Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Source Admits to Lying about New York Threat; Record Flooding Hits New Hampshire; Survivors Pulled from Rubble in Islamabad; NASCAR Driver Provides Road Safety Tips

Aired October 11, 2005 - 13:00   ET

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

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Terror hoax. A threat that sent New York subways on high alert was fake. So how did it happen?
Desperate help. Quake victims grab what they can in aid, while bad weather slows down the relief. We are live from Islamabad, Pakistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT DAVIS, BEAT UP BY POLICE: The only thing that I do remember is this woman who kept screaming about he didn't do anything. That's about all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: And New Orleans police officers beat him up. Now Robert Davis tells his side of the story.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Betty Nguyen, in for Kyra Phillips today. CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.

Well, they couldn't confirm it and couldn't ignore it. It was detailed and depraved, a plot to hide bombs in baby buggies in the New York subways. New York authorities stepped up patrols and bag searches, and U.S. and Iraqi soldiers rounded up alleged plotters half a world away, and all of it was based on a lie.

Government sources tell CNN's Kelli Arena the sole informant behind last week's precautions and commotions admits he made the whole thing up. Kelli joins us me now from Washington with the latest.

King of hard to believe, but apparently it's the truth.

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is the truth. And you know, I've spoken to a lot of officials in the last hour. And they say, you know, when it comes down to it, you have to deal with the intelligence that you have at the moment and make decisions.

This was information that came in that talked about, you know, a possible threat against New York City with the target date of October 9. So there really wasn't a whole lot of time for officials to decide, as they were running down the leads, what to do. And New York officials decided to take it public and to let people know that there was this information out there about an alleged threat. You know, we can second-guess all we want. But I can tell you that this was an informant, according to government officials, that had provided some accurate information in the past. Now they say he also provided some inaccurate information, but you can pretty much say that about 90 percent of the sources that you deal with.

He -- he did finger three people in Iraq who he said were involved in the plot in some way. They tracked down those three individuals, took them into custody, interrogated them, found out that they didn't know anything about a plot, went back to this guy, interrogated him again, and basically he fessed up and said, "I provided false information." And there you have it.

Lots of complexities, though, behind the scenes, Betty, as you know. It's never as black and white as it seems.

NGUYEN: Yes, so what did New York officials say? Because in the beginning, the federal government was saying, you know, "Let's hold off."

New York said, "No, it's better to be safe than sorry."

So what's the verdict now? What's going to happen now as the city moves forward and the American public moves forward?

ARENA: Right, there's always the risk as far, as the public is concerned, that people hear things. You know, this happens once. And then the next time they hear a public announcement about a possible threat that they don't react in the same way, that they're not as alert, because they think, "Here we go again," you know, sort of the crying wolf routine.

But again, you know, investigators say, you know, "We have to make judgments in the time we have them. We're in a war zone in Iraq. There's only so much we can do in a certain amount of time to run down leads and determine if they are, indeed, accurate."

There was -- you know, there was a lot of discussion, as you know, when we first went on the air with this. Washington officials were saying, "We have not been able to corroborate that information." New York decided to go ahead, you know, better safe than sorry, as you said.

So you know, like I said, we can play Monday morning quarterback all we want, but they had to deal with what they had at the time.

NGUYEN: Well, hopefully it won't turn into a cry wolf situation in the future. Kelli Arena, thank you so much for that.

ARENA: You're welcome, Betty.

NGUYEN: Smashed roads, wrecked houses, nonexistent utilities, casualties and missing persons. No, this is not Pakistan or Pascagoula or even Guatemala. It is southwest New Hampshire.

Almost a foot of rain has given rise to New Hampshire's worst floods in over a quarter of a century and a plea from the capital for federal disaster aid. So far, 10 flood-related deaths are reported from Maine to Pennsylvania, and four people remain unaccounted for in New Hampshire.

Let's get the latest now from reporter Steve Cooper of CNN affiliate WHDH in the hard-hit community in Alstead.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was surreal in the sense that you just don't -- again, I go back to, you know, it's something you've never experienced.

STEVE COOPER, WHDH CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mark Kurdy (ph) feels like he's in a fog. Still unable to understand how this wall of water could barrel through towns so suddenly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you saw, which we all did, the tsunami, you know, that's what it looked like.

COOPER: The end result, a camper rolls down the Cold River like a bowling ball here in Alstead. And other than these gas tanks, you'd never know there used to be a service station here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All that was land.

COOPER: Cathy Nicely (ph) clings to a picture of her back yard before it got swallowed up by the storm.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was, you know, thunder. It was -- the house was shaking, the foundations were shaking. The boulders were rolling through. Cars, trucks, propane tanks. There was a fire that went by with a propane tank right next to it sizzling and burning, you know. It was incredible.

COOPER (on camera): This is Route 123 in Alstead, or we should say what's left of Route 123, because you can see this huge crevice left behind after this section of the pavement literally collapsed and went streaming down the Cold River at the height of this storm.

And now transportation officials are left with the daunting task of trying to repair this problem.

(voice-over) And so heavy equipment moves into place, shoring up broken bridges. Telephone crews with their hands full, too.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You focus on what you're doing right in front of you now. You can't look at the big picture, because it's overwhelming. You take it piece by piece.

COOPER: And arriving on the scene late this morning, the governor of New Hampshire.

(on camera) Are you satisfied with how things are coming along?

GOV. JOHN LYNCH (D), NEW HAMPSHIRE: I think the emergency management response in New Hampshire has been outstanding.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: You know, a solid week of sunshine would do wonders there. But CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras says it's just not in the cards.

So Jacqui, I guess the question is, are they going to get slammed again with more rain?

(WEATHER REPORT)

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We'll tell you more about that, about an hour from now. Kyra -- or Betty, sorry.

NGUYEN: That's all right.

JERAS: Habit.

NGUYEN: All these storms have you so busy, you forget who you're talking to. That's all right. Thank you, Jacqui.

Well, rain, cold, even hail are adding to the misery and desperation in earthquake-devastated Pakistan. Storms have made it that much harder to reach the millions left with nothing after Saturday's disaster.

But aid is getting in. That's the good news. Pakistan calls the world's response overwhelming and more is on the way. Much more is being sought, though: $272 million, to be exact, in an urgent U.N. appeal.

The quake, though, left untold thousands dead. Conservative estimates begin at 20,000.

Let's get the latest now from CNN's Becky Anderson in Islamabad.

Obviously, rescue efforts still under way.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Rescues still under way here at the site of the collapsed building. And once again they've called for silence. They're expecting to bring another woman out alive who they've been in contact with recently.

Let me give you a good story from today. And then the bad news, of course, because there is an awful lot of bad news here.

A 75-year-old grandmother was pulled from this rubble earlier today with her 55-year-old daughter. Her two sons had survived the collapsed building, and they were keeping a vigil outside here.

Now, the emergency services have been in contact with this older lady for about 24 hours. And her sons were able to talk to her, and she asked them this. She says, "Are my family alive?" They said yes. Then she was pulled out alive. She didn't want to come out of the debris unless she was pulled out alive, knowing that the others were also alive.

So a good story to hear from here. And it has gone very quiet here, as we await the rescue, we hope, of another person alive from this debris. We're hoping there are still some 35 to 40 people still in amongst the rubble of this building.

Back to you.

NGUYEN: Becky, let me ask you this, because the days have gone by now. And obviously, there's a lot of work to be done. And all that rubble behind you. How long can people stay trapped in that rubble without food and water until the rescue crews can get to them?

ANDERSON: Well, the head of the search and rescue operation here, the British search and rescue operation, told me that probably between five to seven days is the maximum that people could survive underneath a building like this.

They are aware that there is quite a huge void. They're hoping that there may be a source of water that would effectively be the basement of this building. If there is a source of water, people can survive for longer. People have survived in situations like this for upwards of 17 days.

But it is extremely hot in Islamabad at present. And of course, if there's no water, then people there will dehydrate.

It's extremely cold in the mountainous region up north, where the majority of the despair and destruction is. The helicopters, the relief helicopters, today, have been grounded. They can't fly in the sort of weather that we've had out here, the clouds and the rain. And we're seeing mudslides once again on the roads up there. So the relief effort up north very much hampered by the weather. Today, the relief effort here, a slight ray of hope.

Back to you.

NGUYEN: The good news, though, is that aid is coming to the area. We just need the weather -- the weather to clear up so it can get to the people in need. Becky Anderson in Islamabad, thank you for that.

Well, a couple presidential pit stops on the road to recovery in this country today. President Bush making his eighth visit to the region. In Pass Christian, Mississippi, he welcomed these elementary students on their first day back to school.

And in Covington, Louisiana, he dawned a hard hat and tool belt, as you see there, and pitched in on a home building project sponsored by Habitat for Humanity.

Now, when asked to comment on the criticism the federal government was initially slow to act after Katrina, Mr. Bush said, quote, "If I didn't respond well enough, I am going to learn the lessons."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Next on LIVE FROM, police beating caught on tape.

DAVIS: He punched me, I guess. And from there I don't remember much.

NGUYEN: The man who took the punches shares his story.

DAVIS: I don't hold animosity against anyone.

NGUYEN: What's next for the officers involved?

Later on LIVE FROM, Katrina conspiracy theories.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel that the levee didn't break by itself.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that there are probably people in power who are not above doing that.

NGUYEN: Why did the storm that destroyed these homes also destroy some people's trust?

Later on LIVE FROM, from the fast track to the interstate. NASCAR drivers share their secrets for staying safe on the mean streets.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're still in control of your destiny.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Now we take you to New Orleans, where three cops are suspended without pay and a federal civil rights probe is under way over a beating which was caught on tape.

Acting Police Superintendent Warren Riley says officers used force that was beyond reasonable. But he adds that he does not believe the beating was racially motivated.

Now the man who ended up bloody and in handcuffs agrees. Retired school teacher Robert Davis told CNN's Soledad O'Brien earlier today what happened from his point of view.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIS: Well, I was walking down Bourbon Street. And I wasn't sure about the time of the curfew. I was very concerned about that, and I had been asking several law enforcement officers about the curfew. I had heard several different times, 8, 10 and 12. So I finally decided to ask one the New Orleans' police officers who was on horse back at the corner of Content (ph) and Bourbon. And he proceeded to give me the time.

And during that, I was interrupted by another police officer, who was walking by, really, and he interrupted our conversation. And I told him that was very unprofessional. And -- and I proceeded to walk on across the street, at which time he punched me, I guess.

And from there I don't remember much other than a lady in the crowd, who was -- I guess just a bystander, who kept hollering, "He didn't do anything. He didn't do anything."

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CO-HOST, "AMERICAN MORNING": Joseph Bruno, as we mentioned, you're the attorney. Do you think this was race related?

JOSEPH BRUNO, ATTORNEY: You know, I know there's a big temptation to go there, but my client firmly believes that that's not what's involved here. In fact, he has indicated to anybody who would listen that he doesn't hold the entire police department responsible for this. We've been through too much.

He says a lot of great, heroic guys on that police force. There's a couple of rotten apples that need to be dealt with. We applaud the police department for their quick and appropriate response to this event.

The only thing we're waiting for now is for them to drop the charges against my client so we can proceed with determining an appropriate amount of compensation to bring him back to where he was.

O'BRIEN: Those -- those charges are public intoxication, battery on the police officer and resisting arrest. Were you -- were you intoxicated?

DAVIS: No, I haven't drank for 25 years. That's what -- that's the amazing part.

I hold no animosity against anyone. I want to thank our new police chief for his quick action. I really do. I mean, that's the first time I've known it to happen.

But I also want to have the officer who was on that horse, who was black, by the way, I'd like to have him suspended, because I feel that he had some complicity in the situation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: And coming up in just a few minutes, we will be joined by law enforcement expert Mike Brooks for a closer look at the use of force by police officers. When is it justified? And when is it considered excessive?

Also today, projects like those from Habitat for Humanity bring out the best in people. Now the flip side. In the aftermath of Katrina, charity groups kicked into overdrive. But scammers popped up, too.

Tony Pipitone with our affiliate WKMG in Titusville, Florida, went along with investigators as they tracked down bogus storm victims trying to cash in.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TONY PIPITONE, WKMG CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This was Gertrude Maison (ph) last week at the Titusville Hampton Inn, claiming thousands of dollars in free housing and this $360 debit card from the American Red Cross, all because, she claimed, Hurricane Katrina made her homeless.

Yet when I asked her exactly where she'd lived in New Orleans, she groped for an answer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: New Orleans...

PIPITONE: New Orleans, L-A, she said. Well, that much is on this bogus Florida I.D. card she obtained last month, one of six Titusville residents accused of defrauding the Red Cross.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get on the ground now. Get on the ground.

PIPITONE: Titusville police paid a visit to four rooms rented by Maison (ph) and others at the Hampton Inn, arresting 44-year-old Sylvia Trice (ph).

(on camera) Why are you claiming to be a hurricane victim? Tell us why. There are people who really need that money and you guys were using it to live at the Hampton Inn?

(voice-over) Trice obtained this fake I.D. last month, claiming a New Orleans address. Her new address will be the Brevard County jail, and she'll have a Hampton Inn reunion of sorts, because police raiding this Titusville home arrested another woman who stayed there, 64-year- old Mary Hudson Walker.

(on camera) How did you get support from the Red Cross?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Someone set it up, and I was stupid enough to go do it like a fool.

PIPITONE: And you never lived in New Orleans, did you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

PIPITONE: But she got this I.D., claiming she did, before applying for aid from the Red Cross. Titusville police are appalled.

CHIEF TONY BOLLINGER, TITUSVILLE, FLORIDA, POLICE: Just when you think you've heard seen just about everything in people's times of need. We've got our whole country giving, and you yet you see people out here who are clearly opportunists taking advantage of a sad situation. And I hope they get what's coming to them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, shifting gears now. If you're try to lose weight, trying to get to bed just a little bit earlier, the connection between sleep and staying slim, that's ahead on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Here's a live look now at Bell Chase Naval Air Station in Louisiana. The president is expected to be boarding a helicopter there, heading back to D.C., after spending two days in the region. Now, this is his eighth trip to the Gulf Coast area some six weeks after Katrina hit the area, pummeling it, causing so much devastation that we've been talking about in depth since it hit some six weeks ago.

Today, he took part in a couple events. The president took part in a Habitat for Humanity build. He, along with his wife, Laura Bush, helping build homes there with Habitat for Humanity for many of the people who lost so much there, including their homes and all their belongings.

He also went to an elementary school today to greet some of the children at the reopening of DeLisle Elementary School, which is now educating students from two schools. They had to combine the two. But even with the two schools being combined, unfortunately, the population is still down there at the school, because so many people had to leave following Katrina.

The president's spent a couple days there in Louisiana, two days. And this is, again, his eighth trip to the region. He's headed back to Washington. And of course, we will be following all of it, every step of the way.

In medical news now. We know that omega 3 fatty acids found in fish are good for your health. Now a new study suggests eating fish regularly can delay dementia and other age related effects on the brain.

Researchers found that people who ate salmon or tuna at least once a week had sharper minds as they aged.

And other scientists say getting too little sleep is making Americans fat. They found that being bleary eyed from not enough Z's or irregular sleep patterns may disrupt the hormones that regulate your appetite. Now a Columbia University study found that people who slept less than seven hours a night -- that's me -- were more likely to be obese.

And turning now to keeping you healthy behind the wheel. As part of his upcoming special, "Driven to Extremes," Dr. Sanjay Gupta went to a NASCAR driver for some tips on how all of us can play it safe on the road.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Carl Edwards says there are times when he feels safer on a NASCAR track than on the highway.

CARL EDWARDS, NASCAR DRIVER: I've had experiences where I've been way overaggressive and cost myself a lot, you know, had accidents. You can't let your emotions get in the way.

GUPTA: He says he puts those emotions aside when he navigates the city streets. And he's got tips for everyday drivers.

EDWARDS: Always expect the unexpected. I mean, always be looking around. You're so in control of your destiny. There are so many accidents, they happen and people go, "Well, there's nothing I could do." Well, there usually is something you can do.

Don't outdrive your vision. Don't outdrive your ability to stop. You know, you always have to pay attention further ahead than your hood and realize that, even when you're only going 50or 60 miles an hour you're still hurdling along through space much faster than your body's designed.

GUPTA: That's advice to live by.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And Dr. Sanjay Gupta is here. We'll be talking to him about NASCAR driving in just a moment.

Take a look at your screen. The president is there in Louisiana, at Bell Chase Naval Air Station. He spent two days in the region and we're waiting right now to see if he'll step up to a microphone and make a few comments.

But as you can hear, people are clapping in the background. There is quite a crowd there at this naval air station. And the president is making -- wrapping, I should say, the end of what has been his eighth trip to the region some six weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit and just devastated the areas in Mississippi and Louisiana.

Looks like he might be speaking. The crowd is obviously waiting. So are we. So we'll try to listen in, and see what the president has to say on this...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Soldiers and airmen, the president of the United States.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you, all. General Sykes (ph), General Anaro (ph) and General Downer (ph), thank you all for greeting me here. I'm proud to be traveling with member of the United States Congress who are with us today.

Listen, I'm here to thank you all for what has been an incredible outpouring of talent and skill and compassion to help the good folks of this part of the world that have suffered mightily. I am incredibly proud of those who wear our nation's uniform. And I'm incredibly proud of the job you have done. You have brought great credit to your units, credit to your family, and credit to our nation. We got a lot of work to do. And I'll be telling the people that I've had an honor to meet, opportunity to meet, that out of this rubble is going to come some good. Out of the devastation is going to come new cities and new hope.

And I hope you take great inspiration in being a part of the renewal of this important part of the world. I want you to -- when you talk to your families -- to tell them the commander in chief is as proud of them as -- I'm equally as proud of them as I am proud of you.

May God bless you all in your work. May God bless your families. And may God continue to bless our great country. Thank you very much.

(APPLAUSE)

President Bush, speaking at Belle Chasse (ph) Naval Air Station in Louisiana, as he wraps up his two days trip to that state. This is his eighth trip to the region, and as he departs saying he was very proud of the job the military is doing in the region, with the cleanup and rebuilding.

Also noting without a doubt that there is still a lot of work to be done, but saying that out of the devastation will come new cities and new hope.

Now, back to Sanjay Gupta and that ride, that NASCAR ride that he took. We're going to get a little more from him on the experience and what we can all learn from it. Sanjay, boy, got you behind the wheel, that's kind of a scary thought.

GUPTA: Plum assignment, wasn't it?

NGUYEN: Yes, good assignment. I'm kind of scared for those who may have been on the track with you.

GUPTA: You know the interesting thing, is that those driving tips you just heard are always pretty much for the other driver out there. You got to think about that. Most people know the common sense -- don't try to get behind a vehicle bigger than you are. for example, expect the unexpected, but good tips for everybody out there.

NGUYEN: Now you say don't get behind the wheel of a vehicle that's bigger than you are, so I don't need to be driving some huge SUV.

GUPTA: Actually I think he meant by that, don't get behind a vehicle that's bigger than you.

NGUYEN: Oh, like literally.

GUPTA: So you can always see around...

NGUYEN: I got you. So what did you learn here? Did you feel safer on, believe it or not, the racetrack than you did out there on the highways? GUPTA: I personally did, and you know, there's a couple of different reasons for that. One is that NASCAR races have 43 cars. When I drove, I was one 1 of only two drivers on the track, so that actually makes you feel safer. The other reason I feel safer is that there's lots of safety measures in NASCAR. You know, drivers have a helmet, for example. They also have a head-and-neck restraint and a five, six, or seven-point harness as well. And I wore a fire seat as well, you know, because that's a concern with NASCAR races, fires as well.

NGUYEN: So what is it about these cars? is it that they're inherently safer than the cars that we drive, or is it the fact that there's just people like me who may not be watching too closely when you're driving on the roadway, then they're the people that you need to worry about?

GUPTA: Yes, well, I mean, there are some things that are just different. They have stock cars, but they have some features that are just different from the cars you see on the road, strong rollbars, for example. There's also special padding on either side of the driver's head and webbed netting on the windows.

You'll notice if you look at one these NASCARs, there's no glass anywhere in the car. It's actually a hard plastic called Lexon (ph). You can't really -- when you're watching the race on television, you can't tell this, but the headlights and the brakelights you actually see on the car are actually stickers. The whole point is you prevent glass from actually getting on the track, or more importantly, hitting the driver.

NGUYEN: So that windshield, that's plastic?

GUPTA: It's all plastic. You can actually kick it out with your foot if you had to.

NGUYEN: OK, so you got behind the wheel. How fast did you go? And what was that like?

GUPTA: You can't ask that.

NGUYEN: I've got to ask you that.

(CROSSTALK)

GUPTA: I'm sure my number's higher than...

NGUYEN: I hope so. Gosh, I hope so.

GUPTA: I was going about 150, I think, 149, 150, and that felt really fast. Now, you know, those guys are going 180, 200. That extra 30, 40 miles an hour makes all the difference, obviously.

NGUYEN: Did you feel yourself being pushed back in the seat?

GUPTA: Yes, it was really interesting. I actually drove with a professional driver, Wally Dallamback (ph), who is a, you know, well- known race car driver, and he'd do something funny to me. As we were going into the turns, he'd ask me a question right before he went into the turn, knowing that the G-force from the turn was so strong that it literally knocked the air out of my lungs; I couldn't speak. So you really feel the G-forces. In fact, they're about the same G-forces as an astronaut taking off in a space shuttle. So you know, you imagine that for 500 laps, a bunch of left turns, lots of force on the body.

NGUYEN: So This was so interesting. I can only imagine what you have tomorrow. So tell us, what's on tap for tomorrow?

GUPTA: We're going to do, you know, looking more these questions, are race car drivers athletes? What really happens to a race car driver in terms of their heart rate, in terms of their blood pressure? You know, the perception for a long time, you look at these guys, you think they're these pot-bellied, beer-swelling, cigar- smoking guys. Well, that perception is gone, you know, especially Wallace (ph) you're looking it. he's made a career out of being fit. This is his final year, and we're going to talk and learn a lot from these drivers about being an athlete.

NGUYEN: All right, Sanjay, looking forward to that. Thank you.

GUPTA: Thank you.

Well, you don't want to miss our upcoming primetime NASCAR special, DRIVEN TO EXTREMES, with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. That airs this Sunday night at 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 Pacific, only here on CNN.

There's more LIVE FROM after a quick pit stop.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: More now on the weekend beating that resulted in the suspensions of three New Orleans cops and a federal investigation. CNN's Dan Simon talked with local officials about the incident and whether stress may have been a factor.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERT DAVIS, BEATING VICTIM: Basically, I couldn't hear much. I was very incoherent at the time. Anything that they said -- the only thing I do remember was this woman who was -- kept screaming about, he didn't do anything. that's about all. And I heard them tell her if -- if you don't move, we're going to also arrest you.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This incident has caught the attention of the U.S. Justice Department, which is now formally investigating what happened on Saturday night on Bourbon Street.

Police say they arrested Robert Davis for public drunkenness, but the attorney for the retired 64-year-old school teacher says he gave up drinking years ago and was sober that evening.

JOSEPH BRUNO, ATTORNEY FOR ROBERT DAVIS: They had the opportunity, if they had desired, to take some blood or, you know, do a breathalyzer, if that was a serious allegation. I don't think it was a serious allegation. At no time was he ever told that he was under arrest. At no time was he even told to stop.

SIMON: Shortly after the officers pummeled the 64-year-old suspect and wrestled him to the ground, one of the officers loses his temper with an AP producer venting his frustration. The officers have been charged with battery, a misdemeanor, and have been suspended without pay. All pleaded not guilty. Lieutenant David Benelli heads the police union.

LT. DAVID BENELLI, NEW ORLEANS POLICE ASSN.: The officers are upset. They are upset that they were suspended. They thought their action were justified, given the circumstances that were at hand.

SIMON: The larger circumstances also include brutal 12-hour shifts. Officers separated from families. And this startling figure, three-quarters of New Orleans officers lost their homes.

ACTING SUPT. WARREN RILEY, NOPD: The stress is not just Hurricane Katrina, it's the aftermath, and it's so many other things that the officers are going through.

SIMON: Some officers have taken advantage of counselors, but not nearly enough says the City Council President Oliver Thomas.

OLIVER THOMAS, PRESIDENT, N.O. CITY COUNCIL: Is this psychological, that needs to be dealt with? Yes. Do they need some time off? Yes. Should we be taking care of them? Absolutely.

SIMON: But still Lieutenant Benelli with the police union doesn't believe stress or fatigue played a role in the officers behavior.

BENELLI: We are working long hours, but we're coping with working these long hours.

SIMON: There will be more long hours ahead as National Guard troops and other law enforcement agencies begin to pull out and the citizens of this beleaguered city try to move back.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And law enforcement expert Mike Brooks joins me now to talk about the very real issue of job stress for police officers. Mike, you have personal experience here after working in D.C. and all the law enforcement work that you've done in the past. Is there anything on the book, in the police training, that would account for such force that was used?

MIKE BROOKS, LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPERT: Not really, Betty. You know, we heard the police chief early on say that there was force necessary -- there was too much force necessary. The way the usual use of force -- use of force policies read is enough force to maintain your arrest. You know, beating this guy in the head with your fist -- they also have other tools on their belts, we could see pepper spray, those kinds of things. NGUYEN: Right.

BROOKS: None of those were used. There is no training manual that I've ever seen that would include punching him in the face like this. And then, the AP reporter who was on the side -- again, that's very unprofessional behavior. I don't care if it's stress, fatigue, what it is, it's unprofessional, bottom line.

NGUYEN: So you're not buying the argument that these officers were stressed out, and that led to the behavior?

BROOKS: You know, you can say what you want. And there's a lot of things that may have led to the behavior. But I don't think stress and fatigue is one of them. You look at New York City after 9/11. Those officers were working around the clock, 24/7. And you had retired officers coming in. You know, you didn't have officers leaving like you did in New Orleans. You had officers -- retired officers coming back in. And you didn't hear of anything like this. I think it's a training issue, it's a leadership issue, and an esprit de corps issue.

NGUYEN: You know, the video just seems so telling. But I want to show you what Lieutenant David Benelli of the New Orleans Police Association had to say about the video. Let's take a listen to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENELLI: The video is extremely troubling. The first time I saw it, I think I had the same reaction as everybody else. But after 30 years in police work, one thing I do know is that the video camera only shows you one angle of one portion of an entire incident.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: OK. So do you agree with that or do the pictures speak for themselves?

BROOKS: I do agree with it that it only shows one angle. And the angle you see is very disturbing. I remember when I saw it, the first time I saw it. And then you see no one coming to that man's aid after he's down, bleeding from the head. Yes, it is disturbing. But these officers are also -- they're also granted due process, just like anyone else. Just like a civilian. If you're charged with assault or you're charged with battery like these officers are, they also are due -- have due process coming to them.

And there will also be an internal investigation, as well a civil rights investigation. There are supposedly two FBI officers that happened on the scene...

NGUYEN: On the scene. But they didn't take part in it.

BROOKS: Exactly. And apparently they came there afterwards. And if I was an FBI agent and I came up and I saw this going on, you don't know what led up to that, so you're not going to get involved in it. But I can guarantee you that they're going to have to answer statements...

NGUYEN: Questions, yes.

BROOKS: ... and they're going to be part of this investigation on why -- what did you see, when did you come in. And also, any other witnesses, they're going to ask people to come forward to see if -- you know, exactly what they saw, what they heard. And right now, it's not looking too good. But, again, due process. They're innocent until proven guilty.

NGUYEN: So three officers have pleaded not guilty. That trial is set for January. Mike Brooks, we appreciate your time.

BROOKS: Betty, thank you.

NGUYEN: Katrina victim outrage turns to conspiracy theories.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they bombed it up, I think they blew it up with explosives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sabotage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sabotage by whom?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our enemies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Which enemies are those?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The ones who bombed New York.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Al Qaeda?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know his name.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Our Gary Tuchman sorts out the various theories and why they're so common in New Orleans.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: There's a brewing controversy today about who should be cleaning up New Orleans and other areas battered by Katrina. Should migrant workers get special permission to enter the U.S. to help, or should those jobs be done by Americans? Well, there are growing arguments on both sides, of course.

Our Lisa Sylvester has more on the debate.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A steady flow of Hispanic workers is arriving in New Orleans to clean debris and repair houses and businesses. At least one job placement company has been actively importing foreign-born laborers. This flyer reads, "Add Mexican workers as part of your long-term workforce planning. Supply limited. Order now."

The ad directed at contractors is from Barton Rouge-based Accent Personnel Services, which is finding documented Mexicans for hire under the H2B visa program.

VIRGINIA PICKERING, THE ACCENT GROUP: The amount work that's necessary to be done is unprecedented. We're going to need more than we can have here. We have people coming from all over the United States to come down and help in this event, but even they are having trouble finding enough people to be here to work.

SYLVESTER: But critics are quick to slam the ad, saying it abuses the H2B visa program that is supposed to bring in foreign workers only if American workers are not available.

ROSEMARY JENKS, NUMBERS USA: It seems difficult to believe that in the wake of Katrina there are no American workers willing to do these jobs. And, of course, this is -- essentially, it sounds like a body shop that's renting out cheap workers.

SYLVESTER: The Davis-Bacon Act was waived, allowing companies to pay less than the prevailing or average wage in the rebuilding efforts. New Orleans is now a magnet for low-skill, low-wage employees.

Councilwoman Cynthia Willard-Lewis has two concerns, that some of the new workers may be illegal aliens and jobs are not being kept open for local residents.

CYNTHIA WILLARD-LEWIS, NEW ORLEANS COUNCIL MEMBER: It's critical that the people who live in this city, who give it its heart, its soul, its spirit come back. And so it is essential that the jobs be there for them to return.

SYLVESTER (on camera): The Reverend Jesse Jackson shares that view, that American workers should have first priority. He's leaving a caravan of buses bringing 600 New Orleans buses back to the city. They're scheduled to arrive here Tuesday.

Lisa Sylvester, CNN, New Orleans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

NGUYEN: As New Orleans tries to recover, some residents insist that it was more than a hurricane that brought death and destruction to their city.

CNN's Gary Tuchman found survivors who are convinced that the fatal floods resulted from sabotage.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Lower Ninth Ward is no longer underwater, but nobody's under the illusion things are getting back to normal. The absence of water makes the complete destruction of this New Orleans neighborhood more evident. The people who lived here aren't even allowed to visit.

ISAAC RAY, HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUEE: We need other people to help us. We just can't do it by ourselves, we don't have the resources. Help.

TUCHMAN: Isaac Ray is in a shelter in Baton Rouge, still packed with people who lost their homes in the Lower Ninth Ward. They all know levee failure caused the flooding of their neighborhood, but the angering frustration they feel has made the atmosphere ripe for talk of conspiracies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel that that levee didn't break by itself.

TUCHMAN (on camera): What do you think happened?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe they let the water in. That's what I believe. To keep everybody out the Ninth Ward.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Flooding the Ninth Ward in order to protect other neighborhoods? It's an extremely common belief among many in this shelter. The fact that other neighborhoods were flooded doesn't diminish the array of vehement conspiracy theories about the levee break.

TUCHMAN (on camera): Why would they want the levee to break?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Poor black people. That's all. Just poor black people they want to get rid of.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they blew it up. I think they bombed it up, I think they blew it up with explosives.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): And while there's no evidence to support any of these theories, they go on.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sabotage.

TUCHMAN (on camera): Sabotage by who?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our enemies.

TUCHMAN: Which enemies are those?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The ones who bombed New York.

TUCHMAN: Al Qaeda?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know his name.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): And the theories are shared by some who don't live anywhere near the Ninth Ward.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that there are probably people in power who are not above doing that.

TUCHMAN: The conspiracy talks saddens New Orleans political leaders and experts, who nevertheless see how past racial relations in this city foster such thinking.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's a combination of, historically, certain groups of people not feeling like they've had a voice in determining their fates.

TUCHMAN: The conspiracy issue was taken up in the October 3rd "New Yorker," in an article written by magazine editor David Remnick.

DAVID REMNICK, EDITOR, "THE NEW YORKER": Any natural disaster I've been involved in, as a reporter, whether it's an earthquake, you know, Armenia, the Chernobyl nuclear accident and other situations, always have attached to it some sense that not everything was by chance or by act of God.

TUCHMAN (on camera): The mayor of New Orleans is an African- American, but that fact doesn't get in the way of the conspiracy theorists, who say things like the mayor didn't know about the plot or didn't care about it or was powerless to stop it. All accusations that would never fly in a court of law, but are very prevalent in this court of public opinion.

(voice-over): The Lower Ninth Ward was destroyed August 29th, and with it, the trust of many of its residents.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, New Orleans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com