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CNN Live Today

Londoners Return to Mass Transit System; Subway Security; Hurricane Dennis

Aired July 08, 2005 - 10:59   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: London police say the bombs that ripped through the city's transit system contained about 10 pounds or less of explosives. Investigators say so far there's no evidence the attacks were the work of suicide bombers. The death toll has risen to at least 50. An update from London is just ahead.
President Bush is headed back to Washington after wrapping up the G8 summit in Scotland. Once he arrives back in the U.S. the president is expected to visit the British embassy. He'll sign a condolence book on behalf of the American people.

Vice President Dick Cheney arrived at the hospital this morning for a physical exam. Doctors are all checking the condition of the pacemaker that was implanted back in 2001. A spokeswoman describes the test as routine and she says the vice president plans to be at work later today.

Florida's governor says the state inquiry into the Terri Schiavo case is over. Governor Jeb Bush asked the state attorney to investigate after Schiavo's autopsy results were released last month. The investigation found no evidence of criminal activity in Schiavo's collapse 15 years ago.

Good morning, and welcome to CNN LIVE TODAY, our second hour. It is 11:00 a.m. in Key West, Florida; 4:00 p.m. in Glasgow, Scotland; and 7:00 p.m. in Baghdad.

From CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Daryn Kagan.

Powerful Hurricane Dennis is hugging the Cuban coast this morning taking aim at the Florida Keys. Rob Marciano joins us with the latest information and the tracking of Dennis.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: We focus now into the investigation into the terrorist bombings in London. One British official describes it as looking for evil needles in a very large haystack.

So far, investigators have determined the bombs were most likely placed on the floors of subway cars. And they say there's nothing to suggest that suicide bombers carried out the attacks. They believe the bombs each contained 10 pounds or less of high explosives.

In London today, reluctant but resilient commuters returned to subways and buses. Ridership was down, and service on some routes was limited. Police today raised the death toll from the bombings to at least 50. More than 700 people were wounded.

Londoners are trying, as much as possible, to return to normal today.

Fionnuala Sweeney joining us live. She is at King's Cross Station in London.

Hello.

FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.

Yes, indeed, King's Cross station yesterday at 9:00 in the morning was hit by a huge explosion as a train was about 100 yards from the station, an underground train. Now, this is the area which suffered the largest amount of fatalities.

Twenty-one people died. And we understand that there are still some bodies trapped underground, because it is very difficult for the recovery teams to get through the dark, smoky tunnels. The tunnels, themselves, are now unsafe following the explosion.

As you mentioned, yes, suicide bombers have been deemed unlikely to have carried out these attacks yesterday. However, in the last few minutes, the head of the Metropolitan Police has said he cannot rule anything out.

Interestingly, we've heard from Ken Livingstone. He is the rather colorful mayor of London, and he just returned from Singapore where he had been lobbying for London's bid to host the 2012 Olympic games. And in his first news conference just about half an hour ago, he said it will be business as usual on Monday.

He will be taking the tube to work. And he encouraged other Londoners to do the same.

He said the bombers would not succeed, that they were attacking ordinary Londoners, the people who move to London from out side this country every day to live their lives because the bombers were afraid of the liberalism of the city, afraid that people were able to make their own decisions about how they wanted to live their lives and their own moral values.

It is an ongoing investigation. The police appealing for anyone who has any information whatsoever. Anything they may have seen in the last few days, or even anything out of the ordinary in the last few weeks that can help them put together what exactly happened yesterday.

It came out of the blue. The intelligence services have absolutely no idea. And this is what is worrying the authorities here, because there are at least four people behind those four attacks yesterday, and the feeling is that there may be even more somewhere in this country -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Fionnuala Sweeney, live outside King's Cross Station in London. Thank you. Two of those bombs exploded in the same London neighborhood. This is an area that our correspondent Charles Hodson calls home.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHARLES HODSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thursday was the day terrorists bombed my neighborhood, Bloomsbury. It's home to the British Museum, academics and students, hotels, tourists, my son and me.

This bus was torn apart on a street I cross on my way to work. One of the bomb's subway trains had just left my local station. It may have been almost literally underneath my apartment.

It took me a long time to pick my way among the police cordons to somewhere I could see what had happened and hear what my fellow Londoners and visitors thought as they, too, paused to look.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Devastated. Speechless. Speechless.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It reminded me of New York, 9/11.

HODSON: Some had seen the immediate aftermath.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of people very, very, very distressed. And because the business, you want to take care of them, look after them. A couple of girls I looked after were absolutely shell-shocked.

HODSON: Carnage it may have been, but at nearby Euston Station, I saw commuters trooping on and off public transport almost as if nothing it happened, cursing the perpetrators and the disruption in almost equal measure.

The phrase "business as usual" was invented here where Nazi bombs reined down 60 years ago. And the Royal George awash in that spirit. The small TV screen has the news on, the big TV screen beside it, cricket match between England and Australia.

Finally enough, as a Londoner, I do understand when that should be, when Olympic euphoria turns to shock, sorrow and disgust.

(on camera): What is your reaction to these events here, just down the road, in effect?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm shocked, but it was inevitable. And I guess, as so often, because we did it through the IRA bombing, we will just carry on.

HODSON: Life goes on?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Life has to go on. We won't give in. We certainly won't give in to this.

HODSON: Will life continue after this in a way?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes, of course. Hopefully, yes. I mean, London's had an incredible 24 hours. I mean, from the high of yesterday to the low of today, it's been incredible. But, yes, I'm sure it will, yes.

HODSON: It's a strange phenomenon, what's happening here this evening. People coming up to this cordon, looking over, looking at the wreckage of the bus a few hundred yards away, maybe taking photographs, and then moving on, getting on with their lives.

Is it genuine heroic stoicism? Is it indifference? Is it denial? Or is it, perhaps, a little bit of callousness towards what really happened here?

Well, maybe Londoners aren't different to other people. And I can tell you, I lived in this city for most of my life. I can trace my family back at least 200 years in this city, and my home is just a few blocks away, the other side of this cordon.

There's a sense that terrible things have happened in the 2,000 years of the history of this city. Terrible things have happened today. And terrible things will continue to happen.

Charles Hodson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And then here at home in the U.S., rush hour will wrap up on the West Coast very soon. And so far, across the U.S., a business as usual type of morning for commuters.

It was the first morning rush for commuters since the government put mass transit on orange alert. Officials are stressing again today there's no evidence that a terror strike is planned on the U.S. transportation system. Still, the orange alert brought out extra police and bomb-sniffing dogs at bus and train stations.

A CNN Gallup poll shows today two-thirds of Americans are worried a London-style attack will occur here in the U.S. A similar number of the London attacks at the major -- see London as a major setback in the war on terrorism. And finally, 69 percent of Americans sampled say metal detectors for trains, buses and subways would be a good idea. Twenty-nine million Americans on average ride trains or subways to work.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is urging commuters to keep their eyes open. Raising the security alert for mass transportation, he says, is just common sense after London.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: I think if you look behind me at Union Station, what you'll see is people moving about their business like they would on every other day, and an increased police presence. You'll see a visible police, you'll see dogs, and there'll be things you don't see. But all of which are part of a seamless effort to raise our security level one notch, to take a precaution based on what we observed in London yesterday. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Authorities concede there's only so much they can do to guard against attacks on U.S. transit systems. But they say commuters can make a difference, and awareness may actually be the most effective weapon.

With that story now, here's CNN's Adaora Udoji.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The subway, a lifeline for busy New Yorkers, and they know the risks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that it's nearly impossible to completely protect people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just have to pray and hope that, you know, we're safe.

UDOJI: There is more you can do. The experts say people are potentially their own best protection against terrorism.

BO DIETL, SECURITY EXPERT: Can you stop it completely? No. Can you try? Absolutely. Can you minimize it? Yes. Through intelligence and through awareness.

UDOJI: Security specialist Bo Dietl says, since 9/11, New York has stepped up security, practicing emergency drills, budgeting millions of dollars on security every year. City officials have more police out patrolling railways. They've fortified stations, installed more surveillance cameras and removed trash cans where bombs can be hidden. But other cities had security, too.

In 2004, a terrorist bomb killed 191 people in Madrid, Spain. And in Moscow, 49 people died in two suicide bombings. Tokyo, 1995, a sarin gas attack left 12 dead and 5,000 injured.

New York has learned from all that. Detectives today stationed around the world gathering intelligence, but the police cannot be everywhere all the time.

Here's the bottom line: a bomb ripping through a train, biological or chemical weapons released under ground, could be treacherous along the city's 720 miles of tracks.

COMM. RAY KELLY, NYPD: In certain situations, you're not going to be able to do too much other than wait for rescue workers.

UDOJI: If there is fire or fumes, security expert Bo Dietl says go in the opposite direction, but try to stay on the train. Outside it there are more dangers: electrically charged tracks, other trains coming.

Ultimately, he says, preventing an attack is critical And that takes everyone's help. Five million riders a day could mean 10 million extra eyes watching for anything suspicious.

DIETL: Somebody's carrying knapsack, someone leaves a knapsack. Immediately, you see some package that looks suspicious, go to that cop. That's the most important thing in that, everybody has their eyes and their ears open.

UDOJI: Adaora Udoji, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Our continually updated Web site, CNN.com, has full comprehensive coverage of the attacks and their aftershocks around the world. Log on for a minute-by-minute account of the attacks, images from the scene, witness accounts, British Prime Minister Tony Blair's full statement, and a map of the blast locations. You can also watch free video clips and get complete video coverage at CNN.com.

So, who is responsible for yesterday's deadly bombings in London? British authorities are searching for answers. We will take a closer look at the investigation and the claims of an al Qaeda connection.

Plus, we'll look at how the bombings affected the G8 summit. A live report from Gleneagles, Scotland, is coming up.

Here in the U.S., Hurricane Dennis is barreling toward the Gulf of Mexico, and parts of Florida are already being evacuated. We'll go live to Key West for the latest on preparations and precautions.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Taking a look at Hurricane Dennis, described as extremely dangerous and destructive. The hurricane is now a Category 4 storm. It's bearing down on Cuba. More than 100,000 people have been evacuated from that island's coastal areas.

The U.S. naval station at Guantanamo Bay closed its airport yesterday, and it prepared an evaluation plan for some 520 prisoners that are housed there.

Dennis is picking up strength in the Caribbean today. Forecasters have upgraded it as a dangerous Category 4 hurricane, 150- mile-an-hour winds.

Ed Rappaport is with the National Hurricane Center in Miami, joins us now.

Ed, busy morning. Thanks for making time for us.

ED RAPPAPORT, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: Thank you.

KAGAN: What is the latest you can tell us about Dennis?

RAPPAPORT: You gave the update. Indeed, the winds have increased to 150 miles per hour. That puts it at the middle to upper end of Category 4 now.

We think that intensity will be maintained as the center mores ashore on the south central coast of Cuba in the next few hours. Unfortunately, in addition to those destructive winds, we're likely to see a storm surge of at least 20 feet with waves on top.

KAGAN: And what about the direction towards the U.S.? Where is it most likely to hit at this point?

RAPPAPORT: At this point it looks like the center of the hurricane will be passing near or just to the west of the lower Florida Keys tomorrow morning, and then take aim towards the northeastern to north central Gulf Coast. So, over the next 24 hours, the conditions in the Florida Keys will deteriorate. There's a hurricane warning up for the lower Keys, and all precautions should be rushed to completion at this time.

KAGAN: And what about the timing of it? Is it slowing down, Ed?

RAPPAPORT: It did slow a little bit, but the track is still right on in terms of a northwest motion, about 15 miles per hour, gradually turning to the north, northwest. The timing is such that, as we indicated, the conditions will deteriorate.

There will be rain bands with squalls increasing today over the Florida Keys. They already had their first such squall. And then overnight and tomorrow will be the worst of the conditions.

The hope is that the center will pass off shore to the west of the lower Keys, but we can't guarantee that yet. There is still a possibility of hurricane-force wind in the Florida Keys.

KAGAN: And then, Ed, if you can continue that track up past where it hits through the Gulf of Mexico, this is taking a direction into the Midwest that these hurricanes usually don't.

RAPPAPORT: It depends on how long this is able to maintain its intensity. If it comes ashore as a Category 3 or 4 hurricane, which we're forecasting now, it will retain its integrity for some distance inland. At that point, the winds come down, there's of course no long a storm surge problem, which is at the coast, but we will have an inland rainfall and flooding problem then. And for the last number of years, that's what has taken most of the lives in these hurricanes.

KAGAN: And then, finally, real quickly, what about seeing a storm this strong so early in the season?

RAPPAPORT: This is unprecedented. I believe this is the strongest hurricane so early in the season in the Atlantic. This will be the strongest hurricane to hit Cuba at least in 200 years, at least since the 1700s, in the month of July.

KAGAN: Busy, busy day, indeed. Ed Rappaport, from the National Hurricane Center. Thank you for making time for us.

We're going to go back to the London bombing story straight ahead. The hunt for the terrorists is on. I'll talk with an expert on where British police are probably looking first.

The first hurricane of the season is here, and the U.S. Gulf Coast is bracing for a direct hit from Dennis, now a Category 4 storm. We'll go live to Key West, Florida, where preparations are underway.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Hurricane Dennis scraping Cuba's southern shoreline at this hour. The eye looks ready to cross the island soon with 150- mile-an-hour winds.

CNN's Lucia Newman is in a town on Cuba's northwestern coast. And we'll get to her in a moment.

Right now we want to check in, in Key West, and we have a reporter from our affiliate WPLG, Arlene Rodriguez -- Arlene.

ARLENE RODRIGUEZ, REPORTER, WPLG: Hey there. How are you guys doing?

I can tell you that out here, Key West is definitely a city, an island that is preparing, bracing for whatever Hurricane Dennis throws this way. You can see all around me businesses are boarded up out here. These people not taking any chances.

Now, we have seen work crews out here all morning long. If we could pan over there real quick, you can see they're still working, even under these conditions, at this time. And they're essentially working against the clock, because they knew the conditions would start to deteriorate and it would happen quickly. And, in fact, it already has, and we're only, what, 11:20 this morning.

Let's talk to you about tourists and about residents. Most tourists heeded those mandatory evacuation orders yesterday, and most of them headed out. We did see a few heading out today, as did some residents of the Keys.

However, there are hurricane veteran folks out here who will ride this thing out. And, as we know, they are out here on their own. The police have told them, if you do so, you do so at your own risk.

And talking about police, they are out here in full force. The whole Key West Police Department has been activated. They're working 12-hour shifts, they're ready to respond to any emergency.

However, they're telling us if the winds should go up past 40 or 45 miles an hour, they will only respond to severe emergencies, fires and such. And the folks who are remaining out here who will ride this thing out, those folks will be on their own.

Once again, though, these conditions set to get a whole lot worse in terms of rain, whipping winds and storm surge out here in the Keys.

That's the latest from Key West. I'm Arlene Rodriguez. Back to you.

KAGAN: Arlene, thank you. You and your crew, you be safe out there and make good choices. All right? Thank you.

Well, Hurricane Dennis is scraping Cuba's southern shoreline at this hour, as I said. Let's go ahead and check in with our Lucia Newman on the southern coast of Cuba.

LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn.

I'm actually on the northern coast of Matanzas province, which is expected to be the exit of Hurricane Dennis once it makes landfall here in Cuba, which should be in about five hours. Now, this only the third hurricane to hit the Caribbean's largest island at this time of year in 200 years. So it's certainly an abnormal phenomena which is causing major headaches here, because it is expected to make landfall, as I said, in about five hours, and then plow diagonally from south to north.

It could enter anywhere from central Sancti Spiritus province to the Bay of Pigs, which we've all heard of. And then perhaps even hit Havana itself.

So far, Daryn, more than 600,000 people have been evacuated, but many, many more will be evacuated as well as the day advances. The Civil Defense Authority here, of course, has put more than half of this island of 12 million people on maximum hurricane alert.

And it has been raining here on and off. The winds are picking up. There are thousands of tourists here in Badavera (ph), where I'm speaking to you from, mainly from Europe and Canada, who have also been told to pack and be ready either to be moved or to be taken to higher ground or to another part of the country, if necessary -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Lucia Newman, in Cuba. Thank you, on the northwestern coast there. We'll check in with you on a regular basis to track the progress of Dennis. Thank you.

Much more on Dennis. Plus, we'll be going back to London for the latest on the investigation. Plus, weather and business straight ahead after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

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

London's transit system is mostly up and running, and commuters are back on the train following yesterday's deadly bombing. More than 50 people are believed dead, and 700 wounded. It's being described as London's bloodiest day since World War II.

The Labor Department reports the economy added 146,000 new jobs in June. Wall Street wanted more, but it isn't complaining about the five percent unemployment rate. That's the lowest rate in nearly four years. The so-called BTK killer blames the murders of 10 people in Wichita, Kansas, in that area, on what he calls a demon inside of him. Dennis Rader has confessed to the killings. He tells KAKE Television that he's been plagued with his dark side since he was a child. Rader's home outside of Wichita will be sold at an auction on Monday.

And 8-year-old Shasta Groene is out of the hospital and in the custody of her father. The Idaho girl was hospitalized after being held captive by a convicted sex offender for nearly seven weeks. Her mother and her brother were killed. A second brother who was kidnapped along with Shasta is also believed to be dead.

Well, we want to show you a feature that we just put up on the screen in the lower corner of the screen. You're going to see a little moving graphic with Dennis. That is Hurricane Dennis, and that is the track as it makes its way across the island of Cuba, more towards Key West, and then heading towards the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf Coast of Florida.

We will continue to keep that up so you can track it right alongside with us. And, of course, along with our weather team, to bring you the latest information on Dennis and its approach to the U.S.

The G8 summit has wrapped up. We're going to take a look at what they accomplished. A report from Gleneagles is coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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