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President Bush Explains Why it Was Important to Go to Iraq; Iraqi Police, Soldiers Launch Major Crackdown in Baghdad; From the Front Lines

Aired June 14, 2006 - 11:00   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you. I'm Daryn Kagan. This is CNN LIVE TODAY.
We do have a lot ahead on our show.

Back from Iraq, President Bush talks about his trip to Baghdad and the future of Iraq. We'll hit the highlights of his news conference that just wrapped up a few minutes ago. You saw that live here on CNN.

Plus, she has been on the front lines with troops in the Iraq war. CNN's Arwa Damon joins me live for her firsthand perspective.

And she's one of the good guys. Good thing, because the Virginia watchdog can sniff out personal data on the stars, and you as well.

Details ahead on CNN.

We are the most trusted name in news.

President Bush is back from his secret trip to Baghdad. Today he was front and center with the media. Mr. Bush just wrapping up a Rose Garden news conference. He spoke with reporters after returning overnight from his surprise visit to Iraq.

White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joins us with details.

The president explaining why it was so important to him, he felt, to go to Baghdad.

Good morning.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Really, this is three years after the Iraq war, President Bush is still trying to convince the American people that it's worth it. We heard that over and over in this press conference, saying, "Al Qaeda is real." "I understand the stakes." "It was the right thing to do to get rid of Saddam Hussein."

What is different about this moment, the administration feels, is that President Bush went to Baghdad, saw the new prime minister, the Iraqi prime minister, and he said that he saw a strength of character that he believes will allow the Iraqis to take control of their own security, their government, to sustain themselves.

Now, President Bush is part of engaging in a strategy here to move forward, to say, look, we are seizing this initiative. And President Bush outlined several of those today. One of them a security initiative called the Operation Together Forward, and one involving Iraqi soldiers, as well as coalition troops.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The policy of the United States government is to stand with this new government and help them succeed. And we will do what it takes to help them succeed.

The prime minister has taken immediate action to implement a plan to improve security and his top priorities around Baghdad. Operation Together Forward started this morning. This operation is a joint effort to restore security and rule of law to high-risk areas in the capital city.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: That's just one of the things that the president was talking about, highlighting, of course, bolstering security in Baghdad.

Another thing that he talked about was really trying to get together an international aid pact with various allies, people that contribute to the Iraqi reconstruction effort. There are billions of dollars that countries have pledged. They have not come through. President Bush wants to set up something that is more formal through the United Nations.

And then he also made a specific pledge, saying that, I want my secretaries of Commerce, of Treasury, of Agriculture all to go to Baghdad to work directly with the Iraqi government in trying to establish a robust economy there, to try and help with the reconstruction efforts.

All of this, Daryn, in an effort to convince the American people that, A, it's worth it for Americans to still be there. And secondly, to bolster the Iraqi government, they believe, seize on an opportunity that they have a permanent government that is now in place -- Daryn.

KAGAN: So, Suzanne, this two-day summit -- actually, this surprise visit is the end of a two-day summit to look at what the U.S. is doing with Iraq and going forward. But are we hearing any change in the approach or the strategy or the attitude from President Bush?

MALVEAUX: You know, we're not hearing a change in policy, but certainly tone here. We heard the president talk about, again, missteps and mistakes that were made. That is part of a larger strategy here to reach out to the American people.

He volunteered what has been criticism, saying that some believe that U.S. troops have not been prepared. He says General Casey is addressing that, saying that they'll try and make U.S. troop more mobile, that this is all a part of their strategy, really, to convince the American people to stick with this mission. So not a different policy here, but certainly a different tone -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Suzanne Malveaux at the White House.

Suzanne, thank you.

Let's go to Capitol Hill now. The stage is set for a debate on Iraq and the U.S. troop presence there. More on that and reaction to the president's trip.

Our congressional correspondent, Dana Bash, joining us from there.

Dana, good morning.

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

And what was really most fascinating about what we heard from the perch up here on Capitol Hill from the president was exactly what you said, him engaging in the debate, the election year debate, which is very real, of course, over Iraq.

As you said, what's going on this week is, on the House side, Republicans have offered a resolution. It's the first time they're actually going to debate Iraq on the House floor, and they have offered a resolution that has a couple of things that Democrats are going to feel pretty squeamish in voting for. And that is essentially saying that there should not be an arbitrary date -- that's the most important thing -- no arbitrary date in terms of withdrawing of U.S. troops from Iraq.

That is not an accident that Republicans are doing that, because they fundamentally understand that Iraq is going to be a big issue in this election year. So they are trying to, just five months before the election, try to get the debate in a place where they think they can win. The president was asked about the midterm elections, and listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: Listen, the elections are a long way off. What's going to matter is who's got the plan that will enable us to succeed in Iraq and keep the economy growing. And I look forward to the campaign. And I believe we're going to hold the House and the Senate, because our philosophy is one that is forward-looking and optimistic and has worked. We've got a record to run on.

There is an interesting debate in the Democratic Party about how quick to pull out of Iraq. Pulling out of Iraq before we accomplish the mission will make the world a more dangerous place. It's bad policy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: There you heard the president really trying to poke the Democrats, essentially, and that is part of a broader Republican strategy on the issue of Iraq. Why is he trying to poke the Democrats? You just heard him talking about it.

Essentially, it is because they have been meeting, Daryn, even this morning behind closed doors on the House side, on the Senate side, trying to come up with some kind of unified message when it comes to the issue of Iraq, a plan, whether or not they fundamentally will be for a firm date on withdrawing U.S. troops or not. And it has been on display virtually all week, even in public.

We heard from Senator John Kerry, who is going to put a resolution on the Senate floor saying that troops should come out by the end of the year. And then Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, who says -- essentially agrees with the president, saying that's not a good idea.

So Republicans are trying to exploit the divisions among Democrats. Democrats have been meeting feverishly trying to figure out how to avoid that.

KAGAN: Dana Bash on Capitol Hill.

Dana, thank you.

Let's talk about this crackdown in Baghdad. This is day one of a major security operation. Thousands of Iraqi police and soldiers are fanning out across the city with one goal, ending the violence that has devastated the capital.

Our John Vause is in Baghdad with details on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Even a widespread security sweep wasn't enough to stop this car bomb which left two civilians dead in northern Baghdad. "One of the terrorists left his car here and detonated it by remote control," said this policeman.

A police patrol was also targeted not far from here by a road side bomb. But no one was hurt. And Iraqi soldiers came under fire from insurgents in a Sunni neighborhood. No injuries were reported despite a 30-minute shootout.

The government called this Operation Forward Together. Hundreds of checkpoints were manned on roads into the capital, vehicles were searched. Police say they found Katyusha rockets and diffused roadside bombs.

Many Iraqis welcomed the extra security despite long lines of traffic in the searing heat of the Baghdad summer.

"We're getting late to work because of the checkpoint," says this man. "But this is good to arrest terrorists and seize car bombs."

For now, there has been no all-out offensive in the most violence-prone areas, neighborhoods controlled by militias and insurgents.

And a day after the visit by the U.S. president, more than 2,000 protested the American-led occupation. Most are followers of the radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, a powerful Shiite leader who in the past has led bloody uprisings against U.S. forces.

"We condemn the ill-fated visit by the leader of the occupation, Bush. We tell him, no. No America," said one of al-Sadr aides. But for many others, the president's brief five-hour visit left behind a rare sense of optimism.

"Bush came to boost the morale of the Iraqi government and give assurances of support," says this man. "We hope it will end the problems of the militias and put an end to the kidnappings and mass killings."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And John Vause joins us live from Baghdad now.

So, would you say in general the president's visit to Baghdad is getting a positive review in Iraq?

VAUSE: Yes, I think overall generally the president's visit here, all five hours of it, is seen as definitely a positive, a sign of support for this new Iraqi government. It is to say -- understated to say that it's a matter of concern for Iraqis the presence of U.S. troops in this country. For many Iraqis, it's a matter of life and death. And to see the president here stand side by side by the new Iraqi prime minister, saying he wanted to look in his eye, and when America gives its word, America keeps its word, it's certainly reassuring for many Iraqis, especially in the face of this uptick in violence that we've had, not just here in Baghdad, but across the rest of the country -- Daryn.

KAGAN: John Vause, live in Baghdad.

John, thank you.

Now an opportunity to have a piece of Baghdad. Our Baghdad journalist here in Atlanta, Arwa Damon, one of our regular correspondents who usually is based there.

Caught you for five minutes while you're here at our world headquarters here in Atlanta, so I wanted to take the chance to visit with you and get an opportunity to pick your brain about some of the things we're seeing.

First of all, the scores of 70,000 troops, mainly Iraqi troops and police officers moving into Baghdad, how do you think that will affect daily life there? And how important to have that stabilizing force?

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'll answer the second part of your question first. That force being in the streets of Baghdad is actually pretty significant for the Iraqi people, first and foremost, because when the new Iraqi prime minister, al-Maliki, took office, he made a promise that was going to secure Iraq and that he was going to crack down on violence. This crackdown in Baghdad, these 70,000 troops being out there, running checkpoints, trying to establish security, is for the Iraqi people a first step towards perhaps his commitment to really fulfilling that promise for them.

But, there is also the concern that these 70,000 troops aren't going to stay in Baghdad forever, they're not going to be deployed in the streets forever. So when they leave, what happens?

In terms of how it's going to affect daily life, in all honesty, daily life in Baghdad is very chaotic. Your average day, you've got any number of attacks that could happen when you go out that cause roads to be blocked, that cause checkpoints to set up, that cause spot raids to happen. Traffic ends up backed up for quite some time when you've got the checkpoints going on, anything.

Will it affect daily life and the traffic flow in Baghdad? Of course. But is that really anything out of the normal that has become life in Baghdad right now, the chaoticness (ph) of it? Not so much.

KAGAN: So just layered on to the craziness there.

You're going back on Sunday.

DAMON: Yes.

KAGAN: Going back on assignment. What are you looking forward to seeing? And what's at the top of your list of that you want to cover and check out?

DAMON: Well, there's a number of things. And a lot has happened since I've been gone, which has been, you know, for about two weeks right now.

But one of the places that I personally would like to get to is Ramadi. I was last there a few months ago, saw what was happening. And it's interesting to go back to areas that you've been to before a few months later and see what's changed and what hasn't.

And really, the only way to figure out how things are developing in Iraq is by going to these areas and visiting them over and over and over again and actually being able to see for yourself how things have changed. So Ramadi would be one. And another one...

KAGAN: And for our viewers not as familiar with Iraq as you are, what is it about Ramadi that intrigues you? And what are you looking to find out?

DAMON: Well, Ramadi is in Al Anbar Province, which is probably one of the most volatile -- which is actually one of the most volatile provinces in Iraq.

KAGAN: The western part.

DAMON: Exactly. And Ramadi is the capital of Al Anbar Province. And there have been a series of operations over the last year that have pretty much dampened (ph) down on the insurgency throughout most of Al Anbar Province, except for Ramadi, that has remained this hotspot for the insurgents. But at the same time, the U.S. military and the Iraqi security forces are maintaining a constant presence there.

When I was last there, there were a lot of efforts going on trying to build a relationship between the Iraqi security forces and the Iraqi population. So for me right now it will be interesting to see how that aspect of it has developed.

KAGAN: A personal note here. I know you're champing at the bit. I know the journalist in you can't wait to get back and you want to go see -- you want to do -- you want to do these stories. But when you see what's happen to so many crews, ABC's Bob Woodruff, the CBS crew, where two people were killed and Kimberly Dozier severely injured, does it give you pause?

You're not -- I mean, you are -- I'll list this positive. You are a smart, young woman. You know, you're not dumb. You see what's happening out.

How do you balance taking the risk and really wanting to go?

DAMON: Daryn, it's a risk that has always been there. And we're all very aware of it.

I don't think anyone who goes back to Iraq on a regular basis thinks that they're invincible or that it could never happen to them. And as we have seen, I mean, there's countless journalists who have been killed in Iraq.

At the same time, most of them are Iraqi and most of them are in any number of attacks. And the fact that it could be any one of us, the fact that it could be me, is very real. And each time you go back to Iraq you're more aware of the fact that it could be you than you were the time that you left.

But at the same time, we have a responsibility to be there. We need to be there. And we've covered it for so long.

We understand the story, especially, you know, those of us that have been there for extended periods of time, that we can't just abandon it. And in a hard to explain kind of way, you mentally adjust -- your mental parameters in your head of what you can accept as normal and your comfort level change completely the minute that plane touches down in Iraq. And you just accept that reality.

KAGAN: It's one thing for you. How do you explain it to your family?

DAMON: That's the part that's kind of challenging. I think my mother right now is trying to figure out if I'm either very brave or just very silly.

She -- it's hard for her. It's hard for them to understand exactly why I would risk my life, exactly why anyone would risk my (sic) life. But they are supportive. They know that they have to be. And when I'm there, they do all that they can.

But that is probably the hardest thing to try to justify to my family, because to the average person, to anyone, it doesn't make sense. Why would you go and deliberately put yourself in harm's way? But they understand the commitment.

KAGAN: We support you.

DAMON: Thank you.

KAGAN: Please be safe, as safe as you can. And we look forward to your excellent stories that we know are coming our way starting Sunday.

Thank you.

Arwa Damon, our correspondent headed back to Iraq.

Thank you, Arwa.

Well, we are looking at the other war, Afghanistan. It is a story of contradictions, lawless battles, peaceful living. Ahead, a reporter's notebook from our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr.

And it wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it still caused some problems. Straight ahead, the latest on the weather system that was once known as Tropical Storm Alberto.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Into CNN, we are getting these pictures from the suburbs of Chicago, from Bellwood, Illinois. This is a five-alarm fire. Very little information at this point.

We have not heard of any kind of evacuation. We know that this fire is taking place at Universal Form Clamp. And this is the largest privately-owned manufacturer and supplier of steel concrete construction products in the U.S. And we're getting word that at least two people have been injured in this five-alarm fire just outside of Chicago.

Also, out of Selmer, Tennessee, Mary Winkler is accused of killing her minister husband. She has now pleaded not guilty to a charge of premeditated murder.

You might remember back on March 22nd church members found Matthew Winkler dead in his bedroom. He had been shot in the back at close range. The next day, authorities caught up with his wife and three children in Alabama. Still no word on any motive in that crime.

And then the man who's accused of killing the parents of his 14- year-old girlfriend has entered a guilty plea to the crimes. Nineteen-year-old David Ludwig received two life sentences for the plea deal.

You might remember the story from last November. Ludwig fled Pennsylvania with the girl. They were apprehended in Indiana after a high-speed police chase. Investigators say that Kara Borden joined him voluntarily but did not play a role in the shooting. Her little sister witnessed her father's murder.

To world news now.

Coalition forces are targeting Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan. Operation Mountain Thrust is focused on four key provinces. The coalition spokesman says some 10,000 troops are involved. They'll join with Afghan forces to raid suspected Taliban safe houses. Military forces -- actually, military officials tell CNN that major combat operations got under way today.

So, focusing on Afghanistan, for a while it was the forgotten war. Now violence there is on the rise. Taliban militants are regrouping and stepping up attacks in an effort to derail reconstruction.

Our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, spent some time in Afghanistan and found many faces of the war. She filed this "Reporters Notebook."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): There is the joy of song and music, boys and girls at school, together, the bustle of the marketplace, the faces of the children that grab your heart. They mug for the camera. They suffer Afghanistan's miseries, often abused, working for money to buy food.

We came to see this fragile democracy, but make no mistake, we still see and hear a war. A war that is not Iraq.

The Taliban are regrouping. At a forward operating base, the conflicts of war.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw an RPG just skim the hood of my vehicle.

STARR: But 1st Lieutenant William Mariani (ph) tells us his days also include drinking tea with villagers.

We traveled by convoy with soldiers. But just a few days later, the same unit will be hit by an IED. The insurgency has come to Afghanistan.

These young female police officers are another face of the new Afghanistan. Here in Kandahar, in the south, they say they are ready to take on the Taliban.

Fighting suddenly broke out in Kabul after a traffic accident involving U.S. military vehicles. This is the agony of a country still at war with itself.

Here, in this burned-out destroyed compound, these devout Muslims search the embers for a holy Koran destroyed by the mob, their fellow Afghans. And outside on the busy city street life goes on. A man has melons to sell.

Another face of the war in Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And Barbara Starr joins us live from the Pentagon.

Barbara, what can you tell us about this latest operation that has just started?

STARR: Well, Daryn, hello to you. A very quick "thank you," though, to our excellent combat cameraman, Scott McQuinney (ph), who took all those pictures.

This latest operation is Mountain Thrust, about 11,000 troops or so. U.S. coalition and Afghans moving through four provinces deep in southern Afghanistan, on the hunt for Taliban.

This is an area where the Taliban have come back because there is very little presence of the Afghan government and very few troops in the area. So now troops are moving in. And they do expect to be there for some time -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And so what's prompting this move?

STARR: Well, it is this very fact of the Taliban coming back. There have been a number of attacks. Attacks are on the rise across the south, especially.

They are seeing suicide bombers, IEDs. They are calling it an insurgency. It's the word we've heard used in Iraq for so long, but now in Afghanistan they do believe, at least in southern Afghanistan, they are now fighting a very significant insurgent movement.

KAGAN: Too early to tell how effective this operation has been?

STARR: Probably so. But the -- when we were there just a week or so ago, commanders were already preparing for this. They had already put the initial forces in place. And they do expect they will be in southern Afghanistan through much of the summer. That they will stay and conduct operations in that region for some time to come now.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr, live at the Pentagon.

Good to see you back safely. Thank you, Barbara.

Identity theft, it is everybody's problem.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would I have driven to Miami-Dade to get Jeb Bush's? No.

GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: This meeting was a very productive one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did she say "Jeb Bush?" Yes, the president's brother. To prove her point, she has gone on celebrity style identity hunts. The governor of Florida's Social Security number posted along with other Floridians.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: The Virginia watchdog is barking ahead on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We are watching this five-alarm fire, Bellwood, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. We know that this is at the Universal Form Clamp Company. Two people injured so far. Reports say this company is the largest privately owned manufacturer and supplier of steel concrete construction products in the U.S.

Keeping an eye on that out of Bellwood, Illinois.

There may be new hope in the fight against Alzheimer's Disease. Researchers say that an experimental vaccine has shown promise in tests on mice. The vaccine has cut the brain deposits blamed for the memory-robbing disorder. The reduction, as much as 40 percent. Tests on humans could begin within three years.

Wrong kidney? Wrong side? Now a lawsuit.

An 86-year-old Tennessee woman is suing her doctors for removing her healthy kidney instead of the one with the cancerous tumor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOLDIE CLAUDE, KIDNEY PATIENT: He called him back in and he walked up by my bedside and he said, "Well" -- he said, "I am very sorry, but I have taken out the wrong kidney."

So I am left with little over a third of a kidney. And that is how I am living, with the help of god.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: According to her lawyer, the mistake started with the radiologist report which said the tumor was in the left kidney and later said it was in the right. Mrs. Claude's lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.

All right. Are you sitting down now? Good, because this one is going to knock you for a loop.

At least a billion dollars in assistance paid to hurricane victims for bogus reasons. Government watchdogs say it is FEMA's fault.

A House committee is hearing all about that today. An audit by the GAO found some outrageous things.

Remember those debit cards that were handed out to hurricane victims? They paid for a trip to the Caribbean, season football tickets, diamond jewelry, "Girls Gone Wild" videos, and some fancy champagne. FEMA says it revamped its procedures and is ready for this year's storm season.

Well, along the Florida Gulf Coast, a sigh of relief. A day after the season's first tropical storm slammed ashore, the system which made landfall as Alberto is now a tropical depression. It moved inland near Adams Beach, Florida, and then swept into Georgia and South Carolina. Downed trees and power lines reported in all three states. This was the scene after the storm passed through the Savannah area.

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