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Britain Remembers London Bombings One Year Later; Life After Work; FBI Foils Alleged Plot to Blow Up New York City Tunnels

Aired July 07, 2006 - 15:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: New York City again the target of a planned terror attack -- this one, though, quashed before any damage, any deaths, or any real turmoil.
Here's what we know. The FBI says a group they describe as al Qaeda followers planned to blow up one or more commuter rail lines under the Hudson River -- the time for the planned attack, October or November of this year. The group allegedly thought the explosion or explosions would flood Lower Manhattan.

But, given the geography, they almost certainly would not. We are also learning more about the main suspects, at least eight of them in all, and all overseas. We know three are in custody.

Should New Yorkers be worried? The feds say, no, there is no specific or credible threat to facilities or transportation in New York City, or, for that matter, anywhere else in the United States.

Well, now to New York City and what was initially reported to have been one of the terror targets.

Our senior correspondent, Allan Chernoff, is outside the Holland Tunnel -- Allan.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fredricka.

The authorities this afternoon did say that there have been threats to all of the tunnels connecting New York to New Jersey. And right behind me, you see the traffic on a Friday afternoon for the Holland Tunnel.

But, in this specific case, they are saying that it was that the PATH train tubes running from Manhattan to New Jersey that were the intended target. And particularly noteworthy is that some of those tunnels actually go from ground zero, exactly from the World Trade Center, from the pit, underneath the Hudson River, to New Jersey.

So, that apparently was the target here, the officials saying that eight people are believed to have been part of this gang that was planning to bomb those tunnels. Three actually are in custody, one arrested, a 31-year-old man in Lebanon, Beirut. And he has already been charged, Hammoud Assem, his name.

Earlier today, we were referring to him under an alias that he also used. But this plot apparently foiled by the FBI, six different foreign governments were helping the United States here -- the U.S., though, only identifying Lebanon, not wanting to identify any of the other governments helping out here, but also very important, the officials saying that no explosives had been fired.

None of these eight individuals had ever been in the United States, to their knowledge. And they also think that the actual execution of this plot would not have gotten under way until October or November.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK MERSHON, FBI NEW YORK FIELD OFFICE: The -- I will use the term that the -- the planning or the plotting for this attack had matured to the point where it appeared the individuals were about to move forward. This is to supplement the commissioner's testimony -- or -- or talk here. They were about to go to a phase where they would attempt to surveil targets, establish a regimen of -- of attack, and -- and acquire the -- the resources necessary to effectuate the attacks. And, at that point, I think it's entirely appropriate to take it down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHERNOFF: The FBI director here also saying he's very displeased that this plot became public knowledge. "The New York Daily News" did report it, this morning, reported that the Holland Tunnel was the target, but clearly not happy about it, because this investigation is ongoing, and five of these individuals remain at large -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much.

An ill-conceived and implausible terror plot is a plot terror nevertheless. That's why agents moved months ago to shut this one down while it was still all talk, and not yet action. Most engineers say bombing New York's tunnels would not have caused the damage the would-be bombers allegedly had hoped for.

Manhattan is an island, yes, but it's well above the waterlines of the East and Hudson rivers. Destroying the tunnels would be horrible, but wouldn't send water rushing into the city. Another thing, the tunnels are made of sturdy stuff, thick steel and concrete tubes.

Let's go straight to the newsroom and check in again with Tony Harris, this time for two developing stories -- Tony.

TONY HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, just want to catch you up on a couple of developing stories we have been working on over the last hour or so.

And this one, just recently, you remember Mary Winkler. She is the woman who stands accused of killing her minister husband, Matthew, in March. Well, her attorneys have been fighting for the longest now to get her out of jail on bond. Well, the good news for Mary's family is that a judge set bond. The bad news, they can't afford it. The judge set the bond at $750,000. Winkler's attorneys say that's just way too high. The plan was for Winkler's father to post the bond. The fallback plan was for other family members and friends to help out. But the bond amount is beyond their reach.

Lawyers can appeal and will do so through a bond-reduction hearing. The earliest that could happen is some time next week. So, Mary Winkler remains in jail.

And we continue to follow the story of the latest on the Army specialist who lost control last night on a commercial flight -- still no charges filed against Specialist Neftali Alexander Laimendez. Just last night, Specialist Laimendez was traveling with his brother on a Delta flight headed to Tampa from New York.

And, as the plane was on approach into the Tampa airport, Laimendez tried to force his way into the cockpit, not once, but twice. He would take off running. And, at full-speed, he would crash into the cockpit door. Laimendez wasn't armed, and the door held. He was finally taken down by first-class passengers on board that plane.

Now, Laimendez's brother says his brother has been suffering some mental problems related to his service in Iraq. And, in fact, he may have been traveling to Tampa to get some help. The plane landed safely. And Laimendez was taken into custody. So far, no charges, and the specialist is being examined.

We will keep an eye on both of these stories for you -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Tony.

HARRIS: Sure thing.

Today's date, 7/7, is as symbolic to Britons as 9/11 is to Americans. Although there is sadness on this anniversary of the London bombings, there's also a collective sense of outrage and defiance aimed at terrorists of any description. A year ago, King's Cross station was awash in smoke and sirens. Today, it's once again packed with commuters.

CNN's Richard Quest joins us from there.

And still looks pretty busy now.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The evening rush hour is meeting the Friday night revelers here in London.

As one group goes home to change, another group comes out to play. And that is very much the mood of London tonight. There's been a feeling throughout the course of the day, whether it be at Tavistock Square, where the bomb was -- where the bus was blown up, or here at King's Cross, which was the deadliest of the attacks, in which, in total, 40 -- 52 people died.

Fredricka, people have gone about their business, but they have taken a moment or two to remember those who died. There was a very large ceremony at Regent's Park, one of the most beautiful parks in London, where the prime minister was there. Representatives of the royal family were there.

And, most poignantly, the names of those who died were read out, young tourists, visitors to London, those who were going about their everyday business, people just trying to get to work.

Fredricka, you will know from 9/11, as we know from every terrorist attack, it is the innocent bystanders that get caught up. And it is those that the Londoners were remembering today -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Richard Quest, thanks so much, from King's Cross there in London.

Well, he spent a year destroying roadside bombs in Baghdad. Then he was found -- he found out, rather, that he was sent there by mistake. Straight ahead, a clerical error returns a one-time soldier to active duty -- his plans for the future in his own words.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Naval Station Norfolk, the largest naval base in the world, playing host today to Vice President Dick Cheney. It's a shipboard thank-you to sailors and Marines just back from Iraq. Cheney is scheduled to speak at 3:15 Eastern, just a few minutes from now. We will monitor those remarks and bring you the remarks as they happened.

Three Sunni mosques and a Shiite holy site were hit by insurgents today in Iraq. A car bomb went off outside a mosque in western Baghdad as worshipers were leaving -- no yet word on the casualties. Three people died when a mortar hit outside a mosque in northern Baghdad. In all, at least 10 people were killed and 55 others wounded in today's attacks on religious sites across Iraq.

U.S. and Iraqi forces say they captured a top insurgent leader in an overnight raid on Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood. The U.S. says 30 to 40 militants were killed or wounded in the gun battle. There are no reported casualties among the troops. The area is controlled by militia loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

He was proud to serve, but he didn't have to. As CNN has reported, James Dillinger of Ohio spent a year in Iraq finding and destroying roadside bombs. But it turns out a clerical error caused him to be called up. His military service was supposed to have ended seven years ago.

On CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," Dillinger says he's now focused on getting his military benefits.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "AMERICAN MORNING")

JAMES DILLINGER, MISTAKENLY DEPLOYED TO IRAQ: I'm trying to get some assistance in -- in insuring that I secure my retirement, my -- referred to as your 20-year letter through the military. And I feel, at this point, that I'm -- I'm deserving of it, based on the fact that I was held in the additional years on the records and in the I.R., which also subsequently resulted in my deployment to Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: "AMERICAN MORNING" airs from 6:00 to 10:00 a.m. Eastern weekdays right here on CNN.

Enough is enough. When an extremist takes aim at a mosque in southern -- southeastern, rather, Afghanistan, villagers take matters into their own hands -- this account from coalition forces. Moments after the militant threw a grenade into a mosque during Friday prayer, townspeople chased him down and handed him over to U.S.-led forces. Three people were wounded in the attack, including the mullah.

An appeal for unity from the man declared Mexico's next president -- the recount shows Felipe Calderon barely won. Now the one-time energy minister says he's ready to lead. He's Harvard-educated and favors a free market economy, free trade, and what he calls a constructive relationship with the United States.

Business leaders and wealthy Mexicans are his biggest supporters. But he hasn't been sworn in yet. And if it challenger has anything to say about it, Calderon won't be.

CNN's Harris Whitbeck joins us now from Mexico city.

Are folks outraged, enraged, all of the above?

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a bit of all of the above, Fredricka.

Felipe Calderon just met with a group of foreign correspondents here in Mexico City. And he expressed confidence in that he will eventually be named president-elect. The Federal Electoral Institute here did declare that he is the candidate who won the majority of votes.

But his main opponent, leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has vowed to take the case to the federal electoral courts. He is convinced there were irregularities. And he says he's going to prove before those tribunals that irregularities took place, and that there should be a vote-by-vote manual recount.

He has also asked his supporters to join him in a demonstration on Saturday in downtown Mexico City, that as a show of force, of political force. But, again, he has until Monday to present his case to the Federal Electoral Tribunal.

So, while Calderon has been declared as the candidate who has the majority of votes, it's up to the tribunal to declare him president- elect. And, according to Mexican election law, the tribunal has until September 6 to do so. So, it could be a while before Calderon is -- is declared president elect, if -- if that even -- if that even happens.

Now, he is acting very presidential. In the meeting he had with foreign correspondents today, he talked about his vision of relations between Mexico and the United States. He said that he feels that to control the flow of illegal migrants from Mexico into the U.S., the U.S. and Canada should partner with Mexico in investing more in some of the poorest regions in this country to create more jobs here.

He also, of course, has advocated free trade. He says that -- that free trade and a -- an open economy are the best course for Mexico, which is -- of course, that was put in place by his -- by the current president, Vicente Fox, who is also a member of his party.

So, that's where we stand here. Again, we are expecting some legal maneuvers by Calderon's main opponent. And those should basically dominate the headlines here until a president-elect is actually declared -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And, so, Harris, if the federal tribunal could take until early September, is it expected that they just might take that long; things could hang in the balance for many more months?

WHITBECK: Well, theoretically, they could. According to electoral law, that -- that is the timeline that -- that is established. It really depends on how strong a case Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador puts forth, and how much political pressure there is.

Some analysts say -- here feel that, the longer the court takes in hearing all of the arguments and in coming up with a decision, the more credibility that decision would eventually have. On the other hand, other people are say that the -- the -- the sooner this ends, and...

WHITFIELD: Mmm-hmm.

WHITBECK: ... and the -- the -- the -- you know, that there will be more stability in the country -- so, two points of view, as everything here in Mexico recently.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITBECK: Two points of view also on the course that the Mexican government should take, or the -- the future Mexico should take.

WHITFIELD: All right, Harris Whitbeck, Mexico City, thanks so much.

More than a dozen European nations have seen the arrival of H5N1 bird flu in animals. You can now add Spain to that list. Today, the government said an infected bird was found near the northern city of Vitoria in marshlands where migratory birds congregate.

Spain's agriculture minister says further testing will be done to determine the exact sub-strain of H5N1. There have been no human cases of bird flu detected in Europe.

Have you ever Googled your own name? Coming up: why all those searches -- searches, rather -- are having an effect on the English language -- more on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, you know someone who has done it, Googled a friend, an acquaintance, a celebrity. Now Googling has secured an official place in the lexicon.

Susan Lisovicz joins us now from the New York Stock Exchange.

Have you ever Googled yourself, Susan?

(LAUGHTER)

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I am afraid to.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: I'm with you on that.

(LAUGHTER)

LISOVICZ: I'm afraid to, Fred.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: I don't know want to know.

LISOVICZ: I don't know want to know what's out there.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: It's all right.

LISOVICZ: But we can tell you that Google has gone from the Web to Webster's. It's officially a verb. The term has earned an entry in the 11th edition of the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, just a month after Oxford English, by the way, did the same thing.

The definition here, Webster's, "to use the Google search engine to obtain information about on the World Wide Web," as in, "Let me Google that."

Well, we all knew that. The word's first known public reference as a verb appeared in "The New York Post" five years ago. That is considered an unusually fast turnaround time for a word to enter everyday use and the dictionary. But Merriam-Webster says words on or about the Internet spread quickly, because of the power of the Web.

A couple other techy words made the dictionary this year as well: spyware, defined as software that is installed on a computer without the user's knowledge and transmits information about the user's computer activities over the Internet.

And mouse potato is slang for someone who spends a great deal of time using a computer. There's also ringtone and supersize -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. So, to be recognized in the dictionary, they would have to be good for stock, both figuratively and literally, yes?

LISOVICZ: You would think so, but, then again, businesses usually try hard at avoid -- avoiding their -- having their corporate trademarks fall into common language, this because a word that is in everyday use can lose its legal protection, its patent, its trademark.

Words like cellophane, aspirin, and escalator, believe it or not, were all, at one time, trademarks. Xerox, Band-Aid, Kleenex and Jell- O have all taken steps to safeguard their brand names, even though they have taken on generic uses.

Johnson & Johnson even changed the jingle for its bandages to include the word "brand," as in the commercial that you're hearing now, as in:

(singing): "I am stuck on Band-Aid brand, because Band-Aid is stuck on me."

Fred, I'm not quitting my day job.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: I don't know. You can carry a tune.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: And I always thought that was a really cute jingle, very catchy.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, overall, stocks, we weren't doing so good earlier.

LISOVICZ: No, no.

WHITFIELD: How about now?

LISOVICZ: No laughing matter there.

We are sharply lower. In fact, we are close to session lows, following a disappointing report on June job creation and some news about hourly wages that has raised new worries about inflation, even as we see signs that the economy is slowing.

Also, we talked about it in the last hour: shares of Dow component 3M down nearly 9 percent now -- right now. And since there are only 30 stocks in the Dow industrials, that's weighing heavily on them. The company warned that its second-quarter earnings will come in lower than expected.

And that is offsetting a 2 percent rise in shares of GM, after the company's board OKed exploratory partnership talks with Renault and Nissan.

Let's take a look at the Big Board -- the Dow industrials off nearly 151 points, or one-and-a-third percent -- the Nasdaq composite down about 28 points, also one-and-one-third of a percent.

It looks like it could be a tough end to this work week.

That's the latest from Wall Street. I will have a full roundup of the trading day half-an-hour -- see you then, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, we will look for that. Thanks so much, Susan.

Now let's go straight to the newsroom and Tony Harris with more on a developing story.

HARRIS: Fred, while the president -- wanted to show you these pictures that are particularly interesting to us.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: OK.

HARRIS: And we wanted to share them with you.

While the president was attending a fund-raising luncheon in Chicago today, take a look at what was going on outside the Drake Hotel. About 40 people, a relatively small number, 40 people gathered to protest the president's visit, and, in the process, set not one, but two...

WHITFIELD: Oh, no.

HARRIS: ... American flags on fire.

Now, Fred, as you know, there was a pretty prickly debate in the Senate last week on this very issue of flag desecration.

WHITFIELD: Right.

HARRIS: The Senate voted 66-34 to ban flag desecration, but that wasn't enough. Sixty-seven votes were needed, so, it failed by one vote.

Now, advocates of the ban, as we continue to watch these pictures...

WHITFIELD: Right.

HARRIS: ... just to give you a little context on this -- advocates of the ban said the Supreme Court was wrong in protecting flag burning as free speech. And critics of the proposed ban argued that, you know, the ban would restrict civil liberties.

But that was the scene in Chicago earlier today, as the president was there attending kind of a fund-raising luncheon in Chicago.

WHITFIELD: Well, legal or not, constitutional or not, that always hurts to see.

HARRIS: It does hurt to see that, doesn't it? It really does.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

HARRIS: And you -- you wonder the motivation behind it. But there they are, exercising their free speech, as defined by the highest court in this land.

So, there you have it.

WHITFIELD: All right.

HARRIS: OK, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Tony Harris, thanks so much.

HARRIS: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Well, here's a question for you: Are you looking forward to retirement?

In this week's "Life After Work," Valerie Morris brings us the story of baby boomer Jerry Thompson. After a successful career in construction for 30 years, he's now pursuing a lifelong passion for wild horses.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JERRY THOMPSON, HORSE TRAINER AND BREEDER: Change. Change.

VALERIE MORRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Retirement has been a change for 58-year-old Jerry Thompson. After selling his 16- employee construction company, he now breeds and trains rare Kiger mustangs in Estacada, Oregon.

JERRY THOMPSON, HORSE TRAINER AND BREEDER: I got interested in horses when my father retired. He bought some thoroughbred race horses, and so they kind of got seeded in the -- in the inside of my soul, and I just always -- never could let go of it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Yes. Go. Go. Go.

MORRIS: Thompson readies Kiger mustangs for endurance races and shows. He bought his first one in 1998 and now owns about 30. The allure, he says, is their rich ancestry.

THOMPSON: It's an unbelievable romance story. At one time, the genes of these horses in Spain were considered more valuable than gold. They're just a rare horse that managed to somehow survive 400 years in the wilderness.

And it's a privilege to me and to other people that I know that are doing it to be able to help this horse reestablish itself as an outstanding breed that can compete in a number of venues. When I first retired, I didn't anticipate that I would have such a passion for life again like I have now.

MORRIS: Valerie Morris, CNN, New York. .

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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