are there, given the terrorists that operate in southern Lebanon with Syrian forces in close proximity to them does put, on the Syrians, a special responsibility for the kind of destabilization that happened there, and that this sort of thing could happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOPPEL: Rice went on to say that that was why recalling the U.S. ambassador to Syria on Tuesday made sense. She also told senators that the bombing attack in Lebanon, while still under investigation, is just the latest of a long series of problems the U.S. has had with Syria, including what she called, "ineffective or incomplete efforts by Damascus to deal with insurgents, using Syria as a launching pad for attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq."
In addition, Rice went on to explicitly call on Syria to withdraw an estimated 14,000 Syrian troops from Lebanon. The Syrian government, Miles, maintains that its troops are there at the invitation of the Lebanese government -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Andrea Koppel at the State Department. Thank you.
Now to Beirut for what the followers of the assassinated former prime minister call a popular remembrance. The key word there being "popular."
The procession from Rafik Hariri's mansion to his gravesite two miles away took two hours because of the multitudes of mourners that you see there. Just getting him from the photo-shrouded ambulance to the grave took another hour. Aside from sorrow, mourners vented anger at Syria, whom many hold responsible, directly or otherwise, for the bomb that killed Hariri and 16 others.
PHILLIPS: CIA Director Porter Goss tells Congress groups associated with al Qaeda tops the list of threats to the U.S. And in his first public appearance since assuming that post, Goss told the Senate Intelligence Committee al Qaeda is determined to get around U.S. security upgrades and attack the homeland. He says Islamic terror groups would most likely use low-tech weapons such as car bombs, but more sophisticated devices are also a threat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PORTER GOSS, CIA DIRECTOR: It may be only a matter of time before al Qaeda or another group attempts to use chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons. We must focus on that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Goss warns it's possible that missing material from Russia's nuclear sites could be in the hands of terrorists.
Well, the Department of Homeland Security is welcoming its new chief to the first day on the job. Former federal appeals court judge Michael Chertoff won the Senate's unanimous approval as DHS secretary yesterday.
You're looking at live pictures right now as he's greeted by coworkers there in the gym, the DHS building. Afterwards he took the oath of office at the White House, and this hour he's going to speak to his staff here at the second largest cabinet agency, of course, in the country. And we will check in on his comments and take it live when he steps up to the podium.
O'BRIEN: Well, it's called the Justice Prisoner Air Transportation System, and it's winging its way into controversy. Immigrants convicted of crimes get a one-way plane ticket to their native country. CNN's Dan Lothian with our report.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An airport in Massachusetts the last stop on American soil for 50 convicted immigrants from the Dominican Republic. Shackled, searched and surrounded by heavily armed law enforcement officers, deportation is just minutes away.
JIM BROWN, U.S. IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE: Part of the national security mission is to remove any folks that don't belong in the United States out of the United States.
LOTHIAN: In a pre-flight briefing...
BROWN: We're dealing with some folks that are definitely high risk.
LOTHIAN: Chief immigration and customs enforcement agent Jim Brown reads the rap sheet.
BROWN: Assaults with dangerous weapons, assault and battery on a child under 14.
LOTHIAN: Some were fugitives, like 32-year-old Raphael Santana, arrested in an early morning raid south of Boston last month. Authorities say the Dominican native was convicted on, among other things, assault and battery charges. He served time but was dodging deportation orders.
Wearing the same yellow athletic suit, Santana shuffled onto the one way flight to the Dominican Republic.
(on camera): More than 38,000 convicted immigrants were loaded onto government airplanes and deported last year, sent to not only the Dominican Republic, but Haiti, Jamaica and other destinations in South and Central America.
(voice-over): They are released onto the streets almost immediately, with few exceptions.
MARC RAIMONDI, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY: If there are warrants, if some of the people on this aircraft are wanted on Dominican charges, they may be taken into custody.
LOTHIAN: But even officials acknowledge some will attempt or succeed at reentering the U.S. illegally, despite the threat of tougher penalties.
BRUCE CHADBOURNE-FIELD, U.S. IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE: Any criminal that re-enters after deportation most likely will be prosecuted federally.
LOTHIAN: Ali Noorani, an advocate for immigrants and refugees, agrees with the crackdown on criminals, but worries law abiding immigrants are being caught in the net.
ALI NOORANI, IMMIGRANT REFUGEE ADVOCATE: They also need an immigration system that allows people who have made minor violations and who are really victims of a bulky bureaucratic system to remain in the city -- in the country with their families.
LOTHIAN: Officials admit no system is perfect, but say this effort is critical in protecting America's streets and borders.
Dan Lothian, CNN, Santo Domingo.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
PHILLIPS: It's his first day on the job and our first time taking him in live as he addresses his staff. Live pictures now. Former federal appeals court judge Michael Chertoff, now our new Department of Homeland Security secretary, addressing his staff there in his new place of work in the gym.
Let's listen in.
MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: ... and their loved ones. And having been in a number of different government jobs, I have to say, I've never experienced the sense of public ownership that I experienced since I've become the nominee for this department. And I think it's a tribute to the important work that you do and the service that you render that people feel that way.
Speaking personally, you know, I -- I've taken the oath of office to serve in various government jobs on a number of occasions. One occasion I remember in particular goes back almost 25 years when I started out in my first entry-level job as a young assistant United States attorney in Manhattan. And it was really the fulfillment of a dream I had as a young lawyer to be able to serve the public in a job which was very important.
And I vividly remember how important it was to me on that day to join a company of men and women who were doing extraordinary work to protect the American public. And I still carry that vision of what public service is within me as I join you today, because I think each and every one of you, by being here, have had the same sensation that I had then, that there's nothing you can do professionally that is more important than serving the United States.
I also know that in the wake of September 11, the job of protecting the homeland has taken on an urgency as never before. All of us were touched by September 11. Some of us lost loved ones and friends. All of us saw the devastation that was inflicted on the American public. And we experience to this day the consequences of that.
When I look out among you, I know all of you agree with me and believe as I do that the most important thing we do in our jobs each day is to work as hard as we can to prevent something like that from ever happening again. And I am, therefore, proud and privileged to join you in serving in this great department to achieve that very important public purpose.
I have to pay tribute to some individuals, as well as to all of you collectively.
First of all, Secretary Tom Ridge, who took on the very difficult task of leading the department at birth, really has done a superb job in setting the tone and making it very difficult actually for me to fill his shoes. And to the extent I'm able to achieve anything during my tenure, it will be because I stand on the soldiers of Tom Ridge and get the benefit of what he accomplished.
I want to recognize Admiral Jim Loy, who has dedicated more than 40 years to a career in public service and has been outstanding in every one those jobs. That's really an inspiration to be able to work with him as we overlap during these weeks. And he brings a tremendous spirit, as well as tremendous knowledge to the job.
Finally, I want to thank all of the people who aided me in this transition. You've all been tremendous in trying to get me up to speed quickly through the process of learning about the department in anticipation of my hearings and now on my first day on the job.
I hope that I get to work with each and every one of you. I'm going to be looking to learn from you. I want to hear your experiences, your observations, and your ideas for how we can make this department better.
I know we have done a lot. I know there's a lot more to do. But I do know that the one thing that distinguishes this department is the spirit of the people who serve within it and the goodwill and prayers of everybody in the American public who wishes us the best.
And so when sometimes we get tired or frustrated or impatient, I think the thing that I will bear in mind is that we have a tremendous responsibility and a tremendous privilege. And every day we can carry that out is a day that we can feel we've done a job very well done.
Anyway, I appreciate, again, your turning out for this. It is a great privilege for me to stand here and say hello to each of you. And I look forward to seeing you and working with you again in the days and weeks to come.
Thank you very much.
(APPLAUSE)
PHILLIPS: After winning the Senate's unanimous approval there, Michael Chertoff addressing his staff for the first time in the gym of the Homeland Security building. As he starts his first day as the Department of Homeland Security's secretary after he took the oath of office, he headed to the White House. Now he's addressed his staff for the first time. And, of course, he says he's proud and privileged to take on this new job of protecting the homeland.
CNN is committed to providing the most reliable coverage of news that affects your security. So stay tuned to CNN for the latest information day and night.
O'BRIEN: All right. We've been tracking a plane crash outside of Pueblo, Colorado, about two to three miles east of the airport there.
A twin-engine Cessna 560 Citation crashed apparently on approach, carrying eight aboard. Reports of eight dead. We're told that it was operated by the Circuit City Corporation, though no officers of that corporation on board.
We're going now live to one of our affiliate reporters on the scene, Jeff Marcu, with KKTV.
Jeff, what do you know?
JEFF MARCU, REPORTER, KKTV: Miles, right now what we know is this was a Circuit City aircraft on its way from Richmond, Virginia. There were actually two planes flying into the pueblo airport. One has landed safely. The sheriff is now talking to passengers in that plane.
The other did crash. Eight people on board. They are confirmed dead.
Now, four of those people were employees from Circuit City. The other four unknown at this time. We are told there were no officers.
We do have Steve Bryant here from the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office to talk to us, and going to give us some background.
This happened just after 9:00 a.m. Mountain Standard Time. At that time here in Pueblo, the weather was not terribly favorable.
STEVE BRYANT, PUEBLO COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: No, it wasn't -- it wasn't terribly favorable. It was overcast. Appeared to be some kind of freezing drizzle in the area. But it was overcast. I'm not sure about the visibility, but it couldn't have been too awfully great up there.
MARCU: And right now it's safe to assume the Pueblo Sheriff's Office does not have a lot of information right now. We are waiting for the NTSB to come by.
And really, you're just in a standstill mode now.
BRYANT: Certainly. The jurisdiction now falls under them. What we did is we responded, we arrived here minutes after the crash. We got the call about 9:15 this morning. And at this point, we secured the scene.
We did identify that there were approximately eight bodies. There was no survivors from the plane. And at that point, we secured the scene, and we're waiting for those investigators to arrive from Denver.
MARCU: All right. Steve Bryant, thank you very much.
BRYANT: Thank you.
MARCU: And Miles, once again, eight people died, four of those employees from Circuit City. Right now the coroner's office did pull in here just a few minutes ago. And again, we are waiting for the National Transportation Safety Board. They will do the investigation on this crash.
O'BRIEN: Jeff Marcu with our affiliate KKTV there in Pueblo, Colorado. Thanks very much -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, global warming and greenhouse gases. An international treaty to slow them both down goes into effect today without the United States joining it. We're going to talk about why America is not part of it with Senator Joe Lieberman just ahead on LIVE FROM.
An agonizing wait is over for a family whose baby was ripped out of their arms during the tsunami. Their tearful reunion just ahead on LIVE FROM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Big day for the green lobby today. The Kyoto Protocol is now officially in effect. The treaty, seven years in the making, is the first international accord aimed at reducing so-called greenhouse gases.
More than three dozen developed nations will now be legally bound to take steps to reduce emissions of industrial gases that are ultimately thought to cause global warming. There's been one rather large empty seat at the Kyoto conference table. The Bush White House turned its back on the agreement despite Mr. Bush's campaign promises saying it was based on bad science.
Now, that angered some countries, including allies who say Washington is being shortsighted. So who's right?
Let's bring in Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman.
Good to see you, Senator Lieberman. SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: You, too, Miles. Good to be with you.
O'BRIEN: You, along with Senator John McCain, have proposed some legislation which is sort of a -- I hope you don't mind -- take this as a pejorative -- but a Kyoto light. It's sort of a mid version of it. Caps and trade system, why don't you explain the proposal that you're putting out there and what it would do.
LIEBERMAN: OK. First, John McCain and I recognize, as I think not only most sciences, but most people do, that global warming is a real problem. We're seeing the ice caps melt. We're seeing birds and animals in places that they weren't before because the temperature is changing. The water is lapping up against the front door of coastal villages in places like Alaska and throughout the Pacific.
So we've got to do something about this. And it's an embarrassment that the U.S., the largest emitter of the greenhouse gases that create global warming, is not part of this protocol.
You're right. The proposal that John McCain and I are putting in is not as demanding as Kyoto, because we didn't think we could get Kyoto passed.
It sets a cap. It creates a system for putting a limit on greenhouse gas emissions. And then across the economy, in all sectors, power, transportation, commercial, industrial, says you've got to reduce what you're putting out. And if you can't do it yourself, or you do better than others, you can trade those credits.
It's a system that's worked with regard to acid rain. It's beginning to work in Europe now with regard to greenhouse gases. We know it can work here in America, and we're going to keep fighting until we get it passed.
O'BRIEN: It sounds like something that -- somebody who likes the free market would appreciate. The concern is that ultimately this would raise the cost of energy and put a damper on the economy and ultimately lead to a loss of jobs. How do you respond to that?
LIEBERMAN: Well, first, you've got to say that there's costs on the other side if we do nothing. In whole communities, including eventually coastal communities within the continental United States that won't be able to go on the way they're going on, and the cost of that is going to be astronomical. Incidentally, a very prominent insurance company just estimated that if we don't do something about global warming within 10 years, there will be claims of over $150 billion a year additional because of climatic changes of global warming.
The fact is, we've had studies done by folks at MIT that show that not only -- a study last week from the National Resources Defenses Council show that, one, the McCain-Lieberman proposal is manageable, and two, it will not only not cost jobs, it will create 800,000 jobs in the coming year. How? Because businesses will innovate. They'll find ways to create clean energy and more fuel-efficient cars. And that will create new jobs for people. We've got to do this, and we can do it in a way that both protects our environment and grows our economy.
O'BRIEN: One of the other criticisms of Kyoto is that the number two greenhouse gas emitter, China, gets to opt out for a while. Essentially to allow its economy to grow, not to put any constraints on it. Also India gets to opt out, another emerging economy.
Is that fair?
LIEBERMAN: Right. It's not fair, but we've got to view it as temporary.
The Chinese and the Indians said they just wouldn't accept those restrictions because they had such enormous populations and they needed to grow. This was in 1997 in Kyoto, where I was privileged to be present. But I'll tell you, we're at a moment now where somebody ought to bring the nations that signed Kyoto or some of the big ones that signed and the big ones that did not, U.S., China, India around a table and renegotiate Kyoto so that U.S., China and India can get on board.
The Chinese and the Indians won't do it unless we do. And this is really a time for the U.S. to show some environmental leadership. And, of course, I think it's moral leadership, because if we don't take action to stop what's happening, our children and grandchildren are not going to live the kinds of lives we want them to live in this country and around the world.
O'BRIEN: Are you optimistic that given this administration and this Congress, there will be some sort of top-down action on global warming? There's a lot of grassroots interest in this, but nothing from the government.
LIEBERMAN: You're absolutely right. The people of the U.S. understand this is a problem.
Miles, earlier in the day, I spoke to about 400 ladies from all around America, the Garden Clubs of America. They get it. They're here to argue and urge their members of Congress to do something about this.
The administration hasn't changed much. And therefore, while I think our strength is growing, John McCain and I understand this is going to be a fight to get our proposal adopted in this session.
But I can just tell you this, we believe this is critical. And we're going to stubbornly fight on until we get it done. We know it's going to be done. The question is whether it will be soon enough to deal with global warming before it really begins to hurt some people and hurt the good Earth, which the good lord created and allowed us to live on.
O'BRIEN: Whatever you do, don't mess with the Garden Club lobby. All right. Thank you very much, Senator.
(LAUGHTER)
LIEBERMAN: They're strong.
O'BRIEN: They're strong. Senator Joe Lieberman, Democrat of Connecticut. Thank you very much.
LIEBERMAN: See you, Miles. Great to be with you.
O'BRIEN: All right.
Viewers, listen up. Set your TiVo right now.
"Melting Point: Tracking the Threat of Global Warming" is a program that will air on CNN on March 27. I know that's a little in the down range for you, Kyra. I'll keep reminding you, don't worry. I've had a little input on this, as a matter of fact.
No, this is something I've been working on for quite some time. It's part of our "CNN PRESENTS" 25th anniversary specials. "Melting Point: Tracking the Threat of Global Warming," will take you everywhere from way above the Arctic Circle to the South Pacific, an island that may disappear to the polar bears of Manitoba. And they're so cute -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Did I mention I met a few polar bears?
O'BRIEN: I'm sure you did.
PHILLIPS: All right. Straight ahead, how do lawyers decide how to pick for the jury in the high-profile cases like the Michael Jackson trial? Just ahead on LIVE FROM, a fascinating look at the science behind the selection of 12 people to sit in judgment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Stories "Now in the News."
All eight people on board a corporate jet have been killed in a crash near the airport in Pueblo, Colorado. Authorities say the plane went down about three hours ago on approach after a flight from Richmond, Virginia. The Cessna Citation 560 is registered to Circuit City Corporation. The company Web site statement says four of those killed were employees of Circuit City.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warns terrorists are preparing another attack on the United States. In his words, "They're recalibrating and reorganizing." But he adds, "So are we." Rumsfeld was defending the Pentagon budget request on Capitol Hill at the time.
The Italian Senate has voted to keep paying for Italian troops deployed in Iraq. That comes just hours after the release of a chilling hostage video showing an abducted Italian journalist begging for her life and asking Italy to get out of Iraq. Italy now has about 3,000 troops there. Pro hockey takes a time-out. The National Hockey League a short time ago canceled the remainder of the season after a five-month labor dispute. Commissioner Gary Bettman calls it a sad, regrettable day.
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Aired February 16, 2005 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Corporate jet crashes in Colorado within the past few hours, about three miles short of a runway there. We expect to hear from authorities on the scene there any moment. We'll bring it to you as soon as it does.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR: We are concerned that they are seeking weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons, so- called dirty bombs, or some form of biological agent such as anthrax.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Global terror and threats to American security. The FBI and CIA sound alarms on Capitol Hill.
O'BRIEN: And family reunion. A baby found amid the tsunami debris finally back in his family's arms.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Miles O'Brien.
PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
O'BRIEN: Up first this hour, red flags from a blue-ribbon assortment of U.S. officials on Capitol Hill. Everybody who's anybody in the U.S. security apparatus plus Alan Greenspan briefing congressional committees on nightmarish threats and administration responses.
The testimony comes during tense times on several fronts. Chief among them, Syria, Lebanon and Iran.
Condoleezza Rice appears a day after ordering the U.S. ambassador to Syria back to Washington, and the very day Damascus and Tehran declare a united front against challenges presumably posed by Washington. We get more on all this from CNN State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel -- Andrea.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPT. CORRESPONDENT: Miles, Secretary of State Rice was not asked specifically about that startling announcement out of Iran today. But senators did ask her what the Bush administration might be planning regarding the latest on Syria and Lebanon in the wake of Monday's assassination of Lebanon's former prime minister. Rice said that the United States, at this point, doesn't know who is responsible for Rafik Hariri's assassination, but said -- basically laying it out that the U.S. believes there is only one country that's at the top of the short list for suspects.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: The Syrians, given their position in Lebanon, given their interference in Lebanese affairs, given the fact that their forces are there, given the terrorists that operate in southern Lebanon with Syrian forces in close proximity to them does put, on the Syrians, a special responsibility for the kind of destabilization that happened there, and that this sort of thing could happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOPPEL: Rice went on to say that that was why recalling the U.S. ambassador to Syria on Tuesday made sense. She also told senators that the bombing attack in Lebanon, while still under investigation, is just the latest of a long series of problems the U.S. has had with Syria, including what she called, "ineffective or incomplete efforts by Damascus to deal with insurgents, using Syria as a launching pad for attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq."
In addition, Rice went on to explicitly call on Syria to withdraw an estimated 14,000 Syrian troops from Lebanon. The Syrian government, Miles, maintains that its troops are there at the invitation of the Lebanese government -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Andrea Koppel at the State Department. Thank you.
Now to Beirut for what the followers of the assassinated former prime minister call a popular remembrance. The key word there being "popular."
The procession from Rafik Hariri's mansion to his gravesite two miles away took two hours because of the multitudes of mourners that you see there. Just getting him from the photo-shrouded ambulance to the grave took another hour. Aside from sorrow, mourners vented anger at Syria, whom many hold responsible, directly or otherwise, for the bomb that killed Hariri and 16 others.
PHILLIPS: CIA Director Porter Goss tells Congress groups associated with al Qaeda tops the list of threats to the U.S. And in his first public appearance since assuming that post, Goss told the Senate Intelligence Committee al Qaeda is determined to get around U.S. security upgrades and attack the homeland. He says Islamic terror groups would most likely use low-tech weapons such as car bombs, but more sophisticated devices are also a threat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PORTER GOSS, CIA DIRECTOR: It may be only a matter of time before al Qaeda or another group attempts to use chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons. We must focus on that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Goss warns it's possible that missing material from Russia's nuclear sites could be in the hands of terrorists.
Well, the Department of Homeland Security is welcoming its new chief to the first day on the job. Former federal appeals court judge Michael Chertoff won the Senate's unanimous approval as DHS secretary yesterday.
You're looking at live pictures right now as he's greeted by coworkers there in the gym, the DHS building. Afterwards he took the oath of office at the White House, and this hour he's going to speak to his staff here at the second largest cabinet agency, of course, in the country. And we will check in on his comments and take it live when he steps up to the podium.
O'BRIEN: Well, it's called the Justice Prisoner Air Transportation System, and it's winging its way into controversy. Immigrants convicted of crimes get a one-way plane ticket to their native country. CNN's Dan Lothian with our report.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An airport in Massachusetts the last stop on American soil for 50 convicted immigrants from the Dominican Republic. Shackled, searched and surrounded by heavily armed law enforcement officers, deportation is just minutes away.
JIM BROWN, U.S. IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE: Part of the national security mission is to remove any folks that don't belong in the United States out of the United States.
LOTHIAN: In a pre-flight briefing...
BROWN: We're dealing with some folks that are definitely high risk.
LOTHIAN: Chief immigration and customs enforcement agent Jim Brown reads the rap sheet.
BROWN: Assaults with dangerous weapons, assault and battery on a child under 14.
LOTHIAN: Some were fugitives, like 32-year-old Raphael Santana, arrested in an early morning raid south of Boston last month. Authorities say the Dominican native was convicted on, among other things, assault and battery charges. He served time but was dodging deportation orders.
Wearing the same yellow athletic suit, Santana shuffled onto the one way flight to the Dominican Republic.
(on camera): More than 38,000 convicted immigrants were loaded onto government airplanes and deported last year, sent to not only the Dominican Republic, but Haiti, Jamaica and other destinations in South and Central America.
(voice-over): They are released onto the streets almost immediately, with few exceptions.
MARC RAIMONDI, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY: If there are warrants, if some of the people on this aircraft are wanted on Dominican charges, they may be taken into custody.
LOTHIAN: But even officials acknowledge some will attempt or succeed at reentering the U.S. illegally, despite the threat of tougher penalties.
BRUCE CHADBOURNE-FIELD, U.S. IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE: Any criminal that re-enters after deportation most likely will be prosecuted federally.
LOTHIAN: Ali Noorani, an advocate for immigrants and refugees, agrees with the crackdown on criminals, but worries law abiding immigrants are being caught in the net.
ALI NOORANI, IMMIGRANT REFUGEE ADVOCATE: They also need an immigration system that allows people who have made minor violations and who are really victims of a bulky bureaucratic system to remain in the city -- in the country with their families.
LOTHIAN: Officials admit no system is perfect, but say this effort is critical in protecting America's streets and borders.
Dan Lothian, CNN, Santo Domingo.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
PHILLIPS: It's his first day on the job and our first time taking him in live as he addresses his staff. Live pictures now. Former federal appeals court judge Michael Chertoff, now our new Department of Homeland Security secretary, addressing his staff there in his new place of work in the gym.
Let's listen in.
MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: ... and their loved ones. And having been in a number of different government jobs, I have to say, I've never experienced the sense of public ownership that I experienced since I've become the nominee for this department. And I think it's a tribute to the important work that you do and the service that you render that people feel that way.
Speaking personally, you know, I -- I've taken the oath of office to serve in various government jobs on a number of occasions. One occasion I remember in particular goes back almost 25 years when I started out in my first entry-level job as a young assistant United States attorney in Manhattan. And it was really the fulfillment of a dream I had as a young lawyer to be able to serve the public in a job which was very important.
And I vividly remember how important it was to me on that day to join a company of men and women who were doing extraordinary work to protect the American public. And I still carry that vision of what public service is within me as I join you today, because I think each and every one of you, by being here, have had the same sensation that I had then, that there's nothing you can do professionally that is more important than serving the United States.
I also know that in the wake of September 11, the job of protecting the homeland has taken on an urgency as never before. All of us were touched by September 11. Some of us lost loved ones and friends. All of us saw the devastation that was inflicted on the American public. And we experience to this day the consequences of that.
When I look out among you, I know all of you agree with me and believe as I do that the most important thing we do in our jobs each day is to work as hard as we can to prevent something like that from ever happening again. And I am, therefore, proud and privileged to join you in serving in this great department to achieve that very important public purpose.
I have to pay tribute to some individuals, as well as to all of you collectively.
First of all, Secretary Tom Ridge, who took on the very difficult task of leading the department at birth, really has done a superb job in setting the tone and making it very difficult actually for me to fill his shoes. And to the extent I'm able to achieve anything during my tenure, it will be because I stand on the soldiers of Tom Ridge and get the benefit of what he accomplished.
I want to recognize Admiral Jim Loy, who has dedicated more than 40 years to a career in public service and has been outstanding in every one those jobs. That's really an inspiration to be able to work with him as we overlap during these weeks. And he brings a tremendous spirit, as well as tremendous knowledge to the job.
Finally, I want to thank all of the people who aided me in this transition. You've all been tremendous in trying to get me up to speed quickly through the process of learning about the department in anticipation of my hearings and now on my first day on the job.
I hope that I get to work with each and every one of you. I'm going to be looking to learn from you. I want to hear your experiences, your observations, and your ideas for how we can make this department better.
I know we have done a lot. I know there's a lot more to do. But I do know that the one thing that distinguishes this department is the spirit of the people who serve within it and the goodwill and prayers of everybody in the American public who wishes us the best.
And so when sometimes we get tired or frustrated or impatient, I think the thing that I will bear in mind is that we have a tremendous responsibility and a tremendous privilege. And every day we can carry that out is a day that we can feel we've done a job very well done.
Anyway, I appreciate, again, your turning out for this. It is a great privilege for me to stand here and say hello to each of you. And I look forward to seeing you and working with you again in the days and weeks to come.
Thank you very much.
(APPLAUSE)
PHILLIPS: After winning the Senate's unanimous approval there, Michael Chertoff addressing his staff for the first time in the gym of the Homeland Security building. As he starts his first day as the Department of Homeland Security's secretary after he took the oath of office, he headed to the White House. Now he's addressed his staff for the first time. And, of course, he says he's proud and privileged to take on this new job of protecting the homeland.
CNN is committed to providing the most reliable coverage of news that affects your security. So stay tuned to CNN for the latest information day and night.
O'BRIEN: All right. We've been tracking a plane crash outside of Pueblo, Colorado, about two to three miles east of the airport there.
A twin-engine Cessna 560 Citation crashed apparently on approach, carrying eight aboard. Reports of eight dead. We're told that it was operated by the Circuit City Corporation, though no officers of that corporation on board.
We're going now live to one of our affiliate reporters on the scene, Jeff Marcu, with KKTV.
Jeff, what do you know?
JEFF MARCU, REPORTER, KKTV: Miles, right now what we know is this was a Circuit City aircraft on its way from Richmond, Virginia. There were actually two planes flying into the pueblo airport. One has landed safely. The sheriff is now talking to passengers in that plane.
The other did crash. Eight people on board. They are confirmed dead.
Now, four of those people were employees from Circuit City. The other four unknown at this time. We are told there were no officers.
We do have Steve Bryant here from the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office to talk to us, and going to give us some background.
This happened just after 9:00 a.m. Mountain Standard Time. At that time here in Pueblo, the weather was not terribly favorable.
STEVE BRYANT, PUEBLO COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: No, it wasn't -- it wasn't terribly favorable. It was overcast. Appeared to be some kind of freezing drizzle in the area. But it was overcast. I'm not sure about the visibility, but it couldn't have been too awfully great up there.
MARCU: And right now it's safe to assume the Pueblo Sheriff's Office does not have a lot of information right now. We are waiting for the NTSB to come by.
And really, you're just in a standstill mode now.
BRYANT: Certainly. The jurisdiction now falls under them. What we did is we responded, we arrived here minutes after the crash. We got the call about 9:15 this morning. And at this point, we secured the scene.
We did identify that there were approximately eight bodies. There was no survivors from the plane. And at that point, we secured the scene, and we're waiting for those investigators to arrive from Denver.
MARCU: All right. Steve Bryant, thank you very much.
BRYANT: Thank you.
MARCU: And Miles, once again, eight people died, four of those employees from Circuit City. Right now the coroner's office did pull in here just a few minutes ago. And again, we are waiting for the National Transportation Safety Board. They will do the investigation on this crash.
O'BRIEN: Jeff Marcu with our affiliate KKTV there in Pueblo, Colorado. Thanks very much -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, global warming and greenhouse gases. An international treaty to slow them both down goes into effect today without the United States joining it. We're going to talk about why America is not part of it with Senator Joe Lieberman just ahead on LIVE FROM.
An agonizing wait is over for a family whose baby was ripped out of their arms during the tsunami. Their tearful reunion just ahead on LIVE FROM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Big day for the green lobby today. The Kyoto Protocol is now officially in effect. The treaty, seven years in the making, is the first international accord aimed at reducing so-called greenhouse gases.
More than three dozen developed nations will now be legally bound to take steps to reduce emissions of industrial gases that are ultimately thought to cause global warming. There's been one rather large empty seat at the Kyoto conference table. The Bush White House turned its back on the agreement despite Mr. Bush's campaign promises saying it was based on bad science.
Now, that angered some countries, including allies who say Washington is being shortsighted. So who's right?
Let's bring in Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman.
Good to see you, Senator Lieberman. SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: You, too, Miles. Good to be with you.
O'BRIEN: You, along with Senator John McCain, have proposed some legislation which is sort of a -- I hope you don't mind -- take this as a pejorative -- but a Kyoto light. It's sort of a mid version of it. Caps and trade system, why don't you explain the proposal that you're putting out there and what it would do.
LIEBERMAN: OK. First, John McCain and I recognize, as I think not only most sciences, but most people do, that global warming is a real problem. We're seeing the ice caps melt. We're seeing birds and animals in places that they weren't before because the temperature is changing. The water is lapping up against the front door of coastal villages in places like Alaska and throughout the Pacific.
So we've got to do something about this. And it's an embarrassment that the U.S., the largest emitter of the greenhouse gases that create global warming, is not part of this protocol.
You're right. The proposal that John McCain and I are putting in is not as demanding as Kyoto, because we didn't think we could get Kyoto passed.
It sets a cap. It creates a system for putting a limit on greenhouse gas emissions. And then across the economy, in all sectors, power, transportation, commercial, industrial, says you've got to reduce what you're putting out. And if you can't do it yourself, or you do better than others, you can trade those credits.
It's a system that's worked with regard to acid rain. It's beginning to work in Europe now with regard to greenhouse gases. We know it can work here in America, and we're going to keep fighting until we get it passed.
O'BRIEN: It sounds like something that -- somebody who likes the free market would appreciate. The concern is that ultimately this would raise the cost of energy and put a damper on the economy and ultimately lead to a loss of jobs. How do you respond to that?
LIEBERMAN: Well, first, you've got to say that there's costs on the other side if we do nothing. In whole communities, including eventually coastal communities within the continental United States that won't be able to go on the way they're going on, and the cost of that is going to be astronomical. Incidentally, a very prominent insurance company just estimated that if we don't do something about global warming within 10 years, there will be claims of over $150 billion a year additional because of climatic changes of global warming.
The fact is, we've had studies done by folks at MIT that show that not only -- a study last week from the National Resources Defenses Council show that, one, the McCain-Lieberman proposal is manageable, and two, it will not only not cost jobs, it will create 800,000 jobs in the coming year. How? Because businesses will innovate. They'll find ways to create clean energy and more fuel-efficient cars. And that will create new jobs for people. We've got to do this, and we can do it in a way that both protects our environment and grows our economy.
O'BRIEN: One of the other criticisms of Kyoto is that the number two greenhouse gas emitter, China, gets to opt out for a while. Essentially to allow its economy to grow, not to put any constraints on it. Also India gets to opt out, another emerging economy.
Is that fair?
LIEBERMAN: Right. It's not fair, but we've got to view it as temporary.
The Chinese and the Indians said they just wouldn't accept those restrictions because they had such enormous populations and they needed to grow. This was in 1997 in Kyoto, where I was privileged to be present. But I'll tell you, we're at a moment now where somebody ought to bring the nations that signed Kyoto or some of the big ones that signed and the big ones that did not, U.S., China, India around a table and renegotiate Kyoto so that U.S., China and India can get on board.
The Chinese and the Indians won't do it unless we do. And this is really a time for the U.S. to show some environmental leadership. And, of course, I think it's moral leadership, because if we don't take action to stop what's happening, our children and grandchildren are not going to live the kinds of lives we want them to live in this country and around the world.
O'BRIEN: Are you optimistic that given this administration and this Congress, there will be some sort of top-down action on global warming? There's a lot of grassroots interest in this, but nothing from the government.
LIEBERMAN: You're absolutely right. The people of the U.S. understand this is a problem.
Miles, earlier in the day, I spoke to about 400 ladies from all around America, the Garden Clubs of America. They get it. They're here to argue and urge their members of Congress to do something about this.
The administration hasn't changed much. And therefore, while I think our strength is growing, John McCain and I understand this is going to be a fight to get our proposal adopted in this session.
But I can just tell you this, we believe this is critical. And we're going to stubbornly fight on until we get it done. We know it's going to be done. The question is whether it will be soon enough to deal with global warming before it really begins to hurt some people and hurt the good Earth, which the good lord created and allowed us to live on.
O'BRIEN: Whatever you do, don't mess with the Garden Club lobby. All right. Thank you very much, Senator.
(LAUGHTER)
LIEBERMAN: They're strong.
O'BRIEN: They're strong. Senator Joe Lieberman, Democrat of Connecticut. Thank you very much.
LIEBERMAN: See you, Miles. Great to be with you.
O'BRIEN: All right.
Viewers, listen up. Set your TiVo right now.
"Melting Point: Tracking the Threat of Global Warming" is a program that will air on CNN on March 27. I know that's a little in the down range for you, Kyra. I'll keep reminding you, don't worry. I've had a little input on this, as a matter of fact.
No, this is something I've been working on for quite some time. It's part of our "CNN PRESENTS" 25th anniversary specials. "Melting Point: Tracking the Threat of Global Warming," will take you everywhere from way above the Arctic Circle to the South Pacific, an island that may disappear to the polar bears of Manitoba. And they're so cute -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Did I mention I met a few polar bears?
O'BRIEN: I'm sure you did.
PHILLIPS: All right. Straight ahead, how do lawyers decide how to pick for the jury in the high-profile cases like the Michael Jackson trial? Just ahead on LIVE FROM, a fascinating look at the science behind the selection of 12 people to sit in judgment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Stories "Now in the News."
All eight people on board a corporate jet have been killed in a crash near the airport in Pueblo, Colorado. Authorities say the plane went down about three hours ago on approach after a flight from Richmond, Virginia. The Cessna Citation 560 is registered to Circuit City Corporation. The company Web site statement says four of those killed were employees of Circuit City.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warns terrorists are preparing another attack on the United States. In his words, "They're recalibrating and reorganizing." But he adds, "So are we." Rumsfeld was defending the Pentagon budget request on Capitol Hill at the time.
The Italian Senate has voted to keep paying for Italian troops deployed in Iraq. That comes just hours after the release of a chilling hostage video showing an abducted Italian journalist begging for her life and asking Italy to get out of Iraq. Italy now has about 3,000 troops there. Pro hockey takes a time-out. The National Hockey League a short time ago canceled the remainder of the season after a five-month labor dispute. Commissioner Gary Bettman calls it a sad, regrettable day.
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