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Elections In Iraq; Elections for Iraq in U.S.; Suspicious Package In Florida; NYC Transit Strike Possible; Fixing The Levees In New Orleans

Aired December 15, 2005 - 10:00   ET

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

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We're into overtime.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, we are. Let's get right to Daryn Kagan. She's at the CNN Center. Going to be with you for the next couple of hours.

Hey, Daryn, good morning.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to both of you.

We already have two developing situations we are following both in California and in Florida. I'll get to both of those.

First, let's talk about what's happening in Florida. A suspicious package has been discovered along the Palmetto Expressway and they've had to close down that expressway. They do have the bomb squad on the scene there but it's caused a huge traffic mess. State Road 826 closed in Hialeah northwest of Miami. That's near the Okeechobee Road exit for those of you who are local and looking to figure out exactly where this is happening. This is tape from just a little bit ago of the bomb squad checking out the suspicious package. We'll keep our eye on that.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, in the mid-city area, very close to the Santa Monica Freeway, a really nasty accident. At least one fatality here. A car versus bus accident. And as part of that accident, they ran into a fire hydrant. So there was a lot of water to deal with on the scene as well there early. And there's tape of that situation early in Los Angeles this morning. We will keep an eye on both situations here in the U.S.

Meanwhile, a landmark event in Iraq has just ended. The polls are closing right now after they were kept open an extra hour because of high voter turnout. Now tallying the ballots is underway as that nation chooses new leadership. Extensive coverage ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY.

First, though, let's check on other stories happening now in the news.

Election day in Iraq comes against the backdrop of more U.S. casualties. The military says one U.S. Marine was killed Wednesday in Ramadi by a homemade bomb. An American death was also reported today in Afghanistan when U.S. and Afghan troops on patrol near Kandahar came under attack. Allegations that the CIA is operating secret prisons in Poland and Romania will be formally investigated by the European parliament. It will also look into whether terror suspects were shuttled around military bases in Europe aboard CIA flights. If those allegations are substantiated, the European parliament warns sanctions could be imposed on any member nations that is involved.

To Mississippi now. A 77-year-old murder became the nation's oldest person to be executed in 30 years. John B. Nixon Senior was put to death by lethal injection for the killing for hire of a woman 20 years ago. Two of Nixon's sons were also involved in that crime. Nixon went to his death last night saying one of his son had pulled the trigger.

And across the southeast, people woke up this morning to the sight of ice glisten on just about everything. An update on that winter storm is just ahead.

I'm Daryn Kagan at CNN Center in Atlanta. Good to be back with you here on this Thursday morning.

Iraq's elections for a permanent government ended just a few minutes ago. Polls were allowed to remain open for an extra hour due to the large turnout of voters. That demand to participate in democracy is considered just one sign of success today. The election for a national assembly took place without major violence. The heavy turnout included some Sunni Arab areas that did not take part in the January vote. Official results may not be announced for several days.

Now amid all the voting, there are still reminders of instability. Explosions were heard in Baghdad and Ramadi early in the day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: High officials, government people will go and cast their vote. And there's been a huge explosion just behind me. No idea what it is.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That poling station, though you can't see them from here, is being manned by tribal militias. They're (INAUDIBLE) polling station. That was one of the first big explosions in this city. That's what we're talking about here. Anderson, we have to go in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: And we're going to get more now on the voting from our Christiane Amanpour in Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're here inside the polling station which is now closed and the officials are counting the ballots. The electoral commission here did extend the balloting for an hour for those provinces and polling stations that felt they need more time. We don't know how many did extend their voting hours, but apparently, in some areas, there were significant numbers of people still outside the polling stations when the door was meant to close at 5:00 p.m. local time. So they did get an hour extra where it was needed.

We're told at this particular polling station in Baghdad, that 80 percent of those who were registered to vote here did cast their ballot. That's higher than last time around in January. And we also know, because we were in a Sunni neighborhood of Baghdad earlier today, that the Sunni turnout was very high here in Baghdad, which is a huge difference from last January's elections when the Sunni population boycotted.

Back then there was calls by the Sunni leadership not to vote as long as there was an American occupation here, and also there were significant threats from the terrorists and insurgents who had dropped leaflets threatening to turn Baghdad and people's neighborhoods into rivers of blood if they even came to the polls.

This time it is very, very different. They've turned out because they realized that they didn't have a significant voice in the parliament and now they want to change that and actually get a voice, get representation and be able to achieve their rights in that way. Everybody is looking at this election because they want to know whether it will stop the violence and stop the insurgency. Most people, whether they be Iraqis, whether they be American military commanders here, whether they be U.S. diplomats or others, do not believe that this election by itself will stop the violence and will end the insurgency. They expect it to continue, but they hope it's a step in the right direction.

For their part, the people overwhelmingly say that security is what they're voting for. They never dreamed in their wildest nightmares that they would be living through this kind of violence. Twenty-six thousand Iraqis at least have been killed since the U.S. invasion by the insurgents in this country, according to an Iraqi body count organization. So it's a huge amount of violence that people hope will come to an end.

And they told us that that is what they were really voting for, as well as basic services, a proper economy, reconstruction, things like electricity, garbage collection, water and sewage. All of these things that were promised that have not yet come to bear.

Christiane Amanpour, CNN, reporting from Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Right now live in Baghdad, we're looking at pictures of the Iraqi Electoral Commission. They are giving their first assessment about how the election went today and we'll be listening in and giving you the highlights of that.

Meanwhile, did you know there are Iraqi ex-patriots casting ballots here in the U.S. and in 14 other countries around the world? CNN's Gary Nurenberg joins us now. He's at one poling station in McLean, Virginia, which is just outside Washington.

Good morning.

GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

There's a celebratory (ph) atmosphere here. Just off camera, people were playing Iraqi music and dancing in the parking lot. Many of them having driven hundreds of miles in order to be here today. It is the third day of voting here in McLean.

And when polls opened at 9:00, there were lines of Iraqis living in the United States who were lining up to vote. About 1,400 Iraqis have voted here in the last three days. Election officials believe that number will climb to about 2,500 by tonight. When the polls closed tonight, votes will be counted here in Virginia, so we should get some early results very early tomorrow morning.

As you know, voters are pick a national parliament, which will in turn pick a president and vice president for the country. We are told people came from hundreds of miles. Frank Muhammad stated in Boston last night at 11:20, drove all night in a van with 11 family and friends.

Why take all that time and make all that effort to do this?

FRANK MUHAMMAD, IRAQI-AMERICAN VOTER: Because just because being of like being such a Iraqi nationality, so I just proud of, you know, just having like election and vote and having a chance after a while to vote for such a something. So after like 30 years we haven't voted (INAUDIBLE) times (ph). So this is the second time we've been voting and we are so happy. We been driving all the way down from Boston and having a good day and happy. And we've been happy down here to vote.

NURENBERG: Frank, are you optimist that this is going to work? That the elections will lead to a parliament that will eventually lead to a democracy that can function in your country?

MUHAMMAD: Yes.

NURENBERG: Why? Why that optimism?

MUHAMMAD: The whole reason is like, because people is different now. It's a different situation down there and the people are thinking different such as like being after like 30 years they've been in such a like -- all (INAUDIBLE) Iraqi regime and they are like always down there. So now they're feeling free. And it's going to work really good.

NURENBERG: Frank, thank you very much. Safe trip home to Boston. You've got a storm to beat.

MUHAMMAD: No problem. (INAUDIBLE). Yes, thank you.

NURENBERG: Take care.

MUHAMMAD: Bye. Nice to meet you.

NURENBERG: Daryn, I just got some blue ink on my palm from Frank's finger. Everybody's leaving here holding up those fingers proudly. We'll be here throughout the day and check with you later.

KAGAN: Great souvenir to have. Gary Nurenberg in McLean, Virginia. Thank you.

And this just in to CNN. We want to go back to the situation in South Florida. The suspicious package they found along the Palmetto Expressway. They have just -- police just blown up that package. That has kept the Palmetto Expressway, as you can see, at a standstill.

On the phone with me right now, Officer Robert Williams with Miami-Dade P.D.

Officer, good morning to you.

OFFICER ROBERT WILLIAMS, MIAMI-DADE POLICE: Good morning to you.

KAGAN: What can you tell me about the situation?

WILLIAMS: Well, I mean, the situation is still ongoing. I'm not in contact with the bomb squad that's there and also as far as to give you a blow by blow. But we were summoned by FHP, Florida Highway Patrol, because a suspicious package was found on the side of the roadway. Our bomb squad was summoned and ordered to go out there and I'm hearing that the package has been detonated, which is standard procedure for us.

KAGAN: And what about the traffic tie-up. How bad is that?

WILLIAMS: Well, our main concern is the safety of all our travelers in South Florida. And if we are dealing with an explosive device, we'd rather inconvenience travel just a little bit in order so that we can clear the device, if there happens to be one there.

KAGAN: At this point, we don't know if it was an explosive device or perhaps a suitcase that fell off the back of someone's car.

WILLIAMS: That's correct. They detonate it for our safety and for the safety of citizens. And then, at this particular point, they'll do a further investigation to find out exactly what was in there.

KAGAN: Understandable. Officer Robert William, Miami-Dade Police Department, thank you.

WILLIAMS: Thank you.

KAGAN: Well, the other big story out there in the U.S. today is weather. Icy conditions making for treacherous conditions up and down the eastern U.S. The latest on the storm from the CNN Weather Center just ahead.

Also, New Yorkers, get your walking shoes ready. Why subways and buses may come to a grinding halt at midnight.

And have you seen this? It's a story we were all talking about this morning. A baby dropped from a window. You can call it the catch of a lifetime. We have that story for you just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, he blew it up. Man, I'm glad I was focused on that.

KAGAN: And we are taking a look, just a few minutes ago, on what happened in that south Florida Palmetto Expressway. A suspicious package found along that highway. They've closed down the Palmetto Expressway. The bomb squad on the scene and they blew up this black suitcase. And as we look, a live pictures of the bomb squad still on the scene there. Still not even sure what it was but serious enough to close down the Palmetto Expressway to keep those commuters save there this morning. No word on when they plan to reopen that highway.

Also today we're getting word that Senator William Proxmire, he was 90 years old, he was famous for his Golden Fleece Awards which identified government waste. He has passed away. He was, as I said, 90 years old. He was suffering from Alzheimer's disease and he had been living in a convalescent homes just outside of Washington for some time. He was also the author of two books, "Fleecing of America" and he said spent his career trying to get congressman to spend the people's money just like it was their own. He sadly believe he had failed at that goal. Senator William Proxmire dead at the age of 90.

Let's go ahead and check on what weather is doing today. Forecasters predicting a major winter storm today for much of the East Coast. Icy roads overnight made for hazardous driving conditions in Charlotte, North Carolina. And some schools are closed in the western part of the state as crews prepare to deal with poor driving conditions and downed power lines.

In north Georgia, freezing rain and ice brought down tree limbs, closed schools and cut power to more than 100,000 customers. An ice storm warning is in effect for most of northeast Georgia through 6:00 p.m. Eastern today.

What about the weather going forward? It is -- I think the technical word here for weather in Atlanta is yuck. Bonnie Schneider here to tell us more about the southeast and the rest of the country.

Hi, Bonnie.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: And, once again, let's take a look at those live pictures we have from different communities and as they're dealing with the cold and the snow. On the left side of your screen, that's Charlotte, North Carolina, not that you would know it. And on the right side, once again, Roanoke, Virginia, looking as pretty as a postcard. Easy for us to say, although not that great of a day here in Atlanta as well. For all the latest on your icy conditions in your area and around the nation, log on to cnn.com/weather.

The city that never sleeps just might stop moving at midnight. That's because the threat of a transit strike looms over the Manhattan skyline. Our Allan Chernoff is covering that for us this morning.

Allan, it's a good morning today, but tomorrow might have something totally different in store for New Yorkers.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No question about that, Daryn.

Some of the negotiators did sit down at the bargaining table at 7:00 this morning and it looks like it could be a very late night for them because there are still many issues yet to be resolved, including wages, pensions and contributions to health insurance. Now, of course, it's very common for collective bargaining to go down to the wire. That's pretty much what happened in these talks three years ago when a deal was struck in the hours after the strike deadline. But negotiators say this time around there's been especially little progress made so close to the deadline, which is why the mayor says the city has to get ready for the possibility of a strike.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK: The TWU (ph) decides to walk out on New Yorkers. I have no doubt that New Yorkers will pull together and pull through. This would not be a good strike. Let me repeat, there would not be any winners here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHERNOFF: The city has very extensive contingency plans. They include a ban on any cars entering Manhattan below 96th Street with fewer than four passengers. So there would have to be lots of carpooling and the city has already set up carpooling locations. Also taxes would be permitted to pick up more than one passenger on a single trip and the passengers will be allowed to negotiate the fare with the cabby.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Allan, is it legal for these people to strike?

CHERNOFF: Actually here in New York state, it is illegal. There's a law called the Taylor Law that forbids civil workers from striking and the judge has already granted an injunction banning this strike. But the union says that will not stop its members from walking out.

KAGAN: All right. You'll be watching it from New York City. Hope you have a ride home. Thank you, Allan.

All right. This just in to CNN. We're getting word out of Illinois that the Illinois Supreme Court has thrown out a $10 billion decision, a class action lawsuit, that was against Philip Morris USA. That happened today. The ruling, the company, in fact, did not defraud customers on its marketing for light cigarettes. This would reverse the verdict and it sends the case back to Madison County Court with the instruction to dismiss the matter. This was a deeply-divided state supreme court in Illinois saying that the Federal Trade Commission specifically did allow companies to characterize their cigarettes as light and low tar, so Philip Morris did not improperly mislead customers about the health impacts of cigarette. So a big legal win for Philip Morris USA as the Illinois Supreme Court, the state supreme court there, throws out a $10 billion class action verdict against that company. We'll have more on that just ahead.

Also, why did the barriers designed to protect one of the nation's moist historic cities fail? Well, members of the Senate are hoping to get an answer to that question right now on Capitol Hill.

That, plus a look at what's already being done to repair the levee system surrounding New Orleans. All that when CNN LIVE TODAY returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Some absolutely incredible video to show you now from the Bronx. You won't be able to hear it in the video, but a woman in a burning third floor apartment screams for someone to catch her baby. The building superintendent, Felix Vasquez (ph), was there to make the life saving catch. What you don't see is that Vasquez also revived the baby with mouth to mouth as he rushed the boy to paramedics. Firefighters eventually rescued the hysterical mother from her smoke filled apartment. Next hour, we'll hear from the super super about his catch of a lifetime. Amazing!

The beleaguered New Orleans levee system is the subject of a hearing this morning before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. Live pictures there from Washington, D.C. Lawmakers want to know who is in charge of the system and why it failed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans officials and members of the Army Corp of Engineers are among those testifying today. We'll keep an eye on the hearing and a closed-door meeting on efforts to secure White House Katrina documents.

As U.S. senators seek answer on what happened to the levees, work is underway, it's about to begin, repairing the system before the next hurricane season. CNN's Ed Lavendera is in New Orleans where some residents hold out little hope that that system will ever be improved.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVENDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): As cameras and engineers armed with measuring tapes waited for steel sheets in the 17th Street Canal levee to be pulled from the ground, the only thing missing was a drum roll. An Army Corp of Engineer general served as master of ceremonies.

GEN. ROBERT CREAR, ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS: We will now pull the next sheet out (ph).

LAVENDERA: For weeks there have been allegations that this levee wasn't reinforced as deeply as it was supposed to have been, contributing to massive flooding across New Orleans. But the initial measuring shows . . .

CREAR: This sheet tile (ph) is within the design specifications.

LAVENDERA: This was the first small step to determine how to fix the levee system in time for next hurricane season. But many here say that isn't enough. They want to see a levee system that can withstand a category five storm to prevent another Katrina like catastrophe.

DAN HEALY, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: Who would rebuild here with a faulty levee system. They're predicting bad storms for the next five to 20 years. I mean, who's going to rebuild waiting for this to happen next year or the year after.

LAVENDERA: General Robert Crear of the Army Corp of Engineers, says more testing is needed to identify the cause of the levee failure and determine how to make it stronger.

CREAR: Until someone tells us, it may be a design problem. So if it is a design problem, then, of course, we'll change the design.

HEALY: Everything's just all over the place and covered with mud and ruined.

LAVENDERA: Just a few blocks away, Dan Healy sifts through his home looking for anything to salvage. He and his wife have bought a home in Mississippi and aren't planning to move back to New Orleans unless the levees are made stronger.

HEALY: It's like playing Russian roulette. If you don't get it fixed and another storm comes, you're back in the same predicament you're in now.

LAVENDERA: This is the dilemma facing New Orleans. Residents and business owners say most people will stay away if the levees aren't just fixed, but also improved. And there are growing concerns in Congress about funding the billions of dollars needed to get the job done. Dan Healy wonders if people have forgotten what President Bush promised when he came to New Orleans.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Every time the people of this land have come back from fire, flood and storm to build anew and to build better than what we had before.

LAVENDERA: Residents say this city can't be built bigger and better until its levees are build deeper and stronger.

Ed Lavendera, CNN, New Orleans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: We are going head back to Iraq after a quick break. The polls have closed in a historic election and there's at least one very happy poll worker. Hear her joy and hope for the future.

Plus, how non-Iraqi Arabs are viewing the election. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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