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CNN Live Today

President Bush, Irish Prime Minister Mark St. Patrick's Day; Operation Swarmer In Iraq; Katrina Reunion; Sneaky Accountant Tricks Tips

Aired March 17, 2006 - 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: O'Kagan today, right?
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Could only hear you at the end there, but, yes, for today it is Daryn O'Kagan.

MILES O'BRIEN: OK.

KAGAN: I will join your people. From my people to your people.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, we love it.

MILES O'BRIEN: Great. Excellent.

KAGAN: You guys have a great day.

MILES O'BRIEN: You too.

KAGAN: And a great weekend actually in New York City.

We'll go ahead and get started. I'm Daryn O'Kagan at CNN Center in Atlanta. Let's get started.

U.S. and Iraqi troops are scouring farms and fields around Samarra on day two of Operation Swarmer. The offensive is targeting insurgents in an area described as a hotbed for terrorists. In a briefing just within the last hour, the Pentagon updated the progress of the operations. The commander of the multinational corp praised the performance of the Iraqi troops.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GEN. PETER CHIARELLI, COMMANDER, MULTINATIONAL CORPS-IRAQ: I think you can tell by Swarmer, it was conducting a -- conducted in the desert for all practical purposes in an area about 10 miles by 10 miles. It was a large operation consisting of Iraqis and U.S. forces. Again, it's one of those changes that has taken place since I came back to Iraq. And we tried to accomplish a mission like this 11 months ago. It would have been primarily U.S. forces. But in this case, I think you've all seen the numbers as we had primarily Iraqi forces supported by U.S. and coalition forces.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: And for more now on Operation Swarmer, let's go to our Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr. Barbara, we were first hearing about this attack during this broadcast yesterday. We were also hearing that they expected it to go on for several days. What's the status of that right now?

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, as you say, it is now in day two. U.S. and Iraqi troops still moving through this farmhouse rural area north of Baghdad about 60 miles north or so. But by all accounts, it's going pretty smoothly. And that's a bit curious, of course. General Chiarelli saying they've encountered no significant opposition. They had detained a number of people, but already leased some of them. They have gotten some weapons that they thought might be stockpiled there.

This operation kicked off because it was Iraqi forces that said they might have intelligence that insurgents were operating in the area. General Chiarelli saying they expect that their force will remain there, at least for the next few days. Looking to make sure there's no other insurgent activity there.

But General Chiarelli also getting right to the question that so many of have asked here in Washington, was this operation timed for some sort of political agenda by the Bush administration, the military officers saying absolutely not.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIARELLI: There was no attempt on anybody's part back here to tying this to anything other than the intelligence that was coming in. It was an operation that we have been working for a couple of months. And, quite frankly, one of the biggest problems I have over here sometimes is all the days seem the same is remembering what day of the week it is and also the actual date.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: So General Chiarelli pretty much trying to put a sock in the notion that this operation was a last minute effort for any political reason, saying that it actually had been planned for some time. And, in fact, we know that the training for the Iraqis had been going on for this mission for some days.

On the question of civil war, General Chiarelli saying he believes Iraq is still far away from civil war. That the sectarian attacks have tapered off in the last few days. But he also said quite soberly that he thought Iraq was closer to the prospect of civil war than it ever had been before.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Barbara, when we first heard about Operation Swarmer this time yesterday, there was the description, this is the largest air assault since the invasion began back in 2003. But I think when most of us thought air assault, we had visions of like bombs over Baghdad and that's clearly not what this operation was about.

STARR: No. As we said so many times yesterday, you're right, it is not an aerial bombardment. There is none of that going on. An air assault operation, especially one led by the 101 Airborne Division, as it was in this case, it was a classic air assault operation. That means helicopters being used to transport troops.

The minute we heard the word air assault, that pretty much told us the lay down of this operation. The idea was to maintain tactical surprise, to bring troops in by helicopter, not make that long road trip where they might be seen. Bring them in by helicopter, move them in very quickly and try and get them spread out over this fairly large area so they could take control and that they could make sure there was nobody moving in or out of area as they operated through there.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr, live at the Pentagon. Barbara, thank you.

Let's head now to the Gulf Coast where they are marching from Mobile, Alabama, to New Orleans protesting the war in Iraq. The group was made up of veterans and peace activists. It's also trying to draw attention to the plight of Gulf Coast residents affected by Hurricane Katrina. Our Sean Callebs joins us. He's in Long Beach, Mississippi, with details.

Sean, good morning.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.

This seems like kind of an odd marriage if you think about it, people who are against the war but supporting Katrina victims. But what they say they're trying to do is get some of the funds that have been steered toward the war effort and divert them toward the thousands of people along the Gulf Coast who were really hit hard last summer by the hurricanes.

You can see they're breaking down camp here behind me. And as my cameraman, Kevin Myers (ph), pointed out, this van has probably been through a lot of protests. And if you just go on down that way, you can see -- they're actually going to be driving from where we are in Long Beach, Mississippi, to Waveland, Mississippi. Then they will march to the town of Slidell, Louisiana.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CALLEBS, (voice over): Dozens of demonstrators are marching from Mobile, Alabama, to New Orleans. They are unapologeticlly out of step with the uniform many wear. It's billed as a protest to get U.S. troops out of Iraq and get more government help for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Jose Vasquez is a nurse and Army sergeant in the reserves. He is also a conscience objector trying to avoid serving in Iraq. As a New Yorker, Vasquez had concerns about marching in the deep south.

JOSE VASQUEZ, PROTESTER: I was actually worried about the same thing. You know, I was worried about how people were going to react to us. But there's actually been a lot of support and we found out what southern hospitality means. CALLEBS: Alfred Zapella's son was killed by a bomb blast in Baghdad two years ago. He says it's important for him to march.

ALFRED ZAPELLA, PROTESTER: Everybody wants to believe that their government is doing right by them and that the president is an honorable person and that he would never, ever send their kids in harm's way. But I know differently.

CALLEBS: They are often met with horns honking, an occasional thumbs up, and what they call a one-finger salute. Critics, like construction worker Aero Smith, just give them a wide berth.

AERO SMITH, BILOXI CONTRACTOR: They've got their right to do whatever they want to do. And they -- as long as they keep it away from me. I'm for the president and what we're doing.

CALLEBS: No one here expects the administration to immediately reverse course. This group had hoped for 1,200 marchers. Clearly they fell far short. But remain upbeat.

TAMMARA ROSENLEAF, PROTESTER: It doesn't matter how many show up, the matter is that any show up. You know, we're firmly convince that a small number of people can make a big difference.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CALLEBS: Small number of people. As I mentioned, they had hoped for 1,200. Clearly a lot fewer than that. Maybe about a hundred people here today. A lot of those veterans from Vietnam and those who served in Iraq. When we asked, which are you getting more attention from, the protests for the war effort or trying to bring attention to Katrina victims? They said without question, it is the war effort. And if you look, Daryn, virtually every sign, all the chant they have, all anti-war. Really not so much we have heard or seen for the victims here on the Gulf Coast.

KAGAN: Was that guy in your piece really named Aero Smith?

CALLEBS: You know, I asked him the same thing. And he looked at me like I was an idiot for asking him. I said, is that really your name or is that a nickname? But it really is Aero Smith. A-e-r-o-s- m-I-t-h.

KAGAN: All right. Might be a good name for a band sometime.

CALLEBS: Maybe.

KAGAN: Sean Callebs in Mississippi, thank you.

Well, another sign of recovery in New Orleans, but not everyone's happy about this one. The Justice Department has given the green light for the city to hold its first election since Hurricane Katrina. A few details still have to be hammered out, but voters are expected to go to the polls on April 22d to cast ballots for mayor and other city positions. Many African-American leaders are say, hold on here, not so fast. They say they don't think enough has been done to make sure that people who are displaced by Katrina will be able to vote. They're planning marches and a possible lawsuit against the elections.

And now the story of a family reunion. The family was torn apart by Hurricane Katrina. For months they searched the websites, checked with FEMA, the Red Cross and nothing. And then, finally, success. But this is more than one family's reunion. It's also the final piece in a 5,000 piece puzzle. Our Rick Sanchez puts that together for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Hurricane Katrina did something that is almost unbearable for families, it separated 5,192 children from their parents. Mothers and fathers agonize wondering where were they, dead, alive, lost, who knows. Among the missing was this little girl. Her name is Cortez. This is her story.

CORTEZ STEWART, REUNITED DAUGHTER: They had a lot of water and my Mema (ph) was picking me up.

SANCHEZ: Mema is the woman seated next to Cortez and her mom. She's Cortez's godmother. And when Hurricane Katrina arrived, she took Cortez to what she thought was the safety of a hotel. But the waters rose and rose and she ended up having to be rescued by helicopter like this.

FELICIA WILLIAMS, CORTEZ'S GODMOTHER: It was just like unbelievable for them to have me cling to her with a string around my waist pulling me up into a helicopter.

SANCHEZ: Meanwhile, Cortez's mom had her hands full with her five other children. She was being rescued by boat and taken to the nearest piece of dry land, an interstate overpass where she and her children slept on concrete for four days.

And there you sit for four days.

LISA STEWART, CORTEZ'S MOTHER: Right.

SANCHEZ: With -- you couldn't take a shower.

LISA STEWART: No.

SANCHEZ: You couldn't eat.

LISA STEWART: No.

SANCHEZ: What they gave you and some scraps basically.

LISA STEWART: Right. Right.

SANCHEZ: That must have been hard?

LISA STEWART: You know it was. It was terrible.

SANCHEZ: What made it even more terrible was, she was looking through the crowd to find her missing daughter. Where was she? Could she have drowned? LISA STEWART: Right, because the water, the heights of the water, the water was taller than buildings.

SANCHEZ: Actually Cortez was across town at Louis Armstrong Airport where she'd been taken with her Mema. They were dropped off by helicopter, put on a plane and flown to San Antonio where they contacted Felicia's relatives in Atlanta, which is where they ended up.

Cortez's mom, meanwhile, was picked up by a bus and driven to the Houston Astrodome. Tired, hungry, sharing a small space with 100,000 people, all the while thinking she had already lost one child and wasn't about to lose another one.

LISA STEWART: I didn't trust the men that was around. You know, they had predators.

SANCHEZ: Finally Lisa got away and settled in Houston. Almost seven months had passed since that horrible night where she was separated from her daughter and still no trace of Cortez. She and her husband tried everything, FEMA, the Red Cross, websites galore, nothing.

CHARLES TENNESSE, CORTEZ'S FATHER: I left numbers where we was at. Addresses where we was at.

SANCHEZ: Was it painful?

TENNESSE: It was very painful.

SANCHEZ: Painful and frustrating, because even the organization entrusted by the Justice Department to look for the mission children of New Orleans couldn't find her. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children was able to find 5,191 of the 5,192 that were missing. In other words, all except one.

So Cortez is number 5,192.

: Yes.

SANCHEZ: The family and Mema say they tried everything but somehow they hadn't been able to find everything on the lists and websites. Finally, one more check of the websites was successful. And so finally, after tears and an anxious trip to the airport.

LISA STEWART: Let's start looking around. Oh, my God.

SANCHEZ: This happened. A family reunited. The last of the missing has been found.

Rick Sanchez, CNN, Houston, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: That's one happy girl to see her mom.

Coming up on LIVE TODAY . . .

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They said, you are definitely having a girl. And I said, is there any way possible it could be wrong? And she said, absolutely not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: From snakes and snails, to sugar and spice, a new mom who turned to a new home test to find out the gender of her baby. She get as big surprise and she's not the only one. We have details.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: They are smiling down on Savannah, Georgia. It is St. Patrick's Day. And Savannah, Georgia, host the nation's second largest St. Patrick's Day parade in the country. Second only to New York City. More than 300 floats, bands and marching units will be taking place. They expect about 400 revelers in Savannah today. Keep in mind, the city only has 150,000 people. So looks like you got a beautiful day there in Savannah. Did you remember to wear your green? Remember to wear your green to work? Hope so.

As we move on, boy or girl, pink or blue? For many expectant parents, nine months is just too long to wait to find out the answer to that big baby question. Ultrasound tests has cut that waiting to 12 weeks, but there is a test that is even faster and it's promising 99.9 percent accuracy five weeks after conception. But as CNN's Deborah Feyerick has discovered, that remaining 0.1 percent that is getting them in trouble.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): It's a happy time waiting to give birth, wondering will it be a boy or girl. When Raylene Lewis discovered she was pregnant, she was so curious to find out. Rather than wait the standard three months for an ultrasound, she went online and bought a home test. One that guarantees to find out a baby's sex only five weeks after conception.

The Baby Gender Mendor (ph) Kit is a noninvasive DNA blood test that cost $275. It promises 99.9 percent accuracy and comes with a double your money-back guarantee.

And with that kind of advertising, what did you think?

RAYLENE LEWIS, TOOK BABY GENDER TEST: Oh, I thought it was -- it couldn't be wrong. Couldn't be beat. There was no way to lose.

FEYERICK: The test came out last summer and was an instant hit. The "Today" show ran a segment, now prominently posted on the distributor's website.

KATIE COURIC, "TODAY" SHOW: Now a new company is offering a test that claims . . . FEYERICK: So did CNN.

KITTY PILGRIM, CNN ANCHOR: A groundbreaking new test can now tell parents-to-be whether they're having a boy or a girl.

FEYERICK: Which interviewed Sherry Bonelli, the president of pregnancystore.com, the exclusive online distributer.

SHERRY BONELLI, OWNER, PREGNANCY STORE: So this is really the safest, noninvasive, most accurate way to determine the gender.

She would go ahead and prick her finger and put -- fill the circles with blood.

FEYERICK: It's as easy as one, two, three drops of blood, put on a special card then sent Federal Express to a company called Acu-Gen Biolab in Lowell, Massachusetts. The mother's blood is screened for the presence of male or female chromosomes released by the fetus. After seeing the test on TV, Melissa Russell and Layla Willingham (ph) also ordered the kit.

MELISSA RUSSELL, TOOK BABY GENDER TEST: See the 99.9 and the fact that it's a DNA test, it sold me for that reason.

FEYERICK: All three were tolled they were having a boy. They picked names, prepared the nursery and bought clothes.

Blue, blue, blue. You were ready for a boy.

RUSSELL: Right. Right.

FEYERICK: And everything about what you were doing was because you were having a boy.

RUSSELL: Was boy, yes.

FEYERICK: Then weeks later they each went for their ultrasounds.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was telling the ultrasound technician, she doesn't have to tell me the sex of the baby, I already know.

RUSSELL: And they said, you are definitely having a girl. And I said, is there any way possible it could be wrong? And she said, absolutely not.

LEWIS: And then that baby's gone all of a sudden. So there is this sense of loss that's very, very hard to understand.

FEYERICK: The test that claimed to be the "gold standard," and "infallibly accurate" 99.9 percent of the time was actually wrong. Melissa and Layla (ph) both gave birth to healthy girls. Raylene had independent genetics tests confirming her unborn baby, due in April, is also a female. When she called Acu-Gen to complain, the company president, Chang Wang, told her his test was fine.

You confronted him and said, you are wrong. LEWIS: Right.

FEYERICK: And what did he say to you?

LEWIS: He said he was not wrong. He said he was 100 percent sure that he was correct and that his answer was God's answer and was the only true answer.

FEYERICK: Melissa Russell had her doctor call and Wang apparently offered up this diagnosis.

RUSSELL: He told my doctor that it was ambiguous genitalia. That genetically I would be having a baby boy regardless of what we see on the outside.

FEYERICK: So what happened? Could it be possible that these three women were a statistical fluke?

LEWIS: You see my belly. I'm like nearly popped out here on the belly button.

FEYERICK: They met here on the website engender.com (ph), where some 90 women say their tests were also wrong. Attorney Barry Gainey has filed a lawsuit on behalf of 16 women. He says 60 more from across the country could join if it become as class action.

BARRY GAINEY, ATTORNEY: When you sell a product, you've got to stand by what you say and it's got to be accurate. And if you know it's wrong, then you've got to be held accountable.

FEYERICK: We went to Lowell, Massachusetts, looking for answers. We found an industrial park with an office bearing a name of another company own bid Wang, Biotronics. Described by one business report as dealing with biological research and airplane parts.

Wang declined our request for an interview. The lawyer who represents his company says Acu-Gen has never and would never tell an expected mother there was a problem with her baby. In February, a reporter from CNN affiliate WFTS in Tampa asked Wang about the inaccuracies.

CHANG WANG, OWNER, ACU-GEN BIOLABS, INC.: We don't make mistake. Period.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You've never made a mistake?

WANG: We don't.

FEYERICK: Wang received a Ph.D. in molecular biology from Princeton University. He has yet to publish a paper on his technology or submit his research to the scientific community for review because, he says, he has a pending patent. Farideh Bischoff is a genetics expert at Baylor University. She says she never even heard of Wang until he started using her research to validate his product.

When a scientist doesn't put out their research . . . FARIDEH BISCHOFF, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE: That would lead you to think that perhaps there's something there that cannot be validated or looked at carefully.

FEYERICK: The distributer, Sherry Bonelli of pregnancystore.com warns customers right on her website the test is "not intended for diagnostic purposes or for medical counsel."

Do you think, in your case, that Mr. Wang crossed the line?

LEWIS: Yes, I definitely think he crossed the line. All I wanted to know was if it was a boy or girl. I didn't want to know that he thought there was something wrong with the baby.

FEYERICK: In a statement to CNN, Wang's company, Acu-Gen, says it stands behind its product guarantee and refund policy. Wang's lawyer is planning to ask a judge to dismiss the lawsuit calling it meritless. Through her attorney, the distributer, Sherry Bonelli, also declined an interview, but says on her website, the number of women who are stating that their test results are wrong is such a small percentage compared to the incredibly large number of very happy customers.

LEWIS: I want her to stop selling the product.

FEYERICK: Melissa, Raylene and Layla aren't buying it. They want the product off the market.

LEWIS: How dare he put us through all this emotional stress and this turmoil and make our pregnancies, you know, not what they were supposed to be just because he wants to say that he's right.

RUSSELL: I just have so much anger. I can't speak the words that I feel for him and what I would say to him if I saw him face to face.

FEYERICK: Layla did get double her money back. Raylene and Melissa are still waiting.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Houston, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And then there is this letter to CNN. Acu-Gen's attorney says that since it's introduction in the U.S. in June of 2005, about 4,500 Baby Gender Mentor tests have accurately determined the gender of unborn children. But his letter does not give the total number of tests that Acu-Gen has sold, making it impossible for CNN to verify the company's guarantee of 99.9 percent accuracy rate.

Conventional wisdom, accountants, boring. But the shady ones, not so much. Find out how to spot the criminal mind this tax season.

Gerri, there's some creepy accountants out there?

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are, Daryn. You know, the truth is, anybody can hang out a shingle claiming they're a tax preparer, but that doesn't mean they're an accountant. Up next, tips on finding the best tax help.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The markets have been open just about an hour. The Dow moving just a little bit. You can see it's up 20 points. The Nasdaq almost flat. Up just over a single point.

There are few people in your life who you put more trust in than your accountant. After all, they have the keys to your kingdom, so to speak. So today's "Top Five Tips" warn you of common and costly tricks by less than trustworthy accountants. Our Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis here with more on that.

Gerri, before my accountant calls in, he has done a fine job for me for many years.

WILLIS: I am pleased to hear that. And there are plenty of accountants who are really great. But let me tell you, this is the time of year that the scam artists come out and they hang out a shingle and you don't know if they're legit or not. To check them out, you want to make sure that they know what they're doing. You want to make sure that they're either a CPA or they're an enrolled agent. They're someone who has the education and the training to do what they do.

But a couple of facts here. Understand that not all CPA's do individual taxes. There are some 640,000 of them, but many of them don't do the kind of work you need. One good idea to try, an enrolled agent. These are folk who either worked for the IRS or they also absolutely have to take a very complicated test the IRS gives. They know what they're doing. Go to enrolledagent.org. That's NAEA.org to find out more.

Daryn.

KAGAN: So how do you pick out the bad apples, Gerri?

WILLIS: Well, there are some red flags out there. If somebody, for example, tells you, hey, I can get you a bigger refund than anybody else, that is a bad sign. Some other bad signs, preparers who base their fees on how much they're getting you in a refund. Or if they ask you to sign a blank tax form, don't do that. That's always a bad idea. And if you get one of these fraud artists, call 1-800-829- 0433. That's the IRS. They're going to help you out if you are on the hook with a scam artist.

KAGAN: How about those ads for rapid refund? Those can sound kind of enticing.

WILLIS: You know, they are enticing and a lot of people do them. Look, you are taking out a loan for your own money and you're probably paying 40 percent to 200 percent in interest for the privilege. Don't go there. It's a bad thing. You are borrowing your own money. Why not just wait a few weeks for the refund? You pay no interest at all on it. Your money is back to you whole. That's the best way to go.

KAGAN: Go for that direct deposit into your checking account.

WILLIS: yes. Love that. I love the -- you know, file electronically. You can do it free at IRS.gov right now.

KAGAN: Better there. Now, when you hire an accountant are they loyal to you?

WILLIS: Well, you know, they don't have a fiduciary responsibility to find the absolute best tax deal for you. So it's up to you. And the thing you need to understand right now, because so many people are filing electronically, the folks who do this all the time, they are having to -- they are having to get -- sell other products, like Jackson Hewitt and H&R Block. So understand that they're out there trying to sell IRAs, other things. You want to make sure that you pay for what you get -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And finally, really quickly, watch what you sign, Gerri?

WILLIS: Watch what you sign. You know, the IRS is thinking about allowing some of these accountants to sell your information to third party marketers. It could happen in a few weeks. So when you're sitting down to sign your tax forms, watch what you sign. You could be signing one of these forms to give away your information, Social Security data, other things, to other people. Don't want to go there.

KAGAN: Gerri, thank you very much. Like the green.

It is St. Patrick's Day.

WILLIS: Really.

KAGAN: And on that note let's head to the White House. Annual tradition, President Bush welcoming the Irish prime minister, Bertie Ahern. Let's listen in.

BERTIE AHERN, IRISH PRIME MINISTER: ... the history of Irish immigration to this country is as old as America itself. This week, across this great land, millions of Irish-Americans are proudly celebrating their heritage.

Remember on this day that the strength of today's relationship is made possible by the hard sacrifices of generations of Irish immigrants. From the sad and difficult past has emerged a successful and a proud people: proud of Ireland, proud of the United States, and proud of being Irish-American. We salute our many achievements and we celebrate our many successes.

Mr. President, you have shown real leadership and understanding and the complex challenge of comprehensive immigration reform. On this St. Patrick's Day, mindful of the resonance that this great issue commands for people and Irish people. And I would like to express the hope that a path may be found to encourage current Irish immigrants to legalize their status in the United States on a permanent basis. I hope that they can realize their dream of stable and secure lives for themselves and their families in this great country.

Mr. President, the greatest historic issue that has faced the Irish issue from all traditions and creeds has been the challenge to live together in peace on our small island. Since we met last year, we've made further real progress. After decades of denying the will of the Irish people, the IRA announced the end of its campaign and the decommissioning of its weapons. These were long awaited, landmark historic developments.

Both Prime Minister Blair and I are determined that 2006 will be a decisive year and complete a journey of peace that we've embarked on. We are one in our objective and in our strategy. We want to see the Good Friday agreement implemented and its full potential realized. We will not be deterred from this challenge. And when we look back on such a dark past we're all the more determined to deliver on the promise and hope of that sensible (ph) agreement.

The path to a permanent peace has not been easy, but I believe that step by step we're steadily building that peace and setting Northern Ireland on course for the future.

The United States has been a great friend in this quest. And as we seek to conclude the last elements in our peace process, your continuing support, Mr. President, will be an enormous importance and greatly appreciated. I welcome your invitation to the Northern Ireland political parties to be here today and the fact that you've also extended an invitation to many others tragically affected by violence or working for a better future for everyone in Ireland.

I warmly applaud the work of your special envoy, Ambassador Mitchell Reese (ph), as well as ambassador James Kenny. They do a great job serving their country, and their tireless efforts and commitment in advancing the peace process in Ireland are widely recognized.

President John Quincy Adams once said that patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. We have found, Mr. President, the patience and perseverance that produced great results. With a little more in everybody's part and with your help and that of all our friends in the United States, we will complete our historic journey.

I'm very pleased, Mr. President, to present you once again on this St. Patrick's Day of 2006 the shamrock as a token of our esteem and the warmth of our friendship. Thank you, Mr. President.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you very much. Welcome back. Laura and I are delighted to welcome you for the White House. I'm proud to accept the bowl of shamrocks as a symbol of our friendship.

The friendship between Ireland and the United States has deep roots. Few people fought as hard for American independence as the sons of Erin. At the end of the Revolutionary War, Lord Mountjoy told the House of Commons that "we've lost America through the Irish." The Irish played a key role in Washington's army, and in the two centuries since, the ties between Ireland and America have only strengthened.

The ties between Ireland and America reflected in this great house. This house was designed by an Irish architect, and he used as his model the grandest building he knew, Leinster House in Ireland. The affinities between the two buildings are more than just architectural.

The White House built, by James Hoban, has been home to every American president since John Q. Adams' father, John. The Dublin building that inspired him now serves as a free parliament in a free and independent Ireland.

The ties between Ireland and America are also reflected in our people. Ireland has one of the fastest growing economies in Europe, and its growth is attracting immigrants.

For more than a century that was a different story. Millions of Irish came to our shores because of war and poverty and famine. Often they arrived with nothing but the faith of their fathers and a willingness to work. These men and women, who built our cities, were also the soldiers who defended our freedom in every one of our wars.

They're the priests and they're the nuns whose built a system of parochial schools that provided a decent education for millions of poor immigrants. And they're now doing the same thing for a new generation of African-Americans and Latino Americans in our inner cities.

Like St. Patrick, the Irish and America began their life in their new land as exiles but came to love it as home.

Finally, the ties between Ireland and America are reflected in our common commitment to bring the blessings of liberty to every man and woman and child on this earth.

In the 20th Century, Ireland won its independence and raised up a democracy that offered its people a just and better life. In the 21st century Ireland is now helping other nations who share the same aspirations for peace and prosperity by fighting hunger and the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa; by supporting relief efforts for victims of the tsunami in Asia; and by helping the Afghan people rebuild their lives in their country.

Ireland is independent when it comes to foreign policy. But Ireland is not neutral when it comes to the global challenges like hunger and disease and human rights.

Taoiseach, you're making a big contribution to our world. And we appreciate it. The United States appreciates all of Ireland's efforts for peace and freedom.

Americans are grateful to our Irish friends, and we are proud of our Irish heritage. The Census Bureau tells us there are more than 34 million Americans that claim Irish ancestry. St. Patrick's Day I suspect that number jumps a little bit. On this special day we honor the saint who brought the gospel of peace to the green isle. And we count ourselves blessed by the warm friendship between his adopted land and our own.

Thanks for coming. Appreciate it.

KAGAN: It's the annual ceremony, the presentation of the shamrock. The Irish prime minister, Bertie Ahern, and President Bush, and it's at the White House.

In case you're wondering why would the Irish prime minister be here instead of Ireland on St. Patrick's Day? Well, four million Irish living in Ireland and, as you heard President Bush mention, 34 million of Irish decent here in the United States.

And still ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY, starry-eyed players take the court, eagle-eyed employers, they are on the offensive. You're not going to believe how far March Madness has gone to your workplace computer. Coming up in just a bit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Drug agents say they've busted a California candy operation. All right. You're asking, why would the DEA be interested in a candy maker? Well, they say the Oakland area company made marijuana candies and colas. The products mimic well known name brands. There's Trippy Peanut Butter, Munchy Way candy bars, Pop Starts, Hash Oil (ph) and Keet Kat Bars. There's even Puff-si (ph), Joint and Coca-Colas.

The owner of the Beyond Bomb Candy Company and 11 workers were arrested.

Well, when you're done laughing about the names, we should point out the DEA warns that the laced candy could be tragic if small children get their hands on it. And that is indeed true.

College basketball fever, it is going to an even greater level this year. And now, whether you like the game or not, and the March Madness tournament, you might -- it might actually keep you from doing your job at your computer.

The NCAA tournament is underway. Get this: more than 58 million U.S. employees call themselves college basketball fans. That adds up to an even more staggering number. Almost $3.8 billion could be lost in productivity.

And this year there's new cause for the boss' concern. Those games will only be one tempting mouse click away. When you go to CBS Sports online, you can watch online. Just click over here, and you can watch your favorite game. They're going to begin at 12 noon Eastern today.

Well, joining us is Harry McCracken, editor-in-chief of "PC World" magazine. He is where he belongs, in the middle of tech world in San Francisco.

Harry, good morning.

HARRY MCCRACKEN, "PC WORLD" MAGAZINE: Hi, Daryn.

KAGAN: So explain to us this new way that people are watching their basketball games online.

MCCRACKEN: Well, this is really the first time that a major sporting event has really been fully available on the Web. CBS has decided to put all the games online. You can't watch games involving your local teams, but you can watch all the other games that are part of the tournament on a PC.

KAGAN: Which has got to be really tempting if you're, you know, thousands of miles away from the school that you went to and you're at work today and you click on that. Why could that be a problem for the technology of these companies besides the productivity?

MCCRACKEN: Well, if you're in a smaller company with a network that doesn't have a lot of bandwidth in the first place, and half the folks in the office are all watching TV at the same time, video takes up a lot of your data rate. And it could bog down the network. And some people have been reporting that that's been happening.

PHILLIPS: So I'm not saying that I would watch a game at work -- perhaps I would -- but if the person sitting next to me is not a fan, just the fact that I'm doing it can affect, perhaps either slow down their computer or, at worse, crash the whole system?

MCCRACKEN: You know, I think crashing the whole system probably is not going to happen if your network is in good shape. But you certainly can see e-mails slow down. If people are doing actual work on the network involving file transfers, those could take longer than they would normally.

KAGAN: Which might mean that you wouldn't want people at work to catch you doing this. I understand CBS has what they call the boss button?

MCCRACKEN: Very clever. When you're watching and you see somebody come by who you don't want to know that you're watching the game, you can push a button and a spreadsheet comes up, and so nobody is the wiser.

KAGAN: So it looks like you're looking at a spreadsheet instead of watching a basketball game.

MCCRACKEN: That's right.

KAGAN: Now what are companies doing to combat this?

MCCRACKEN: You've seen at least a few companies just block CBS, which you can do at the network level, so that nobody can watch. I imagine there are others that are at least thinking about policies.

And of course, people have been surfing the Web at work for a long time and doing things like doing their eBay thing, but video is kind of another issue, just in terms of the amount of -- the degree to which you can sap the network, much more so than ordinary surfing. KAGAN: Right, which -- which brings me to the general point of this whole segment, that whether or not you're a college basketball fan, this is really -- we're on the frontier of what's next of crossing from your personal interests into the workplace. Because college basketball might not be your thing, but perhaps someone is soon going to want to watch their soap opera at their desk or any other number of different video feeds.

MCCRACKEN: And that's all going to happen. And you're seeing just so much news lately with companies like CBS and ABC and CNN's parent company, Time Warner, really getting excited about the web as a way to do video rather than seeing it as competition for traditional TV.

KAGAN: Harry McCracken. By the way, are you watching the tournament?

MCCRACKEN: I am now. I'm actually -- the more I think about it the more excited I am about it.

KAGAN: So this is you being excited, right, Harry?

MCCRACKEN: The fact that -- yes. The fact it's the Web makes it exciting for me.

KAGAN: I got it. Whatever does it for you, Harry. Harry McCracken, thank you.

Well, big news out in southern California. One of the most restrictive anti-smoking bans in the country goes into effect today. Another setback for smokers, a step ahead for anti-smokers. We'll get you that story just ahead.

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KAGAN: Smokers may be fuming in Calabasas, California, because they can't light up in public, beginning today. The city is imposing the nation's most restrictive smoking ban.

Reporter Tricia Takasugi of our affiliate KTTV joins us. She is in Calabasas, California, with no cigarettes but with reaction.

Trisha, good morning.

TRICIA TAKASUGI, KTTV CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Well, Calabasas is a small suburb of Los Angeles of about 30,000 people. But starting today things are going to feel a little different. One of the reasons is you're not going to see ashtrays anywhere in some outdoor popular dining spots like this. And they're supposedly going to smell different here, because you're not going to be smelling any tobacco smoke.

And that is because, starting today, this city has decided to enact the most strict smoking -- anti-smoking law in the entire nation. What happens is the law here in Calabasas will prohibit smoking in any public area in which another person could be affected by your second-hand smoke. That's going to include restaurants. It's going to include hotels. It's going to include bars, even sidewalks. Smoking will be prohibited in those areas.

It boils down to the fact that no one will be able to smoke within 20 feet of a public walkway, any place where someone is going to congregate or even a place where people are going to gather.

Now, in theory you're supposed to still be able to smoke in the privacy of your own home. There is an exception. If you happen to be on your patio in your backyard and that happens to butt up to a common area or public area, then that -- you would, indeed, be in violation of smoking even in your own home, in your own backyard.

Now, as a result of all of this, this city will be known as the no smoking city, the first one across the nation to have something so strict. But this is a controversial law and has definitely received some mixed reactions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love it. If tobacco is causing that much harm to people, I mean, yes, ban it. Ban it from everywhere, not only Calabasas but ban it from L.A., ban it from California, period.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you do smoke, enjoy it. But enjoy it at home and in your backyard or, you know, where other people are not able to get that second-hand smoke.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I feel it's infringing on my rights. And I like to come here and be comfortable, enjoy my cigarette and coffee. I don't bother people. And I basically feel that it's an American way of life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAKASUGI: Now, we're told that the -- if you violate the new law, the local law enforcement here will be issuing tickets. There also is the possibility of people having to pay fines if you're a repeat offenders.

We have (AUDIO GAP_

KAGAN: Well, we are fine there. We went over our window there. Tricia Takasugi from Calabasas, California, on the latest on the toughest anti-smoking ban in the country.

We're...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: A double shot of our video today is on tap. LIVE TODAY starts thinking, "Hmm." Possible haircut this weekend? We'll tell you after this.

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