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Suicide Bombers Kill As Many As 30 In Iraq; Brief Moments Of Holiday Cheer For Troops Overseas; Protesters Gather At Bush Ranch; Having Troops In Iraq Next Thanksgiving Could Be Bad For Bush; Murtha's Hometown Gives Opinions Of His Iraq Comments

Aired November 24, 2005 - 16:00   ET

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

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Ali Velshi and you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where new pictures and information from around the world are arriving all the time.
Happening now, stark contrasts in Iraq, deadly new attacks but still, U.S. troops find reason to give thanks. We're live with the frontline forces.

Also this hour, a controversial Congressman is home again after calling for a quick pullout from Iraq. Are John Murtha's constituents standing with him or against him? We went to Johnstown, Pennsylvania to find out.

And turkeys on parade. We're all about traditions on this holiday, so get ready to feast on the political turkeys of the year. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Happy Thanksgiving. Wolf is off today.

For many U.S. troops in Iraq, holiday celebrations have to wait. There are deadly new suicide attacks to deal with, more battles against insurgents to fight and more bodies to morgue.

This hour, Aneesh Raman is with U.S. forces in Iraq; Elaine Quijano is with the president in Crawford, Texas; and here in Washington, our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, joins us. Barbara, let's start with you, the update.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ali, another brutal suicide car bomb attack today in Iraq, this time at a hospital. As many as 30 people were killed, most of them civilians. Several were injured when the bomb exploded at a hospital in the Mahmoudiya area just south of Baghdad.

Four U.S. soldiers were wounded in the attack. The U.S. troops had gone to the hospital to see what might be done to improve and upgrade the facility.

Then another attack this evening, a bomb blast in a crowded market in Hilla, also south of Baghdad, killing three and wounding 13 others according to Iraqi police who said the market was filled with civilians.

No holiday for U.S. troops on the frontline and two families will be getting the worst news possible this holiday. Two U.S. soldiers were killed today when their patrol struck an improvised explosive device southwest of Baghdad. Two thousand one hundred and four Americans now have lost their lives in Iraq -- Ali.

VELSHI: Barbara, you and I have discussed this before. The Pentagon will maintain and it's understandable that every life is as valuable as another life that's lost. So 2,100 isn't necessarily a milestone, but in the tone that you've been hearing from them in the last few days with this talk of a potential pullout, do these numbers sway them one way or the other?

STARR: They don't necessarily sway or change the military strategy. But what is so clear, of course, Ali, is that the top military commanders, the generals, the political leadership here in Washington, the Bush administration -- all of them know that Americans are watching those numbers.

And as those numbers go up, certainly Americans continue to have questions about the war. And the commanders know those are questions that must be answered by the administration. But at the moment, no change in military strategy. They are working to improve conditions on the ground and when they do, they say then U.S. troops can come home -- Ali.

VELSHI: Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr, thank you and happy Thanksgiving to you.

It's just after 4:00 p.m. Eastern, which means it's just after midnight on Friday in Iraq. Now were some of those U.S. troops able to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal in spite of the violence going on around them? Aneesh Raman is embedded with U.S. forces in central Iraq. He joins us now -- Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ali, good afternoon. Those two incidents that Barbara just reported on, the four U.S. soldiers wounded, the two others killed, happened in and around the area where we are, at a forward operating base south of the capital.

But as you say, brief moments of holiday cheer for the U.S. troops here. None of them throughout Iraq had the day off as a holiday. They were out throughout the country conducting combat operations, patrolling the streets, trying to secure the area.

But the holiday in some sense came to them in the form of a Thanksgiving meal. We were at the chow hall here on this forward operating base earlier today. There were all the amenities that one would expect our of Thanksgiving, 1,250 pounds of turkey, 2,500 pounds of prime rib brought in to serve some 8,000 meals to the soldiers, to the men and women who are serving on this base.

But as we mentioned earlier, the violence around this area, the realities of war crept into the holiday. And this is the time that it is hardest for these U.S. troops to be away from home. We asked 1st Lieutenant Ashley Johnson at the chow hall earlier today how the soldiers cope with the holiday period.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

1ST LT. ASHLEY JOHNSON, U.S. ARMY: It is under difficult circumstances, but my platoon here is my family right now. And we're doing things here to keep us upbeat and motivated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAMAN: And it's an incredibly difficult fight that they're in in this area, south of the capital. A number of insurgent groups are still operating. They are on the offensive trying the U.S. military to bring stability here.

But for the troops, when you talk to them about the holidays, when you talk to them about morale, they are keen to get home. And they know the only way they can do that is to get the Iraqi security forces ready to take over -- Ali.

VELSHI: Aneesh, yesterday you spoke to a soldier who said despite the debate that's going on about whether they should come home or not, they know that it's going on. And I think he told you that it's just when he does get home, it's not easy for him to explain to people he's a soldier in Iraq. He feels that doesn't go over very well.

Did you get any idea today of whether people think they're closer to getting home because the pressure is building on the administration to bring them home?

RAMAN: Well, yes, as you mentioned, that was one of the more remarkable sound bites. It's tough to get the soldiers to talk, especially within these combat operations. They see the political debate as out of mind. It does not affect their daily life. They do this job until they're told to do it no more.

But when he said that when he goes home he doesn't mention that he's a soldier in Iraq because it embroils him into debates, it was quite shocking that someone fighting a war for a country wouldn't mention that when they go home. But they are aware that that debate is taking place. But, again, they just have no other choice but to keep going out there.

And they have to train in their mind to commit to this fight, because their lives are on the line every day they exit these gates. These soldiers are some of the best men and women you'll meet, some of the most down to earth, honest people, and they are going out there trying to do their best. But they have no control except over making sure that they and their brothers and sisters in arms make it back alive. And that's what they're trying to do.

VELSHI: Aneesh Raman outside of Baghdad in Iraq with the troops. Stay safe. Thanks for joining us.

Well, President Bush reached out today to some U.S. forces even as he spends Thanksgiving with his family at his Texas ranch. Elaine Quijano with the president in Crawford, Texas joins us now. It hasn't been the most relaxing time around Crawford, has it, Elaine?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Certainly not, Ali. There have been protests and we'll get to that in just a moment. We should tell you off the top though, no word of any arrests unlike yesterday. But, you're right. From his ranch here in Crawford, Texas, President Bush did deliver a Thanksgiving greeting to about ten U.S. service members.

Now, we're told they were chosen by the Defense Department and they included members of the Coast Guard, Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force. Among them, we understand, a person serving in Afghanistan, several serving in Iraq, as well as one person serving on a ship at sea.

But President Bush, the commander in chief, calling them patriots, thanking them, and he asked them to pass along his wishes to their fellow service members.

Now we should also tell you the president enjoying a little bit of down time, as well. He spent part of the day on a bike ride with his chief of staff, Andy Card. And we're told that the president is just looking forward to spending the rest of the day with his family, having Thanksgiving dinner with the first lady, their daughters, his parents and his mother-in-law -- Ali.

VELSHI: Elaine, one of the reasons there may not have been any new arrests today is because the rules changed. There were some arrest earlier because people, I guess, have to stay further away from the ranch itself?

QUIJANO: That's right. The new ordinance, county ordinance, that was enacted by the McLennan County commissioners, essentially bans parking or camping in certain areas on the road leading up to President Bush's ranch. Instead, what you had today, a group of protesters who have gathered and are still gathering at this hour down the road on a private piece of property, they're gathering for what they're calling a simple Iraqi meal consisting of rice and lentils to mark this Thanksgiving.

They also said some prayers also. But according to organizers, they were anticipating perhaps as many as 200 people. Our producer on the scene though, Becky Briton (ph), is saying there are only 50 to 60 people who have actually turned out. Of course, those numbers could grow later this evening.

In fact, Cindy Sheehan, the anti-war activist who was here in August and led throngs of demonstrators here in Crawford expected to arrive here later tonight. Sheehan, of course, her son was killed in Iraq, her son Casey. And Sheehan is still determined to get some answers from President Bush about why her son died -- Ali.

VELSHI: Elaine Quijano in Crawford, Texas. Thanks so much.

Well, this is the third Thanksgiving that U.S. troops have spent in Iraq. Can President Bush afford politically to have troops in Iraq next Thanksgiving right after the 2006 elections? Let's bring in our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider for more on that. Hi, Bill. WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, Ali. Well, the answer is they want to see Americans coming home. The precise numbers -- you can't say that there is a precise number, but Americans at that time, a year from now, have to be coming home politically for the president and his party to survive the 2006 elections, which means there has to be an exit strategy in place and American voters have to see a light at the end of the tunnel and clear evidence that the number of American forces who are being killed and injured is going down.

There's one little footnote to that, however, and it's crucial. If it looks like dangerous radicals are poised to take over power in Iraq and turn it into another Afghanistan or what Afghanistan was in the 1990s, then I think American voters will understand if American troops have to stay a bit longer.

VELSHI: Well, let's -- in other words there's something that might be symbolic, let's say, about Saddam Hussein's trial which is coming up, the idea that will Saddam Hussein's trial or a conviction for Saddam Hussein give people the impression it's a safer, better place. You've got some poll numbers on that too.

SCHNEIDER: That's right. Americans believe, as they always have believed, that if Saddam Hussein is found guilty of serious crimes, he should receive the death penalty. Will that make a difference to the insurgency? Our poll just released asked if he's found guilty and executed, will it weaken the insurgents who are fighting U.S. troops?

And the answer, three quarters Americans say no, they don't believe this is any longer about Saddam Hussein. It's about the future of Iraq. It's about sectarian rivalries in Iraq, different groups attempting to come to power and for some it's about the presence of non-Muslim forces in Iraq. But Saddam Hussein is no longer the central issue, Americans believe, driving the insurgency.

VELSHI: Bill Schneider, thanks so much. We'll talk to you a little later on.

Well, coming up, an accident at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Find out what went wrong with a wayward balloon. Plus, a wrap of holiday events and the weather.

Also ahead, a toxic river. We'll tell you where it is and who might be at risk.

And they don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Britain, but people there do have reason to raise a glass tonight or pretty much anytime from now on in. We'll explain in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: A quick check now of some of the Thanksgiving action around the country beginning with one of America's most famous parades, the annual bands and balloon fest in New York sponsored by Macy's. The fun there was marred by a mishap. A balloon snagged a street light near Times Square, causing part of it to fall into the crowd. A woman and an 11-year-old girl were injured.

Now, it's not clear if the wind, which was a concern, was actually a factor here as it was in a similar 1997 balloon accident. Parade officials had given the go-ahead to use balloons this year, despite moderate breezes. We'll have a live report on that story in our next hour.

In Atlanta, the daughter and grandson of the late civil rights activist Josiah Williams are carrying on his legacy of feeding the poor and the homeless. This year, they are expecting to serve Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings to a record 19,000 people. That's because of all the Hurricane Katrina evacuees in Atlanta.

And in New Orleans, first responders who worked so hard during the Katrina disaster were treated today to a Thanksgiving feast. And churches and charity organizations are planning to feed thousands of people in that city, which still recovering.

Well, let's get a check of the holiday weather from meteorologist Bonnie Schneider. She is at the CNN Center in Atlanta. Bonnie, what have we got?

(WEATHER REPORT)

VELSHI: Bonnie, good to see you. Bonnie Schneider at the CNN Center in Atlanta.

Zain Vergee joins us now from Atlanta with a look at some other stories that we are covering. Zain, good to see you. Happy Thanksgiving.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: And you, Ali. Happy Thanksgiving.

A shakeup in Jordan's government. King Abdullah II has appointed as national security chief the country's new prime minister. The king earlier had his entire cabinet resign. This comes two weeks after suicide bombers attacked three hotels in Amman, killing 57 people. Abdullah is reportedly urging his new premier to stand tough against militant Islamic attacks.

Chinese officials say they've warned Moscow about a chemical spill that could reach Russia in about two weeks. On November the 13th, a chemical plant explosion spilled toxic benzene into a river flowing into China's northeastern city of Harbin.

Harbin, which is home to nine million people, has trucked in 700 tons of bottled water. But many residents are just worried about the long-term health effects. Critics say that Beijing delayed the disclosure of the spill and they just didn't give them enough information. We're going to go live to China for much more on this story in the next hour.

The 14,000 foot Galeras volcano erupted today in southwestern Colombia. Piles of ash have fallen on the city of Pasto, 12 miles away. Officials caution more eruptions are possible. Colombia's government has ordered thousands of people living near the volcano to evacuate. A 1993 eruption killed nine people.

And drinking fans may want to raise a toast to. Twenty-four hours bars are now legal in England. And in Wales, the relaxed laws went into effect today. Now, the bars had actually been required, ever since the end of World War I, to close at 11:00 p.m.

Critics say that keeping the bars open around the clock will encourage excessive drinking. Supporters disagree. They say it will give people better choices and they'll be responsible about it. About 700 businesses have applied for the 24-hour licenses. So ...

VELSHI: That's quite a jump from closing at 11:00 to have a drink anytime. I mean, why not stretch it to 1:00 and 3:00? It's a ...

VERJEE: Well, that means 24 hour binge drinking and debauchery, Ali.

VELSHI: Yes, right. It never stops.

VERJEE: Moving to London? Planning on moving?

VELSHI: I'm checking to see what sort of opportunities there are. Hey listen, do you knit or crochet or anything like that?

VERJEE: No.

VELSHI: So you didn't have anything to do with making that blanket that I just saw? See, the viewers don't get to see all the stuff.

(CROSSTALK)

VERJEE: OK, take a look at this. This is not as lovely as Martha Stewart's poncho but it's freezing up here because Kyra keeps it Arctic here.

VELSHI: Right, right, right. It keeps the news fresh.

VERJEE: So I have this -- yes, I have this poncho that I drag off the control room floor. And while I'm not on air ...

VELSHI: Good Lord ...

(CROSSTALK)

VERJEE: And I sit here in my poncho that I tend to dust. You can see.

VELSHI: That's excellent. That's an entirely different SITUATION ROOM look.

VERJEE: Entirely different. VELSHI: Zain Vergee. We'll make sure we get that on as much as possible.

VERJEE: We're going to get me an electric blanket soon. We're going to invest in that.

VELSHI: Good to see you. Still ahead, we'll talk to Zain a lot more during the rest of the show.

Still ahead, he made headlines across the nation with his bombshell on Iraq. So what are they saying about John Murtha in the congressman's hometown in Pennsylvania? We're going to find out.

And later in the show, a holiday tradition here at CNN. The political turkeys of the year. Our Bill Schneider will serve up our victims. Stay with us. You are in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): More than anyone else this year, J.K. Rowling proved magic is found between the pages of books. Her latest, "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince," sold about nine million copies in Britain and the U.S. in its first 24 hours alone, making J.K. Rowling a candidate for "Time" magazine's person of the year.

PRISCILLA PAINTON, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "TIME": After about a decade almost of producing these books, one could ask oneself, you know, has this franchise been exhausted? And what she proved this year was that no, it's not the case. And in fact, it's stronger than ever. She published a book in late spring, early summer that was a huge success.

Then came the movie, and what this proves is that she not only has been able to convert that first generation of readers, but successive ones after that, not to mention their parents and that her legacy gets stronger and that legacy is of reminding people that in the age of IMing, you cannot tear a book out of the hands of a young reader in love with the book.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: Members of Congress are back home for the holidays and many of them are getting an earful about Iraq including no doubt John Murtha of Pennsylvania. He is the Democrat who famously called last week for a speedy withdrawal of U.S. troops. Murtha's constituents in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, have a lot to say about his dramatic about face on the war. Here's our national correspondent, Bruce Morton.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRUCE MORTON, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Murtha's district is Pennsylvania's 12th, centered around Johnstown in the western part of the state. Conservative. He's been their Congressman for 31 years. And in the corner coffee shop, his call to bring the troops home drew support.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know how we can get out real quick like he wants to, but I think we ought to get out of there. I think we got our nose in way too many places in this world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I agree with him. And I'm 100 percent for him.

MORTON: It is not unanimous.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was very upset with the Congressman. I felt that he was wrong in doing this. That's my own opinion, and I'm allowed. This is America.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right, I have a 20-year-old nephew over there. And I just think him and everybody else needs to come home safely. And the longer it goes on, the worse chances are that that's going to happen.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think we should be there. I don't think we had any place there. Everybody has to run their own country. And I think we should come home.

MORTON: Over at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post, Jack Smith disagrees.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My personal opinion is, he's more or less letting the troops down. We will have all that time and all that money and all those lives invested over there. And now all of a sudden, he wants to just say get out, get out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These must be the ones Jack Frank (ph) opened.

MORTON: In the district office, staffers say letters and e-mails from all over the country are running about three to one in Murtha's favor but they add there are thousands that they haven't even sorted through yet.

But if there is one thing people here seem to agree on when it comes to Jack Murtha, it's what he's done for the district, bringing new jobs as the old standbys, coal and steel, dwindled away.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You'll find few people who don't think highly very of Jack Murtha for what he's done for this area and how he's been available for the people Johnstown and his Congressional district.

MORTON: So is he likely to win reelection? The corner coffee shop consensus is yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'll vote for him, oh, yes. Oh, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I back him up 150 percent.

MORTON: Maybe not a scientific poll, but then, people here don't pay much attention to those either. Bruce Morton, CNN reporting. (END VIDEOTAPE)

VELSHI: Up next, it's a day to give thanks, so what are Democrats and Republicans thankful for this holiday? We'll find out in today's "Strategy Session" coming up next.

And Bill Richardson comes clean. New Mexico's governor clears up a question about his past. We'll get the scoop in our "Political Radar."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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