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Floridians Brace for Alberto; Storms to Drought; Iraq Summit
Aired June 12, 2006 - 14:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips at CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
Gathering strength. Floridians brace for Alberto as hurricane warnings are issued.
And President Bush holds a strategy session with top aides as violence erupts once again in Iraq.
And can you imagine holding the same job for almost 50 years? A one-on-one interview with the longest-serving senator in U.S. history.
The second hour of LIVE FROM starts right now.
Stay alert and don't ignore the warnings. Those warnings from Florida's governor, who has declared a state of emergency ahead of Tropical Storm Alberto. At the moment it's headed straight for the Nature Coast.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRAIG FUGATE, DIRECTOR, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: This is not an area of the coast that takes days to evacuate. It takes hours, but people have to act. And I think that's been the governor's message.
It's not culture preparedness, it's enough let's talk about it. It means people actually have to change behavior and do something, and this will be the time to do something if those evacuation orders are called for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: CNN's Susan Candiotti is watching and waiting in Clearwater Beach.
Susan, it appears a lot of rain is heading your way already.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, but we see people carrying on as usual here. Traffic seems to be fairly steady, as steady as the rain is.
There is a concern, obviously, that hurricane season has arrived. And hopefully many people have prepared. Everyone should be prepared by now with batteries and the like and nonperishable food items.
I can tell you that Florida Governor Jeb Bush so far has told the Department of Homeland Security he does not yet need their help, but FEMA, perhaps in an effort to provide perhaps a better performance than last year, is letting us know that they are standing ready at the National Hurricane Center, they are at Florida's Emergency Management Center, they are standing ready to act as they are needed. There are liaisons working closely with Florida officials just in case their help is needed, and they are ready to move in.
The Coast Guard, for example, had made preliminary sorties flights in and out to make sure that they are equipped, as they always are to go in and help people as is necessary. And over on the pier behind me you can perhaps get a peek at the Gulf of Mexico.
Really, the water is fairly calm right now. You don't see any -- any high waves. That's because the wind hasn't really picked up here.
Again, it's just very wet, rainy and miserable. We are expecting up to 10 inches of rain, and people are prepared for inland flooding. A few communities providing sandbags to residents who need them be prepared for whatever lies ahead - -Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Susan Candiotti.
Thank you so much.
And we are expecting a 3:00 p.m. live new conference with Governor Jeb Bush. We'll take that live as soon as it happens.
And CNN will be checking in with our affiliates around the region as we track this storm. One of them is Bay News 9. Reporter Chuck Johnson joins us once again from Hernando County, where all those sandbaggers have started working.
Hey, Chuck.
CHUCK JOHNSON, REPORTER, BAY NEWS 9: Hi, Kyra.
We're about 45 minutes of where Susan reported from on Clearwater Beach, here on Hernando Beach. And folks are getting ready. Folks who live in the low-lying areas getting ready for the flooding.
Here we have Marianne Gamby (ph) from Weeki Wachee. She's already got about eight sandbags in her trunk.
The folks here at the Hernando County -- Hernando Beach Volunteer Fire Department are helping.
We just had Public Works Department bring about two more dump truckloads of sand in here. And as you can see, a lot of folks are taking care of their business, trying to protect what they have at home.
Joining me now is Chris Coleeto (ph) with the Hernando Volunteer Fire Department.
Tell me how it's been going here this morning, Chris (ph). UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, about -- today we've had about 45 to 50 people coming to pick up sandbags. And they fill them themselves. You know, we've got plenty of bags, you know. We just got more sand, as you said.
Basically, what they're getting sandbags for is for the low-lying areas of the county, and also, you know, the high tide's coming in. With all this rain, you know, it's starting to really pile up on the streets.
JOHNSON: All right. Thank you, Chris (ph).
Well, as you know, a lot of folks here in Hernando County live in low-lying areas. We're expecting a lot of rain over the next 24 hours and especially some winds, as well. So these folks here are doing their best to try to protect what they have at home from the pending flooding that we expect here in Hernando County -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Chuck Johnson, we'll keep talking. Thanks so much.
Now, Alberto is not a hurricane yet, but it likely will be by the time it comes ashore.
Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras tracking everything as it moves from our weather center there.
Jacqui, the main threat is all the rain right now, right?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Really, the rain is the main threat.
(WEATHER REPORT)
JERAS: Believe it or not, use your imagination a little bit. Hurricane season might be just what parts of Florida need.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JERAS (voice over): When most people think of weather in the Southeast over the past year, images like this come to mind: wind, rain, floods and storm surge from Dennis, Katrina, Rita and Wilma. In actuality, it looks like this. Dry, brittle ground covers much of the Gulf Coast.
The drought dates back to before last year's record hurricane season. And what those storms left behind is making matters worse.
BARRY KEIM, CLIMATOLOGIST, LSU: With the debris from homes and cleanup, I mean, it's just debris everywhere, and it's exceptionally dry and it's highly vulnerable. And all it's going to take is, you know, just a spark to get this stuff going.
JERAS: Wildfires have been ignited from Texas to the Florida Panhandle. Last week, several fires raged in southern Mississippi. One of them burned nearly 2,000 acres in the DeSoto National Forest just north of Gulfport and Biloxi.
In addition to the forest damage, Louisiana State climatologist Barry Keim says agriculture has taken a big hit.
KEIM: Hurricane Rita pushed a pretty big storm surge up into southwestern Louisiana and inundated a lot of the fields, especially ones that are used for rice and crawfish production. And as a result, there still is salt in those soils, and it's actually halting some of the production in those areas.
JERAS: It's not all bad news. The dry conditions have some positive effects. Wheat and some other grains actually thrive in dry weather. And for roofers, builders and cleanup crews across the ravaged hurricane zone, no rain means continuous work.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JERAS: And we are expecting about five to 10 inches of rain fall across central and northern parts of Florida in the path of Alberto.
Of course, Kyra, we don't always want five to 10 all at one time, but this will make a significant impact in helping the drought across parts of the state.
PHILLIPS: All right, Jacqui. Thanks so much.
That weather also already making an impact, specifically in Davis Island, Florida. We've been reporting on this plane crash right off the runway at Peter O. Knight Airport. We do have a Bay News 9 reporter on the scene. We'll take you there live for more details.
We know that one person is reported dead, one, possibly two, survivors.
CNN is your hurricane headquarters. Check out your online guide to hurricanes, including how they form and which storms make the list of the top 10 worst hurricanes ever. Just go to CNN.com/hurricanes.
Well, while our eyes are turning to the first named storm of this hurricane season, there have also been deployments out of Iraq today, recording a replacement name for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
LIVE FROM has that story for you next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: We are learning more and more. And we have better technology to be able to make pretty accurate projections of what -- what the storm surge is -- looks like. And it doesn't have to be in the path of a hurricane. And there's a lot of low-lying areas from the Big Bend area, as Craig said, all the way down to Nature Coast, down to Pasco County and even Pinellas County. And people need to take this very seriously.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And we're expecting to hear from the governor of Florida. Once again, Jeb Bush expected to hold another news conference on Tropical Storm Alberto 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. We'll take that live. That's about 45 minutes from now.
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is gone, and a new Iraqi government is formed. The insurgency and sectarian hatred remain.
So what happens next? That's a big focus of a meeting of minds under way at Camp David right now.
CNN White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is at her post with more details -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, that war council is under way at Camp David. We expect the second round of meetings have started just within the last couple of minutes or so, but we are getting tape of what occurred about 9:30 this morning.
That, of course, President Bush, with his top advisers by his side, speaking to top U.S. military commanders in Baghdad on the ground. The president congratulating them on the capturing and killing of the lead terrorist, al-Zarqawi, recently. But, of course, what this is all about is really trying to not only seize on the momentum of that occasion, but also the fact that you've got this complete Iraq unity government that is now in place.
The United States trying to really bolster that government. It is seen as a critical window of opportunity, perhaps just a six-month window here for the Iraqi government, according to one senior administration official, to prove the last and best chance that they can get this right, they can govern themselves, and that they can eventually be responsible for their own security.
So here's what we're looking at, some of the issues.
How do you provide resources, whether it's money, volunteers, personnel, these type of things, to help with the fighting, the insurgency, reducing the violence? Coming up with a new strategy when it comes to protection in Baghdad, as well as reconstruction, reforming the economy. And one of the focuses is even going to be trying to get international aid, perhaps some sort of a pact with the United Nations and other countries to contribute to Iraqi reconstruction. A big, big point that they want to make, particularly when it comes to other Middle Eastern countries -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: So how do you think the talks could affect the stay of U.S. troops in Iraq?
MALVEAUX: Well, certainly that is part of the discussions, but the administration has been trying to downplay any kind of announcement that they're going to be pulling back or drawing back troops. But we heard some very interesting comments over the weekend. The national security adviser from Iraq saying that he thought U.S. troops would go down to about 100,000 by the end of the year. The U.S. top commander, General Casey, was a bit more cautious about it, saying that we will take a slow-go approach, perhaps pulling back in the months and within the next year or so.
But they don't want to make any promises here. They don't want to get out ahead of themselves. So that is something they're discussing, but they say a lot of that is going to depend on the resources and the kind of infrastructure that the Iraqis are able to build within this next six-month period to secure their own government.
PHILLIPS: Well, how involved will the Iraqis be in the decision process?
MALVEAUX: Well, certainly we're going to see -- tomorrow is the key day when you're actually going to see the Iraqis very much involved in at least the discussions. You've got the new prime minister, al-Maliki, who is going to be on that video teleconference, as well with his cabinet members, talking to President Bush, the vice president, as well as secretaries of state and defense.
All of them trying to come up with a strategy of, A, what do the Iraqis need to be successful here? How do we provide those resources? And then eventually, how do we pull out those U.S. troops -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Suzanne Malveaux from the White House.
Thanks so much.
Well, proof positive terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is dead. And it was a bomb that killed him.
The FBI says that DNA tests confirm Zarqawi was indeed one of six people killed last Wednesday when a U.S. war plane dropped two 500- pound bombs on a safe house near Baquba. The U.S. is publicizing Zarqawi's autopsy results in part to dispel rumors about his death.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COL. STEVE JONES, U.S. ARMY: We have clear evidence that he died of blast injuries. There is no evidence to suggest that he was beaten. And I have no reason to suspect that that happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. GEN. BILL CALDWELL, MULTINATIONAL FORCE, IRAQ: The scientific facts provide irrefutable evidence regarding the death of these terrorists and will serve to counter speculation, misinformation and propaganda. The Iraqi people deserve the facts, to know that the personal threat of Zarqawi is eliminated and the fact that he was treated better in death than he was -- than he treated others in life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, talks are under way over disposition of Zarqawi's remains, as well as those of his spiritual adviser, Sheik Abdul Rahman, also killed in that airstrike.
Well, no time wasted. Al Qaeda in Iraq has apparently named a successor to al-Zarqawi, Sheik Abu Hamsa al-Muhajir (ph). Al-Muhajir (ph) is Arabic and an immigrant. And it seems to imply the new leader, like the Jordanian-born Zarqawi, is not an Iraqi. CNN is still working to authenticate the claim posted on Islamist Web sites.
Well, when the U.S. got al-Zarqawi in its crosshairs, it wanted to make sure he didn't escape. Two 500-pound bombs later, the so- called safe house was nothing but rubble.
CNN's John Vause takes a look at what's left.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is all that's left of Zarqawi's safe house, a house made of concrete and steel. All of this destruction caused by two 500-pound bombs.
The impact from the blast was so powerful, we're told by the U.S. military, that initially this hole in the ground about 35, maybe 40 feet deep.
Now, the day after the airstrike, the rubble around the area was mostly cleared and bulldozed into that crater. It's still more than 10 feet deep, as well.
It was an incredibly powerful blast. Rubble is strewn around this area 600 feet, maybe even a thousand feet away. And signs of the people who once lived in this house.
Over here is a towel left behind, thrown clear as part of the debris. Just over here, as well, we can see a pillow, and just next to it a blanket, as well.
They say this was a safe house in an isolated area, and indeed it was very isolated. Take a look at the trees, the palm trees and the date trees which surround this area.
At the time of the airstrike, a top level al Qaeda meeting was under way -- Zarqawi and five others, including his spiritual adviser, the man who was traced to this house and ultimately led to Zarqawi's downfall. And after this powerful blast, we're told somehow Zarqawi managed to survive, if only for a few moments.
John Vause, CNN, near the city of Baquba.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Standing firm on Haditha. The U.S. Marine and command during an alleged massacre says that there was no such thing, troops followed proper procedure. Two dozen Iraqi civilians were killed in Haditha after one Marine died in a roadside bomb. Reports suggest that the Marines may have acted out of vengeance, but speaking through his attorney, the sergeant in command says his men were chasing insurgents.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEAL PUCKETT, STAFF SGT. FRANK WUTERICH'S ATTORNEY: When you think people are behind a door who are going to kill you, and you don't know who's behind the door, perhaps -- perhaps the Marines were taking care of themselves first and looking out for their own safety. And I think most of the American people understand a need to do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: As yet, none of the Marines face charges. Investigations are still under way.
Well, an act of war, or the last resort of desperate men? The latest on prisoner suicides at Gitmo and how new controversy is stirring up old criticism.
Still to come on LIVE FROM.
And tracking Alberto. We're going to take you back to Florida, where preparations are under way for this tropical storm. We're waiting for a news conference from Governor Bush. We'll bring it to you live.
CNN's your hurricane headquarters.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is in a Pittsburgh hospital after a motorcycle crash. Doctors say his condition is serious but stable. Earlier, he was described as alert and conscious.
We are expecting a news conference, I'm being told, from Pittsburgh at the top of the next hour. We'll bring that to you live as soon as it happens.
CNN affiliate WTAE reports that Roethlisberger was tossed over the handlebars, hit a vehicle's windshield, and then landed on the ground. The accident happened this morning near Pittsburgh's 10th Street Bridge.
"The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review" reports Roethlisberger was riding without a helmet. Roethlisberger led the Steelers, as you know, to that Super Bowl victory in February.
It's an age-old conflict. Kids want more freedom, parents want more control. Cell phones are on the front lines in this tug-of war, and cell phone companies are capitalizing on it.
Susan Lisovicz live from the New York Stock Exchange with those details.
(BUSINESS REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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