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Alleged Plot to Attack U.S. Forces in Iraq, Elsewhere; Car Bombing in Baghdad; The New Supreme Court

Aired February 21, 2006 - 14:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Alleged terror plots overseas, a major indictment back in the U.S., and it is all connected. Our justice correspondent, Kelli Arena, has some details.
And Kelli, what do we know about these three men arrested and apparently going to make a court appearance in Toledo today?

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Well, the three of them were living in Toledo, Ohio. They were arrested over the weekend for allegedly plotting to attack U.S. military forces in Iraq and in other locations.

The attorney general didn't specify exactly how along -- far along this plot was. He did say that they began planning back in November of 2004, that they had trained to learn how to shoot, how to build improvised explosive devices. They even downloaded a video which taught them how to make a suicide bombing vest.

The three men face life in prison if they're convicted of these charges -- Tony.

HARRIS: Yes. And Kelli, at one point we learned that one of the men is charged with making verbal threats against the president, which led to a string of questions about whether or not that information was gathered through the use of the NSA's wiretapping operation.

ARENA: That's right. I'm trying to find his name here. But one of them was -- was indeed charged with -- it was Mohammad Zaki Amawi who was charged with making public threats to either kill or cause bodily harm to the president.

And during the press conference, when the attorney general was asked whether or not the NSA program was used, he deflected that question. But then later on we heard from the U.S. attorney in Ohio, who said that there were traditional -- he said that the allegations were based on traditional law enforcement efforts, which suggests that the NSA program was not part of this investigation.

We also heard from the FBI that there were tips that came in from the community to the joint terrorism task force in Ohio from a variety of sources alleging that these men were up to something -- Tony.

HARRIS: Kelli, let's -- let's listen to the attorney general from just a few minutes ago and let's see if there's something more we can add on to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALBERTO GONZALES, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: We cannot wait until an attack happens. We will continue to use our criminal laws as Congress intended to charge individuals once they conspire to provide -- to provide support to terrorism or conspire to kill abroad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And Kelli, that cuts to this idea of us not really knowing how far along this plotting had gone on in terms of where they were at a specific moment when these arrests came down.

ARENA: That's right. The indictment lays out a lot about what they -- what they intended to do, how they intended to raise money, how they intended to recruit people. It does not specifically mention if they actually recruited anybody, how many they recruited, if they actually had obtained materials to build bombs, if they had indeed collected donations to be used toward this effort.

So a lot of questions remain unanswered.

HARRIS: OK. Justice Department Correspondent Kelli Arena for us.

Kelli, thank you.

ARENA: You're welcome, Tony.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, U.S. ports, they are proving to be anything but a safe haven for President Bush. He is getting grief from his own party members over that controversial port deal.

The latest, Senate Republican leader Bill Frist, who wants the contract put on hold. If not, he's threatening legislation to block it.

The deal gives an Arab-based firm control over a half-dozen major American ports, and the Bush administration says no red flags were raised. It says a government panel made up of various agencies did a national security review before giving the deal the green light.

HARRIS: What if? A lot of people are asking that question in light of a deal giving an Arab-based company control over six major U.S. ports.

As CNN's Tom Foreman reports, the answers might alarm you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The doomsday scenario -- and it is only a scenario right now -- is this: Dubai Ports World through its Middle Eastern contacts hires people to handle operations in the United States. Those people have secret ties to terrorists. And those terrorists exploit the company's inside information to slip weapons into America and strike. CLARK KENT ERVIN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Securing the port facility itself, securing the cargo as it moves into and out of the facility, and also hiring the security guards. So those are three very, very key security activities that are going to be done by a country with manifest ties to terrorism.

FOREMAN: But does that really matter? Even though the overwhelming bulk of imports come to America by ship, fewer than 5 percent of cargoes are currently being inspected. Against that backdrop, some argue what counts more than the nationality of a port company is its commitment to following the laws and procedures designed to protect American ports.

RICHARD FALKENRATH, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: The Coast Guard is in charge of enforcing those regulations. And every port operator has to comply with those, regardless of who owns them.

FOREMAN: And there is symbolism to consider. The port deal could build support among Muslim allies. Some Americans may not like it...

(on camera): ... but it seems to me if you're in the Arab world, this looks really good. It looks like the United States trusts the Arab world.

ERVIN: Or it could look like it's dumb.

FOREMAN (voice over): It's tricky business. Seventy thousand ship, train and truck containers cross the country's borders every day. That means whatever is decided about the port deal will be watched closely, both inside and outside of America.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Call it a presidential reprieve. Thirty-two workers are back on the job at a government energy research lab in Colorado just two weeks after being laid off. They were reinstated over the weekend, in advance of a presidential visit today.

The president has been promoting more energy research, and speaking to plant workers this morning, he acknowledged that his administration was sending mixed signals when it ordered the layoffs. The president's visit to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, was part of a two-day, three-state trip to promote the energy plan he unveiled during his State of the Union speech.

Well, the president's initiative calls for a closer look at the nation's energy consumption. Here's a look at where America gets its energy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DARYN KAGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The United States spends more than $500 billion each year on energy. Fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil provide more than 85 percent of all energy consumed in the U.S. Oil alone supplies more than 40 percent of America's total energy demands, including more than 99 percent of the fuel used in cars and trucks.

Coal supplies more than half the electricity consumed by Americans. The U.S. actually has the world's largest known coal reserves, enough to last more than 200 years.

While coal is the nation's major fuel for electric power, natural gas is catching up. In fact, more than 90 percent of the power plants to be built in the next 20 years will likely be fueled by natural gas. Whether for industrial uses, home heating or generating electricity, most of the natural gas consumed in the U.S. is produced in the United States as well.

All told, those fossil fuels are used to create nearly two-thirds of the nation's electricity. Nuclear power counts for about 20 percent of the electricity generated in the U.S., about as much electricity as is used in California, Texas and New York.

Currently, there are 104 commercial nuclear generating units. One hasn't come on line since 1996, but the administration emphasizes the need for nuclear expansion in maintaining a diverse energy supply.

The rest of the nation's electricity comes from other energy sources, including the sun and the win. Wind machines in the U.S. generate enough electricity to serve 1.6 million households. The amount of electricity generated from wind has tripled since 1998.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Well, it is the first comprehensive housing plan to help hurricane victims in Louisiana. Governor Kathleen Blanco outlined the ambitious new plan yesterday to help residents move forward.

Under the $7.5 billion proposal, residents may be eligible to repair or rebuild their homes. Relief would be capped at $150,000 per home. Or residents could relocate to another part of the state.

If that is not possible, homeowners could sell their property to the state for 60 percent of the home's value prior to the storm. And Blanco has plans to prioritize who gets the money first.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. KATHLEEN BLANCO (D), LOUISIANA: I'm going to also insist that we prioritize relief to families determined to rebuild in Louisiana. Now, we don't need to be rebuilding in other states.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Uncertainties remain. Congress has yet to approve some $4.2 billion in aid. If that additional money is refused, Blanco says her plans would shrink to match the available funding.

NGUYEN: Tony, there is blunt talk in New Orleans, not from just one, but three city council members. City council president Oliver Thomas says, "We don't need soap opera watchers right now. We're going to target the people who are going to work. It's not that I'm fed up, but that at some point, there has to be a whole new level of motivation and people have got to stop blaming the government for something they ought to do."

Well, the city is implementing new screening procedures for public housing. Council members say any resident unwilling to work is not welcome.

Olive Thomas is joining us now from New Orleans.

We appreciate your time, Council Member.

OLIVER THOMAS: Betty, it's really good to be here. You know, what we're saying, we're not saying that anyone's not welcome, but what we're saying is that we think that the housing authority has an opportunity to help train residents in public housing, to give them the opportunity to make some of the money that's going on with this recovery.

Why would someone want not to participate? Why would you want to sit at -- sit at home if you can make $13, $14, $15 an hour and also help roll up your sleeves and rebuild our community?

Everyone is welcome in New Orleans, but I think we need to create a whole new economy here. We need to grow our middle class and grow our working class so that we can get away from some of the problems wed had in the past. And that's a fact.

NGUYEN: Well, what you said was, "We don't need soap opera watchers right now. We're going to target people that are going to work."

THOMAS: That's absolutely correct.

NGUYEN: So how are you planning on weeding out those people who aren't going to work?

THOMAS: Well, you know, we're not trying to weed out anyone. Anyone that wants to come and help with this recovery, you know, we want them to come back and participate.

What's the one thing we've learned? We've learned we can't count on the federal government, we can't count on state government, and we can't count on local government. So we need as many residents in this community so that we can count on ourselves. And that means rolling up your sleeves, getting up in the morning, the evening, going to work, volunteering at a school, participating at the park, and doing something to contribute.

We had a large dependent population in our city. Was it their fault? No. But guess what? If you can -- if we can help to be self- motivated, create some training programs -- Dr. Buffet (ph) is at the state level, Dr. Johnson (ph) at Del Gado (ph) have said for years they'd be willing to partner with businesses, partner with the housing authority and partner with the city.

We could use our Job One program to have a list of residents of people who are moving back, that if you don't have a job, here are the skills that are going to be necessary to help with our recovery. And here's a training program that we can match you to so that you can develop those skills so that you can learn and earn.

Anyone opposed to learning and earning, something is wrong with them. Somebody needs to check their pulse. We're saying learn and earn.

NGUYEN: All right, Mr. Councilman. Let me ask you, you say you're not going to be weeding out people who don't want to work, but there are changes when it comes to public housing.

For example, people are going to go to have to go background checks, security checks, and questions about employment history and employment prospects. So, that being the case, are you still saying that you're not weeding out people who don't want to work?

THOMAS: Well, if anyone is concerned about a background check, that's -- what's wrong with that? I don't mind giving a background check.

NGUYEN: Well, the employment history and the employment prospects?

THOMAS: Well, look, if I know your employment history, then maybe I can help you find a job. If I know what the prospects are, then I can match you with a prospective employer.

NGUYEN: What jobs are available right now?

THOMAS: Oh, wow, carpenters, painters, builders, mason, people get involved in our infrastructure, technology, the hospitals, a lot in the medical industry.

NGUYEN: So there are plenty of jobs for people who want to come home right now?

THOMAS: Plenty of jobs. Thousands...

NGUYEN: All right. Let me ask you this, then.

THOMAS: Look, Burger King is paying $10 an hour with a bonus. You tell me.

NGUYEN: Let me ask you this, then. All right. What about people who are disabled, people who can't work? What are you saying to them? What does this message say to them since you want people who want to come back and work?

THOMAS: Well, if you guys saw my comments yesterday, I specifically said that the elderly and the disabled, we need to take care of them. I grew up in a household where my father used the term "able-bodied." Every able body needs to get up and contribute and go to work.

Well, guess what? I had a sister who was disabled. So what did we do? We made sure we cared for her.

Why are people so excited that I have said that every able body that wants to contribute to our rebuilding ought to come here and help contribute? You're absolutely right, not sit up and lay up, but get up here and help us with this rebuilding effort.

There's such a large group of people in this -- in this country who want to see people be dependent rather than independent. And like Malcolm X said in one of his speeches, one of the greatest forms of slavery was the welfare system. It taught people how to rely on somebody else when they need to rely on themselves.

Well, guess what? We've been waiting on the cavalry to come, and if you're waiting on the cavalry to come, how can you be upset when they don't come?

You need to be self-motivated. And if we could help teach people to be self-motivated and give them skills, somebody show me what's wrong with that. For the people who we need to take care of, that's the only humane thing to do.

NGUYEN: Council Member, let me ask you this. At a time where the governor of Louisiana and the mayor of New Orleans touring the country, trying to get New Orleanians to come back home, what does your message say to them? And are you truly trying to motivate people to come home and start a new life?

THOMAS: Absolutely. My message says, come back here and take advantage of this recovery and help us participate in this recovery.

Why every time we ask people to improve their life, improve their skills and make themselves better, that some people look at it as a challenge that they can't rise to? Why would we not want people to be better than worse?

Guess what. The guy who has the master's, if he wants a doctorate, he goes into the doctoral program, right?

NGUYEN: True.

THOMAS: Well, guess what? If you don't have a skill, then why not get a skill to make it better...

NGUYEN: And are you going to help them get those skills?

THOMAS: ... not just for your generation, but your family? Every day, every minute, every second, every hour.

NGUYEN: That is good to hear. Council Member, in fact, president of the New Orleans City Council, we appreciate your time. Oliver Thomas, best of luck to you.

THOMAS: Let's stop waiting on others. Let's help ourselves. NGUYEN: All right. We hear you.

THOMAS: Thank you.

NGUYEN: CNN is committed to keeping you informed of what is going on and this recovery in Louisiana, elsewhere, in fact, along the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast.

We also want to tell you about something that we're unveiling. Our new Gulf Coast bureau satellite transmission truck -- check it out right there -- it's just one of the many pieces of equipment that we're investing in for use by our staff in New Orleans. And right now, as you know, they're gearing up to cover Mardi Gras, which is under way -- Tony.

HARRIS: Ah, new faces, some old debates. A look at the challenges facing the nation's highest court.

LIVE FROM back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: A car bombing today in a crowded marketplace in Baghdad. At least 20 people killed, more than two dozen injured. The bombing was just one in a string of attacks in the capital city.

CNN's Aneesh Raman is there and joins us with the latest on that -- Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Betty, good afternoon.

It is the single deadliest attack Iraq has seen in just about a month. As you say, a car bomb detonating in the southern Baghdad neighborhood of Dora around 5:00 p.m. local on a busy commercial street. The casualty numbers we have now, at least 20 people killed, some 25 others wounded. Those numbers, though, could easily rise.

Dora is a mixed Sunni-Shia area, an area that has seen persistent attacks ranging from these large-scale attacks -- and you see there video of the aftermath as ambulances rushed to the scene -- these large-scale attacks, to targeted killings, to just random violence that has persisted in that are since the war.

Now, while I say it's the largest single attack, the daily violence in Iraq of course continues. Yesterday, in all, at least 17 Iraqis were killed in a number of attacks. And notably, in the city of Baquba, some eight beauty parlors were attacked. All of them bombed. No casualties, but it does raise fears that the sectarian violence here is really starting to target not just Iraq's police force but those within the Iraqi society that are seen as perhaps too Western -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Aneesh, let me ask you, any reaction to the comments yesterday by the U.S. ambassador to Iraq about the kind of government that should be formed in the coming days? RAMAN: Yes, strong words back from Iraq's prime minister, soon to be prime minister again, Ibrahim al-Jaafari. It comes a day after the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, essentially said that the U.S. could withhold funding to Iraq's security forces if the government is seen as sectarian, especially those in charge of the security forces.

Prime Minister Jaafari said that the government needs no reminding, especially from the U.S. ambassador, that it would not be good to have a sectarian government. He was in town alongside British foreign secretary Jack Straw today, who also emphasized that a unity government must be formed.

And that really is what is holding up these talks, the attempt to form a unity government with the minority Sunnis, with the Shia, with the Kurds, as well as the secular politicians. And again, in terms of that government forming, the end of March is the earliest estimate, and that's sliding as we go forward -- Betty.

NGUYEN: CNN's Aneesh Raman in Baghdad.

Thank you, Aneesh.

HARRIS: The high court, with two new justices, is off and running. Already some decisions made. One involving an abortion case.

CNN's Kimberly Osias standing by for us in Washington.

And Kimberly, I guess the obvious question -- good to see you, first of all -- is...

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you as well.

HARRIS: ... is what does this mean, if anything, for Roe v. Wade?

OSIAS: Well, that, of course, is the big concern for many, Tony. Most legal experts say Roe versus Wade -- and of course we're talking about the 1973 landmark decision, of course, legalizing a woman's right to an abortion -- is at a risk of being overturned. The question here is really about the erosion of that right.

Today, the high court agreed to review a federal law banning late-term abortions that critics call partial-birth abortions. This is the third time in recent months the court has dealt with the issue of abortion, clearly tackling the issue head on.

The Republican-controlled Congress pushing the justices to clarify the constitutionality of the law which has been on the books since 2003. But it's never actually gone into effect. It's been stayed. That's because there have been numerous appeals on the controversial measure.

The justices likely won't hear oral arguments, though, until next fall. And of course, Tony, in an election year, the issue is likely to be an enormous political hot button.

HARRIS: Well, you know that. Kimberly, just a thought here. The high court ruled against using medical marijuana but voted for using another controlled substance. Explain that to us.

OSIAS: Right, they voted on that today, the medicinal marijuana was earlier. Now, it's an interesting ruling on a case out of Santa Fe, New Mexico, today about religious freedom.

That case involves a small congregation's use of hallucinogenic tea. It's called hoasca, in its spiritual ceremonies.

That tea contains DMT. That's a federally-banned substance considered a Class I narcotic. The justices ruled unanimously 7-0 against the Bush administration's assertion claiming drug enforcement supercedes religious freedom.

Chief Justice John Roberts saying, "Congress has determined that courts should strike sensible balances." He went on to say the government failed to demonstrate its compelling reason for barring the sacramental use of the tea.

A little bit of a David and Goliath ruling here to continue sort of a religious reference.

HARRIS: That's right. That's right.

And Kimberly, the high court dealing with something about a litmus test issue of sorts for the environment today.

OSIAS: Very much so, Tony. Two cases out of Michigan may serve as an indicator on how the court will rule on environmental issues, a pair of cases that could dramatically limit the reach of the Clean Water Act.

That 1972 law is credited with preserving the nation's waterways. But some land owners and property developers say it's too stringent.

At issue here, whether federal wetland regulators went too far restricting development far from protected waterways. In one case, the wetlands are about 20 miles from Michigan's Lake Huron.

In the other, a river flows through a dam and produces sort of a trickle of water. Well, does that trigger federal jurisdiction?

Really forcing clarification on what actually constitutes a so- called navigable waterway. Justice Antonin Scalia very vocal this morning. The liberal justice saying it's absurd to say that a drainage ditch falls under federal jurisdiction.

And as for the court's newest justice, a more conservative Samuel Alito, well, I'm told he was pretty quiet today, so no real indication how he'll rule -- Tony.

HARRIS: CNN's Kimberly Osias following developments for us at the Supreme Court. Kimberly, thank you.

NGUYEN: Inside Iraq's insurgency, journalists risk their lives to (INAUDIBLE) the insurgent fight in Iraq. Coming up, the co- producer of a riveting documentary will be here to talk about what they learned and the extreme risk involved.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: He led ABC News for more than 20 years. Now the street that led to the headquarters and still does lead to the headquarters is named in his honor.

Peter Jennings Way became official earlier today in New York. It's located on West 66th Street, home to ABC News. The news organization says it is a permanent geographical memorial to the man who left such an indelible mark on the landscape of American journalism. The Jennings family, ABC News president David Westin, and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg were among those at this morning's ceremony.

Jennings first joined ABC in 1964. He died last August from cancer. He was 67.

NGUYEN: The most admired company in America is neither the most profitable nor the biggest. That's right. So why is General Electric number one?

Susan Lisovicz has the answer and the full list live from the New York Stock Exchange.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

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