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The Situation Room
Earthquake Leaves Millions Homeless in South Asia; Interview With Mike Wallace, Art Buchwald
Aired October 11, 2005 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's 5:00 p.m. in Washington, and you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where new pictures and information from around the world are arriving all the time.
Happening now...
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: It's 2:00 a.m. Wednesday in Pakistan where countless thousands of children are among the victims of the quake.
VELSHI: Some dramatic rescues in recent hours almost four full days after the disaster.
PHILLIPS: It's 4:00 p.m. in Memphis, Tennessee, just one of the U.S. cities experts warn is at risk for the next great quake.
VELSHI: They say it's only a matter of time and it could hit where we least expect it.
PHILLIPS: And it's 5:00 p.m. in New York, where CBS' Mike Wallace will be phoning in to talk to us this hour. We'll show you why.
I'm Kyra Phillips.
VELSHI: I'm Ali Velshi. Wolf Blitzer is off today. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
We begin with that major earthquake that rocked South Asia. And while aid is pouring into affected areas in Pakistan, India and Kashmir, a new crisis is brewing, with millions of people homeless and weather conditions deteriorating.
PHILLIPS: Let's get straight to CNN's Becky Anderson in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad -- Becky?
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, miracles do happen. It's a situation of despair here, but just behind me, the building that collapsed on Saturday is still being worked on by the search-and- rescue guys here.
And just earlier on, a 55-year-old lady and her mother were pulled out alive from this dense debris. Her mother had said that she wanted to know before she came out, whether her family, her other family, was still alive. The rescuers who had located these two women were able to call to her and let them know that, indeed, her family were still safe. And they brought them out, took them to the hospital. Cuts and bruises is all that they suffered after having been on the first floor of this building as it collapsed on them.
Quite an amazing story. But this is, of course, just the tip of the iceberg here -- Kyra?
PHILLIPS: Becky Anderson, live from Islamabad. We'll continue to check in with you. Thank you so much.
And of course, children in the region have been particularly hard hit by the hurricane. Our Zain Verjee live at the CNN Center with more on that part of the story -- Zain?
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Kyra, like most of the developing world, children make up a very large portion of the population in Pakistan, India, and Kashmir, and now an equally large portion of earthquake victims.
As one Pakistani military official puts it, "We have lost a whole generation." Schools were in session when the earthquake struck. And, tragically, that's when many children died.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE (voice-over): Working desperately to pull out any survivors from under the rubble of a school in the Pakistani city of Balakot. This search-and-rescue team from the United Arab Emirates arrived today. The results of their efforts are mixed.
LT. HUSSAIN ISHA, UAE SEARCH AND RESCUE: We found three people alive (INAUDIBLE) bring them outside, three hours, two hours, something like that, and found more than...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More than 60.
ISHA: ... sixty bodies in different places.
VERJEE: This is one of at least three schools in Balakot that have been devastated. About half a dozen children were rescued yesterday, but the odds of similar successes decrease each hour.
Still, each miracle fuels hope of more. Nearby, a French rescue crew, using high-tech gear, located this 4-year-old boy inside a collapsed building. Sensitive listening devices first detected him. Then a small camera lowered into the debris confirmed that he was alive. After a painstaking hours-long operation, rescuers reached him and passed him hand to hand to safety.
But many other children will not be so lucky. One U.N. official estimated up to 15,000 children dead. Heartbreaking, but not surprising in a region with so many children.
ANN VENEMAN, UNICEF: About 50 percent of the population of the affected area is under 18 population. About 20 percent of the population is under the age of 5 years old.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE: In addition to the children killed and trapped, many more are separated from their families. Aid workers say reuniting them is a priority.
And, Ali, there are also many dead children that haven't been claimed by their parents, and officials say that it's likely that their parents are also dead.
VELSHI: That's devastating. And that's the part that's going to be hard to see.
Zain, thanks very much. We'll check it with you. Zain Verjee at CNN Center in Atlanta.
Millions of people are homeless in the frigid Himalayan mountain region. Now, the relief needs are immense. The task is impossibly daunting. And joining us now in THE SITUATION ROOM is Jehangir Karamat, the Pakistani ambassador to the United States.
Mr. Ambassador, thank you for being with us. What's happening right now? Is Pakistan getting the aid that it needs? Is the issue in trying to get through this rubble and find people? Does the country need more aid?
JEHANGIR KARAMAT, PAKISTANI AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: Pakistan is getting the aid that it needs. In fact, the response has been overwhelming. And, yes, we need more aid.
The specific areas where we need aid, like shelter, medicines, portable power generation, those kind of things, medicines. So that's where most of the aid is coming. And more is needed, yes.
VELSHI: We know that it's an incredible number of people who have been killed. It's hard to conceive of this. But there are so many, many more, many times more, people who have been left homeless in some of these regions that are very cold right now.
KARAMAT: Yes. It's a remote area. It's a mountainous area. It's cut off, because the roads of blocked, landslides, rock slides and so on.
It's raining. And in a couple of weeks, it's likely to start snowing. So, yes, it's a very difficult situation. There are maybe between 20,000 and 40,000 dead, 2.5 to 3 million homeless. So it's a massive tragedy. There's no doubt about it.
VELSHI: If there's any silver lining out of this tragedy, some have said it may have taken a big step in thawing relations between India and Pakistan. India had offered help. Pakistan accepted that help. Does that go beyond this?
KARAMAT: You know, India and Pakistan, in spite of the hostility, they have been reaching out to each other in the past. I mean, Pakistan did offer help when there was an earthquake in Gujarat.
And since then, we've come a long way. There's been dialogue. There's been all kinds of talk of peace. We haven't resolved the issues. So that's why perhaps your question is pertinent.
Yes, things like this tragedy can help. And India has come in with an offer of help. And we have received a consignment of supplies from India, which we have accepted.
VELSHI: One of the concerns, of course, that the world has, particularly about that tension between the two countries, is that both India and Pakistan have nuclear capabilities. Are your nuclear facilities secure?
KARAMAT: Yes, they are. There's absolutely no chance of any lapse on that side. We've taken a number of steps, and fool-proof steps, to secure those assets. And I can confidently assure you that they are completely secure.
VELSHI: Our best wishes remain with you and the people of Pakistan. Thank you for being with us.
KARAMAT: Thank you.
VELSHI: Jehangir Karamat is the Pakistani ambassador to the United States.
Jack Cafferty joins us again. He's got "The Cafferty File" in New York -- Jack?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Ali.
While Saddam Hussein awaits the start of his trial -- and he doesn't have to wait too much longer, either -- he can spend his days in his prison cell deciding whether to vote for or against the new Iraqi constitution. That is because all prisoners who have not yet been convicted will get to vote in Saturday's constitutional referendum. That's according to Iraq's electoral commission.
Saddam's trial for crimes against humanity is set to start a week from tomorrow, October the 19th. And even though the chances are very good that he'll be tried, convicted and hung, Saddam voting on the country's new constitution could be powerful symbolism for the Iraqi people.
So here's the question: Does it matter if Saddam Hussein votes on the Iraqi constitution? Caffertyfile@cnn.com. The answers in about a half hour.
Ali, back to you.
VELSHI: All right, Jack. Thanks very much. Jack Cafferty in New York.
PHILLIPS: Well, coming up with THE SITUATION ROOM, new information about the terror threat to New York's subway system. Why government officials now say it was a hoax.
VELSHI: Bird flu spreading. We'll show you which country is reporting its first suspected case.
PHILLIPS: Plus, Mike Wallace, he'll join us on the phone and talk about another old friend of ours, here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Welcome back. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
VELSHI: In our "Security Watch," it turns out that the terror threat to the New York subway system was a hoax. The city's alert was a false alarm. Let's go live to our justice correspondent, Kelli Arena -- Kelli?
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Ali, the threat certainly seemed plausible. It's not the first time that intelligence suggested New York transit systems were a target. But government officials say, in the end, the information that came in was simply not true.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARENA (voice-over): New York's mayor says he had every reason to believe the threat against the city was real.
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY: The person that made that allegation passed his lie detector test. And when an operation was mounted in Iraq to grab the other three, as they grabbed them, one of them screamed, "You're too late to stop us."
ARENA: Bloomberg says he doesn't know for sure that it was all a hoax, but law enforcement officials in both New York and Washington tell CNN that, through investigative means, they have determined it was.
From the very beginning, government officials have said they could not corroborate the information. The informant who approached U.S. officials in Iraq was described as inconsistent, someone who had provided both good and bad information in the past.
According to government sources, he had failed some parts of his lie detector test, but passed when he was talking about the alleged plot.
BLOOMBERG: What I do know is that we can't wait until a threat materializes to act. We have to protect this city. And you can't just sit around with your fingers crossed; you have to make decisions and show leadership.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ARENA: Security officials say, whether Bloomberg did the right or wrong thing, will probably be debated for some time. What will not be debated is the dangerous effect that such warnings may have on the public. As one official said, "If you cry wolf too many times, they won't pay attention when it's for real" -- Ali, Kyra?
PHILLIPS: Well, Kelli, do we know anything about who, or if there were one person, two people behind this hoax? Was it a phone call? Was it a letter? Did somebody show up somewhere? Do we know anything?
ARENA: Well, what we do know, at least according to several government officials, is that it was one individual who did approach officials, U.S. officials, in Iraq. This individual came forward with information.
He supplied the name of three other individuals in Iraq who were later taken into custody and questioned. And this person, as you heard, was somebody who had provided some accurate information in the past. So it wasn't something that they could just dismiss outright. They obviously had to run down those leads. But they had a very short amount of time to do that.
VELSHI: Kelli, think back to Friday, when this news was all developing, and you were speaking to your sources who, you know, were a little cautious about corroborating this information.
Meanwhile, in New York, it was full steam ahead on a terror alert. When it comes down to it, particularly those of us who ride the subway in New York, or wherever we are in this country, what are you supposed to do? What is the public supposed to do?
Do we now all have to become investigators and decide who is really telling the truth or not?
ARENA: Well, it would certainly help if everyone was on the same page, wouldn't it?
VELSHI: Yes.
ARENA: And that is a big part of the problem. And also, the warnings are, you know -- look, you know, you can't keep giving the public these warnings and then have nothing materialize, because then they're going to tune you out.
What every single expert has said is, "Look, we all have to be alert. We all have to keep our eyes open for, you know, different behavior, packages that are left on the subway or on a bus. I mean, be alert to that." But they said there really is nothing more you can do but that and live your life as usual.
PHILLIPS: Kelli Arena, thank you.
VELSHI: Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
PHILLIPS: Up next in THE SITUATION ROOM, a bloody beating by New Orleans police could soon become a federal case. We're going to hear from the victim.
VELSHI: Plus, the South Asia quake and the nuclear factor. We'll show you what has some people so concerned. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: Welcome back. You are in THE SITUATION ROOM.
PHILLIPS: The FBI is expected to wrap its investigation into the police beating of a New Orleans man. Then, the Justice Department says it will decide whether to file federal charges in addition to state charges.
Meantime, the beating victim is denying allegations that he was drunk when the incident happened Saturday night. CNN's Lisa Sylvester live in New Orleans -- Lisa?
LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Kyra.
Now, this investigation is actually happening on three separate tracks. You first of all have the New Orleans Police Department. They're taking a look at the three officers involved here. They have been suspended without pay and charged with battery.
Then there's the Department of Justice investigation. That's a civil rights investigation. And finally, the FBI is taking a look at what role, if any, two off-duty federal agents may have played in this whole matter.
Meanwhile, the man involved in this, Robert Davis, told CNN his version of what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT DAVIS, POLICE BEATING VICTIM: Basically, I couldn't hear much. I was very incoherent at the time. Anything that they said -- the only thing that I do remember was this woman who kept screaming about, "He didn't do anything." That's about all.
And I heard them tell her, "If you don't move, we're going to also arrest you."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SYLVESTER: And Robert Davis is scheduled to be in court tomorrow to face public intoxication charges. And as you mentioned, he denies that he was even drinking on that night.
Meanwhile, his lawyer is saying that he believes that those charges will be dropped. So we'll have to see, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, you know, I need to ask you once again, do New Orleanians see this as a race issue? You have three white police officers and an African-American man that, as we saw, was taken down in that videotape.
SYLVESTER: You know, there are many things about the facts of this case that people will disagree on. But this might be an unusual thing. But in this case, Robert Davis absolutely does not believe that race played any role at all. And you also have the police department saying that race did not play a role.
So it's one of the few things that both sides actually agree on, that they do not believe that this was racially motivated in any way -- Kyra?
PHILLIPS: Lisa Sylvester, live from New Orleans, thank you.
VELSHI: Well, I want to talk about small business. CNN's Paula Zahn introduces us to one small business owner who's been affected by Hurricane Katrina. It's part of her special series, called "My New Life." Paula joins us now from New York with a preview of tonight's show.
Hello, Paula.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Ali. Hi, Kyra. How are you guys doing?
Well, Hurricane Katrina and Rita were a tragedy on so many different levels, loss of life, destroyed homes. But we're just now beginning to get a handle on the storm's impact on small businesses.
As of last week, the Government Small Business Administration had received nearly 67,000 applications for disaster loans. Think of that, 67,000 businesses and the jobs they provided are gone.
I have a case in point tonight at 8:00 Eastern. Jerry Blake's motorcycle shop was washed away by Hurricane Katrina. He lost about two dozen bikes and $50,000 worth of tools. He didn't have any flood insurance, so he's seriously considering relocating and even going into a different line of work altogether.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JERRY BLAKE, SMALL BUSINESS OWNER: I put so much, not just time, and money, and effort, but a lot of pride in my business. And to see the doors blown in, to see everything look white and gray, it's just a very surreal thing to encounter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZAHN: And we're going to hear more from Jerry Blake tonight when I continue my series, "My New Life." I'm actually going to try to match up people with specific skills with folks out there in our viewing audience who are in a position to hire them.
And, Ali, you were a part of our special last night. As you could see, there was tremendous response, which is always heartening.
VELSHI: It is so heartening to know that people responded to it. Just give our viewers a sense of that, Paula. You actually got people listening to the profiles that you aired last night and the people you interviewed last night who were looking for work. ZAHN: Yes, not only were they listening, they bothered to call in and give the two unemployed folks that we profiled lots of options. We got hundreds of e-mail responses as well as phone calls.
And we believe, based on the amount of vetting we've done, this could lead to bona fide job offers for the cook that you met, who has been living in a shelter in Baton Rouge for the last six weeks, supporting four kids, basically on very little money that he had left. And then a woman who you're seeing on screen now who lost her first job as a lawyer and her home, as well, completely blown apart.
So hopefully tonight we'll get that same amount of response. As you know, there's a generous spirit out there, particularly in the wake of these hurricanes.
VELSHI: Paula, it's a pleasure to be part of it. Thanks very much.
ZAHN: Thank you.
VELSHI: And continued good luck on that. Paula Zahn in New York.
ZAHN: Thanks.
VELSHI: Just ahead, thousands are dead and millions are homeless. Could the next deadly quake happen in this country? We'll here what seismologists say.
PHILLIPS: And bird flu fears. A top U.S. official says the risk of a human pandemic is high. Should the maker of an anti-viral drug share its formula? You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: More now on our top story, the South Asia earthquake. Both hard-hit countries, Pakistan and India, have nuclear weapons. They've threatened to use those weapons against each other in the past. Tom Foreman is here with more on that story -- Tom?
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this is an interesting question, because we don't really think much about this. But all of a sudden, you have this great instability in Pakistan, where there has been political instability before.
Let's take a look at what we're talking about here. Once again, I want to turn on, as we did the other day, the fault line first.
Look at this. This is the big fault line that we're talking about here. And as we move in here, I'm going to turn on something else which we got from a group called Global Security, a pretty good company out there, that monitors these things.
These are the known nuclear facilities in India and Pakistan. These are the ones they're most confident about knowing what they are. And I want to go into this one, because this is in the area of what we're talking about.
It's called Kahuta. This was started in the 1970s, a uranium enrichment facility. You'll see the photograph of it coming up here in the mountains.
We have no idea right now how much, if any, damage occurred around here. We don't know, because of all these mountainous roads, how isolated it is. We don't know what's happening with all of that.
Now, the State Department, at least for the moment, says, it seems to be not terribly concerned about this. We had one of our reporters ask around over there today. People obviously take it seriously any time you have this kind of instability in a country like this.
But right now, they seem content that things are OK. The big question is this: One, from a security standpoint, are there any breaches around here that would allow people to get in and get at nuclear material or, in fact, nuclear weapons?
Secondly, the question is: Did all of this disruption in the land disrupt their capability to make these weapons? Because, obviously, the big standoff with India over this and the tension they felt there, that's a big deal, one way or the other.
PHILLIPS: Do we know what kind of security exists, I mean, walls, fences, electronics? I mean, you would think somehow one of those three would be affected, right?
FOREMAN: We don't know much about it. I think the federal government knows a lot about it. We don't know that much about it.
Obviously, when you have nuclear facilities, you want to protect them in certain ways. However, the example I think about was when the Soviet Union fell. They, for many years, had nukes. And one of the huge questions was, in the dissolution of that country, did you have...
VELSHI: Who was in charge, where are they...
FOREMAN: ... a lot of people sticking their fingers in, or even making moves? And, remember, we're talking about a region here that has had a lot of problems.
VELSHI: Tom, pull that out again. I want to ask you a question.
In light of the hurricanes that we saw, and the gas prices, and the oil facilities, we considered that we may have too much stuff in the U.S. near potential damage from hurricanes. That fault line, it seems to be in the vicinity of a number of these.
FOREMAN: Well, the fault line is down here. The big fault line is down here. Now, obviously, you have problems that can spin out from the sides of these, and that will make some difference.
Let's move over here towards Islamabad, which will give us another idea of what we're talking about. This is Kahuta up here, one of the big facilities.
VELSHI: Yes.
FOREMAN: Khushab is another one down here. This is based mainly on uranium. This was started in the 1980s more to work with plutonium. So it would be more of the -- a more state-of-the-art place.
But here is Islamabad between the two of them. And we know, from looking at Islamabad, that we have this damage that occurred there. Look at this. This is the apartment complex there that was in that area.
VELSHI: Right.
FOREMAN: That's the damage right there in Islamabad. Here is Kahuta over here. Khushab is down here. So how much damage there may be in that area, how isolated it may make them, how it may compromise their security, we don't know right now. Hopefully, even though the State Department's very relaxed about this, this is something that's being taken care of and it won't be something that we start hearing bad stories about six months, eight months, a year down the line.
PHILLIPS: A lot of various military troops going in to respond. It might be interesting if possibly somebody might seem to wander into the area and checks things out.
VELSHI: Yes, I think Pakistan will be interested in taking aid from India. I don't think they'll be that interested in getting soldiers in there.
FOREMAN: It's not going to be a good situation. But more importantly, what you have to look at is the own internal discord in Pakistan, which, as we know, has been an issue for quite some time now. That's going to be clearly the thing security forces will look most securely at.
VELSHI: Tom, thanks so much, Tom Foreman.
FOREMAN: Good seeing you.
VELSHI: Well, that killer quake in South Asia has people in this country wondering how prepared we are for the next great quake which experts agree will strike eventually. CNN's Brian Todd has more. He's at the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, Virginia -- Brian?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ali, this agency uses a lot of different kinds of tools to measure seismic activity all over the world. And they measure it literally everyday.
They have seismographs in different parts of the country doing it. And they use a lot of different kinds of maps, everything from this simple map, which literally has recorded every spot where seismic activity has been felt in this country in the past, to this electronic map up here, which will give us the idea of the major metropolitan areas in the United States that have felt seismic activity in the past and, experts say, very likely will experience it again.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TODD (voice-over): Images from South Asia bring sobering caution from experts: Don't think this couldn't happen close to you.
WILLIAM LEITH, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY: What we really want to get across to people is that the hazard is present all the time.
TODD: William Leith and Michael Blanpied are part of a team of seismologists at the U.S. Geological Survey. They record earthquakes every day around the world.
They say larger quakes, like the one in Pakistan, with a magnitude of 7.6, are rare in the United States. But their earthquake hazard maps are an eye-opener, showing no fewer than 26 U.S. cities where significant seismic activity has occurred in the past and where it can happen again, not just in California, but cities you might not think of, like Charleston, South Carolina, Knoxville, Tennessee, and nearby Memphis.
MICHAEL BLANPIED, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY: Some of these cities, such as Memphis, Tennessee, they actually feel earthquakes on a fairly regular basis. And people there are very aware that earthquakes are nearby.
TODD: Memphis and Charleston each experienced massive and deadly earthquakes, above 7.0, in the 1800s. The likelihood of it happening again is high enough that experts at USGS are working with city leaders in these regions to improve building codes and warning systems.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: But earthquake warnings are still an inexact science. And while seismologists can say where earthquakes likely will occur in the future, they cannot predict when. And they are telling city leaders, "Get your building codes up to date and be ready" -- Ali?
VELSHI: Brian, thanks very much. Brian Todd in Reston, Virginia.
PHILLIPS: Well, we're plugged into almost everything happening online. Right now, that means earthquake resources. Our Internet reporter, Jacki Schechner, is checking the situation online -- Jacki?
JACKI SCHECHNER, INTERNET REPORTER: Well, these USGS maps are really cool. We thought we'd go back to them once more at the site, USGS.gov.
They have everything, from the ones that Brian showed you to these online you can find yourself, a global seismic hazard map. There are plenty of them. You can see the areas that are most prone to seismic activity.
Another thing they have is a map that will measure potential energy waves and, when there's an earthquake, where those energy waves might go and how long in time it might take to reach there. Again, it's all theoretical on this particular map.
Another thing they have is a glossary. I've got to tell you, I've learned a lot just looking through this today. They have the dip and slip plate collision. It's kind of a cool name. But that's what happened in Pakistan. It's almost a vertical shift. Those shifts are the short of things that cause the giant mountain regions in that area, and the mountains like K-2, you can see there.
You can compare this now to what happens off the northwest coast of the Pacific. And that is called the subduction plate shift, or subduction -- that's what it is, a subduction fault. And that's when two plates actually cross over each other, as opposed to creating that vertical shift.
Again, this is all at USGS.gov. It's how I learned about it. It's the way that you can learn about it yourself, as well -- Ali and Kyra?
VELSHI: Jacki, thanks so much. Jacki Schechner, "Inside the Blogs."
Well, there's much more ahead in THE SITUATION ROOM. We're going to show you which country is reporting its first suspected case of bird flu.
PHILLIPS: And "Beating around the Bush." It's the name of Art Buchwald's new book, but, believe me, when it comes to Mike Wallace and Art Buchwald, they never beat around the bush. They're both joining us live.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I need to examine your child.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Will my child by OK?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
PHILLIPS (voice-over): This is not from an episode of "Star Trek," but the technology demonstrated here by IBM researchers is pulled straight from science fiction.
WILSON ROTHMAN, CONTRIBUTOR, "TIME": For years, we've thought about the idea of a machine that can translate what we say. But now, for the very first time, IBM has designed software that actually does it.
The goal would be to carry six or eight languages in your pocket. For instance, a hospital in a big city, one PDA could have 10 predominant languages so that the doctor could go around from bed to bed and carry on different conversations in different languages with every one of his patients.
PHILLIPS: The translator is still in the early testing phase, but may be available in time for travelers on the Boeing 7E7, known as the Dreamliner, one of the next-generation airplanes coming to market in 2008. The plane is being designed to consume less gas and offers several passenger-friendly features, such as higher, more comfortable humidity levels in the cabin, and larger windows that can be shaded using passenger-controlled sensors.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: We're just learning here at CNN that lawyers for indicted Representative Tom DeLay have subpoenaed Ronnie Earle, the Texas district attorney who has filed the charges against DeLay. Now, you'll recall that Tom DeLay was indicted on charges of funneling -- well, on charges of contravening Texas' election code, related to funding of campaigns with money, corporate donations that otherwise wouldn't have been allowed.
Ronnie Earle is the Travis County district attorney who filed those charges and has been accused by Tom DeLay's side of having partisan motivations for doing so. I understand we've got Jeffrey Toobin on the line now who has been with us and following this story.
Jeff, are you with us?
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, sir.
VELSHI: Jeff, this is always a complicated story to try and explain. And now it looks like some sort of retribution. The lawyers for Tom DeLay asking a judge to take action, to show that Ronnie Earle had acted improperly. Clarify this for us.
TOOBIN: Well, what's not complicated is what DeLay's strategy has been all along, which is the venerable strategy of the best defense is a good offense. They are attempting to put the prosecution on trial here, here, the ethics, the political motivation of Ronnie Earle, who has brought this case.
There is no guarantee that a judge will, in fact, honor the subpoena. I'm certain that the prosecutor's office will move to quash the subpoena. There are only very narrow, limited circumstances when a prosecutor can be forced to testify, but, you know, putting Ronnie Earle on the defensive, defending his own tactics, is something that the DeLay forces are going to do from the beginning of this case to the end of it.
VELSHI: Jeff Toobin, thanks for that. Jeff Toobin in New York.
You know, Kyra, when this happened, when these indictments came down, DeLay's people accused Ronnie Earle, as we said, of having partisan motivations. And I don't remember the exact quote, but Ronnie Earle said something akin to, "Being accused by Tom DeLay of having partisan motivations is kind of like being called ugly by a frog."
(LAUGHTER) PHILLIPS: Well, it's interesting. The two, no doubt, a volatile relationship.
VELSHI: Oh, yes. There's something behind this, yes.
PHILLIPS: There is history between those two.
Well, another country is reporting a suspected bird flu case. Controversy is growing over how to distribute medicine that could help fight a pandemic. CNN's Mary Snow has those details now from New York -- Mary?
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, health officials are scrambling to find a way to prevent an outbreak of bird flu. And part of that effort means going to the source, to Asian countries that have been affected.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW (voice-over): Underscoring the urgency of the bird flu threat, Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt is in Asia. He is traveling with a delegation of international health officials.
In Thailand, officials visited chicken farms, observing what the government has done to protect poultry from being infected.
MIKE LEAVITT, HHS SECRETARY: We are worried about places where we're not seeing processing done with this level and degree of quality. It only takes one spark to set this virus off. And consequently, while it's heartening to see what we have today, it is not the entire picture.
SNOW: And that picture is growing. Colombia officials say they have found the first suspected case of bird flu in their country but say this strain is not harmful to humans. While concerns mount about how to prevent a possible pandemic from spreading, one question that's arising is, can medication be developed quickly enough?
And that has thrown Roche Pharmaceuticals into the spotlight. It makes Tamiflu, which is an anti-viral medication that, health officials say, could have some effect in fighting a potential pandemic. The question is, should it lift its exclusive patent so that other companies can make generic versions to boost supply and have cheaper versions of the drug?
Roche says Tamiflu is complex to manufacture and can take up to 12 months to produce. In a statement, the company says, because of its expertise, no one can do it faster. "Our assumption is that it would take a generic company about three years to gear up."
But a health official in Taiwan is quoted in "The New York Times" as saying scientists in his country have found a way to begin mass production of Tamiflu quickly. The official also suggests Roche is overstating how difficult it is to make the drug. Last week, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan warned against patents as barriers to get the drugs to the poor. A group representing drug manufacturers came out saying public health officials should not consider imposing compulsory licenses on avian flu medicines, arguing it would discourage new research needed to address the avian flu.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW: Now, as for the supply of Tamiflu in the U.S., officials say there are 4.3 million doses available. Stockpiling 20 million is the goal -- Kyra and Ali?
VELSHI: All right, Mary, thanks very much. Mary Snow in New York.
Just ahead, does it matter if Saddam Hussein votes on the Iraqi constitution? Well, Iraqis might think so, but what do you think? Jack Cafferty's going to be back with your e-mail.
PHILLIPS: And no one sees things or says things quite like Art Buchwald. I'll check in and chat with the humorous author and have a few laughs right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: And this just in to CNN. Iraqi negotiators and the draft constitution, there's new news. Aneesh Raman on the phone with us.
What's the deal, Aneesh?
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, after intense last-minute talks between the Shia-Kurd coalition and the Sunni minority, it seems that a deal may have been brokered with one Sunni party, the Islamic Party, that would allow them -- and where they would support this constitution, encourage Sunnis to vote for the draft document on Saturday.
It is important to note, though, that other Sunni parties are not joining this. They are still saying that they want Sunnis to vote this down. The agreement, as far as we understand, would sideline issues like de-Baathification and could also create a committee, and after those December elections, that would look at the entire constitution and potentially put a new draft document up for another referendum next year.
The details, of course, we're still waiting to find out. But it seems a deal close to being brokered between one Sunni party, the Islamic Party and the Shia-Kurd coalition. And we'll wait and see how this will affect Sunnis on the ground, in terms of how they vote on Saturday -- Kyra?
PHILLIPS: Aneesh Raman, live from Baghdad. We'll stay on it. Thanks, Aneesh. Meanwhile, our Jack Cafferty has been going through your e-mail on the question of the hour. He joins us live from New York once again with "The Cafferty File."
Hi, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Hi, Kyra.
According to Iraq's electoral commission, all prisoners who have not yet been convicted, and that would include Saddam Hussein, will get to vote in Saturday's constitutional referendum.
So the question this hour is: Does it matter if Saddam votes on the Iraqi constitution?
Joe in Marietta, Georgia, writes, "Absolutely not. It doesn't matter if he votes or not on the constitution. The guy will never see the light of day anymore. Count his vote, along with everyone else's, and move on."
Michael, in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania -- I think is the name of the town -- "If Saddam's eligible to vote, he should vote. It would show the world that the integrity of the ballot is more important than one man."
Alex in Hattiesburg, Mississippi: "If Diebold is in charge of the votes in Iraq, it doesn't matter if Saddam votes or not. The outcome has already been determined."
Gail in Brea, California: "Of course it matters. Even this creep should be able to vote. That's what the war's all about, isn't it? And, Jack, he won't be hung, as you stated, he will be hanged."
I stand corrected, Gail. You're absolutely right. We don't know if he's hung or not.
And Dave, my friend in Japan, writes, "The only vote Saddam should get is whether or not he wants a blindfold. Then, whichever he decides, do the opposite."
Back to you.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Sorry, Jack, I'm a little speechless there. I'll see you tomorrow, Jack. Sound good?
CAFFERTY: I think we're all required to report here at 3:00 for another edition of THE SITUATION ROOM.
PHILLIPS: Jack, would you lighten up? You and I are friends. Give me a break.
CAFFERTY: Why would I do that?
(LAUGHTER) PHILLIPS: That's a great point. Why change our relationship now? Jack Cafferty.
All right. Up next, speaking about beating around the Bush, celebrating another birthday and another book with humorist Art Buchwald and a mystery guest. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, he's been making us laugh for as long as most of us can even remember. And as he celebrates his 80th -- yes, 80th -- birthday, he has a new book out. Art Buchwald, here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Eighty years old.
ART BUCHWALD, HUMORIST: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Holy moly.
BUCHWALD: Yes, I had a big party.
PHILLIPS: I know you had a big party.
BUCHWALD: And do you know what happened?
PHILLIPS: What happened?
BUCHWALD: They picketed it, because it was for the Brady gun control people, and Sisters of the Second Amendment picketed at the French Embassy. If you have an 80th birthday and somebody pickets you, it's great. It's the best kind.
PHILLIPS: That's right. That's flattery, right?
BUCHWALD: I couldn't have a better one.
PHILLIPS: Now, look, you write in your book -- of course, 32 books, two children's books, two novels. Thank God for political scandal. You'd be jobless.
BUCHWALD: Yes. Everybody would be jobless.
PHILLIPS: Now, speaking of scandal, OK, you talk about being 80 years old. You write about senior citizens being able to vote, "I'm always happy when we approach an election year and politicians start to worry about senior citizens and how they'll vote. The main reason is that I am a senior citizen, and I'll take any help I can get."
BUCHWALD: Yes, well, I wrote about that. I explained Social Security -- the way it is now, under Social Security, is that, if you're 65 years old, and you serve in the 82nd Airborne for four years, you get 50 percent. If you're 78 years old, and you're on a football scholarship, you get 75 percent. And if you're 90, and you're an orphan, and you have a newspaper route, you get the whole thing.
So all these things add up. They all add up.
PHILLIPS: I've never been good at math. You and I went to the same college. We passed out of those math colleges, right? We went a different route.
All right, look, you talk about Martha Stewart. You write about Martha Stewart in your book.
BUCHWALD: Yes.
PHILLIPS: You say, "The world is a better place now that Martha once again can go about her business and tell the rest of us how to mind ours."
BUCHWALD: Yes.
PHILLIPS: You have a secret crush on her, don't you?
BUCHWALD: Yes. Because anybody that provides me with material, I have a crush on, which includes the president of the United States. But I'd like to say one thing, because I want this clear...
PHILLIPS: OK.
BUCHWALD: ... I'm willing to go to jail to reveal my sources. And the reason for that is, I have no sources. All the people, Karl Rove, Cheney, the president, Don Rumsfeld, they're all fictitious characters. And they're not living or dead. They're in between.
PHILLIPS: But wait a minute. There's one person that you write about in your book that's not a fictitious character and that's Mike Wallace. What do you think of Mike Wallace? He's allegedly one of your best friends.
BUCHWALD: He is allegedly one of my best friends. We've known each other for -- I don't know. He's quite old compared to me.
PHILLIPS: You know, it's funny that you should say that, because Mike Wallace joins us on the phone right now.
And, Mike, did you hear that? Art Buchwald just called you old.
MIKE WALLACE, REPORTER, "60 MINUTES": He called me old compared to him? He's been celebrating that 80th birthday, big, big deal. He's an adolescent compared to me.
PHILLIPS: "He's an adolescent compared to me," is what he says.
BUCHWALD: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Now, do we know Mike Wallace's age? Did we talk about that, Art?
BUCHWALD: No, because he asked me not to mention it, but I do know that he takes steroids.
PHILLIPS: Really?
(LAUGHTER)
Mike, is that true?
BUCHWALD: No, I made that up.
WALLACE: Tell me something, Artie, where did you get that beautiful red sweater, pink sweater, or whatever it is?
BUCHWALD: I bought it for the show, because I didn't know what you wear in THE SITUATION ROOM.
WALLACE: I got to tell you something: You look very, very good.
BUCHWALD: Thank you. I appreciate that. I appreciate anything you do for me.
PHILLIPS: Now, you write about Mike Wallace in your book. I believe the column is called "Meatloaf." And, you know, there was a little misunderstanding that our friend Mike Wallace had with some sort of parking people about, you know, not being at the right spot at the right time.
And you write in your column, "I've chosen to stand by Mike. If he needs it, I will even start a 'Free Mike Wallace' fund. I'm planning a parade down Third Avenue if I can get a permit and a parking place."
(LAUGHTER)
Did you plan the parade?
BUCHWALD: That was because Mike came out of a store with a meatloaf and the policeman was giving him a ticket and chauffeur a ticket. And Mike yelled at the policeman, and he was arrested. So it was a big story. The story was the meatloaf, not Mike.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Mike, how the heck was that meatloaf?
WALLACE: You know something? That's the best damn meatloaf I think I've ever had in my life.
PHILLIPS: So do you think, when Art wrote his column, Mike, that that really saved your reputation?
WALLACE: Look, Artie can do no wrong. Artie is my friend.
BUCHWALD: Thank you.
WALLACE: I have to put up with him from time to time. It's a little difficult. BUCHWALD: Yes.
WALLACE: But he's -- ask him about his grandchildren.
PHILLIPS: Oh...
WALLACE: Ask him about his son, Joel. This is the happiest man.
BUCHWALD: Yes, I want to talk about my book, not about my family.
PHILLIPS: Now, hold on a second. We'll talk about your book.
But, Mike, you bring up a really good point. We're looking at a picture right now...
WALLACE: There's Joel.
PHILLIPS: That's right.
WALLACE: And there's Tammy, Joel's wife.
PHILLIPS: That's right.
WALLACE: And there's Corbin.
BUCHWALD: Yes.
PHILLIPS: And, Mike, I've got to tell you, Art has told me that, year after year, "Kyra, it's great you're doing well with your career. I'm very proud of you. This is what I wanted you to do, but I'll tell you right now that I would have nothing to live for if it were not for my kids and my grandchildren."
WALLACE: I believe that.
BUCHWALD: Yes, because...
WALLACE: And he's a very lucky man, because, you know, he's not easy to live with.
BUCHWALD: No, I'm not.
WALLACE: He demands a lot of attention, a lot of...
BUCHWALD: That's why the kids built a suite for me away from them.
PHILLIPS: They built a suite for you?
BUCHWALD: I'm not easy to live with.
WALLACE: That's true.
PHILLIPS: Now, but Mike Wallace, I mean, Art, is he the easiest guy to be friends with? I mean, you're right, he never causes trouble.
BUCHWALD: He's easy to be friends with, except...
WALLACE: Except when?
BUCHWALD: ... when he's not easy to be with. Sometimes he gives you a bad time for the sake of giving him a bad time.
WALLACE: Kyra?
PHILLIPS: Yes, Mike?
WALLACE: He has been my pigeon for such a long time. He likes to bet on football games. He likes to bet on everything. And he doesn't know anything about football, for instance, or baseball. As a result of which, he has kept me in spending money for a long, long time.
And you know something, also? He is a slow-pay. He's a slow- pay. But he eventually coughs it up.
PHILLIPS: You know, we got to -- listen to Mike Wallace. But we've got to -- neither one of you beats around the bush, that's for darn sure. And you've got to pick up this new book, Art Buchwald, "Beat Around the Bush" -- "Beating Around the Bush," I forget -- thank you for being with us. I appreciate it. I'm sorry Mike Wallace always gives you such a hard time.
BUCHWALD: Oh, he didn't give me a hard time. I love the man.
PHILLIPS: OK.
WALLACE: And I love him back. And have for about a half- century.
PHILLIPS: And Ali, we love you.
VELSHI: Well, thank you, Kyra. We are signing off right now. We're in THE SITUATION ROOM every weekday afternoon from 3:00 to 6:00. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" is next, Kitty Pilgrim sitting in for Lou. She's standing by in New York.
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