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Bush Installs U.N. Ambassador via Recess Appointment; NASA Mulls Repairs to Discovery's Belly; London Terror

Aired August 01, 2005 - 14:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Fixing while floating? Will NASA send astronauts to the underbelly of the shuttle to repair it?
Talking terror. A suspect in the London attacks revealing methods to the mayhem.

Search and seizure. Should police be able to use racial profiling to decide who to search on the subway?

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Kyra Phillips. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.

Advise and consent beside the point with the recess appointment of President Bush's intensely controversial nominee for U.N. ambassador, John Bolton. It's a time tested though temporary and, yes, controversial end run that gives Bolton the job while as many critics seethe on Capitol Hill and beyond.

CNN's Bob Franken never seething, but following the fallout from the White House.

Hi, Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, you don't know.

PHILLIPS: Oh, yes I do.

FRANKEN: In any case, yes, yes, Democrats are seething, but the president says that they forced his hand. The president has decided to go the route of a recess appointment, which the Constitution allows, which bypasses the constitutional Senate confirmation procedure, albeit temporarily. Temporarily, however, extends until more than a year from now, during which the time the president could try again to make it more permanent.

In any case, to the charge that this kind of appointment undermines John Bolton when he goes to the United Nations, the president said not so.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm sending Ambassador Bolton to New York with my complete confidence. Ambassador Bolton believes passionately in the goals of the United Nations charter to advance peace and liberty and human rights. His mission is now to help the U.N. reform itself to renew its founding promises for the 21st century.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: Well, the Congress may be in a recess, but that didn't stop many of the Democratic senators from issuing scathing statements. Among them, one of the most active opponents of Bolton's appointment, Democrat Chris Dodd of Connecticut, who put out a statement today saying, "The President has done a real disservice to our nation by appointing an individual who lacks the credibility to further U.S. interests at the United Nations." He goes on to say, "I will be monitoring his performance closely to ensure that he does not abuse his authority as he has in the past."

That from Senator Christopher Dodd.

So, the question, Kyra, is, now that Bolton is going to New York, which he's doing today to go to the United Nations, how will he proceed? And the answer might be, very carefully.

PHILLIPS: Bob Franken live from the White House. Thank you.

And just another day at work for two extraterrestrial hard hats high above Earth. Astronauts Steven Robinson and Soichi Noguchi knock out a job on the International Space Station. The two removed a 660- pound gyroscope and replaced it with a new one that they hauled into orbit aboard the Shuttle Discovery.

Back on Earth. a debate at NASA continues over which is the bigger risk, to try to make repairs to Discovery's belly, or let the craft return with two potentially dangerous flaws?

Standing by live at the space center in Houston, CNN's John Zarrella.

And John, we didn't get to talk about that last hour, but a lot of people wondering how safe either option is.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes, that's -- and that's exactly what the mission management team is discussing as we speak. They went into a meeting just a little while ago, and hopefully all of the engineering is done and in as best it can be so they can weigh the options as to, A, how dangerous is an EVA, to go underneath the belly of the vehicle to do this, and, B, is it safe, is it dangerous to come back the way the vehicle is?

The bottom line is that what they are going to do is to look at what's called gap fillers. So what they are basically is exactly that. They are gap fillers. They fill the gaps between the shuttle's tiles on the underbelly.

Now, two of those gap fillers near the nose section you see there have come out a little bit. They're protruding. They're protruding one by an inch, a little over an inch, and the other between six- tenths and nine-tenths of an inch.

And the question, of course, is, how will that build up thermal heat on the belly of the shuttle on reentry? Would that be dangerous?

They've seen gap fillers in the past, but never while in orbit. Only after the shuttles have returned to Earth. So they don't know whether the size of these gap fillers, the protrusion is worse, less than when they get back to Earth. So the decision is, what do we do?

Now, Cindy Begley, who runs -- is heading up the space walk teams here on Earth, is saying that it's a risky thing no matter how you cut it, but this is how she says they would try to handle the gap fillers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CINDY BEGLEY SPACEWALK OFFICER: While we're working and concentrating on the scheduled EVAs, they are getting our opinions on where we're going with things. They're evaluating several methods for removing the gap filler or cutting the gap filler. They're evaluating how to get access to the area, which arm to get on and go down there.

And we have works in -- plans in work for a new EVA timeline if we need to do that. So we're getting everything staged and ready to go. We're even going to send some information to the crew so they can be looking at that if we end up going in that direction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZARRELLA: So the bottom line is that Steve Robinson most likely would attach himself to one of the robot arms and go underneath there, and then try to pull those gap fillers out. If he can't do that, then shave them down.

The issue, again, is how do those gap fillers affect the heat on reentry? The smooth surface of the shuttle would be interrupted because you would have these protrusions. And NASA believes that would build up heat behind those protruding gap fillers by maybe a couple of hundred degrees.

It doesn't sound like a lot when you're talking about 2,000 degrees of heat on reentry, but it is enough to have given them pause for concern and to take a look at what their best option is. Do they go ahead and try to pull them out, shave them down, or fly back the way they are? And we should know in the next couple of hours.

Meanwhile, this would -- this would probably happen on the third space walk in two days. On Wednesday, it would be part of that third space walk.

Today, the astronauts had another successful space walk, where they replaced one of the four gyroscopes on the International Space Station. They need those gyroscopes in order to remain properly aligned with the Earth. And there is that -- that washing machine- sized gyroscope, and that is astronaut Soichi Noguchi with the gyroscope in his hand.

That was successful. They now have another working gyroscope. Very important to keeping the space station up in space and properly aligned with Earth. So, Kyra, some very, very big decisions expected this afternoon by the U.S. space agency, literally attempting something that they have not done before. But as we've seen in the past, EVAs with these astronaut teams, they do a heck of a job up there on these EVAs and make it look easy.

PHILLIPS: And John -- and John, just -- yes, and just quickly, just the space walking, I mean, this is something that takes very specialized training. Not everybody, not every member of that crew can do a space walk, right?

ZARRELLA: Right, and there's only two of them. These two are the ones designated.

They're rookies. They've never space-walked before until this mission, so that has got to be added into the equation. And they've never practiced this.

Nobody -- there have been no practices in the WET F here in Houston, underwater, where they're out there trying on a boom to remove gap fillers. So it will be something that they'll be learning on the job, literally, the first time.

PHILLIPS: John Zarrella, thank you so much. We'll be watching it all, of course.

New developments unfolding in Rome in connection to the London terror investigation. One of the alleged would-be bombers has now been formally charged under Italy's terrorism laws. The suspect originally identified himself as Hussain Osman, but authorities now say he is Hamdi Adus Issac, a 27-year-old Ethiopian.

CNN's Alessio Vinci reports from Rome.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): The man arrested in Italy and suspected of being one of the four would-be London bombers has been charged in connection with international terrorism and with possessing false documents. The suspect's lawyer has confirmed to CNN that her client told investigators that he was involved in July 21 failed attacks, but he claimed the strike was meant to grab attention and not to harm anyone.

Italian police say they arrested a suspect in Rome after tracing calls he made from a cell phone monitored initially by Scotland Yard, calls he made from Britain to Italy, and, police say, to Saudi Arabia. At least one intercept was recorded, and when Italian police compared it to a voice recording provided by British police, they knew they had found the man they wanted.

CARLOS DE STEFANO, ANTI-TERRORISM POLICE CHIEF (through translator): We could immediately verify that the voice of the fugitive was compatible with the phone model sent to us by the Metropolitan Police. So we were almost completely sure we were in front of the attacker. VINCI: Italian officials say the suspect falsified his name and nationality when he applied for political asylum in Britain years ago. He was born in Ethiopia as Hamdi Issac, but when he arrived in Britain he used the alias Osman Hussain, claiming to be from Somalia.

Before moving to England, investigators say Hamdi Issac lived in Italy, where two of his brothers still remain. Italian police have detained both of them.

One is accused of destroying or hiding documents sought by investigators, but the charge does not involve terrorism.

DE STEFANO (through translator): We find ourselves confronted with the element that very probably he seems to be part of an impromptu group, rather than part of a structured group which his operating on an international scale.

VINCI: The court-appointed lawyer defending the would-be London bomber tells CNN his client wants to remain in Italy and will fight extradition on the grounds he will not get a fair trial in Britain.

(on camera): Last week, Italy adopted the so-called European arrest warrant introduced by the European Union to facilitate the extradition of suspects who are wanted for serious crimes. This means that Hamdi Issac could be sent to London within the next three months.

Alessio Vinci, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Egyptian police say that they have killed a prime suspect in the terror attacks that rocked the resort town of Sharm el- Sheikh. Three simultaneous bomb blasts killed 84 people nine days ago. Egyptian police say that security forces acting on a tip found in exchanged fire with that suspect. He was killed in the shoot-out, his wife wounded. The man was on trial in absentia for bombings at three other Red Sea resorts last October.

Straight ahead, what freedoms are you willing to give up for your safety? Just ahead on LIVE FROM, small changes that are adding up to a big shift in order to keep Americans safer from terror.

Also ahead, what does the death of Saudi King Fahd mean for the kingdom's future relationship with America and the price of oil? We're going to talk about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, President Bush is offering his condolences to Saudi Arabia on the death of King Fahd. The king died last night after years of failing health.

He's credited with reforming the world's most oil-rich nation since assuming the throne in 1982. He was friendly to both Islamic hard-liners and the U.S. The king ruled only in name since suffering a debilitating stroke in 1995. Crown Prince Abdullah, who essentially has ruled Saudi Arabia for the past decade, is now king. Saudi Arabia is a close ally of the United States, as you know, and the Bush administration calls it a key partner in the war on terror. So will the king's death impact U.S.- Saudi relations?

Joining me now, Octavia Nasr, CNN senior editor of Arab affairs.

Really, the king was the one that said to the U.S., you can come in here, use our airspace, use our land for the first Gulf War, right?

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SR. ARAB AFFAIRS EDITOR: Right, because as soon as Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, the king, King Fahd, at the time thought that Saddam Hussein was going to continue all the way to Saudi Arabia. So the thing that made sense at the time was to allow the U.S. in and basically use Saudi Arabia as a launching pad for the first Gulf War, which made him very unpopular among the extreme Muslims of his country.

PHILLIPS: Sure. And ever since then the militants have really had it out for the royal family. So I'm assuming they're celebrating today.

NASR: They're celebrating in a big way. I mean, you can check out their Web sites and you see jubilation, really.

The bin Ladens of the world and the al Qaeda members and the supporters of al Qaeda are now really celebrating this moment and saying, basically, good riddance. They really hope that the entire family, royal family, will vanish.

They do not care. As a matter of fact, this is exactly what they aim to achieve, is get rid of the royal family.

PHILLIPS: And we've talked about how the king has been really ill. Even a few months ago there was rumors he was in the hospital with pneumonia, close to death, and that King -- or Abdullah, rather, now the king, King Abdullah, has really been ruling that country. So even though King Fahd has passed, are we really going to see any changes in the relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia?

NASR: Look, experts are saying we are going to see something different because now the king is dead and the new king is in place, and it's time for him to start acting as a king rather than a crown prince that's in charge. There is also another opinion that is very popular on Arab streets, is that this is going to be a transitional kingship.

This is a king who is also in his 80s, and his health is not the great -- the greatest health. You may remember not long ago Crown Prince Abdullah at the time, now King Abdullah, was in the U.S. visiting President Bush. You may remember that -- there it is -- that very famous picture.

PHILLIPS: They were holding hands, right. NASR: Right. And some people said they're holding hands because the crown prince at the time was -- I mean, was weak and needed some assistance. So basically this is a very popular opinion on Arab streets, that he's old enough for this to be just the transition in order to prepare for the next stage.

Now, King Fahd, one of the things that he did, he changed the law of the succession. So basically it doesn't have to be a brother that succeeds the king anymore. They're saying that now you can cross over generations. So maybe a son or a grandson can take over.

PHILLIPS: That's good. Change is not a bad thing, that is for sure, when you look at everything that's been going down. All right. Octavia Nasr, thank you so much.

Well, racial profiling should be the law of the land, according to a state lawmaker from Brooklyn. We're going to talk about why he wants to make it legal to target Middle Easterners during subway searches.

And he didn't win the White House, but he will win the fight for the remote at your house probably. Al Gore's new network debut -- debuts today, rather.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. Coming up, I'll tell you about the costliest cities for car drivers and a short-lived relationship between Ford and rapper Eminem.

Stay tuned. More LIVE FROM right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Twenty-five years of CNN, 25 legends of sports. This week we're breaking out list of remarkable sports figures from CNN's first quarter-century. Better watch closely, though. It goes by fast.

Here's Larry Smith of CNN Sports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The top sports characters of CNN's first 25 years. We asked the editors at "Sports Illustrated" magazine to come up with a list.

At number 25, quarterback Doug Flutie proves stature had nothing to do with impact on the gridiron.

At number 24, skier Picabo Street took no guts, no glory to new heights as she sped downhill to victory.

At number 23, former NFL coach and broadcaster John Madden.

ROY JOHNSON, ASST. MANAGING EDITOR, "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED": He was the first guy to take that pen and wipe it across the screen in ways that were not only informative, but entertaining.

SMITH: At number 22, skateboarder Tony Hawk elevated his extreme sport to the mainstream.

At number 21, Scotty Bowman was the winningest hockey coach ever. He took three teams under his wing to skate to nine Stanley Cups.

Stay tuned as we count down to number one.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And throughout the year CNN will take a look back at the major stories of the past quarter-century as we celebrate our 25 years on the air. Don't miss our one-hour special this Sunday on the top 25 characters from the "Wide World of Sports," 8:00 p.m. Eastern, 5:00 Pacific.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, he controls the best place for this next story. Take a listen.

Al Gore's new television network debuts today. It's call "Current TV." It hopes to challenge traditional ideas about audience interactivity.

Well, Gore and his investors want to rely on viewers for most of the network's content, but only about 20 percent of its material right now is audience-generated. The former VP promises "Current" won't be a conduit for advancing a political viewpoint, though.

Will it spark interest with the Internet generation or have them pulling the plug? We're going to keep you posted.

All right. Let's check in with Jacqui Jeras with the latest on the weather.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: All right. Jay's showing me the wires over here. GM replacing its employee discount program with across-the-board price cuts. Susan Lisovicz live from the New York Stock Exchange.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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