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Hundreds of People Dead or Hurt After String of Explosions on Mumbai's Railway System; 15 People Injured in Monday's NYC Building Explosion; New Rules for Gitmo

Aired July 11, 2006 - 13:59   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Train cars ripped apart, bodies and body parts scattered on the tracks. A terrifying scene in the Indian city of Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay. Hundreds of people are dead or hurt after a string of explosions on the railway system at rush hour.
"TIME" magazine South Asia correspondent Alex Perry joins me on the phone with the latest.

Alex, not a lot of people have been able to break the news like you have about two Muslim groups there in the area, ones that have continually fought against the Hindus, that may be tied to these explosions.

Could you tell us more about those groups?

ALEX PERRY, SOUTH ASIA CORRESPONDENT, "TIME": Yes, the two groups that -- I mean, nobody has claimed any responsibility. Nobody has said they carried out the attack. But the two groups that are being fingered by Indian security services are the Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is a Pakistani-based militant group that fights in Kashmir and carries out bombings across India as well, and a group called SIMI, which is a radical student group based in India that's made up of Indian Muslims, very radical Muslims, obviously.

And those two groups have been in a loose alliance for many years, providing each other sort of logistical support, money, weapons, and so on. Generally, SIMI used to be in a background role, setting up safe houses, providing false identifications. And the LET was the one that was actually carrying out its acts.

Now both are on the front line, really. They're working in cooperation. And this attack, the reason people think that these two groups have carried out this attack in Bombay is because these two have a history of working together in India.

They're also blamed for attacks in Hyderabad, in Bangalore, in Varanasi in March this year which killed 20. Perhaps New Delhi last October, which killed (INAUDIBLE). And definitely in August, 2003, in Bombay, which killed over 50 and was the latest of nine attacks that year.

PHILLIPS: So these organizations are not claiming responsibility on a Web site or in a telegram of any way. You're getting this from your sources, from the authorities? PERRY: From my sources in Indian intelligence and the security service in the military. I mean, (INAUDIBLE) claim responsibility. I mean, part of the point of terror is the confusion that it has.

You know, it's much more confusing if you don't know who is attacking you. And the idea is, also, simply, you know, that when you -- when you issue a statement, you generally say why you're fighting, what your demands are. You know, what your manifesto is.

These groups really don't have a manifesto. This is about rage. This is about killing Hindus, really. And this is -- this is for centuries of perceived aggression against Muslims (INAUDIBLE).

PHILLIPS: "TIME" magazine's South Asia correspondent Alex Perry. We're sort of losing him there by cell phone, but he's obviously been bringing us the best information to push this story forward on who is behind these blasts.

We'll continue to check in with Alex Perry.

Now, New York City is on alert in the aftermath of the India bombings.

Our Mary Snow has that angle -- Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, this is in direct response to the bombings in India. Police officials here in New York and the city's mayor saying that security will be heightened because of the bombings, putting hundreds of extra officers on the city's subway system by rush hour. Now, also, officials say they will be stepping up security on ferries.

Some of that heightened security includes random bag searches, also explosives detection. Officers will be sweeping stations.

Now, officials say this is only a precautionary action and that there have been no specific threats to the city. But, the city's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, spoke just a short time ago saying the city felt it was necessary to step up security.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (R), NEW YORK CITY: There is no information suggesting that NYC is a target of bombings, like those that happened today in Mumbai. Nevertheless, we take a terror attack any place in the world, especially one on a public transit system, as a serious warning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: And the city's public transit system carries about 4.5 million riders on a daily basis. And it was just last Friday, Kyra, that the city also had heightened security because of the one-year anniversary of the London bombings.

PHILLIPS: All right. Mary Snow, we'll continue to check in with you. Thanks so much.

Now let's get straight to Betty Nguyen, working another developing story out of New York -- Betty.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, Kyra. Remember that four-story Upper East Side building in New York City yesterday that just exploded? Well, we are learning more about the cause of that explosion.

Here's what we understand, according to The Associated Press.

A gas line leading to that townhouse was tampered with before the home was destroyed. Investigators searching through the rubble discovered that the basement gas line had been modified so that a hose could be attached to it.

The New York Police Department spokesman says someone stretched that hose from the line to the rear of the building. And, you know, after this explosion, I mean, just look at it there.

Authorities began investigating whether the townhouse's owner, Dr. Nicholas Bartha, might have caused this blast to avoid selling the home in a divorce. And here's what someone told The Associated Press. A police official with direct knowledge to the case said that this doctor recently sent a suicide e-mail to his ex-wife.

And I'm just going to read a little snippet of that to you.

It says, "When you read this, your life will change forever. You deserve it. You will be transformed from gold digger to ash and rubbish digger. You always wanted me to sell the house, I always told you I will leave the house only if I am dead."

And, of course, we saw what happened to that house yesterday. It just turned into rubble.

Fifteen people were injured in that. And learning a little bit more now that the doctor recently lost a $4 million judgment in a divorce case, and that that very building that you see destroyed in this video was to be sold at auction in October to pay for the judgment.

So, the latest news here is that a gas line leading to this townhouse was tampered before this explosion, just providing new information as to the cause of exactly what happened there yesterday -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Betty. Thanks so much.

Well, conventional wisdom. After almost five years of insisting so-called enemy combatants don't deserve the protections of the Geneva Conventions and after one huge Supreme Court rebuff, well, the Bush administration has reconsidered.

CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr is at her post with all the details -- Barbara. BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the Bush administration now here at the Pentagon issuing a memo that says detainees being held by the United States military will get Geneva Convention protections, at least some of them. They will get protection under something called Common Article III. That guarantees them humane treatment.

Of course, the Pentagon says that they were always getting humane treatment, but, certainly, there were some problems in the practical application of that. Some people, of course, being disciplined for mistreating detainees. Now it's all put down on paper, but the problem, the debate is not over.

On Capitol Hill today, the Senate Judiciary Committee having a very lengthy hearing about what to do with the detainees in the wake of that Supreme Court ruling that said the commissions were not in accordance with the law. A lot of controversy about where does it all go from here.

Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, of course, has been a long-time critic of administration policy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D), VERMONT: I'm a former prosecution. And I find it hard to fathom that this administration is so incompetent that it needs kangaroo court procedures to convince a tribunal of United States military officers that the worst of the worst imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay should be held accountable.

Military commissions should not be set up as a sham. They should be consistent with the high standard of military justice that has worked for decades.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Kyra, the senator there is clearly giving his view that these special commissions that the administration had tried to set up and make work turned down by the Supreme Court. Of course, that, in his words, that they were kangaroo courts.

He would like to see an option more in line with regular military justice procedures. The Pentagon today saying they are continuing to work on all of this. They don't have a solution yet -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: What about the stated policy of wanting to eventually close down Gitmo?

STARR: Well, you know, both President Bush, Secretary Rumsfeld, all the key leaders have said that they would like to close down Guantanamo Bay and get out of that business, but what to do with some of the detainees. Well, some of them are being sent back, of course, to their countries of origin for further detention, but a lot of those countries don't want these people back in the U.S., very strongly feel that they still, some of them, do pose a significant threat.

So, that's the other dilemma, what to do with them. And there's no answers to that yet either -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: That's for sure. Barbara Starr, appreciate it.

Well, the U.S. military is appalled at a video on an Islamic Web site adorned with the voice and picture of Osama bin Laden. It claims to show the aftermath of the brutal killing of two U.S. soldiers in Iraq.

CNN Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson filed this report for us from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The insurgent video begins with a statement claiming that it is from the Mujahedin Al Shura, the Council of Mujahedin associated with al Qaeda claiming that this is a videotape of the two kidnapped Americans, the two American soldiers kidnapped after a shootout about just over three weeks ago in the Mahmoudiya area, Yusufiyah area, south of Baghdad.

That video then continues with a message from Osama bin Laden. It has been extracted from his most recent message. And it says what makes Muslims happy is to see Americans attacked, and that's when the very graphic and bloody pictures of what appeared to be two Americans soldiers begins. The video lasts about five minutes.

A small box appears on the screen. It has a picture of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the former al Qaeda leader in Iraq who was killed in the beginning of June. The message from him, that you have to continue to attack American soldiers.

But along the bottom of this, the banner gives away perhaps the most important information. It is essentially says that the killing and abduction of these two soldiers is in retaliation for the alleged rape of a young Iraqi woman, Abir al-Junabi, in March in the town of Mahmoudiya. It says, "This is revenge for the dishonor of our sister by soldiers of the same brigade..." -- the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment attached to the 101st Airborne.

The videotape very, very graphic, very, very bloody. It's not possible to know at this stage whether or not it was really al Qaeda that shot the video. The video is very shaky, but it is claimed by al Qaeda. It is claimed to be revenge for the alleged rape of Abir al- Junabi (ph) back in March in Mahmoudiya.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, more proof that nothing in this Iraq war is sacred. Gunmen in southern Baghdad stormed a bus carrying a coffin bound for the Shiite holy city of Najaf. All 10 people aboard were killed. An hour later, near Baghdad's Green Zone, a trio of bombs went off, killing as many as 16 people.

Separately, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry is confirming the abduction of one of its envoys. The diplomat apparently was snatched while driving though his west Baghdad neighborhood.

Situation critical, progress slow, outcome uncertain. That's what two top Democratic senators say about Iraq. Joe Biden and Jack Reed just came back from Baghdad, and they didn't like what they saw.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOE BIDEN (D), DELAWARE: After all their achievements -- and they are real, they are significant -- the larger reality is that Iraq and the success of our mission there remains a prisoner to a terrible and growing violence and the lack of a plan to stop it. And I still don't see a strategy for victory in Iraq. The only strategy I see is a strategy on the part of administration to prevent outright defeat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JACK REED (D), RHODE ISLAND: The United States still lacks a coherent and effective strategy. The administration's sloganeering is wearing thin. Stay the course is difficult when a critical component's robust attention to the non-military demands of Iraq is lacking and the presence of American forces is both difficult to sustain at present levels and invites growing concern within the United States and within Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: The Bush administration insists it has a strategy for victory and cites the new so-called unity government as a clear sign of progress.

Part of a Boston tunnel gives way, crushing a car, killing a woman.

The latest straight ahead on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meeting not long ago with the Peruvian president. She made comments there at the State Department about the explosions in India. We want to let you know what she said now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: Let me just say that we condemn terribly this terrible terrorist incident. We have great sympathy for and send condolences to those who -- to the families of those who were killed and to those who have been injured.

We will stand with India on the war on terror. It simply shows that this kind of hideous incident can happen anywhere in the world against innocent people. And so, we stand with India in this time of need. (END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Once again, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice responding and condemning those attacks in India.

You know there's been plenty of condemnation, but no claims of responsibility yet in today's horrifying string of explosions in Mumbai. No fewer than eight explosions hit commuter trains and platforms in the Indian metropolitan formerly known as Bombay.

More than 130 people are dead, hundreds more hurt. Those blasts left mangled wreckage and body parts scattered everywhere, and they put major cities across India on alert.

New York City has beefed up its transit security, as well, adding police and more searches.

Jency Jacob is a correspondent for our sister network, CNN-IBN. He was actually on the train when the explosion struck.

Jency joins me now by phone.

Jency, why don't you take me back and tell me what you saw, what you felt.

JENCY JACOB, CNN-IBN: Yes, I was standing in this train, moving towards my home when this the train stopped between two stations because of a huge explosion that took place. For some time people were all shocked because they did not know what has hit them. But after that, people started jumping out of the train and running helter skelter.

When I jumped out of the train, I saw that one of the first class compartments -- this is the male compartment -- was totally blown to pieces because of the major explosion that took place. And it was -- it was a scene that can be forgotten because people were lying on the tracks, lying inside the compartment.

There was blood all around. People were really not able to comprehend what has hit them. In fact, many people died on the spot at that time.

And it's after some time when we realized that it's not just this train that was hit by an explosion, but there were at least seven or eight places, that it was a serial blast, a well-coordinated terror network that took place that ensured that all these blasts took place, a 10 to 15-minute duration with each other.

PHILLIPS: Jency, that's what I wanted to as you, about these groups or group that could be tied to these explosions. We were talking with Alex Perry with "TIME" magazine and he mentioned two organizations, Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamic extremist group out of Pakistan, and also SIMI, he was telling me, a group of radical Muslim students there in India.

Can you tell me if you have heard if these attacks could be tied to these two organizations obviously that fight the Hindus, if you think that that could -- those -- either one of those groups could be behind these attacks?

JACOB: No, very difficult to say that whether we can connect them to these organizations or not. That is something that the police investigation will prove in some time.

But let me tell you that (INAUDIBLE) Mumbai, this place, this state has been facing terror -- has been facing these kinds of modules. These are sleeping modules which have been existing in different parts of (INAUDIBLE).

They come here, they kind of -- kind of induct youth, they tell them about jihad. And that's a way they have been trying to grow their network within (INAUDIBLE).

And I know two months back a huge cachet of arms and administration were (INAUDIBLE) by the police, and after that it was expected that they were going to hit the capital, the financial capital of India. That is Mumbai, the incident which took place today.

So, this is not an isolated incident. These terrorists have been working very silently over a long period of time. It's not just (INAUDIBLE) which is affected, but they are trying to kind of penetrate into India. And Mumbai, because being the financial capital, the trade is affected, the sentiment of people are affected, and kind of able to create that fear psychosis among the minds of people.

PHILLIPS: Jency Jacob, appreciate it. We'll continue to talk with you. Thanks so much.

The mountain ghost of Mohammed. Actually, U.S. envoy Chris Hill going to Beijing. His goal, persuading China to take a tougher stance on North Korea.

CNN's Richard Roth has the latest now from the U.N.

Richard, what do we know about the trip?

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, Chris Hill said upon arrival in Beijing, "Obviously we're in a crucial period." He'll be there talking to officials in China, while a senior delegation from China continues dialogue in North Korea with the regime there.

China remains opposed to any action here at the U.N. Security Council which would punish North Korea with sanctions. China thinks it's not the right time to get tough with Pyongyang, that a diplomatic means would be better.

Meanwhile, North and South Korean officials also met. South Korea has not exactly been as tough as Japan wants to be on North Korea. The South very worried about tensions on that peninsula.

The backers of that resolution, which was delayed for a potential vote yesterday here in New York, France, the United States and Britain met again, and the decision was made, no vote today, let's see what happens in the dialogue in the Far East.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BOLTON, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: Principal co-sponsors have consulted this morning and concluded that we would, again, defer asking for a vote on our draft resolution this morning. There's certainly no good news out of Pyongyang. There, in fact, not any news at all that we can discern. And pursuant to what we discussed yesterday, and the Japanese idea of allowing the high level Chinese mission to see what it can do, we think that delaying a vote for one more day makes sense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: For Bolton and the others who support the resolution, it's easy to say, well, we wanted to delay. But the fact is, China stands in the way. Two ambassadors said China, in effect, did threaten to veto the resolution as it stands.

China has offered several versions of what it wants, which is a statement which is not as legally binding as a resolution. Russia sides with China and thinks it's time for the council to get on with it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VITALY CHURKIN, RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: I think that we've already lost time and we should have had this presidential statement, you know, from the outset. And that would have been supporting the current diplomatic efforts. That has not happened, but I'm still hopeful that a unified response by the Security Council could be developed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: The United States, France and Britain will meet again tomorrow morning to lisen and learn for what were the overnight developments from Asia, and then decide whether they want to put it to a vote, which, at this point, would run into a veto. So prospects don't look good for that resolution -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Richard Roth at the U.N.

Thanks.

Did a messy divorce lead to yesterday's massive explosion on New York's Upper East Side?

The latest coming up on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, more breaking news out of Boston now. It seems last night's deadly collapse in the Big Dig could cost the head of the state's Turnpike Authority his job.

Here's Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. MITT ROMNEY (R), MASSACHUSETTS: Long ago, as you know, I lost confidence in the leadership of the Turnpike Authority, and there should no longer be any doubt that it is time for change at that authority. Through his leadership failures, Chairman Matt Amorello has undermined public confidence in the safety of the Big Gig tunnel system and failed to conform to the standards by which public business should be conducted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, four massive concrete slabs crushed a car, killing a newlywed inside. Today inspectors are checking at least 17 other parts of the Big Dig tunnel, which will likely be closed until tomorrow at the soonest. As you might expect, the traffic tie-ups are monumental.

New video into CNN now of a rescue at a construction site in Philadelphia. This coming to us from our affiliate WPVI.

Firefighters have just pulled a worker out of that rubble at the old Adams Mark Hotel. He was working on a piece of equipment when a wall fell on him and trapped him inside there. No word on his condition yet.

We'll keep you updated.

Well, it looks like a horrible accident. There were even fears of terrorism, fears the White House quickly shot down. Today New York Police strongly suspect the blast that brought down an eastside mansion was part of a suicide attempt. A suicide attempt with an unusual degree of spite.

CNN Senior Correspondent Allan Chernoff reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Firefighters found Dr. Nicholas Bartha in the basement rubble of his multimillion- dollar home.

RICHARD SCHMIDT, N.Y. FIREFIGHTER: I could hear him saying, "Could you help me? Could you help me?"

CHERNOFF: Dr. Bartha's former divorce attorney, Ira Garr, told CNN his client had been despondent about his divorce and the battle with his wife over their Manhattan townhouse.

Live on CNN, New York's fire commissioner raised the possibility Bartha was trying to kill himself.

NICHOLAS SCOPPETTA, N.Y. FIRE COMMISSIONER: There was a communication from inside the building to someone outside the building, some number of blocks away, that leads us to believe there is a potential to conclude. Now...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What sort of communication? What sort of communication?

SCOPPETTA: An e-mail to someone nearby.

CHERNOFF: Dr. Bartha had sent a rambling e-mail to his wife and others at 6:30 in the morning, about two hours before the blast. Garr, who received the letter, told CNN, Bartha wrote to his wife, "You will be transformed from gold digger to ash and rubbish digger. You always wanted me to sell the house. I always told you I will leave the house only if I am dead." The e-mail concluded, "My further staying alive does not make any sense."

A New York appellate court last year had determined Cordula Bartha was entitled to a share of the townhouse, valued at more than $5 million.

While there is evidence pointing to Dr. Bartha's intent to kill himself, fire officials have yet to find proof that Dr. Bartha actually blew up the home.

Indeed, the Con Edison utility meter reader on the block told CNN, complaints about a gas leak last month led the utility to turn off the building's gas for repairs. And again last week there had been complaints about another gas leak.

Cordula Bartha's attorneys released a statement saying she was shocked. "Ms. Bartha and her family are deeply saddened and terribly upset by today's occurrence. Ms. Bartha and her family wish the best to Dr. Bartha in his recovery."

(on camera): Dr. Bartha is at New York Presbyterian Hospital suffering from second and third-degree burns. Four pedestrians also were injured walking in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Allan Chernoff, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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