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Three-Story Building in NYC Collapses; Charges Against Soldiers Announced in Rape, Murders; Bloody Weekend of Sectarian Violence in Iraq

Aired July 10, 2006 - 13:00   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 the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
Explosion in New York City, a building in flames, 50 people hurt. Was it a suicide attempt? We're live on the scene.

A shocking crime, the man accused of raping and murdering 9-year- old Jessica Lunsford in court today as potential jurors are questioned.

And astronauts on a service call. Live pictures as they play outside contractor, making repairs to the International Space Station. LIVE FROM starts right now.

Well, it looks like a natural gas explosion, but the circumstances may be anything but natural. You're seeing live pictures right now of New York City's Upper East Side, where an explosion has left a four-story building in shambles.

Our senior correspondent, Allan Chernoff, is there to bring us the latest. And Allan, I understand this could have been a suicide attempt?

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is a possibility here. The fire commissioner speculated this morning that it might have been a suicide attempt.

Apparently, the person who owned the building, a doctor by the name of Nicholas Bartha, had sent an e-mail to his wife. Apparently, he was having some marital problems, and mentioned the possibility of suicide in that e-mail. That all according to the Associated Press. We have not confirmed that just yet. Again, it is only speculation coming from the fire commissioner himself.

Now let's talk a little bit about what happened. It all started at 8:40 this morning, a huge explosion. The doorman from the apartment building next door told me that he was almost knocked off his feet by the force of the explosion.

Two minutes later, emergency medical technicians were on the scene. I spoke with one of them just a few moments ago. He said that there were two pedestrians standing just west of the building that had exploded. They had lacerations from head to toe. He and his partner immediately tended to those two individuals, got them into an ambulance within five minutes. Across the street two other pedestrians who also were in the wrong place at the wrong time, they suffered lacerations to the head and to the chest, so it sounds like the injuries were somewhat serious, but not life-threatening. All four individuals were conscious. Pulled from the rubble, the doctor who owned the building. He reportedly burned very severely.

Now, the fire commissioner did say that they believe -- the fire department does believe that the doctor was the only person inside.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COMMISSIONER NICHOLAS SCOPPETTA, NEW YORK CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT: Con Ed got a call that there was the odor of gas. And in fact, one of their mechanics was at the scene, investigating that call, we believe in the building next door when the explosion occurred.

We're very fortunate here. We believe there was only one occupant in the building. If that turns out to be the case then there has been an enormous catastrophe avoided. If this had been a fully occupied building, there's no telling how many people would have been killed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHERNOFF: Earlier in the morning, one of the residents nearby from an adjoining building had called the utility, Con Ed. Con Ed has been saying that he or she smelled gas and there had been a Con Ed person on the scene checking out the smell of gas.

Now we should note the Con Ed meter reader, who had been planning to read the meter at the building that exploded later today, Mark Koenig, I spoke with him a little bit earlier. He told me that there had been a gas leak in the building last month and that the gas had been turned off for a short period of time.

The doorman of the building next door said there had been a gas leak last week. So apparently there had been some problem with the natural gas in that building that did explode.

At the same time we're also hearing, as we've reported, from the fire commissioner that there is this speculation that the owner of the building might have been trying to kill himself. However, let's emphasize that is purely speculation at this point. No hard evidence, and we do also have the reports that there had been gas problems in the building previously.

PHILLIPS: So let's just talk about -- I realize you're making the point that it's speculation at this point, but the fire chief coming forward, Allan, and saying this could have been a suicide attempt by this doctor, Nicholas Bartha. If indeed that is true, how could he be held accountable?

CHERNOFF: It's really -- that's really a legal question, Kyra. I think that you're really need to pose to a torts lawyer. I couldn't possibly answer that right now. PHILLIPS: All right. Do we know his condition? Does it look like it's minor injuries or more serious injuries? Does it look like he's going to survive?

CHERNOFF: Certainly serious injuries. We do know that he is severely burned.

And we should also tell you that New York Presbyterian Hospital is one of the hospitals in the New York area that has a burn center. In fact, it is the premier burn center in the New York City metropolitan area. It just so happens to be the nearest hospital straight down the East Side from where I'm standing.

Also, I should mention in addition to the five civilians hurt, six firefighters were injured here. Some of the firefighters also brought to Lennox Hill Hospital, a little bit higher up on the east side of Manhattan.

PHILLIPS: All right. Allan Chernoff, we'll look to you for updates. Appreciate it so much.

Now our own Larry King says that he never ahead anything like it. He was at a hotel just around the corner when that building exploded. He joins me now on the phone.

Larry, take me back. What did you hear? What did you see? And what were your thoughts?

LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Kyra, it was a very, very unusual morning. I was at my hotel where I always stay, right around the corner of 61th and Park, and about a quarter to nine, I was just reading "The New York Times", and suddenly I hear this incredible boom sound, one of the largest sounds I've ever heard. And I thought it was a major bomb, and the first thing I thought of was 9/11, of course.

I looked out the window out on Park Avenue, saw a few people running, took the elevator down to the main floor. The bellman said something happened around the corner. I ran to the corner, and as I got there, I saw these flames, this building, smoke coming out and cars pulling in, trucks, fire trucks, emergency vehicles, ambulances. New York City responded very, very quickly to this. I mean, I would say they were there within a minute.

I was downstairs within a minute. I was the first media person on the scene. So the first thing I did was call CNN and started doing reports with Miles O'Brien. And then I got besieged by all the local media getting there, which was kind of a weird scene to be inside a story -- covering a story and inside a story.

And then I even went -- had my hair styled, which I do every morning here, and I come back and back and I'm on the air again with Daryn Kagan, and now I'm with you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: I just want to know, does the hair still look OK?

KING: The hair looks -- the hair looks fine.

PHILLIPS: OK. We'll have a good hair day tonight.

KING: The smell of smoke is still in my nostrils, and the most amazing thing as you look at that scene is that the adjacent buildings weren't involved. That's something that the firemen and the policemen were really worried about, that fire would spread or something would happen. They would have more blowups.

The people were handled very well by the cops. The cops -- the New York City cops are prepared for something like this. And they did move the people around very well. Actually, a lot of onlookers. They handled -- bottled up the streets pretty good. But New Yorkers handled it very well.

That New York Presbyterian Hospital is one of the major burn centers in America. It's also -- it's very close to me, because that's where I had my heart surgery. That's at hospice (ph), right down East River Drive, just a few -- you could walk from where this occurred. And I went there, and we did shows from there after 9/11, because a lot of the burn victims from 9/11 were taken to New York Presbyterian.

PHILLIPS: Well, Larry, you bring up a really good point. I think that's what was going through everybody's mind. And all our hearts stated racing when you hear about an explosion in New York City.

But you noticed right away -- not only did you go down there and start working the story, which doesn't surprise me at all, but I mean, talk about the response. I mean, we remember 9/11, and how many there were so many gaps in different areas, but it seems like there was -- I mean, they were really paying attention to detail and time was of the essence. Like you said, within a minute they were on the scene.

KING: Good point, Kyra. Although I never blamed New York City much for 9/11; 9/11 was horrific, and there's no way you could have plotted in your mind an occurrence like that, with 3,000 people dying.

But they are much more prepared now. They are on top of things. They were there so quickly. And they're very -- you could tell, they're very good at what they do. You know, you feel good when they're around. They're so on top of things.

They handle crowds well. The policemen are very effective at what they're doing. The trucks know how to rope off the streets. They put up those yellow stickers real fast. Like in a second things are taken care of. They know what's going on immediately. And you can be nothing but impressed with them.

I hope that suicide story is not true. I mean, that would be a calamity.

PHILLIPS: Yes, it would -- I think our hearts sunk when we heard that, as well, I mean, an act like that, especially when other people are injured, it's just not fair. Larry, of course, we're going to continue to update our viewers on this story throughout the day and try and confirm if, indeed, this was a suicide attempt. And we'll have that all the way through the evening. But what else do you have on your show tonight?

KING: Tonight we've got a very funny comedienne, Kathy Griffin. She's hysterical. We've got her on.

And then Wednesday night we've got Dan Rather in his first appearance discussing his leaving CBS.

PHILLIPS: Should be interesting.

KING: He's going to get a new job. I think supposed to get a new job announced on Wednesday. We'll be with him in Los Angeles. I'll fly back to L.A. on Wednesday morning. And so Dan Rather will be with me in the studios in L.A.

You hang tough, Kyra. You're doing a great job.

PHILLIPS: Larry King, it's always a pleasure to have you. I sure appreciate it. We'll be watching tonight and tomorrow. Look forward to that Dan Rather interview.

KING: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Larry.

Four U.S. soldiers in Iraq and one of their former comrades all stand accused of a horrible crime that happened south of Baghdad back in March. Another G.I. is charged with knowing about the brutal killing of an Iraqi family and the rape of an Iraqi teen and not reporting it. Now we know the names of the accused.

Our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, has the latest.

So much happening with regard to investigations. Let's begin there, Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, this investigation is into an incident that is said to have occurred on March 12th in Mahmoudiya, which is south of Baghdad.

It is alleged that a number of soldiers went to an Iraqi house, killed the family members. And then one of the soldiers raped and murdered the eldest daughter, according to charging documents produced earlier this month.

Over the weekend, the Army announced that five additional charges -- soldiers were being charged, four with a direct role in the alleged incident, a fifth with having knowledge of it after the fact and failing to report it.

They were identified as Sergeant Paul Cortez, Specialist James Barker, Private First Class Jesse Spielman, Private First Class Bryan Howard. And then, the fifth soldier, Sergeant Anthony Yribe, was charged with, again, having knowledge after the fact, having tacit knowledge of what happened and failing to report that. He's facing dereliction of duty charges because of that.

The charges were read out today by the U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, Major General Bill Caldwell.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. GEN. BILL CALDWELL, U.S. MILITARY SPOKESMAN: Conspiracy to commit rape and premeditated murder, conspiracy to obstruct justice, violation of a lawful general order (ph), premeditated murder, rape, arson house break-in, indecent acts and obstruction of justice, all of which carry a maximum penalty of death, if found guilty in a court of law of all those offenses.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Most of what we know about the allegations in this case come from an FBI affidavit filed in the case of Steven Green. He's a former Army private, no longer in the Army, discharged in April, who is now facing charges in federal court, because he's not in the Army.

According to that affidavit, the soldiers drank alcohol. They abandoned their checkpoint, changed clothes to avoid detection, headed to the victims' house and then, according to the documents, carried out the crime -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Now Jamie, let's talk a little bit more about Steven Green. He has pleaded not guilty to being the ringleader of this. Right?

MCINTYRE: That's correct. In federal court, his arraignment comes up next month.

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll stay on top of it. Thanks so much Jamie.

MCINTYRE: OK.

PHILLIPS: Well, new fears of civil war, dozens of Iraqis killed over the weekend in brazen attacks. More bombings and more victims today. One Iraqi politician is calling on the U.N. to send in peacekeepers.

CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson joins me now live from Baghdad -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, it was the bloodiest weekend for sectarian violence, more than 70 people killed, the bloodiest weekend since a major attack on a Shia shrine back in February.

But the violence continued today. Again, it had a sectarian nature at the beginning of the day: a bomb followed by mortars in a predominantly Shia market in a Shia neighborhood of Baghdad killed five people, wounded 46 others.

And in the northern town of Kirkuk, a large truck bomb went off near a government building. Three people were killed in that attack, 21 wounded.

But there have been other attacks around Iraq today. And so far we have counted more than 100 civilians in Iraq who have been injured in all of those attacks today, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Now, Nic, we heard the Pentagon reaction to this attack. Tell us about the Iraqis and how they're responding to the involvement, allegedly, by the U.S. forces.

ROBERTSON: Well, the prime minister here just a few days ago called for an independent Iraqi investigation and demanded it, in fact, and has also called for a review of the immunity that U.S. troops have here from Iraqi law when they're in Iraq, has implied that this emboldens them to do illegal acts in Iraq, because they will not be held accountable under Iraqi law, and they feel that they can get away with those acts.

On the streets, there hasn't been a huge outcry so far, and perhaps one of the reasons behind that is -- and it was -- people don't often gather in the streets in big numbers for demonstrations these days, because it's dangerous.

But the insurgents over the past few years have been trying to inflame public anger here against U.S. troops by claiming that U.S. troops regularly rape Iraqi women. So perhaps for some people here, this announcement out of these alleged charges, perhaps come as no surprise, because it's something they've been told all the time in the insurgents' propaganda here, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Nic Robertson live from Baghdad. Nic, thanks so much.

Straight ahead, pulled from the cockpit for a breathalyzer test? Well, this Southwest Airlines copilot apparently failed and now faces federal charges. That story is on our radar, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, a convicted sex offender, a shocking crime, the prospect of the death penalty: could you render an impartial judgment?

John Evander Couey sits in a courtroom in Lake County, Florida, today as potential jurors are questioned for his trial. Couey, who's 47, is charged with first degree murder, sexual battery, and kidnapping in the death of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford.

Last week, a judge threw our Couey's confession to detectives, because they ignored his repeated requests for a lawyer. But prosecutors will be able to use the discovery of Jessica's body in Couey's yard as evidence against him.

Be sure to stay with CNN for more on the Couey case. Former prosecutor Nancy Grace, of CNN Headline News, will join me to talk about the trial. That's in the next hour of LIVE FROM.

It's bad enough to drive if you've had a few pops, but several prosecutors are expected to charge today this copilot was impaired when he got behind the wheel of a Southwest Airlines plane in Salt Lake City yesterday.

Carl Fulton of Fort Worth, Texas, faces federal charges of operating a plane while until the influence of alcohol. His breath caught the attention of a TSA screener. Soon afterward, he was hauled off the plane by airport police. Southwest says Fulton's record was clean before yesterday.

He's responsible for hundreds of deaths across Russia. And Moscow says his reign of terror is over. Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev reportedly killed by Russian agents. Details are ahead on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: High gas prices have been a drag on drivers' budgets for months now, but is there any relief in sight? Susan Lisovicz is live from the New York Stock Exchange to give us some answers.

Hi, Susan.

(STOCK REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: He lived by the sword and apparently died the same way. Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev targeted soldiers, politicians, civilians, even children in his long-running battle against Kremlin rule. Now the Russian government says Basayev has been taken out in a secret operation by Russian forces.

He's been called Russia's bin Laden and was put on the U.N.'s terrorist list. Basayev claimed responsibility for the Beslan school takeover in 2004. Three hundred and thirty-one people, half of them children, died before that siege was over.

Russian President Vladimir Putin calls Basayev's death, quote, "deserved retribution."

Well, the chief of the Russian Navy reportedly walked away from a fiery plane crash today in the Ukraine. Russian media reports that the plane was forced to make an emergency landing on a Black Sea Peninsula and caught fire after overshooting the runway. The plane was carrying several Russian admirals, including Navy chief Vladimir Masorin. Three people were hurt, some documents were destroyed. Also today, reports suggest that the freights may have failed on an Airbus A-310 that burst into flames after skidding off a runway yesterday. More than 120 people were killed in that crash in Eastern Siberia.

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