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Live From...
Bush Unveils Plan to Deal with Rising Gas Prices; Web Video of Zarqawi Released
Aired April 25, 2006 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CO-HOST: From the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, this is LIVE FROM. I'm Tony Harris.
BETTY NGUYEN, CO-HOST: And good afternoon. I'm Betty Nguyen. Kyra Phillips is off today.
HARRIS: And we get start with a developing story out of Alabama and a suburb of Birmingham. At least seven people have been taken to the hospital after a chemical scare at a post office.
The Hueytown police -- that's in Jefferson County -- are telling us that something from a box that was labeled "Magic Factory" spilled out of that box, making the people sick. The stricken were apparently throwing up as they were being transported to the hospital. Also experiencing breathing problems.
So the substance has been cleaned up is our understanding. The Jefferson County Hazmat team is still on the scene, however. Still don't know what substance we're talking about here. But, again, it has made at least seven people sick enough for a trip to the hospital. And we will keep an eye on it for you.
NGUYEN: Our other top story this hour, with the buzz around the nation, high gas prices of course. From the White House to the walls of Congress, and at every pump from coast to coast, Americans want a solution to this growing problem. We're expecting a briefing from the White House at any moment. We're going to hear from Democrats this hour, as well. When it happens, we'll bring it to you live.
Now, gas prices, they are up. Poll numbers, well, they're down. President Bush hits a new low in a CNN poll conducted by Opinion Research Corporation.
Fewer than a third of Americans, 32 percent, approve of the way he is handling his job; 60 percent disapprove. Also, the poll asked a blunt question, is Mr. Bush competent? The answer evenly split: 47 percent say yes, 47 percent say no.
Well, sagging polls numbers equal rising resentment about gas prices, Iraq, the economy. Will President Bush's new strategy turn things around? Let's go to the White House and our Ed Henry with the latest on this.
Hi, Ed.
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Betty. You know, the president got an up close look at those soaring gas prices today on his way to his speech on energy reform, where his motorcade passed an Exxon gas station across from the Watergate Hotel. It was selling gas at $3.49 per gallon.
The president during this speech unveiled a four-point plan to deal with this situation. First and foremost, the president is now ordering a federal investigation into allegations of price gouging by oil companies across the country.
Secondly, the president has decided in a dramatic move to halt deposits to the nation's strategic petroleum reserve until the end of the summer. This will increase supply, gasoline supplies, and ease the burden for consumers. Take a listen to the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our strategic reserve is sufficiently large enough to guard against any major supply disruption over the next few months. So by deferring deposits until the fall, we'll leave a little more oil on the market. Every little bit helps.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: Now, the president is also promoting better fuel efficiency. And he's also encouraging energy companies to step up to the plate with alternative fuels.
Building on that speech he gave over the weekend on Earth Day, talking about hydrogen powered cars. He wants more federal dollars for research and development.
Democrats say they've been urging presidential action for months. They say the president is now feeling the political heat and that's why he's acting -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Let me ask you this. Let's go in detail if we can. Halting these deposits to the strategic oil supply, is that really going to lower gas prices? I mean, what is that going to do?
Are you there, Ed? Obviously, we have lost Ed and the satellite shot. Of course, we're going to be talking to him within the next three hours so we'll have much more on this. In the meantime, Tony.
HARRIS: Betty, you may think that drivers are the only ones fuming over gas prices. But many small station owners are feeling the pinch, as well, and some are protesting.
CNN senior national correspondent John Roberts has a story you may have first seen on "ANDERSON COOPER 360".
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a revolution of sorts at the Rocket Express in Fulston (ph), North Carolina. Unable to compete with chain distributors, the owner shut down the pumps until prices dropped. Guess what customers are behind them 100 percent. And guess what? Customers are behind them 100 percent.
DORIS DAVIS, MOTORIST: I saw it in the paper this morning and I thought, well, I've got to stop and tell that fellow I support him.
ROBERTS: The outrage factor has spread. In the San Diego, at least three independent stations also closed in protest, after they were quoted 40 cents a gallon more than their name brand competitors.
DAVE WHITLOW, SPIRIT AUTO: I've never been told I can't get gas. I've never been told, "Oh, I'm sorry, we don't have any gas available for you today." There's always gas available. I just have to pay 40 cents a gallon more for it than the guy down the street does.
ROBERTS: If high prices are taking such a toll on gas stations, what about consumers? A new CNN poll conducted by Opinion Research Corporation found gas prices are causing hardship for 69 percent of Americans.
RALPH BASTION, MOTORIST: Three oh nine. What are we expecting tomorrow, $4 or $5? Four something? You know? Where are we going? Where is all this going to? Who's getting this money?
ROBERTS: The "who" is an increasingly concentrated group of companies, the five largest of which made $111 billion in profits last year. Outgoing Exxon Mobil CEO Lee Raymond became the poster child for big oil excess, with a retirement package worth $400 million.
Willy Sykes, who dumped his SUV for a scooter, just can't get his head around that.
WILLY SYKES, MOTORIST: He can get $400 million. God, can we get a break? Can we get, like, two or three cents off this? I mean, shoot, it's crazy.
ROBERTS: What's more, President Bush's recent energy bill gives the oil companies another $23 billion in subsidies and tax breaks over the last decade. Money was supposed to help keep prices down by encouraging research and domestic exploration.
But why does an industry making record profits need a government handout? That's what Democrats facing re-election would like to know.
SEN. BILL NELSON (D), FLORIDA: We've got to stop the oil companies from having it all their way. In the energy bill passed last year, they have $1.5 billion tax giveaway purely for the oil companies' research purposes. That needs to be reversed. I'm going to try to do that this week.
ROBERTS: Republicans aren't talking about rolling back fat subsidies. But they are trying to stay on the right side of the issue. In a letter on Monday, the Republican congressional leadership urged President Bush to keep a close eye on price gouging, to be ready to pounce and prosecute. (on camera) In truth, there's very little Congress or the president can do to effect gas prices. And successive investigations have always cleared the oil companies of any wrongdoing. One thing you can say for certain, this is going to be one powerful election year issue.
John Roberts, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Anderson Cooper will take a closer look at allegations of possible price gouging tonight at 9 Eastern, 7 Pacific.
The White House press briefing is under way now. Scott McClellan is -- is talking about the policies that the Bush administration laid out a little earlier today by -- via the president in a speech earlier today. When Scott McClellan takes questions, which should begin at any moment, and specifically questions on gas prices, we will take you into the press briefing room for those comments.
Americans screaming for relief at the pump may want to consider what their fellow drivers are paying for gas abroad. Here's a fact check.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS (voice-over): What Americans are paying for gas is a bargain compared to prices in many other countries.
Consider the Netherlands. According to the U.S. Energy Department, Dutch drivers pay the most of anywhere in the world for equivalent of a gallon of gas, about $6.73. The main culprit, as it is in most other countries, are taxes. The Dutch pay a gas tax of just over $4.
In France, the actual cost of gas is $2.15. Add on the tax, and it jumps to $5.80. In most other European countries, the total average price, tax included, is more than $6.
Japanese drivers have it a little easier. Their total per gallon price is about $4.50. Besides market fluctuation, another reason for the high taxes abroad: government efforts to get people to conserve energy. By comparison, American drivers pay the lowest tax on gas of any industrialized country, about 15 percent at current prices.
But not all drivers are in shock when they drive up to the pump. Gas prices are incredibly cheap in many oil-producing countries where governments subsidize prices to keep them below what it actually costs to make gas. Chinese drivers, for example, pay less than $2 a gallon. In Iran, it's less than 35 cents a gallon. In Venezuela, a mere 12 cents.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And this just in to CNN. According to Reuters news wire, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al Zarqawi, has appeared in a rare Web video. Here's just a still frame of that video.
Here's what we know so far about this web statement. He says on it that the Mujahideen were fighting on despite a three-year crusader war. And a statement also from the al Qaeda-affiliated Mujahideen Council, which accompanied this tape, says it was the first video of the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq.
Now, here is what al-Zarqawi says on this tape, according to Reuters wire. He says, quote, "Your Mujahideen sons were able to confront the most ferocious of crusader campaigns on a Muslim state. They have stood in the face of this onslaught for three years. When the crusader enemy entered Iraq, he intended to control the Islamic nation and supported the Zionist state."
And Zarqawi, as you can see on some of these still frames, is clad in a black with a green vest and assault rifle at his side. One thing that we do want to reiterate is the fact that we rarely see him in a Web video. A lot of times he has issued messages, but those have mainly been audiotapes. This time, he is shown training with a group of masked men outdoors, according to Reuters wire.
But again, a new tape coming in. Really, it's more a Web video coming in, of the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Of course, we're going to be analyzing a lot of this and bringing the latest out of it. But that's what we know so far, and we'll continue to monitor this and bring you the latest -- Tony.
HARRIS: And Betty, we're going to take you now to the White House briefing room, where spokesman Scott McClellan is taking questions on gas prices.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... proposed a windfall profits tax. What's the administration's...
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN: Well, I think the president actually talked about this in his remarks earlier today. There are some Democrats in the past who have advocated raising taxes or capping prices. And that is a failed approach. It's a failed command and control approach of the past. We have seen that approach tried. Tried in the '70s.
The president has a better approach. He believes that that would be the wrong approach, if someone is advocating raising taxes or capping prices.
Energy companies don't need to be receiving taxpayer funded incentives when the price of oil is at record levels. And the president made that very clear in his remarks. And energy companies have a responsibility to reinvest their profits back into alternative sources of energies, new technologies, expanding domestic production and expanding refining capacity.
Go ahead, Connie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three Middle East questions. First of all, I just want to say, we're going to miss you, and I hope you'll miss us.
MCCLELLAN: I'm still here for a little while.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good. Egypt, Hamas and Iran. Which do you want first?
MCCLELLAN: Go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Egypt. Will the U.S. help Egypt in any way beefing up security or with more financial assistance...
MCCLELLAN: Our embassy yesterday indicated that we have offered to assist in any way that is needed. The president had a good call with President Mubarak earlier this morning. The president extended our condolences on behalf of the American people for the loss of life. There were a number of Egyptians who lost their life. A number of people wounded as well, including, I think, four American citizens was the last I heard. So the victims and their families remain in our thoughts and prayers.
President Mubarak indicated that he was going to pursue those who are responsible and bring them to justice. We remain engaged in a global war on terrorism, and the United States stands strongly with the Egyptian people as we wage this war and prevail in this war on terrorism. We will continue to take the fight to the enemy abroad.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... what happens with Iran tomorrow, when they say they're not going to meet the deadline?
MCCLELLAN: Not meet the deadline?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The U.N. deadline regarding nuclear enrichment. They've already made that announcement.
MCCLELLAN: Well, I think they've said a lot of things. I think they've said more than just what you said. I think they said that they intend to continue their enrichment activity.
The United Nations Security Council and the IAEA board made very clear what the regime needs to do. The regime is continuing to move in the opposite direction. The Security Council...
HARRIS: There you have White House spokesman Scott McClellan taking questions, answering those questions, as best he can, on high gas prices and some of the initiatives being put forward by the administration now to have a further discussion about this and get to the bottom of these high gas prices, information that we all want right now.
Following a number of developing stories now. Obviously, the Abu Musab al-Zarqawi web posting, we will follow up on that. And there is also a Hazmat situation in Hueytown, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. We're continuing to follow that story, as well. The latest on those two developing stories in just a moment.
Still ahead, though, illegal guns involved in illegal acts. Now America's mayors are putting their heads together to fight the violence. That story when LIVE FROM continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: All right. One of the stories that we are following this hour is a web posting from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq. We and to get some context for these statements from CNN terrorism expert Peter Bergen, is on the line with us.
And, Peter, when we talked over the weekend, we were talking about an audiotape from Osama bin Laden. And here we are a few days later, and we're talking about a Web posting from Abu Musab al- Zarqawi. What is going on here?
PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: The battle of the tapes, it seems. You know, Zarqawi has, I think in recent months, been keeping something of a low profile. You may remember that Zawahiri, the No. 2 in al Qaeda, had written a letter to Zarqawi suggesting he stop beheading his hostages, as it was turning off popular support. Zarqawi seems to have stopped that tactic almost entirely, although he continues to attack Shia. But overall, I think Zarqawi has been keeping a lower profile, and this tape certainly changes that.
HARRIS: And Peter, over the weekend, we discussed that the tape from Osama bin Laden may be an attempt for Osama bin Laden to reassert himself and to demonstrate that he is in control. What, then, do we make of this Web posting a few days later? Could one construe that this is Abu Musab al-Zarqawi reasserting himself?
BERGEN: Possibly. I mean, Zarqawi back in 2004 actually renamed his group al Qaeda in Iraq and swore a public oath of allegiance to bin Laden. So he has, at least in the past, at least played nominal sort of obeisance to al Qaeda's leader. It will be interesting on this tape if there's any mention of bin Laden at all or al Qaeda. Maybe Zarqawi's trying to step out of the al Qaeda orbit.
HARRIS: That was my next question. Is there anything that you have seen recently to suggest that these two might be at odds?
BERGEN: Well, yes and no. I mean, Zarqawi has often called for, you know, attacks on Shias and has conducted attacks on Shias in Iraq. And both bin Laden and Zawahiri had never criticized Shias. They've never criticized Iran. They don't want to be part of a civil war between Shias and Sunnis. And so certainly, Zarqawi in the past has gone his own way on that subject.
On the other hand, he has stopped beheadings. That's something that al Qaeda's leadership was suggesting he do. So it's sort of a mixed picture. He's doing his own thing to some degree but maybe taking some guidance from al Qaeda's leaders on the Afghan/Pakistan border.
HARRIS: Looking at some of these quotes, let me run some of these by you for your reaction. "Your Mujahideen sons were able to confront the most ferocious of crusader campaigns on a Muslim state. They have stood in the face of this onslaught for three years." This is clearly an attempt to continue to rally the troops to this cause. And, again, as in all of these tapes, this language of the west as being crusaders.
BERGEN: Well, you know, one interesting thing about this tape is that it was posted to the Internet rather than going to Al Jazeera. On the weekend, Tony, as we discussed that audiotape from bin Laden went to Al Jazeera.
That to me was kind of puzzling. Because sending something to Al Jazeera, you know, you run the possibility that somebody may be able to trace the chain of custody of the tape from Al Jazeera back to whoever was sending it.
If you post it to the Web, you get around that problem. And of course, Zarqawi is very much a child of the Internet. He really came to the public focus when he posted the beheading the American, Nicholas Berg, on the Internet. And he came -- he went from being sort of a deficient "B" leader of the insurgency to the most well- known figure amongst the insurgents.
And so he's very comfortable with the Internet. It's much less problematic, posting to the Internet. You can do it from anywhere. And you can guarantee your security.
HARRIS: Peter, any doubt in your mind it is Zarqawi, al Qaeda in Iraq, that is attempting to ferment sectarian violence and possibly a civil war?
BERGEN: No doubt about it. As you probably know, most of the suicide attacks in Iraq are being conducted by foreign fighters. Zarqawi himself is a Jordanian. Sixty percent of the suicide attacks in Iraq, in a recent study, were being conducted by Saudis. And many of those suicide attacks, of course, directed against Shia targets.
So while the insurgency is largely made up of Iraqis, the foreign fighters and the suicide attacks are actually, paradoxically, mostly made up of foreigners.
HARRIS: And Peter, when you -- I'm wondering about the extent to which this can rally like-minded people to this cause and keep them motivated. When you see this posting -- and we haven't seen anything from Zarqawi in, boy, I don't know how long. You have a better handle on it than I do. Does this have the effect, in your mind, of rallying the troops?
BERGEN: No doubt. I mean, I think that's the intent -- the intention here.
HARRIS: OK. Peter Bergen, we appreciate it. We'll give you an opportunity to take a look at some of these quotes and give us your insights a bit later. Peter, we appreciate it. Thank you.
BERGEN: Thank you, Tony, bye.
NGUYEN: We want to update you now on a developing story, something that we've been following since the beginning of this newscast, out of Hueytown, Alabama, where a chemical scare occurred a little bit earlier today.
Here's what we know so far. This chemical scare occurred at a post office in suburban Birmingham. Here's what they found. This found a -- what's being described as a "magic box." Now, we don't know exactly what that is. But something spilled out of this magic box which caused people to get sick.
Seven people were transported to local hospitals with breathing problems. They were also vomiting, as well. The substance has since been cleaned up. Don't know yet what that substance is, what it was, why it caused people to get sick. But at this point, it seems that the chemical scare at the post office appears to be in its final stages. People have been transported to the hospital.
And we're going to keep you on top of all this, as we get information as to exactly what occurred there, what that chemical is, and what's being done about it. So stay with us for that -- Tony.
HARRIS: Betty, we want to talk to our senior editor for Arab affairs. Octavia Nasr is on the line with us.
And Octavia, we talked a bit over the weekend, as well. We spent some time on the Osama bin Laden tape over the weekend. And here we are, a few days later, and we have this Web posting from al-Zarqawi.
It is clearly some kind of media offensive, old media, the use of Al Jazeera, by Osama bin Laden, and new media, this Web posting from al-Zarqawi. What do you make of it all?
OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SENIOR EDITOR FOR ARAB AFFAIRS: First of all, very interesting. And definitely a busy time for both al Qaeda in general and al Qaeda in Iraq in particular.
You know, Osama bin Laden about two years ago accepted Abu Musab al-Zarqawi into the al Qaeda fold. So he said that he does represent al Qaeda in Iraq and asked all the -- in his words, Mujahideen, to stand by him and support him. So, you know, he sees it as an al Qaeda video.
As you said, it was posted on an Islamist -- a radical Islamist web site, which is the medium of choice for al Qaeda in Iraq and the Zarqawi group. Very interesting, because this is the first time that we hear...
HARRIS: Now let me stop you, and I'll tell you...
NASR: Yes, go ahead.
HARRIS: Let me stop you right there, and I'll have you pick up right there with that point in a moment. I just want to explain to the folks what they're watching. They're actually watching video from this radical Islamic site that you just mentioned. Right now, folks are looking at a picture of Osama bin Laden. But moments ago, there was this most recent web posting from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. OK. Octavia, you can continue now, sorry.
NASR: Basically, this is a montage. This is a production from the al Qaeda in Iraq group. That's why you're seeing all those images. Sometimes bin Laden. Sometimes you see Zarqawi, for example.
HARRIS: True.
NASR: Like he is here. Other times, you know, he's out in the field. Other times he's inside, in -- in like a living room setting. Other times he's sitting on the floor, chatting with, you know, his supporters and followers.
So this is something that is put together, that is produced by the group al Qaeda in Iraq. And, you know, obviously this is a propaganda tape.
HARRIS: Yes.
NASR: What's on it -- you know, we're listening to what Zarqawi is saying on the tape, first of all, to see if it has any date markers. You know, this is the first thing that we do here at CNN: to identify this tape and see if it has any tape markers, because that will tell us if Zarqawi is alive today. Because this could be something that was taped earlier and is being released now.
It doesn't really tell much about where he is now, whether he is alive or dead at this point. So we at this moment, we are going through what Zarqawi says on the tape to determine that.
If it's Zarqawi, you look at him -- we do have pictures of Zarqawi of late. You know, we at CNN, had pictures recovered from one of the raids in Fallujah, about two years ago, when our Jane Arraf was embedded with the U.S. military...
HARRIS: That's right, yes.
NASR: And we have those pictures. So we do have pictures to compare them to this video in order to identify the man. So it is Zarqawi.
But, again, more important than this video is going to be what he's saying on that tape, if he's saying anything to give us a time marker. And, also, we look for calls for action on those tapes. And we will be analyzing all this and bringing it to the audience as soon as possible.
HARRIS: Octavia, do we have any way of knowing at this point in time whether or not these are -- this is a tape from -- a posting, a statement, from al-Zarqawi that has been spliced together to include these images of Osama bin Laden or if this is a singular production unit?
NASR: You know, that's a very good question, Tony. Because, you know, we do not know. You know, there are so many insurgency groups inside Iraq, operating inside Iraq today. They all have different names. You look at this video, for example. It has different logos.
HARRIS: Yes.
NASR: It has different names of different groups. So that is a very good question that not many people have an answer to, if at all, as a matter of fact.
HARRIS: OK. And here's the reason I ask that. It's because I asked Peter Bergen just a moment ago whether or not there is, you know, whether or not that tape over the weekend was Osama bin Laden, reasserting himself, whether this is Abu Musab al-Zarqawi reasserting himself. And perhaps this might indicate some kind of a split between the two men?
NASR: Look that is, also, another great question, Tony. In the -- in the intelligence circles there is a discussion going on as to the relationship between these two men.
As a matter of fact, on Sunday, when you and I talked about the Osama bin Laden tape, I mentioned that some experts on Al Jazeera, for example, discussing this very issue, basically saying that Osama bin Laden feels that he was sort of over staged -- or upstaged by Zawahiri, his No. 2 man in al Qaeda, and perhaps Zarqawi. And he felt the need to -- even though it's a big risk for him, he felt the need to go ahead and tape a message and send it out, to reassert himself as the leader of al Qaeda.
So in the intelligence circles and in the terrorism expert circles...
HARRIS: Yes.
NASR: ... this discussion going on, definitely.
HARRIS: OK.
NASR: Is there a power struggle? Because many times we've seen the Zarqawi group in Iraq take hostages, behead them, act in a way that even the supporters of bin Laden wouldn't accept and wouldn't agree with.
HARRIS: Yes.
NASR: And now, of course, you're seeing a lot of violence going on inside Iraq, Muslims against Muslims.
HARRIS: OK.
NASR: And that has to call for that kind of question.
HARRIS: So Octavia, we're going to let you take a break here and take a look at this posting. And if there's something else of real significance that you think we should know about, please let us know, OK?
NASR: You bet, Tony. HARRIS: OK. Octavia, appreciate it.
NGUYEN: We're going to continue to get some insight into this with Nic Robertson, our senior international correspondent. He joins us on the line.
Nic, I want to pick up with something that Tony and Octavia were talking about. These two videos. One, the tape of Osama bin Laden, which was released over the weekend. Now you've got today's Web video of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Is this something that may have been calculated between the two or are we seeing a fight for power here?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think the best analysis of communication between Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi and Osama bin Laden is that it's been written communication, because there have been letters that have been intercepted by intelligence operatives. And so it would seem unlikely given the timing that they would be able to -- that this would -- they would be able to manufacture this new tape so quickly.
But it shouldn't be ruled out. I think we'll get a better analysis when we can hear exactly what from Osama bin Laden has been spliced into the Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi tape here.
What intelligence experts in the region have been saying over the past few months is that what Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi has been trying to do is trying to legitimize himself. In the eyes of many Muslims, his very bloody videos of a couple of years ago, of beheadings of people, of some very, very -- even to jihadists, outrageous attacks, massacring and suicide bombings, 80, more than 100 people in some cases, and many, many of them innocent Iraqis, women and children among them, that that has outraged people.
And the intelligence analysis in the region at the moment, in the Middle East, is that Zarqawi is really trying to moderate himself, that he's trying to put a better light on his operations in Iraq.
Indeed, it was recently stated that Zarqawi was essentially handing over political control of al Qaeda in Iraq to another operative and he was going to look after military affairs, and that was widely seen as an effort to get himself some credibility in Iraq.
Also on this tape, he talked about a mujahadeen council. Intelligence experts in the region believe that is part of the same thing, that Zarqawi is trying to establish himself as a representative of Iraqis, that there are a council of people around him that is working in conjunction with others, and I think that's what we're seeing here.
It does appear to be the first publicly released video that Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi seems to have released in this way, and this does appear to be part, in this context, of a broader effort to give himself a better face, if you will, to be more appealing to more jihadists, and to try and make himself more credible to Iraqis at this time as well -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Well, and another thing, too, that really kind of goes with what you've been saying, is this was released as a Web video. Is this a way to reach more people, to reach the masses?
ROBERTSON: Well what happens often when Osama bin Laden or Ayman Al Zawahiri, his right-hand man, have released videotapes or audio tape is they tend to release them to the Arabic-language broadcaster Al Jazeera, and Al Jazeera, like many stations, tends to broadcast only short extracts of those releases.
By putting it on the Internet, it gives an opportunity for everybody who wants to listen to everything that Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi has to say, they can listen to the whole thing. None of it is going to get filtered out. So that is one way. It's also a way of making it very quickly, very widely available to jihadists around the world, so they can get online and go and watch it. So it's probably an effort really to get his message out as broadly, as quickly as possible. But also the whole message, not just cut down parts of it.
NGUYEN: We're going to give you some time to look at that whole message, because I know there's a lot of things you're going to be looking for specifically, including those time stamps. So we're going to let you go for now. Nic Robertson, our senior international correspondent. Of course we'll be talking with you later on throughout the day. Thank you, Nic.
There is more LIVE FROM coming up, so don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MARKET REPORT)
HARRIS: We're going take you to Capitol Hill right now, where House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has been joined by other Democrats, and they're talking about high gas prices.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
NANCY PELOSI (D), MINORITY LEADER: ... and next, Democrats, led by Congressman Brian Higgins of New York, introduced a bill that would rescind billions of dollars of taxpayer subsidies for these oil companies, rollback these subsidies, tax breaks and royalty relief given to big oil and to gas companies, and use those funds to help low-income Americans, farmers and small businesses, struggling under the weight of gas prices.
And yes, the Republicans voted over and over against rolling back the subsidies, even after they knew that the oil companies were making historic, obscene record profits.
And it is the Democrats, on the (ph) ongoing, led by Democratic Congresswoman Rosa Delora, that has a bill that would require oil companies and refineries to disclose their prices to the Federal Trade Commission in times of energy crisis. Democrats have real plans that would increase production of alternative fuels.
These are bills we could have enacted months ago. If Republicans had joined Democrats in protecting the American people instead of the Republicans protecting big oil. If the Republicans had done that, today we would have had laws on the books against gouging and excess profits instead of record prices at the pump and record profits. Today, we are renewing the call as we challenge our Republican colleagues to join us in helping to bring down the price of gasoline before Memorial Day weekend.
Let us say to the American people that we can be, although recent history to the contrary, that we can be the government of the many and not just the few as President Bush and Dick Cheney have recorded.
Even the chairman of the Federal Reserve agrees that gas prices are decreasing the purchasing power of American families and depressing the U.S. economy. Record prices for the American people, record giveaways, record profits for big oil companies, that's the Republican energy policy. And Americans can no longer afford it.
All you have to do is drive down the street in your car, see the price at the pump, and you know that America can no longer afford George W. Bush as president and his rubber stamp Republican Congress. I'm now pleased to introduce Congressman Bart Stupack (ph) of Michigan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK, House Democrats responding to the president and asking for a bipartisan effort to bring down gas prices by Memorial Day. Is it Memorial Day or Labor Day?
NGUYEN: Coming up in May, yes.
HARRIS: Another story we're following. Obviously, we are analyzing the new Web posting from Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, the statement posted on a radical Islamic Web site. A seemingly part of a PR offensive, as our Nic Robertson told you a moment ago, Betty, to repair his image among Iraqis.
We're following that story. We have a hazmat situation in Alabama we're keeping an eye on. The news keeps coming. We'll keep bringing it to you. More LIVE FROM when we come back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: First thing is to make sure the American consumers are treated fairly at the gas pump. Americans understand, by and large, that the price of crude oil is going up and that the prices are going up. But what they don't want and will not accept is manipulation of the market and neither will I.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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NGUYEN: We are continuing to work this developing story out of Iraq. We understand that the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al Zarqawi, you see right there, has released this rare Web video. This is a really rare view of him. The first time he's been seen speaking without a mask, and since he's emerged as the alleged leader of the insurgency in Iraq.
Previously, we've only seen him in still photos or audio message. Important to note this tape comes two days after al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden issued a tape where he was talking about some of the plans for al Qaeda and the west as well.
So let me give you some insight as to what was said on this rare Web video by al Zarqawi. One of the things mentioned, he says, "When the crusader enemy entered Iraq, he intended to control the Islamic nation in support of the Zionist state."
Another thing he went on to say is, "Your mujahedeen sons were able to confront the most ferocious of crusader campaigns on a Muslim state, they have stood in the face of this onslaught for three years." Obviously, inciting those to take action. We, here, at CNN, of course are analyzing this new video to determine exactly when it was created, if there are any time stamps to give us any more clues.
Also it's a tape -- or Web video that was spliced together. You see different portions in it of Abu Musab al Zarqawi. Then you also see pictures of Osama bin Laden. You're looking at pictures, it appears, of maybe a training camp. We don't know exactly when these were taken but it appears the video has been edited together.
We're doing a lot of analysis here. We're going to continue to bring this information as soon as we look through all of it and can deem that the information we have is something that's worth presenting to you. Something that we're going to continue to monitor right here. So stay with us for that.
HARRIS: Eye on Iran, the U.N. pushes a deadline, Iran pushes back. The Security Council wants them to stop enriching uranium by Friday. Iran shows no sign of backing down. In a report, you'll see only on CNN, our Aneesh Raman take us to a place few American networks have ever been.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the noisy heart of southern Tehran, a blue collar bustling street of mostly repair shops and home to some of the strongest supporters of Iran's move to develop nuclear energy. Gholam, who has owned this motorcycle shop for 20 years, is one of them.
GHOLAM: Nuclear energy is the Islamic republic's absolute right, and it is the right of all Iranian people.
RAMAN (voice-over): A right Iran staunchly defends. A day after Iran's president reiterated the country would not stop its civilian nuclear energy program, the country's top nuclear negotiator warned the U.N. and its nuclear watchdog over any action they might take against Tehran.
ALI LARIJANI, IRAN CHIEF NEGOTIATOR (through translator): I think clearly that if sanctions are imposed, we will suspend our relations with the IAEA. (on camera): Everything changed here after Iran announced it had independently enriched uranium some two weeks ago. The country is now filled with fierce nationalist pride and, in part, is why the government and Iranian people are refusing to back down.
(voice-over): And if the world decides a nuclear Iran is simply too dangerous to live with and decides to strike, the country warned it would retreat from international inspections.
LARIJANI (through translator): If military action is taken against us, will our nuclear technology be halted? We have mastered the technology and we will go somewhere else. This time, we will do it in secret.
RAMAN: The toughest words were again reserved for the United States, who most Iranians say is behind the growing crisis.
"The world has threatened us for 28 years," says Heydar. "When the water passes over your head," he shows, "it doesn't make any difference how far over it goes."
GHOLAM, SHOP OWNER (through translator): America is a good nation and deserves respect, but it is the politicians there who bully the people of the world.
RAMAN: Many here say there's nothing new, that Iran has always been ostracized by the international community and that Iranians are prepared for whatever comes next.
Aneesh Raman, CNN, Tehran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, your health, your concerns, and your money. What are your questions about the new Medicare drug benefit? The man in charge of the program answers these questions, so you'll want to send them in to LIVE FROM. That is coming up next.
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HARRIS: Got drugs? Well, what I mean to say -- that was a little outrageous.
NGUYEN: That was outrageous.
HARRIS: Got drug coverage?
NGUYEN: Oh, now, that makes more sense.
HARRIS: You with me now?
NGUYEN: I'm with you.
HARRIS: I'm with myself. The May 15th sign-up deadline is fast approaching for Medicare prescription drug benefits. We go to the source for the info you need to enroll. Dr. Mark McClellan oversees the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs. He joins us from Houston. Mark, good to see you.
DR. MARK MCCLELLAN, MEDICARE: It's great to be back with you.
HARRIS: Boy, you were so good the last time you were here, so smooth. You know, I want to see if I can shake you up a little bit with some of the questions we're getting, some of the e-mails we're getting from folks. Did I read somewhere that by the end of this, by the 15th, you and Secretary Leavitt will have taken part in, what, 5,000 events talking about this program? Is that correct?
MCCLELLAN: Well, we've been all over the country and we're continuing to crisscross the country with what will amount to about 5,000 events in the next three weeks alone. Now, we're not going to be...
HARRIS: What?
MCCLELLAN: Now, we're not going to be at nearly all of those. But I'm in Houston today. The secretary's been in Arkansas and other parts of the country recently. This is a great way to find out about the coverage if you haven't made a decision yet. So we're seeing seniors or senior family members, caregivers, many people getting help right in their community so they can make an informed decision about the new drug benefit.
HARRIS: Let's get to an e-mail. Larry writes -- he's from Logansport, Indiana: "Why is there a deadline anyway?"
MCCLELLAN: Well, Larry, there are a few reasons for it. One is that we found that it really helps people make a decision. Now, signing up for health insurance isn't the most fun thing you're going to do today, but it could be the thing with the most impact on your health and on your finances.
People who have signed up for this coverage are saving about $1,100 a month on average. They're very satisfied with their coverage. And we have a lot of help available between now and May 15th so that everyone can make that confident decision. And so that's why we're encouraging people to sign up before the 15th.
Also, our independent actuaries tell us we're going to get more people enrolled this way. So more people having savings, more people in the program, keeps the costs down for everyone.
HARRIS: More people, more people, more people. Let's get a handle on the numbers, Mark. How many Medicare beneficiaries are eligible for drug coverage?
MCCLELLAN: Well, at this point, we've got over 30 million people participating in the program. There are about 42 million Medicare beneficiaries all together, and about six million beneficiaries have coverage from other sources. They're either still working past age 65 and have coverage from their job. They get coverage from the V.A. or something like that. So there are about six million people we haven't reached.
We're already past the expected enrollment based on many independent projections from last year and before. We're seeing strong enrollment in the benefit, but we want to make sure everyone can make a decision about this coverage if they're interested in getting it.
HARRIS: OK, this comes from Chris from New York, who says: "What options exist for Medicare recipients who are healthy and don't take medication? Is there a low-cost program I can sign up for by May 15 and avoid penalties later when I might need more benefits?"
MCCLELLAN: There sure are. In every state of the country, there are much lower cost options available than people had expected. You can get coverage starting at under $20 a month. Here in Texas, the coverage starts at $10 a month, and that's coverage that will typically pay for half your drug costs and gets you into the program at the lowest cost for the rest of your life.
I was in Dallas recently and heard about a woman who had signed up there, who was saying, well, I'm only taking one or two drugs now, but want to go ahead and get this protection for when I get older in case I get sick. She was 102.
HARRIS: Wow.
MCCLELLAN: So this coverage will be there for the rest of your life. And it's important -- an important thing to think about even now.
HARRIS: May 15th, May 15th, can't stress it enough, you've got to sign up. What happens if you don't sign up? If you're eligible and you don't sign up by May 15th?
MCCLELLAN: Well, if you don't, first of all, you're not going to have another chance to enroll until the end of this year. So if you do develop an illness where you need prescription drugs, you won't have a chance to get into the coverage again until November. Second, the coverage is going to cost a little more. It's just like insurance for your home or insurance for your car. If you wait until you really need it, it tends to cost more.
So I'm encouraging people to take a look now because they can get this coverage at the lowest cost. They can get protection at the lowest cost for the future.
HARRIS: Mark, tell me the truth, it's just the two of us talking here.
MCCLELLAN: Yes.
HARRIS: Don't you believe your brother has been mishandled by the likes of Suzanne Malveaux and all of the reporters in the White House? Don't you think he's been slapped around unmercifully? Aren't you -- you're the older brother? Didn't you just -- Mark?
MCCLELLAN: Well, I got to tell you, there are a lot of things I hear that you really could take personally if you wanted to.
HARRIS: Yes.
MCCLELLAN: One of the things that Scott's been really good about, and one of the things that's been really nice about being in Washington with him is that when we do have a little bit of time off, we can step back, put things in perspective, spend some time with my daughter, spend some time catching up on a Texas Longhorn game, something like that, and make sure this doesn't really get to you. Scott's been in a very tough job for a very long time, he's been thinking about leaving for a while...
HARRIS: OK, all right. I thought I'd...
MCCLELLAN: ... and I've really enjoyed working with him.
HARRIS: I thought I would be able to goad you into something more than that. OK, Mark, thanks for your time. We appreciate it.
MCCLELLAN: Great talking with you again, thank you.
HARRIS: Let's take a break. The news keeps coming. We'll keep bringing it to you. More LIVE FROM right after this.
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