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Republicans Respond to Lawmaker's Call for Immediate Iraq Withdrawal; DNA Limbo in New Orleans; Delta and UPS Pilots Threaten to Strike

Aired November 17, 2005 - 13:32   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Straight now to House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter responding, of course, from earlier strong words from Representative John Murtha, the Democrat calling for immediate withdrawal from Iraq. Let's listen in.
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REP. DUNCAN HUNTER (R), CALIFORNIA: ... thankfully, were rejected, that would call for a timetable for withdrawal. And now we have an initiative in the House that calls for immediate withdrawal.

You know, one thing that we've learned in this century -- in winning the world for freedom in World War I, World War II and the Cold War -- is that freedom around the world is in America's interest. We have freed hundreds of millions of people in Europe, and that's accrued to the benefit of generations of Americans.

And we are in the process of delivering a free Iraq and delivering a nation that will be, instead of an enemy of the United States, a friend of the United States in a very strategic area of the world, that will not be a platform for terrorists, that will have a modicum of democracy and therefore not be a threat to the United States.

And I just wanted to remind our friends that now is the time for endurance. It's easy to be a flag-waver and to be patriotic and to support the troops when you're in the initial attack phase and it looks like you may have only a two-week war.

Lots of our enemies think America is only capable of a two-week war and that we don't have the endurance for the hard, tough battle of winning a war, securing the peace, providing the military shield and building up a country and building up its democratic institutions at the same time.

In fact, we do.

And I think that the Democrats who have undertaken this initiative have made a mistake. I think they've underestimated the toughness of the American people and the understanding that if we don't change the world, the world is going to change us.

And right now, in Iraq, we are changing the world. We're changing a very strategic part of the world in such a way that it will not be a threat to the United States and, in fact, will be an ally in the global war against terror.

So I just wanted to offer those words today, as the other side in this debate, as opposed to the statements that have been offered on the Senate side and now, regrettably, on the House side also, calling for withdrawal from the war-fighting theaters in Iraq.

And Kay Granger put this conference together, and I'd like to ask Kay Granger of Texas to make a few comments.

REP. KAY GRANGER (R), TEXAS: Thank you very much.

Like most of the members up here, I've traveled to Iraq. I've stood at the foot of a mass grave that held thousands of the remains of Iraqis that were killed by Saddam Hussein.

And I traveled to Iraq and I listened to our men and women in uniform who told me how proud they are of what they're doing, and some with tears in their eyes, because they say, "The people understand it back home? Do they still support us? Are they still with us?"

And I've also worked with the women of Iraq who literally risked their lives to run for office so that they could be a part of writing a constitution and having a form of democracy -- and, as they said to me, "and having the freedoms, Kay Granger, that you have in the United States."

That's all I can speak of as far as being a member like that. But I think it speaks best, and I'm going to quote Army Major General William Webster, who just yesterday -- now, he's the commander of the 3rd Infantry Division; he's responsible for three-fourths of the security in Iraq's capital.

And this is what he said. No one can say it better than he said.

"Setting a date would mean that 221 soldiers I've lost this year -- that their lives would have been lost in vain. Our troops are trying to get this accomplished. They believe they're doing the right thing. The soldiers believe they're helping. I think this: Bringing them home now is a recipe for disaster. Setting a date is a loser."

That's what he says. He's there. He's risking his life and the lives of men and women. That's what we're all about.

REP. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN (R-FL): I'm Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a member of the International Relations Committee. I represent Miami, Florida.

My stepson, Douglas Lehtinen, and...

PHILLIPS: You've been listening to the Republicans reacts to the Democrats, who have been calling for immediate withdrawal from Iraq. Specifically, Representative John Murtha, if you've just tuned into CNN and you're trying to catch up with the news today, Murtha earlier today came out with very strong words about taking troops out of Iraq and bringing them home, saying that the U.S. cannot accomplish anything further in Iraq, militarily. It's time to bring the troops home. Republicans now responding to those strong words. You heard from House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter, just before Representative Granger there, saying, thankfully, Republicans rejected a timetable for immediate withdrawal, that this administration will continue to deliver a free Iraq. He also went on to say that in Iraq they are changing the world so it won't be a threat to the U.S.

So the back and forth today on the Hill, Democrats, Republicans going at it about setting a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq. Obviously, an ongoing controversy that we'll continue to talk about throughout the day.

Meanwhile, straight ahead, a live check of the markets for you. The news keeping coming. We're going to keep bring it to you as it happens.

More LIVE FROM straight ahead.

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PHILLIPS: Well, on Capitol Hill today, the mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, gave the House Financial Services Committee the state of his city. He and several Louisiana lawmakers are trying to hammer out the particulars of the Louisiana Recovery Corporation Act. Mayor Nagin says that recovery can't begin until people feel good enough about their homes in order to return.

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MAYOR RAY NAGIN, NEW ORLEANS: A lot of our citizens are still spread out among 44 different states. And we really do not -- we are running out of time, as it relates to individuals trying to make decisions on whether to move back, how to move back, whether they feel comfortable enough about the levee systems, whether they feel comfortable enough about the levee systems, whether they feel comfortable that they have the resources necessary to move back, and what this Congress and with the state government and with the local government is doing to facilitate and accelerate them coming back.

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PHILLIPS: Nearly three months after Hurricane Katrina, hundreds of bodies still have not been identified or returned to their loved ones for burial. It's hard to believe, but DNA testing is the method of last resort of determining their bodies, and like many things connected to Katrina, there's a problem.

CNN's Rusty Dornin has the story.

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RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): How old is he here? LINDA HYMEL, VICTIM'S SISTER: Fifty.

DORNIN (voice-over): Linda Hymel has counted the days since Katrina. That's when her little brother Darryl (ph) disappeared the first time.

HYMEL: It's just very heartbreaking.

DORNIN: Four days after the storm, his body was found near his home by friends. They were told by the National Guard to put his body in a bathtub, so he could easily be found by recovery teams. Linda believed her brother was taken to the morgue. But nobody will tell her.

The family has given DNA, dental records, even detailed descriptions about the scars on his lip and behind his knee, but nothing. Now Linda hears that FEMA has told the state it won't pay for DNA testing.

(on camera): At this point, to see these agencies arguing about the DNA, and you have been waiting two months to hear about your brother.

HYMEL: Over two months.

DORNIN: Yes.

HYMEL: Yes.

DORNIN: What -- how do you feel about that?

HYMEL: It's sick. It's sick. My stomach is -- is -- I'm sick to my stomach. I'm -- I'm not only grieving and mourning. Now I'm angry. I just want -- it is so simple. I just want my brother.

DORNIN (voice-over): Her brother may very well be among the hundreds of unidentified bodies in refrigerator trucks in the makeshift morgue in the town of Saint Gabriel. Shrouded fences keep out the curious. And there is the constant hum of generators.

FEMA agreed to take DNA samples and to even match them after testing. But FEMA officials say they told the state from the beginning it was not the agency's responsibility to pay for the tests. Two months ago, that wasn't even an issue. September 14, the state's top coroner, Dr. Louis Cataldie, told reporters Louisiana would take care of its own.

DR. LOUIS CATALDIE, LOUISIANA STATE CORONER: So, the Louisiana State Crime Lab is processing the DNA. We will be storing the DNA. We will be retaining that evidence. Again, the state is taking care of its business.

DORNIN: But now, it's mid-November. The state is broke and unable to pay its bills. And Cataldie is one frustrated coroner.

CATALDIE: I need DNA results, you know? I'm not the money man. I find myself in a position where the money is holding me up right now. And that -- that frustrates me. I need the tools to work with.

DORNIN: That's cold comfort for Linda Hymel.

HYMEL: We're getting the runaround, you know? And, if all that stands between getting my brother is -- is money, we'll pay for it.

DORNIN: Anything to relieve the anguish of living in limbo.

Rusty Dornin, CNN, New Orleans.

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PHILLIPS: And as if New Orleans doesn't enough problems, the local political process is now in trouble. Why? Well, voters, by the hundreds of thousands, now live somewhere else. And most of the polling places -- gone. It may seem a small thing to mention when bodies are still being found, but consider that the city's future leadership will deal with the Katrina aftermath for years to come.

New Orleans police are dealing with another post-Katrina first: a homicide investigation. It's apparently the first killing there since the storm, a stabbing death inside a New Orleans' home.

And one more hurricane-related note. FEMA is accused of leaving Katrina victims high and dry. We're going to have details of a multi- plaintiff lawsuit filed by displaced families who say the federal government has cut them off. We'll tell you about it later on LIVE FROM.

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PHILLIPS: Two big labor disputes are in the news, both involve pilots and both could cause problems for you. Delta pilots are threatening to strike if their wages are cut. And UPS pilots say they may strike if they can't reach an agreement on a new contract.

These strikes threats have many folks wondering whether it's safe to buy a ticket or even ship a package. Terry Trippler is an airline analyst with cheapseats.com he joins me now live from Minneapolis to help sort things out. Terry, let's start, first of all, with the traveling part of things. If indeed the strike happens, how is it going to affect us right now, if we have a ticket wanting to fly home for the holidays?

TERRY TRIPPLER, CHEAPSEATS.COM: If you're talking of Delta, if Delta Air pilots should start to strike -- Delta would rebook everyone on another airline, of course with high load factors, it would be difficult to get onboard. Delta would put you on an airline with whom they have a ticketing agreement. They don't have a ticketing agreement with Southwest or Jet Blue, so you wouldn't be able to travel on one of those two carriers.

PHILLIPS: A lot of talk too that, if indeed this strike happens, it could mean, you know, the end of it for Delta. So if that happens, what was this provision that had you talked about that protects me in case of liquidation of an airline? TRIPPLER: Right after September 11, Kyra, after the Congress granted some funds to the airlines, along with it came a stipulation that should there be a bankruptcy, should the airline go out of business, competing airlines would be required to transport the passengers for, at that time, $25 one way on a stand-by basis. It's now up to $50.

Should an airline go out of business, and you have a ticket on that airline, you can fly stand-by, same city pairs for $50 one way. What's ironic about that is, then in that situation, Jet Blue and Southwest would come into the fold and you would be able to fly on them. So it gets somewhat confusing.

PHILLIPS: Wow, it is a bit confusing. Are there any other airlines that we might have problems with during the holiday season, or are we keeping our eyes on Delta and U.P.S.?

TRIPPLER: I think everything looks good. As far as Delta goes, I know the pilots are in the process of positioning, but I really do not think that there will be any disruption at Delta service right now. In fact, would I buy a ticket to fly on Delta over the holidays? Absolutely, I would. U.P.S., they're struggling with their pilots right now. They feel that they'll get things settled. The packages will be delivered. The passengers will be delivered.

PHILLIPS: So, we don't have to worry about holiday shipping then, right now, at this point?

TRIPPLER: I don't think so. I think everyone's going to get their packages and their people to where they are going.

TRIPPLER: Let's say a strike does happen. How long could it last?

PHILLIPS: Oh, yes, it could last indefinitely. But Delta could not stand a strike that would last more than a day or two. This airline is in serious financial difficulty. They're struggling. That's why they're having the problem they are with the pilots right now. Any strike or any labor slowdown or any labor relations would have to be sharp. And what all labor should have in mind is what happened to the mechanics with the Northwest strike, and that would have to play a big role.

PHILLIPS: Definitely. Terry Trippler, analyst with cheapseats.com. Thanks so much.

Straight ahead, Bob Woodward -- he's known for getting the scoop, right? But his technique has its critics. Coming up next hour, a closer look at Woodward's decades-long relationship with anonymous sources.

PHILLIPS: LIVE FROM rolls on, we're working a number of stories for you right now. Starting off with a surprising twist in a closely- watched manhunt. A convicted killer who escaped from a maximum- security prison in Iowa was arrested today outside another prison. Martin Moon and Robert Legendre broke out of the Iowa State Penitentiary Monday by scaling a 30-foot wall. Now, one of them, Moon, is safely in custody. The other one on the loose. CNN's Keith Oppenheim is in Fort Madison, Iowa waiting for police to give us new information. Keith, what do you know?

KEITH OPPENHEIM, FT. MADISON, IOWA: Well. We're at the City Council Chambers in Ft. Madison. Just moments from now we are expecting a news conference to begin. What we're trying to get now is details on what has already happened and the search for the escapee, Robert Legendre who has not yet been found. The general details that we know so far is that Martin Shane Moon was found about 200 miles away from Fort Madison near a prison.

The security guards saw him sleeping in a car this morning. And then notified local police in Chester, Illinois, who then pursued him for a short while. He apparently went into the woods. Eventually, they were able to figure out who he was when they had some idea that he might have been one of the prison escapees from here in Iowa. The key question is weather or not Moon can give police significant information about where the other escapee, Legendre, is. That, we don't know yet and hope to find out. Back to you

PHILLIPS: I know we're waiting for this news conference, so we'll talk just a little bit, Keith. My first question, what do we know about their cases? And I know Moon is behind -- or back in custody right now. But Legendre, could he be a threat to anyone? Is this somebody that could be going after anybody or looking for somebody now that he's escaped?

OPPENHEIM: Well, police have not identified that there are specific vendettas, but they have identified them both as being potentially armed and dangerous. No longer the case for Mr. Moon now that he has been captured. But their records are significant.

Moon was charged with -- was convicted, rather, of murder. He is from Iowa and was -- his case came from Clark County, Iowa, near Des Moines.

And Legendre comes from Nevada. He was actually transferred to this state in 2004 as part of just a prison transfer, and he was convicted of attempted murder and kidnapping in the case of a taxicab driver.

This news conference is about to begin. So Kyra, I'm going to send it back to you so we can switch our microphones and get started. OK?

PHILLIPS: It sounds like a deal. We'll check back in with you, Keith. We might listen in. We might just wait for you to report back to us.

Thanks so much.

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