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CNN Live Today

Earthquake Results in Heavy Death Toll; Police Beating Caught on Tape; Miers Battle

Aired October 10, 2005 - 11:59   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 go ahead and check on some stories "Now in the News."
The death toll from the earthquake in South Asia continues to climb. Government police and hospital officials say more than 30,000 people have been killed, and the death toll is expected to go much higher. Two days after the massive quake, international aid is pouring into the region.

In Guatemala, mudslides and flooding triggered by Hurricane Stan have turned entire towns into graveyards. Hundreds of deaths are reported, and in one town officials fear the death toll may top 1,000. Across Guatemala, hundreds of communities are still cut off from the outside world.

In Iraq, a violent start to the new week. And much of the bloodshed has taken place in Baghdad. A car bomb went off in the Iraqi capital earlier today, wounding several Iraqi police officers. And in separate incidents, gunmen killed at least two Iraqi police officers and two civilians.

There may be some movement in the standoff over the chancellor's job in Germany. Conservative leader Angela Merkel says that she will become the country's first female chancellor under a so-called grand coalition deal. Merkel says her party, which is the Christian Democrats, will take the top job and six cabinet seats, while the Social Democrats will get eight cabinet positions. And the democratic social leader -- and the social democratic leader, Gerhard Schroeder, will step down as chancellor.

Welcome back. I'm Daryn Kagan in Atlanta.

We go across earthquake-ravaged South Asia this hour. The search is going on for survivors and for bodies.

Pakistani authorities say the death toll there is more than 30,000 and climbing. Saturday's quake shook parts of India, Kashmir, Pakistan and Afghanistan. We have CNN reporters throughout the region.

We're going to begin in one of the most devastated areas in the disputed territory of Kashmir.

Here now is ITN's Romilly Weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ROMILLY WEEKS, REPORTER, ITN (voice over): This is Muzaffarabad, what is left of it. Once home to 600,000 people, there's now barely a home left standing.

The search and rescue effort is becoming increasingly desperate as time slips by. This building was a school. No one knows how many children are buried inside.

"For god's sake, tell someone to rescue my children. Someone rescue my sweet children!" this mother begs, but there just aren't enough rescuers to cope with the scale of the task. And too often, it's the dead they are bringing out now.

Hurt and hungry, families are camping out on the university sports field. The living next to the dead.

"Muzaffarabad is totally finished," this man says. Lots of bodies have been recovered, many more are buried. Kashmir is totally destroyed.

In the far more accessible Islamabad, the relief effort is more organized. International search and rescue teams and sniffer dogs have joined the hunt for survivors. At this collapsed apartment block there have been some success stories.

GRAHAM PAYNE, DIRECTOR, RAPID-UK: We got three people out alive, which is very encouraging. And we are quite encouraged there still might be more people alive in there.

WEEKS: This boy was pulled out of the rubble 37 hours after the earthquake struck. From hospital, looked amazingly unharmed, he thanked Allah for his survival. "It was because I had hope that I was able to survive for so many hours," he said.

But there are thousands with very little hope. This, as India- controlled Kashmir, on both sides of the border in the remote mountainous areas, the survivors are finding it hard to stay alive. Food and water shortages are now becoming critical.

This is the only way to reach villages that have not had outside help for over two days. The death toll is already staggering. And there are so many yet to be counted.

All over the area relief camps have been set up. Charities estimate hundreds of thousands are now homeless. Each one of them in desperate need.

Romilly Weeks, ITV News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: CNN's Matthew Chance has just returned from a city in Pakistan where the scenes of devastation are absolutely incredible. And he's on the phone with us. He has just made it back to Islamabad -- Matthew. MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Hi, Daryn. I don't know if you can hear me, whether this line is good enough, but that's right, I'm back in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, now, after a long journey to the northern areas of Pakistan.

This is the town of Balakot, in fact, which is one of the most severely affected areas as a result of this extremely powerful earthquake that of course struck on Saturday morning local time here. Now, Balakot is a town of about 250,000 people in a remote area, at least that was the population last week, just a few days ago. Who knows how many survivors there are there now.

Certainly I can tell you that every single building in that city, without exception as far as I could make out, has been flattened by the power of that earthquake. And so the result, thousands of people who are homeless, they are homeless now, waiting desperately for some kind of aid effort to reach them.

And as you just said in that report, it's very patchy, the aid effort here. It's coming in well (ph) and quite organized in the capital, Islamabad. (INAUDIBLE) outlying areas, the areas that are in many ways the worst affected, of course, by this earthquake. And it's very patchy, indeed.

And in Balakot, really nothing except a few flights every day with Pakistani military helicopters, taking away some of the survivors, some of the injured survivors who are treated in hospitals elsewhere. But not seeing any -- any delivery of tents, no delivery of food and water at this stage.

And so thousands of people are literally in a very, very desperate state, indeed.

KAGAN: So, nothing to eat in this area, nothing to drink. And even if there were structures standing, I would imagine people would be afraid to get in them for fear that there would be aftershocks and more collapse.

CHANCE: Absolutely. And there have been aftershocks.

When we were there, there was a sizable shock that really shook the ground beneath us and shook the mountains around this place. But you're right, the fact that there is no building standing, there are no building standings, and so that's not an issue at this stage. But these people are, nevertheless, extremely exposed.

It's an area which is at high altitude. And so that means that in the daytime it gets very hot. It was extremely hot today. But then when darkness falls and the sun goes down, the temperatures can really plunge. And so obviously the extremes of weather have a really devastating affect on people who may have survived the earthquake but still have to contend with the aftermath.

KAGAN: Matthew Chance, on the phone with us from Islamabad, Pakistan.

Matthew, thank you.

Let's talk about that in the aftermath of Saturday's huge earthquake, there is special concern for the region's children. UNICEF, United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, is rushing aid to quake-affected areas. The agency's director says that children made up half the population of the quake-affected areas. She outlined what the agency is doing in an interview on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANN VENEMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UNICEF: We've got teams of people who have been working all through the weekend, deploying resources. We have the first shipments that have now reached the most affected areas. We know they are reaching the children and the people and the families who need them. Whether it's shelter, medicines, nutritional assistance for children, it is extremely important that we work towards survival of these children and families the most immediately.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: The UNICEF director says children in the quake-battered region are especially vulnerable to hunger, cold, illness and trauma.

The U.S. and other countries are rushing money and equipment to the hardest hit country of Pakistan. An American relief plane loaded with supplies landed in Islamabad overnight. The Pakistani capital suffered severe damage in the earthquake.

Countries and aid agencies are responding to the call for help. A major international relief effort is under way. The White House has announced initial aid of up to $50 million, and eight military helicopters have arrived in Pakistan from U.S. operations in Afghanistan.

You'll want to stay with CNN for complete coverage of this immense tragedy. We have reporters in the hardest-hit areas of the region. And if you're away from your television, you can still get the latest on the earthquake on our Web site. Just log on to CNN.com for up-to-the-minute information.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is focusing on central Asia as she sets off on her latest diplomatic mission. Rice is traveling to three former Soviet republics. Those include Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Rice is also scheduled to visit Afghanistan. The State Department says she will discuss economic development and security but refrain on speaking about speedy democratic change to avoid alienating military allies of the U.S.

President Bush is heading back to the hurricane-battered Gulf Coast. His eighth trip to the region in the last six weeks. Mr. Bush heads to New Orleans later today. He'll spend the night, and tomorrow he'll pitch in to help Habitat for Humanity with a home-building project.

After that, he's planning to visit an elementary school in Pass Christian, Mississippi, the one school in that town left standing.

New Orleans, by the way, is the focus of this next story, and we're going to have to warn you here it includes some video that is very disturbing. You might remember reports of officer desertions and looting following Hurricane Katrina. Well, now three officers face charges after a videotaped beating.

CNN's Alina Cho has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Two New Orleans police officers are seen here trying to make an arrest. The suspect, 64-year-old Robert Davis.

Moments later, an officer on horseback maneuvers in front of the AP photographer, blocking his view. Then a glimpse.

Davis sustains several blows to the head. His head also appears to hit the wall. Later, four men, two of them clearly identified as police, push Davis to the ground and place him in a headlock.

(on camera): Well, having seen the tape, what is your reaction?

CHIEF WARREN RILEY, NEW ORLEANS POLICE DEPT.: Well, to see this tape is -- it's troubling.

CHO (voice over): Police Chief Warren Riley says tapes of the incident don't show everything.

RILEY: What is obvious is that our obvious officers used more than the force necessary.

CHO: Including this: an officer who identifies himself as S.M. Smith pushes the AP producer, pinning him against a car. In a profanity-filled tirade, the officer says, "I've been here for six weeks trying to keep myself alive. Go home."

The aftermath was caught on tape by a CNN photographer. Davis' shirt is soaked with blood. As he tries to turn over, it becomes clear he has suffered head injuries.

The suspect, Robert Davis, has been freed. He'll appear in court this week on charges including public intoxication, battery on a police officer and resisting arrest. Three New Orleans police officers are suspended, charged with battery.

RILEY: A few bad cops. It happens everywhere.

CHO: Since Hurricane Katrina there have been many complaints about bad cops here, including looting by officers. One case involves a Cadillac dealership, where the owner said officers made of with some of his cars.

RILEY: We had units that lost their entire fleet due to the flood. And they did, in fact, commandeer some of those vehicles. We're not denying that.

CHO: The chief says the cars were used for patrols and, rescues and that these are trying times.

RILEY: Where 80 percent of the city was flooded, where 80 percent of its citizens are displaced, had to be evacuated, 80 percent of the police department also lost their homes. Certainly this is a unique situation, to say the very least.

CHO (on camera): The officers involved in the incident are white. The suspect is black, which raises the question, did race play a role in this? The police chief says he has no evidence to support that.

Alina Cho, CNN, New Orleans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And let's show you this. It's a mug shot of the suspect, Robert Davis. It was provided to the AP. You can see Davis' eye is swollen shut.

Here an AP photo from outside the bar. Davis is grabbed by officers. Another AP photo taken immediately afterward, the suspect is being held on the ground by one of the officers.

We're going to have more on the story in "LIVE FROM" today at 1:00 Eastern. The chief of police will join Kyra Phillips live to talk about the investigation. That's 1:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.

The waters have receded in New Orleans, but other parts of the nation are suffering from the worst floods in 25 years. See what's next in the forecast.

Gas prices have taken another big jump during the last two weeks. We'll take a look at why and when some -- there might be some relief.

And talk of secret assurances regarding the president's latest pick for the Supreme Court. We'll tell you who claims to have inside information after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The debate is becoming more pointed on Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers. And surprisingly, many of her detractors come from the Republican side of the aisle.

Details now from CNN White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveax.

Suzanne, hello.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, hello, Daryn.

Harriet Miers spent the weekend in Dallas. That is where she was gathering her records, trying to prove that she is indeed accomplished and ready for this position. The big question here, Daryn, of course, is whether or not Miers' efforts, as well as the White House, will satisfy those conservatives.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

MALVEAUX (voice-over): While Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers was attending Sunday morning church services in Dallas, in Washington, conservatives were declaring all-out war over her nomination, directing much of their anger at the president.

PAT BUCHANAN, CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR: Much of the conservative movement is at war with their own president.

GARY BAUER, AMERICAN VALUES COALITION: The problem that we have is that when you make a mistake with a Supreme Court appointment, it's a 20-year mistake.

MALVEAUX: As some conservatives ratcheted up their rhetoric, calling for Miers to withdraw her nomination, others urged their fellow Republicans to cool down, saying Miers would be faithful to Mr. Bush's agenda.

DR. RICHARD LAND, SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION: If someone is disloyal -- if someone betrays a trust in Texas, they're right down there with child molesters and ax murderers.

REV. PAT ROBERTSON, FOUNDER, CHRISTIAN COALITION: I think what the president wants is a vote that reflects his point of view. You know, some of these great, brilliant scholars go off the reservation.

MALVEAUX: One of the first issues the Senate Judiciary Committee will tackle is whether the White House provided anyone with information about how Miers might vote on hot button social issues like abortion, gay marriage and the role of religion.

Conservative activist James Dobson created a stir on his Wednesday radio broadcast when, after being briefed about Miers by Mr. Bush's top political aide, Karl Rove, Dobson suggested he had special insights.

DR. JAMES DOBSON, CONSERVATIVE RADIO SHOW HOST: When you know some of the things that I know, that I probably shouldn't know, that take me in this direction, you will understand why I have said, with fear and trepidation, I believe Harriet Miers will be a good justice.

MALVEAUX: Since then, in meetings with Senate committee members, Miers has tried to clear up the controversy.

SEN. PATRICK LEAHY, (D-VT), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: So we at least start with the fact that she says she has not told anybody or assured anybody how she would vote.

MALVEAUX: But senators say they are still considering calling on Dobson and Rove to testify before their committee.

SEN. ARLEN SPECTER, (R-PA), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: If there were back room assurances and if there are back room deals, that's a matter that ought to be known by the Judiciary Committee and the American people.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

MALVEAUX: But getting that information is expected to be difficult as members gear up for a fight with the White House over releasing some of those documents -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Meanwhile, Suzanne, is there any talk, any buzz within the White House, this loyal White House, that they would consider putting pressure on Miers to withdraw her nomination?

MALVEAUX: There's absolutely no talk or no consideration from the Bush administration to put pressure on Miers to actually withdraw her nomination. There's a lot of pressure from those conservatives saying, look, we think that that's the appropriate thing to do. So far, there is no indication that that is going to happen.

MYERS: Suzanne Malveaux at the White House.

Suzanne, thank you.

To world news now. Iraqis preparing to head to the polls for a constitutional referendum. Unrest and uncertainty remain in Baghdad. Can the nation's ethnic groups come to an agreement? We'll have a live report.

And a major snowstorm in the West. Your forecast is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let it snow in Colorado. Pictures coming to us very close to Denver, if you are from there. Let's test you.

How about I-70, Eisenhower Tunnel, and if you look in the back you might see a ski run. That is the Loveland Ski Area.

Snowy days. A foot to a half-foot of snow on the central Rockies. In Denver, roads are a mess. Thousands of people are without power. And some schools are also closed.

Now to New England, where at least three deaths reported in New Hampshire after a weekend of flooding. Right now, the floodwaters are starting to go down, but authorities warn that some dams could fail later in the week when more rain is expected.

Jacqui Jeras is here.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: What Katrina did to the U.S. Guatemalan officials say is similar to what Hurricane Stan did to their country. Major mudslides are still an enormous concern. A live report from Guatemala is just ahead. And with tens of thousands of people possibly dead after a major earthquake in South Asia, we'll talk to a Pakistani official about what can be done to help people back in his country.

We are back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

Police and hospital officials say the death toll now tops 30,000 from Saturday's earthquake in South Asia. Rescue teams are having a difficult time reaching victims in remote areas. The U.S. has pledged $50 million in emergency aid in Pakistan.

Indonesian officials are awaiting confirmation on whether a 4- year-old Sumatra boy has contracted bird flu. Preliminary tests show the child has the deadly H5-N1 strain of avian influenza. If confirmed, it would be the country's sixth reported case. Four previous patients have died from this string of bird flu since July.

The nation's largest group of pediatricians is offering new tips on preventing SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Doctors now suggest giving a baby a pacifier at bedtime and letting them sleep in the same room, but not the same bed with their parents. SIDS is the leading cause of infant deaths in the U.S., killing more than 2,000 babies every year.

And later today, President Bush makes his eighth trip to the Gulf Coast since Hurricane Katrina. The president's two-day visit will focus on housing for displaced victims.

Back now to our top story, the deadly earthquake in South Asia. The massive earthquake in Pakistan and Kashmir wiped out entire villages. And today, government police and hospital officials say the death toll has climbed to more than 30,000.

ITN's Lucy Manning has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LUCY MANNING, REPORTER, ITN (voice over): Pakistan-controlled Kashmir after the earthquake. There were villages all along these hills. Now it seems there is nothing left. Nothing, apart from the bricks that scatter the hillside and the thousands of bodies that lie beneath them.

It goes on for miles. The roads in and out of Muzaffarabad are blocked. Cars are no use here; the people must walkout of the city. But aid and rescue teams need to get in, and it's not so difficult to see why it's so hard to get help into these remote areas. President Musharraf has appealed to countries, including Britain, to send more helicopters. Without them, there is no way to help the injured.

All around there is rubble and there is nothing one man can do to move it. As the people of Balakot (ph) in northern Pakistan stand on what is left of the buildings, and there isn't much, they stand on the concrete which has trapped their children below, for two schools stood here. When the earthquake came, more than 800 school children were buried. Lessons were just starting, and when their parents scrambled through the rubble it was to heartbreaking results.

For the adults, what happened is beyond comprehension. There is little food or water and no medical help here. Two-thirds of the city has been destroyed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator) This is a four-story building called the Sheets (ph) School. There were around 400 students inside when the roof collapsed. I took out 15 to 20 people. Some were dead and some were alive, but I could hear people's voices inside and we had no help.

MANNING: As new areas are reached, more devastation discovered, the number of deaths rises from thousands to tens of thousands. Almost all of the houses and shops in Muzaffarabad have collapsed. It's a city of death, says one eyewitness.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I have at least 10 to 15 relatives missing. At least 10,000 people have died. Maybe even 20,000 or 30,000.

MANNING: Thirty-thousand deaths is what one official has now estimated. But if anything is clear amidst the grief and the confusion, it's that the number will only get bigger. All through the rubble signs of how people lived and where they died.

AFTAB AHMED KHAN SHERPAO: I think it's the worst disaster, such a horrendous situation one cannot imagine. Muzaffarabad, 70 percent of the houses have collapsed.

MANNING: In the areas where they have lost everything, the bereaved and the injured are angry that no government help has reached them. President Musharraf appealed to Pakistanis abroad to send money and admitted there had were many things his country needed.

PRES. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTAN: In relief goods I feel what is required primarily is tents and blankets, and then food, tents, blankets and foodstuff.

MANNING: Rescue teams are in full swing in Islamabad at the apartment blocks which collapsed. These pictures captured on a mobile phone caught the terrifying moments just after the earthquake where the building came down, a massive cloud of smoke where hundreds lived.

India, where at least 700 people have died, has offered its help to Pakistan. The strained relations between the country overcome by this earthquake that has hit them both. More than 40,000 Pakistanis are injured, and with fields being used as hospitals, the country is desperately in need of help.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And that was Lucy Manning reporting for ITN. We get more now on the quake-relief effort in Southeast Asia. Pakistan's high commissioner to the United Kingdom Maleeha Lohdi joins us live now from London.

Doctor Lohdi, thank you for being here with us.

MALEEHA LOHDI, PAKISTAN HIGH COMM. TO U.K.: Thank you.

KAGAN: Do you fear the worst news is yet to come about the devastation that has hit your country?

LOHDI: Well, obviously it's been heartbreaking that as we discover every day that the scale of the disaster is even larger than what was initially feared, in a way our worst fears are confirmed, and the death toll keeps rising. The number of injured today, this morning, were close to 50,000 people. We don't know how many there'll be tomorrow.

So I think the task before us is formidable. It's an imposing task, to get relief supplies through. But we have managed all through today to restore some of the road links to the far-flung areas. So I think you will see more emergency-relief supplies get through, because so far we only been able to use the limited number of helicopters that Pakistan has, because our airborne capability is limited. We use helicopters to reach some of the more inaccessible places.

You see the worst-hit region is a mountain region with deep valleys which is not very well connected in the first place. But of course, landslides exacerbated our mission and our task. But we hope that we are able to get more supplies through and reach more people, help more people.

But obviously, there is the immediate mission that needs to be under taken, which we're doing. It's in full swing. It's in top gear. But we also have to look ahead to see how we can rehabilitate people, how we can start the task of reconstruction. So we hope that the international community will stay with us. We are appreciative of course. We are grateful for the response that we have received so far, but we would like to urge the international community to do much more, because phase two is yet to come, and phase two is going to be getting the survivors back into a normal life again.

Today the United Nations has calculated that over two million people are homeless. They have no homes, because their homes have been destroyed. So I think the kind of task that -- and the kind of money that Pakistan will need and the kind of expertise we will need to undertake this huge task in the next few months; we will need all the help that we can get.

KAGAN: So you're concerned with the other crisis we have seen around the world, whether it was the hurricanes here in the United States, the tsunami at the beginning of the year, that the world might forget about Pakistan?

LOHDI: Well, I think so far, you know, it would be premature for me to say that. But sure, I think one of the concerns is that although the world has stepped forward and the global community acted very swiftly, perhaps learning from the experience of the tsunami disaster, relief agencies have gone into action very quickly, very swiftly.

We ourselves have been very well coordinated on the ground. We've put our coordination machinery in place,so we knew which relief agencies to deploy where most effectively.

So I think so far we have done this very effectively, but naturally as one looks ahead and looks at the task, you look at just the images, look at the pictures, and you say to yourself there is much more that still lies ahead. So from that point, we, obviously, media attention is going to be key in the kind of assistance we will continue to receive, and of course, the focus on the international community is going to be key also.

KAGAN: Dr. Maleeha Lohdi. Dr. Lohdi, thank you for joining us from London.

Right now, we want to go to Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry. He is the commander of the coalition forces in Afghanistan. He's doing double duty right now, with earthquake-relief efforts as well. Earlier today, he spoke with Pakistani military officials to see what help they needed.

General Eikenberry joins us now on the phone from the Afghan capital of Kabul.

General, hello.

LT. GEN. KARL EIKENBERRY, COMMANDING GENERAL OF U.S. FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN: Hello, Daryn.

KAGAN: What kind of help, what kind of response did you get from Pakistani officials?

EIKENBERRY: Daryn, the needs right now in Pakistan are enormous. The material help that they've requested includes tents, dry food, water, medicine, and of particular importance to them right now is helicopters. It's very rugged terrain that this tragedy occurred in. The need of helicopter to move relief supplies and to move personnel and to very importantly evacuate those who are wounded right now and the casualties is very significant.

We've managed here in the first 48 hours to have eight helicopters we moved from Kabul, Afghanistan down to Islamabad, got five cargo helicopters and three of our utility helicopters. They arrived late this afternoon. And early tomorrow morning as the sun comes up those helicopters will start working in support of the Pakistan authorities and the military and moving supplies forward.

Also, early in the morning, we had our first C-17 aircraft land. They brought in 18 pallets of tents, food and cots. And then tomorrow we'll have three more C-130s coming in and another C-17 with tents, food, water, and so we're starting to deliver supplies rapidly. We've got helicopters on the ground, but there's an enormous amount of work that has to be done. KAGAN: And, general, I understand, you, yourself have had a chance, an opportunity to see some of the damaged areas. What were the impressions left on you?

EIKENBERRY: Daryn, I did not. I've got good reports when I arrived in Islamabad from our country team, from our embassy in Islamabad, Ambassador Crocker's (ph) teams, and from also the Pakistani military authorities, that took a look at pictures of the damage. It is enormous.

KAGAN: What about the sensitive situation, this is an ongoing situation, the U.S. military's relationship with Pakistan, working together, but being very careful not to have that much of a physical presence within Afghanistan -- within Pakistan, I'm sorry. The concerns as you send more helicopter, send help, but the Pakistani people very sensitive to the idea of the U.S. military being inside that country.

EIKENBERRY: Daryn, right now, the entire focus of the Pakistani leadership and the military and the people are to relieve the suffering. We reached out right now. We've got our military helicopters on the ground. Tomorrow, we'll also bring in a team of 23 Air Force that is able to help with air traffic control which is getting rather congested at the military air fields.

Daryn, there's absolutely no problems right now. The Pakistani officials, they appreciate our support and their objective is the same as ours is to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. I'd also say, Daryn, very interesting now, we've got -- tomorrow we'll have four Afghan National Army helicopters that will be deploying from Afghanistan and joining our team down in Islamabad, joining our aviation task force, also, working in direct support for the Pakistan military.

I say that's a great news story, because if you think about this in our mission here in Afghanistan, three and a half years ago, there was no Afghan National Army. And we've reached a point now where the Afghan National Army, with great pride, is sending four of their helicopters forward to help their Pakistan brethren in time of need.

KAGAN: Interesting point. Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry. Thank you, sir, for your time. A lot of work ahead of you. A lot of important work. He is the commanding general of the combined forces, the command in Afghanistan.

We're going to look at another devastating site on the other side of the world in Central America. Guatemala. Landslides and too much rain. That is just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: I want to show you some pictures we're getting in from New Orleans. This concerns -- and you can see three New Orleans police officers. They entered not guilty pleas on charges of battery today. Those charges stem from a videotaped incident over the weekend in which two patrolmen repeatedly punched a 64-year-old man who was accused of public intoxication.

A third officer grabbed and shoved a producer from Associated Press Television, who helped capture that confrontation on tape. We've seen those pictures a number of times over the morning here at CNN. The officers were released on bond this morning after a brief hearing. They quickly left without commenting. They were suspended, all three, yesterday from the New Orleans Police Department, suspended without pay.

We move to the south to Guatemala, which is suffering from a natural disaster, flooding and mudslides, as a result of Hurricane Stan, which hit Mexico early last week. Guatemala's government now says some towns literally are buried under mud and they might just stay that way, as big mud encased graveyards.

Officials in the town of Panabaj say the death toll could reach over 1,000. Our Harris Whitbeck is in Santa Canarina nearby and has an update. Harris, hello.

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. I don't know if you can make out the scene behind me, but little by little, small piecemeal efforts are achieving success in bringing food and medicine and blankets to some of the affected villages. The aid that is being distributed here arrives here by boat from a distribution center from a nearby town Panabaj.

The relief workers have gotten a break from the weather this morning. The weather is clear and that is also allowing helicopter flights not only to the area around Lake Atitlan, which where we are, but also up through the western, northwestern Guatemala and the border with Mexico, where there are many communities and very, very, mountainous rains, that have been out of touch for several days now.

The U.S. military has an operation here. They have Blackhawks and Chinook helicopters. Some of those have been flying over this area today, and also, the Guatemalan Air Force Mexican helicopters and a Guatemalan private air club have been establishing an air bridge, bringing supplies in from Guatemala City into the areas that were most affected.

But this is really the first day in over a week that we have seen some sunshine, and that is good news for those who are trying to organize the distribution of food and medicine and blankets to the areas that were hit by these mudslides -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Harris Whitbeck, via video phone from Santa Cararina, Guatemala. Thank you.

When we're talking about the war on terror, we often refer to Islamic extremists. Apparently, they are not all the same. In fact, some say there's a division among the ranks. More on that story when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Getting pictures in now. This is Birmingham, Alabama. There's been an explosion at a house. And as you look at these pictures, let me explain the house is next to a church, which contained a day care. Three people are unaccounted for at this time, not clear whether the three missing people were in the house, or in the day care and the church, and also unclear at this point the source and cause of the explosion.

But once again, an explosion at a house in Birmingham, Alabama, the house next door to a church containing a day care. More information and pictures as that becomes available.

Meanwhile, let's check in with Iraq, more violence there today, less than a week before a referendum on the country's constitution.

CNN's Aneesh Raman joins us live now from Baghdad with the latest -- Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, good afternoon.

Just five days to go until that constitutional referendum. And while we have seen insurgent attacks throughout the country, we have not seen a steady surge in violence, something that we saw back in January, leading up to election day. The U.S. military suggesting to CNN that insurgents in some areas may be essentially lying low, preparing for large-scale attacks to take place on Saturday. There will be some 6,200-plus election centers, Daryn, throughout the country for the 15.5 million registered voters. That number has risen since January, because the Sunnis are now beginning to take part in this political process.

And that is essentially what this referendum will come down to. The Sunnis want to reject the draft constitution. They see it as a document that will divide, if not weaken, to the notion of killing Iraq. Do they have the votes, the two-thirds in three provinces?

The other issue will be if this constitution passes, despite Sunni objections, will that further alienate them from the political process? The goal had always been, and the key exclusively, had been to bring the Sunnis into the political fray to curb the rationale and support for the insurgency, and so that is the number we're waiting to see on Sunday, Daryn.

Now parts of Iraq just getting a glimpse of the constitution as it goes forward. This, of course, a referendum not just on the document, but also on this political process. If the referendum does fail, Daryn, this entire process starts all over again, a new national assembly is voted in, a new draft constitution is put forth in a referendum, perhaps not even until mid next year -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Aneesh Raman, live in Baghdad, thank you for the latest on that.

The violence in Iraq and other parts of the Muslim world have put the spotlight on radical Islam and raised new questions about whether the killing of civilian Muslims is alienating moderate Muslims.

CNN's senior editor for Arab affairs Octavia Nasr takes a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bombs target unsuspecting victims, killing, maiming and creating chaos. The scene is repeated in Baghdad and Bali, just as it was in July in the London subway, the Madrid train station in March of last year, and the U.S. embassy in Tanzania in 1998.

Radical Islam watches, and for the most part, cheers on through innocent postings filled with hate language, statements justifying the terror and videos depicting attacks in realtime, threatening there's more to come.

But now, inside this radical Muslim populous, there is a split when it comes to killing civilians.

ABU BAKAR BASHIR, INDONESIAN MUSLIM CLERIC (through translator): Bombs are not our way to fight. I don't agree with that. The bombs are not part of the mujahadeen's program.

NASR: Contradictory message on Islamist Web sites quoting from the Koran to call on Muslims to fight the oppressors and kill the infidels until their oppression ends, a rift that terrorism experts say could change things.

LAURA MANSFIELD, RADICAL ISLAM EXPERT: People questioning whether the suicide bombings are actually following Islamic law. But in general, it seemed like the biggest backlash came after the attacks in London.

NASR: Mansfield said the outrage against suicide bombings comes in peaks and valleys. She says it rises after an attack, and then subsides. But even if not consistent, such dissent is significant for those who monitor radical Islam.

MANSFIELD: There's a subset within the hardcore jihadists that although they believe suicide bombings are appropriate, they are against killing other Muslims.

NASR: Abu Musab Al Zarqawi, the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, preaches differently. This video glorifies an alleged suicide bomber, and shows the alleged attack he carries out. Zarqawi has been sending a clear message to his supporters that killing Muslims is perfectly all right, because in his view, collaborating with the Americans makes them infidels and a legitimate target. A debate among jihadist that experts like Mansfield say might make the extreme side more extreme, while alienating the moderate ones.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Octavia Nasr is here with us right now, my question is, why the delay? Why did it take so long for this conversation to take place?

NASR: Experts are saying just because Muslims are being the target now. And also, they tell us look at the target. You have nightclubs. You have restaurants. You have these clerics that usually support suicide bombings saying, look, if you attack military base, if you attack an army personnel or a convoy, that's OK, but now you're targeting not just civilians, but Muslims in particular.

KAGAN: And that's causing the conversation to take place.

Octavia, thank you. Fascinating piece.

We're going to go back to Birmingham, Alabama just ahead. We were showing you pictures of a house, an explosion next to a church and a day care. More information and pictures coming up after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Want to go back to this story out of Birmingham, Alabama. The fire department there responding to a call from the house explosion. The big concern, that house next door to a church and day care. About 40 children had to be evacuated from that day care. I think in that front yard you can even see a playset. Three people had been unaccounted for. We understand at this time the three people were in the house and not in the church or the day care. Police on the scene as well.

I'm sure you'll yet more information about this ahead. Kyra Phillips will be with you from CNN's LIVE FROM. That's going to wrap it up for me, three hours. Daryn Kagan here with you. I'll see you tomorrow morning.

Right now, Kyra Phillips.

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