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Bush Meets Iraqi Prime Minister; Iraq Insurgents Continue Operations; Interview with Navy Nurse; Update on Aruba Search

Aired June 24, 2005 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news. President Bush meets the press with Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari. The president says he will not establish a timetable to get American forces out of Iraq. The two men met amid the news of a suicide bombing near Fallujah that killed up to six Americans.
A U.S. Airways passenger plane made an unscheduled stop near Washington after the co-pilot became incapacitated. The airline officials say that the flight to Cancun from Philadelphia was diverted this morning to Baltimore-Washington International, but the airline is not saying what was wrong with the pilot, citing privacy guidelines.

And we want you to look at this. The massive floods in southern parts of China now are being blamed for more than 500 deaths. Government forecasters are warning today that more torrential rains are on the way.

CNN.com is offering a new way to get the headlines. All you have to do is log on to our Web site and click on "Watch" to check out the most popular stories. Everything from politics and sports to entertainment, and it's absolutely free on CNN.com.

We begin this hour with a list of victims that contains two categories: the dead, and those listed as "duty status whereabouts unknown." What we do know is that at least two, and as many as half a dozen, U.S. troops were killed in a suicide car bombing near Fallujah, Iraq. CNN's Jamie McIntyre is at the Pentagon with details on this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Women are barred from direct ground contact in the U.S. military, but that doesn't keep them out of the line of fire. Pentagon sources confirm a number of women killed in an attack on a U.S. Marine convoy near Fallujah last night.

According to a statement, a powerful truck bomb was detonated near the convoy, killing at least six people and wounding 13 others. Four of the bodies have either not been fully recovered or identified and are technically listed as "duty status unknown." But Pentagon officials say they fear that the death toll will be six with 13 wounded by the time they're able to sort everything out.

There are also indications that some of the victims may have been members of a so-called Lioness Team. These are female marines, or sometimes female soldiers, who assist in dealing with the Iraqi population, particularly women and children, in order to avoid offending the Iraqi civilians.

But at this point, all the U.S. military is confirming is that as many as six may have died and that 13 may have been wounded. What this shows is that the insurgents still have the ability to inflict casualties, not just on Iraqi civilian and police but also on the U.S. military.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Meanwhile, President Bush is getting ready to address the nation about what's next in the war in Iraq. Count on CNN for complete coverage of the primetime speech from Ft. Bragg Tuesday. It begins at 8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific.

Back to Iraq now. Our senior Baghdad correspondent has firsthand experience with Iraq's dangerous roads. She's traveled many of them while embedded with U.S. troops. And today, CNN's Jane Arraf is in the city of Qaim near the Syrian border. She joins us live via videophone.

Jane, give us an idea of what troops face in Fallujah where this attack happened?

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Betty, it seems to indicate that they face an increasingly volatile situation. Fallujah has been relatively quiet. You'll remember that major battle. We were with troops there, marines and soldiers, as went into Fallujah. At the end of it, parts of the city were destroyed and there were virtually no civilians.

They have started to trickle back. Marine officials have been fond of saying Fallujah is one of the safest cities in Iraq, but that's because there were still very few people there. They very strictly controlled access.

This is the worst attack there in many months. It sounds like an extremely powerful suicide car bomb that ripped through that road, through that convoy -- Betty?

NGUYEN: Jane, we understand that there are some females among those injured and possibly dead. Talk to us a little bit about the role on the ground for females serving in the Iraq war.

ARRAF: Betty, there are believed to be -- initial reports are that there are believed to be four females who have been killed in that suicide car bomb.

As Jamie mentioned, they are thought to have been part of a team of women who are sent in to search other women. That's one of the things that we're starting to see happen. There's really a shortage of female soldiers and marines who can do that. And in most cases, the women go unsearched.

Here in Al Anbar, which is extremely volatile, there have been cases of women shooting marines. There have been cases, according to military officials, of women hiding weapons, and cell phones, and other documents underneath their clothes.

It's impossible, because of the culture, for men to go in and search them, or detain them even. It's very, very difficult. That's why we're seeing increasing numbers of women being used in that way. But at the same time, Betty, we're seeing women fly combat helicopters, going actively into (OFF-MIKE) in transportation companies on those roads, this is...

NGUYEN: We're obviously having a difficult time with our signal with Jane Arraf. We'll keep you up-to-date on this story, though, so do stay with CNN for that.

A number of women were among the casualties in today's convoy attack, as we just mentioned. The very presence of female troops in a combat zone is uncomfortable for many. And we'll talk with a woman on-duty in Iraq about that just a little bit later in the show.

Now to Aruba, where authorities are putting the pressure on a judge in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. Judge Paul Van Der Sloot is being questioned again today, one day after his arrest. Van Der Sloot's son, who's also in custody, has allegedly admitted to being alone on a beach with Holloway.

Meanwhile, a team from Texas has joined the search for Holloway. And with more on all of this, CNN's Alex Quade joins us live on the phone from Palm Beach, Aruba.

A lot of tackle today. Let's start with the search, Alex. What do you know so far about that search?

ALEX QUADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, Betty. The Texas search team, they have had their first full day on the ground. And they have had a very busy day. They've hit the ground running.

They have been mapping out the island, trying to figure out locations that they should be checking and rechecking. They have also been scoping out sites where Natalee Holloway may be.

They've also been targeting areas for their resources and their volunteers. They have a number of volunteers still coming in today that they will try to hit over the next few days.

NGUYEN: Alex, tell us a little bit about this search team. What is the record on finding missing persons?

QUADE: They actually have a very good record. And that's why the family called them. They have a 78 percent - I believe it's 78 percent -- record on finding a missing person.

Now, you know, the missing person may be dead, but they may also be alive. They have had quite a bit of success. They've been out on 451 searches around the U.S., and they're coming to Aruba with specialized equipment. They're bringing their cadaver dogs, they're bringing special side-scan sonar equipment, which is going to be used on dive boats.

And all of these folks are volunteers. This is a non-profit organization based out of Texas. And they all are here with hearts that they just want to try to find Natalee and bring her home.

NGUYEN: Now, you are -- I guess, as you said earlier -- we can put it, embedded with this search team. Looking at what they have, the arsenal that they have to work with, do you think that they're better equipped than this Aruba search that's going on, as well?

QUADE: Well, again, Betty, we are embedded with the search team. And so we can't really give away, you know, exact geographical locations or search specifics. And you know, we certainly don't want to go into the politics of all of this, as well.

But I think that they bring in an expertise that is a different expertise to this island. And they are working very closely with the Aruban government, with the authorities here, with the family. One of the first things they did before they even checked into their hotels, they got off the plane and they got all of the parties together and involved in one secret room, a strategy room, if you would like to call.

You know, they met with the parents. They met with the authorities. And they're all working together trying to get everybody on the same page. And we'll take you into that room tonight. We'll show you some of the behind-the-scenes going on in this search. And that's something that you'll get to see from this embed, so to speak.

NGUYEN: Looking forward to it. That's tonight on PAULA ZAHN NOW, and that's at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Thanks, Alex.

Well, news across America now. A reward is offered in the search for three boys, missing boys, in New Jersey. That story tops our news across America. Police announce a $9,000 cash reward today. The boys, they vanished from their neighborhood in Camden on Wednesday. Authorities are searching a three-square-mile area for those boys, 5-, 6- and 11-years-old. They have not, though, ruled out foul play in this investigation.

In Arizona, a sigh of relief from residents in danger of losing their homes, some worth millions of dollars. A 46,000-acre blaze has moved away from a Phoenix-area suburb. Dozens of evacuees, well, they are starting to return, but authorities are still assessing whether residents can return to a nearby community of mainly summer homes.

And a proud mom shows off her babies at the National Zoo in Washington. Aw, look at this. Zazi's five cheetah cubs made their debut today for reporters. So cute. The public will be able to see the ten-week-old cubs starting tomorrow. It's the zoo's second cheetah litter in seven months.

Well, today, the bomb attack in Fallujah raises the issue of women in the battle zone. Just ahead we'll talk with a Navy nurse right in the middle of the war in Iraq.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: The news from Iraq today is horrific. As many as six American troops are dead, many others wounded after a suicide bombing. The fact that some of those casualties are women underscores a debate in this country over whether women should serve in combat positions.

Here's the result of a CNN-"USA Today"-Gallup taken last month. A majority of those who responded are against military women taking combat roles. But forget about those polls for a moment, and gender and politics, and who is capable of what and where, someone is with us now who knows a thing or two about servicewomen in war zones, because she is one.

Lieutenant Sharon Battiste is a U.S. Navy nurse. She is in Iraq, undeniably one of the most dangerous zones on Earth right now.

Lt. Battiste, we want to thank you for joining us. And I guess my first question to you is, tell me, how close to the combat zones are you at right now? I mean, how close to the front-lines do you get with your role?

LT. SHARON BATTISTE, U.S. NAVY: Well, my role, as a trauma E.R. nurse, I feel as though I'm very close to the front-lines. The Marines, they leave my port of origin, and they go out, and they actually do the firefight.

And should we get an injured marine, they actually bring the marine back to us. So even though we are very close to the front- line, we're not directly within the firefight. But I believe that we are as close as possible as we can actually get to the front line.

NGUYEN: And when we talk about women's roles in Iraq and on that front-line, tell me a little bit about what you've seen so far.

BATTISTE: So far, as far as women, primarily, the women that are here with us, they pretty much stay locally on the base. We do not allow our women currently to go outside the wire and play a role, per se, in the combat war environment itself. So we pretty much stay behind the scenes, and we pretty much support the operation.

NGUYEN: Now, you are a Navy nurse. Obviously, you have to head out to those front-lines to assist those who are injured. Tell me what you see when you get there and what your role is exactly.

BATTISTE: Actually, I do not leave my point of origin, per se, to go directly to the front-line. We do have a team of personnel that will go to the front-line, and pick up the sick and injured, and bring them back to me.

My role at that point, we stabilize the critically ill, take care of all the marines that are injured, and fly them on to a more advanced level of care. Also, my role with that is, I fly with the critically ill patients. And we take them to a higher level of care.

NGUYEN: And when you think about the female role in Iraq, and also about the injuries, which we have heard about today, and the deaths, do you see many of that there in your role?

BATTISTE: I do see death. I do see the marines that have come in injured and close to death. I have not seen a marine that -- a marine female that has died thus far. However, I have seen male.

And from personal experience, I can tell you that it's very devastating whenever we have an injured marine, much less one marine or marines that die. So I believe that it does affect us all when we have death.

And I think that it would affect us even more if we had a female that died from one of these gruesome acts. Not that we, per se, value a male's life over a female's life, but I just think that it will hit home a little harder.

NGUYEN: All right. Lieutenant Sharon Battiste with the U.S. Navy. We appreciate your time and your insight today. Thank you.

Well, when she tees it up, the competition heats up. Golf champion Annika Sorenstam is setting some new goals at the U.S. Open. That story just ahead on LIVE FROM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For last week's episode, we were in the fashion capital of the world, New York, New York, where clothing designers James and Quinn Journey (ph) are trying to expand their operation the right way. We brought in a fashion icon Joseph Abboul who had some valuable tips and an invaluable word of caution.

JOSEPH ABBOUL, FASHION EXPERT: You're only as good as your last collection. The consumer is so smart and so instinctive that, if you start to change, and you start to do things that they're not used to, you could be a darling one day and gone tomorrow. And that's happened to a lot of people.

VELSHI: Whether you're in the fashion game or not, if your small business is doing well enough to expand, here's what Abboul suggests. Bet on your proven winners. Identify your best-selling products and services and eliminate the items that are slowing you down.

Don't go it alone. Seek out other businesses and create strategic partnerships that can advance your interests.

And don't forget how you got here. A big expansion means providing more of what you're already good at, not a total shift in gears. As their business grows, things are going to get more competitive for James and Quinn Journey (ph), but thanks to this turnaround, it looks like they've got success stitched up.

I'm Ali Velshi. See you next time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: You know they feel good today. Celebration at the SBC Center in San Antonio. The NBA Finals went the dramatic distance to game seven. The Spurs, as they say, dethroned Detroit last night, final score 81-74. This is the third NBA championship for San Antonio in seven seasons. How about that? All under the hand of coach Greg Popovich. MVP, Tim Duncan with 25 points and 11 rebounds in game seven.

Other sports news now. She's down, but far from out. Seven-time LPGA player of the year Annika Sorenstam sits two off the lead entering the second round of the U.S. Women's Open, but she's on the hunt for something much bigger, something history-making. CNN sports, as Steve Overmyer reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE OVERMYER, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Annika Sorenstam has built the expectation of winning every golf event she enters.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM, SEVEN-TIME LPGA PLAYER OF THE YEAR: I'm very proud of my career. I think I've achieved a lot more than I ever expected. So now I need to set some goals that really pushes me to the next level.

OVERMYER: Sorenstam arrives at the U.S. Women's Open having won six of the eight tournaments she's entered this year, and amazingly, the 34-year-old Swede has done this at one of the most difficult times in her personal life. In February, Sorenstam filed for divorce.

SORENSTAM: I believe that when I'm inside the rope, it's something I enjoy doing, and something that's working right now, and something I -- you know, it's fun. And I can control my golf shots. It's my way of getting away from things and just focus on something I enjoy.

OVERMYER: Annika also enjoys her friendship with Tiger Woods. It's helped her ad creativity in shot-making around the greens. After winning the LPGA Championship two weeks ago, Sorenstam sent Woods a text message which read, "It's 9-9 now," meaning she now had the same number of major championships as Woods.

TIGER WOODS, PGA GOLFER: I give her, you know, a bunch of crap for a while because she hadn't won as many majors that I have, and you know, as well as player of the years, and all that kind of stuff. So eventually she just kind of surpassed me on tournament victories. She's got me, what, by 20?

(LAUGHTER)

WOODS: But I always say that, you know, you're a little bit older than I am, so give me a little time.

SORENSTAM: Every time I get a chance to tee up against him, I want to do the best I can. And you know, I know I can't out-drive him. I know that. But I know I can play some golf, so I obviously want to show him that.

WOODS: We have a great friendship, and one I certainly treasure.

OVERMYER: A win at the Open would the 63rd of Sorenstam's career, just 25 shy of Kathy Whitworth's LPGA record. Considering the dominance Annika has shown over the past few years, a grand slam may not be the only record-breaking accomplishment on the horizon.

Steve Overmyer, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Right now, we do want to talk about a warning to doctors about a popular heart device. Kathleen Hays joins us live from the New York Stock Exchange for that story.

What's all this about, Kathleen?

KATHLEEN HAYS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, a pretty important story, as you were point out. Guidant, a big medical device-maker, is telling doctors to stop implanting some of its defibrillators because of an electrical defect. The company says no injuries or deaths have been reported so far, but the FDA may issue a recall.

Devices known as ICDs are designed to sense an irregular heart rhythm and deliver a shock to correct it. This is Guidant's safety advisory in a week. The company's stock is tumbling nearly 8 percent.

The broader market is also sharply lower for a second day in a row. The Dow Industrials are down 106 points. The NASDAQ Composite is three-quarters of a percent.

Oil prices ended the day higher again at $59.84 a barrel. A report earlier this week showed that demand for oil distillates like heating oil remains very high. And there are some concern there might not be enough supplies to meet demand. Investors are worried that these higher costs will ultimately eat at a company's profits and slow consumer spending.

That's the latest from Wall Street. Betty, back to you.

NGUYEN: All right. Thank you, Kathleen.

And that wraps up this Friday edition of LIVE FROM. Now here's Dana Bash with a preview of what's ahead on "INSIDE POLITICS."

Hi there, Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Betty, thank you. Well, U.S. troops, including women, are victims of another attack in Iraq on the same day President Bush meets with the Iraqi prime minister and tries to turn around sinking support. We'll have the latest on the U.S. mission in Iraq and look at the debate over women in combat.

Also, we'll take a look at the preparations being made for a possible change at the U.S. Supreme Court and what hurdles a potential new justice will face.

"INSIDE POLITICS" begins in just a moment.

END

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