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Tunnel Threat; Dam in Danger; Answers and Questions

Aired October 18, 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: Harriet Miers answers raised questions about her position on the Constitution and abortion. We're live from Washington.
Dam danger. If this dam breaks, the whole city will be flooded. We're live from Taunton, Massachusetts.

And Hurricane Wilma. The storm's getting stronger and on a track to threaten Florida. We're your hurricane headquarters.

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

Well, the case isn't closed, but neither are the tunnels anymore in Baltimore. If you've been watching CNN, you know that one tunnel under Baltimore Harbor was fully shut down, another partly shut down after some sort of terror threat that authorities couldn't substantiate but couldn't ignore either.

We get an update now from CNN Homeland Security Correspondent Jeanne Meserve. She's in Washington -- Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the threat information was received late last week, according to sources, and it involved the use of an improvised explosive device, a vehicle- born IED, as a matter of fact. This information is described as having some specificity, but of undetermined credibility. And it has not yet been corroborated.

We have been told that an operation is under way, that authorities are looking for more than one person who could be in the Baltimore area. According to one administration official, a handful of people are involved. Two sources have toll the number is six people, and I have been told that they are of foreign nationality. But we have not determined what country they are from at this point in time.

So this threat information came in. Local officials made the decision today to shut the tunnels. They were shut for a little more than an hour and a half.

You will recall that there was some disagreement between federal and state officials last week, or the week before last, when New York stut down parts of the transit system, or increased security on the transit system because of a threat. In this case, Department of Homeland Security officials are insisting that everybody is singing off the same page, and they're singing the same music. They say that they understand this was a local decision to shut these tunnels, but that they concur with whatever the locals feel they need to do to ensure the safety and security of their community.

So once again, some specificity in the threat. It involved an improvised explosive device and some foreign nationals, but the credibility has not yet been determined, and it has not yet been corroborated. Operations are continuing -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Jeanne. Thank you.

And now a developing story in Midtown Manhattan. More than 100 firefighters are battling a fire right now on the Queensboro Bridge, popularly known as the 59th Street Bridge. Construction had been under way on that bridge when the fire broke out. There's no word of the cause of the fire or if indeed there are any injuries.

You can see the firefighters and the flame there. We'll get more information. We'll bring it to you as we get it.

Now, right now we're closely monitoring some developing weather stories. The most urgent is in Taunton, Massachusetts, where a deteriorating dam is threatening to unleash a six-foot wall of water on that town.

Live pictures right now right atop that dam. Residents have already fled. Emergency crews and dive teams are standing by, and authorities say that water levels behind the dam are dropping. But they caution the next several hours will be crucial as to whether that dam breaks or not.

CNN's Dan Lothian is in Taunton with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Officials here say that they are preparing for a catastrophe but they are hoping for the best. Now, Taunton is about 35 miles south of Boston, a city of some 50,000 people.

We are along the Mill River, and this area here, where you can see it is swollen, rising over its banks. We're about a mile and a half down river from that faulty dam, an old wooden dam more than 150 years old.

It is already starting to leak water, pouring through it and underneath it. Officials fear that it could give at any moment.

The concern, of course, is that if it does break, that it could send a wall of water some six feet high into a nearby community of some 100 homes, and then make its way into the downtown area. In addition, they're also concerned that there's a secondary dam.

There was initial concern that a secondary dam could also give if that first one gave as well. Officials, though, now, after getting a chance to check over that second dam, are feeling better that it might hold if that old wooden dam does break. Nonetheless, an evacuation order has been issued. Officials strongly advising residents to get out while they still can. They have gone door to door, focusing on some 2,000 resident who might be in harm's way.

The governor has been here to tour the region, promising to help's in whatever way he can. Officials, obviously, are very concerned.

Dan Lothian, CNN, Taunton, Massachusetts.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Now another round of wet weather in southern California that could trigger a repeat of this. Yesterday, heavy rains unleashed a river of mud and debris down a Burbank mountainside that had been cleared by a recent wildfire. About 250 homes were evacuated. Luckily, no homes were damaged and no one was injured.

In D.C. this hour, a deluge of paperwork raises still more question about the president's pick to fill the shoes of Sandra Day O'Connor.

CNN's Kimberly Osias has the latest on the high drama, high stakes, high court nomination of Harriet Miers.

Hi, Kim.

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Kyra.

Well, a lot questions and very few answers. Sixty-four pages in all. And typically, these committee questionnaires are really a formality. But now this one is truly under the microscope, perhaps because few specifics about Harriet Miers are really known, and everyone is looking for something, anything, to grab on to. Trying to find out who she is, and more importantly, how she would vote if she were on the high court.

Remember, this is a woman who has little to go on in terms of any kind of paper trail. She was never a judge. She was a corporate attorney, and then joined the Bush team.

The hefty questionnaire, again, as I mentioned, 64 pages, starts out really with the basics, name, birthplace, and a financial disclosure as well, showing that Miers owns two homes. Properties totaling about $1 million in both Texas and Virginia.

Miers' nomination has divided the Bush administration's conservative base, and now a key indicator that may quell some conservatives' concerns. In particular, question number 28, about judicial activism.

Miers stating that "The role of the judiciary in our system of government is limited." And she goes on to say, "Courts are to be arbiters of disputes, not policymakers." And adds, "The role of the courts is to interpret law and not to make it," clearly hitting the right tone for conservatives here, indicating that she wouldn't rule from the bench, and would strictly interpret the constitution.

And earlier this afternoon, White House press secretary Scott McClellan fielding a number of questions about Miers, pointing out the difference between personal views and those of a judge.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Because the role of a judge is not to prejudge the outcome of those cases. The role of a judge is to stand back and to hear the facts, to look at those facts, and then apply the law. She is someone who anyone you talk to that knows her will say is very fair-minded.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OSIAS: Also being circulated today, a 1989 document from the conservative group Texans United for Life, where she marked "Yes," stating that she would support an amendment to the Constitution prohibiting abortion, except in the case where the mother's life was at stake.

And the takeaway message here, Kyra, some real conflicting pictures of Miers. Really, so, of course, all eyes will be on the judiciary hearings slated to start next month. November 7th or the 14th, we're hearing.

PHILLIPS: All right. Kimberly Osias. Thanks so much.

Meanwhile, Miers' nomination, it would seem, hasn't helped and may well have hurt President Bush's already fragile standing with his constituents. The latest CNN "USA-Today"-Gallup poll shows Mr. Bush's job approval rating at an all-time low, 39 percent. Fifty-eight percent disapprove of his performance in office.

Another of the president's longtime confidantes is even less popular than that, though. It probably reflects on the boss. Faced with numerous grand jury appearances and possibly even an indictment in the CIA leak case, Karl Rove is a dubious but largely unknown quantity to the general public.

Only 22 percent of poll respondents say they have a favorable opinion of the White House policy chief and political guru. But four respondents in 10 say that they're not sure whether they like Rove or not.

Now, there's a new twist this hour into the investigation into the leak of the name of that CIA operative, Valerie Plame. "The Washington Post" reports special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has gathered evidence suggesting that Vice President Dick Cheney long- running feud with the CIA may have contributed to the unmasking of Plame. "The Post" says that Fitzgerald has become aware of in- fighting between Cheney's office and the CIA as the White House built its case for invading Iraq.

Now, as we've reported, another key figure in the leak investigation is Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Libby spoke to at least one reporter about Plame, Judith Miller, of "The New York Times." But exactly what was said still remains unclear.

Judith Miller, as you'll recall, spent more than two months in jail before agreeing to testify about her conversations with Libby. And new reports today suggest that Libby may have given Miller incorrect information on where Plame worked in the CIA.

According to Miller's notes, the unit mentioned by Libby is not a covert operation. The inaccurate information could suggest that Libby thought Plame was not an undercover spy and, therefore, didn't know that her identity was classified. All this comes amid reports that Fitzgerald could announce whether he will bring charges in the case as early as tomorrow.

This extremely active hurricane season has just gotten even busier. William has now -- or Wilma, rather, has now strengthened into a hurricane in the western Caribbean, tying the record for the most hurricanes to form in one season.

Let's get straight to CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras for more -- Jacqui.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: And did you know that you can view the projected path of Hurricane Wilma online? Just log on to CNN.com/weather for continuous updates.

Serious talk today on Capitol Hill about rebuilding New Orleans. A House subcommittee is examining the storm-battered city's future. Mayor Ray Nagin is testifying before the panel, and Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco is appearing via video link. Among the top items on the agenda, creating a long-term recovery plan and looking at the impact of federal statutes on rebuilding.

Frustration, in-fighting and bureaucracy. Internal Department of Homeland Security e-mails are shedding new light on FEMA's struggle to respond to Hurricane Katrina. CNN has obtained a number of those memos, including several by then FEMA director Michael Brown.

One shows is concern about media scrutiny. Two days after Katrina hit, he wrote the agency's top official in Mississippi regarding Bay St. Louis.

"CNN asking, 'Where's FEMA?' We would like to air drop or do something there?

The official responded, "I'm afraid we have built expectations over the years that might not be achievable for this catastrophic event."

The Department of Homeland Security says the e-mails messages don't show the big picture.

Saddam Hussein on trial for crimes against humanity. What will the trial mean for the people of Iraq? We'll hear from some of them, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: It's the day many Iraqis have been waiting for years to come but never believed in their wildest dreams it would ever happen, the trial for Saddam Hussein. It's set to start tomorrow, 22 months after he was dragged from a hiding place in an underground bunker.

On trial with him will be seven members of his Baath Party. The charges, crimes against humanity.

Tomorrow's session isn't expected to last long. The defense indicates it will ask for time to prepare its case.

Now, Saddam Hussein's first trial focuses on an incident that prosecutors and many ordinary Iraqis say symbolizes the former dictator's long reign of brutality.

CNN Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Saddam Hussein faces his first trial for crimes against humanity for allegedly ordering the execution of 143 Shiite men from this village, Dujail, after his motorcade was ambushed there 23 years ago. But his brutal rule bludgeoned the whole nation's humanity, saying these Iraqis, who are eager to watch his trial.

"I would cut him up piece by piece," says Mehdi (ph). Now a soccer coach, Mehdi's (ph) personal hatred of Saddam began when he was on the air force soccer team. "One day I returned from training," he said, "and I learned that my cousin had been executed that morning."

For years, Iraqis lived in fear of Saddam and the statues and posters that loomed on every corner. But the fear started to fade when he was pulled graying and disheveled from a hole in the ground nearly two years ago. And it faded further when he appeared for his first court hearing a year and a half ago.

On patrol with Iraq troops in one of Baghdad's most dangerous neighborhoods, a new Iraqi soldier tells us, "This trial will make a difference for all Iraqi people. Saddam Hussein represents a dark period in our history."

His commander agrees. "If the trial is on television and in the press, it would be good, because Iraqis are thirsty for this. I think if Saddam is executed, 80 percent of the so-called resistance or terrorism will be eliminated."

While the majority in Iraq want to see him executed, there are also many mostly Sunnis who do not. "I hope he will be found not guilty and be freed," says Ahmed (ph). "I think he should get a life sentence because execution will be too merciful for him," says another customer.

Ama (ph) is the barber, a Kurd. Saddam could later face trial for genocide for gassing the Kurds in 1988. "What will he say to defend himself?" he asks. And that's what Mehdi (ph), whose cousin Saddam had executed, wants to know, too.

"This is what I have been waiting for," he says. "I just want to hear what he has to say, how he will answer to all those crimes he committed against the Iraqi people."

Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, relief after Hurricane Katrina was delayed. Will the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast go any faster? Louisiana's governor has tapped former CNN chairman Walter Isaacson to help lead the rebuilding. We'll ask him what he plans to do ahead on LIVE FROM.

And sole survivor. The story of one little boy who made it through a huge disaster. You'll hear his story.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Sinking numbers for President Bush as Americans voice their opinions on a number of issues, including Harriet Miers' nomination to the Supreme Court.

Gallup editor-in-chief Frank Newport is in Princeton, New Jersey, crunching the numbers.

Frank, President Bush's approval rating has reached a new low at a time when he's under fire because of the war in Iraq, the Miers' nomination and now the grand jury investigation that could reach deeply into the White House.

What are Americans saying?

FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP: Well, 39 percent, that's the number. Now, he has been, Kyra, at 40 percent, once in September and once in August in our CNN "USA-Today"-Gallup poll. So technically he's just one point lower than he has been, but this is the first time in the Bush administration he's below 40 percent and, therefore, the lowest of his administration.

A couple of points there. He's got 84 percent approval among Republicans, 8 percent among Democrats. That's a 76-point spread by partisanship. One of the biggest that we've seen. The country clearly split politically.

Also, however, we should point out that this is not unprecedented to be at 39 percent. Other presidents, his father, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, et al at some point or other had job approval ratings below 40 percent. Here's the trend for Bush's entire administration, or at least for this year of his administration. Note that he started out earlier this year at the 50 percent range. He's off about 10 points, although up and down as this year has progressed.

Kyra, not just the president. Look at this.

Congress, "Do you approve or disapprove of how your elected representatives are doing their job in Washington?" In a democracy, we think this is a very important indicator, and not looking good at all.

Twenty-nine percent job approval rating for Congress. That's the lowest we've seen in over 10 years.

Overall satisfaction with the way things are going in the United States also down. That's at 31 percent. That, too, I'm afraid to say, Kyra, is as low as we've seen satisfaction going back well into the 1990s.

PHILLIPS: Well, Frank, turning back to the Harriet Miers' nomination, she was back on Capitol Hill yesterday meeting with key Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee. We talked to a couple of them. With all the controversy, who is supporting her nomination for the Supreme Court right now?

NEWPORT: Well, that's -- first of all, she is being supported by the public rather than not supported by a narrow margin. By that, 44 to 36. I mean to say that we asked the public, "Should the Senate confirm the nomination of Harriet Miers to be a Supreme Court justice?" It wins if it was a vote of the people. Of course it isn't, but not dramatically.

John Roberts, same question a month or two ago, had 60 percent approval from the people.

We've really been looking, Kyra, in answer to your question, at conservatives, because a lot of the conventional wisdom is that Bush's natural base, the conservatives, has been discussed at great length has deserted him on this nomination. We don't find it rank and file- wise among conservatives across the country.

The question, "Should Bush withdraw the nomination?" Only 26 percent say yes. That's much higher among liberals.

This is the kind of pattern we would typically see, conservatives supportive of a Republican president's nomination. Democrats, liberals not. So we don't see that this is anything highly unusual despite all the hoopla about conservative opinion leaders who are disappointed with the nomination -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Frank Newport. Thank you so much.

Other news "Across America" now.

Take a look at this incredible rescue caught on tape in Sun Valley, California. A man was trapped inside his burning car right after an accident yesterday. Motorists, police officers, even people passing in a Greyhound bus pulled over to help.

After several attempts, the man was finally pulled free. You're going to see it right here, as those flames continue to billow around him. Watch this.

They pull him right out. And just seconds after that, the car was in flames. He's actually in serious condition right now but expected to be OK.

Now let's go to Reagan Washington National Airport. Flights resume today for the first time since the 9/11 attacks. Still, pilots will have to comply with rigorous rules, though, such as undergoing background checks. And certified armed security officers must also be aboard each one of those flights.

And say hello to Niko and Gaspar. The two beluga whales that arrived at the Georgia Aquarium here in Atlanta yesterday. The 12- foot long, 1,600 pound whales came to their new home from Mexico City. There's no doubt that they'll be a big attraction when that aquarium opens next month.

Well, straight ahead, it's now become a global threat. That's what leaders of the European Union say about the deadly bird flu. Now fears ride high that we're globally unprepared.

And a school was destroyed by the Pakistan earthquake, its classmates all killed. Later, one boy's determination to finish his education in the wake of that disaster.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: "Now in the News," two highway tunnels under Baltimore's harbor are once again opened to traffic. Authorities closed one of them and partially shut the other one right after receiving what the FBI called a "somewhat specific threat." Those restrictions lasted less than two hours, and police say they haven't found anything of concern in those tunnels.

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