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CNN Live Today

Jordan Hotel Attacks; Arvada, Colorado, City Hall Evacuated; Rioting in France Slows; President Bush Speaks Alongside Yemeni President

Aired November 10, 2005 - 10:59   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And we want to update you on a story we are following in downtown Atlanta. These live pictures from our affiliate here in Atlanta, WSB.
A manhunt is under way in downtown Atlanta for an escaped suspect. The man was in the custody of the Fulton County Sheriff's Department. This, in a lot of ways, is going to remind people of what took place back in March, when suspect Brian Nichols escaped from a downtown Atlanta courthouse. He now is charged with going on to kill four people, including a judge and a court reporter and a sheriff's deputy.

We're not sure at this point what the manhunt and what this particular suspect is charged with. We'll bring you the latest as it becomes available.

Also today in the news, the State Department says that one American was among the 56 people killed in suicide attacks on three hotels in Jordan. Most of those killed were Jordanians.

The group Al Qaeda in Iraq is claiming responsibility for the attacks in a Web site posting. That claim has not been verified.

In Iraq, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a Baghdad restaurant today. Authorities say at least 34 people were killed and more than two dozen wounded. The restaurant is frequented by police officers. The bombing was one of a string of attacks targeting Iraqi police and civilians.

A proposal to drill for oil in the Alaska wilderness will not be included in a budget bill headed for a House vote today. Republican moderates forced GOP leaders to drop the plan from the legislation yesterday. It's still included in the Senate budget bill.

This hour, Congress is expected to release the results of an investigation of baseball star Rafael Palmeiro. At issue is whether he lied under oath when he said he never took steroids. He tested positive two months later. Palmeiro says a vitamin B-12 shot he took could have been tainted with the banned substance.

Good morning, and welcome back to CNN LIVE TODAY.

Checking some of the time around the world. Just after 5:00 p.m. in Paris; just after 6:00 in Amman, Jordan; and just after 7:00 in Baghdad. From CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Daryn Kagan.

We begin this hour with the bombings and the bloodshed, the rage and the rioting. We're covering explosions of violence from the Middle East to Europe this morning.

Amman, Jordan, is still reeling from deadly suicide bomb attacks at three Western hotels. At least 56 people were killed.

In Iraq, suicide bombers struck a crowded restaurant in Baghdad today, killing dozens. Officials say the level of violence has diminished, rioting continued for the 14th straight night.

First to Jordan, and a claim of responsibility for the hotel bombings there. On a Web site, the group Al Qaeda in Iraq says it was behind the suicide attacks. The authenticity of the claim has not been verified. We have learned that two of the bombers have been identified as Iraqis and that one American is among the 56 people killed in the attacks.

Jordan's King Abdullah visited the scene of the attacks after cutting short a visit to Kazakhstan. He issued a state condemning the attacks and vowed that Jordan would be resilient.

Among the victims of the bombings were guests attending a wedding celebration at the Radisson hotel. In just the last hour we started to get these wedding pictures into us here at CNN. These are pictures that were taken right before the attack.

Officials say most of those killed in the bombings, as we mentioned, were Jordanian.

The three Western hotels targeted by the suicide bombers are just a few hundred yards apart. And the explosions went off almost at the same time.

Senior International Correspondent Brent Sadler shows us the scene of the destruction at one hotel.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRENT SADLER, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Jordanian security forces are very much in control of the crime scenes, not just here at the Radisson, but also the Grand Hyatt and Days Inn. Jordanian security not letting us penetrate the center at this stage of where that bomb detonated because it's still a very hot crime scene.

I'm now joined here by one of the hotel managers, Bassan Banna.

Were you on duty when this happened? Can you just run us through what's been going on here?

BASSAN BANNA, EXEC. ASST. MGR. RADISSON HOTEL: I received the call. I was off to home after a long day. And around 9:00, 9:15, I received a call that the bomb happened in the hotel. I came back, and I've seen the crime scene. It was measure chaos, and, you know, a lot of Jordanians coming out of the wedding were crying. And there was a lot of ambulances taking casualties away.

It happened -- we believe that a suicide bomber walked into the wedding hall, and he blew himself into -- in the room among the local Jordanian people.

SADLER: How many people were killed here, do you know?

BANNA: We don't have a final estimate or a correct figure. We estimate between 19 to 25.

SADLER: And what are you doing inside the hotel now? The bomb went off in that hall behind us.

BANNA: The bomb went into the wedding hall. It cracked the wall into the bar next door. And there was people sitting here and there, and the wedding people.

And now, as you can see, we are cleaning up. And we are full of strength. I don't think this such incident will put us back. We are determined that we are going to go ahead and keep going.

SADLER: Is the hotel open? Or are you closing it?

BANNA: We are operating. We are fully operating. Our guests were all safe, thank god. Everything was fine.

Most of our guests stayed last night. We had a little bit of inconvenience, but they stayed in the hotel. And the whole scene was secure.

SADLER: Let's just walk along here and see how far we can get, because the area's now a lot clearer than it was. I know Jordanian security are still very much in control.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And we're going to get much more from the Middle East in just a minute. But we have two serious developing stories here in the U.S. we want to get to.

First to Colorado. And that's where we are watching on the right side of your screen.

This is Arvada, Colorado. The city hall there has been evacuated at this hour. That's after a person that they describe in a suspicious hatchback vehicle with propane tanks drove up to the building and then ran away with a duffel bag.

Now, this incident reportedly occurred about 7:00 local time this morning. And that prompted the Jefferson County bomb squad to respond to that scene. We should let you know that the police department for the community is among the offices that have been evacuated. The dispatchers used a reverse 911 system to call people in the area to let them know exactly what was happening. But we are told that people that live in the area, what's happening here in Arvada, Colorado, do not need to evacuate. But the bomb squad there is taking this very seriously.

Our local affiliate, KDVR, is covering the story. Let's listen to what they have to say.

Well, apparently not much. We're -- as we dip in on local affiliate coverage, sometimes we hit it right, and sometimes we don't. But we will check back with that affiliate to find out the latest.

Once again, this is the Arvada City Hall in Colorado being evacuated because a suspicious vehicle drove up, a hatchback vehicle, with propane tanks in the back. And whoever was driving it apparently got out and ran away with a duffel bag.

While that's happening in Colorado, right here in Atlanta, Georgia, a manhunt is under way for a suspect that escaped from custody from Atlanta police. Now, earlier we had reported that it was Fulton County Sheriff's Department that was transporting this suspect. But apparently it was Atlanta PD.

More on Atlanta in a moment. Now I think we can hear from our affiliate in Colorado. Let's listen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... where the car is. And some of the action that's taking place around here, Steve, it's -- it's interesting. There will be a flurry of action, and then like now, it will be kind of calm. And then all of a sudden, someone will jump out of their car and they'll start grabbing tools and start grabbing equipment and then going towards that area.

Yes, sure.

KAGAN: Let me explain why we are hearing sometimes and why we are not. We are able to pick up the feed with the reporter in the field as he talks back to the anchor at the local station at KDVR, but we're -- let's listen again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I'll tell you what, there are some people who are just sitting around here.

Hi, ma'am. We're with FOX 31. We're live on TV Can you tell us what happened and what you saw this morning?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, the doorbell rang, and I got up to answer it, and a policeman was at the door and said that we needed to evacuate the house because there was a suspicious package around our area. And just wanted us to leave the house.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So you've done that. Now, do you live pretty much in this area? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I live right down there at the end white house.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And my uncle's been there for -- he built the house in '68.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, we know that there's obviously a suspicious car in this area that has apparently a propane tank in that -- in that car. What's your -- what's your thought about that? How concerned are you that this is going on in your neighborhood right by your city hall?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, it's kind of strange that it's at a police station and the city hall. But I guess if you want -- you know, if it was the intent to hurt a lot of people, that would do it.

I don't know. It's just kind of rattled. You know?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are going to park out here as long as the police tell you to, correct?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

There are a number of people out here, Steve, who are -- who live in this neighborhood, who are just kind of hanging out. And they are just kind of -- kind of taking things in stride.

In fact, I'm going to walk about 20 or so yards away, Steve, if that's all right, and talk with another neighbor.

And -- yes, I'm with FOX 31. Did you by chance receive a reverse 911? You told me earlier that you thought it was your dog that woke you up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it was my dog that woke me up. And then there was an officer that came to my door and asked us to come out here. And so we've been out here since. That was, what, over -- yes, an hour and a half ago.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's your name?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Vince.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Vince, so when you heard the dog barking, obviously you come outside. What are you seeing? What are you hearing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw the fire truck, a bomb squad truck, about four cop cars, and a ton of people standing around.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And this is obviously your neighborhood.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So this is where you live.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You were telling me a minute ago that you would never expect something like this to happen in your neighborhood. But obviously...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, not at all. Not at all. Not at all. Totally unexpected. And to tell you the truth, I think whoever did this is an idiot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Well, that maybe goes without saying.

Steve, do you have any questions? OK. Sure.

KAGAN: All right. We're going to continue to make the most of our affiliates both in Colorado and here in Atlanta.

Once again, if you just joined us, we were listening into KDVR, our local affiliate there in Arvada, Colorado, following the story of what they believe is a suspicious person drove a hatchback car up to the city hall and police department. And they believe it has propane tanks in the back of his car, and then ran away.

So they're trying to deal with that. The bomb squad on the scene. The police department having been evacuated there.

On the left part of your screen, what you're watching is a manhunt taking place through downtown Atlanta. Earlier today, a suspect who was being transported by the Atlanta Police Department escaped.

Not sure what the suspect is charged with. And certainly not sure how he escaped. But that manhunt goes on with great intensity here in Atlanta, Georgia.

And we'll continue to follow both stories and bring you the latest information as it becomes available.

Right now, we'll take a quick break. And we are back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Once again, we continue to follow two developing stories. One in Colorado, where a suspicious hatchback vehicle with propane tanks in the back was pulled up to the local city hall and police department. That has been evacuated.

And here in Atlanta, Georgia, the manhunt is on for a suspect that escaped from custody with Atlanta police.

More on both those stories just ahead.

Meanwhile, to world news. It's been two weeks, but police say that the lawlessness that has swept France is slowing down sharply.

Our Jim Bittermann joins me now from Paris -- Jim.

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn.

Some reports just coming in now about eight police officers who have been suspended from the national police force because of an investigation that's taking place. They are -- allegedly were involved in a beating incident on Monday night in La Conevre (ph), which is a very tough suburb of Paris.

A young man was beaten, although apparently not too seriously. He apparently suffered lesions on the forehead, on the forehead and on the right foot. And these police officers have been suspended until the investigation is complete. But no confirmation yet, but that being announced by the police spokeswoman.

That kind of goes along with the tone that was set earlier in the day by President Jacques Chirac, who said that, in fact, that he understands the frustration that young people feel in France with the injustice and the discrimination they sometimes face. But he also said that they have to understand as well they have responsibilities, too.

He said that everyone here is a child of France no matter what their national origin. And that they have responsibilities and duties as well.

As far as the situation on the ground is concerned, things have calmed down a little bit overnight. The way they measure things here, it's probably not a great way, but they measure it in terms of burned vehicles. The number of burned vehicles somewhat down last night. And we're looking to see what will happen a little later on this evening -- Daryn.

KAGAN: It looks like it's getting dark there in Paris. So you'll be watching it for us. Jim Bittermann, thank you.

We are watching two developing stories here in the U.S. One in Colorado, where a suspicious vehicle holding propane tanks was pulled up to the local city hall and police department. And here in Atlanta, Georgia, the manhunt is on for an escaped suspect.

We'll update you on both stories just ahead here on CNN LIVE TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: And we'll have more on the developing stories here in the U.S.

First though, getting back to the attacks overnight in Jordan, it should come as little surprise that Jordan would be the target of terrorist attacks. The moderate Arab state has a history of sympathizing with the West and fending off plots by al Qaeda.

Here now are the facts.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SR. ARAB AFFAIRS EDITOR (voice over): In the days after September 11, Jordan's King Abdullah was the first Arab leader to visit the White House. When President Bush designated Iran and Iraq as part of an "axis of evil," despite the fact that Jordan had diplomatic ties to both nations, King Abdullah endorsed the president's description.

Joint intelligence operations between the two countries date back even before September 11.

Jordan has received more than $200 million in aid each year since 1998 to help fight terrorism.

In December of 1999, U.S. and Jordanian cooperation uncovered a plot to attack Western hotels on the eve of the millennium. That plot was linked to al Qaeda.

In December of 2002, Jordan announced that two al Qaeda operatives had confessed to assassinating U.S. diplomat Lawrence Foley in Amman.

Experts say al Qaeda still has several cells operating inside Jordan.

Though Jordanian leaders would not publicly endorse the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Jordan was a key staging point for the U.S. military. And the nation has been helping train new Iraqi police and security forces.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: As we've mentioned, Jordan has close ties with the U.S. and has been an ally in the war on terror.

Joining me now to talk about how that and other issues may have factored into this attack, our senior editor for Arab affairs, Octavia Nasr.

Octavia, good to see you.

Let's look at Jordan first, the idea that perhaps Jordan is paying a price for what has been its policy to cooperate for the west in Israel.

NASR: Cooperate for its friendship. Some people call it partnership with the West. Yes, the peace treaty with Israel. But especially the role it plays in Iraq.

It is a very important port leading into Iraq. You know, it -- as we said earlier, the war was launched because of Jordan through that border with Iraq.

So yes, it seems that Arab experts agree that this is what Jordan is paying for, that relationship, which really some people call a partnership. It's a lot more than just a relationship.

KAGAN: I have about four more questions to pick your brain on. We're going to be fluid here. Can you hang with me a second?

NASR: Absolutely.

KAGAN: OK. We're going to get back to you in just a minute.

First, though, let's go back to Colorado and talk about what's happening in Arvada, Colorado.

Susan Medina is on the phone. She is a spokesman for the city.

Susan, hello?

SUSAN MEDINA, ARVADA, COLORADO, POLICE: Good morning.

KAGAN: First, is it Arvada or Arvada? How do you say it?

MEDINA: Thank you. It's actually Arvada.

KAGAN: Arvada, like Nevada.

MEDINA: Yes.

KAGAN: OK. Very good. That answers a big question for me. Arvada, Colorado.

What's happening there at city hall?

MEDINA: Well, our city hall complex was evacuated this morning just after 7:00 this morning. Basically what happened was a suspicious vehicle pulled into the lot, a lone individual inside the car grabbed a duffel bag from inside and ran from the scene.

So being a suspicious incident, obviously our officers were investigating. They spotted a propane tank inside the car. And so the Jefferson County bomb squad was called out to investigate.

The city hall complex was evacuated. It still is at this point in time.

KAGAN: And we're looking at live pictures now. I don't know if you're able to see them, but I'm looking at a brown perhaps orange car, an older car.

MEDINA: Correct.

KAGAN: And so that's the vehicle in question. And I think we see the robots from the bomb squad there getting close to it.

MEDINA: Exactly. And what they are doing through the bomb squad is using these robotic equipment to be their eyes and their ears and really even their hands, so they can stay safe but yet really take a good look at what's inside that car to determine what it is.

KAGAN: Any idea about the person who was driving this car, where they might be?

MEDINA: You know, we don't know at this point. Obviously we want to contact that person. And we are conducting an investigation at this point. And hopefully we can identify him soon.

KAGAN: Or any information about who the car might be registered to?

MEDINA: Certainly part of the investigation. And when we feel confident that we have confirmed information, we'll release that.

KAGAN: So, in terms of the evacuation, I know one of the complications here is that the police department is inside city hall as well.

MEDINA: It is, but we are very prepared for situations just like this. We have mobile command vans that's housing some of our dispatchers. We have Westminster Police Department, one of our neighboring agencies, assisting us in anything possible. So we feel very confident we've got our finger on the situation.

KAGAN: Not from the angle that we are looking at right now, but on the other side of the car I saw some busted out glass. Did the robot, do you know, break out the glass so it could get a better look at what's happening inside that car?

MEDINA: From the information I have received -- and I have not seen any visual of this, please mind you with that -- but from what I have received is that the robot had breached the car. So there was an explosion a little earlier. And that explosion was the robot breaching the car so they could get a better look at what was inside.

KAGAN: All right. We will continue to monitor the situation.

Susan Medina with the town of Arvada in Colorado bringing us the latest on what is happening there.

MEDINA: Thank you.

KAGAN: Let's bring Octavia back. Octavia, put the Blackberry back down. Caught you doing that while we were talking to Colorado.

Talking about again what's happening in Jordan and what this government must face now in terms of what they are finding. Iraqis is the information we are getting, that these were Iraqis that committed these suicide bombings.

NASR: Yes. We are waiting on confirmation on that. They did identify -- they said the three people who carried out the attacks, it will be interesting to see who these people are. Iraqis, but, you know, what kind of Iraqis?

You know, there was a claim, as you mentioned earlier, from Al Qaeda in Iraq claiming responsibility for the attack. But again, that could not be authenticated. The claim had an interesting message in it, though. It said that there will be more details forthcoming, which means in the case of al Qaeda in Iraq, there will be video or maybe wills by those who carried out the attacks that they videotaped before carrying out the attacks.

So it's going to be interesting to see what's going to happen next.

You know, I like that map that they had put up there to explain basically how the region is and the important role that Jordan plays in that region.

KAGAN: Can we put that map back up?

NASR: So, if we have that map...

KAGAN: There. OK.

NASR: There we go. See, this is Jordan. Look, you have Israel, you have Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and of course Lebanon next to Syria there. All of them -- there is the map that we are looking for.

The region is right now in, some people will say, bad shape. And I'm going to read this quote to you just so you understand how people feel right now, you know, about this.

KAGAN: Where is this coming from?

NASR: This is coming from Elaph. Elaph is a Saudi online newspaper. And this person, Faleh al-Hamrani says, "The series of terrorist acts whose very ugly face was unmasked in Iraq and whose sparks suddenly arrive din Jordan, has proved again that no single country is immune to those terrorist acts and that the octopus of death is threatening everyone. The question then is, 'who is next?'"

You have people in the Middle East right now wondering who's going to be next. They feel that the red line has been crossed, and now they are waiting to see who's going to be next.

KAGAN: Well, and what about the anger? These are -- these are -- you are blowing up our own people, is what I think people would say if they lived there in the region.

NASR: The anger is there. You see it in the streets, people demonstrating. People on Arab networks going on and saying this is unIslamic, this is unacceptable in any religion, in any form. No ideology can support that.

It's interesting -- you know, when we say the red line has been crossed, you know, you have all these imams and all those Muslim clerics going on television, writing articles, writing fatwahs. You know, saying it's unIslamic to do this. And yet, people still carry out these attacks.

So people who are talking about a red line right now, this is what they are talking about. They are talking about people who are so radical, so extreme, they are not listening to anyone. And this is where the fear comes from.

Those experts that we talk to or we hear on television or we read in papers, this is what they are warning of.

They are warning of people who are going to stop at nothing. And basically they are saying that now the whole region is at stake. And they think that if leaders don't get together, all those countries that we saw on that map, if they don't get together and figure out a way to fight terrorism, it looks like it's so everywhere right now and so hard to get and nail down.

You mentioned those Iraqis, you know. If they ID'd those Iraqis that carried out the attacks, then what? That's the question.

That's what experts are saying, then what? Is that going to lead to an organization, to a group, to more arrests? Or is it just that we ID'd them and that's it?

KAGAN: And not safe there today.

Octavia Nasr, thank you. Good to see you.

Stay tuned next hour for a special report. It is called "Terror in Jordan." CNN International will be live from Amman, Jordan, beginning at noon Eastern. The guests will include the deputy prime minister of Jordan.

And we'll have more news for you after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Two serious stories we are following here at CNN.

On the left part of your screen, a manhunt is under way in downtown Atlanta. Authorities are searching by air and on the land for a man who escaped from police while being transferred to the Fulton County Jail.

Not immediately clear how he managed to escape or what he is charged with. But more on that in just a moment.

Meanwhile, on the right part of your screen, that is Arvada, Colorado. Just having a chance to talk to a spokeswoman from that town.

A suspicious car drove up to city hall earlier today with a propane tank in the back. And the driver got out, grabbed the duffel bag and ran away.

So they have evacuated city hall. The police department for Arvada, Colorado, is in there as well, and the surrounding neighborhood.

More on those stories as they develop.

But right now to Iraq, where suicide bombers targeted Iraqi police and army recruits today with deadly results. One attack happened in Tikrit. The other in a crowded Baghdad restaurant that is frequented by police.

CNN's Aneesh Raman has details in this report from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At least three suicide attacks ripping through Iraq. The deadliest taking place at 9:30 this morning at a restaurant in central Baghdad. A suicide bomber wearing an explosives vest entered the restaurant on Abu Nawar Street (ph), one of the man commercial thoroughfares through the Iraqi capital, and blew himself up.

At least 30 people confirmed dead. Tens of others wounded in that attack.

We haven't seen a restaurant targeted like this since mid June. At that time, the target, it seemed, were Iraqi security forces who were gathering at restaurant near the Green Zone for breakfast.

Also in Tikrit, north of the Iraqi capital, a suicide car bomb detonating near an Iraqi army medical facility. At least four people confirmed there -- confirmed dead there.

Also today, Iraqi police saying they have found the bodies of 27 civilians. All of them, their hands bound behind their back, shot execution style. The discovery comes near the Iranian border in the Wisert (ph) province. They say the bodies have been there for days.

Discoveries like this are nothing new in Iraq. It always remains unclear, though, exactly who are behind these killings.

Now, all of this does beg the perennial question of how to curb these suicide attacks. That answer remains twofold.

First, of course, securing Iraq's border. That Syrian border continues to see a flow of foreign fighters and weapons and cash into Iraq. Along that end, Operation Steel curtain, a combined U.S. and Iraqi military operation continues to be under way in and around that Syrian border.

Secondly is of course getting better intelligence, better information from the Iraqi civilian population as to the whereabouts of insurgents who are living among the civilians in this, an urban warfare fight.

For this, you need the Iraqi security forces to become this face of the security apparatus in Iraq.

Aneesh Raman, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(NEWSBREAK) KAGAN: A plan to open Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling meets stiff resistance in Congress. We'll tell you what that means for a House budget bill. That news coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The U.N. Security Council today condemned the suicide bombings that killed 56 people at three Western hotels in Jordan. The group, Al Qaeda in Iraq, claimed responsibility for the attacks in a Web site posting. That claim has not been verified. But U.S. officials say they consider it credible. Jordanians took to the streets of Amman today to protest the hotel bombings.

And this programming note. Our colleagues at CNN International are putting together a special program on the bombings in Jordan. From survivor stories to the threat of al Qaeda and implications here in the U.S. We'll have details beginning at noon eastern, right here on CNN.

Despite the claims of responsibility for yesterday attacks in Jordan and from an Al Qaeda-linked group, it has been more than a year since the world last saw and heard from Al Qaeda's number-one man, Osama Bin Laden. This videotaped message aired on Al-Jazeera on October 29th, 2004. And last December, there were two audio tape messages from the Al Qaeda leader. It's not clear if Bin Laden is dead, alive or has altered his way of delivering messages.

What is clear, is the threat of terrorism remains in the U.S. and abroad. Joining us now with his insight on Bin laden and the terror attack in Jordan is Harvard University expert and terrorism expert Jim Walsh.

Jim, good to see you.

JIM WALSH, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: Good morning, Daryn.

KAGAN: Jim, what do you make of these attacks in Jordan?

WALSH: Well, I think we have a couple of different things going on, two very different dynamics. You'll remember the bombings in London. That was more of a franchise situation, where you had locals who had taken up Bin Laden's cause, or Al Qaeda's cause and attacked locally.

Here, I think we have something somewhat different; it's more spillover than franchising. And by that, I mean we have Zarqawi, who is very active in Iraq, organizing insurgents, attacking Americans, attacking Shiite mosques. And of course what country borders Iraq? Jordan. And so for reasons of proximity, it's easy for those insurgents or suicide bombers to spill over into a neighboring country and launch an attack.

KAGAN: I want to pick up on this idea of the franchising of Al Qaeda and play a soundbite from back in September. That's when the chief of U.S. central command, General Richard Abizaid talked about this very topic. Let's listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. RICHARD ABIZAID, CHIEF OF U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: It's not like IBM, a monolith that's centrally led from the central headquarters. It's much more like McDonald's, a franchise that is decentralized and dangerous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Jim, what would say about that thought?

WALSH: I'd say that's consistent with not only what the Pentagon is saying there, but what U.S. intelligence agencies, both the CIA and the Defense Intelligence Agency have been saying for some time, is that Al Qaeda has changed. It used to be an organization, a pretty tightly-controlled, hierarchal organization, that used to train people who would then go on to their own causes, but the organization itself was rather small.

Now what we have is a movement, and that's really bad news. It's not just an organization. There are recruits. Rather than coming from the top down, it's from the bottom up, who are saying in their own living rooms or villages in London, and Bali and Spain and elsewhere, hey, let's go join this cause. So if new recruits who are thinking globally. That is to say, anti-U.S. in this case, but acting locally in their own neighborhoods or cities, as was the case in London.

KAGAN: Jim, I'm just finding out now we expect to get some videotape in that was shot of President Bush earlier today, and he is asked about the attacks that take place in Jordan.

So as that comes in, I'm going to toss to that, and you can listen in with me. And let me know what you think.

Meanwhile, while we wait for that to come in, let me ask you this. Where do you think Osama Bin Laden is?

WALSH: Well, I've had the same answer for three years, and I see no reason to give it up at this point. I'm going to stick to my "frontier provinces in Pakistan" answer. And you raise this issue, this question comes right at an important time.

KAGAN: Hold that thought. We are getting these pictures in. Here's President Bush along side the Yemeni president.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Mr. President, welcome. I'm looking forward to our discussion. I'm looking forward to our continued work together to make sure that Al Qaeda and people affiliated with Al Qaeda are brought to justice.

Today, the world saw with horror the attacks on innocent people in Jordan by killers who defile a great religion. I spoke to King Abdullah. I expressed our nation's deep concern and compassion for those who lost their lives and their families.

The bombings should remind all of us that there is an enemy in this world that is willing to kill innocent people, willing to bomb a wedding celebration, in order to advance their cause.

And for those of us who love freedom, and for those of us who respect every human life, no matter whether you're from the West or from your neighborhood, Mr. President, we have an obligation and a duty to remain strong, remain firm and to bring these people to justice.

And so, Mr. President, welcome.

ALI ABDALLAH SALIH, PRESIDENT OF YEMEN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Thank you, Mr. President.

I am delighted to have this friend -- with our friend George Bush. This is probably the third meeting that we have together. And we discuss a variety of mutual issues. And our mutual objective here is the declaration of war against terrorism and extremism. We have seen it during 9/11 and after.

I am here to reaffirm Yemen's position, that it is clear and firm -- our resolve is firm to continue to work with the United States and the international community in combating terror.

SALIH (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Since yesterday, I had the opportunity to have a variety of meetings with members of your administration, and I'm delighted to have the opportunity to see you and meet with you today, Mr. President. We will have a variety of issues that we will discuss, bilateral issues as well as issues of interest to both the international community and world peace and stability.

I thank you very much for your hospitality and for receiving me here.

BUSH: Thank you, sir.

Good job. I appreciate it. Thanks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: President Bush, sitting alongside the president of Yemen as they talk about the attacks that took place earlier today in Jordan, and other terrorism issues.

We want to welcome back in Jim Walsh. I interrupted you with your thought. You were saying you do believe that Osama bin Laden is still alive, even though we haven't heard from him in more than ten months. And you were saying where you think he might be.

WALSH: Yes, I was saying he's probably -- like everyone thinks he's somewhere in the frontier provinces of Pakistan. But there are growing doubts about whether he is alive or not; in part, as you suggest, because we haven't heard from him.

A lot of analysts feel burned on this particular issue though. Because you'll remember, right after 9/11, we heard from him, he heard from him. He was constantly putting out messages. And then we had radio silence for a while. And some folks thought, well, maybe he's dead. You know, he was alleged to have a liver problem and his arm was hurting. And then he popped up again. And so after that, from now on, I think, the -- most people in the trade, say, well we want direct evidence before we conclude that he's dead.

But you know, one type of evidence we may get as a result of this bombing. In the past, in the recent past, when bin Laden has spoken, it has been often after a major attack, to sort of call attention to himself or to give credit to the bombers. So it will be interesting, following these attacks in Jordan and the big bomb in Baghdad this week, whether bin Laden does appear again to sort of take credit for all of that. Even though he's only directly involved, if at all.

And if he doesn't show up after a major attack, that will fuel speculation that he's died or the earthquake in Pakistan has killed him or something of that nature.

KAGAN: All right, Jim Walsh from Harvard. Jim, thank you.

WALSH: Thank you, Daryn.

KAGAN: We're going to get the latest on -- you're welcome. You're welcome here any time. Thank you, Jim.

Two big stories developing here in the U.S. Arvada, California -- Colorado -- I keep doing that. Arvada, Colorado. That's on the right part of your screen. That brown car with the suspicious propane tank that has caused the evacuation of city hall.

And on the left-hand side of your screen, a man hunt under way in Atlanta, Georgia. We'll tell you more about that, just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Two developing stories on the left-hand part of your screen. Atlanta, Georgia, there is a man hunt on for a suspect that escaped from Atlanta police custody earlier today.

By listening into Atlanta P.D. scanner traffic, we were able to get a little bit more of the description of the man they're looking for. They say his name is James Henderson (ph). They describe him as an African-American man, 5'9, 190 pounds. There's his picture. Blue jeans, a white shirt, blue wind breaker with white stripes on the jacket.

And we're also told that James Henderson has flex-cuffs on. Once again, getting that description by seeing that picture and listening to scanner traffic from Atlanta P.D. Still don't know what James Henderson would be in custody for in the first place.

Other big story taking place in Arvada, Colorado, where somebody drove up a suspicious car to City Hall earlier today. It has a propane tank in the back of the car. And the person grabbed a duffel bag, according to reports, and simply ran away. That's not the car. That's a funky painted Volkswagen Beetle. The car that has a propane tank in it has -- it's a hatchback, a brown hatchback. And there was one of the robots from the bomb squad alongside it.

No idea who would have done that and who the car might be registered to. But the city hall has been evacuated. The local police department is in there, as well. And there, as you can see, somebody -- a member of the local bomb squad going to the scene there in Arvada, Colorado.

Onward now. Some see it as a rare thing in Washington. The House is set to vote today to save some money. How about that? A bill that would trim $54 billion in a five-year spending slowdown. The action is designed to offset the hurricane costs. Automatic increases for student loan programs, Medicaid, food stamps and other services would be cut.

And to give the bill a chance to pass, Republicans had to drop a provision that would have opened a vast stretch of Alaskan wilderness to oil exploration. That measure is included in the bill that the Senate has approved. So it could be revised by negotiators, who will reconcile the House and Senate versions.

Other news today. "New York Times" reporter Judith Miller is moving on. She says she is retiring from the paper after 28 years with mixed feelings. The retirement comes in the criticism of Miller's role in the investigation into the leak of a CIA's agent identity. Miller spent 85 days in jail after refusing to give up her source in the CIA leak investigation. She later testified before a grand jury.

In a farewell letter to the to the editor, Miller says, "Through some colleagues disagree with my decision to testify, for me to have stayed in jail after achieving my conditions would have seemed self aggrandizing, martyrdom or worse, a deliberate effort to obstruct the prosecutor's inquiry into serious crimes. Partly because of such objections from some colleagues, I've decided after 28 years, with mixed feelings, to leave the 'Times.'"

You can hear from Miller herself this evening. She'll be a guest on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE" at 9:00 Eastern, 6:00 Pacific. We will have a check of weather and the business world just ahead.

Plus, a common sleep disorder that could lead to a stroke. Details of a new study coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

In health news, three Asian nations are reporting more outbreaks of bird flu in poultry. That word comes a day after world health experts unveiled a $1 billion plan to halt the spread of the virus. New outbreaks reported in China, Vietnam and Thailand. The deadly H5- N1 virus has infected 124 people across Asia, killing 64. Yale researchers say that sleep apnea significantly increases the risk of stroke. The most common form of the disorder doubled stroke risk. Severe apnea tripled it. Apnea narrows the upper airwaves and restricts breathing, and that cause a sufferer to wake up frequently, perhaps five or more times an hour. That cycling in and out of sleep apparently inflames the blood vessels.

Health news is always just a click away. Logon to CNN.com/health. Today you can find out how grocers are targeting boomers with problems like obesity and diabetes.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: I want to get this in real quickly from our local affiliate WSB, the manhunt that's taking place right now in downtown Atlanta. James Henderson is the suspect. WSB is reporting that was facing charges on drugs, reckless conduct and cruelty to children. That manhunt goes on, as well as the suspicious car in Arvada, Colorado.

We'll continue to update those stories for you. That's the suspect's picture there in Atlanta that they're looking for, James Henderson, wearing blue jeans and white T-shirt, blue windbreaker and white stripes, escaped from custody with Atlanta police earlier today.

We will continue to update those stories for you, even though we're turning over to international news. I'm Daryn Kagan.

Stay tuned for a special edition of "YOUR WORLD TODAY," with Michael Holmes and Zain Verjee. Their topic, terror in Jordan. We will update you on those United States stories as developments become available.

All that ahead after a quick break.

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