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Negroponte Discusses Terrorism Before Senate; Tornadoes Blow Through New Orleans

Aired February 02, 2006 - 10:30   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: On Capitol Hill at this hour, the Senate Homeland Security Committee is holding another day of hearings into the government's response to Hurricane Katrina. Today, the senators hear from Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco and Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour. The committee is expected to focus on the state response to the disaster and how the governors managed the crisis.
Which brings us to our focus on New Orleans. Adding insult to injury, a suspected possible alleged tornado barreled through parts of New Orleans overnight. High winds tore a part of a roof off a concourse at Louis Armstrong International Airport. It shut down electricity and it grounded passengers. Police say it also knocked down utility poles and a police tower. At least one home already weakened by hurricanes collapsed.

On the phone with us right now is Michelle Duffourc from the New Orleans Airport.

Michelle, good morning.

MICHELLE DUFFOURC, LOUIS ARMSTRONG INT'L AIRPORT: Good morning.

KAGAN: What can you tell us about the damage at your facility?

DUFFOURC: Actually, at this point we have -- we had a hole on the roof of Concourse C from Katrina that has reopened up. We had a temporary fix on it, and the winds took that off. We had a window wall at the security checkpoint that was struck by some debris. That fell out. We had another window wall that sustained damage to the framing structure, it's collapsed on to the ramps. We've also had a jetway that was completely ripped from the building and thrown up against another jetway.

So we've got some pretty significant damage, but it is isolated on Concourse C Charlie. Some more roofing damage. A lot of roofing materials laying around on the airfield that we're continuing to pick up.

KAGAN: So the airport is open and functioning?

DUFFOURC: We are open. We still have no electricity at this point. We're at the mercy of the local electric company, trying to get the electricity restored to the facility. So we're on some generator power. So we're very limited operations. TSA is prepared to hand screen passenger and hand screen bags. But it's been very difficult trying to get people in and out of here at this point.

KAGAN: But the drama of the year continues. Michelle, stay with me here. Jacqui Jeras, our meteorologist, wants to ask a couple of questions about what took place at your airport -- Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Michelle. I was just wondering, if you could tell me, first of all, how much new damage actually occurred, or how much do you think this is kind of attributed to the previous damage that was already there?

DUFFOURC: Actually, everything is new except for the roof at the exit of checkpoint C. That was the only damage that we had before this little event. It's been pretty significant damage with the two window walls. And two or three jetways are completely destroyed and about three or four others that have some other damage to them.

JERAS: Now a tornado warning was issued at the time and was in effect. My question is how much damage has been done to the warning system there? Are the sirens even up and operational?

DUFFOURC: Actually, I live about 12 miles away and I know the sirens were going off at my house. But the people who live in our trailer park -- because we have a FEMA trailer park set up here -- the people in that trailer park did hear sirens going off around the time that this did happen. So there were sirens going off. Where they came from, I really don't know.

JERAS: OK. Did anybody see it?

DUFFOURC: I have been told that some people have seen it, that they saw a funnel cloud forming, but it was northwest of the airport. So we're not really sure exactly what exactly occurred at this point. But the weather service was on site and they are looking into it at this moment.

KAGAN: All right. Michelle, thank you. Michelle Duffourc with the New Orleans airport. We wish you well in getting the airport put back together. Challenging times at Louis Armstrong Airport.

KAGAN: So, Jacqui, we know there are high winds, we know there's damage, but there's still some investigation that takes place before they put tornado tag on it?

JERAS: That's right. And the National Weather Service, as you mentioned, is going to be out there. They'll be assessing the damage. And coincidentally, just this month, as of yesterday, they're implementing a new scale to help determine the severity of the storm, if it was an F-0, one, two, three, four, five. We still use the same kind of numbers but we're calling it an enhanced Fujita scale, as opposed to the Fujita scale.

And basically what's going to allow some of the meteorologists to do is include the quality of the construction of the structure. So they'll be able to use a little bit more subjectivity, as opposed to saying -- say the rafters came off so it's an F-1. Well, they can say this was constructed back in 1960 whatever and it's not very well- constructed, so maybe it's a weaker tornado than that or perhaps it's a hurricane built home. And so then you would maybe raise the category because of that. So watch for a little bit of a different system as we go out and analyze some of these tornadoes.

This is what the line looked like as it pushed through the area through the overnight. This is a 12-hour loop, and so it started about 6:00 last night and ended about 6:00 this morning. There you can see the storms as they pushed on through. It kind of bows out a little bit beyond that, which is a good indication that we're there with some very strong damaging winds. So we'll have to wait and see what the reports have to say.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(NEWSBREAK)

KAGAN: Consumers are already grappling with bills from holiday gift giving. They are finding another chilling reminder of the season: surging energy costs. Home heating bills are averaging about 35 percent more than this time last year.

Our personal finance editor Gerri Willis joins us for the top five tips on how to stay warm without getting burned.

Gerri, hello.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, Daryn, good to see you today.

Tip number one -- guess what, good news here. Your heat can't be turned off during winter months. In most states, what happens is there's a moratorium between December 1 and March 31. They don't turn off your heat, cancel your utility for non-payment. So that's the good news. If you're having trouble meeting that bill -- because they are up 35 percent year-over-year, there is a little breathing room here.

KAGAN: What about people paying their bills?

WILLIS: Well, you can negotiate with your utility if you're barely making it. You can ask your utility to wait for some of its money. You can ask them to spread out your payments over the entire year. There's actually some flexibility there if you're having a hard time meeting these what are really high costs at this point. Whether you're using natural gas or home heating oil, either way, the costs are through the roof.

KAGAN: Well, Gerri, you disappeared there on us. All right. We lost Gerri. We'll get you -- it is an important topic about how you can pay for those home heating bills. And boy, there are some astronomical ones out there. We'll work on getting Gerri back and getting to the rest of those tips in just a minute.

Right now, a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAGAN: Live pictures on Capitol Hill. This is John Negroponte, the director of national intelligence, making his appearance before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Let's listen in.

JOHN NEGROPONTE, NATL. INTELLIGENCE DIR.: Now I turn to the global jihadist threat. Collaboration with our friends and allies around the world has helped us achieve some notable successes against the global jihadist threat. In fact, most of al Qaeda's setbacks last year were the results of our allies efforts, either independently or with our assistance.

And since 9/11 examples of the high level of counterterrorism efforts around the world are many. Pakistan's commitment has enabled some of the most important captures to date. Saudi Arabia's resolve to counter the spread of terrorism has increased. Our relationship with Spain has strengthened since the March 2004 Madrid train bombings. The British have long been our closest counterterrorism partners. The seamless cooperation in the aftermath of the July attacks in London reflect that commitment, while Australia, Canada, France and many other nations remain stout allies.

Nonetheless, much remains to be done. The battle is far from over. Jihad is seek to overthrow regimes they regard as apostate, and to eliminate United States influence in the Muslim world. They attack Americans when they can, but most of their targets and victims are fellow Muslims.

Nonetheless, the slow pace of economic, social and political change in most Muslim-majority nations continues to fuel a global jihadist movement. The movement is diffuse, and subsumes three quite different types of groups and individuals.

First and foremost, al Qaeda, a battered, but resourceful organization. Second, other Sunni jihadist groups, some affiliated with al Qaeda, some not. Third, networks and cells that are the self- generating progeny of al Qaeda.

Al Qaeda remains our top concern. We have eliminated much of the leadership that presided over al Qaeda in 2001. And U.S.-led counterterrorism efforts in 2005 continue to disrupt its operation, take out its leaders and deplete its cadre.

But the organization's core elements still plot and make preparations for terrorist strikes against the homeland and other targets from bases in Pakistan, Afghanistan border area.

They also have gained added reach through their merger with the Iraq-based network of Abu Musab al Zarqawi, which has broadened al Qaeda's appeal within the jihadist community and potentially put new resources at its disposal.

Thanks to effective intelligence operations, we know a great deal about al Qaeda's vision. Zawahiri, al Qaeda's number two, is candid in his July 2000 letter to Zarqawi. He portrays the jihad in Iraq as a stepping stone in the march towards a global caliphate, with the focus on Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States and Israel. Zawahiri stresses the importance of having a secure base in Iraq from which to launch attacks elsewhere, including the United States homeland.

In bin Laden's event audio tape, al Qaeda's top leader reaffirms the group's commitment to attack our homeland, and attempts to reassure supporters by claiming that the reason there has been no attack on the United States since 2001 is that he chose not to do so. This week's statement by Zawahiri is another indication that the group's leadership is not completely cut off and can continue to get its message out to followers. The quick turnaround time and the frequency of Zawahiri's statements in the past year underscore the high priority al Qaeda places on propaganda from its most senior leaders.

Attacking the United States homeland, United States interests overseas, and United States allies, in that order, are al Qaeda's top operational priorities. The group will attempt high-impact attacks for as long as its central command structure is functioning and affiliated groups are capable of furthering its interests, because even modest operational capabilities can yield a deadly and damaging attack.

Although an attack using conventional explosives continues to be the most probable scenario, al Qaeda remains interested in acquiring chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials, or weapons, to attack the United States, United States troops and United States interests worldwide.

Indeed, today, we are more likely to see an attack from terrorists using weapons or agents of mass destruction than states, although terrorists capabilities would be much more limited. In fact, intelligence reporting indicates that nearly 40 terrorist organizations, insurgency or cults, have used, possessed or expressed an interest in chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear agents or weapons. Many of capable of conducting simple, small-scale attacks, such as poisonings or using improvised chemical devices.

Al Qaeda inspires other Sunni jihadists. The global jihadist movement also subsumes other Sunni extremist organizations, allied with or inspired by al Qaeda's global anti-Western agenda. These groups pose less danger to the United States homeland than does al Qaeda, but they increasingly threaten our allies and interests abroad and are working to expand their reach and capabilities to conduct multiple and/or mass casualty attacks outside their traditional areas of operation.

Jemaah Islamiya is a well-organized group responsible for dozens of attacks, killing hundreds of people in Southeast Asia. The threat of a JI attack against United States interests is greatest in Southeast Asia, but we assess that the group is committed to helping al Qaeda with attacks outside the region.

The Islamic Jihad Union, the IJU, which has allied itself with al Qaeda operates in Central Asia and was responsible for the July 2004 attacks the United States and Israeli embassies in Uzbekistan.

The Libyan Islamic fighting group, LIFG, was formed to establish an Islamic state in Libya, but since the late 1990s, it has expanded its goal to include anti-Western jihad alongside al Qaeda. LIFG has...

KAGAN: We've been listening in to National Intelligence Director John Negroponte. He is before the Senate Intelligence Committee. They are talking about, frankly, some scary stuff. Worldwide threats to the United States. Negroponte is saying that al Qaeda remains a top concern in terms of concerns and attacks on the U.S.

Now, if you would like to keep listening into these hearings, just go to the Internet CNN.com/pipeline, and you will have continued live coverage. Also stay with us. We'll have continued in-depth coverage and analysis live in the next hour. Right now, a quick break. We're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: General Motors plans to produce gasoline-electric hybrid versions of two more SUVs. The Chevrolets -- actually, some new Chevrolet Tahoe and the GMC Yukon will be more fuel efficient. And thanks to an enhanced technology, they should have more power. "USA Today" reports they should be powerful enough to tow boats and perform other tasks that hybrid vehicles really can't do right now. Those go into production next year.

When we come back, lost and found. A wallet turns up almost 40 years after it disappears, and the owner reminisces about what is inside. It's a fascinating story and a look back at the past. We have that for you right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: All right, wait 'til you get this story. The last time this guy named Doug Schmitt saw his wallet, he had a lot more hair. We'll just say that. Schmitt is now 57. He lost the wallet at a gas station when he was a college student in Logan, Utah. That was back in 1967. Well, recently it was found in an old desk belonging to the station owner. Schmidt was tracked down via the Internet, the wallet mailed back. It still has all of its original contents, making it a mini time capsule of the late '60s. Bet he was glad to get that.

In the next hour of CNN LIVE TODAY, the IAEA will hold a second round of emergency meetings on Iran's nuclear ambitions tomorrow. Is the Iran nuclear dispute coming to a showdown? We'll go live to Vienna and get an expert's take on that matter.

Also, new hope for millions of Americans who suffer from a gambling addiction. We'll have the details for you.

The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

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