Return to Transcripts main page

Rick's List

President Obama to Address Nation; Tracking Hurricane Earl; Possible "Shenanigans" in Alaska Voter Ballots; Washington's Rules: Is War Too Profitable a Policy For Washington to Ever Quit?; Hurricane Watch for North Carolina; Paris Hilton Faces Felony Charges for Cocaine Possession

Aired August 31, 2010 - 16:00   ET

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

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: As we begin this hour, I want to welcome the men and women who are watching us right now on Armed Forces Network all over the world.

Here is your national conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ (voice-over): Here is what's making your LIST today.

Earl, getting bigger, faster, and closer. Oh, my.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Winds are roaring. (INAUDIBLE) damaged trees down.

SANCHEZ: Videos coming in from viewers all over the Caribbean and we're sharing.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: By the end of next year, all our troops will be home.

SANCHEZ: The countdown to the end of combat in Iraq is on for tonight, but will it stick?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody is interested in the future exploration of space.

SANCHEZ: This is the Ares rocket.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fire.

SANCHEZ: High-tech, high-powered, and possibly completely useless. Your tax dollars at work -- not.

Paris Hilton's story, and she's sticking to it. The only thing in her purse not hers was the cocaine. Police don't buy it.

The lists you need to know about. Who's today's most intriguing? Who's landed on the list you don't want to be on? Who's making news on Twitter? It's why I keep a list.

Pioneering tomorrow's cutting-edge news right now. (END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: And hello again everybody. I'm Rick Sanchez.

Since we are the news of record for our military all over the world on Armed Forces Network, this first story on the LIST is very appropriate.

Number one, this is huge. An hour from now, in fact, you see it right behind me, right? There it is. Iraq, the combat mission is over. There you go. Can you see it better like that? The combat mission is over in 57 minutes, in 55, 54, 53 and on and on and on seconds. That's when it's going to be midnight in Baghdad.

So, we think this is a very important story. This is obviously a milestone. President Obama by the way says it's not going to be a victory lap. That's what he told troops today. He was on a visit to Fort Bliss Army Base in Texas. He says there is still a lot of work to do. There are still 50,000 U.S. troops there in Iraq to take care of business.

So, what's the non-combat mission going to look like? I say non- combat because that's what it is now. New Dawn is about advising. It's about training. Watch this.

This is our Pentagon correspondent. Here's Chris Lawrence's take on this, our Pentagon correspondent.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Loaded down in Kevlar, on the same dusty roads, don't tell these soldiers that combat troops are gone.

STAFF SGT. ADAM STEFFENS, 3RD BRIGADE, 4TH ID: It's a misnomer. It sounds like, that, you know, we all went home. But really -- we're all still here.

LAWRENCE: Or in the words of Staff Sergeant Adam Steffens --

STEFFENS: These are the same guys that rolled in here in 2003 that just unleashed the fury.

LAWRENCE: Sergeant John Roberts is on his third tour. Lieutenant Colonel John D.G. (ph) Batista deployed to Diyala, Baquba and Baghdad. Third Brigade, Fourth ID is on its fourth deployment here. Some of the soldiers conducting "New Dawn's" non-combat mission are some of the most battle-hardened troops in the Army.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There were times and places when, you know, you'd had streets run red with blood.

LAWRENCE (on camera): So it's better, much better. But the sergeant told me he'll never be able to totally let his guard down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The IED threat is always there. LAWRENCE: Buried in the ground, camouflaged as trash. And if enough insurgents get together, the sergeant says they'll even try a complex direct attack.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They want to mount up on us. They want to get squirrelly and go toe-to-toe for a while. It's rare. Most of those guys are already dead so it doesn't really happen too much. But it's something that we've got to be careful of.

LAWRENCE (voice-over): Even before "New Dawn's" official beginning, American and Iraqi troops have been living together on bases like Umsa (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we're heading back now.

LAWRENCE: Their new advise and assist mission means U.S. troops are still in convoys, still on patrols, but following the Iraqis, not leading them.

FIRST LT. WILL SWEARINGE, U.S. ARMY: We're there but we're watching and we're teaching, we're coaching. We're kind of prodding them on to the right decisions.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: And Chris is joining us now. He is live from Baghdad. He's at Camp Liberty.

Hey, Chris, hope all is well as we count down to this official end of combat operations. Are U.S. troops on alert for the possibility of insurgents seeing this pullout and wanting to jump on it as an opportunity to attack?

LAWRENCE: Well, Rick, the entire country is on alert right now.

The prime minister of Iraq put the country on its highest state of alert because of the threats of insurgent attacks. The U.S. military hasn't so much changed in its posture, because they never truly relax it.

I mean, even when talking about assisting and advising and training and like that, the guys have the same Kevlar, the same body armor. They're running through their same checklists when they climb into those Humvees and those MRAPs. So, they don't lower the security --

(CROSSTALK)

LAWRENCE: So, there's no need to raise it.

SANCHEZ: Well, that brings me to my next question. And I think it's one that I ask for all of the folks who are watching this newscast. Is this difference between the present operation and the operation that begins in, what was it, 55, 55 minutes or something like that, is it a symbolic difference or is it a tangible difference? I mean, I know they say these 50,000 troops that are left there are only there to train and advise. But if the you know what hits the proverbial fan, aren't they engaged in combat almost immediately?

LAWRENCE: Rick, there is always, always (AUDIO GAP) always will reserve the right to defend themselves. If the Iraqi army -- obviously, if their partners are in big trouble, the troops there will do whatever they can to assist them.

Here is the difference, how it was explained to me by one sergeant. He said, you know, remember back five, six years ago, even -- even two years ago. We were the first ones through the door. We were going outside the wire every day. We were expecting combat. We were looking for insurgents, things like that.

Now you don't see that. There aren't going to be any unilateral U.S. patrols.

SANCHEZ: Got it.

LAWRENCE: The U.S. isn't going to be going out on its own. Everything is done with the Iraqi partners. And now they're the first ones through that door.

SANCHEZ: So, it -- it almost comes down -- you know, what I'm hearing you say -- and I think you explained it well -- it's a matter of how much they engage.

I mean, when you're in a full combat mission, you're engaging. In this situation, they will be engaging less. So, I don't want to put words in your mouth. Does that sound about right?

LAWRENCE: No, I think you said it perfectly. I think, you know, people who say they don't engage at all are missing the point, and then those who say they're in full combat lockdown mode are missing the point on the other end.

It's somewhat in the middle. You know, they're still there. They're still out on some of these patrols and convoys. They're just not taking the lead. It's the Iraqis who are trying to develop their own intelligence, coming up with the plans. The U.S. would be there to coach and guide and help if needed.

SANCHEZ: Chris, you always do a great job for us. And I just want to thank you for being there. All right? Say hi to all the guys and all the fellows and all the gals over there as well.

You can see the president's address, by the way, plus special analysis and insight from the best political team on television. It's tonight at 8:00 Eastern, only here on CNN.

There's a -- there's a very important question that I'm asking today. Were two passengers flying from Chicago testing a future terror attack, or what -- what are they doing? Were the items in their luggage that they weren't even flying with just coincidentally weird? I mean, we brought you the story last night. The questions are still there, although things are much clearer, and I'm going to take you through this. All right?

Also, the government may begin ordering evacuations along the East Coast as Hurricane Earl churns in the Atlantic. Right now, the U.S. is a target. We are getting live updates for you. And as these advisories come out of South Florida from the National Hurricane Center, Chad's monitoring them. He's going to come over here, and he's going to take you through it.

Will this thing hit, brush up against, or completely miss the U.S. East Coast? That's an important question. We are going to be all over it for you. This is your national conversation.

I'm Rick Sanchez. Your LIST will return in two minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Hey, welcome back, everybody.

There is so much going on today, and there's so many conversations that we're having during commercials. I'm so glad that you're engaged.

We do lists on this newscast. We bring you different types of lists. And this is one of the lists that we bring you every day at this time. We call this our roundup list. And here we go.

Number one, Earl lost its eye earlier today, but when I say it lost its eye, don't think it didn't come back, because it did. It is now again a Category 4, top winds remaining at above 135 miles an hour. Keep in mind it was 150 miles an hour last night, 135 miles now, hasn't broken up, hasn't dissipated, still a hurricane, still moving forward.

Good to see it go down, but we're not out of the woods yet.

Chad Myers has been standing by. He is talking to the folks at the National Hurricane Center. He is checking their advisories. Here is the question. Look, you see this thing right there? See it right there on the loop? As you look at this storm, you ask yourself, at what point will it make that big bend and become like a Bermuda storm, right, and head out toward the east?

Well, that's what Chad is doing for you. He's watching it. There is an advisory coming out I think in about 20 minutes to a half- hour. And as soon as he's got it in his hands, he's going to bring it out here and he's going to take us through it. We will get the very latest prediction from the National Hurricane Center.

Here is number two now. Fidel Castro -- Fidel Castro is saying he takes responsibility for the persecution of gays and lesbians during the revolution. Now, this is a story that didn't get a lot of play, at least not from the media here in the United States. But it's true. During the 1960s and '70s, Cuba routinely would send gay men into labor camps for no other reason than for being gay. In an interview with a Mexican newspaper, the former Cuban leader calls it a great injustice. He's copping to this, says nobody paid much attention to how gay people were treated back then because Cuba had so many other problems.

Also, locked up, arrested, in handcuffs, a Texas man police in Mexico believe he is a major drug kingpin. This guy's name is Edgar Valdez Villarreal. His nickname is La Barbie -- Barbie, like the doll. Police in Mexico say that he was responsible for smuggling a ton of cocaine into the United States every month.

He had a $2 million price on his head from the U.S. Justice Department. La Barbie and six of his associates were bought -- or were brought in after a shoot-out near Mexico City. Who knew?

And number four, this is Amsterdam's airport, where the last we heard these two men are still being questioned by Dutch police about some type of suspicious items that were found on their luggage. This is a complex, bizarre story, if you will allow me.

U.S. officials tell CNN an initial investigation shows no evidence that the two men from Yemen are connected to terrorism. That is a change from yesterday, when U.S. officials thought the men were possibly trying to test U.S. airport security with what they had apparently found in their suitcase, which now turns out to be maybe just coincidental.

Well, we are going to watch these developments for you. And that's the roundup.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I notice cracks now and gradients that I never would have noticed before. You know, a curve at this moment might as well be the Great Wall of China.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: He lost both of his legs while fighting in Afghanistan. You are going to hear his inspiring, his emotional story. We are going to bring it for you.

Also, let the countdown begin. Alaska -- that's right, it's a different countdown. Here, they're counting down the votes, starting to tally more votes, as the Republican race for the U.S. Senate hangs in the balance. So, who wins, a favorite of the Tea Party movement or the incumbent? It's looking like -- well, I will leave it alone.

A live report from Alaska on this is coming up next. I'm Rick Sanchez. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Hey, welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez. We were the first to tell you right here on RICK'S LIST, this newscast - in fact, one of my producers put this story together for us, Garry Dotters (ph), and said, watch this. This is going to be a very legitimate story. Everyone is going to jump on this.

Guess what? He was right. Let me get you caught up on what is going on in Alaska and the going on between the TEA party movement and the Republicans. Joe Miller still leading, incumbent Lisa Murkowski in this really shocking Senate primary.

But CNN has learned there may be more than 25,000 absentee ballots still uncounted. They're not all Republican ballots, but Murkowski is only trailing by, well, less than 1,700 votes now. So, she is still not out, despite what you may have read or heard, including some of the folks who I have interviewed here on this newscast.

But you need to know this. This may be Murkowski's last chance because the Libertarian Party is saying, "Itcnay nixsay (ph). We don't want you. You're not going to be on the ballot representing us." There was talk that Murkowski was hoping the libertarians might let her run as a Libertarian -- as one of them in November, given that she's probably the most well known politician in the entire state of Alaska, save Sarah Palin, of course. But the state libertarian chairman is saying she is not a libertarian and won't run as a libertarian.

Shannon Travis is in Wasilla. He's one of our producers. He's in well -- the home of Sarah Palin. He has been trying to get inside the room where the counting is happening, and I should tell you that because he's a bit far away, there is a delay. So, after I ask him a question, you'll almost have to take a couple of beats before you listen to his answer. So, as we go through this technological experiment, let's get through it.

All right. Tell us what is going on -- did we lose it? Did we just lose him? Did we? You're kidding. Right?

Can we -- well, whatever. Even if the picture is not air quality, the folks are going to understand. Can we hear him though?

He is back. Great. There we go. Thank goodness.

Shannon, what is happening in the room where they are counting?

SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL PRODUCER: Let me give you a sense of what's happening here. This cliffhanger race could be a dramatic day in terms of developments. We actually were in Wasilla earlier to monitor the ballot counting from there, but we actually moved to Anchorage because we had transmission problems, as you just saw.

What is going on behind me right now is people are looking - (AUDIO GAP)

SANCHEZ: You know, you got to give us credit for trying. Shall we try one more time? Or is he gone, gone? Is he a gone, gone or just like -- no. He's back. One more time.

Is there a controversy in the counting, or is it just a matter of time at this point, Shannon?

(AUDIO GAP)

SANCHEZ: We tried. Right? We're doing everything we possibly can to try and bring you that story. Tell you what. We'll get him on the phone in just a little bit. What'd you say, Andreas? We'll go old fashioned on this one? So much for high tech stuff. All right. We'll get a break in, and then we'll try it again.

Does the world need a well-armed global policeman? The author of "Washington Rules" says the world would go on just fine without it. We'll talk to him about these words. Military industrial complex. Quiz -- which president does that remind you of?

THE LIST scrolls on. I'm Rick Sanchez. We'll going to be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Thanks for trying. You say so many of you are engaged in this newscast, and I'm reading your tweets and you're telling us you do want to know what's going on in Alaska, so fine. We'll try and find out what is going on in Alaska.

Shannon Travis is there. I think he's got the old landline going now or a cell phone. One of the two. Shannon, can you hear me?

TRAVIS: I can hear you fine. When the camera doesn't work, we have to resort to the trusty phone.

SANCHEZ: Perfectly fine.

Listen, I've been hearing reports today that there are accusations from one side or the other about shenanigans, that they're very, you know -- like the old Florida vote count situation where one side is saying, well I want to make sure you're doing it right. What is going on with this vote count between Miller and Murkowski and Alaska right now?

TRAVIS: Let's give you a sense of the vote count. You are right about accusations of shenanigans. But let me describe what's going on right now in the room that I'm in.

I'm in the Anchorage Division of Elections Office. Right now, the room I'm standing in, workers are looking over what they call questionable ballots. You may be aware, a person shows up at polling and they don't have the proper identification, perhaps, their name -- there are two Rick Scotts or whatever out there and they have to be verified. So, right now you have workers looking over these questionable ballots, but you also have a representative from the Murkowski campaign and a representative from the Miller campaign looking over the workers' shoulders as they question these ballots. So, that's what's happening. SANCHEZ: This sounds just like Florida. This sounds like the hanging Chad controversy.

TRAVIS: Yes, there haven't been any hanging Chads as of yet, but some people have used that reference.

And the other room right next to this, they're actually counting a lot of the absentee ballots to see where that is going. We've been checking the Web site for the division of elections. It seems as if the vote count has swung slightly. Miller is still in the lead, definitely, but his vote percentage has shrunk just a little bit.

SANCHEZ: Wow.

TRAVIS: In terms of the shenanigans that you mentioned, I spoke with Joe Miller last night and his campaign. They believe that some national Republicans may have descended on Alaska in the past few days, perhaps to sway the vote for Senator Murkowski. And the most recent thing is apparently someone they believe is connected with the Murkowski campaign got access to the database for a lot of these votes. And something really shady, the lieutenant governor of Alaska weighed in and basically said some shenanigans did happen, but they really aren't sure by who or the reason why. That's why this is being closely watched in this nail-biter of an election.

SANCHEZ: My goodness. Good stuff. Good reporting there, Shannon. We're glad you're there. We're glad you're keeping us up to date on what's going on. As you get more information, just let us know. We'll keep trying to check in, and we'll do it by phone, OK? Thanks.

I'm calling out Paris Hilton today. Big surprise, right? But it's what she told police that is really raising a lot of eyebrows. Not just mine but people all over the country. This is "The List U Don't Want 2 Be On," coming up.

Also, we're bringing you an emotional story of an American soldier hurt in war. He talks about the first moment he pulled back the bed sheets to see that both of his legs were gone. Brooke Baldwin spoke with him, and Brooke Baldwin is joining us now.

As a matter of fact, here she comes. This is, you know, I get choked up even just talking about it. So, I'm looking forward to seeing this story.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. He is amazing.

SANCHEZ: Good.

BALDWIN: Amazing. That's why I was at Walter Reed a couple weeks ago.

SANCHEZ: I remember. you and I had talked about this via e- mail, etc. We'll be right back with this and a whole lot more. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: Just kidding. All right. Here is Brooke.

BALDWIN: Hi.

SANCHEZ: I want to let you know we have a countdown going because at exactly 5:00 p.m. our time --

BALDWIN: Right. Eastern time.

SANCHEZ: -- which is midnight in Baghdad, the combat operations in Iraq will officially cease.

BALDWIN: Right.

SANCHEZ: You know, look, whether it's symbolic, whether it's not --

BALDWIN: Ceremonial or --

SANCHEZ: New Dawn begins and that's important and it's going to be more of a training mission.

OK, take me to what you worked so diligently on while you went to Walter Reed.

BALDWIN: So I went to Walter Reed a couple weeks ago because obviously part of the story is certainly Iraq today, but the war in Afghanistan is also very much not far from mind.

Now we heard from President Obama today speaking Texas at Fort Bliss saying, you know, specifically about Afghanistan that it's a long slog ahead, right? So we wanted to find a soldier who could bring that story home and interestingly enough guess where he is from. Your city, Peach Tree City.

SANCHEZ: Peach Tree City?

BALDWIN: Yes, we didn't even know.

SANCHEZ: Oh my goodness, he's my neighbor.

BALDWIN: Total coinky-dink. But this is lieutenant -- he's actually now Captain Dan Berschinski. And we wanted to tell the story of what people deal with day in and day out in Afghanistan.

Of course, being war, he talked in great detail about the Taliban and also the fear of tripping on an IED, and that is precisely what happened to him a little over a year ago in this Taliban stronghold, this valley.

So I want to just play a snippet of our interview. This is the moment after that life-changing explosion went off.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. DAN BERSCHINSKI, U.S. ARMY: So just kind of called out to my medics and said, guys, I need some help, I don't have any legs.

BALDWIN: You knew then your legs were gone.

BERSCHINSKI: Yes, I knew. I didn't feel anything. It was a really big pressure wave. I tilted my head back and closed my eyes and I reached my right hand down to my legs and I don't remember feeling anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Doesn't remember it, you know, just -- I mean, it's hard for us to imagine what in the world that would feel like. He lost his legs.

What's tremendous about Dan's story, he lost one of his legs, I mean, gone. So one was amputated above his knee, one at his hip. So it's tremendous to see pictures of him -- here they are.

Walter Reed, thank you. They let us inside this rehabilitation room and Dan walked me through his journey from coming home from Afghanistan to now, you know, it's been 12 months.

And he does, though, maintain -- I had to get this in -- he maintains a sense of humor when it comes to his new legs. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: You have to get multiple pairs of legs don't you?

BERSCHINSKI: Oh, yes. What I was trying to say before is it's a continually updating process. I mean, I think these two C-legs (ph) cost about 30 grand each. This hip joint is like ten grand. This carbon fiber socket, yes, I got a freaking Mercedes on my legs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So that is Dan Berschinski. So coming up tomorrow -- this is the big tease for the piece we're rolling out tomorrow -- questions we're going to walk through, what was it like being an American in this Taliban stronghold, this Arbandan (ph) Valley, dodging IEDs, the moment he came to Walter Reed, the moment he told me when he remembers he said, Brooke, I remember pulling those sheets back and looking down at what wasn't there, and what he might have done differently or not. Dan's story is tomorrow.

SANCHEZ: Can you -- you know, I mean, if it would be OK with him, can you put me in touch with him?

BALDWIN: Absolutely.

SANCHEZ: I would love for my kids to meet him.

BALDWIN: Took my breath away this guy. West Point graduate, so impressive. And he lives in your hood.

SANCHEZ: He lives in my hood, he lives in Peach Tree City.

BALDWIN: I mean, totally unintentional. Absolute coincidence.

SANCHEZ: Thanks, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Dan's story tomorrow.

SANCHEZ: Look forward to it.

BALDWIN: Great.

SANCHEZ: Know it's going to be good.

BALDWIN: Yes.

SANCHEZ: Look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED CNN IREPORTER: Damaged trees are down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: We're standing by for the latest projections on Hurricane Earl's path. We've got videos coming in, we're waiting on the National Hurricane Center's latest advisory, and we're going to take you through that.

We're also going to see how FEMA is getting ready for this monster storm as well. That's ahead, they'll join us live.

And by the end of this hour combat officially will be over in Iraq, but the U.S. war commitments worldwide are far from over. Will they ever be over? It's a question you ask for your children and I will, too, with the author who says America will always be at war.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Here we go, this is the interview I've been wanting to bring you. As we move forward, you can see behind me, only 23 minutes and about 14, 15 seconds left for the combat operation, the mission in Iraq, and then it becomes an advise and consent and train mission called New Dawn.

Moving forward, for all practical purposes, we are done with what's lasted almost seven and a half years, cost hundreds of billions of dollars and also cost the lives of 4,420 Americans.

I think we can say it is over, but this morning I got to thinking. In my years in this business, I have seen our country fight in our own hemisphere. I've been to places to cover some of these like Panama, Grenada. We've also been in Africa and Somalia and Europe and Bosnia and the Middle East and Lebanon. Twice we've been in Iraq, Afghanistan, that's going back a quarter century. I didn't even mention Vietnam. I didn't mention Korea.

So based on the past, what is to think that we won't be fighting again somewhere else in the not too distant future, and why? I believe my guest will have some thoughts on this. He is retired Army Colonel Andrew Bacevich. He's a Vietnam veteran, he's a West Point grad, he is now a professor of international relations at Boston University, and he is the author of this provocative new book, look at it there, it's called "Washington Rules: America's path to permanent war." So this guy is an experienced soldier.

Let me also note -- let me also note with some sadness that Colonel Bacevich's son died in Iraq. He lost a son in Iraq.

We honor your personal sacrifice, sir, and allow me to challenge you with this very first question and ask you not so much as a military man but as a father, what did your son die for?

COL. ANDREW BACEVICH (RET.), U.S. ARMY: Well, Rick, I am very reluctant to talk about things that are part of my personal life. I think that at this moment the important thing to say would be that the significance of service and sacrifice is inherent in the act of service and sacrifice.

In some respects it's inappropriate, I think, for someone like myself even as a father of a fallen soldier to try to evaluate the meaning of the sacrifice that my son made and that all these other American soldiers made -- those who died, those who were wounded, those who simply served.

I think the war was misguided, misbegotten, mishandled. That said, we all should stand in tribute to the service of those who have been sent to do the nation's bidding, whether they agreed with those policies or not.

SANCHEZ: Well said, sir. Well said. I respect you for your answer and for your courage in having to deal with something like this.

I mentioned to our viewers moments ago all the places we've been fighting as a nation in the last 30 years. So let me just ask you flat out, why so many wars?

BACEVICH: I think -- I think because since the beginning of the Cold War Washington has been committed to a particular playbook, what I call the Washington rules, to guide national security policy. Based upon the conviction that we are called upon to lead, save, liberate the world, and based on the additional conviction that the best way for us to accomplish that purpose is through the use of military power.

So we find this pattern of behavior in which we station forces around the world, in which we design our forces not to defend the country but to provide instruments of power projection and that that presence and those power projection capabilities in turn manifesting itself in that pattern of interventionism that you were ticking off. SANCHEZ: Well, let me ask you this question -- again, I'm going to be as blunt as I possibly can -- has war become too profitable, even losing efforts in war? I'm obviously harkening back somewhat to the words of Eisenhower when he talked about the military industrial complex.

Do you think about that? Do you write about that?

BACEVICH: Well, I talk about that in the book. I think that the reason that the Washington rules persist is not because they work. They're not making us safer. This pattern of behavior is not making us more prosperous, it's actually squandering our wealth.

But the Washington rules work for Washington. The Washington rules do deliver profits to the military industrial complex. They provide a rationale for the institutions comprising the national security state, justifies their budgets. They provide opportunities for ambitious men and women to imagine they are involved in great historic undertakings. They -- frankly, they allow opportunities for reporters to go off and cover what in the eyes of reporters are the most exciting story in the world, when American soldiers are sent to fight.

So the Washington rules don't work for the country. Alas, they work for Washington.

SANCHEZ: So what happens to the brave guys like yourself who are willing to stand up and push back against this? Is it political suicide in Washington, let's say, to suggest we shrink the Pentagon. And if it is, why?

BACEVICH: Well, I'm not going to credit myself with any kind of bravery, but I think you're touching on a very important point and that is that because of the extent to which this consensus prevails in Washington, voices that challenge that consensus aren't treated seriously.

I mean, I'm not talking about myself. Let's remember the last presidential election in which each party offered one candidate who stood outside that consensus. It was Dennis Kucinich on the left and Ron Paul on the right.

Both of those people questioning our pattern of interventionism. Both skeptics about the notion that we could remake the world in our image using military power. And both of them, in many respects, treated in a patronizing, dismissive way by the media.

SANCHEZ: Then I would listen to that answer and suggest that maybe I should point the finger at myself and that some of my colleagues in the media. Instead of questioning and doing the work that we should be doing, in your eyes, that we become cheerleaders for that, quote, "military industrial complex"?

BACEVICH: Oh, I think -- I think there is something to that. And I don't mean cheerleaders in the sense that people in your profession have sort of consciously bought into the notion that they are supposed to support the military industrial complex, but there is a conventional wisdom and there is a general sense of what falls within those conventions and what's viewed as, you know, too much unorthodox, too much outside of the box.

I mean, I'm not in the media business, but I would encourage you to try to widen the circle of the voices that the people in your profession view as worth at least listening to.

Not that these outside of the box people are necessarily going to have it right. I don't think Kucinich or Ron Paul should have been elected president. I do think they brought to the debate a perspective that deserved to be taken very seriously.

SANCHEZ: Colonel, it has been an absolute pleasure to talk to you, sir. My thanks to you. Good luck with the book, I'm sure you'll do very well. You are a very forthright guy.

And as we move forward I just want to let our viewers know I was personally so impressed with the interview that we've just conducted that I'm going to make sure I tell my producers that we put this on my blog so that you can see it for yourselves as we move forward.

Andrew Bacevich, thank you for joining us, sir.

We're going to be right back.

BACEVICH: Thank you very much.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: OK. I'm just now getting information.

Chad, just give us the watch if you possibly can. Brand new watch coming in right now related to Hurricane Earl. And I'd rather you do it than I do it.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Surf City, North Carolina, to Duck, North Carolina. That's around the Outer Banks of North Carolina, so, like, Topsail Beach, all the way over to Wilmington, back up to Corolla, and into Duck. That's the area now with a hurricane watch.

SANCHEZ: That's the area that we always refer to as Hatteras.

MYERS: Hurricane conditions could be and will be expected within 24 to 36 hours.

SANCHEZ: OK. Hang tight, because I'm going to bring you back in just a little bit.

MYERS: Go right ahead. I've got more to read.

SANCHEZ: The guys from FEMA are going to joining us in just a little bit, and maybe you and I can talk to them together. They're going to start addressing the people who live in those areas.

MYERS: OK.

SANCHEZ: All right?

MYERS: Cool.

SANCHEZ: All right. Let's do this now -- it seems that there isn't a week that goes by when one of Hollywood's socialites isn't in the news, most times for trouble with the law. In recent weeks, of course, Lindsay Lohan made headlines for her visit to jail.

Well, Paris Hilton, the spotlight is yours again. Here we go. Time for "The List U Don't Want 2 Be On."

The hotel heiress, I understand, is now facing felony drug charges after police officers allegedly found a bag of cocaine in her purse over the weekend. Well, now the police report is out. Listen to how it went down.

Police are saying that they pulled over her boyfriend's car after they smelled marijuana. Hilton was a passenger in the car.

She told police that she needed to use the bathroom, so they ordered her to leave her purse outside, but Hilton wanted some lip balm out of her purse. So, when she opened her purse, a little plastic baggy filled with cocaine fell out.

Hilton apparently said that she thought the bag of powder was gum. Wrong.

She claims the purse and cocaine in it are not hers. However, she told police the medication in the purse, the rolling papers in the purse, the credit cards and the cash inside do belong to her.

How can that be, you ask? Her lawyer is not commenting on the police report. If convicted, she could get jail time, and it wouldn't be the first time.

She also served time for a DUI arrest. That was back in 2007.

So, two months from now, once again, a socialite famous for being famous will strut to her courtroom and tell a judge that she'll do better the next time. Unfortunately, it may get her another reality television show and, unfortunately, lots of news coverage.

Paris Hilton tops "The List U Don't Want 2 Be On."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Hey. Once again, I want to welcome some of the folks that are coming into our studio here.

Folks, glad you're here. Thanks for coming by. Thanks for visiting.

Give a big wave to Wolf Blitzer out there, who is joining us now. Wolf joining us from "THE SITUATION ROOM" in Washington, D.C. Wolf, you're going to be all over the -- this thing happens -- the milestone in Baghdad happens just as you get ready to go on the air.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Right at the top of the hour in what, eight minutes from now? Formal end of combat operations, although I've got to tell you, with 50,000 U.S. troops, all of them combat- ready, there's potentially going to still be a lot of combat between now and the end of 2011, when all of those 50,000 troops are scheduled to be out of Iraq. So this war is not over by any means.

SANCHEZ: You're doing a little bit of double duty today. Your turn.

I understand that you're going to be standing by for the president's speech tonight. It's supposed to be something like what, a 20-minute speech, right?

BLITZER: Right, about 20 minutes. It'll start at exactly 8:01:30, 90 seconds after the top of the hour, 8:01:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

It'll go for about 20 minutes, we're told, or so. Then we'll have analysis with all of our top political, national security reporters and analysts. We'll go to "LARRY KING LIVE" right at the top of the hour.

So, it's an important speech. It's only the second time he has done an Oval Office address.

It's interesting that he decided to do it on this subject, on the war in Iraq. And he'll also look ahead to the war in Afghanistan.

A lot of political types here in Washington think that's not necessarily such a brilliant idea on the part of the White House, to do this Oval Office address on this subject, as opposed, for example, to the economy and jobs, which clearly right now are -- all of those are issue number one for the American voters.

SANCHEZ: Well, you're right. And the polls would show that those critics would be right if they made that argument.

Hey, thanks so much, Wolf. We'll be looking forward to all of that coverage tonight.

And I want to let you know that we're going to be keeping an eye on Earl here as we go to the break because we just got another advisory. So Chad is going to break that down for you.

All day long we've been collecting information. Chad has been talking to the folks in the know. And we've also got pictures coming in from many of you.

So let's go to a break. When we come back, we'll be talking Earl.

Your list, your national conversation scrolls on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: OK. We've got Craig Fugate from FEMA, who is going to be joining us in just a moment. And he's going to be telling the good folks in North Carolina and who knows where what they need to start thinking about and what they need to start doing.

But before we go to Mr. Fugate -- Mr. Fugate, I'm glad you're there. We follow you on Twitter, by the way, and here we are going beyond the 140 characters. We're taking your ad (ph) that we follow on Twitter and making it live news. So it's part of the charm to our little show here.

All right. You're the most important guy in the room right now because you've got the advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

What are they saying about Earl?

MYERS: Remember we said the eye didn't look very good? It doesn't. But the pressure is still very low. So they stayed with 135 miles per hour. They didn't change that at all.

SANCHEZ: Category 4.

MYERS: Category 4 hurricane. They don't change that until it goes by North Carolina Friday afternoon.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

MYERS: Now, earlier, I would have said Friday morning as it goes by North Carolina. So they slowed this thing down a little bit, which means the slower it goes, the more pounding the waves can be for longer.

SANCHEZ: So say that again. Friday afternoon off of Hatteras?

MYERS: Afternoon, north of -- let's say just east of Corolla, Duck, North Carolina.

SANCHEZ: So that means if it continues going -- folks -- a lot of folks watching us now in -- let's say in the New England states, New York City, for example, they wouldn't get it until?

MYERS: Yes. Saturday.

SANCHEZ: Saturday.

MYERS: Yes.

SANCHEZ: Oh.

MYERS: But, now you're going to see the outer bands probably late Friday night into New York City, but that's not going to be a major event for New York City unless it turns left. And it still could. New York City is just on the edge of the window. SANCHEZ: Hang tight.

Let's go to our FEMA guy, Mr. Craig Fugate.

Thanks for being with us, sir.

CRAIG FUGATE, FEMA ADMINISTRATOR: Hey.

SANCHEZ: What do you say to the people who are listening right now, especially those folks along North Carolina? What do you want them to do and what are you going to be able to do for them?

FUGATE: Well, we want them to make sure that they've got their evacuation plan ready to go if they're in those evacuation zones. With this last forecast, the hurricane center began putting up now hurricane watches along part of the coast. So it's very important that if local officials make that decision tonight, or first thing in the morning to evacuate, people heed those evacuation orders.

At FEMA, we're in supports of the states as we get people in. We've already got our teams in working with the state of North Carolina, and we're prepared to move up the coast based upon the forecast.

MYERS: Yes. The problem, Mr. Fugate, is that there is one road in, one road out in many of those areas. And you're probably going to get the -- I would say get the residents -- they can stay a little bit longer, but get the vacationers off those barrier islands as soon as possible, because, literally, they don't know what they're doing. They're on vacation from somewhere else.

What are you telling them? What do you tell people?

FUGATE: Well, again, I'm not telling them. It's going to come from those local officials.

MYERS: Yes.

FUGATE: As you know, along those barrier islands it is case by case. And we need to make sure those local officials, that that's who's giving these evacuation orders. And that's what they generally do, is they tell the tourists, you go first. Locals, you go next.

SANCHEZ: Yes, like the piece.

FUGATE: But they're watching the storm to make sure they get out in time, because we do know those roads, oftentimes, can be submerged early in the storm. The tropical-force winds make it very difficult across some of the bridges. That's why again, when those evacuation orders are given, it's time to go.

SANCHEZ: Down to 40 seconds here, but to do this right, you guys have got to be there now, not next week. You've got to be there now, right? This is a lesson you've learned from previous storms.

FUGATE: Just like before it got down to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, we had to have our teams there. You can't come in after the storm.

SANCHEZ: Right.

FUGATE: You've got to get in early and be ready to go.

SANCHEZ: Hey, Craig, you're a good man. Thanks so much for joining us. Let us know as usual.

We'll follow you on Twitter. We'll be in contact with you. And as this situation develops, we'll continue to talk.

And we'll keep our fingers crossed that this thing could still blow out to the east.

MYERS: It keeps turning right.

SANCHEZ: Yes. And then we won't have to be so concerned about it.

Thanks, Chad. Appreciate your time.

MYERS: You bet. See you tomorrow.

SANCHEZ: Here we go. We are just seconds away now from what is the official end of combat operations in Iraq. And to take you through it, here is my colleague Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM."