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CNN Live Today

U.S. and Iraq Launch Offensive; Ohio Marines Killed in Iraq; U.S. Marines Rush To Rescue Russian Submarine; Getting Out Alive After Airplane Crash

Aired August 05, 2005 - 10:00   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Now let's get started by taking a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
A U.S. Navy crew is on its way to help rescue Russian sailor trapped inside a mini sub on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. Time is short as the seven sailors are quickly running out of oxygen. We'll have a live report coming up in eight minutes.

Federal agents have boarded a foreign freighter on the Detroit River. Authorities say the ship skipped a security point. A Coast Guard spokesman says the crew on board is Russian and Lithuanian.

A Maryland paramedic is under arrest on terrorism related charges. Federal authorities say Mahmud Faruq Brent provided support to Islamic militants linked to attacks in India and Kashmir. He allegedly attended a terrorist training camp in Pakistan.

NASA says a torn thermal blanket poses no threat to the return flight of the space shuttle Discovery. A fourth space walk has now been called off. The astronauts are packing up for home. They'll haul back two-and-a-half years worth of trash that's been piling up inside the space station.

And the economy adds an unexpected 207,000 workers in July. The Labor Department reports unemployment held steady at a near three-year low of 5 percent. Earnings were up as well. I'll have a chance to talk with Treasury Secretary John Snow about the encouraging report. Also we're going to talk to him about China's decision to bow out of the Unocal deal.

And good morning to you on this Friday morning. I'm Daryn Kagan at CNN Center in Atlanta.

Up first this hour, to Iraq. U.S. and Iraqi forces have descended on the insurgent hot spots of Western Iraq. That is where 21 Marines were killed earlier this week. The new offensive operation is dubbed Operation Quick Strike and the military says that it's targeting terrorists in and around Haditha. CNN's Aneesh Raman is in Baghdad with more.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, good morning.

The military says this operation was planned well before this week's deadly attacks on U.S. forces. The timing, though, now of critical importance. They're pushing back against the insurgency in the northwestern part of Iraq, al Anbar province, known, as you say, to be a hot bed for the insurgency. An area where there is a flow of foreign fighters into the country across that Syrian border.

We're told some 1,000 troops, both U.S. Marines, as well as Iraqi security forces, are taking part. That is a sizable amount. It gives you a sense of how big this operation is.

We don't know much in terms of engagements. They keep that all quiet until the operations are essentially complete. We do know, though, that today Iraqi special forces directed U.S. Marine air fire on to a building where insurgents were firing at them from. There are also reports from witnesses on the ground that house-to-house cordoned operations are taking place. That would be in line with some sort of actionable intelligence they might have about suspected insurgents in that area.

Now, the operation comes, Daryn, amid a bloody week for U.S. forces. Some 30 U.S. military personnel killed in Iraq since Monday. Fourteen of them U.S. Marines killed on Wednesday in the town of Haditha, within al Anbar, after a massive improvised explosive device essentially destroyed their armored vehicle. New pictures now of the scene of the aftermath, just how extensive that damage was. It shows as a reminder of how critically lethal and adaptive, as the Pentagon says, this insurgency is and why it's important, the military says, to keep pushing at them in this what is thought to be the heart of Iraq's insurgency.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Aneesh Raman live from Baghdad.

Thank you.

Less than two hours from now, the first public memorial will be held for the Marines killed this week in Western Iraq. A makeshift tribute is already amassing at the fence outside the Marine 3rd battalion headquarters in suburban Cleveland, Ohio. It was home to 14 of the Marines who were killed this week. A father of one of those victims says his heart is teeming with grief but also with pride. He spoke to reporter Dennison Keller of our affiliate WKRC.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN DYER, CHRIS DYER'S FATHER: You know, his 19-and-half years of life what a wonderful son he was (INAUDIBLE).

DENNISON KELLER, WKRC CORRESPONDENT: John Dyer would prefer to grieve privately but feels he owes it to his son to tell the world what kind of man his boy had become.

DYER: My son's sense of duty was an incredible thing to see.

KELLER: From the time he was a boy, Chris Dyer thrived on a challenge. At Princeton High, he took tougher courses than he needed, learned to speak German fluently and joined the dive team even though he knew his large frame wasn't suited for it. The Marines was his next great challenge.

DYER: He told me, Dad, I know you're going to be worried and I don't want you to worry. I'm going to come home. And he said that I couldn't be any happier with what I am in life right now.

KELLER: That happiness was tempered in May when his best friend died in the same explosion that killed Owensville Marine Nick Irvi (ph).

DYER: He was pretty devastated over that. I think the futility of not being able to get to not only his best friend but the other Marines who died in that incident.

KELLER: And now, just three months later, in a similar attack, it is Dyer who is not coming home.

DYER: I keep telling myself, he put more into those 19-and-a- half years than I have in my 51. I keep wanting to reach back and change things and say, no, son, you can't go into the Marine Corps. I think that would have killed him. He may have lived to be 80. And I think for him not to have reach for his dreams would have killed him just as much as that bomb in Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: It's so hard to watch a father's grief. That story comes to us from Dennison Keller, a reporter with our affiliate WKRC.

Let's look at some new poll numbers now that show that President Bush's handling of the Iraq war is facing its greatest disapproval yet. According to the poll conducted by the Associated Press, fewer than 40 percent approve of his handling of the war. Nearly six in 10 disapprove. A year ago, the public was evenly divided on that question.

The same poll also found that less than half the respondents now believe Mr. Bush is honest. It reflects a 5 percentage point slip since the same question was asked in January.

We're always driving to create more of a dialogue with you, our viewers. Tomorrow morning, CNN's Bob Franken will field your questions from the White House beat. Send your e-mail questions anytime to weekends@cnn.com and talk to CNN Saturday. Th's 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 Pacific.

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is scoffing at suggestions the war in Iraq provoked last month's terror attacks in London. Rumsfeld calls such links nonsense and said that Great Britain's alliance with the U.S. is not making it more of a terrorist target. He also defended both the war on Iraq and the war on terrorism. Rumsfeld's speech to the World Affairs Council in Los Angeles was interrupted twice by hecklers.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the London bombers, Great Britain says it will crack down on extremism and those who incite terror. That announcement came just one day after the release of this videotape by Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant, Ayman al-Zawahiri. He was blaming British Prime Minister Tony Blair for the London bombings and vowed more attacks. Today, Mr. Blair said his government will target groups that preach hatred.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: If someone is a foreign national coming to preach in this country, they are not going to be preaching this kind of extremism. And if they do, they've just got to understand, they're not going to come in. And what I'm trying to do here is and this will be followed up with the action in the next few weeks, as I think you will see, is to send a clear signal out that the rules of the game have changed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Two radical Islamic groups will be banned from operating in Britain. But Mr. Blair insists the new legislation will not target Muslims.

A U.S. Navy crew is racing to the site of a Russian mini sub trapped at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. The fate of seven Russian sailors hangs in the balance. Our Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr has more now from the Pentagon.

Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.

The story still unfolding at the Pentagon at this hour. An extraordinary international naval rescue mission is rapidly taking shape. Out in San Diego, they are scrambling. Thirty U.S. Navy personnel and two underwater vehicles are being assembled into a rescue team within the next couple of hours.

They will go onboard a U.S. Air Force C-5 aircraft and it will begin the journey, about a 12-hour journey, to the Pacific Coast of Russian. At that location in Russia, in Petropavlovsk, they will then go to a Russian ship. That ship will sail about 57 kilometers to this dive site out in the Pacific Ocean.

That is where those seven Russian sailors are trapped onboard a mini sub, about 600 feet down. They are trapped. Apparently their mini sub became entangled in either fishing nets or cables. No one is sure which.

Now, these U.S. rescue vehicles carry cameras and robotic arms that can cut up to one inch of steel cable. They will be dropped over the side of those Russian ships with the U.S. crews operating them onboard that ship and they will try and untangle the Russian sub. It is a race against time, as you say. No one is sure how much air is onboard that Russian sub.

At the same time, the Japanese navy is scrambling, we are told. They are going it try and send some vessels to the area. But the hope is that that U.S. Navy team can get their first. Daryn.

KAGAN: Almost exactly five years since the disaster with the Russian submarine the Kursk. It seems like it's being handled much differently with international help this time.

STARR: Indeed. The Russians have reached out almost immediately to the U.S. Navy overnight, indeed, asking them for help. There was a high-level meeting during the night in Hawaii with top Navy commanders out there trying to see what kind of rescue package they could put together. And in the last several months, actually, the Russian navy and the U.S. Navy have dine some training exercises on undersea rescue. So there is some familiarity between the two naval forces about what they have, what they can accomplish. But by all accounts, this effort is unprecedented in the speed in which it is being put together and what they are going to try and accomplish.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr live at the Pentagon. Thank you. We'll keep an eye on this story.

This week's dramatic plane evacuation in Toronto may be the exception rather than the rule. Transportation officials say technology and training for airline evacuations is a recipe for disaster. Hear what you need to know before you get onboard your next flight.

Should local officials be able to seize your property for community development? The Supreme Court said yes. Some states are saying no. You're going to meet a couple on the front lines in the battle over eminent domain.

And they charmed TV audiences a quarter century ago, but do the new Dukes have what it takes to make Hazard County fun for modern day audiences? Hear Mr. Moviefone review in a just a few minutes.

You're watching CNN LIVE TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's look at Omen (ph), New Jersey. This is a reminder to be careful what you wish for. The strong storms did bring relief from the summer swelter that has embroiled much of the state. But, as often happens, those high temperatures fuel up some wicked storms. As you can see there, Washington Township not only faced heavy rains but winds strong enough to even topple some mighty oak trees.

We had some freaky weather ourselves right here in Atlanta overnight in parts of the city. Rob Marciano's here to look at the weather across the country.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: New details now for you now on the crash of Air France Flight 358. Investigators say it appears the plane landed too far down the runway, which may explain why it went off the end of the runway and smashed into a ravine. Investigators, though, say it's too soon to determine whether the long landing, combined with the bad weather, was to blame for the crash. Meanwhile, analysis of the flight data and voice recorders recovered yesterday will have to wait until the device arrive back in France. Canadian officials say they don't have the technology needed to download the data, a process that could take several days.

Investigators are fortunate that they can interview the entire crew of flight 358. All the crew members and passengers survived and many experts say that's largely because of a textbook perfect evacuation. But CNN's Kathleen Koch reminds us, emergency evacuations of airliners often don't go this well.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): The fireball of Singapore Airlines Flight 006 October 31, 2000, after it crashed into a construction barrier at Taipei Airport.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There were flames everywhere and smoke everywhere.

KOCH: Business passengers on the 747 rushed to the exit but found no functioning emergency slide.

CAI VON RUMOHR, PASSENGER: There ended up being a piece of slide and one side made the decision to go out that roof. I did have to hang down and then jump about 25, 30 feet.

KOCH: Cai Von Rumohr was injured but 81 people died. At least one slide also failed in 2002 at JFK Airport, in 2001 in Detroit, in 1998 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Manchester, United Kingdom, in 1993 in Guatemala City. There are among 46 accidents the NTSB studied to spot evacuation problems.

MARK ROSENKER, ACTING CHAIRMAN, NTSB: In one-third of those, at least one slide didn't work. That's unacceptable.

KOCH: Another issue, passengers struggled to open exits over the wings.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The passengers sitting in the over wing did have difficulty or have trouble with the over wing exit or the won't, once they do remove the hatch from the aircraft fuselage, they'll end up leaving it on the floor right there by the exit and that ends up slowing things down.

KOCH: Other findings, pilots and flight attendants have problems communicating and knowing when to evacuate a plane.

CAPT. TERRY MCVENES, AIR LINE PILOT'S ASSOCIATION: Sometimes we've had cases where passengers have actually initiated an evacuation and consequently nobody none of the crew was prepared for it.

KOCH: And as seen in this astonishing video of an actual evacuation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go! Leave! Leave the aircraft!

KOCH: The NTSB found too many passengers tried to leave with their carry-on luggage, unaware that every second counts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Move it! Get out! Vamoose!

MCVENES: If the systems aren't all working and the people aren't all cooperating, it's a recipe for disaster.

KOCH: The government wants more regular checks to make sure emergency slides work. Flight attendants want more realistic evacuation training.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Leave the aircraft!

KOCH: And everyone wants passengers to listen and act as if they're lives depended on it.

Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: So there are concerns about plane evacuation procedures. You know, that's just one complaint against the airlines. You might have some others against your airline or your hotel. Our Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis here with overcoming your travel gripes.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Good to see you, Daryn. Happy Friday.

Look, if you feel like you need to make a gripe to your airline, your hotel, we'll show you how. Five tips is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's check out the market. They look like they are ready for the weekend already. The Dow down 24 points. The Nasdaq in negative territory as well. It is down just over 2 points.

Makes you want it go on vacation. But what do you do when your dream vacation turns into a trip from you know where? Our Personal Financial Editor Gerri Willis has today's top five tips, voicing your gripe and maybe, just maybe, getting some compensation.

Good morning.

WILLIS: That's right. Griping can pay off, Daryn. That's what we're trying to do today.

If you felt like you flew the unfriendly skies this summer, take note. There are ways you can get things back if things go wrong. If you're flying, if you're delayed because of weather or air traffic delays, you can ask for meal vouchers. You can ask even to be put on another airlines' flight if you're having real problems and ask your airline to pay the difference in cost if there is one.

If there's a mechanical problem, you might have to ask for a hotel room over night. Get the airline to pick up the cost for that. And if it's really a terrible, terrible flight. If we're talking something really awful, start asking for those frequent flier mile. A typical award is 500 to 1,000 points, Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Let's talk about other forms of vacationing. How about if you're on a cruise and things don't go well?

WILLIS: Now this is where you've really got some wiggle room because the cruise lines are really trying to encourage customer loyalty. And the thing you want to do if you have a problem is go right to the guest services desk. That's where they're ready to give you some cash, actually, what they call a voucher for use on the passenger ship if you have problems. You can get free manicures, free pedicures.

KAGAN: Love it.

WILLIS: Maybe a back rub. That's the thing to do. Go to fmc.gov if you have a truly horrible problem. The Federal Maritime Commission is the place to go for serious complaints.

KAGAN: You check into your hotel room and it's not what you expected.

WILLIS: You know, all kinds of things go wrong. The reservation is lost, the thermostat isn't working. You know this. You travel a lot.

KAGAN: Oh, yes.

WILLIS: You want to complain while there. Because if you wait til you get home, getting through the 800 number and finding somebody who can really help you is tough. What you should know is the more that you pay for that hotel room, the more you are likely to get back. As a matter of fact, Ritz-Carlton told us that employees there are given the go-ahead to give away as much as $2,000 to people who have troubles.

KAGAN: Well, you just have to stay at a nice hotel like a Ritz- Carlton. That's a different story.

What if you booked all your stuff online and things aren't what you expected?

WILLIS: Well, this is a real problem. I know a lot of people who use online agencies, say like Expedia. And if you've done that and you have a problem, you can call their 800 number and complain. But I have to warn you, they have outsourced most of this service. And what you really want to do is talk to somebody who can give you something other than a voucher. So keep asking for the supervisor, asking for another supervisor until you get someone who can give you cold, hard cash. Because, let's face it, if you had a truly terrible time, if things really went wrong, you want money. You don't want to use that agency's services again.

KAGAN: Right.

And finally, quickly, if you're on a tour and aren't happy.

WILLIS: If you're on a tour, your travel agent can actually be the negotiator between you and the tour operator to help you out. And typically, you can get refunded as much as 20 percent of your cost for that tour. So happy griping, Daryn.

KAGAN: Absolutely. Aaargh! No gripes with your five tips, though. Thank you, Ger.

WILLIS: Oh, so nice. Thank you.

KAGAN: Have a great weekend.

WILLIS: You too.

KAGAN: Naysayers beware, this month's number may signal a positive turn for the U.S. economy. I'll be speaking with Treasury Secretary John Snow and today's job report.

Also . . .

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just so angry thinking that you own something free and clear and now it's costing us money to get a lawyer. We don't know where we're going to live.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: They've lived in the same house for nearly 50 years. Now the city government is seizing it under eminent domain. The practice was upheld by the Supreme Court, but will that be the final word? A closer look when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We're coming up on the half hour. I'm Daryn Kagan. He's a look at what's happening "Now in the News."

Rocks, bricks and burning vehicles littered the scene of a riot in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Some 40 police officers were injured in last night's melee which raged for a full five hours. The riot was apparently triggered by the arrest of six people linked to a feud between rival Protestant groups.

Two Texas firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion while battling this warehouse fire near Dallas's Love Field (ph). Airport operations were not affected. It took six hours for 100 firefighters to put out the blaze.

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