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Over 130 Killed in Latest Iraqi Insurgent Attacks; Military Vehicle Accident Kills Two U.S. Soldiers in San Diego; Insurance Rebates Offered to Hybrid Vehicle Owners; Sharon's Poor Health Spurs Talks of Political Future of Israel
Aired January 05, 2006 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: More than 130 people now are counted as dead in one of the bloodiest days yet for Iraq's insurgency. They include five Americans killed in a roadside bombing while patrolling southern Baghdad.
But the bloodiest attacks occurred in Ramadi and Karbala. In Karbala, a suicide bomber triggered an explosion near two Shiite shrines, killing at least 45 people and wounding a number of other people.
In Ramadi, U.S. Marines say a suicide attacker struck a line of police recruits, killing 80 people.
Earlier today, I spoke with CNN's Jennifer Eccleston about security measures at Iraq's police recruitment centers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right.
It's in the western Al Anbar province, a restive town to begin with, a thorn in the side for the U.S. military as of late, and incredible amount of insurgent activity in that area. And what we saw today was just that.
A suicide bomber with an explosive vest getting in with these police recruitment service in Ramadi. There were some 600 men passing through over the course of four days. This day, the suicide bomber detonated his vest amongst them. And as you mentioned, 80 people killed and 70 wounded -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Now, Jennifer, you've been embedded with the troops. I've seen you out there in dangerous situations. Time and time again, we see these attacks on these recruit, whether it be for the military or the police. What kind of security is being done to help make this a safer place? Are they screening these recruits more often than -- than expected?
ECCLESTON: There is a certain amount of screening done, but it is impossible to screen, to check, to individually check each person that comes into a city, whether they're living in that city or whether they're coming from outside in various neighborhoods.
There just aren't enough Iraqi police forces and security forces on the ground to patrol and to do this sort of extensive security operations so that they could actually make sure nobody would slip through. There are U.S. forces there, as I mentioned. There is quite a heavy presence in and around -- outside of Ramadi, rather. It's a double-edged sword for them. They are there to protect. They are there to help with the security. But they want to keep a low profile. They want to begin to handover these security operations to the Iraqi police, to the Iraqi armed forces.
So, while they're there to lend a helping hand to do additional screening, the burden really is on -- especially at these types of events, the burden is on the Iraqi armed forces, the Iraqi police, to make sure that these people are kept safe, and, sometimes, that doesn't happen.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: This appears to have been the deadliest day of insurgent strikes in Iraq since September 14, when suicide car bombings and other attacks killed 153 people.
Tragedy on the highway -- two U.S. Marines die in a San Diego road crash. They had finished two tours of duty in Iraq and were preparing for the third, when they were killed. Two other Marines were injured.
Kris Van Cleave of affiliate XETV has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRIS VAN CLEAVE, XETV REPORTER (voice-over): Tragedy on the 15 Freeway. A Marine personnel towing a second one jackknifes, then overturns, slamming in to the guardrail, and ejecting two passengers, sending them plummeting 80 to 100 feet into a ravine, where they died.
COLONEL ROBERT KNAPP, U.S. MARINE CORPS: Just a terrible tragedy. It is gut-wrenching to see that.
MARK GREGG, CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL: What we have are two very heavy and very -- very fully loaded military vehicles. You're talking 12 and 14 tons each. They hit the wall very, very hard.
VAN CLEAVE: A line of flak vests belonging to the eight on board becomes a poignant reminder now that two of their own did not survive.
KNAPP: You expect things like that in combat. You -- you really try to prevent those things from happening in a peacetime situation.
VAN CLEAVE: Reportedly, one of the dead is a Marine, the other a Navy corpsman. The driver and another passenger were hurt. They were taken here to Pomerado Hospital, where, this morning, they have been released. All involved in the accident belonged to a 29 Palms-based unit headed to Miramar for training before deploying to Iraq.
KNAPP: These Marines are trained to deal with tragedy. They have it. They will put on their packs tomorrow and continue to march.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: That was Kris Van Cleave of affiliate XETV reporting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SHLOMO MOR-YOSEF, HADASSAH MEDICAL CENTER (through translator): This treatment is not carried out with a stopwatch. It is not carried out to the tempo of the media of the 21st century. It could take 24, 48, or 72 hours. It depends on his condition. And, at this stage, we can only monitor the things that we are able to measure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, the latest, but, by no means, last word on the condition of Ariel Sharon, the larger-than-life Israeli prime minister who is now clinging to life after a major stroke and many hours of emergency surgery.
This time yesterday, we reported Sharon being rushed to Jerusalem's Hadassah Hospital, where he had been scheduled to undergo a relatively straightforward heart procedure, ironically, today. That treatment was linked to the P.M.'s minor streak three week ago, as was a regimen of blood thinners that may well have aggravated his cranial hemorrhage overnight.
Now, if Ariel Sharon is larger than life, almost a mythic figure, Ehud Olmert is, well, not really. He's well-versed and well-known in Middle East politics, but, so far, a minor player on the global scene.
He's now the subject of a CNN fact check.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS (voice-over): Acting prime minister Ehud Olmert is no stranger to Israeli politics. Olmert was first elected to Israel's parliament in 1973, when he was only 28 years old. He was re-elected to the Knesset several times.
Then in 1993, he successfully ran for mayor of Jerusalem. During his two terms in office as mayor, Olmert was known for his focus on improving education and mass transportation. He also became good friends with New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani.
After the end of his second term as mayor in 2003, Olmert played a key role in Sharon's re-election campaign and then became a member of Sharon's cabinet, serving as minister of industry and trade and then minister of finance.
He is widely considered to have been Sharon's right-hand man in the last few years, backing controversial decisions on the Gaza pullout and Palestinian self-rule and ultimately abandoning the Likud Party to help him form the more centrist Kadima Party.
Ehud Olmert is 60 years old. He lives with his wife in Jerusalem. They have four children. (END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, he fought to seize territory for Israel, and, decades later, became the first Israeli leader to give land back to Palestinians. He formed an organization of like-minded hard-liners and, decades later, quit it for a new party of moderates.
Ariel Sharon has, in his various roles and positions, been all things to all people, enemy, partner, ally, adversary, best hope and worst nightmare -- no surprise, then, that reaction, just among Palestinians, run the gamut.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was suffering, a lot, from Sharon and his leadership. But I think he's the only man -- he implement the idea of peace, and the only one. He can, given his idea.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Sharon is a man of war. And he has blood on his hands since the day he was born. God is now punishing him. Others will also be punished.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): No doubt that the Zionist political map will change after his death. But the whole region will be better off with him absent than with him present, because Sharon was the one who carried out massacres and terrorism for decades against the Palestinian people.
NABIL SHAATH, PALESTINIAN INFORMATION MINISTER: There is a -- a human matter here, a man who led this country, who we feel very sorry for his state of health. And we appreciate that Israel will take at least the coming two months to make up its mind, where it wants to go after Sharon.
I trust that Mr. Olmert will continue with Mr Sharon's policies, at least until the elections. But there is a lot of uncertainty here about where are the Israelis going to go with the end of the Sharon era.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And if you log on to CNN.com/pipeline right now, you can see a report on the condition of Ariel Sharon, even as we speak.
Now, back here in the United States, lawmakers are now insisting on immediate lobbying reforms in the aftermath of Jack Abramoff's guilty pleas. But, for years, K Street lobbyists have showed -- or showered members of Congress with lavish cash donations. And Congress has gladly accepted.
CNN's Lisa Sylvester followed the money for "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lobbying is all about access, special interest groups paying for face time with members of Congress in the hopes of getting legislation passed. From lavish parties to the golf course, more than $2 billion is spent annually on lobbying, almost twice as much as what's handed out in campaign contributions.
ALEX KNOTT, CENTER FOR PUBLIC INTEGRITY: When you've got huge amounts of money rolling in and lobbyists writing bill after bill, the American public deserves to know where this legislation came from and who it's going to affect.
SYLVESTER: Jack Abramoff's dealings have shined a spotlight on K Street in Washington, where most firms are based. Lobbyists are required to register and file disclosure forms, but the rules are lax. One in five required forms is not filed at all.
Currently, there are 14,000 missing disclosure forms according to the Center for Public Integrity. Senator John McCain and Chris Shays have proposed new legislation that would require more disclosure of events and fund-raisers, mandate lobbyists reports if they've ever worked in key positions in the government.
The bill changes the waiting period from one year to two years that lawmakers and senior staffers must sit out before taking a lobbying position. It requires lawmakers to pay fair market price for flights, entertainment and sports tickets, and sets up a new electronic database for disclosure forms.
REP. CHRISTOPHER SHAYS (R), CONNECTICUT: Candidly, Congress is getting bought off. I mean, it happens periodically. And when it happens, we need to take action.
SYLVESTER: Just as Watergate led to campaign finance reform, some experts say the Abramoff scandal could lead to major changes in how lobbying is done in Washington.
(on camera): Congressman Chris Shays and Senator John McCain also are proposing increasing the fines for failing to disclose, from $50,000 to $100,000. They want to have disclosure reports filed quarterly, instead of twice a year, because of situations like the Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA. Lobbyists did not have to disclose until after that vote took place. So, it was not easy to tell how special interests were influencing the debate.
Lisa Sylvester, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: After three-and-a-half years in neutral, things are moving quickly in the Jose Padilla case.
Hours after the Supreme Court overruled a circuit court's refusal to transfer Padilla from a Navy brig to civilian custody in Florida, government sources tell CNN the move is under way. Miami is the site of an indictment handed up three-and-a-half years after Padilla, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and dubbed an enemy combatant.
The lower court objected to the utter lack of resemblance between the charges and the longstanding widely aired allegations, to wit, well, that Padilla was planning to set off a makeshift radioactive bomb or attack U.S. apartment buildings. As it stands, he's due in a Miami federal courtroom sometime this afternoon, his first court appearance since his ordeal began.
And, next week, the Supreme Court will consider whether to take up his appeal of his seemingly open-ended military detention. We are going to keep you posted on that story.
And more legal woes for Guantanamo Bay detainees. The Justice Department says it will seek a dismissal of lawsuits from the detainees. Hundreds of prisoners at the U.S. Naval Base are challenging the legality of their confinement. The department says it will use a new law to block the detainees' legal action. That new measure centers on issues of jurisdiction.
But lawyers for the detainees say they will oppose the Justice Department's action. About 500 suspects have been held at that prison for years, without being charged.
The news keeps coming. And we are going to keep bringing it to you -- more LIVE FROM right after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Critics have accused Bush administration of ignoring outside opinions on Iraq. So, it was an unusual guest list this morning for a meeting at the White House. Past secretaries of defense and state, including Democrats like Clinton adviser Madeleine Albright and Vietnam War architect Robert McNamara joined President Bush. The current security team briefed the gathering, which also included veterans of the Reagan, Carter, and Nixon years.
Afterwards, the president said he appreciated the advice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have also had a chance to listen to their concerns, their suggestions about the way forward. Not everybody around this table agreed with my decision to go into Iraq, and I fully understand that. But these are good, solid Americans who understand that we have got succeed now that we're there.
And I am most grateful for the suggestions that have been given. We take to heart the advice. We appreciate your experience, and we appreciate your taking time out of your day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, a few of the president's guests met with reporters on their way out.
Lawrence Eagleburger, a secretary of state for the first President Bush, said he thinks the president realizes he needs to a better job of explaining his Iraq strategy. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE EAGLEBURGER, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: He's got to be more open. And I mean by that, he's got to talk about it more with the American people, in terms of details, than has been the case in the past.
I don't think that's a question of his having tried to hide from it. I think, however, it was -- it is fairly clear that, technically, and probably strategically, it is much more important now, and should have been for some time, to have been more open. And I think that's clearly where he is right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: While participants said that there was some mild criticism during today's meeting, there was no sign the talks will result to any changes to U.S. policy.
A top Pentagon official reacted angrily today to some remarks earlier this week from Congressman John Murtha. Murtha, a decorated Vietnam combatant veteran -- combat veteran, rather -- who has become a vocal opponent of the Iraq war, said that, if he were a young man today, he would not enlist.
CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre has reaction.
Jamie, you were there. What happened?
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, a sharp rebuke today, Kyra, from the nation's top military officer, Marine General Pete Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, in reaction to those comments from Congressman Murtha, that he wouldn't join the military today.
Peter Pace walked a fine line, praising Murtha's record as a fellow Marine and his service in combat, but saying that this was exactly the wrong message to send in wartime.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENERAL PETER PACE, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: That's damaging to recruiting. It's damaging to morale of the troops who are deployed. And it's damaging to the morale of their families, who believe in what they're doing to -- to serve this country.
We have almost 300 million Americans who are being protected by 2.4 volunteer active Guard and Reserve members. We must recruit to that force.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: And, Kyra, I don't know if you could see this in the -- in the clip we have there, but I was staring directly into Peter Pace's eyes, and he looked like he was under considerable effort to stay controlled and measured. In fact, I said to him, I said, sir, you look and sound angry. Am I misreading that? And his response was, I'm energized. But you could see that he clearly felt that this kind of a statement from a member of Congress, a decorated war veteran, was not at all helpful, as the military is trying to -- to recruit. And when he was asked whether -- what the responsibility of leaders in the administration was to make a statement about recruiting, he -- he carefully, again, realizing his role as a military man, said, it's not for me to say what others should do.
I know what my role is and what I believe that I should say -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: What was that line now, Jamie? I'm energized?
MCINTYRE: Energized.
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: OK. We got to remember that one.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Jamie McIntyre, thanks so much.
Well, Randy McCloy is the only man to make it through the ordeal in the Sago Mine. He's out of the coal pit, but far from out of the woods. Doctors call McCloy's condition critical, but stable. He's a story of survival. And the nation is watching a West Virginia town for any signs of his improvement. We're following every minute of that.
The tragedy at Sago Mine unfolded, for the most part, deep underground, out of sight, in the dark, damp, tunnels, where generations of miners have made their living, often paying with their health, and sometimes their lives. It's a difficult and dangerous job that requires special training.
CNN national correspondent Gary Tuchman investigated.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For 60 years this was an active mine in the Rocky Mountains. Now the deer ramble above one of the entrances of a mine that is now part of the Colorado School of Mines. The Edgar Mine is used for training for the Colorado School of Mines, an esteemed institution, in Golden, Colorado.
And right now, we are going down the shaft, hundreds of feet into the mine, one of the shafts that go into this mine. And I'm being followed by a student here, at the Colorado School of Mines, Bracken Spencer is coming down. He's a senior, who is majoring in mining engineering.
We wear safety gear because this is still a mine, where you have to take the proper precautions, helmets, glasses, boots. We have these devices that convert carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide.
What are these called?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are the Duffy 65 Self-Rescuer. In case of fire and a build up of carbon monoxide, a miner will be able to get themselves out safely.
TUCHMAN: With us is Bob Ferreter (ph). Bob, you're title?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am the director of mine safety here at the Colorado School of Mines.
TUCHMAN: You train mine rescuers. Not just the students, but who else do you train?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We train adults. We train mine rescue teams for coal mines, metal mines here in the West. We train DOD personnel and fire departments.
TUCHMAN: OK, now this smoke that is set up for your students, to give you and idea of what rescuers go through when they are trying to rescue, you can't see anything, so how are you supposed to find people who are trapped inside a mine?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, the first thing we do is we provide the rescue team a map of where they're going in the mine. So they have a general idea. Secondly, you can follow the rail here, you can see that through the smoke a little bit. You can take a walk along that, so you can follow that.
You can grab that compressed air line or water line along the rib. That also gives you some guidance as to where you are going in the mine. And then, if you really have to, you can get down on the floor and crawl.
TUCHMAN: Ventilation. What do you teach rescue...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ventilation, ventilation is a very important topic for mine rescue team. You have to know how to change the ventilation in the mine, so you can sweep out the contaminated air, the smoke, and the contaminants, and bring fresh air in so you can proceed with the rescue.
TUCHMAN: We're also here with administrators, with the director of the mine. I have to ask you guys this -- I know you don't know exactly what happened yesterday, I don't want you to speculate. But do you have any idea at all, based on your expertise.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd say at this point, we are just only mystified. The way the MSHA laws are set up, there are redundancies, back ups to keep methane build ups from happening. And to have the concentration build up to the point where it exploded is just beyond anything we can imagine. TUCHMAN: How do you communicate? Radios don't work down here? How -- mean, that is a big issue, obviously with this situation -- communication.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, most of the time it is hand signals and voice communication. Of course, that is hampered by the fact that you are wearing protective devices, SCBAs, so communication is a problem. It always is a problem.
TUCHMAN: What are SCBAs?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Self-contained breathing apparatus. Yes, oxygen in the apparatus.
TUCHMAN: These are all the things I'm learning today. You're talking about going into another room, if you are a miner, to get away from the gases.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's correct.
TUCHMAN: This is -- this is -- you get an idea of how heavy this door is. Look out, I don't want to hurt you. You just have an idea of this door, this is a place where miners should go if something should happen down here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This could be used as a refuge chamber, yes.
TUCHMAN: You have set up, though, an obstacle course to simulate for rescuers who come in here, students, what its like to rescue. It's dark in here, it is smoky in here. You see this tunnel, it's very narrow and you are wearing this bulky gear. And I went through here a little while ago and it took a long time to go through because you can barely fit. You can imagine if you are much bigger person than I am, it would be very hard to fit.
But his gives you and idea of what the students go through. The climb through here, the go through and obstacle course and it gives you and idea of when people are trapped, what they go through in the dark and the smoke.
Gentlemen, thank you very much for talking with us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're welcome.
TUCHMAN: This mine primarily was used from the late 1800s to the middle of the 20th century to mine gold, to mine silver, to mine copper. But it is very similar what happened in these to coal mines. But, right now, it is just a training facility to train the rescuers of today and tomorrow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Gary Tuchman, that was an amazing piece. Great stuff.
Well, straight ahead, looking for a car? Looking for a reason to buy a hybrid -- or hybrid? (LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Our Ali Velshi may have just the push that you need. He's joining us next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, if you see folks running around today yelling, hook 'em, Horns, or swearing sweatshirts like this, like my technical director, Matt (ph)...
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: We decided he pulled this out from college, because it's fitting a little snug today.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Give a -- you want to go ahead and -- there you go. Looking good, Mattie (ph). Very good. He's rubbing it in, because, of course, I went to USC.
I don't even think my sweatshirts fit anymore, Matt (ph).
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: But, anyway, he's celebrating, of course, the new champions of college football. The University of Texas won the Bowl Championship Series last night, beating those poor Trojans.
Longhorns quarterback Vince Young scored the winning touchdown in the final 19 seconds of that game. The Texas win ended Southern California's 34-game winning streak and its bid for a third straight national championship.
National champions, Texas, well, it wins another race, top revenue by a college football program. The school's football program brought in $53.2 million in the 2004-2005 academic year. Fiesta Bowl winner Ohio State was number two with almost 52 million in revenue -- 52 million dollars, that is.
The schools trade position when you look at their entire sports program. Well, both schools brought in about $90 million. But the Buckeyes edged the Longhorns by about $50,000.
So, do you own a hybrid car? Are you thinking about buying one?
Jay (ph), you have a hybrid? Look at that. I had no idea. You could be eligible for a discount on your insurance.
CNN's Ali Velshi standing by in New York.
Well, Jay's (ph) got a hybrid.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I -- I...
PHILLIPS: One person in our control room.
VELSHI: I'm sucking it in here, so you don't tell me that I might have had this vest when I was in college or something like that.
(LAUGHTER)
VELSHI: Look all right? A little room in here. See this?
PHILLIPS: Matt (ph) -- Matt (ph) -- Matt (ph) said he will lend you his sweatshirt, if you want to try it on.
VELSHI: You can fit another person in this thing.
(LAUGHTER)
VELSHI: Kyra, these hybrids are -- are -- are a big deal right now.
You know, Travelers St. Paul's insurance has announced -- and it's the first national announcement -- that they are going to offer 10 percent reductions on insurance premiums for a car to people who own hybrid vehicles.
Now, you know, a few years ago, when they first came out, in 1999, most of the people who owned hybrid vehicles were people who were particularly passionate about the environment, because these are cars that mix a gas engine with an electric motor, and, as a result, get more fuel economy, get more mileage per gallon out of gas.
Now, at the time, you paid a lot more for these than -- than -- than you got the benefit out of it. So, it was people who really like the economy and the -- the environment -- and sort of the fashion set. Leonardo DiCaprio and other actors had them. And then it was sort of followed by people who like new technology.
And, you know, when we saw gas prices hit $3 a gallon in 2005 -- in September, $3.05 is as high as it got -- buying a hybrid car almost became a bit more of an economic decision. You could actually start to save money on it. Well, for those people who bought it for an economic decision, I've got to tell you, there's something wrong with that the price there, because if you can get a Civic for $2,100, you shouldn't be watching us.
PHILLIPS: Are we missing a zero? Are we missing a zero?
VELSHI: I think we're missing a zero, but now with an added insurance bonus of 10 percent, it starts to just make more economic sense for people who, you know, are just tired of paying a lot for gas.
PHILLIPS: Now, I don't know if I should ask you this or not, because maybe you don't know, but then again you know everything about cars, safety record? Do we know anything about how safe these cars have been? How they hold up and, you know...
VELSHI: You know, they don't seem to be less safe. They tend to be models of cars that are already in production that have been modified to be hybrid cars, so they -- like the Honda Civic that we just saw would be very similar to the regular gasoline Honda Civic. And I've driven that car around. It drives the same.
What's interesting is that "Traveler" says that they've got enough data over the last few years to show that people who buy hybrid cars are that much more conscientious and they tend to have fewer claims.
So in fact, they tend to be more responsible drivers and, you know, other insurance companies say we don't have that information yet, so until we do, we're not going to offer that discount. But that's kind of interesting that if you're more conscientious about the environment, or saving gas, or whatever the case is, you might be a better driver.
PHILLIPS: All right. I saw the number flash underneath you there, but I didn't catch it quick enough. About how many hybrids are out there?
VELSHI: There are a lot of these things. They have doubled in sales ...
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: There it is.
VELSHI: ... every year since they first came out in 1999. There were 200,000 hybrid cars sold in 2005. And I think we're up to about 350, almost 400,000 hybrid cars in the United States. It's one percent of the domestic car market.
But I saw a chart earlier that sort of projected the sales of hybrid cars over the next four year. I don't know whether we've got that. You tell me if you see it there.
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: We don't have it. Sorry about that.
VELSHI: Suffices to say this is the rudimentary version. This is the low-tech version. But we're here, and look where we see hybrid cars going, so nowhere but up for hybrid cars, and now a little cheaper.
PHILLIPS: You have to charge these overnight, right?
VELSHI: No.
PHILLIPS: No? How does it work?
VELSHI: They don't need any -- it's transparent. If you bought a hybrid car, it wouldn't seem any different to you than driving a regular car. You put gas in it.
The electric motor kicks in while you're driving, so you have -- it's -- the only thing people notice is they tend to have a little less power, a little less pickup, which I know for somebody like you who likes to have pickup on the highway ...
PHILLIPS: I like the fast cars.
VELSHI: ... that might be an issue. But for most people, driving around a place like Manhattan where you never pick up any speed anyway, wouldn't notice a difference.
PHILLIPS: I know, because Jay -- I should ask you, Jay, because you have one, but someone was telling me that they died out, they didn't -- no, you're saying no, Jay. OK. All right. So I had someone that bought one. They said it kept dying on them, so I didn't know.
VELSHI: You know, it's funny, because California's the place where they sell the most of them because Californians tend to like these things. But, you know, places like Washington, D.C., if you drive into Washington from some of the suburbs, you can drive in the high occupancy lanes if you have a hybrid car. So a lot of people use that just to get, you know, faster travel between places.
PHILLIPS: All right. Here's a car that you want to talk about, right, the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile? You want to tune in for this story?
VELSHI: Sure.
PHILLIPS: OK. It's hard to beat the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, I'm told, when it comes to wild rides. It's -- but hold the -- I don't have a script, folks, so I need the prompter to be with me. Here we go. Hold the mustard or should that be hold the mustard gas?
Houston, this could be a problem, we're told. A rocket running amuck down Main Street? Whew, turns out that that's not a peacemaker nuclear weapon after all. It's just an exact replica designed by Houston native Mel Chin (ph) and a bunch of art students from East Tennessee State.
The kids call it warehouse of mass distribution but it's actually fitted out as a 71-foot mobile home. What are we supposed to see, Lisa (ph)?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're supposed to be seeing a car that looks like a rocket.
PHILLIPS: All right, we're supposed to be seeing a car now that looks like a rocket. We're going through the graphics. We're trying to find it. Lots more comfy than the bomb that Slim Pickens road to Perdition in Dr. Strangelove. Remember that? Well, we're sure that you're getting a lot of political mileage out of this, but we're not sure what the EPA will make of it. There it is, Lisa ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Seventy-one feet long.
PHILLIPS: Seventy-one feet long. Give me some more Lisa Clark (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Eight feet in diameter.
PHILLIPS: Eight feet in diameter.
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: And a hell of a script. Let me tell you what. It was funny for trying to ad lib. We're going to take a quick break. More LIVE FROM right after this.
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PHILLIPS: It's almost a given that whether Ariel Sharon survives his current crisis or succumbs to his massive stroke, his days as the driving force in Israeli politics are over. So the question arises of succession and there's both a short-term and long-term answer.
The short-term is easy. Power falls to Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, a former mayor of Jerusalem and long-time, low-profile mover and shaker. Low-profile, that is, compared to Olmert's close friend and ally Sharon. But all bets are off when March -- off when it comes to March when Israel plans a nationwide election that Sharon and his fledgling Kadima Party, including Olmert, had been set to dominate.
Now, all eyes now look to the Likud Party leader former prime minister and former finance minister under Sharon, Benjamin Netanyahu. Time will tell whether Kadima's setbacks will be Likud's gain.
In the meantime, we tap the insides and expertise of Michael Oren, senior fellow and staff historian at the Shalem Center in Jerusalem. But you're in the United States today.
MICHAEL OREN, HISTORIAN: I just flew in, Kyra, from Israel.
PHILLIPS: Outstanding. And we're lucky to have you. Back and forth, boy, I don't know that this was right time to leave Israel. You've got a lot of action going on there.
OREN: Just when I left, the mood in Israel's very dismal indeed. It's interesting that even some of Sharon's more vocal opponents -- and he certainly has quite a few of them -- are deeply troubled, distressed. They feel like they've lost one of Israel's founding fathers, the last of a generation.
PHILLIPS: Really, even his opponents? Let's get a little deeper into that. What are they telling you? What are they saying to you? What are you hearing from them?
OREN: Well, we're hearing that his condition is very, very severe, that he's on life support of one type or another. Certainly he is not going to return to be the prominent figure in Israeli politics that he was.
He's not going to participate in the election scheduled for the end of March. He will not lead his newly founded Kadima Party to the anticipated landslide victory that everyone was assuming was going to happen.
PHILLIPS: So what happens to the Kadima Party? Does it just completely disintegrate? Could someone step in and rejuvenate this party? And what about Ehud Olmert?
OREN: Well, I think that the Kadima Party will remain a potent force in Israeli politics. Keep in mind the Kadima Party represented more than Ariel Sharon. The Kadima Party represented a solid majority of Israelis who wanted to move forward on the peace process if they could find a viable, Palestinian partner. And in the absence of the viable, Palestinian partner, wanted to draw Israel's borders unilaterally, if possible.
Now, that majority really remains and there are some young politicians and very talented politicians who are in this party. Ehud Olmert is only one of them. Ehud Olmert has a tremendous amount of experience in Israeli politics. He was the mayor of Jerusalem. But he's not very popular in Israel, I must tell you, Kyra.
More popular, far more popular, is Siffi Livnay (ph), who's not well-known in a country. A woman politician who was a very prominent lawyer, an ex-Mossad agent who was recently voted the most popular politician in Israel. And she'll be a serious contender for the leadership of this Kadima party.
PHILLIPS: Really? So where -- so, then, taking a look at Olmert -- you say, is not that popular. Then you have this -- tell me her name again. I'm not familiar with her.
OREN: Siffi Livnay.
PHILLIPS: Siffi Livnay. And then Benjamin Netanyahu's name, of course, has been brought up. Are these the three players that we should be focusing on?
OREN: I would bet on it. Netanyahu, of course, is the head of the Likud Party now. And he stands to benefit from Sharon's incapacity. Many people who would have voted for Sharon as Israel's Mr. Security Number One will now look to Mr. Security Number Two, and that's Benjamin Netanyahu.
PHILLIPS: Now, well, I was going to -- I have a question with regard to -- but, no, that's probably going to be a biased question. I'm not going to ask you that and put you on the spot.
Let's say those are the three individuals that are going to be -- that we're going be talking about as these elections come up. Now, Palestinians also have elections coming up. Now, depending on -- how will it impact the Palestinian elections? I mean, who they elect will probably depend on what happens in the other election, right?
OREN: In the Israeli election.
PHILLIPS: In the Israeli election, right. OREN: I'm kind of skeptical about. Palestinians have their own internal dynamic. Many Palestinians are fed up with corruption and inefficiency within the Palestinian Authority. Many of them will vote for Hamas, the Islamic extremist party, as a vote of protest against the Palestinian Authority.
Many of them also respect Hamas' actions against Israel. The suicide bombing has generated tremendous respect for Hamas. All of this is taking place completely separately and irrespective of what's happening in the Israeli elections.
PHILLIPS: Now, the peace process. Ariel Sharon obviously made a number of steps, along with many others, to get to where it is right now. Some people say a lot of progress. Of course, others would argue that. But, taking to heart what he has done, what happens to that now? Do you see it going backwards? Do you think it will remain the same?
OREN: Israeli democracy, Kyra, is a very resilient animal, and it's highly reflective of changes in public opinion. Irrespective of whether Sharon returns to politics at this stage -- it certainly looks doubtful that he will -- the Israeli -- the solid majority of Israelis are in favor of moving forward with the peace process. They're sick and tired of the occupation. They want to draw a defensible border, preferably in collaboration and conjunction with a Palestinian leadership.
But in the absence of that Palestinian leadership, again, the majority of Israelis want to move forward unilaterally. They want to stabilize their relationships with the Palestinians and through the Palestinians to stabilize the relationship with the Arab world. They're going to vote for the party that's going to deliver on that demand, with our without Ariel Sharon.
PHILLIPS: Real quickly, we were trying to get you today and you said I'll do it if I finish my deadline. What did you write about? When can we read it and where?
OREN: I was dictating an article for "The Wall Street Journal" on Ariel Sharon that should be out tomorrow morning, God willing.
PHILLIPS: OK, we're looking for it. Hopefully we didn't make you miss your deadline. Michael Oren, thank you so much.
Well, disaster strikes in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. At least 15 people, we're being told, have been killed, almost 40 injured, when a small hotel collapsed. It happened during the Muslim holy pilgrimage known as the hajj. Officials say that the hotel is near the Grand Mosque, the main focus of the hajj pilgrimage. Rescue workers are digging through rubble now, searching for more victims. And millions of pilgrims will be in the mecca for this year's hajj, which begins Sunday. The Muslim holy book, the Koran, requires every adult to make that journey if possible.
Landslides triggered by heavy rain in Indonesia have left more than 200 people dead or missing. Officials say that several villages have been wiped out in the central province of Java. Soldiers and volunteers there, using their bare hands to search for survivors that are buried under the ton of mud and rock that you see here. Rescue work is being hampered by more storms in that area and the Indonesian president is planning a visit to the affected areas today.
The gas war between Russia and Ukraine is over. Officials from the Russian gas supplier Gazprom say that taps have been on again. Russia stopped shipments for its neighbor four days ago. The dispute caused supply disruptions in Ukraine and throughout Western Europe. Ukraine gets about a third of its natural gas from Russia. Stoppage also caused anxiety in Western Europe, which is in the midst of one of its coldest winters.
The news keeps coming. We're going to keep bringing it to you. More LIVE FROM right after a quick break.
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PHILLIPS: Deep divisions lead to confrontation in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've removed the people. Just get your dogs to stop. Ain't no danger as long as they stop.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just outside of the work zone, and everyone's fair.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ain't no work happening, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, OK. As long as the -- is the other dozer stopped?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know. I just need...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, so they moving...
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PHILLIPS: New Orleans residents on a collision course with city clean-up workers in the devastated Ninth Ward. Residents say the city is demolishing hopes in violation of a court order. The workers withdrew under police protection. The protesters say that they will resist any plans to demolish homes in the Ninth Ward. Many homes in that neighborhood were severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina. City officials say about 2,500 buildings pose an imminent threat.
A hearing scheduled for today on the issue has been delayed. The city is trying to move that hearing to a federal court. Officials say the issues raised are more appropriate for federal court, but an attorney for the residents said that that's just a delaying tactic.
A New York man pleaded not guilty today to charges he posed as a firefighter that assaulted a woman in her apartment. Peter Braunstein was arrested last month in Memphis, Tennessee, following a six-week manhunt. Police say Braunstein set a pair of fires outside the Manhattan apartment of a former co-worker on Halloween night, then gained access to her apartment, posing as a firefighter. He allegedly put a gun to the woman's head, drugged her and then molested her for more than 12 hours.
Well, is nothing sacred? A Rhode Island woman is charged with stealing money from worshipers during church services. According to parishioners, when people left their pews to take communion, the woman took money from their unattended purses.
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MARY ANN SHERIDAN-WOODS, PARISHIONER: What she would do is -- if you went to communion, she would take either your wallet or the money out of your wallet. So, you know, you'd get home, you'd be having dinner, you wouldn't realize it was missing, unless you stopped you stopped for gas or something on the way home, or groceries. And the pattern just escalated and we just asked her not to come back.
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PHILLIPS: Well, the suspect's name is Patricia Wilcox. Police say that a bank surveillance camera showed her right here, trying to cash a stolen check. Wilcox has entered not guilty pleas to three misdemeanor larceny accounts.
More LIVE FROM straight ahead. Don't go away.
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GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: At first, our nation sends our deepest sympathies to Ariel Sharon. He lies immobilized in an Israeli hospital. We pray for his recovery. He's a good man, a strong man, a man who cared deeply about the security of the Israeli people and a man who had a vision for peace. May God bless him.
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PHILLIPS: President of the United States -- they are calling out to the health of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as we continue to follow his condition at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem. Our Wolf Blitzer is actually in Jerusalem for special coverage for THE SITUATION ROOM. And Wolf, this was your beat, you know so much about Israeli politics.
The president coming forward, what do you think about -- or tell us more about the president's relationship with Ariel Sharon and how you think this is going to make an impact on not only the upcoming elections, but just Israeli/U.S. politics and how it's going to affect policy. WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Those are all excellent questions, Kyra, and the answers are clearly unknown at this time as Ariel Sharon lies gravely ill at the Hadassah Medical Center here in Jerusalem. No one knows what the political fallout's going to be, what the relationship between the Israeli/Palestinian peace process will be, what U.S. relations are going to be because the politics in this part of the world right now, very much uncertain as a result of the grave condition that Ariel Sharon is in right now.
We're following all aspects of this story. We'll have much more, Kyra, on this. Also, one unusual twist resulting from Ariel Sharon's stroke, his very significant stroke. Pat Robertson, the Reverend Pat Robertson, unleashed once again. He says Sharon actually invited God's wrath. We're going to find out what else Pat Robertson is saying.
And back home, the miners -- we have much more on what's happening in West Virginia. Some of those doomed miners actually wrote letters. We're going to tell you what their final words were.
And Arnold Schwarzenegger out in California, he's about to deliver his state -- the state message. He wants to get re-elected. We'll go there live. Kyra, all that, lots more coming up. We're live in Jerusalem at the top of the hour. Kyra?
PHILLIPS: Looking forward to it, Wolf. Thanks so much. We're going to take a quick break. More LIVE FROM and THE SITUATION ROOM coming up next.
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PHILLIPS: Closing bell about to ring. Our Ali Velshi standing by. He's going to sort of wrap it up for us, Ali. So you're going to take it from here?
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