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CNN Live Today

Chopper Crash; Making the Case; Supporting the War; Cooling Costs

Aired June 29, 2005 - 10:00   ET

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

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get right to Daryn Kagan. She's in Atlanta this morning.
Hey, Daryn, good morning.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. You guys have a great day in New York City.

O'BRIEN: You too.

KAGAN: We'll go ahead and get started. Let's take a look at what's happening "Now in the News."

The U.S. military is tracking down details of a helicopter apparently shot down along the Afghanistan/Pakistani border west of Asadabad. Seventeen service members were aboard the transport helicopter. Their fate is not yet known. The crew of another U.S. military helicopter accompanying the crash reported seeing signs of enemy fire. A Taliban official called CNN's Pakistan bureau to claim responsibility.

Here in the U.S., the fire season is well underway in the west. Twenty-one large fires have burned more than three quarters of a million acres in seven states. One fire about 30 miles north of Phoenix has already burned 140,000 acres and is expected to spread. But residents of a Utah housing development are at ease after a wildfires stopped short of their homes.

Live this hour on Capitol Hill, the House Armed Services Committee is taking a closer look at Guantanamo Bay and its detention center for terror suspects. The U.S. facility in Cuba has drawn international criticism over the alleged abuse of detainees and some members of Congress have called for its closure. Guantanamo's top commanders will testify at this hearing. We will continue to monitor it.

Also this hour on Capitol Hill, the Senate Armed Services Committee holds a confirmation hearing on General Peter Pace. The career Marine is President Bush's choice as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The panel will also consider the post of vice chairman and chief of staff of the Air Force.

And now cnn.com is offering a whole new way for you to get your headlines. Just log on to our Web site and click on "watch" to check out the most popular stories. Everything from politics and sports to entertainment. It's free at cnn.com. And good morning to you on this Wednesday morning. I'm Daryn Kagan.

We're going to start off our morning by waiting to learn the fate of 17 U.S. service members on board a helicopter that crashed in Afghanistan. U.S. military officials now say the crash may have been caused by hostile fire. The MH-47 Chinook helicopter went down in Eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistani border on Tuesday. CNN's Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr has the latest developments.

Barbara, hello.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Daryn.

Well, at this hour this very much remain an ongoing situation. What we have learned is the crash site is at 10,000 feet in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Eastern Afghanistan near Asadabad. Some extremely rough territory we are told. The crash site is virtually inaccessible at this hour because there is rain and wind in the area. They would have to bring in more helicopters and the weather has really gone bad on them today.

However, there are U.S. ground forces and Afghan security forces at the site right now we are told, securing it, keeping any insurgent activity away. There were 17 personnel on that helicopter that went down. There is no word on their fate at the moment. There are, we are told, insurgent forces in the area, so very little information is coming out at this hour. They are trying to keep everything secure.

Now, what happened? We are told there were four Chinook helicopters moving into the area yesterday. They were reinforcing U.S. troops on the ground who were already in a firefight. One of those Chinooks reported seeing enemy fire, rocket and small arms. One of the Chinook helicopters did go down at that point. A-10 aircraft, Air Force A-10 aircraft also flying in the immediate vicinity saw that enemy air activity. They rolled in on the insurgent sites, fired rockets against them.

Overnight, they tried to get forces in on the ground. They've only been able to get those ground forces in, we are told. Still, there is plenty of air cover in the region we are told. They're keeping an eye on everything until the weather lifts and they can get some rescue forces in there.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Barbara, with the latest information I'm being told we just have a sound byte in from Afghanistan from a colonel there, Colonel James Yonts. He is in Kabul. Let's go ahead and listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COL. JAMES YONTS, COALITION SPOKESMAN: The aircraft was taking indirect fire, direct fire from elements on the ground. The aircraft, as it was dropping off those personnel, crashed. So we know that it was taking the fire. Whether or not that caused it to crash, we do not know yet. But it was under indirect and direct fire. So that's why we say that it may have caused the crash of the helicopter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Well, just even the idea, Barbara, that they know for sure that this helicopter was under fire, it does seem like the level of attacks on the U.S. and coalition led forces in Afghanistan has increased. What are commanders on the ground telling you about the level of activity?

STARR: Well, Daryn, this area where this aircraft went down is not a friendly area to coalition forces. This is a place called Kunar province. And what we are told is there has been a good deal of al Qaeda-type activity in the region recently and that the people who live there are not the friendliest to coalition forces. Quite a different bit of a profile than many areas of Afghanistan where the people are very friendly to coalition forces.

So the ongoing counterinsurgency operations up in Kunar province had been very much aimed at moving against these al Qaeda forces. Now what commanders have noticed in recent weeks is what they say is a very disturbing trend to many of these insurgents moving through the area have identical equipment, identical weapons, radio communications gear, to the U.S. That is an indicator of some type of coordinated activity and that is something they are concerned about.

There is, Daryn, one more detail that U.S. forces are concerned about, we are told. In recent days they have captured three different insurgents carrying video cameras. And, of course, that concerns them that there's a tactic moving in from the Iraq theater where insurgents carry video cameras, film their attacks, and then put that video out there. They haven't seen video out there but they have captured insurgents with video cameras. So that is something they are watching very closely they tell us.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr.

And, of course, on a personal note, you're just back from your most recent trip to Afghanistan. Good work and good to see you made it back safely.

STARR: Thank you.

KAGAN: Thank you, Barbara.

Well before Tuesday's helicopter crash, 149 U.S. troops had been killed in or around Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom. The operation began in October 2001. Twenty-nine of those deaths have come in the last three months. U.S. and Afghan officials say they believe violence will increase in the run up to the September elections.

The invasion of Afghanistan came in the wake of 9/11 and President Bush used those attacks to make his case for continuing U.S. troop presence in Iraq. Our Elaine Quijano joins us from the White House with more highlights of the president's speech from last night.

Good morning.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.

President Bush did travel to Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, yesterday to speak before the troops to make his argument. It was there at Ft. Bragg that the president outlined a two-track strategy for Iraq, helping the Iraqis establish a democracy and helping them to secure their own country.

Now, last night, the president did acknowledge the images of violence coming out of Iraq. However, the president argued that they only tell part of the story about what is actually happening on the ground. The president returned to a very familiar phrase, saying that progress has been made in Iraq. And he also responded to criticisms by some that the connection between the Iraq War and the larger war on terrorism is tenuous.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Some wonder whether Iraq is a central front in the war on terror. Among the terrorists, there is no debate. Hear the words of Osama bin Laden. This third world war is raging in Iraq. The whole world is watching this war. He says it will end in victory and glory, or misery and humiliation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now last night Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said that he felt the president's speech fell short. He also said that the numerous references to September 11th only served to remind the American people that Osama bin Laden is still on the loose. Also, he said, that the al Qaeda network is still very capable of doing the United States harm.

Now, the Bush administration responds that there has been progress made in dismantling parts of the al Qaeda network. And they say that all along the president has said that the terrorism fight is one that will require patience and resolve.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Elaine Quijano at the White House.

Elaine, thank you.

Our CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup Poll has reaction to the president's speech. Before we get the numbers, two key points on this poll. It only reflects the views of 323 adults who did watch last night. And the audience was more Republican than the nation as a whole. So keeping that in mind, 46 percent of those polled had a very positive reaction to the speech, 28 percent said it was somewhat positive, 24 percent negative. Last night's very positive ratings fell far short of the 67 percent recorded after a speech in May of 2003. That was the so-called "mission accomplished" speech that the president delivered from the deck of an aircraft carrier.

Want to go now live to Capitol Hill. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi speaking in response to the president's speech. Let's listen in.

REP. NANCY PELOSI, (D) MINORITY LEADER: For our words of praise for them. Over and over again, whether it's from March 2005, just in the last few months, we have had initiative after initiative on the part of the Democrats. In the fiscal 2006 bill, on appropriation check. Edwards, just yesterday, sought to offer an amendment to add $1 billion for VA health care. And this has happened over and over and over again and right down party lines these increases in veterans health care have been rejected. Now all of a sudden that the issue is hot to handle, almost too hot to handle for the Republicans, they're saying they didn't know about the shortfall.

KAGAN: We're going to continue to bring you a balance of response to what the president had to say last night. Once again, that is House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Capitol Hill reaction to last night's are speech. Not surprisingly, split along party lines. Senator John McCain gave the speech a thumb's up. McCain saying progress will be measured in Iraqi troop readiness.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (r)) Arizona: I think it was an important speech and I think the president did an outstanding job of laying out the situation as it exists. I think we need some success on the ground. I think that this training and equipping of the Iraqi military, as he pointed out as the key to success, has got to show some benefits. We've made a lot of mistakes in this conflict and mistakes happen in wars. That's why we try to avoid them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: So there you hear from the politicians. Now let's hear from the people who really have a stakes in this war, those are military families with those serving overseas. Rusty Dornin gets their reaction to the president's speech.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Many of their neighbors are anti-war, anti-Bush. That's made it difficult at times for the Downs family. For them, it's about supporting a young first lieutenant in the Marines, Philip Jr. He's just returned from a seven-month tour in Iraq and wants to go back in November. Before the speech, the Downs said they wanted to hear a message from President Bush with attitude.

PHILIP DOWNS, FATHER: I would like him to make an impassioned plea to the American populous to steal their resolve and stay the course.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Who need to know that America will not leave before the job is done.

PHILIP DOWNS: (INAUDIBLE) as clear as possible.

He clearly outlined the reasons why we're not going to set an arbitrary date to pull out or, you know, diminish our presence there.

DEBBIE DOWNS, MOTHER: And I just hope that more people get that message from tonight's speech, that there is a reason why we're there and it's not for oil. It goes beyond that.

DORNIN: Younger brother Patrick doesn't think the speech will change things for anyone who has made up their mind about the war.

PATRICK DOWNS, YOUNGER BROTHER: It wasn't really a persuasive speech so much, but telling of what he's going to do, what he plans to do. You know, he's not going to set a date of when they're leaving or anything like that. So he puts it out there for people to make up their own minds.

DORNIN: The Downs are fond of saying, never fall in love with a politician and say they're not always pro-Bush. But when it comes to the war, when the president talks, they listened. And with a son going back to Iraq soon, they hope others did too.

Rusty Dornin, CNN, Taralinda (ph), California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Before the president delivered his speech, he spent almost three hours meeting with more than 90 people who have lost loved ones in the Iraq War. One of them gave Mr. Bush a bracelet to wear during his speech. It was inscribed with the name of her husband and his fellow Army soldier who were killed last year in Iraq. Crystal Owen appeared earlier on CNN to describe the letter that she had sent to the president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRYSTAL OWEN, IRAQ WAR WIDOW: Well, actually in a note that I wrote to the president, I asked him to keep the troops there, to complete the mission. I didn't want my husband's death, nor the 1,700 other deaths, to be in vain. I want the job done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Staff Sergeant Mike Owen was in Iraq as an Army psychological operations specialist. According to a military statement, he was killed while, "conducting vehicle mounted loud speaker operations."

President Bush also mentioned a Web site that the Pentagon has set up to rally public support. That address is americasupportsyou.mil. It includes news on military men and women and forms for well wishers to send them encouragements.

Still to come on CNN LIVE TODAY, one woman defends her husband who's accused with ties to Osama bin Laden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZAKKIYYAH SHAH, TARIK SHAH'S WIFE: One thing about Tarik Shah, my husband, is that he is one that will show you one face all the time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Stay with us. It's an interview you'll see only on CNN.

Plus, it is scorching hot in the west. Fires continue to rip through several states. We'll get you the very latest.

And in the midst of summer heat, how do you stay cool without heating up your electric bill. We have tips you won't want to miss.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: To the west now. Twenty-one wildfires have charred more than three quarters of a million acres. This one's in California. It's in Whitewater Canyon, about 10 miles outside of Palm Springs. It was small but worrisome. It burned about 200 acres and at one time threatened about 15 homes and a fish hatchery. About 100 firefighters were able to contain it within six hours.

In Arizona, crews also managed to contain this fire after it forced the evacuation of about a dozen homes in Buckeye. That's about 35 miles west of Phoenix. The fires burned about 300 acres and an empty shed.

The second tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season is moving ashore this morning. CNN Meteorologist Rob Marciano is in the weather center.

I think we're up to the b's.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: So, good idea to talk about staying cool this summer. Gerri Willis is here to help us with that.

Hey, Ger.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Daryn. Good to see you.

Before you get overheated about your cooling bill, listen up. We're going to have tips to save 10, 20, even 30 percent.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Thank you, Gerri. We look forward to that. We're also looking at a story about being married possibly to an al Qaeda aid. He's been accused of suspected terror ties. We have an exclusive interview with his wife when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's go ahead and check the markets. They've been open 53 minutes. Not doing so great. The Dow, you can see, is down 8 points. The Nasdaq also in negative territory. The Nasdaq is down 2 points.

So while stocks go down, the mercury is climbing. So do your summer cooling costs. You can't do much about the weather. There are a lot of ways, actually, you can trim the expense of staying cool. Our personal finance editor is among the coolest, Gerri Willis, with her "Top Five Tips."

WILLIS: That was very nice. I appreciate that.

KAGAN: Heartfelt.

What do you have for us today?

WILLIS: Well, today we want to start by saying conduct an energy audit. Start with the easy stuff. Make sure you don't have furniture or dust or debris in front of those cooling vents. That's one easy way to improve the energy efficiency of your house. Secondly, think about the ducts that are delivering that cool air to your house. Make sure they're in good shape and aren't leaky. According to HomeDepot.com, 10 to 30 percent of your energy bill is due to these leaky ducts. You can fix them yourself by using simply a caulking and weather stripping. It's an easy enough fix. What you're looking for are dark spots at the joint seams to make sure it's working properly.

KAGAN: Gerri, the kind of appliances you use and when you use them can make a big difference. WILLIS: That's right. Two words, energy star. That's the Department of Energy's label for energy efficient appliances. So whether you're looking for a dishwasher or a TV set or whatever, you want to make sure it has the energy star label because that shows you that that is a really energy efficient appliance and that it's going to work well, save you some big bucks.

KAGAN: Use mother nature on the outside of your house.

WILLIS: Mother nature is a big help. Just a simple tree in front your house is going to help you save cooling bills because it will shade your house and keep the temperature down. Awnings, shutters are a big help. As a matter of fact, if you have an awning over the eastern side your house, you'll cut down the light hitting your house by 77 percent. And that means a lot in the summertime when the sun is beating down on your home.

KAGAN: Interesting. How much can using a programmable thermostat help out? WILLIS: Well, you'll save as much as $100 every year. I mean, think about it, you don't need the air conditioning blasting when you're asleep or when you're at work all day. You want to make sure that it's working when you are. Keep in mind, though, that you want to put it in the right part of the house. So think ahead, do some research. You can see some tips here about these thermostats. Make sure that they are placed far away from appliances. Even the TV set can throw the whole thing off.

KAGAN: So something as simple as changing a light bulb can make a big difference.

WILLIS: Yes. Get rid of the incandescents. Use fluorescent light bulbs. They're much more energy efficient. They'll save you some dough. Make your summer a happy time and a cool time.

KAGAN: Very cool.

Thank you, Ger.

WILLIS: Thank you, Daryn.

KAGAN: Good to see you.

WILLIS: Good to see you.

KAGAN: Is a plea for help asking for a specific assistance in the search for missing Natalee Holloway.

Plus, is she married to a terrorist? Her husband, a Harlem jazz musician, has been accused of having suspected ties to al Qaeda. Hear what his wife has to say about those accusations.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We are coming up on the half hour. Good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan. Here's a look at what's happening "Now in the News."

First, in the Middle East, violence flairs in the Gaza Bank. Young Jewish settlers threw stones at Israeli troops and then turned on nearby Palestinian residents. At least one Palestinian was critically injured. Many see it as an ominous sign of the troubles ahead. Israel is planning a withdrawal from the West Bank. That has outraged Jewish settlers there.

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