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CNN Live Today
Constitution Delay in Iraq; NYC Remembers
Aired August 16, 2005 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's take a look at what's happening "Now in the News." More than 150 people are feared dead in the crash of a Colombian charter jet. The plane went down early this morning in the remote area of western Venezuela. The pilots had reported engine problems and asked for permission to make an emergency landing, then contact was lost.
This one, another crash today. This one a Spanish helicopter serving under NATO command in Afghanistan. Seventeen Spanish soldiers were killed. The chopper went down near the city of Herat. That area hasn't experienced the intense fighting seen along Afghanistan's eastern border, but Spanish officials aren't ruling out hostile fire in the crash.
Dozens of injuries, several of them serious, reported in Japan, after a major earthquake struck that country. The quake had a magnitude of 7.2. It was centered off of Japan's northeastern coast. It triggered a small tsunami and shook skyscrapers more than 200 mimes away in Tokyo. The quake also knocked out power to thousands of homes and businesses.
Turning now back to Iraq, where writers of the new constitution now have six more days to finish their draft document. Iraqi lawmakers voted for the extension, which also keeps the government running. CNN's Aneesh Raman is covering this story live in Baghdad -- Aneesh.
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, good morning.
This was not a good day for the Iraqi government. Not a good day for the U.S. as well. Until the 11th hour, negotiations went on and finally Iraqi leaders agreed that they could not agree.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAMAN (voice-over): With only minutes to go and with Iraq's government facing a midnight deadline before it could face possible dissolution, a unanimous vote to extend the deadline to draft a constitution, by one week.
Failure rarely gets a round of applause. But this was failure to decide whether the country will be united by a central government or become two or more semi-autonomous regions with the Kurds to the north and the Shia to the south. A failure, so far, to resolve the role of Islam, the rights of women and whether Iraq will become an Islamic republic, like Shia-dominated Iran, and not the least, how to distribute Iraq's oil money. Iraq's leaders insist they are making progress.
HOSHYAR ZEBARI, IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER: The leaders are making compromises. The women's rights would be protected in this new constitution. There would equality. There would be participation of women in public life, in political life.
RAMAN: The postponement dealt a blow to many, including the U.S. officials, who hoped a constitution would help bring some stability to a country bloodied daily by insurgent attacks.
MOWAFFAK AL RUBAIE, IRAQI NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The more we get into the political process and the less the insurgency and the terrorism will have any justifiable reason behind the indiscriminate killing of the Iraqi people.
RAMAN: U.S. officials put a good face on a postponement that is failure for them as well after months of very public pressure. From the secretary of state, new confidence in the new deadline.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: The new constitution will be the most important document in the history of the new Iraq. We are confident that they will complete this process and continue on the path toward elections for a permanent government at the end of the year.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RAMAN: Now, Daryn, the big question here is, can they do in seven days what they could not in several weeks, reach compromise on those major issues? Everyone putting on a good face, but no one making huge predictions about what Iraq will wake to a week from today -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Well, you'll be watching it for us. That we can count on. Aneesh Raman, thank you for that.
Emotions over the U.S. role in Iraq are running high in Crawford, Texas. Late yesterday, someone in a pickup truck tore through roads of white crosses set up along the road near President Bush's ranch. The crosses had the names of fallen U.S. soldiers and were planted by supporters of Cindy Sheehan. Sheehan lost her son in Iraq. She's been outside the ranch for 10 days, demanding a meeting with the president.
On CNN'S "AMERICAN MORNING," two other mothers who lost sons in Iraq spoke about Mr. Bush's refusal to meet with Sheehan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAN JOHNSON, LOST SON IN IRAQ WAR: I think if he does, he's starting a whole new ball game, as far as setting a precedence. If when she leaves, then other people are going to wanting to meet with him, if they have a disagreement about one of his policies. So -- I think he's just, you know, protecting himself as far as that goes, by not meeting with her. ROSEMARY PALMER, LOST SON IN IRAQ WAR: At this point, he's starting to come off as Darth Vader versus Luke Skywalker. You know, the force of evil to many people. You know, which I don't think he wants -- I don't think he wants that image to came across to people. And so she's gaining more support because of his refusal.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Sheehan was part of a group of grieving military relatives who met Mr. Bush last year. The White House again issued a statement Monday, saying the president sympathizes with Sheehan.
Coming up next, turning a day of horror into a day of action. How you can help honor those lost on 9/11.
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KAGAN: In today's CNN "Security Watch," a Muslim cleric has been ordered to leave the U.S. after his arrest on immigration charges. Shabbir Ahmed, the head of a mosque in Lodi, California, was arrested in June for overstaying his visa. An FBI agent testified last week that Ahmed was working in the U.S. for an agent -- as an agent for Osama bin Laden. Ahmed denies a connection to terrorism. At a hearing yesterday, he agreed to be deported to his home country of Pakistan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONALD LEFEVRE, IMMIG. CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT: Mr. Ahmed's decision to accept an order of removal and to return to Pakistan is a victory for I.C.E. and a victory for the citizens of this area. The goal of federal law enforcement community is to employ all of the tools at its disposal to bring foreign nationals from using this country as a haven for activities that could put the United States at risk.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Ahmed is one of five men from the mosque who were arrested in June. Two men have already been deported. None of the detainees has been charged with any crimes of terrorism.
Be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
A push is underway to transform the week of 9/11 into one of volunteering compassion and giving. The campaign is called NYC Remembers. It will focus on encouraging New Yorkers and Americans across the country to set aside time that week to help those in need. The initiative is part of one day's pay campaign to establish 9/11 as a nationally recognized day of service.
With me now from New York, the group's co-founder and vice president Jay Winuk who lost his brother on 9/11. Jay, good morning. Thanks for being here with us.
JAY WINUK, VICE PRESIDENT, ONE DAY'S PAY: Good morning, Daryn. Nice to be here with you.
KAGAN: Since this whole movement's effort is about legacy and remembering those who we lost, tell us about your brother Glen (ph), please?
WINUK: Well, thank you.
Glen was a partner in a law firm Holland & Knight (ph), located about a block from Ground Zero. For 19 years, he had actively served as a volunteer firefighter and an EMT on Long Island. And so when the towers were hit, Glen raced from his evacuated law office toward the south tower to participate in the rescue effort, and when the south tower came down, Glen lost his life. His remains were found in March 2002.
KAGAN: And I'm sure you miss him very much to this day.
WINUK: Well, certainly.
KAGAN: And so the effort is to remember him and the thousands of others that were lost in a positive light. So you're asking -- we've talked with folks before about doing One Day's Pay, and you're trying to extend it even more?
WINUK: That's right.
And it's not really about payment of money. It's about payment of service, and it is -- the initiative was founded two years ago, and the New York specific initiative launches today, actually, with New York City Remembers.
But One Day's Pay really is about celebrating the spirit of charitable service and giving that was so evident after the attacks, and, of course, is done in honor of those like Glen and so many others who lost their lives that day.
And so we ask people to go to our Web site, onedayspay.org, or if you're in New York, nycremembers.org, and register a nonbinding free pledge to simply mark that day doing something good for somebody in need.
Over the last two years, we estimate that about 2 million people have participated, and the initiative certainly has the support of the 9/11 families and survivors and volunteer community, and the entire U.S. Congress and so many nonprofit organizations and corporations.
So we're very pleased with how it's going.
KAGAN: And so, you know, we're coming up here on the fourth anniversary of 9/11. This is something that your family, of course, will never forget.
But do you fear that as we move forward, the country, people who don't have a direct connection to that day, the edge is coming off a little bit, they're forgetting too easily and too quickly the pain of that day? WINUK: Yes. I think you've hit it on the head, Daryn. I think that's a natural process, as we distance ourselves with time from the actual event. But that said, I think that people everywhere are looking for a way to mark that day. People don't really quite know what to do to properly honor that day and to do it.
And as soon as they hear about this initiative, to do something for somebody else in need, a light bulb goes off and they realize, yes, this is how we should mark that day; let's help somebody the way everybody rose in service just after the attacks. It just makes sense to do it that way, and people really gravitate to this concept.
KAGAN: Tell us the Web site once again.
WINUK: For the national audience, it's onedayspay.org, and for the New York audience, it's nycremembers.org.
KAGAN: Well, thank you. It's One Day's Pay. And thanks for your effort. And, Jay, also thank you for sharing your brother and his memory.
WINUK: Thank you for letting me speak about him.
KAGAN: We appreciate that. Jay Winuk, One Day's Pay.
Well, the little guy isn't the only one who's getting hurt by gas prices. Why the retail powerhouse of Wal-Mart -- Wal-Mart is even whining about feeling the pinch at the pump.
And still to come, a former president and current U.S. senator come together to honor a media pioneer.
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(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
KAGAN: Coming up, we are remembering a media pioneer.
Up next, we'll show you how Hollywood stars and Washington politics honor the founder of "Jet" and "Ebony" magazines.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Pioneering African-American publisher John Johnson is being remembered as man who affected the nation's conscience. Funeral services were held yesterday in Chicago for Johnson, the founder of Ebony and Jet magazines. Johnson died a week ago at the age of 87 from heart failure.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS; Mr. Johnson had big dreams for himself, but more importantly, he had big dreams for the community. And when you look at the legacy of Ebony and Jet, not only did it help spark the civil rights movement, but it gave people a sense of hope.
CAROL MOSLEY-BRAUN, FMR. ILLINOIS SENATOR: Because of his work, the world got a chance to see African-Americans in a new light.
ROLAND MARTIN, EDITOR, "CHICAGO DEFENDER": I don't think we should simply limit him to simply being one of the greatest black publishers of all time; he is simply one of the greatest media magnates in the history of our industry.
DIAHANN CARROLL, ACTRESS: He was one of the most sane, always supportive voices of my life. I owe everything to this wonderful man.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: During the funeral service, Johnson was also remembered for his donations to historically black colleges and universities, and to the civil rights movement. Former President Bill Clinton was among those who spoke.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM J. CLINTON, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There were almost no African-Americans anywhere to be seen in mainstream white culture when John Johnson began with his dream. And that's why I was honored to award him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Johnson started his publishing business with a $500 loan.
Let's take a look at other stories making news coast to coast.
Police raided through a Pontiac, Michigan neighborhood to capture an escaped prisoner. Authorities say the four suspects made a break from the courthouse Monday afternoon. All were back in custody just a few hours later.
In Atlanta the approval of a panhandling ban prompted protests last night. Police escorted about a dozen people out of the city hall after an outcry. Activists called the ban an assault on the poor. Downtown merchants say aggressive panhandlers are hurting their business. Atlanta's mayor is expected to sign that ban into law.
And a Navy transport plane made a belly landing. There she goes. This all happened at Norfolk Naval Base Airfield last night. The main landing gear failed to come down. Very nice. Ground crews used a cable to snag the plane's tail hook, just like on an aircraft carrier. All 25 people onboard that plane left the plane safely.
A check of the nation's weather forecast is coming up next after this break.
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