Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Hurricane Emily Now Category 2 Storm; Attack Aftermath; President Bush Meets With Prime Minister of India

Aired July 18, 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: There are new developments in the London terror investigation. CNN has learned three of the four suspected suicide bombers traveled to Pakistan last year. Investigators are now looking into why they made those trips. All three men were British citizens of Pakistani origin born in the United Kingdom.
Another name is now part of the conversation surrounding Karl Rove and that CIA leak. Lewis Libby is the vice president -- Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff. "TIME" magazine reporter Matt Cooper says that he first heard about the identity of the CIA operative from White House counsel -- White House adviser Karl Rove, and then Cooper says he received confirmation of that from Libby. But Cooper says neither man ever mentioned her name.

About 30 minutes ago in Birmingham, Alabama, a sentencing hearing began for confessed bomber, Eric Rudolph. As part of the plea deal, Rudolph will receive a life sentence for bombing an abortion clinic there. It's the first of four consecutive life terms in prison. Rudolph also confessed to the 1996 Olympic bombings and two other blasts in Atlanta. Rudolph's plea deal spared him the death penalty.

An Amber Alert remains in place for a Tennessee boy who was last seen walking near a Carter County lake on Saturday. State investigators say they have cleared the occupants of a sport utility vehicle that was sought and later found. Six-year-old Charles Dillon Johnson has brown eyes and brown hair. He stands four feet tall and he weighs 50 pounds.

Good morning. Welcome to CNN LIVE TODAY. Let's check the time around the world.

10:00 a.m. in Los Marida (ph), Mexico; 11:00 a.m. in Florida's Amelia Island; and 4:00 p.m. in London.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.

We are tracking Hurricane Emily. Let's check in with Chad Myers for the latest on the storm.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Daryn, good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: OK, Chad. Looking forward to that. Thank you. MYERS: You're welcome.

KAGAN: Meanwhile, we're making reporters out of all of you. Do you have an incredible hurricane story or photo? We would love to hear from you. E-mail us a note or a picture by going to our Web site at CNN.com/hurricane. We'll read e-mail and show some of the photos throughout the day.

Meanwhile, listen to where Emily has been. It howled ashore with 136-mile-an-hour winds, but the storm lost much of its bluster as it trudged across Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Well, now that Emily is inching back toward the warm waters of the Gulf, coastal residents along the U.S.-Mexico border may gain some cautionary insights from Emily's earlier landfall.

CNN's Karl Penhaul is in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and just a short while ago he filed this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What we're still feeling here is the tail end of what's really tropical storm-force winds right now. We spent much of the night barricaded in the hotel behind wooden boards. The hotel workers simply boarded our room up and then left for the night.

As we ventured out this morning, what we've seen are many, many trees have been uprooted or snapped. And they're just strewn around the streets, and here on the beach in the areas around where the hotels are.

Some power cables are also down. But the good news is, talking to police here in Playa del Carmen, they say that so far, there are no reports of any residents or any of the thousands of tourists having been injured. They say so far there are no reports of casualties or of major structural damage.

In fact, the hotel where we're staying at, just a few yards from the ocean front, there's also two couples from Oklahoma here and they say they spent much of last night's storm sleeping. They say they got a pretty good night's sleep.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And that report from Karl Penhaul, reporting from Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

We are also following new developments in the London terror bombings. CNN has learned that three of the four suspected suicide bombers traveled to Pakistan in the year before the attacks. Investigators have sought a Pakistani connection since the suspected bombers were identified in an attack said to bear the hallmarks of an al Qaeda operation.

Nic Robertson is in London with the latest on that -- Nic. NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, Pakistani intelligence and immigration officials have confirmed that three of those suspect bombers did arrive at Karachi Airport in Pakistan last year. Two of them came together on the 19th of November, Shahzad Tanweer and Mohammed Sidique Khan. Both from the Leeds area in northern England.

They arrived in November. They spent about a week in Karachi. Then we're told they went by train to -- north to the city of Lahore. After that, Pakistani officials lose track of them until they leave the country about three months later on the 8th of February this year.

The youngest among the suspected bombers entered Pakistan, again through Karachi Airport. Again, immigration officials releasing a photocopy of his passport.

He entered in July last year. He came into Karachi on a flight from Saudi Arabia. It's not known how long he spent in Pakistan or what he did. But certainly, this is a very hot line of inquiry, if you will, for British officials as they investigate the backgrounds of these suspected bombers, what they did in Pakistan, who they met, with a degree of intense speculation here in Britain about that. Some speculation they attended radical Islamic schools while in Pakistan -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Nic Robertson, live from London. Thank you for the latest on that investigation.

We want to go live to the White House. We expect to see President Bush any minute now coming around the corner of the hallway there with the prime minister of India.

This is going to be a news conference opportunity with both men. A couple of issues we're looking to hear from.

One has nothing to do with India, rather what happens to do within the politics of the White House and deputy chief of staff Karl Rove. President Bush no doubt will be asked questions about his chief political adviser.

And -- but also in terms of relations between the United States and India, India would like to have a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council. President Bush and his administration does not support that. Also, looking for increased business opportunities between the two countries.

We'll be listening in. If it's been like other leaders that we've seen to the White House recently, both men will make statements and then take questions from journalists from both their countries.

Let's go ahead and listen in to President Bush and the prime minister of India.

(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm proud to stand here today with Prime Minister Singh, the leader of one of the world's great democracies.

Mr. Prime Minister, welcome to America. I applaud your vision and I applaud your leadership. Laura and I are honored to welcome you and Mrs. Kaur to the White House.

We just had a great discussion -- a very frank and open discussion. And tonight we look forward to welcoming you for a little family dinner.

India and the United States share a commitment to freedom and a belief that democracy provides the best path to a more hopeful future for all people. We also believe that the spread of liberty is the best alternative to hatred and violence.

BUSH: Because of our shared values, the relationship between our two countries has never been stronger.

We're working together to make our nations more secure, deliver a better life to our citizens and advance the cause of peace and freedom throughout the world.

The governments of India and the United States are working together to safeguard our people. We are charting new steps in our defense relationship through the recently signed new framework that will help our two nations work toward common security objectives.

We're working together on counterterrorism to help protect our people and make the world a safer place.

We're also committed to increasing the prosperity of the people of India and America alike.

Today, we announce the completion of the next steps in strategic partnership. Completing this partnership will help us further enhance our cooperation in the areas of civil nuclear, civil space and high- technology commerce.

Last month, we launched a reinvigorated U.S.-India economic dialogue to focus high-level attention on trade, finance, investment and the environment.

Prime Minister Singh and I are about to meet with business leaders from both our nations who have joined us here today for the inaugural meeting of the CEO Forum. The expertise of these private sector leaders will help our two governments build trade and increase investment for the good of our peoples.

Cleaner energy resources, including nuclear power, are vital for the future of both our economies. We have begun a bilateral energy dialogue to find ways to work together in this important area.

Our two nations also have a common interest in bettering the lives of people around the world. We are launching a disaster response initiative to better respond to future disasters, just not in Asia, but around the world.

I appreciate Prime Minister Singh's leadership. He's a man who's committed to peace and liberty.

I look forward to working with you, Prime Minister. I thank you for coming. The podium is yours.

MANMOHAN SINGH, PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA: Thank you very much, Mr. President.

Ladies and gentlemen of the press, I would like to begin by thanking President Bush for the warmth of his hospitality and the wide-ranging discussions that we've had this morning with him.

These discussions have been, indeed, very productive and focused on the future direction of a transformation in our multifaceted relations.

I'm happy that the president and I share the common goal of making this one of the principal relationships for each of our countries.

The president's personal commitment to this relationship is deeply admired by the people of India. The support and goodwill of the friendly people of the United States in managing the transition from a developing country to a fast-expanding economy is something we greatly welcome and greatly appreciate.

The president's assurance to me that India's sustained economic growth has his strong support and support of the United States means a lot to us.

The joint statement that we have agreed upon lays out the full potential of our multifaceted cooperation.

The president has accepted my invitation to visit India at the earliest. And we are confident that the results of the understanding that we have reached today will be fully evident by then.

Our partnership is one between rigorous and vibrant democracies. And we have agreed today to give expression to our shared values in a variety of ways.

The president's steadfast determination and leadership in meeting the challenges of international terrorism is widely appreciated by us, in particular; by all civilized men and women over the world.

There can be no cause that justifies the killing of innocent and defenseless civilians. There must be an international norm of zero tolerance for terrorists.

Meeting global challenges requires credible and effective global institutions. Today, the world is debating the reform of the United Nations.

In our talks, the president and I were of one mind that the contemporary reality must be fully reflected in the central organs and decision-making processes of the U.N. India has a compelling case for permanent membership on the Security Council. We are convinced that India can significantly contribute to U.N. decision-making and capabilities.

A growing Indian economy, with an accelerated growth rate, averaging about 6 percent to 7 percent in recent years, and its integration with the world economy would expand the scope for commerce, investment and technological collaboration between our two countries.

Shortly after this press interaction, the president and I will spend a few minutes with corporate leaders from both countries at the first meetings of the CEOs Forum. This forum includes some of the best business minds of our two countries.

We have announced today a series of other initiatives designed to build a long-term, knowledge-driven partnership between India and the United States.

These reflect the vision that the president and I have of our shared future.

We also discussed the importance of ensuring adequate energy and affordable supplies at a time when oil prices remain high. Both of us recognize that civilian nuclear energy has a greater role in meeting global energy demands.

We in India have an ambitious and attainable national road map in this regard. We look forward to President Bush's strong leadership on this important issue.

I must once again thank you, Mr. President, for the warmth of your welcome and for your deep and abiding personal commitment to the building of our partnership.

I will now be glad to take your questions.

Hold on a second. The way this is going to work -- the way this will work is I'll call on somebody from the American side and then the prime minister will do so, then I'll call somebody and the prime minister will do so. We'll answer two questions apiece.

QUESTION: Mr. President, you said you don't want to talk about an ongoing investigation, so I'd like to ask you, regardless of whether a crime was committed, do you still intend to fire anyone found to be involved in the CIA leak case? And are you displeased that Karl Rove told a reporter that Ambassador Joe Wilson's wife worked for the agency on WMD issues?

BUSH: We have a serious, ongoing investigation here.

(LAUGHTER)

And it's being played out in the press. And I think it's best if people wait until the investigation is complete before you jump to conclusions. I will do so as well. I don't know all the facts. I want to know all the facts. The best place for the facts to be done is by somebody who is spending time investigating it. I would like this to end as quickly as possible so we know the facts.

And if someone committed a crime, they will no longer work in my administration.

QUESTION: My question is to President Bush. The question relates to the Line of Control in Kashmir, Mr. President.

President Clinton had made clear the U.S. policy that in the interest of peace, the sanctity of the Line of Control must be maintained by every side.

QUESTION: Would you, Mr. President, like to reaffirm the U.S. stand that the sanctity of the Line of Control cannot be violated by anyone in future (inaudible)?

BUSH: Well, U.S. policy has not changed.

This problem will be solved by India and Pakistan. And our role is to encourage the leaders from both countries to work in good faith to solve this longstanding problem.

And I am pleased with the progress being made, as should the people of India. I think the people of India ought to applaud strong leaders that are willing to work to achieve peace.

And I think we have an opportunity to help facilitate the dialogue on this longstanding issue. But the truth of the matter is, in order for there to be a solution, the prime minister, representing the great people of India, President Musharraf, representing the people of Pakistan, are going to have to come to a mutually acceptable agreement.

BUSH: To the extent we can help, we're more than willing to try to help. But we're not a party to the agreement, of course.

And I'm hopeful that the progress achieved thus far can be continued. And I applauded the prime minister in my private meeting with him for taking a step toward peace.

QUESTION: We understand you are now close to a decision on a Supreme Court nominee.

BUSH: Really?

(LAUGHTER)

It's amazing how Washington works, Mr. Prime Minister.

(LAUGHTER)

QUESTION: Have you narrowed down the list and met with finalists? Will you now share the list with Senate leaders to avoid a confirmation battle as Democrats have proposed?

BUSH: Well, thank you for telling me where I am in the process. I appreciate that.

BUSH: We have consulted with the Senate. We will continue to consult with the Senate.

I, of course, am the person that picks the nominee and they get to decide whether or not the nominee gets confirmed. That's the way it has worked in the past; that's the way it's going to work in this administration.

And, of course, I'm reviewing different candidates. I'm reviewing their curriculum vitae, as well as their findings. I will sit down with some and talk to them face to face, those who I have not know already.

I've got some people, perhaps in contention, that I've already spent time with, that I know. In other words, I'm familiar with some of the people that are being speculated about in the press. And so I don't need to interview those.

But, of course, I'm going to take a very thorough approach.

What they're referring to is a Supreme Court vacancy.

And this is a really important decision. And I'm going to take my time and I will be thorough and deliberate.

BUSH: But make no mistake: We have heard a lot of suggestions from members of the United States Senate -- a lot. It turns out that many of the senators have got strong opinions one way or the other and, of course, we're listening to them.

But my desire is to get this process moving so that someone will be confirmed -- whoever he or she is will be confirmed by October. And if that's the backstop, we're working back to try to accommodate the Senate and their desire.

Part of the consultation was to ask the senators, you know, "What's it take to get somebody in place by the October session?"

And thank you for your question, and thank you for telling me how close I am to -- or at least indicating what others think.

QUESTION: Mr. Prime Minister, you have sought the removal of restrictions on nuclear and high-technologies supplies to India.

QUESTION: After the meeting with President Bush, how do you see the prospects in this area?

SINGH: Well, I think we have had a very constructive and productive meeting. And as you would see from the joint statement, this issue has been addressed in a manner which gives me great satisfaction.

And I thank the president for his personal role and interest in facilitating a solution to this complex problem.

BUSH: Mr. Prime Minister, thank you. Very good job. Well done.

KAGAN: Well, a rather short news conference there with Prime Minister Singh of India and President Bush. Not a lot of questions about India-U.S. relations.

As expected, the first question out of the block concerning the investigation looking into who helped leak the name and job association of Valerie Plame. And the question, since President Bush has not wanted to talk about ongoing investigations, the question was, "Do you plan to fire anyone who is found breaking the law?"

And our Bob Franken is at the news conference there and has more and some sound from the news conference -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, what he was not willing to do, he was not willing to break his rule of two questions, two questions only, for reasons that I think are fairly obvious. And now, we find out that he did make a little news in this news conference, even though he said that he wasn't going to be talking about Karl Rove and Scooter Libby.

The news was that he has a new formulation. In the past, the formulation from his press secretary and the president was that, if somebody was found to be involved in the leaks, he or she would not longer be part of the administration. Well, let's listen to his words now and see that that has changed somewhat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I -- we have a serious ongoing investigation here. And it's being played out in the press. And I -- I think it's best that people wait until the investigation is complete before you jump to conclusions.

Now, I will do so as well. I don't know all the facts. I want to know all the facts. The best place for the facts to be done is by somebody who is spending time investigating it.

I would like this to end as quickly as possible, so we know the facts. And if someone committed a crime, they will no longer work in my administration.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: So, the new stated policy is, "If someone committed a crime, they will not work in my administration," quoting the president.

Now, I'm going to, Daryn, do something rarely that I do, and that is to tell you what a follow-up question might have been, which is, is this is a crime that will come out if there is an indictment, or Mr. President, are you saying there's a crime that would have to have a conviction? Those are the kind of questions you don't get to ask when you only have a two-question limit -- Daryn. KAGAN: Well, and it's a story that's difficult for a lot of people to follow with all the nuances. Even some of the toughest critics of Karl Rove and his alleged actions have said it's possible he might have been involved but not committed a crime because the specific law involved has a very high threshold in order for it to be broken.

So we'll continue to watch it. Interesting words today from the White House.

Thank you, Bob.

Medicaid fraud hitting hard in New York. Experts saying it could be in the billions. The story in our "Daily Dose" segment later this hour.

But se do have some happy news. We already know that kids love the "Harry Potter" books. Ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY, how the latest book is bringing a dose of smiles to a few select children in memory of a very special boy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Coming up on the half-hour. I'm Daryn Kagan. Here's a look at what's happening "Now in the News."

For the first time investigators have made a concrete link between Pakistan and three of the four suicide bombers suspected of carrying out the July 7 attacks in London. All three men had visited Pakistan in the year before. It's not clear why they visited that country. Investigators have said the attacks bore the hallmarks of an al Qaeda operation.