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Tropical Storm Arlene Headed for Coast; Deaths of Two Officers in Tikrit Under Investigation; FBI Criticized for Pre-9/11 Failings
Aired June 10, 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.
JILL BROWN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Tony. It's a busy day out there. Let's start with Arlene.
A tropical depression -- excuse me, a tropical storm. This says tropical depression, but it will be -- this is at the end of our map. Let's go ahead and see -- let me show you the radars. I'll tell you what. Let's do it this way. Maybe you can back that up and show me Arlene again, if you would. I'll show you the radars first and then we'll get back to it.
So this is Florida's map. You can see all the flood watches on here all the way up through Alabama. A lot of this area has had a lot of rain the last couple of weeks. So that's why already we have flood watches that are in effect. We could see up to seven inches of rain.
So let's put this in motion. Then we'll go in a little closer. I want to show you where there's a tornado watch in effect for south Florida. That's until 11 p.m. this evening. And that's not unusual with landfalling tropical systems or tropical systems that are near land, as this one is.
So this is our watch area. We had tornado warnings coming through the Keys earlier. We don't have any current warnings in effect at this time. So that's some good news.
All right. Let's go back and talk about Arlene as a tropical storm. Here it is. This is its current position. It's well out over water, moving to the north at 13 miles per hour. That's moving at a pretty good pace. We think that will continue. It may pick up a little bit of speed. As long as it keeps moving, that's what's important.
The pressure has dropped as of the 2 p.m. update from the hurricane center just a little bit, but the winds did not go up. This does tell us that it's getting better organized. It's probably gaining some strength. And it is forecast to continue to gain some strength gradually over the next 24 hours, making landfall, we think, late Saturday evening.
So here's what we're looking at as a heads up. Again, it's going to be mainly a rainfall event. If it gets strong enough, it could potentially become a hurricane, and then we might see some more talk of some stronger winds and some problems with that.
We're going to take a quick look at the severe weather, because in the plains, it's beginning to pop. We have a tornado watch in effect here in Texas. We've had some severe thunderstorm warnings but no tornado warnings here just yet. Farther to the north we've had a couple of tornado warnings just south of Wausau (ph) with this cell here a tornado warning. This is -- people have actually seen a funnel cloud occasionally touching the ground. So that's a tornado, a spotted tornado.
And also Redwood County, possible tornado here, funnel cloud sighted in Minnesota. So we're going to see more severe weather. Of course, we'll keep updating you on Arlene, which is likely to gain some strength -- Tony. A busy day.
HARRIS: You are right about that, very busy. OK, Jill. Thank you.
As Jill just mentioned, parts of south Florida are already seeing the effects of Arlene. Let's get the latest from John Zarrella, who is on Haulover Beach. That is just north of Miami Beach.
Hi, John.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Tony.
Well, we're standing out here on Haulover Beach on the jetty, the government cut that comes through here. And the Atlantic Ocean is certainly conflicted here this afternoon. The tide is going out, yet the winds from Tropical Storm Arlene pushing the waves in. So the surf has subsided a bit, but you can still see there on the edge of the jetty the waves crashing up over the top over there.
Arlene responsible at least for one death indirectly today on Miami Beach, way down in the south end of the beach, about 10 miles from here. A woman in the water, she was caught in the undertow in the rip currents. It took about 20 minute for the Miami Beach Fire Rescue to get her out there. By the time they got her out, her lungs were filled with water, and she was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
Now all of this weather from Arlene coming in the first week and a half of hurricane season. And it couldn't come at a worse time for people in Florida, who are still trying to dig out from the mess caused by four storms last year.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA (voice-over): Wayne Sallade's message is simple. Just try to relax.
WAYNE SALLADE, CHARLOTTE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGER: We are sitting on a tinderbox of emotions in this state right now. Everybody is skittish.
ZARRELLA: The man who has been the Charlotte County emergency manager for 18 years delivered his sermon during one of three stops on his day-long hurricane caravan, preaching preparedness and dispelling myths.
SALLADE: Tornadoes is Dorothy in Kansas in the "Wizard of Oz," not in Hurricane Charley.
ZARRELLA: Sallade is focused on getting people ready for this hurricane season. The problem is many folks like Miriam Caruthers are still living last year's nightmare.
Ten months after Charley and $16,000 later, all she has is a new roof and drywall. The rest of the house remains gutted. While she waits for work to be done, she lives in a FEMA trailer right outside her bedroom window.
(on camera) You're looking right out this window.
MIRIAM CARUTHERS, HURRICANE VICTIM: Right out that window. We wash and eat and cook over there.
ZARRELLA: So you've been living in there all this time?
CARUTHERS: Yes. Yes, sir.
ZARRELLA: How much longer are you going to have to -- hurricane season is here.
CARUTHERS: Tell me about it. I don't even want to hear about that.
ZARRELLA (voice-over): Caruthers, a grandmother who has lived here for more than 20 years, is one of nearly 27,000 people in Florida still living in FEMA-provided housing. Many are in mobile home cities set up by the agency. Affordable housing is scarce and is the biggest post-hurricane issue facing the state.
Across Florida blue tarps still cover thousands of roofs. Building materials are in short supply. All people can do is try to be patient.
Painting landscapes keeps Miriam Caruthers' blood from boiling.
(on camera) Snow and it's not like a hurricane in Florida, is it? A little bit of a different setting.
CARUTHERS: Yes.
ZARRELLA: I don't see you painting any of those.
CARUTHERS: No, I'm not.
ZARRELLA: She doesn't use canvas either. Caruthers paints on pieces of drywall left over from the work her contractor did finish.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA: Now the real tragic part of that story is that Miriam Caruthers is far from alone, and certainly up in the panhandle of Florida, where Hurricane Ivan hit last September as a Category 3 hurricane, there are blue tarps on many, many roofs up there in that area and many people still living with the debris left behind from that storm.
And now, Eileen -- Arlene is expected to make its way up, perhaps, very close to where Ivan made landfall last year, adding insult to injury to those poor people there.
Now, Tony, lastly, you know, it's early June but not unusual. Hurricanes can -- tropical storms can certainly form in early June. In fact, four percent of all the tropical activity during the hurricane season is in June. So this isn't unusual for this kind of a system to have formed -- Tony.
HARRIS: Yes. OK, John, we appreciate it. John Zarrella for us.
And tonight, on "NEWSNIGHT" at 10 Eastern we're live in Florida, keeping an eye on Arlene and tracking any trouble from the storm. And you can also count on CNN and CNN.com updates on Arlene through the rest of today and the weekend.
And we are following this developing story. Anaheim police in Anaheim, California, are trying to arrest a bank robbery suspect. And for those of you who are familiar with this area, this is at Harbor Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue. And we understand from police that the man is claiming to have a bomb attached to his body at this Washington Mutual Bank branch, again at Harbor Boulevard and Lincoln avenue. We understand a bomb squad is on its way.
A perimeter is being established, as you can see there. Police are certainly on that scene. And we understand that there have been some evacuations of that immediate area.
Once again, Anaheim police are -- are responding to a bank robbery suspect at Harbor Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue. And the man is claiming to have a bomb attached to his body at this Washington Mutual Bank branch. Bomb squad is in en route. We will continue to follow this developing story out of Anaheim, California.
Hostile fire apparently, enemy fire, maybe not. U.S. forces in Iraq have launched a criminal investigation into what had seemed to be an insurgent mortar attack that killed two officers near Tikrit.
With the latest, our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, the U.S. military is now investigating the possibility that two Army officers were murdered as part of a so called fragging incident this past Tuesday in Iraq. Fragging refers to the assassination of officers by their own troops and is extremely rare in the U.S. military.
The criminal investigation is just beginning into the incident, which happened at 10 p.m. the night of June 7, what the U.S. military calls a forward operating base danger near Tikrit. That's north of Baghdad.
Two officers were killed after an explosion inside the base, the company commander and the operations officer for an Army National Guard headquarters company.
Now, according to a statement issued by the multinational corps in Iraq, quote, "The initial investigation indicated that a mortar round struck the window on the side of the building where the two officers were," but, quote, "upon further examination of the scene by explosive ordnance personnel, it was determined the blast pattern was inconsistent with a mortar attack."
Now sources tell CNN that the evidence at the scene shows that it was consistent with another type of munition routinely used by the U.S. military, and the indications are, quote, "that a crime was committed."
That said, there are other possibilities. It could have been that an intruder or infiltrator got into the base. It could even be an accident, although at this point sources say that appears to be unlikely.
The two officers who were killed have been identified as Captain Philip Esposito and 1st Lieutenant Louis Allen -- or Louis Allen, both of the New York National Guard -- Tony.
HARRIS: Senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre. Jamie, we appreciate it. Thank you.
More casualties in Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. military officials confirm an American soldier killed and three wounded in Afghanistan. It happened while they were on patrol in the southeastern part of the country near the border with Pakistan. Seven insurgents also reported killed in that ambush.
And will a new air bag keep you safer in an accident? Ahead on LIVE FROM, one of the world's top automaker announces a new design.
And just ahead, an update on those terror probe arrests in Lodi, California. The FBI spoke to reporters within the hour. We'll bring you some of that right after this.
ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: A California man accused of training at an al Qaeda camp in Pakistan is due in federal court later today. Hamid Hayat is scheduled to appear at a bail hearing in Sacramento. He is one of five men detained in Lodi this week as part of a federal terror probe. All the members of a Pakistani community in the small town.
Hayat, and his father have been charged with making false statements for now, but a federal prosecutor says more charges may come.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCGREGOR SCOTT, U.S. ATTORNEY: We are doing our due diligence. We're doing everything that we can to verify the information that we have, to process all of the evidence that we have in our possession, to continue to acquire new evidence so that we, at the end of the day, will be in the best possible position we can be to make decisions on any other potential charges that may be out there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Well, the FBI says several people connected to al Qaeda have been operating in the Lodi area.
President Bush today urging Congress to keep the Patriot Act alive and in place. Mr. Bush spoke at the new National Counter- Terrorism Center in Virginia. He called the Patriot Act one of the most important tools to combat terror. Sixteen provisions of the law expire at the end of the year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The Patriot Act has helped save American lives and has protected American liberty. For the sake of our national security, the United States Congress needs to renew all the provisions of the Patriot Act, and this time Congress needs to make those provisions permanent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Well, whether that will happen or not is first up to the House Judiciary Committee. It held another in a long series of reauthorization hearings today.
Counter-terror efforts pre-9/11 have been the targets of study, scorn, even ridicule. And now the FBI is taking flack for not stopping two of the 9/11 hijackers, despite having numerous opportunities. It's a newly publicized report from the Justice Department's own inspector general.
And we get the details from CNN national security correspondent David Ensor.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The report details at least five opportunities missed by the FBI in the months before 9/11 to find two of the hijackers, Nawaf Alhazmi and Khalid Almihdhar, who lived for a time in San Diego, California.
It says the FBI counter-terrorism efforts prior to the attacks suffered from bureaucratic obstacles, communications breakdowns and that the FBI had no sense of the urgency of the matter.
The report is massive; it's nearly 400 pages. And that's after 150 pages or so were removed, redacted on orders from the judge in the case of Zacarias Moussaoui, who's been accused of al Qaeda membership and is suspected of involvement in the plot.
It says at least one FBI agent did know that Alhazmi and Almihdhar had visas to enter the United States but that his supervisor at the CIA's counter-terrorism center told him not to distribute that information generally in the FBI.
The report's description of a series of bungled opportunities could raise questions among policymakers in Washington about the wisdom of leaving the FBI with the job of counterterrorism intelligence gathering in the United States, as well as law enforcement. Some argue the United States needs a separate domestic intelligence agency, though there are serious civil liberties concerns about such a move.
The report also notes that some FBI agents who knew that a number of Middle Eastern men were taking flight training were concerned that the issue of racial profiling by law enforcement had become so hot that they could not safely pursue their suspicions about those would- be pilots.
David Ensor, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
Let's update you now on a developing story in Anaheim, California. Anaheim police now have two suspects in custody in connection with a bank robbery attempt at the Washington Mutual branch. If you're familiar with the Anaheim area, this is at Harbor Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue. At least one of the suspects was claiming to have a bomb attached to his body.
As we just mentioned two suspects are now in custody, but there is another development here. The bomb squad is obviously on the scene. But the bomb squad is investigating a suspicious box. A bomb could be in that box.
So once again, we will keep an eye on this developing situation in Anaheim, California. And we will bring you the latest developments.
When it comes to air bags and cars, one auto manufacturers believes two is better than one. We'll explain why.
But first, here's Ali Velshi with this week's edition of "THE TURNAROUND."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALI VELSHI, HOST, "THE TURNAROUND": This week's "TURNAROUND" found us in Somerville, Massachusetts, where a bike manufacturing shop, run by 13 owners, was struggling to have one vision.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're a very strong, close knit group of people. We like to maintain this cozy environment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Although we're young and crazy we need to plan for a secure future for our brand.
VELSHI: Independent Fabrication got a lesson in precision from the CEO of Timberland, Jeff Schwartz.
JEFF SCHWARTZ, CEO, TIMBERLAND: Thirteen owners doesn't mean 13 decision makers. We're going to put some mechanism in charge to make choices, so that we can get after it (ph).
VELSHI: Here's what Jeff suggested. It's not enough to have a vision; you need to have a strategic plan to keep the wheels turning. Make sure all of your employees understand your company's goals.
And don't be afraid of growth. Getting bigger doesn't mean have you to sacrifice your ideals.
Well, it's still a biker's dozen of owners at Independent Fabrication, but with their mentor's help they're on their way to a turn around.
I'm Ali Velshi, see you next time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: To business now. Toyota has developed a new air bag for cars that it says is safer than standard air bags. Kathleen Hays has that story live from the New York Stock Exchange.
Hi, Kathleen.
(STOCK REPORT)
HARRIS: Movie goers, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie hope you'll go out this weekend and shell out for "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" tickets. But does all the love gossip about the two hurt rather than help the film? It's all over our web site. The dot com desk checks in now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM: It's all about the fireworks on and off the set at the box office this weekend. CNN.com's Todd Leopold has your eye on entertainment.
TODD LEOPOLD, CNN.COM CORRESPONDENT: The topic of my iEntertainment column this week, as well as the big movie this weekend, is "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. They're a married couple. Spark's gone out of their marriage, so they try to kill each other. Turns out that they're actually agents for opposing agencies on each other's hit list. And the movie is full of explosions, like a lot of summer films, but it also has sharp dialogue and good chemistry.
In fact, the chemistry might have been a little too good, because that's probably all you've heard about for the last couple of months. It's not usually not a good thing when it comes to movies, because the publicity about the chemistry tends to overwhelm the movie itself.
We have a whole gallery devoted to movies in which the romances between the stars or alleged romances tended to overwhelm the movie, from "Gigli" all the way back to "Cleopatra."
You can check out our entertainment calendar for everything going on this weekend, including the movie "The Honeymooners" with Cedric the Entertainer. There's a new album by Dwight Yoakam, called "Blame the Vain." And James Frey has a follow up to his book, "A Million Little Pieces," called "My Friend Leonard."
DE LA CRUZ: Thank, Todd. For more on what's hot this weekend you can log on to CNN.com/showbiz. From the dot com news desk, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And that wraps up this Friday edition of LIVE FROM, and now here's John King with a preview of what's ahead on "INSIDE POLITICS."
Hi, John.
JOHN KING, HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS": Hello to you, Tony. You have a great weekend.
HARRIS: You, too.
KING: Which ever movie you might choose. Take care, my friend.
HARRIS: OK.
KING: President Bush out today, getting a look at the new headquarters where America's counter-terrorism experts operate. He's also pushing for an expansion of the Patriot Act. We'll go live to the White House and talk with a security expert about those efforts.
And New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is being mentioned as a possible contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, come 2008. I'll ask him about that and much, much more just ahead.
"INSIDE POLITICS" begins in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: The headlines now on CNN.
Come on, Arlene. Gulf Coast residents bracing for the arrival of the first main storm of the hurricane season. Tropical Storm Arlene whipped western Cuba and is headed across the Gulf of Mexico with 60- plus mile an hour winds. U.S. landfall tomorrow somewhere between New Orleans and Tallahassee.
It's not exactly calm, a bit farther west. Fierce storms rolling across the Texas panhandle batter the south plains with hailstorms and tornados. One twister touched down in Floyd County. Power lines, even several utility poles are down. Area farmers also reporting significant crop damage.
Five U.S. Marines died in Iraq today when their vehicle hit a bomb planted beside a road. It happened in the largely unsettled al- Anbar province west of Baghdad. The Marines' names and other details withheld for now.
Now "INSIDE POLITICS" with John King.
END
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Aired June 10, 2005 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JILL BROWN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Tony. It's a busy day out there. Let's start with Arlene.
A tropical depression -- excuse me, a tropical storm. This says tropical depression, but it will be -- this is at the end of our map. Let's go ahead and see -- let me show you the radars. I'll tell you what. Let's do it this way. Maybe you can back that up and show me Arlene again, if you would. I'll show you the radars first and then we'll get back to it.
So this is Florida's map. You can see all the flood watches on here all the way up through Alabama. A lot of this area has had a lot of rain the last couple of weeks. So that's why already we have flood watches that are in effect. We could see up to seven inches of rain.
So let's put this in motion. Then we'll go in a little closer. I want to show you where there's a tornado watch in effect for south Florida. That's until 11 p.m. this evening. And that's not unusual with landfalling tropical systems or tropical systems that are near land, as this one is.
So this is our watch area. We had tornado warnings coming through the Keys earlier. We don't have any current warnings in effect at this time. So that's some good news.
All right. Let's go back and talk about Arlene as a tropical storm. Here it is. This is its current position. It's well out over water, moving to the north at 13 miles per hour. That's moving at a pretty good pace. We think that will continue. It may pick up a little bit of speed. As long as it keeps moving, that's what's important.
The pressure has dropped as of the 2 p.m. update from the hurricane center just a little bit, but the winds did not go up. This does tell us that it's getting better organized. It's probably gaining some strength. And it is forecast to continue to gain some strength gradually over the next 24 hours, making landfall, we think, late Saturday evening.
So here's what we're looking at as a heads up. Again, it's going to be mainly a rainfall event. If it gets strong enough, it could potentially become a hurricane, and then we might see some more talk of some stronger winds and some problems with that.
We're going to take a quick look at the severe weather, because in the plains, it's beginning to pop. We have a tornado watch in effect here in Texas. We've had some severe thunderstorm warnings but no tornado warnings here just yet. Farther to the north we've had a couple of tornado warnings just south of Wausau (ph) with this cell here a tornado warning. This is -- people have actually seen a funnel cloud occasionally touching the ground. So that's a tornado, a spotted tornado.
And also Redwood County, possible tornado here, funnel cloud sighted in Minnesota. So we're going to see more severe weather. Of course, we'll keep updating you on Arlene, which is likely to gain some strength -- Tony. A busy day.
HARRIS: You are right about that, very busy. OK, Jill. Thank you.
As Jill just mentioned, parts of south Florida are already seeing the effects of Arlene. Let's get the latest from John Zarrella, who is on Haulover Beach. That is just north of Miami Beach.
Hi, John.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Tony.
Well, we're standing out here on Haulover Beach on the jetty, the government cut that comes through here. And the Atlantic Ocean is certainly conflicted here this afternoon. The tide is going out, yet the winds from Tropical Storm Arlene pushing the waves in. So the surf has subsided a bit, but you can still see there on the edge of the jetty the waves crashing up over the top over there.
Arlene responsible at least for one death indirectly today on Miami Beach, way down in the south end of the beach, about 10 miles from here. A woman in the water, she was caught in the undertow in the rip currents. It took about 20 minute for the Miami Beach Fire Rescue to get her out there. By the time they got her out, her lungs were filled with water, and she was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
Now all of this weather from Arlene coming in the first week and a half of hurricane season. And it couldn't come at a worse time for people in Florida, who are still trying to dig out from the mess caused by four storms last year.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA (voice-over): Wayne Sallade's message is simple. Just try to relax.
WAYNE SALLADE, CHARLOTTE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGER: We are sitting on a tinderbox of emotions in this state right now. Everybody is skittish.
ZARRELLA: The man who has been the Charlotte County emergency manager for 18 years delivered his sermon during one of three stops on his day-long hurricane caravan, preaching preparedness and dispelling myths.
SALLADE: Tornadoes is Dorothy in Kansas in the "Wizard of Oz," not in Hurricane Charley.
ZARRELLA: Sallade is focused on getting people ready for this hurricane season. The problem is many folks like Miriam Caruthers are still living last year's nightmare.
Ten months after Charley and $16,000 later, all she has is a new roof and drywall. The rest of the house remains gutted. While she waits for work to be done, she lives in a FEMA trailer right outside her bedroom window.
(on camera) You're looking right out this window.
MIRIAM CARUTHERS, HURRICANE VICTIM: Right out that window. We wash and eat and cook over there.
ZARRELLA: So you've been living in there all this time?
CARUTHERS: Yes. Yes, sir.
ZARRELLA: How much longer are you going to have to -- hurricane season is here.
CARUTHERS: Tell me about it. I don't even want to hear about that.
ZARRELLA (voice-over): Caruthers, a grandmother who has lived here for more than 20 years, is one of nearly 27,000 people in Florida still living in FEMA-provided housing. Many are in mobile home cities set up by the agency. Affordable housing is scarce and is the biggest post-hurricane issue facing the state.
Across Florida blue tarps still cover thousands of roofs. Building materials are in short supply. All people can do is try to be patient.
Painting landscapes keeps Miriam Caruthers' blood from boiling.
(on camera) Snow and it's not like a hurricane in Florida, is it? A little bit of a different setting.
CARUTHERS: Yes.
ZARRELLA: I don't see you painting any of those.
CARUTHERS: No, I'm not.
ZARRELLA: She doesn't use canvas either. Caruthers paints on pieces of drywall left over from the work her contractor did finish.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA: Now the real tragic part of that story is that Miriam Caruthers is far from alone, and certainly up in the panhandle of Florida, where Hurricane Ivan hit last September as a Category 3 hurricane, there are blue tarps on many, many roofs up there in that area and many people still living with the debris left behind from that storm.
And now, Eileen -- Arlene is expected to make its way up, perhaps, very close to where Ivan made landfall last year, adding insult to injury to those poor people there.
Now, Tony, lastly, you know, it's early June but not unusual. Hurricanes can -- tropical storms can certainly form in early June. In fact, four percent of all the tropical activity during the hurricane season is in June. So this isn't unusual for this kind of a system to have formed -- Tony.
HARRIS: Yes. OK, John, we appreciate it. John Zarrella for us.
And tonight, on "NEWSNIGHT" at 10 Eastern we're live in Florida, keeping an eye on Arlene and tracking any trouble from the storm. And you can also count on CNN and CNN.com updates on Arlene through the rest of today and the weekend.
And we are following this developing story. Anaheim police in Anaheim, California, are trying to arrest a bank robbery suspect. And for those of you who are familiar with this area, this is at Harbor Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue. And we understand from police that the man is claiming to have a bomb attached to his body at this Washington Mutual Bank branch, again at Harbor Boulevard and Lincoln avenue. We understand a bomb squad is on its way.
A perimeter is being established, as you can see there. Police are certainly on that scene. And we understand that there have been some evacuations of that immediate area.
Once again, Anaheim police are -- are responding to a bank robbery suspect at Harbor Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue. And the man is claiming to have a bomb attached to his body at this Washington Mutual Bank branch. Bomb squad is in en route. We will continue to follow this developing story out of Anaheim, California.
Hostile fire apparently, enemy fire, maybe not. U.S. forces in Iraq have launched a criminal investigation into what had seemed to be an insurgent mortar attack that killed two officers near Tikrit.
With the latest, our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, the U.S. military is now investigating the possibility that two Army officers were murdered as part of a so called fragging incident this past Tuesday in Iraq. Fragging refers to the assassination of officers by their own troops and is extremely rare in the U.S. military.
The criminal investigation is just beginning into the incident, which happened at 10 p.m. the night of June 7, what the U.S. military calls a forward operating base danger near Tikrit. That's north of Baghdad.
Two officers were killed after an explosion inside the base, the company commander and the operations officer for an Army National Guard headquarters company.
Now, according to a statement issued by the multinational corps in Iraq, quote, "The initial investigation indicated that a mortar round struck the window on the side of the building where the two officers were," but, quote, "upon further examination of the scene by explosive ordnance personnel, it was determined the blast pattern was inconsistent with a mortar attack."
Now sources tell CNN that the evidence at the scene shows that it was consistent with another type of munition routinely used by the U.S. military, and the indications are, quote, "that a crime was committed."
That said, there are other possibilities. It could have been that an intruder or infiltrator got into the base. It could even be an accident, although at this point sources say that appears to be unlikely.
The two officers who were killed have been identified as Captain Philip Esposito and 1st Lieutenant Louis Allen -- or Louis Allen, both of the New York National Guard -- Tony.
HARRIS: Senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre. Jamie, we appreciate it. Thank you.
More casualties in Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. military officials confirm an American soldier killed and three wounded in Afghanistan. It happened while they were on patrol in the southeastern part of the country near the border with Pakistan. Seven insurgents also reported killed in that ambush.
And will a new air bag keep you safer in an accident? Ahead on LIVE FROM, one of the world's top automaker announces a new design.
And just ahead, an update on those terror probe arrests in Lodi, California. The FBI spoke to reporters within the hour. We'll bring you some of that right after this.
ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: A California man accused of training at an al Qaeda camp in Pakistan is due in federal court later today. Hamid Hayat is scheduled to appear at a bail hearing in Sacramento. He is one of five men detained in Lodi this week as part of a federal terror probe. All the members of a Pakistani community in the small town.
Hayat, and his father have been charged with making false statements for now, but a federal prosecutor says more charges may come.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCGREGOR SCOTT, U.S. ATTORNEY: We are doing our due diligence. We're doing everything that we can to verify the information that we have, to process all of the evidence that we have in our possession, to continue to acquire new evidence so that we, at the end of the day, will be in the best possible position we can be to make decisions on any other potential charges that may be out there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Well, the FBI says several people connected to al Qaeda have been operating in the Lodi area.
President Bush today urging Congress to keep the Patriot Act alive and in place. Mr. Bush spoke at the new National Counter- Terrorism Center in Virginia. He called the Patriot Act one of the most important tools to combat terror. Sixteen provisions of the law expire at the end of the year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The Patriot Act has helped save American lives and has protected American liberty. For the sake of our national security, the United States Congress needs to renew all the provisions of the Patriot Act, and this time Congress needs to make those provisions permanent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Well, whether that will happen or not is first up to the House Judiciary Committee. It held another in a long series of reauthorization hearings today.
Counter-terror efforts pre-9/11 have been the targets of study, scorn, even ridicule. And now the FBI is taking flack for not stopping two of the 9/11 hijackers, despite having numerous opportunities. It's a newly publicized report from the Justice Department's own inspector general.
And we get the details from CNN national security correspondent David Ensor.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The report details at least five opportunities missed by the FBI in the months before 9/11 to find two of the hijackers, Nawaf Alhazmi and Khalid Almihdhar, who lived for a time in San Diego, California.
It says the FBI counter-terrorism efforts prior to the attacks suffered from bureaucratic obstacles, communications breakdowns and that the FBI had no sense of the urgency of the matter.
The report is massive; it's nearly 400 pages. And that's after 150 pages or so were removed, redacted on orders from the judge in the case of Zacarias Moussaoui, who's been accused of al Qaeda membership and is suspected of involvement in the plot.
It says at least one FBI agent did know that Alhazmi and Almihdhar had visas to enter the United States but that his supervisor at the CIA's counter-terrorism center told him not to distribute that information generally in the FBI.
The report's description of a series of bungled opportunities could raise questions among policymakers in Washington about the wisdom of leaving the FBI with the job of counterterrorism intelligence gathering in the United States, as well as law enforcement. Some argue the United States needs a separate domestic intelligence agency, though there are serious civil liberties concerns about such a move.
The report also notes that some FBI agents who knew that a number of Middle Eastern men were taking flight training were concerned that the issue of racial profiling by law enforcement had become so hot that they could not safely pursue their suspicions about those would- be pilots.
David Ensor, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
Let's update you now on a developing story in Anaheim, California. Anaheim police now have two suspects in custody in connection with a bank robbery attempt at the Washington Mutual branch. If you're familiar with the Anaheim area, this is at Harbor Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue. At least one of the suspects was claiming to have a bomb attached to his body.
As we just mentioned two suspects are now in custody, but there is another development here. The bomb squad is obviously on the scene. But the bomb squad is investigating a suspicious box. A bomb could be in that box.
So once again, we will keep an eye on this developing situation in Anaheim, California. And we will bring you the latest developments.
When it comes to air bags and cars, one auto manufacturers believes two is better than one. We'll explain why.
But first, here's Ali Velshi with this week's edition of "THE TURNAROUND."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALI VELSHI, HOST, "THE TURNAROUND": This week's "TURNAROUND" found us in Somerville, Massachusetts, where a bike manufacturing shop, run by 13 owners, was struggling to have one vision.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're a very strong, close knit group of people. We like to maintain this cozy environment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Although we're young and crazy we need to plan for a secure future for our brand.
VELSHI: Independent Fabrication got a lesson in precision from the CEO of Timberland, Jeff Schwartz.
JEFF SCHWARTZ, CEO, TIMBERLAND: Thirteen owners doesn't mean 13 decision makers. We're going to put some mechanism in charge to make choices, so that we can get after it (ph).
VELSHI: Here's what Jeff suggested. It's not enough to have a vision; you need to have a strategic plan to keep the wheels turning. Make sure all of your employees understand your company's goals.
And don't be afraid of growth. Getting bigger doesn't mean have you to sacrifice your ideals.
Well, it's still a biker's dozen of owners at Independent Fabrication, but with their mentor's help they're on their way to a turn around.
I'm Ali Velshi, see you next time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: To business now. Toyota has developed a new air bag for cars that it says is safer than standard air bags. Kathleen Hays has that story live from the New York Stock Exchange.
Hi, Kathleen.
(STOCK REPORT)
HARRIS: Movie goers, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie hope you'll go out this weekend and shell out for "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" tickets. But does all the love gossip about the two hurt rather than help the film? It's all over our web site. The dot com desk checks in now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM: It's all about the fireworks on and off the set at the box office this weekend. CNN.com's Todd Leopold has your eye on entertainment.
TODD LEOPOLD, CNN.COM CORRESPONDENT: The topic of my iEntertainment column this week, as well as the big movie this weekend, is "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. They're a married couple. Spark's gone out of their marriage, so they try to kill each other. Turns out that they're actually agents for opposing agencies on each other's hit list. And the movie is full of explosions, like a lot of summer films, but it also has sharp dialogue and good chemistry.
In fact, the chemistry might have been a little too good, because that's probably all you've heard about for the last couple of months. It's not usually not a good thing when it comes to movies, because the publicity about the chemistry tends to overwhelm the movie itself.
We have a whole gallery devoted to movies in which the romances between the stars or alleged romances tended to overwhelm the movie, from "Gigli" all the way back to "Cleopatra."
You can check out our entertainment calendar for everything going on this weekend, including the movie "The Honeymooners" with Cedric the Entertainer. There's a new album by Dwight Yoakam, called "Blame the Vain." And James Frey has a follow up to his book, "A Million Little Pieces," called "My Friend Leonard."
DE LA CRUZ: Thank, Todd. For more on what's hot this weekend you can log on to CNN.com/showbiz. From the dot com news desk, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And that wraps up this Friday edition of LIVE FROM, and now here's John King with a preview of what's ahead on "INSIDE POLITICS."
Hi, John.
JOHN KING, HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS": Hello to you, Tony. You have a great weekend.
HARRIS: You, too.
KING: Which ever movie you might choose. Take care, my friend.
HARRIS: OK.
KING: President Bush out today, getting a look at the new headquarters where America's counter-terrorism experts operate. He's also pushing for an expansion of the Patriot Act. We'll go live to the White House and talk with a security expert about those efforts.
And New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is being mentioned as a possible contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, come 2008. I'll ask him about that and much, much more just ahead.
"INSIDE POLITICS" begins in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: The headlines now on CNN.
Come on, Arlene. Gulf Coast residents bracing for the arrival of the first main storm of the hurricane season. Tropical Storm Arlene whipped western Cuba and is headed across the Gulf of Mexico with 60- plus mile an hour winds. U.S. landfall tomorrow somewhere between New Orleans and Tallahassee.
It's not exactly calm, a bit farther west. Fierce storms rolling across the Texas panhandle batter the south plains with hailstorms and tornados. One twister touched down in Floyd County. Power lines, even several utility poles are down. Area farmers also reporting significant crop damage.
Five U.S. Marines died in Iraq today when their vehicle hit a bomb planted beside a road. It happened in the largely unsettled al- Anbar province west of Baghdad. The Marines' names and other details withheld for now.
Now "INSIDE POLITICS" with John King.
END
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