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CNN Live Today

Ivan Devastates Jamaica, Churns Towards Cuba, Florida; Assault Weapons Ban Expires at Midnight; Anger Surges in Wake of Russian School Massacre; Oscar de la Renta: 21st Century is the Century of Women

Aired September 13, 2004 - 11:00   ET

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

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


DARYN KAGAN, ANCHOR: Eleven a.m. straight up on the East Coast, 8 a.m. on the West. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
Hurricane Ivan regains its status as a dangerous Category Five storm, which is churning towards the far western edge of Cuba at this hour. The menacing storm has top winds of 160 miles per hour.

So Cubans are preparing for Hurricane Ivan. President Fidel Castro has warned residents to stock up on supplies and board up their homes. Ivan is expected to pass over or near western Cuba later today.

Ivan ripped off roofs and flooded homes as it pummeled the Cayman Islands. An official says that one-quarter to one-half of the homes on Grand Cayman sustained some damage from the storm.

And here in the U.S., relief in the Florida Keys has evacuees allowing to return home, but now the Panhandle may be in the path of Hurricane Ivan.

Our Susan Candiotti joins us from Panama City beach.

Susan, good morning once again.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Yes, of course, there's a lot of uncertainty all along the Florida Panhandle all the way from Apalachicola, St. George's Islands, where they are still recovering from the after effects of some flooding in low lying areas from Hurricane Frances. All the way to Pensacola and on westward to Mobile, Alabama, because no one can tell at this point where Ivan will land exactly.

So, for example, here in Bay County in the local newspaper today, they published a map showing the principal evacuation areas, although at this time, and you can see, obviously, a lot of water here, a lot of people who live along the 27 miles of beaches and about 7,000 people who live in this area, on the Gulf Coast directly.

They haven't made a decision as yet about when to start those evacuation orders, if at all. It is probably likely. But in the meantime, people here are wasting no time making preparations as they are elsewhere, buying up the plywood putting up shutters on their homes and businesses and the like.

And a lot of people who live here now remember what things were like back in 1995. That's the last time a hurricane hit here, Hurricane Opal. Even though it was about 80 miles to the west of here, there was serious storm surge damage in this area.

And the emergency management director remembers that very well. And he knows that's what people have to be cautioned against this time as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the first system we've seen here locally that we're concerned with storm surge, and storm surge can cause significant damage, as we saw in '95, with Hurricane Opal. About 49 percent of the total damage from Opal was done right here in this county.

CANDIOTTI: And so that very same man you just heard from is going to be heading up a meeting that will take place later this day in order to decide whether to begin evacuations, possibly as early as tomorrow morning, for people who live in low-lying areas here along the Gulf Coast, including those who live in mobile homes.

If they start that evacuation tomorrow, they figure that would give them at least a full day or two to move people out. Because they know a lot of preparation is necessary. And that helps, to, of course, ease any worries.

Back to you.

KAGAN: Susan Candiotti, thank you for that.

Let's check in with the latest on the satellite imagery. Jacqui Jeras is watching that for us in our weather center -- Jacqui.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: All right. Jacqui, thank you for that.

Authorities in Jamaica have raised the death toll from Hurricane Ivan to 17. Among the dead, children swept from their parents' arms by floodwaters.

We caution viewers; you might find some of the emotional images disturbing in this report from CNN's Karl Penhaul.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The storm has passed, but the time for grieving is just beginning.

Minutes before we reached the fishing community of Portland Cottage, villagers had just found three more bodies killed when Hurricane Ivan whipped up a tidal surge.

One of the dead, 2-year-old Lisa Ann Thompson (ph), was snatched right out of her mother's arms by the raging floodwaters.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The big water came again and just flusher her out of my hand. She disappeared of my hand and I cannot find her because it was night and the place was very dark.

PENHAUL: Her husband, Leroy (ph), was carrying their other daughter, Tiffany. She drowned, too, when the tide dragged her from her father's arms.

Through their tears and pain, the true horror of that night becomes clear.

(on camera) Imagine this: it's pitch black outside, close to midnight and the floodwaters are already waist high, and then a huge wave comes rushing in from the sea.

(voice-over) This is what's left of the village.

Edwards and her husband take us back to the ruins of their wood home. She finds her only surviving son, Jerome, playing in the receding floodwaters. Their possessions were wrecked by the wind- lashed waves.

A Ziploc bag failed to protect the birth certificates of her dead daughters. Tiffany and Lisa Ann's (ph) tiny shoes still lay in the corner.

The police come and stretcher away the corpses. Nobody seems to know what's next for the living or the dead.

Karl Penhaul and the camera of Neil Holsworth (ph), CNN, Portland Cottage, Jamaica.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And you can get more information about Hurricane Ivan and its track. Just go to CNN.com. And you can click on 24 hours.

We have political news ahead: guns and politics. John Kerry is blasting President Bush over the expiration of an assault weapons ban today. The 10-year-old law will be history at midnight, because Congress did not vote to extend it.

Our Sean Callebs is in Washington this morning with more on that.

Sean, good morning.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. Indeed, many gun enthusiasts are pleased the 10-year federal ban is expiring, but legions of critics are lining up to vent, including law enforcement officers, trauma physicians, victims of gun violence and of course, political candidates.

Democratic president candidate John Kerry is blasting the fact that AK-47s, Uzis and Tech Nines with large clips will be back on the market. The big question: did the ban, approved by President Clinton back in 1994, put a dent in violent crime? It depends on who you ask. Studies by both pro- and anti-gun groups have conflicting results.

Still Kerry says it's just common sense to keep assault weapons off the streets.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And so tomorrow, for the first time in 10 years, when a killer walks into a gun shop, when a terrorist goes to a gun show somewhere in America, when they want to purchase an AK-47 or some other military assault weapon, they're going to hear one word: "Sure."

Today, George Bush chose to make the job of terrorists easier and make the job of America's police officers harder, and that's just plain wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLEBS: One major concern: under the '94 law, the maximum capacity for a clip was ten rounds. Once the measure expires, clips can hold five times the number of bullets.

Gun lobbyists say there are loopholes in the 1994 law that allowed manufacturers to keep many weapons on the market simply by changing the name of the gun or altering some features.

For its part, this is what the NRA says on its web site, quote, "Over the next few weeks, we must remain extremely vigilant against any attempt by the anti-gunners to reauthorize this legislation."

Many police unions support reauthorizing the assault weapons ban, and President Bush has said if Congress approves such a measure, he would support it.

Now despite the fact that federal law is expiring, Daryn, many states, including California, Massachusetts and New York have passed their own laws on assault weapons, and some are more potent than the federal measure -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Sean Callebs in Washington, thank you.

Let's go to live pictures right now from Muskegon, Michigan. President Bush is speaking to a crowd there, talking about health care. Let's listen in for a bit.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... than ever, and now we're less dependent on foreign sources of energy. We ought to be using ethanol and biodiesel as ways to -- as ways to diversify our energy supply.

I think we ought to be using effect technology to expand and advance nuclear power. We ought to be wise about how we diversify our energy supplies and encourage energy conservation in order to keep this economy growing.

We put forth a plan that Congress must pass in order to make us less dependent on foreign sources of energy.

In order to make sure the economy grows, we've got to continue to open up markets. There's a lot of farmers in this part of the world. The farm economy is strong here. Strong in Michigan and it's strong around the world. One of the reasons why is because we're selling U.S. products in other markets. That's one of the reasons why.

Ask your corn growers; ask the people who are growing soybeans what it's like to be able to sell product, grown here in Michigan or elsewhere in America overseas.

Listen, we've opened up our markets and it's good for you we have. Here's the way the economy works. If you have more choices to choose from, you're likely to get the product you want at a better price and higher quality. That's how it works.

My message to places like China, is, "You treat us the way we treat you," because we can compete with anybody, any time, anywhere, so long as the rules are fair.

KAGAN: We've been listening to President Bush for just a bit there. He's in Muskegon, Michigan, today, making a Republican appearance in a Democratic country, by the way.

We heard from Senator John Kerry a little bit earlier. He was at an anti-crime event in Washington, D.C.

More on politics just ahead.

Also, fighting back against insurgents after a day of death in Iraq. U.S. forces pummel targets in Fallujah from the air and on the ground. The latest in the fight for Iraq is up next.

John Kerry is using Colin Powell's own words against the Bush administration. Hear what he has to say coming up.

And sound and fury in Beslan as mothers of the victims in a school massacre demand answers.

CNN LIVE TODAY is back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: In Iraq, U.S. warplanes dropped 500-pound bombs on a suspected terrorist site in Fallujah. Military officials say it's part of a precision strike against anti-Iraqi forces loyal to terror suspect Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. He's been blamed for terror attacks throughout the country. According to the military, intelligence reports showed Zarqawi operatives at the location during the strike. It follows heavy fighting between insurgents and U.S. troops elsewhere in Fallujah.

Meanwhile, a very violent 24 hours in Iraq. Seventy-eight people died; more than 200 wounded throughout the country. Incidents included battles between coalition troops and insurgents, car bombings and terrorist acts.

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry is accusing the Bush administration of falsely alleging a link between Iraq and the 9/11 attacks. In the past, Vice President Dick Cheney has suggested there are Iraq-al Qaeda links.

Yesterday, though, Secretary of State Colin Powell said there was no direct connection to 9/11.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We know that there had been connections and there had been exchanges between al Qaeda and the Saddam Hussein regime. And those have been pursued and looked at but I have seen nothing that makes a direct connection between Saddam Hussein -- that awful regime -- and what happened on 9/11.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Senator Kerry contends that Powell contradicted comments from Cheney. He said, quote, "The president needs to answer the question, who do you think is right: Vice President Cheney or Secretary Powell? Unfortunately, in desperate attempt attempts to re- invent a rationale for the Iraq war, this White House has repeatedly chosen to mislead the American people." End quote from Senator Kerry there.

For his part, though, President Bush last year said that there is no evidence that suggests that Iraq had any role in the 9/11 attacks.

To Russia now where President Putin is proposing a new federal security agency to coordinate his country's fight against terror. The Kremlin action comes as anger is building over the school massacre in Beslan.

Our Jill Dougherty is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "What kind of country are we living in? Somebody tell me!" she screams.

Six women dressed in black, women who have lost their children, women who demand answers.

"Let President Putin answer us," she says. "He said he'd wipe out the terrorists in the outhouse. Well, where is that outhouse? Let all mothers rise up, every one of them. No mother will ever be able to sleep peacefully again."

Grief over the Beslan school massacre is now turning to fury, much of it directed at political leaders. Angry crowds are demanding the regional government resign.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Why are they lying? Why are they saying 335 people died when it's really 600 or 700?

DOUGHERTY (on camera): Beyond the enormous tragedy at this school, there's growing concern both here and in Moscow that this terrorist act could have wider repercussions, potentially reigniting long-standing ethnic tensions with neighboring republics.

(voice-over) Russian authorities still have not publicly identified the terrorists who attacked the school. They claim it was an international band, including some fighters from Arab countries.

But in Beslan, located in the republic of North Ossetia, many already are blaming the Ingush, a neighboring people with whom they fought a war over territory 12 years ago.

"They're our enemies," she says. "How can they force us to live with our enemies?"

Half an hour east of Beslan in the Ingush Republic, a village filled with Ingush refugees who fled ethnic fighting 12 years ago.

Maryann Makia (ph) says this week she sat watching TV reports of the school hostage massacre and cried.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I feel so sorry for the children. They're innocent. It was never accepted to raise a hand against a woman or child regardless of their nationality. Now it's as if the Ingush and Chechens are a nation of bandits. But we aren't.

DOUGHERTY: Her husband, Hassan (ph), is worried.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): This is going to destabilize things, whip people up and give them an excuse to once again claim that the Ingush are guilty and you simply can't live next to them.

DOUGHERTY: At the school in Beslan, a father guides his young daughter through the wreckage where her grandmother perished.

"Look at this," he says. "Look at what these animals did. Remember this."

Jill Dougherty, CNN, Beslan, Russia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: We have a lot of news to cover here in the states.

First it was Charley, Frances and now Ivan, maybe? Floridians are having one very stressful hurricane season. Coming up, Dr. Sanjay Gupta tells us how you can cope in the shadow of a massive storm.

Up next, thought, the catwalk comes alive again. Fashion Week continues in New York, and we will take you there live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: From first lady Laura Bush to Sara Jessica Parker, Oscar de la Renta has been pressing the rich, the powerful and the famous for 40 years now. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was one of his first customers.

This is day six of Fashion Week in New York City's Bryant Park near Times Square. Oscar de la Renta is among the top designers showing his spring collection, and he is joining us now, along with our Alina Cho, looking fashionable and fabulous, as always, as well.

Good morning.

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn. You flatter me. Thank you. Good morning to you.

Yes, we are backstage at the Oscar de la Renta show. It ended a couple of minutes ago. And what a beautiful show it was.

Joining us now is the designer himself, Mr. Oscar de la Renta. We thank you for joining us.

OSCAR DE LA RENTA, FASHION DESIGNER: Thank you.

CHO: Lovely to have you. I noticed that you had several themes in this collection today: nautical, ethnic and of course, glamour. Talk a little bit about what inspired you.

DE LA RENTA: Well, I think glamour is about really trying to make the best that I can for a woman, you know.

You know, I keep saying that, you know, the 21st Century, the century that we have just started, this is the century of the woman. Never in the history of time have there been a woman as in control of her destination as a woman today.

So it's a great privilege for me as a designer to be creating clothes now. Because this is the best time for a woman to be a woman and for a woman to feel proud, to feel proud of being a woman, her sense of femininity.

You know, we went all through the '70s and '80s and women's lib movement. And women sort of dressing in drabby clothes, trying to sort of enter into the full men's world.

And today a woman knows, like you, you know, that putting lipstick, being pretty, feeling like a woman is a tremendous asset, even in the workplace.

CHO: One of the other designers I've spoke to early said that in tough times women want to look pretty. Do you agree with that? DE LA RENTA: I feel a woman wants to look pretty at all times, you know? I think that...

CHO: You're right.

DE LA RENTA: I think that, you know, it's a privilege.

Somebody asked me, "Why so many bows?"

I said, "Have you ever seen a man with a bow?" You know? There are so many great privileges to a woman and to a woman dressing, you know. And this is wonderful.

CHO: Well put. And I can tell you, women do always want to look pretty. Oscar de la Renta, we thank you for joining us here.

And that's what's going on through the eyes of one designer, Daryn. Back to you.

KAGAN: Well, we try, Alina. Some days we get it; some days we don't. Right? But Mr. De la Renta clearly knows women and fashion. Thank you so much for that.

Coming up, the debate over the debate. Both sides are squaring off. Our Bill Schneider takes a look. He's going to step in, separate the two sides in our morning's most complete look. The wrap up coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired September 13, 2004 - 11:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, ANCHOR: Eleven a.m. straight up on the East Coast, 8 a.m. on the West. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
Hurricane Ivan regains its status as a dangerous Category Five storm, which is churning towards the far western edge of Cuba at this hour. The menacing storm has top winds of 160 miles per hour.

So Cubans are preparing for Hurricane Ivan. President Fidel Castro has warned residents to stock up on supplies and board up their homes. Ivan is expected to pass over or near western Cuba later today.

Ivan ripped off roofs and flooded homes as it pummeled the Cayman Islands. An official says that one-quarter to one-half of the homes on Grand Cayman sustained some damage from the storm.

And here in the U.S., relief in the Florida Keys has evacuees allowing to return home, but now the Panhandle may be in the path of Hurricane Ivan.

Our Susan Candiotti joins us from Panama City beach.

Susan, good morning once again.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Yes, of course, there's a lot of uncertainty all along the Florida Panhandle all the way from Apalachicola, St. George's Islands, where they are still recovering from the after effects of some flooding in low lying areas from Hurricane Frances. All the way to Pensacola and on westward to Mobile, Alabama, because no one can tell at this point where Ivan will land exactly.

So, for example, here in Bay County in the local newspaper today, they published a map showing the principal evacuation areas, although at this time, and you can see, obviously, a lot of water here, a lot of people who live along the 27 miles of beaches and about 7,000 people who live in this area, on the Gulf Coast directly.

They haven't made a decision as yet about when to start those evacuation orders, if at all. It is probably likely. But in the meantime, people here are wasting no time making preparations as they are elsewhere, buying up the plywood putting up shutters on their homes and businesses and the like.

And a lot of people who live here now remember what things were like back in 1995. That's the last time a hurricane hit here, Hurricane Opal. Even though it was about 80 miles to the west of here, there was serious storm surge damage in this area.

And the emergency management director remembers that very well. And he knows that's what people have to be cautioned against this time as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the first system we've seen here locally that we're concerned with storm surge, and storm surge can cause significant damage, as we saw in '95, with Hurricane Opal. About 49 percent of the total damage from Opal was done right here in this county.

CANDIOTTI: And so that very same man you just heard from is going to be heading up a meeting that will take place later this day in order to decide whether to begin evacuations, possibly as early as tomorrow morning, for people who live in low-lying areas here along the Gulf Coast, including those who live in mobile homes.

If they start that evacuation tomorrow, they figure that would give them at least a full day or two to move people out. Because they know a lot of preparation is necessary. And that helps, to, of course, ease any worries.

Back to you.

KAGAN: Susan Candiotti, thank you for that.

Let's check in with the latest on the satellite imagery. Jacqui Jeras is watching that for us in our weather center -- Jacqui.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: All right. Jacqui, thank you for that.

Authorities in Jamaica have raised the death toll from Hurricane Ivan to 17. Among the dead, children swept from their parents' arms by floodwaters.

We caution viewers; you might find some of the emotional images disturbing in this report from CNN's Karl Penhaul.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The storm has passed, but the time for grieving is just beginning.

Minutes before we reached the fishing community of Portland Cottage, villagers had just found three more bodies killed when Hurricane Ivan whipped up a tidal surge.

One of the dead, 2-year-old Lisa Ann Thompson (ph), was snatched right out of her mother's arms by the raging floodwaters.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The big water came again and just flusher her out of my hand. She disappeared of my hand and I cannot find her because it was night and the place was very dark.

PENHAUL: Her husband, Leroy (ph), was carrying their other daughter, Tiffany. She drowned, too, when the tide dragged her from her father's arms.

Through their tears and pain, the true horror of that night becomes clear.

(on camera) Imagine this: it's pitch black outside, close to midnight and the floodwaters are already waist high, and then a huge wave comes rushing in from the sea.

(voice-over) This is what's left of the village.

Edwards and her husband take us back to the ruins of their wood home. She finds her only surviving son, Jerome, playing in the receding floodwaters. Their possessions were wrecked by the wind- lashed waves.

A Ziploc bag failed to protect the birth certificates of her dead daughters. Tiffany and Lisa Ann's (ph) tiny shoes still lay in the corner.

The police come and stretcher away the corpses. Nobody seems to know what's next for the living or the dead.

Karl Penhaul and the camera of Neil Holsworth (ph), CNN, Portland Cottage, Jamaica.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And you can get more information about Hurricane Ivan and its track. Just go to CNN.com. And you can click on 24 hours.

We have political news ahead: guns and politics. John Kerry is blasting President Bush over the expiration of an assault weapons ban today. The 10-year-old law will be history at midnight, because Congress did not vote to extend it.

Our Sean Callebs is in Washington this morning with more on that.

Sean, good morning.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. Indeed, many gun enthusiasts are pleased the 10-year federal ban is expiring, but legions of critics are lining up to vent, including law enforcement officers, trauma physicians, victims of gun violence and of course, political candidates.

Democratic president candidate John Kerry is blasting the fact that AK-47s, Uzis and Tech Nines with large clips will be back on the market. The big question: did the ban, approved by President Clinton back in 1994, put a dent in violent crime? It depends on who you ask. Studies by both pro- and anti-gun groups have conflicting results.

Still Kerry says it's just common sense to keep assault weapons off the streets.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And so tomorrow, for the first time in 10 years, when a killer walks into a gun shop, when a terrorist goes to a gun show somewhere in America, when they want to purchase an AK-47 or some other military assault weapon, they're going to hear one word: "Sure."

Today, George Bush chose to make the job of terrorists easier and make the job of America's police officers harder, and that's just plain wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLEBS: One major concern: under the '94 law, the maximum capacity for a clip was ten rounds. Once the measure expires, clips can hold five times the number of bullets.

Gun lobbyists say there are loopholes in the 1994 law that allowed manufacturers to keep many weapons on the market simply by changing the name of the gun or altering some features.

For its part, this is what the NRA says on its web site, quote, "Over the next few weeks, we must remain extremely vigilant against any attempt by the anti-gunners to reauthorize this legislation."

Many police unions support reauthorizing the assault weapons ban, and President Bush has said if Congress approves such a measure, he would support it.

Now despite the fact that federal law is expiring, Daryn, many states, including California, Massachusetts and New York have passed their own laws on assault weapons, and some are more potent than the federal measure -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Sean Callebs in Washington, thank you.

Let's go to live pictures right now from Muskegon, Michigan. President Bush is speaking to a crowd there, talking about health care. Let's listen in for a bit.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... than ever, and now we're less dependent on foreign sources of energy. We ought to be using ethanol and biodiesel as ways to -- as ways to diversify our energy supply.

I think we ought to be using effect technology to expand and advance nuclear power. We ought to be wise about how we diversify our energy supplies and encourage energy conservation in order to keep this economy growing.

We put forth a plan that Congress must pass in order to make us less dependent on foreign sources of energy.

In order to make sure the economy grows, we've got to continue to open up markets. There's a lot of farmers in this part of the world. The farm economy is strong here. Strong in Michigan and it's strong around the world. One of the reasons why is because we're selling U.S. products in other markets. That's one of the reasons why.

Ask your corn growers; ask the people who are growing soybeans what it's like to be able to sell product, grown here in Michigan or elsewhere in America overseas.

Listen, we've opened up our markets and it's good for you we have. Here's the way the economy works. If you have more choices to choose from, you're likely to get the product you want at a better price and higher quality. That's how it works.

My message to places like China, is, "You treat us the way we treat you," because we can compete with anybody, any time, anywhere, so long as the rules are fair.

KAGAN: We've been listening to President Bush for just a bit there. He's in Muskegon, Michigan, today, making a Republican appearance in a Democratic country, by the way.

We heard from Senator John Kerry a little bit earlier. He was at an anti-crime event in Washington, D.C.

More on politics just ahead.

Also, fighting back against insurgents after a day of death in Iraq. U.S. forces pummel targets in Fallujah from the air and on the ground. The latest in the fight for Iraq is up next.

John Kerry is using Colin Powell's own words against the Bush administration. Hear what he has to say coming up.

And sound and fury in Beslan as mothers of the victims in a school massacre demand answers.

CNN LIVE TODAY is back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: In Iraq, U.S. warplanes dropped 500-pound bombs on a suspected terrorist site in Fallujah. Military officials say it's part of a precision strike against anti-Iraqi forces loyal to terror suspect Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. He's been blamed for terror attacks throughout the country. According to the military, intelligence reports showed Zarqawi operatives at the location during the strike. It follows heavy fighting between insurgents and U.S. troops elsewhere in Fallujah.

Meanwhile, a very violent 24 hours in Iraq. Seventy-eight people died; more than 200 wounded throughout the country. Incidents included battles between coalition troops and insurgents, car bombings and terrorist acts.

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry is accusing the Bush administration of falsely alleging a link between Iraq and the 9/11 attacks. In the past, Vice President Dick Cheney has suggested there are Iraq-al Qaeda links.

Yesterday, though, Secretary of State Colin Powell said there was no direct connection to 9/11.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We know that there had been connections and there had been exchanges between al Qaeda and the Saddam Hussein regime. And those have been pursued and looked at but I have seen nothing that makes a direct connection between Saddam Hussein -- that awful regime -- and what happened on 9/11.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Senator Kerry contends that Powell contradicted comments from Cheney. He said, quote, "The president needs to answer the question, who do you think is right: Vice President Cheney or Secretary Powell? Unfortunately, in desperate attempt attempts to re- invent a rationale for the Iraq war, this White House has repeatedly chosen to mislead the American people." End quote from Senator Kerry there.

For his part, though, President Bush last year said that there is no evidence that suggests that Iraq had any role in the 9/11 attacks.

To Russia now where President Putin is proposing a new federal security agency to coordinate his country's fight against terror. The Kremlin action comes as anger is building over the school massacre in Beslan.

Our Jill Dougherty is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "What kind of country are we living in? Somebody tell me!" she screams.

Six women dressed in black, women who have lost their children, women who demand answers.

"Let President Putin answer us," she says. "He said he'd wipe out the terrorists in the outhouse. Well, where is that outhouse? Let all mothers rise up, every one of them. No mother will ever be able to sleep peacefully again."

Grief over the Beslan school massacre is now turning to fury, much of it directed at political leaders. Angry crowds are demanding the regional government resign.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Why are they lying? Why are they saying 335 people died when it's really 600 or 700?

DOUGHERTY (on camera): Beyond the enormous tragedy at this school, there's growing concern both here and in Moscow that this terrorist act could have wider repercussions, potentially reigniting long-standing ethnic tensions with neighboring republics.

(voice-over) Russian authorities still have not publicly identified the terrorists who attacked the school. They claim it was an international band, including some fighters from Arab countries.

But in Beslan, located in the republic of North Ossetia, many already are blaming the Ingush, a neighboring people with whom they fought a war over territory 12 years ago.

"They're our enemies," she says. "How can they force us to live with our enemies?"

Half an hour east of Beslan in the Ingush Republic, a village filled with Ingush refugees who fled ethnic fighting 12 years ago.

Maryann Makia (ph) says this week she sat watching TV reports of the school hostage massacre and cried.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I feel so sorry for the children. They're innocent. It was never accepted to raise a hand against a woman or child regardless of their nationality. Now it's as if the Ingush and Chechens are a nation of bandits. But we aren't.

DOUGHERTY: Her husband, Hassan (ph), is worried.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): This is going to destabilize things, whip people up and give them an excuse to once again claim that the Ingush are guilty and you simply can't live next to them.

DOUGHERTY: At the school in Beslan, a father guides his young daughter through the wreckage where her grandmother perished.

"Look at this," he says. "Look at what these animals did. Remember this."

Jill Dougherty, CNN, Beslan, Russia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: We have a lot of news to cover here in the states.

First it was Charley, Frances and now Ivan, maybe? Floridians are having one very stressful hurricane season. Coming up, Dr. Sanjay Gupta tells us how you can cope in the shadow of a massive storm.

Up next, thought, the catwalk comes alive again. Fashion Week continues in New York, and we will take you there live.

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KAGAN: From first lady Laura Bush to Sara Jessica Parker, Oscar de la Renta has been pressing the rich, the powerful and the famous for 40 years now. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was one of his first customers.

This is day six of Fashion Week in New York City's Bryant Park near Times Square. Oscar de la Renta is among the top designers showing his spring collection, and he is joining us now, along with our Alina Cho, looking fashionable and fabulous, as always, as well.

Good morning.

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn. You flatter me. Thank you. Good morning to you.

Yes, we are backstage at the Oscar de la Renta show. It ended a couple of minutes ago. And what a beautiful show it was.

Joining us now is the designer himself, Mr. Oscar de la Renta. We thank you for joining us.

OSCAR DE LA RENTA, FASHION DESIGNER: Thank you.

CHO: Lovely to have you. I noticed that you had several themes in this collection today: nautical, ethnic and of course, glamour. Talk a little bit about what inspired you.

DE LA RENTA: Well, I think glamour is about really trying to make the best that I can for a woman, you know.

You know, I keep saying that, you know, the 21st Century, the century that we have just started, this is the century of the woman. Never in the history of time have there been a woman as in control of her destination as a woman today.

So it's a great privilege for me as a designer to be creating clothes now. Because this is the best time for a woman to be a woman and for a woman to feel proud, to feel proud of being a woman, her sense of femininity.

You know, we went all through the '70s and '80s and women's lib movement. And women sort of dressing in drabby clothes, trying to sort of enter into the full men's world.

And today a woman knows, like you, you know, that putting lipstick, being pretty, feeling like a woman is a tremendous asset, even in the workplace.

CHO: One of the other designers I've spoke to early said that in tough times women want to look pretty. Do you agree with that? DE LA RENTA: I feel a woman wants to look pretty at all times, you know? I think that...

CHO: You're right.

DE LA RENTA: I think that, you know, it's a privilege.

Somebody asked me, "Why so many bows?"

I said, "Have you ever seen a man with a bow?" You know? There are so many great privileges to a woman and to a woman dressing, you know. And this is wonderful.

CHO: Well put. And I can tell you, women do always want to look pretty. Oscar de la Renta, we thank you for joining us here.

And that's what's going on through the eyes of one designer, Daryn. Back to you.

KAGAN: Well, we try, Alina. Some days we get it; some days we don't. Right? But Mr. De la Renta clearly knows women and fashion. Thank you so much for that.

Coming up, the debate over the debate. Both sides are squaring off. Our Bill Schneider takes a look. He's going to step in, separate the two sides in our morning's most complete look. The wrap up coming up next.

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