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Helicopter Crashes in Afghanistan; Bush to Give Address on Iraq War; Gulf Coast Sheriff Calls for Caution Around Sharks

Aired June 28, 2005 - 15:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The terrain is terrible -- barely accessible in the best of conditions. And so it may be a while before we know what caused a U.S. military Chinook helicopter to crash in the mountains of northeast Afghanistan, and whether any of the unknown number of troops on board survived.
CNN's Barbara Starr, trying to piece together the details at the Pentagon. Barbara?

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, details emerging, Kyra. It is now dark, of course, in eastern Afghanistan -- night time. But the U.S. military says that search and rescue forces are on their way to these mountains near Asadabad. This is the Hindu Kush of Afghanistan -- 7,000 foot mountain peeks, snow year round. Excuse me. Very, very rough territory.

The Chinook helicopter went down earlier today. We are told there were something less than two dozen U.S. forces on board. The military is not releasing the identities, of course, or any of those that were -- details about those that were on board the Chinook.

You see a helicopter here, very similar. There are many variations of the Chinook helicopter. We still are not officially being told what type of Chinook it was. That, when we learn it, may tell us more about the type of mission that these troops were on.

According to very first reports, there were U.S. troops on the ground engaged in operations at the time, counterinsurgency operations. And these helicopter forces may have been on the way to reinforce them in the fight that they were in on the ground.

U.S. forces have been conducting operations all up and down those mountains now for many days. They are trying to go against the insurgents that they believe have been crossing from the Pakistani side of the border, moving through those mountains, launching attacks and then crossing back into Pakistan. Going after the remnants of Taliban and al Qaeda. So there's been a lot of activity in this very mountainous region.

We do not know how the Chinook went down, whether it was hostile fire, some type of crash, some type of accident. We do know, however, from our sources that when the aircraft went down, an emergency beacon did go off, a locater beacon. And that that was the key thing that was able to get U.S. troops on the move quickly to try and get to that site tonight and see if they can recover anyone -- Kyra.

KYRA PHILLIPS, HOST: All right. Barbara Starr will follow it, live from the Pentagon. Thank you.

From the war in Afghanistan to the war in Iraq, today alone 18 deaths at the hands of Iraqi insurgents, among them the oldest member of Iraq's transitional assembly and two more U.S. soldiers. The politician was a Shiite tribal leader, killed in a suicide car bombing. The G.I.'s died in separate attacks near Tikrit and Balad.

In Baghdad, police officers and firefighters are among seven Iraqis killed in a half dozen drive-by shootings. Another police officer died when a suicide bomber on foot targeted a hospital in Nabil Province (ph), some 40 miles south of the capital.

And then to the west another allied offensive on a suspected staging area for insurgents sneaking in from other countries. This one, the fifth in two months, is called Operation Sword.

Finally an unhappy surprise for the police commander in Sulahasin (ph) Province, just northwest of Baghdad. He was summoned to the capital for a meeting with Iraq's interior minister and detained when he got there. It's not clear why, but we'll let you know as soon as we find out.

With all that as a backdrop, President Bush will use the one-year anniversary with the return of the Iraqi self-rule to urge Americans to stay the course. He's heading to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, for a prime time televised address that aides say will spell out a clear strategy for success while strictly avoiding deadlines or timelines for a U.S. pullout.

That may disappoint American who changed their opinions on Mr. Bush's job performance in part on the state of the war. The latest CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll shows the president's job approval rating now just 45 percent, with 53 percent disapproving.

Asked specifically how he's dealing with Iraq, only 40 percent approve; 58 percent disapprove. So a lot will be riding on tonight's remarks.

Joining me with his remarks is CNN's Wolf Blitzer in Washington with the situation.

Wolf, what do you -- first of all, Fort Bragg, home to the paratroopers, special operation forces. I mean, there are heavy hitters at this base.

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "WOLF BLITZER REPORTS": They played a critical role in Iraq, in Afghanistan, throughout the region. And the president specifically is going to North Carolina to underscore the military operation.

Look, everyone says the U.S. military is doing an outstanding job in their strong support for the troops. The question is, is there strong support for the policy that's driving those troops? And of course, as you just pointed out in those latest CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll numbers, and as the White House itself well knows, that support is slipping for the policy. But there's a difference between the policy as opposed to strong support for the troops.

When I interviewed General John Abizaid, the U.S. military's central commander over the weekend, he made a point, though, of noting that it was quite alarming that the soldiers, the Marines, the sailors, the airmen, they want to make sure that the American public backs them.

And this could be an important element in the whole morale aspect of this. I think that's one of the reasons why the president, instead of simply delivering his address from the Oval Office, has decided to deliver it before a live audience at Fort Bragg.

PHILLIPS: Wolf, let me ask you a question about that issue of morale. I mean, the last time the president made a prime time speech there was a lot of discussion on whether he should talk about a timetable to when troops should have to pull out of Iraq.

Some said no, he can't do that. We need to pump up the troops that are there and support this mission and stay there until the end. Others said it's the only way to give them hope, is to give them a timetable on when they can come home.

Do you think now, considering the situation, the approval ratings and how Americans feel about troops being in Iraq, will he have to address a timetable or do you think he won't even go there?

BLITZER: I don't think he'll go there. He won't even go close to a timetable, because they don't know. It could be six months. It could be six years. It could be longer. They're going to keep it open ended. And I think they feel in all the conversations I've had with top administration officials, military as well as civilian, they all say the same thing basically: they'll leave when they're ready to leave.

But to put up an artificial timetable right now is inviting disaster, they say, because the terrorists, the insurgents, would simply wait the U.S. out, wait until the U.S. leaves, if it's two years, let's say, and then begin their offensive at that point.

So I don't think that the president's going to get any place close to speaking about some sort of target date or withdrawal or exit strategy specifically in terms of a timetable.

PHILLIPS: All right. So we're going to hear about his policy, his strategy. Does that strategy need to address this fight against terrorism outside of Iraq?

Because if you talk to a lot of these military generals, they say, "Look, this recruiting is happening on the Internet. And these insurgents are coming from Asia. They're coming from Egypt. They're coming from all these different countries."

So a lot of people sitting back wondering, OK, there's an insurgency problem. It's up. It was 45 a day, according to some numbers last year. Now it's up to 70 a day. What is the president going to do about this growing insurgency? BLITZER: Well, there's no doubt, and the CIA has this in a classified report that they've eventually circulated, that while Iraq may not necessarily have been a hotbed for terrorist training under Saddam Hussein -- there's no direct hard evidence that al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden was training in Iraq or doing anything when Saddam Hussein was in power.

There also is no doubt that over the past year or two, al Qaeda has become a major element in Iraq and that the training grounds that Iraq has become may, in fact, become the more effective training ground for al Qaeda and international terrorists in Iraq today than Afghanistan under the Taliban ever was.

So the president, if you take a look at that latest CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll, while his job approval ratings are negative in various aspects, economic and overall, when it comes to the war on terror, the war on terror, as opposed to the war in Iraq, he still has, I think, a 55 percent job approval numbers. The American people still trust him and support him when it comes to fighting terrorists.

The question is can he make that link between the war in Iraq right now, the insurgents and the overall broad war on terrorism, which resulted from 9/11? I think we'll hear some of that in his remarks today.

PHILLIPS: All right, Wolf. I'll be watching your special coverage, watching closely.

BLITZER: Thanks. And we'll be here. Paula Zahn and I will be co-anchoring our coverage starting -- during the 7 p.m. hour. Anderson Cooper will be there. Paula and I will take over at 8. And then, of course, a special "LARRY KING LIVE," 9 p.m. Eastern.

We'll have extensive coverage, and we'll have a full preview on "WOLF BLITZER REPORTS" at 5 p.m. Eastern. And I want to just give two plugs for my guests at 5 p.m. Eastern. We're going to have Dick Durbin, the minority whip in the Senate. He's going to join me after all of his controversial remarks over the past few weeks. Dirk Durbin will join us as well as Ayad Allawi, the former prime minister of Iraq, on this first anniversary of the handover of sovereignty. A full line-up. It doesn't get much better than that, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: No, it doesn't, including watching you, Wolf Blitzer. Thanks so much.

BLITZER: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: All right. Now let's move on to Aruba, where a Texas search team has come up empty so far in its search for Natalee Holloway. Searchers are scouring on and off the island for any signs of the Alabama teenager, missing now for four weeks.

Five people have been questioned in that case. Two of the suspects, including this man, Steve Croes, have been freed within the past three days. Earlier on CNN, Holloway's mother talked about her frustration at the slowing pace of that investigation. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY, NATALEE'S MOTHER: I feel like that I have carried this and it's June 13. I really felt like we were pushing forward and working together. And you know, after this weekend when it's ripped out from me, you know, I don't know. Maybe I need a chart. You know, I would love to know where I am. I don't know if I'm at the beginning. I don't know if I'm at the middle. You know, I don't think any of us know where we are any more.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: So far no formal charges have been filed in that case.

An update on the condition of the Tennessee teen attacked by a shark in Cape San Blas, Florida. Today doctors planned a second-look surgery to reassess Craig Hutto's injuries. Although they were unable to save the teen's leg, they believe his prognosis is excellent.

But after two shark attacks in a matter of days, what kind of damage has Florida's Gulf Coast sustained? The area's tourist industry, struggling to recover after last year's hurricanes, now has new challenges.

Gulf County Sheriff Dalton Upchurch joins us now to talk about what's being done to both protect and reassure those visitors.

Sheriff, nice to have you with us. All right. We just lost that signal with the sheriff. Having a little issue there with the weather as we try to take him live on the beach. We're going to take a quick break and hopefully have him back right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: All right. We got all systems up and running now. We want to take you back live out to the beach where Gulf County Sheriff Dalton Upchurch is joining us to talk about, of course, the latest shark attack there in his area but also he still wants folks to come out this Fourth of July weekend.

Sheriff, great to have you with us.

SHERIFF DALTON UPCHURCH, PHILLIPS COUNTY: Thank you very much. I'm, you know -- I'm happy to be here with you but not for this reason.

PHILLIPS: Yes, I know. It's tough to talk about. And I know when that call came down about the shark attack on the young teenage boy, on 16-year-old Mr. Hutto, that you were actually there on the scene before the ambulance even got there. Why don't you tell me how it all went down, Sheriff?

UPCHURCH: Well, we received the call at about 11:20. It only took our first responders in this area, which is a volunteer unit -- they were here within three minutes. We were here about three minutes after them. And then the ambulance was here at about 16 minutes after the initial call they received.

PHILLIPS: Now you point out a very important point. I didn't know this. I didn't know you were an all volunteer unit. Now this is pretty amazing when you look at the time response and the individuals that responded to this young boy, who could have died within seconds if we look at the fatal shark attack that happened over the weekend. This doesn't happen very often for your men and women volunteers, either. So you must be pretty impressed with how they responded and saved this boy's life.

UPCHURCH: Well, our volunteers in this area are our life blood. Our county honestly can't afford the services that those volunteers provide. My office is funded, as is the ambulance service in the county, but the fire department, rescue, even our water rescue and our search and rescue are all volunteers. And they do an outstanding job.

PHILLIPS: Sheriff, I notice from the video that we were able to get when your folks responded and got this young man to the hospital, what did you say to him? How did you try to keep him calm? I noticed there was a lot of communication among all of you with him.

UPCHURCH: Absolutely. You know, the communication is so everybody knows what's going on. And also, he was alert and, you know, responsive, which was kind of surprising under the circumstances. And probably him maintaining his cool helped him as much as anything.

PHILLIPS: All right. Let's talk about Fourth of July weekend. I know you still want folks to come out and relax and not worry about a shark attack.

First of all, how are you warning visitors and tourists that are coming out? I know you don't have a flag system there on the beach. Tell me how you're letting people know that there could be a possible issue with sharks?

UPCHURCH: Well, again, what we're doing is educating the public. We've got some information that was provided to us by the University of Florida on the Shark Attack Institute. And it's just some ideas of, you know, you shouldn't wear gold or silver flash in the water because it looks like -- looks like a fish scale. You know, and just be alert of your surroundings.

This is the first recorded shark attack in this county ever.

PHILLIPS: Wow. Tell me about the dialing system.

UPCHURCH: Well, we have an automatic dialing system that we recently, you know, hooked up into, where we're able to dial a specific, you know, geographic area and send out a message. And we're going to start using that system for these kind of incidents. And they can make up to a thousand calls a minute.

PHILLIPS: Sheriff, are you going to have more deputies out there on the beach making sure everything is OK, checking the waters, watching over people? UPCHURCH: Well, again, we're going to use a lot of our volunteers who are very generous in this area with their time. And I'm also going to have deputies out in this area. And we'll be doing more than a routine patrol. You know, we can't prevent shark attacks, but we're going to try to keep people aware of their surroundings.

PHILLIPS: Are you asking people not to go in the water, sir?

UPCHURCH: Well, right now we've -- we've opened the beaches back up. We opened up at 11 this morning. That's Eastern Time. We did an over flight of the beach area yesterday, had planned one today but needless to say, the weather is kind of bad. In fact, I think this is the first time I haven't stood in the rain all day.

PHILLIPS: Wow. Well, first you had the hurricanes that hit you. Now you've got the shark attack. But that's a point well made. This is the first time, but you definitely don't want it again.

Any other precautions you're taking this weekend for Fourth of July?

UPCHURCH: Well, we also have what's called scallop season open, where we'll probably quadruple our population for about a two-day period down here.

PHILLIPS: All right, Sheriff. Sheriff Dalton...

UPCHURCH: Where they...

PHILLIPS: Yes, go ahead, sir.

UPCHURCH: Well, that's where you can harvest scallops on an individual basis.

PHILLIPS: That sounds like fun. OK. Nothing like harvesting those scallops.

UPCHURCH: We get a big crowd.

PHILLIPS: Outstanding. All right. Sheriff Dalton Upchurch, Gulf County, Florida, we hope you have a great weekend, a safe weekend. Thanks for talking with us.

UPCHURCH: Thank you very much.

PHILLIPS: Pleasure.

So it's not bad enough that New York City subway riders have to fork over two bucks per trip, not bad enough that there are never enough trains during rush hour. Now a new list of rules and regulations may well incite a subterranean mutiny.

Oh, sure, some of the rules make sense, like banning the use of skateboards inside the cars, but imagine trying to enforce this one, early in the morning, thank you. No bringing coffee onto the trains or you could be fined. Can you believe this? Well, a transit official says the new rule takes effect October 1. Forget about it. It's going to be an uproar, I'm telling you.

Tricky negotiations ahead. The Senate passed its version of a new energy bill today. It includes billions of dollars in tax breaks to boost energy production. Both Democrats and Republicans support it, but it's not expected to halt soaring energy costs or gas prices, at least not over the short term. It also faces stiff competition in the House. Lawmakers there have already passed an energy bill that has less emphasis on conversation (sic) and favors the industry more.

The day after hitting an all-time high, where are crude oil prices standing now? We'll have a live report from Wall Street straight ahead. More LIVE FROM right after this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM: Madison Square Garden is playing host to the NBA draft, and SI.com is your home for all the action.

When it comes to top picks, will the Bucks go with Utah's seven- foot center Andrew Bogut, who took his team to the sweet 16, or 19- year-old Marvin Williams from North Carolina, who arrived at Chapel Hill a top recruit yet accepted a back seat for the Tarheels' national championship run.

You can check out other top college choices by clicking through this interactive gallery.

When it comes to high school, the top prospect, Gerald Green, is drawing comparisons to a young Tracy McGrady for his athleticism and shooting stroke.

Follow the draft at home with these player profiles, which include bios and vital stats. And don't forget to log on to SI.com/NBADraft Tuesday night for a live draft tracker and analysis.

From the dot com news desk, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: News around the world now. We can see more of this in the days ahead, clashes over the demolition of settlements in Gaza and the West Bank. Some Israeli settlers were confronted by Israeli tanks in Gaza today. That massive withdrawal is set to begin in August.

Steeped in ceremony and secrecy, cardinals at work today in Rome. They've begun the process of beatifying Pope John Paul II. It's the first step required to make him a saint. Support of the move is so strong that Pope Benedict XVI set aside the traditional five-year waiting period. Many people hope he'll announce that John Paul's sainthood happens as early as August.

Portsmouth, England, the site of a huge naval extravaganza today. One hundred and 70 ships are commemorating a milestone for the Battle of Trafalgar. British Admiral Horatio Nelson handed Napoleon Bonaparte and his Spanish allies a resounding defeat 200 years ago. That battle allowed Britain to rule the waves for more than a century.

And a roller coaster ride for oil prices. Kathleen Hays once again with all the details, live from the New York Stock Exchange -- Kathleen.

(STOCK REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Kathleen, thank you.

That wraps up this Tuesday edition of LIVE FROM. Thanks for joining us. Now here is Ed Henry with a preview of what's ahead on "INSIDE POLITICS."

Hi, Ed.

ED HENRY, HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS": Good afternoon, Kyra.

What will the president say tonight to reassure Americans about the war in Iraq? Coming up I'll talk with the White House communications director and with a top Senate Democrat.

Plus, the war and the polls. We'll take a close look at how you feel about the fight for Iraq.

Stick around. I go "INSIDE POLITICS" in two minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Now in the news, a Chinook chopper has crashed in the mountains along the Afghan-Pakistani border. U.S. sources tell CNN 16 U.S. military personnel may have been on board when it crashed. Rescuers are trying to reach that crash site right now.

Today is the first anniversary of the U.S. handover of sovereignty in Iraq. To mark the occasion, President Bush will address the nation tonight from Fort Bragg. He'll speak about his strategy in Iraq. That speech comes as his approval rating sinks and violence in Iraq rises. CNN special coverage of the president's address begins at 7 Eastern tonight.

The Marine Corps issues results of an investigation of the drowning death of a recruit at Parris Island, South Carolina. The finding: the death was accidental, but preventable. Private Jason drowned in February as his last day of swim training. The investigation concludes that his instructor failed to recognize that Tharp was too tired to continue swim training. The instructor may face a court-martial.

A federal jury finds HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy not guilty. Scrushy was acquitted of all 36 criminal counts. He had been accused of corporate accounting fraud approaching $2.7 billion. Scrushy was the first major figure charged with violating a law requiring chief executives to swear to the accuracy of a company's financial statements.

Thanks for joining us. We'll be back tomorrow. "INSIDE POLITICS" starts right now.

END

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