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CNN Live Today

Riots In France Continue; Arrests Made In Australia Before Terror Attack; Tornado Hits Indiana Trailer Park; New Guidelines for Interrogation of Terror Suspects

Aired November 08, 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: Let's take a look quickly among the stories we are following this hour. Rioting in the streets, cars torched, out of control in France. Officials say the situation is getting better, but does it look like it? We are live from Paris.
Underway right now, the search for the missing and those believed to have died after a tornado ripped through Southern Indiana. A live report is just ahead.

Heading on to the polls across the nation. Governorships and leadership of several U.S. cities is up for grabs. Plus, four ballot measures have become a political test for California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. CNN Political Analyst Carlos Watson is here to tell us what to expect.

And live right now on Capitol Hill, a hearing on the bird flu threat. How prepared is the U.S. to combat the outbreak?

And all they want is the best medical care for their child. All they've gotten is frustration. A battle between a child in need of a doctor and an insurance company that decides which doctor he can see. Those stories and breaking news ahead this hour on CNN LIVE TODAY.

And right now let's take a look at what's happening "Now in the News."

A Wal-Mart store is our first story here. A Wal-Mart store in Manchester, New Hampshire was evacuated this morning after a small cargo plane crashed into the building. It plane clipped the store's garden center shortly after taking off from a nearby airport. Workers at a car dealership rushed to the scene and pulled the pilot out of the wreckage. He was taken to a local hospital. Right now there's no word on his condition.

On a California freeway. This is a familiar scene. It happened this morning. A high-speed car chase getting underway when police tried to stop a motorist on I-5 in L.A. The chase ended with the suspect's vehicle wedged behind two semi tractor trailer rigs. The suspects surrendered without a fight at that time.

In Washington, D.C., Supreme Court Nominee Samuel Alito is back on Capitol Hill for another round of meetings with senators. He's meeting with both Democrats and Republicans. Alito's confirmation hearings are scheduled to begin in January. In Iraq, police say gunmen opened fire today on a vehicle carrying two lawyers for Saddam Hussein's co-defendants. One of the lawyers was killed in the attack. The other was wounded. Less than a month ago another attorney in the case was kidnaped and killed. The violence raises new questions about whether Hussein's trial can go on as scheduled later this month.

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

We're going start this hour in France. Rioters unleashing an arsenal of guns, rocks and gasoline bombs for the 12th night in a row. Today, the government wields new weapons of its own. Earlier today, the French cabinet enacted a 50-year-old state of emergency law. This allows local authorities to implement curfews in hopes of choking off the nightly eruptions of violence. Police can also now carry out raids if they believe weapons are being stockpiled.

Last night's violence was somewhat less than previous nights, but clearly the anger has not ebbed. Let's get the latest from Paris and CNN's Becky Anderson.

Becky, hello.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You're absolutely right, Daryn, the anger hasn't passed. Of the previous nights, the previous 11, 12 nights, we've seen some 300 towns and cities, including Paris, disturbed. Last night just some 226. So the government's suggesting that things are getting better. But when you consider the facts, there are these -- still last night some 300 people were arrested, a thousand cars were torched. So things may be getting slightly easier, but they're certainly not getting better and that's certainly the message you're hearing on the streets here.

You're talking about enacting this little used law. 1955 this law was enacted. This state of emergency law allowing for curfews. That was during the struggle for independence. It was used only three times this state of emergency, this curfew allowance over the last 50 years and used once again now. And the deal is this, that effectively local officials decide on the ground whether they believe it is important to use these curfews.

And we've just heard the prime minister, Dominique de Villepin, talking about these curfews and this is what he said. He said effectively if you break these curfews, if they're imposed in your locality, in your town, you will go to prison for two months. Now the difficulty with that is this. That many of those who are causing these disturbances, the rioters, if that's what you want to call them, are juveniles. Many of them as young as 12. So if the idea of the French government is to put 12-year-olds away for two months, that's going to be a very difficult situation.

Now I can't confirm that, but effectively that's what we know to be happening. Many, many of these youths are minors and the government, as I say today, suggesting that they will put people away if indeed they break these curfews. It's a really disturbing situation here in France. And as you say, into the 13th day, who knows what will happen from here on in.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Why do they take so long to use this law, since it's been on the books since 1955?

ANDERSON: Well, I guess, the idea is this, that they don't want to or didn't want to declare a state of emergency. Nobody wants to do that. They were concerned about the image that would portray, I guess, and certainly didn't want to concern French people that things were getting out of hand.

But, of course, they have got out of hand. We haven't heard an awful lot from politicians over the past 12 days. There was an emergency meeting held by Chirac, the president, on Sunday. But we've begun to hear more since then.

A lot of people will say we heard too much from one man. That was the interior minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, who effectively said the people causing these problems were scum and he said that they should be flushed out. Now he provided more fuel for the fire effectively. He's become a figure of hate here in France. That was pretty much all we heard from the politicians for the first sort of six, seven or eight days.

But we are, as I say, hearing more now. Dominique de Villepin, on French television last night, saying that he would use curfews if need be. And today out of the cabinet meeting, indeed, we've heard that that act once again re-enacted effectively invoking, as I said, this 50-year-old act. Nobody can say why they haven't used it before, but I guess one of the reasons they haven't used it is they didn't want to admit to what was going on.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Twelve nights later, no denying what's happening there. Becky Anderson live from Paris. Thank you.

So the question is, what's at the root of the rage that has exploded in more than 200 French towns and cities. Some say it's a deadly mix of alienation, anger and hopelessness. Our Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour has that story from a poor and decaying housing projection in one of Paris' burning suburbs.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): It's the worst social unrest in France since the 1968 student uprising. The mayhem started in the bleak and neglected housing project just beyond the Paris city lights. An explosion of anger by the disaffected youths who live here after two of their own were electrocuted while hiding from what they believe was a police chase.

The government built these apartment blocks after World War II when they invited in tens of thousands of immigrants from Africa and Arab countries to fill low-skilled jobs. At the time, this was a step up from where they had come from. But now, the jobs are gone and people are left here without basic services, with second-rate education and, worse, with no employment. Indeed, the unemployment rate in these outer city ghettos is four times the national average.

As another nervous night falls on these graffiti garbage strewn blocks, we tried to get some answers. These young people tell us they do not support the violence. But Kareem (ph) says it's the only way they can express themselves. They are angry and upset. They're saying they're fed up. Fed up with a life, say Abdual Azeez (ph), that is just dreary survival.

There's nothing for us, no jobs, he says. When we look for jobs, employers look at us. They want to know our origin, our address, and that's the end of that.

The French revolution's famous promise of liberty, equality, and fraternity has failed these young people who were born in France and have nowhere else to call home. Instead of integrating, they are now increasingly turning towards their own.

Back at the housing project, 54-year-old Husara (ph) tells us the authorities alienate these young people. As soon as the cops see a group of youngsters, she says, they start chasing them. They ask for their papers. When the kids shout that they're French, the cops insult them and throw their papers on the ground.

We hope it will improve, says Kareem, but the authorities have to do their part. They have to do something for the young to help them, instead of leaving them to rot in these ghettos. They need to help us get jobs and improve our lives, then things will calm down.

Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Vishisubwa (ph), France.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And now to another part of the world. Law enforcement officials in Australia say they have defused a large-scale terrorist attack there. Hundreds of Australian police carried out raids in Melbourne and Sydney. Seventeen suspects have been arrested, but the drama didn't end there. As we see in this report from Chris Reasen (ph), he's with Australia's 7 News.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS REASEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Outside the Melbourne magistrate's court, associates of the men caught up in Australia's largest anti-terror operation decided they'd had enough media attention. That's Channel 7's Matt Rose (ph) caught in the middle of the melee. Another camera took the force of the chair thrown at their legs (ph).

(INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A drink.

REASEN: Inside court it had been just as explosive as prosecutors detailed an extraordinary plot. Nine Melbourne men allegedly hell-bent on carrying out a Jihad or holy war in Australia. The court heard they'd been planning for 16 month, stockpiling the same chemicals used in this year's London bombings and training at a camp outside Melbourne. Among the accused, alleged leader Melbourne Cleric Abdul Benbrika. Each was charged with being a member of a terrorist organization.

But in Sydney, the accusation was far more severe. The seven suspects were walked into the police operation center this morning and locked in individual cells, accused of conspiring to plan for a terrorist attack, namely to manufacture explosives.

ADAM HOUDA, LAWYER: There is no evidence in these cases that terrorism was contemplated or being planned by any particular persons at any particular time or at any particular place.

REASEN: Under extraordinary security driven to central court late this afternoon, the complex was surrounded by a hundred armed police. The accused remained in the holding cells and made no courtroom appearance or appeal for bail. They'll appear again on Friday.

Chris Reasen, 7 News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Picking through the debris in Southern Indiana this morning. It's the search for -- not for belongings, but actually still for victims.

Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ed Lavandera in Evansville, Indiana, where the search and rescue efforts do continue this morning. But now there is talk of how the residents and survivors from this area are going to be allowed to come back home.

KAGAN: And he's not running for re-election, but Arnold Schwarzenegger will get a very good idea today of how California voters feel about him. CNN Political Analyst Carlos Watson breaks down the ballot battles on this election day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We know where hope is for our child and we can't get it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: And the battle to save a little boy's life. His parents are taking on their HMO. Who should decide on the best medical care for him? That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: To Southern Indiana now. Federal emergency management teams are on the scene. They are assessing the damage from Sunday's deadly tornado. And a state of emergency is now in place. The twister killed at least 22 people and left scenes of death and devastation across a wide area beginning in Northern Kentucky. It first touched down across the Ohio River from Evansville. Then it moved to the northeast, crossed the river and continued its rampage into Indiana. Near Evansville, it took a deadly aim at the Eastbrook Trailer Park killing at least 18 people there. Search crews are draining a pond at the trailer park. Yesterday they pulled a body from the water. CNN's Ed Lavandera has the latest now from Evansville.

Ed, hello.

LAVANDERA: Hi, Daryn.

Well, they continue to work that pond, which is on the other edge from where we're standing of this mobile home park. And they say that over the next few hours that job will be finished. And, of course, the hope here is that there will be no more people found, especially victims of this storm found in this effort and that the search and rescue efforts will then pretty much come to a halt here. And now the process will begin of just how to get residents back in here so they can start sifting through the rubble and the wreckage here so they can gather up any kind of personal belongings that they might be able to salvage.

You know, if you take a look from above on this area, you just see how devastating the damage is. And the real depressing part of all this is that the storm had just gone about a hundred yards to the south of where this mobile home park is, all of these people would have been spared. But it took a direct hit and then just kept moving to the northeast. As you mentioned, Daryn, about a 20-mile stretch of area that has been heavily damaged because of this tornado that struck here at 2:00 in the morning on Sunday night.

You know, one of the rescue workers we were talking with said that in the first hour after the storm hit, some 40 people were pulled out of these mobile home alive. But as they started finding bodies, that has really taken its toll on the people who have been working this scene for the last couple of days.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF BRAD ELLSWORTH, VANDERBURGH COUNTY, INDIANA: It's devastating. We know in natural disasters that this is not on the level of Katrina. It's -- our area is very confined and so as far as the scene. But it's devastating this community. You know, young children -- I know the firefighters, the original responders, they're shook up. This is their job. They do it. They do it because they love to help people. But when you pull a young child out of the rubble or someone dies in your arms, it's devastated and these guys need to be commended.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: Authorities say that starting tomorrow residents from this area will be allowed to go back in. You can't live here. There's no water, there's no electricity. Everything's turned off so the crews can do the work that they need to. But starting tomorrow they'll be allowed back in. Some 350 homes here. The vast majority of them either completely destroyed or damaged to some extent. But, you know, people will want to go through the rubble here and find pictures and whatever kind of mementos they might be able to save. And, in the meantime, the work at that pond also will probably wrap up here in the next few hours as well.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Ed Lavandera, live from Evansville. Thank you.

What about the weather today? Our Chad Myers standing by with that.

Hi, Chad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Meanwhile, I want to go back to these pictures from Southern California. An early morning car chase. It's almost part of rush hour there. This is the chase that took place. Interstate 5. And watch this. How about that? The tractor trailer, these semis, coming to the aid of police. They pin in the driver and the chase ended with that -- with the suspect's vehicle wedged between two semi tractor trailer rigs. The suspects, after this, figuring the gig is up, I guess, surrendered without a fight.

We have a developing story coming out of the Pentagon this hour involving the treatment of terror suspects in U.S. custody. Military officials respond to all the attention being brought to the story. Our Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon. She fills us in. That's coming up next.

Also, fears of bird flu. A medical team rushes into action to treat a father and a son. We'll tell you their prognosis.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's go ahead and check out the market. They've been open a little bit less than an hour. Looks like, though, investors are staying, going to sit this one out today on this Tuesday morning. You can see the Dow is down 56 point. The Nasdaq also in negative territory just a bit. It is down seven points.

So let's get to this developing story we have out of the Pentagon. That is where U.S. military officials are considering new guidelines on the interrogation of terror suspects. The issue has gained international attention amid reports of secret CIA prisons being deployed overseas. Our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, has been working the story and joins me now with the latest.

Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. Well, all of this really is an acknowledgment by the Pentagon. Officials tell us flat out, they've learned their lesson from all of the controversy about detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay. The lesson being that there needs to be clear policies set down in writing for everyone to follow.

So today we have the first of several expected initiatives that are going to unfold over the next few weeks. The first item we have today is an 11-page document that requires all interrogations, for the first time, in writing to be humanely conducted. One example that is in this 11-page document, no dogs could be used to harass or intimidate detainees. It says, no torture. That is something that's very politically significant in Congress. Senator John McCain has been pressing for much tighter controls on how detainees are treated. The senator spoke earlier today to AMERICAN MORNING.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: Everybody agrees that has been in combat and knows these situations like General Colin Powell and others believe, that the price we pay for being able to torture people is huge throughout the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Senator McCain very adamant, really pressing the Senate to make sure there are no torture practices allowed. So what does this document do? Well, it says, for the first time, no mental or physical torture. It is banned. It's important. That, of course, has always been banned, but this time in a high-level policy document. No wiggle room. It requires all non-DOD interrogators, such as the CIA, to obey this Pentagon policy when they are questioning those detained by DOD. And it establishes very stringent procedures for reporting any violations of the policy.

But the real question, Daryn, of course, is what happens next? While Senator McCain continues to press his case on Capitol Hill, what is really meant by humane treatment? What practices will be allowed? Will humiliating, degrading and abusive practices be allowed? Those are key words that everybody is watching for.

The next step, we are told, will be an Army field manual that will spell out very specifically what practices interrogators can use against detainees. Much of that is going to remain classified, but it's an issue that everyone is continuing to look at very closely.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr live at the Pentagon.

Barbara, thank you.

It is an off-year election and polls are open in several states this morning. Some key seats are up for grabs and key ballot measures, too. What does it mean to you and to the next round of elections? Our Political Analyst Carlos Watson tells us what to expect just ahead.

And when a child's life is in the balance, who should decide his healthcare? It's a life or death battle between parents and their HMO.

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