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American Morning
Speculation Over National Intelligence Director Post; CIA Warns of Terror Threats
Aired February 17, 2005 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: Good morning. Has the president made up his mind about who will be his eyes and ears on the world? A new director of national intelligence, possibly named this morning.
And the current threat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER GOSS, CIA DIRECTOR: It may be only a matter of time before al Qaeda or other groups attempt to use chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CIA Director Porter Goss, and others, telling Congress that Americans are still at risk.
In the West, torrential rains now making for dangerous and narrow escapes. And have you seen what happened when the train met the strawberry truck and the photographer who took these pictures had something to prove on this AMERICAN MORNING.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: Good morning. Welcome everybody.
Other stories we're watching this morning, we're waiting and watching in Iraq for what's going to be a very big moment in that country's history. The January 30th election results are expected to be certified in just one hour. We've got a report from Baghdad in just a moment.
Also, we're going to talk about some new threats to this country that are coming out of Iraq.
HEMMER: A lot of other stories to talk about this hour. What happens in the final hours to doom the hockey negotiations. That season is finished.
Also, the investigation of a high school teacher accused of teaching is his students to make bombs? How does the teacher respond?
And Spike Lee and his wife, on our show a bit later this hour, as well. We'll get to that.
O'BRIEN: Probably something parents weren't thinking about to be on the curriculum. Don't you imagine?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: It's a little strange. My question is, why would the mention of Spike Lee come right after the mention of bombs? Most of his means have done pretty well, haven't they?
HEMMER: Very well.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
The government is getting ready to fight its first big obscenity case in 10 years. A district judge threw out an indictment against a California pornography company. But the new attorney general, Mr. Gonzales want the indictment reinstated. We will take a look.
O'BRIEN: Thank you very much, Jack.
CAFFERTY: You're most welcome.
O'BRIEN: Let's get right to Heidi Collins with a look at the headlines this hour.
Good morning, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN NEWS ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: Good Thursday morning.
"Now in the News": More testimony expected today about the safety of some popular painkillers. An FDA advisory panel resumes a second day of hearings in Washington next hour. The FDA is trying to decide whether drugs like Celebrex and Bextra should be sold despite possible health risks.
In the Middle East now, there's word this morning that a campaign financing case against Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is being dropped. According to the Israeli media, there will be no charges brought against Prime Minister Sharon. But officials say his son will be indicted, Sharon's son is suspected of setting up a front to funnel cash donations to his father's 1999 political campaign.
In California, pop star Michael Jackson apparently is spending the morning resting back at home. Jackson slipped out of a Santa Maria hospital last night hours after a doctor announced the entertainer would spend another night there for treatment of some, quote, "persistent viral symptoms". A Jackson spokesman said the pop star had been discharged and would continue his recovery at home. Jury selection in the Jackson trial is set to resume on Tuesday.
And New England Patriots Linebacker Teddy Bruschi is set to undergo more medical tests this morning. Bruschi was admitted to the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston yesterday after complaining of headaches. Some media reports claim Bruschi had stroke-like symptoms, including partial paralysis and blurred vision. We're watching that one very closely. Such a great job in the "Super Bowl" for him.
O'BRIEN: Yes, we hope he's OK.
COLLINS: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Heidi.
Well, CNN has learned that President Bush could name his pick as early as today for the recently created post of national intelligence director. That is the focus of our "CNN Security Watch" this morning. White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux live for is with details.
Hey, Suzanne, good morning.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Well, our sources are telling us that announcement could come as early as today. Now it is all a part of the Intelligence Reform Bill that President Bush signed into law back in December. And, of course, this newly created position would mean he would oversee as well as manage the entire American intelligence community.
By law, President Bush has six month or until about mid-June to appoint the new director and the nominee must be confirmed by the Senate. It's been two months so far, but the White House has gotten a somewhat of a prodding yesterday when the co-chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, at a hearing, expressed frustration that the vacancy was hurting the U.S. ability to fully gather and analyze intelligence and assess potential threats to United States.
Now, the White House says, of course, it is being very careful in its selection. Here is just a partial list of some of the people they're considering. William Studeman, he is a former director of the super secret National Security Agency, General James Jones, the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, Lawrence Silberman, he is a judge who served as co-chair on the President's commission reviewing prewar Iraq war intelligence and then also Michael Hayden, he is a lieutenant general currently director of the National Security Agency.
As you know, Soledad, it comes at a critical time for the president. Just yesterday, it was the CIA Director Porter Goss testified on the Hill saying that the greatest danger to Americans still remains terrorism, and that also that there are threats from Iran and North Korea, that there is evidence that they are trying to obtain nuclear weapons programs, all of this on the president's plate, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Suzanne Malveaux at the White House for us this morning.
Suzanne we will stand by and wait to hear. Thanks.
HEMMER: As Suzanne is reporting there a senior intelligence officials on Capitol Hill, on Wednesday, warning again about these possible terror attacks against the U.S., as we continue our own "CNN Security Watch" this morning. Here's David Ensor in D.C.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At his first appearance on Capitol Hill as intelligence chief, Porter Goss said the top threat to the nation's security remains terrorism, causing mass casualties.
PORTER GOSS, DIRECTOR, CIA: It may be only a matter of time before al Qaeda or other group attempt to use chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons. We must focus on that.
ENSOR: Russian reports say terrorists may have stolen nuclear materials in Russia in years leading to concern about a possible dirty radioactive bomb.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you assure the American people that the material missing has not found its way to terrorist hands?
GOSS: No, I can't make that assurance.
ENSOR: Homeland Security official James Loy said, though, that the most likely next attack will be a conventional one along the same lines that troops are facing in Iraq.
JAMES LOY, DEP. SECY., DEPT. OF HOMELAND SECURITY: We think we are most likely to be attacked with a vehicle born improvised explosive device, because that's the weapon of choice around the world.
ENSOR: Goss spoke of evidence both Iran and North Korea are moving ahead with nuclear weapons programs, reflecting the criticism of the CIA about intelligence prior to the 9/11 attacks and on Iraq's weapons, or lack thereof, before the war, he stressed that the agency is getting more aggressive.
GOSS: Our officers are taking risks. And I will be asking them to take more risks. Justifiable risks because I would be much happier here explaining why we did something, than why we did nothing.
ENSOR: What Goss did not discuss in the open hearing, but what U.S. officials confirm, is that CIA officials are growing uneasy about holding Khalid Sheik Muhammed, Abu Zubaydah, Ramzi Bin Al Sheib and other top al Qaeda prisoners indefinitely at disclosed locations overseas.
ENSOR (on camera): Sources say the CIA wants to scale back its role running secret prisons around the world. The question said one is what is the end game for these people? A difficult question being quietly posed to the Justice Department and the White House. David Ensor, CNN Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: We're awaiting President Bush to name a director of national intelligence possibly sometime this morning. We'll have that when it happens. Be sure to stay with CNN, day and night, for the most reliable news about your security. O'BRIEN: The government of Iraq will begin taking shape today. The results of the election, which was held two weeks ago, will be officially announced in the next hour. Nic Robertson is in Baghdad for us this morning.
Nic, good morning.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
What we're going to hear are the final number of seats in the new national assembly. The percentages we heard announced over the last weekend are unlikely to change significantly. The Kurds with a quarter of the votes, the Shia Muslim Alliance with about half the votes.
What this is going to do, however, is going to now trigger some very serious and tough negotiation with the political players playing for those positions of prime minister, the key ministries. We've heard this before from officials that the horse trading, the political horse trading for those jobs has been going on for sometime.
With these hard figures, exactly how many seats each of the parties now have inside that new national assembly will determine what they have to concede on, what they see their strengths as. They know their concrete positions and we're told they will be able to make those key decisions on what they need to concede on; who's going to get the top jobs.
What we are being told right now is that process is in great difficulty. It is going very slowly and there's some very big serious divisions, we're hearing, between some of the key players. The advice we're getting here, Soledad, is don't expect any decisions on those key jobs anytime too soon.
O'BRIEN: Nic, let me ask you a question about something Porter Goss said in his testimony. He essentially said the Islamic extremists are exploiting the situation in Iraq and that these Jihadists are leaving Iraq more experienced and more focused in acts of urban terrorism. Is that the sense that you get in Iraq?
ROBERTSON: It's certainly the sense that security experts here we talked to are getting. If you look at that big explosion at the base in Mosul, just before Christmas where more than a dozen soldiers were killed while they were sitting down to eat, the suicide bomber there was believed to have been a Saudi.
There are a lot of other foreign nationals being attracted into Iraq to perpetrate attacks on U.S. soldiers. We hear that all the time. Unlike the situation with Afghanistan in the 1980s where many Saudis went there to fight against the Soviet occupation, the Saudi government knew who was leaving. The governments in this region at this moment do not know who's crossing the borders into Iraq. They don't have control when they come back to their countries. All the time those insurgents are here inside Iraq, they are learning from other insurgents from whichever countries they come from. That's what gives people cause for concern. There are so many acts of violence going on here, bombs being built, suicide techniques, positions of fire, a lot of information being traded. And it is happening here and the people -- these people go back to their own countries, nobody knows who they are, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Nic Robertson reporting live for us from Baghdad this morning.
Nic, thank you very much for the update. We're going to wait to hear what we're waiting to hear, these election results finally certified, Bill.
HEMMER: Some very interesting video this morning from Southern California. The truck carrying a load of strawberries, rammed by a speeding train. Investigators now questioning whether or not a poorly timed crossing signal may be to blame.
The video, by the way, shot by a man trying to prove how unsafe that crossing was. He captured it from a number of angles, says the warning bells did not give the truck enough time to move out of the way. Police say it's a miracle neither the driver nor the passengers of the train were hurt. That cause remains under investigation.
Getting a lot of attention right now, though.
O'BRIEN: That seems weird. Had he enough time to set up a camera and roll tape on it?
HEMMER: Now he has a chance to make his point.
O'BRIEN: Hmm. I don't know. I say hmm, about that.
Let's get right to the forecast. Rob Marciano in for Chad this morning at the CNN Center.
(WEATHER FORECAST)
HEMMER: In a moment here, what are your kids learning in school? Some Florida students say their teacher showed them how to make a bomb. Find out why police do not think it was an innocent experiment.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, Kid Rock lands in hot water. Why the rock world bad boy was taken to night court in handcuffs.
HEMMER: Also a daring rescue in the middle of a raging river. A heroic deputy describes those tense moments and why the warnings continue to go out to drivers crossing rivers like these. Back in a moment. Live in New York City, after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Arizona might be looking at another storm this weekend. Three major storms so far this winter have lead to lots of flooded roads and risky rescues. Deputy Sheriff Jim Thompkins of Maricopa County, pulled off this daring maneuver. He and Sheriff Joseph Arpaio spoke to us from Phoenix.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEPUTY SHERIFF JIM TOMPKINS, MARICOPA CO., ARIZONA: What happened yesterday morning about 09:15, we got a call in the area of 91st Avenue and the Salt River bottom, of a man trapped in a vehicle in the middle of the raging wash.
Myself, and the pilot Steve Glenny (ph), flew to the area. Surveyed the scene, realized we did have a male in the cab of the truck, and the water was rocking the truck. We landed. We prepared the ship. We got our own personal rescue gear on.
At that time, while I was riding on the skid, Deputy Glenny (ph) flew me to the location of the truck, dropped me off on the bed of the truck and flew away. I made contact with the driver. Insured that his medical condition and his safety was OK. Gave him a personal flotation device, escorted him to the bed of the truck from the cab, and when he was ready, the pilot flew over. Picked us up. And flew the subject to safety to an ambulance and awaiting deputies.
O'BRIEN: You sound pretty calm. He actually, I have to tell you, looks pretty calm as he's getting back into that chopper. This had to be a pretty hairy thing to do. Give me a description of how the guy, outside of his medical condition, how he seemed. Was he panicking, was he fine?
THOMPKINS: Actually, even though the truck was rocking and being pushed across the roadway by the raging river, the subject was very, very calm. He was listening to my instructions. Completely understood my instructions and followed exactly what I said to do. He's the best type of person to rescue.
O'BRIEN: Do you know his condition today?
THOMPKINS: That I do not. I just know he was checked out by a local paramedics and cleared from the scene.
O'BRIEN: Obviously you have done this a number of times. How common is a rescue of this sort?
THOMPKINS: It comes and goes, depending on the weather and that type of thing. We also do desert search and rescues and water rescues. But the Maricopa County sheriff's office air support unit have made 21 rescues since Friday. That's unprecedented.
O'BRIEN: Wow, 21 rescues in less than a week.
Let's turn now to Sheriff Joseph Arpaio.
Sheriff Arpaio, give me a sense of how difficult this weather has been on your crews.
SHERIFF JOSEPH ARPAIO, MARICOPA COUNTY, ARIZONA: Well, we have 3,000 posse, 600 we can mobilize at any time, which we will do in the next two days because there's news of more rain. But this is 21 rescues in six days, including three dogs. We can't forget that.
So, this is a serious problem. There is a law out there, and I think we've had two instances where someone has violated that law. It's called a stupid motorist law. That is really not the technical term, but it's the liability responding to flooded areas. So we may look into that, where up to $2,000, these people may have to reimburse the county for the resources we had to expend because of stupidity.
On the other hand...
O'BRIEN: Of these 21 rescues, forgive me for interrupting you there, but of these 21 rescues and the one where we saw just a moment ago how many of those are what you would call stupid drivers, kind of getting in situations where they should not have?
ARPAIO: We have two instances including the one the deputy just explained to you. But it's a catch 22. I don't want people to be afraid too call 911, because they may be cited. On the other hand, the people out there have to understand we're in a dangerous situation with this flooding and they have to use common sense and obey the law.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: That was Sheriff Joseph Arpaio and also Deputy Sheriff Jim Thompkins, both from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
That kind of weather not all that unusual in Arizona, but check out these pictures from Queens, New York. Firefighters had to use rafts to get at a broken water main. Gushing waters forced residents in 17 apartment buildings to evacuate. Entire basements, obviously flooded. Businesses just out and out ruined. Officials say that construction workers might have caused that big flood.
HEMMER: Kid Rock ran into some trouble in Nashville yesterday. The Detroit rocker arrested on a misdemeanor assault charge. A local club deejay says that Kid Rock punched him in the eye. He posted bond and is due back in Nashville to face the charge on March 30th. Looks like he had a big night out.
O'BRIEN: You get busted, someone's rolling tape and you still chew gum and supply for the cameras. Can't explain it.
Well, Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan says the president's Social Security plan is OK, but there is a catch. Andy is "Minding Your Business" up next on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everybody. What does Alan Greenspan think about private Social Security accounts and reform there? Andy Serwer, first check, "Minding Your Business".
Good morning to you. He was talking yesterday, and he said what?
ANDY SERWER, COLUMNIST, "FORTUNE": I think you could call it an endorsement with caveats. Alan Greenspan gave muted support to the president's plan to partially privatize Social Security.
Testifying before the Senate Banking Committee yesterday, he said, quote, "If you're going to move to private accounts, which I approve of, I think you have to do it in a cautious gradual way." Green speak again.
A couple points here. He said in and of itself, privatization will not solve Social Security's long-term problems. He also was asked how the financial markets would react to $2 trillion of borrowing, to create these private accounts, and he said we don't know.
Meanwhile, President Bush was out on the road stumping for his plan. And he acknowledged for the first time that he might accept tax increases in Social Security above the $90,000 limit. So that's going to be very interesting to see how that pans out.
HEMMER: That's on the payroll tax, which is something he has not gone there just yet until yesterday.
SERWER: Exactly. I mean, it was a very, you know, I might accept. It's on the table kind of thing.
HEMMER: OK.
SERWER: So also yesterday, the markets just a wait and see kind of day. You can see very quickly here, watching Greenspan, Wal-Mart will be active this morning. They had solid results before the bell.
HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: Let's get right to the "Question of the Day" from Jack.
Good morning.
CAFFERTY: Thanks, Soledad.
Here we go, the government's going to take up its first big obscenity case in 10 years. A U.S. district court judge threw out an indictment against a California pornography company, and outfit called Extreme Associates, Inc.
Judge Gary Lancaster (ph), ruled the prosecutors overstepped their bounds trying to block the company's hard-core movies from children and adults who didn't want to see them. The Justice Department wants the indictment reinstated saying the ruling not only undermines obscenity laws, but also laws based on shares views of public morality.
The new Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says selling or distributing obscene materials does not fall within First Amendment protections.
The question is this, are federal laws banning obscenity unconstitutional? Part of the basis for the district court judge's ruling in throwing out the indictment was the 2003 decision by the Supreme Court that overturned Texas's ban on gay sex, saying that the ban in Texas violated the right to privacy that is guaranteed under the Constitution.
These materials that are the subject of this indictment were sent through the mail to I think Pennsylvania. And the judge threw out the indictment based on again a violation of the right to privacy, that people are entitled to view this stuff in the privacy of their homes if they desire. It could be an interesting case for the new attorney general --- or not. It may be duller than dog do.
SERWER: Well, it is not going to dull, I don't think.
O'BRIEN: Never dull.
SERWER: Never a dull moment with that subject.
O'BRIEN: All right, Jack, thanks.
CAFFERTY: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk about Spike Lee. He and his wife Tanya are heading to TV for his newest next project. What was so inspiring about "Miracle's Boys"? Spike and Spike are going tell us, that is later on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired February 17, 2005 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: Good morning. Has the president made up his mind about who will be his eyes and ears on the world? A new director of national intelligence, possibly named this morning.
And the current threat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER GOSS, CIA DIRECTOR: It may be only a matter of time before al Qaeda or other groups attempt to use chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CIA Director Porter Goss, and others, telling Congress that Americans are still at risk.
In the West, torrential rains now making for dangerous and narrow escapes. And have you seen what happened when the train met the strawberry truck and the photographer who took these pictures had something to prove on this AMERICAN MORNING.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: Good morning. Welcome everybody.
Other stories we're watching this morning, we're waiting and watching in Iraq for what's going to be a very big moment in that country's history. The January 30th election results are expected to be certified in just one hour. We've got a report from Baghdad in just a moment.
Also, we're going to talk about some new threats to this country that are coming out of Iraq.
HEMMER: A lot of other stories to talk about this hour. What happens in the final hours to doom the hockey negotiations. That season is finished.
Also, the investigation of a high school teacher accused of teaching is his students to make bombs? How does the teacher respond?
And Spike Lee and his wife, on our show a bit later this hour, as well. We'll get to that.
O'BRIEN: Probably something parents weren't thinking about to be on the curriculum. Don't you imagine?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: It's a little strange. My question is, why would the mention of Spike Lee come right after the mention of bombs? Most of his means have done pretty well, haven't they?
HEMMER: Very well.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
The government is getting ready to fight its first big obscenity case in 10 years. A district judge threw out an indictment against a California pornography company. But the new attorney general, Mr. Gonzales want the indictment reinstated. We will take a look.
O'BRIEN: Thank you very much, Jack.
CAFFERTY: You're most welcome.
O'BRIEN: Let's get right to Heidi Collins with a look at the headlines this hour.
Good morning, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN NEWS ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: Good Thursday morning.
"Now in the News": More testimony expected today about the safety of some popular painkillers. An FDA advisory panel resumes a second day of hearings in Washington next hour. The FDA is trying to decide whether drugs like Celebrex and Bextra should be sold despite possible health risks.
In the Middle East now, there's word this morning that a campaign financing case against Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is being dropped. According to the Israeli media, there will be no charges brought against Prime Minister Sharon. But officials say his son will be indicted, Sharon's son is suspected of setting up a front to funnel cash donations to his father's 1999 political campaign.
In California, pop star Michael Jackson apparently is spending the morning resting back at home. Jackson slipped out of a Santa Maria hospital last night hours after a doctor announced the entertainer would spend another night there for treatment of some, quote, "persistent viral symptoms". A Jackson spokesman said the pop star had been discharged and would continue his recovery at home. Jury selection in the Jackson trial is set to resume on Tuesday.
And New England Patriots Linebacker Teddy Bruschi is set to undergo more medical tests this morning. Bruschi was admitted to the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston yesterday after complaining of headaches. Some media reports claim Bruschi had stroke-like symptoms, including partial paralysis and blurred vision. We're watching that one very closely. Such a great job in the "Super Bowl" for him.
O'BRIEN: Yes, we hope he's OK.
COLLINS: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Heidi.
Well, CNN has learned that President Bush could name his pick as early as today for the recently created post of national intelligence director. That is the focus of our "CNN Security Watch" this morning. White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux live for is with details.
Hey, Suzanne, good morning.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Well, our sources are telling us that announcement could come as early as today. Now it is all a part of the Intelligence Reform Bill that President Bush signed into law back in December. And, of course, this newly created position would mean he would oversee as well as manage the entire American intelligence community.
By law, President Bush has six month or until about mid-June to appoint the new director and the nominee must be confirmed by the Senate. It's been two months so far, but the White House has gotten a somewhat of a prodding yesterday when the co-chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, at a hearing, expressed frustration that the vacancy was hurting the U.S. ability to fully gather and analyze intelligence and assess potential threats to United States.
Now, the White House says, of course, it is being very careful in its selection. Here is just a partial list of some of the people they're considering. William Studeman, he is a former director of the super secret National Security Agency, General James Jones, the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, Lawrence Silberman, he is a judge who served as co-chair on the President's commission reviewing prewar Iraq war intelligence and then also Michael Hayden, he is a lieutenant general currently director of the National Security Agency.
As you know, Soledad, it comes at a critical time for the president. Just yesterday, it was the CIA Director Porter Goss testified on the Hill saying that the greatest danger to Americans still remains terrorism, and that also that there are threats from Iran and North Korea, that there is evidence that they are trying to obtain nuclear weapons programs, all of this on the president's plate, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Suzanne Malveaux at the White House for us this morning.
Suzanne we will stand by and wait to hear. Thanks.
HEMMER: As Suzanne is reporting there a senior intelligence officials on Capitol Hill, on Wednesday, warning again about these possible terror attacks against the U.S., as we continue our own "CNN Security Watch" this morning. Here's David Ensor in D.C.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At his first appearance on Capitol Hill as intelligence chief, Porter Goss said the top threat to the nation's security remains terrorism, causing mass casualties.
PORTER GOSS, DIRECTOR, CIA: It may be only a matter of time before al Qaeda or other group attempt to use chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons. We must focus on that.
ENSOR: Russian reports say terrorists may have stolen nuclear materials in Russia in years leading to concern about a possible dirty radioactive bomb.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you assure the American people that the material missing has not found its way to terrorist hands?
GOSS: No, I can't make that assurance.
ENSOR: Homeland Security official James Loy said, though, that the most likely next attack will be a conventional one along the same lines that troops are facing in Iraq.
JAMES LOY, DEP. SECY., DEPT. OF HOMELAND SECURITY: We think we are most likely to be attacked with a vehicle born improvised explosive device, because that's the weapon of choice around the world.
ENSOR: Goss spoke of evidence both Iran and North Korea are moving ahead with nuclear weapons programs, reflecting the criticism of the CIA about intelligence prior to the 9/11 attacks and on Iraq's weapons, or lack thereof, before the war, he stressed that the agency is getting more aggressive.
GOSS: Our officers are taking risks. And I will be asking them to take more risks. Justifiable risks because I would be much happier here explaining why we did something, than why we did nothing.
ENSOR: What Goss did not discuss in the open hearing, but what U.S. officials confirm, is that CIA officials are growing uneasy about holding Khalid Sheik Muhammed, Abu Zubaydah, Ramzi Bin Al Sheib and other top al Qaeda prisoners indefinitely at disclosed locations overseas.
ENSOR (on camera): Sources say the CIA wants to scale back its role running secret prisons around the world. The question said one is what is the end game for these people? A difficult question being quietly posed to the Justice Department and the White House. David Ensor, CNN Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: We're awaiting President Bush to name a director of national intelligence possibly sometime this morning. We'll have that when it happens. Be sure to stay with CNN, day and night, for the most reliable news about your security. O'BRIEN: The government of Iraq will begin taking shape today. The results of the election, which was held two weeks ago, will be officially announced in the next hour. Nic Robertson is in Baghdad for us this morning.
Nic, good morning.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
What we're going to hear are the final number of seats in the new national assembly. The percentages we heard announced over the last weekend are unlikely to change significantly. The Kurds with a quarter of the votes, the Shia Muslim Alliance with about half the votes.
What this is going to do, however, is going to now trigger some very serious and tough negotiation with the political players playing for those positions of prime minister, the key ministries. We've heard this before from officials that the horse trading, the political horse trading for those jobs has been going on for sometime.
With these hard figures, exactly how many seats each of the parties now have inside that new national assembly will determine what they have to concede on, what they see their strengths as. They know their concrete positions and we're told they will be able to make those key decisions on what they need to concede on; who's going to get the top jobs.
What we are being told right now is that process is in great difficulty. It is going very slowly and there's some very big serious divisions, we're hearing, between some of the key players. The advice we're getting here, Soledad, is don't expect any decisions on those key jobs anytime too soon.
O'BRIEN: Nic, let me ask you a question about something Porter Goss said in his testimony. He essentially said the Islamic extremists are exploiting the situation in Iraq and that these Jihadists are leaving Iraq more experienced and more focused in acts of urban terrorism. Is that the sense that you get in Iraq?
ROBERTSON: It's certainly the sense that security experts here we talked to are getting. If you look at that big explosion at the base in Mosul, just before Christmas where more than a dozen soldiers were killed while they were sitting down to eat, the suicide bomber there was believed to have been a Saudi.
There are a lot of other foreign nationals being attracted into Iraq to perpetrate attacks on U.S. soldiers. We hear that all the time. Unlike the situation with Afghanistan in the 1980s where many Saudis went there to fight against the Soviet occupation, the Saudi government knew who was leaving. The governments in this region at this moment do not know who's crossing the borders into Iraq. They don't have control when they come back to their countries. All the time those insurgents are here inside Iraq, they are learning from other insurgents from whichever countries they come from. That's what gives people cause for concern. There are so many acts of violence going on here, bombs being built, suicide techniques, positions of fire, a lot of information being traded. And it is happening here and the people -- these people go back to their own countries, nobody knows who they are, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Nic Robertson reporting live for us from Baghdad this morning.
Nic, thank you very much for the update. We're going to wait to hear what we're waiting to hear, these election results finally certified, Bill.
HEMMER: Some very interesting video this morning from Southern California. The truck carrying a load of strawberries, rammed by a speeding train. Investigators now questioning whether or not a poorly timed crossing signal may be to blame.
The video, by the way, shot by a man trying to prove how unsafe that crossing was. He captured it from a number of angles, says the warning bells did not give the truck enough time to move out of the way. Police say it's a miracle neither the driver nor the passengers of the train were hurt. That cause remains under investigation.
Getting a lot of attention right now, though.
O'BRIEN: That seems weird. Had he enough time to set up a camera and roll tape on it?
HEMMER: Now he has a chance to make his point.
O'BRIEN: Hmm. I don't know. I say hmm, about that.
Let's get right to the forecast. Rob Marciano in for Chad this morning at the CNN Center.
(WEATHER FORECAST)
HEMMER: In a moment here, what are your kids learning in school? Some Florida students say their teacher showed them how to make a bomb. Find out why police do not think it was an innocent experiment.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, Kid Rock lands in hot water. Why the rock world bad boy was taken to night court in handcuffs.
HEMMER: Also a daring rescue in the middle of a raging river. A heroic deputy describes those tense moments and why the warnings continue to go out to drivers crossing rivers like these. Back in a moment. Live in New York City, after this.
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O'BRIEN: Arizona might be looking at another storm this weekend. Three major storms so far this winter have lead to lots of flooded roads and risky rescues. Deputy Sheriff Jim Thompkins of Maricopa County, pulled off this daring maneuver. He and Sheriff Joseph Arpaio spoke to us from Phoenix.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEPUTY SHERIFF JIM TOMPKINS, MARICOPA CO., ARIZONA: What happened yesterday morning about 09:15, we got a call in the area of 91st Avenue and the Salt River bottom, of a man trapped in a vehicle in the middle of the raging wash.
Myself, and the pilot Steve Glenny (ph), flew to the area. Surveyed the scene, realized we did have a male in the cab of the truck, and the water was rocking the truck. We landed. We prepared the ship. We got our own personal rescue gear on.
At that time, while I was riding on the skid, Deputy Glenny (ph) flew me to the location of the truck, dropped me off on the bed of the truck and flew away. I made contact with the driver. Insured that his medical condition and his safety was OK. Gave him a personal flotation device, escorted him to the bed of the truck from the cab, and when he was ready, the pilot flew over. Picked us up. And flew the subject to safety to an ambulance and awaiting deputies.
O'BRIEN: You sound pretty calm. He actually, I have to tell you, looks pretty calm as he's getting back into that chopper. This had to be a pretty hairy thing to do. Give me a description of how the guy, outside of his medical condition, how he seemed. Was he panicking, was he fine?
THOMPKINS: Actually, even though the truck was rocking and being pushed across the roadway by the raging river, the subject was very, very calm. He was listening to my instructions. Completely understood my instructions and followed exactly what I said to do. He's the best type of person to rescue.
O'BRIEN: Do you know his condition today?
THOMPKINS: That I do not. I just know he was checked out by a local paramedics and cleared from the scene.
O'BRIEN: Obviously you have done this a number of times. How common is a rescue of this sort?
THOMPKINS: It comes and goes, depending on the weather and that type of thing. We also do desert search and rescues and water rescues. But the Maricopa County sheriff's office air support unit have made 21 rescues since Friday. That's unprecedented.
O'BRIEN: Wow, 21 rescues in less than a week.
Let's turn now to Sheriff Joseph Arpaio.
Sheriff Arpaio, give me a sense of how difficult this weather has been on your crews.
SHERIFF JOSEPH ARPAIO, MARICOPA COUNTY, ARIZONA: Well, we have 3,000 posse, 600 we can mobilize at any time, which we will do in the next two days because there's news of more rain. But this is 21 rescues in six days, including three dogs. We can't forget that.
So, this is a serious problem. There is a law out there, and I think we've had two instances where someone has violated that law. It's called a stupid motorist law. That is really not the technical term, but it's the liability responding to flooded areas. So we may look into that, where up to $2,000, these people may have to reimburse the county for the resources we had to expend because of stupidity.
On the other hand...
O'BRIEN: Of these 21 rescues, forgive me for interrupting you there, but of these 21 rescues and the one where we saw just a moment ago how many of those are what you would call stupid drivers, kind of getting in situations where they should not have?
ARPAIO: We have two instances including the one the deputy just explained to you. But it's a catch 22. I don't want people to be afraid too call 911, because they may be cited. On the other hand, the people out there have to understand we're in a dangerous situation with this flooding and they have to use common sense and obey the law.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: That was Sheriff Joseph Arpaio and also Deputy Sheriff Jim Thompkins, both from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
That kind of weather not all that unusual in Arizona, but check out these pictures from Queens, New York. Firefighters had to use rafts to get at a broken water main. Gushing waters forced residents in 17 apartment buildings to evacuate. Entire basements, obviously flooded. Businesses just out and out ruined. Officials say that construction workers might have caused that big flood.
HEMMER: Kid Rock ran into some trouble in Nashville yesterday. The Detroit rocker arrested on a misdemeanor assault charge. A local club deejay says that Kid Rock punched him in the eye. He posted bond and is due back in Nashville to face the charge on March 30th. Looks like he had a big night out.
O'BRIEN: You get busted, someone's rolling tape and you still chew gum and supply for the cameras. Can't explain it.
Well, Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan says the president's Social Security plan is OK, but there is a catch. Andy is "Minding Your Business" up next on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.
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HEMMER: Welcome back, everybody. What does Alan Greenspan think about private Social Security accounts and reform there? Andy Serwer, first check, "Minding Your Business".
Good morning to you. He was talking yesterday, and he said what?
ANDY SERWER, COLUMNIST, "FORTUNE": I think you could call it an endorsement with caveats. Alan Greenspan gave muted support to the president's plan to partially privatize Social Security.
Testifying before the Senate Banking Committee yesterday, he said, quote, "If you're going to move to private accounts, which I approve of, I think you have to do it in a cautious gradual way." Green speak again.
A couple points here. He said in and of itself, privatization will not solve Social Security's long-term problems. He also was asked how the financial markets would react to $2 trillion of borrowing, to create these private accounts, and he said we don't know.
Meanwhile, President Bush was out on the road stumping for his plan. And he acknowledged for the first time that he might accept tax increases in Social Security above the $90,000 limit. So that's going to be very interesting to see how that pans out.
HEMMER: That's on the payroll tax, which is something he has not gone there just yet until yesterday.
SERWER: Exactly. I mean, it was a very, you know, I might accept. It's on the table kind of thing.
HEMMER: OK.
SERWER: So also yesterday, the markets just a wait and see kind of day. You can see very quickly here, watching Greenspan, Wal-Mart will be active this morning. They had solid results before the bell.
HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: Let's get right to the "Question of the Day" from Jack.
Good morning.
CAFFERTY: Thanks, Soledad.
Here we go, the government's going to take up its first big obscenity case in 10 years. A U.S. district court judge threw out an indictment against a California pornography company, and outfit called Extreme Associates, Inc.
Judge Gary Lancaster (ph), ruled the prosecutors overstepped their bounds trying to block the company's hard-core movies from children and adults who didn't want to see them. The Justice Department wants the indictment reinstated saying the ruling not only undermines obscenity laws, but also laws based on shares views of public morality.
The new Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says selling or distributing obscene materials does not fall within First Amendment protections.
The question is this, are federal laws banning obscenity unconstitutional? Part of the basis for the district court judge's ruling in throwing out the indictment was the 2003 decision by the Supreme Court that overturned Texas's ban on gay sex, saying that the ban in Texas violated the right to privacy that is guaranteed under the Constitution.
These materials that are the subject of this indictment were sent through the mail to I think Pennsylvania. And the judge threw out the indictment based on again a violation of the right to privacy, that people are entitled to view this stuff in the privacy of their homes if they desire. It could be an interesting case for the new attorney general --- or not. It may be duller than dog do.
SERWER: Well, it is not going to dull, I don't think.
O'BRIEN: Never dull.
SERWER: Never a dull moment with that subject.
O'BRIEN: All right, Jack, thanks.
CAFFERTY: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk about Spike Lee. He and his wife Tanya are heading to TV for his newest next project. What was so inspiring about "Miracle's Boys"? Spike and Spike are going tell us, that is later on AMERICAN MORNING.
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