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The Situation Room
One U.S. Soldier Dead, Two Unaccounted For After Attack on Checkpoint in Iraq; Suicide Bombing At Mosque Kills 11; Department of Homeland Security Says Major U.S. Cities Still Not Prepared To Deal With Disaster; Investigation Into Possible Cover-up in Haditha Complete; William Cohen interviewed; No Indictment for Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney; House Removes Congressman William Jefferson from Ways and Means Committee; Congress Debates Iraq War; Iraqi Ambassador Discusses War Effort; U.S. Helicopters Key to Afghanistan War Efforts; Apple's iPod Factory in China under Scrutiny; Bill Clinton to Speak at Columbine Memorial Groundbreaking; San Francisco Mosque Removes Wall Separating Men, Women
Aired June 16, 2006 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: To our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where new pictures and information are arriving all the time.
Standing by, CNN reporters across the United States and around the world to bring you today's top stories.
Happening now, we're following a developing story, reports of two coalition troops missing after an attack in Iraq. We'll go live to the Pentagon for the latest.
And it's 1:00 a.m. in Iraq, where a suicide strike at a mosque raises fresh fears of sectarian slaughter. And how is President Bush handling the violence? We also have some new poll numbers on what Americans think.
Also, how worried should you be after 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina? What did federal and local governments really learn about emergency preparedness? The Department of Homeland Security says several major cities are not prepared. Is your city one of them?
And it's 2:00 p.m. in California, where some Muslim men and women tear down a wall of their faith. They're praying together, but some worry that observing together will result in them eyeing each other.
I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Up first, we're developing -- we're following a developing story out of the Pentagon. Two coalition soldiers missing.
Let's get the latest from our Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.
Update our viewers, Jamie. You broke this story a little while ago. What do we know?
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: It was a late evening attack in Baghdad in a town called Yusufiya, just southwest of Baghdad. U.S. troops at a checkpoint, they come under small arms fire. A quick reaction force responds.
One U.S. soldiers is dead. Two are missing. The official listing is "Duty status whereabouts unknown." That means they could have either been captured or killed, or perhaps they just got separated from their unit.
The U.S. military doesn't know where they are right now -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And this occurred -- it's -- right now, it's just after 1:00 a.m. in Iraq. Do we know how many hours or minutes or when this actually occurred?
MCINTYRE: It happened at 8:00 -- just before 8:00 local time in Iraq. Again, at a checkpoint in a town called Yusufiya, just southwest of Baghdad.
BLITZER: And these checkpoints are sort of all over the country. Normally, they do have some perimeters, some force protection, as it's called, to make sure that at these checkpoints the troops are secure.
You have seen those -- those perimeters in action. It's really hard to get to them.
MCINTYRE: Yes, but it's hard to get to them from the road, but it's -- we don't know what happened here in terms of the small arms attack. They could have come from some other area. They could have been in a vehicle that approached the checkpoint. We just don't have those details.
BLITZER: Jamie, we'll check back with you once you do get some more information. We'll hope for the best for these two troops.
We're going to go back to Jamie shortly once he gets some more information.
Other news we're following.
A suicide bombing at a mosque left 11 dead and raised new fears of sectarian tensions in Iraq.
Our Cal Perry has details from Baghdad -- Cal.
CAL PERRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, 48 hours ago the Iraqi prime minister started Operation Together Forward. He's placed more than 70,000 Iraqi security forces on the streets of Baghdad, but today insurgents hit back hard on what's now a familiar target.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PERRY (voice over): This was the Iraqi capital at midday, streets deserted, with Baghdad in the middle of a security crackdown. A ban on vehicles between 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Around-noon prayers was supposed to thwart attacks on mosques, but it didn't. At a Shia mosque in northwestern Baghdad, a suicide bomber slips past security and into the mosque itself. The explosion killing at least 11, wounding more than 25 others. It's the second time in 10 weeks that the Buratha mosque has been attacked.
In April, more than 80 people were killed when three suicide bombers got inside the mosque. That attack, one of the bloodiest to date, led Shia politicians to accuse Sunni extremists of trying to drag Iraq into civil war.
After this latest attack, Shia-owned Al-Thura (ph) TV took calls from enraged viewers. "How could this happen?" the viewer cries. "How could he manage to get inside the mosque? Where are the people who are responsible for searching people?"
Another caller predicted dark days ahead. "The fight will not happen this year," he says. "It will happen next year. They want to eliminate us. They want to destroy us."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PERRY: As tit-for-tat violence continues here along sectarian lines, the question remains, will the prime minister's security plan stop possible revenge attacks and will it bridge what is now a growing gab between Sunni and Shia -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Cal Perry in Baghdad for us.
Thank you, Cal, very much.
And coming up, I'm going to speak to the Iraqi ambassador to the United States right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
There's a new CNN poll that's assessing how Americans feel about the president and Iraq. Thirty-seven percent of Americans now say they approve of the president's overall performance. That's one percentage point higher than a poll taken last month. Fifty-three percent disapprove.
As for the war, 54 percent of Americans say they think it was a mistakes to send U.S. troops to Iraq, while 42 percent say it was the right thing to do.
Also today, the House approved a resolution supporting the war. It is non-binding and essentially backs the president's war policy.
In our CNN "Security Watch," an ominous warning from the Department of Homeland Security. It says that many major U.S. cities still are not prepared to deal with a disaster.
Our homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve, is joining us with details -- Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, almost five years after 9/11, almost one year after Katrina, the Department of Homeland Security has concluded that the majority of state and local emergency plans are not adequate, feasible or acceptable to manage catastrophic events.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE FORESMAN, DEPT. OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Well, I think we have to recognize that we are ready for the vast majority of emergencies and disasters that we've traditionally seen occur in this country. And it underscores that the Katrina experience is a vivid remind that the ordinary doesn't mean that you're ready for the extraordinary. And we've got to do a better job of taking our catastrophic planning to get next level.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: Among the findings, significant weaknesses in evacuation planning, including inadequate capability to care for large numbers of evacuees and inadequate attention to people with special needs. Among the states with the highest partially sufficient or insufficient ratings, West Virginia, Oregon, Louisiana and Montana. Among the cities, New haven, Connecticut; Jersey City, New Jersey; Portland, Oregon; Newark, New Jersey, New Orleans; and Oklahoma City.
The National Emergency Management Association is blaming the federal government for not providing more money, more planning guidance and more planning standards. DHS acknowledges states and locals have not had all of the tools they need, saying this assessment will give them a roadmap for improvement.
Wolf, back to you.
BLITZER: And this deals with any kind of disaster, whether a natural disaster or a terror disaster.
MESERVE: That's right. But they say they think most cities can -- can handle what they call the garden variety disaster. It's the big catastrophe they're afraid they're not ready for.
BLITZER: Jeanne Meserve.
Thanks very much for that.
And you, too, can get your hands on this new report from the Department of Homeland Security. Our Internet reporter, Jacki Schechner, is standing by with details on how you can do that -- Jacki.
JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: That's right, Wolf, the Department of Homeland Security has put the full report online, and you can dig through it. Let me show you some of the things.
This is phase two report. Phase one was a self-assessment by the states and urban areas. And phase two is an assessment by emergency and management officials.
Take a look. It did include the 50 states, and then the 75 largest cities. Now, the report itself didn't dig into individual cities, but as Jeanne told you, there was that information included. They also break it down by the most likely to be hit by a hurricane. They call them hurricane states. You can see those in blue on the Atlantic and Gulf Coast. Those are most likely to incur those sorts of emergencies.
You can see the conclusions for states in urban areas, things like weaknesses in evacuation planning. It also identifies the areas most likely to have people with disabilities, the need to have a better definition of special needs.
All this available online, Wolf, from the Department of Homeland Security.
BLITZER: Thank you, Jacki, for that.
And to our viewers, stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
Jack Cafferty is still off. He will be back, though, on Monday.
Up ahead, the Iraqi ambassador to the United States, he's standing by to join us live right here in THE SITUATION ROOM. I'll ask him when he thinks U.S. troops might be able to come home.
Also, a massive U.S.-led offensive again the Taliban in Afghanistan. Our senior international correspondent, Brent Sadler, is with U.S. forces on the front line.
Plus this, a California mosque making a dramatic departure from Muslim tradition. We're going to show you what they're doing that's causing so much controversy.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Let's go back to our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre. He's following this very disturbing story, U.S. troops at a checkpoint at Yusufiya.
What's the latest?
MCINTYRE: Well, Wolf, we're getting a few more details about the sequence of events here.
It appears that this three-man team was at a checkpoint. A nearby team heard gunfire, thought they might be in trouble, sent out a distress call. The quick reaction force arrived, found one soldier dead, and they can't find the other two soldiers.
We don't know, again, whether they took off for cover, whether they were captured, whether they -- whether they were also killed. It's dark, the checkpoint was near a river. They're going to take a look in the river and see if they can find anything there, but at this point they have not accounted for those two missing soldiers. Meanwhile, to update you on another item of interest, the Haditha investigation, you know, two investigations, one into whether there's a crime, the other whether there's a cover-up. The investigation into the potential cover-up is complete, but we don't know what it says. What we do know is more of what the defense attorneys are saying who are bracing for possible charges.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE (voice over): There was no crime to cover up, according to the attorney representing one of the Marines who was involved in several of the shootings that resulted in the deaths of 24 Iraqis, including women and children last year in Haditha.
GARY MYERS, ATTORNEY FOR HADITHA MARINE: The rules of engagement are the license to do what they did. And as long as they followed those rules of engagement, I believe they have a defense of justifiable homicide on one hand and, perhaps, self-defense on the other. In every particular this fails as evidence.
MCINTYRE: After viewing the videotape of the victims and the aftermath shot by an aspiring Iraqi journalist, Myers insisted it would not stand up in court.
MYERS: It proves nothing other than that there were people killed who died violently and who bled profusely. And all of those things are regrettable, but none of them serves -- serves to prove murder.
MCINTYRE: Myers insists Haditha was not a massacre, and that comes from an attorney who successfully defended a company commander who was at My Lai, the notorious massacre of the Vietnam War.
MYERS: My Lai was a massacre. Men, women, babies and children were put into a trench, and they were fired upon by American soldiers.
MCINTYRE (on camera): How could it be that Marines could kill young children, a mother who appear to be in their bed, and they just followed the rules? How can that be?
MYERS: Because they're not required to inquire under the circumstances. They're not required to inquire. If they believe they were threatened, they can use deadly force. And That's what they did.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE: Now, Wolf, as I said, that separate investigation into a potential cover-up is complete, done by Major General Eldon Bargewell, turned into a three-star general who is reviewing it now. Meanwhile, the defense attorneys for many of these Marines tell CNN that the original report that erroneously attributed these civilian deaths to a roadside bomb, they claim none of that information came from their clients -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre, doing some excellent reporting for us, as usual. Thank you, Jamie. We'll get back to you once you get some more word on what happened at that incident, that little skirmish that we're watching right now, two U.S. troops -- two U.S. soldiers still missing.
There's another story we're getting in right now, initial word that Cynthia McKinney, the Democratic congresswoman from Georgia, will not -- will not be indicted as a result of that incident she had with U.S. Capitol Hill Police a few weeks back. We're getting this information just coming in. We're going to get some more specific details shortly, but we can report that she will not be indicted by this grand jury.
Remember what happened when she showed up at -- on the Capitol Hill without her little pin identifying her and there was an exchange. And we're going to get a lot more on what exactly has happened legally as far as Cynthia McKinney is concerned. The story just coming in.
There's some mixed but significant developments today in three countries President Bush has called the axis of evil. That would be Iraq, Iran and North Korea.
Joining us now is a key member of our CNN Security Council, our world affairs analyst, the former defense secretary, William Cohen. He's the chairman and CEO of The Cohen Group here in Washington.
What do you make of this -- these latest developments in Iraq that seem, seem to show a little bit more optimism, a new government, Zarqawi killed. What do you make of this?
WILLIAM COHEN, FMR. DEFENSE SECRETARY: Well, I think President Bush obviously has had some positive news in the past week. Too early to tell whether this is going to be something that can be sustained.
But it's good news that they have finally completed filling up the cabinet positions, particularly defense and the interior. And it's good news, I think, that obviously Zarqawi is no longer in the picture. So that's a positive side of things. But I think it would be premature to say we're now on the road to seeing stability and security maintained in Iraq.
BLITZER: No more announcements of "mission impossible"?
COHEN: I don't -- the president very wise and prudent not to issue those kinds of statements.
BLITZER: There is one captured document from al Qaeda in Iraq that we have not been able to authenticate but which has been put out there by Iraqis included this, "The best way to improve the current bleak situation is to entangle the American forces into another war against another country... to exaggerate the Iranian danger."
Once again, we don't know if this is true, but if it is true, it would underline why they are doing a lot of what they're doing, al Qaeda in Iraq. COHEN: Well, I'm not sure this has really any bearing on what Iran is doing. Iran is separate and distinct. And the threat from Iran in terms of going forward with the nuclear weapons program...
BLITZER: No, but if -- but if the al Qaeda in Iraq is trying to foment a battle between the United States and Iran, this might explain what's going on.
COHEN: Yes, except that how would al Qaeda in this particular case, other than doing what they're doing now in trying to stir sectarian violence and turn Shia against Sunnis and vice versa, that is the conflict they're currently really stirring up. In terms of what they can do to get the United States involved in Iran, the momentum seems to be just the opposite.
The United States is now working very closely with the British, the French, the Germans. The Chinese and the Russians are also joining in this initiative to get Iran to forgo its nuclear weapons program development. Not its nuclear power program, but nuclear weapons.
And so I think that the momentum is for diplomacy. And I think al Qaeda would be hard-pressed to derail that unless it is with the cooperation of the Iranians themselves.
BLITZER: The president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he said this -- he said, "Generally speaking, we regard this package" -- these proposals -- "as a step forward, and we will give a response in due time based on the interest of the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran. We are not seeking to develop nuclear weapons."
Just a little while ago the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, said this.
Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, certainly we have heard some positive statements from the Iranians. I want to underscore what the minister has said, we need an answer. The international community needs an answer so that we know if in fact the negotiating track is indeed one that is going to bear fruit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: It's a delicate moment. And there's word now that Iranians -- that the Iranians have finally orally, at least, received the disincentives, the warnings to them if they don't comply.
COHEN: Well, I think they should be under and have been under no misapprehension about this. The United States and our western European friends have been prepared to offer some carrots, as they're called, but some very strong economic and diplomatic incentives.
The corollary to that is that unless those are agreed to or negotiated, that the sticks will come thereafter. I don't think the Iranians were expecting to simply have a package delivered to them without any consequences if they should reject it.
So it's been very clear that Secretary Rice has talked about punitive or coercive measures short of military force would be involved in the event that Iran decides to go forward with a nuclear weapons program. And that's really the issue for them and for us.
BLITZER: A delicate moment, and the stakes couldn't be higher.
COHEN: Very high.
BLITZER: Thanks very much for joining us, Secretary Cohen.
And coming up, we're following two developing stories right now. Two American soldiers missing in Iraq. We'll get the latest information from the Pentagon.
And we've just gotten word that the grand jury considering Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney's case will not -- repeat, not -- indict her. We'll have a live report on that when we come back.
And we'll take you to the front lines of a massive U.S.-led offensive against the Taliban. Our senior international correspondent, Brent Sadler, is with U.S. forces.
Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We're getting word that Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney will not be indicted by a grand jury.
Let's bring in our Kelli Arena. She's got all the specific details -- Kelli.
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, today's decision by the grand jury is known as a finding of no probable cause. This followed an extensive investigation into allegations that Congresswoman McKinney assaulted a Capitol Hill Police officer.
A U.S. attorney here in D.C., Ken Wanestein (ph), put out a statement, Wolf. It says, "We respect the decision of the grand jury in this difficult matter and we thank its members for their hard work and careful consideration of the evidence and testimony."
Now, the Department of Justice, Wolf, as you know, usually does not comment on investigations. But when there's overwhelming public interest in a case, they do have the discretion to make a comment. In this case they did.
This grand jury decision basically ends that investigation of the congresswoman. She is free and clear -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Kelli, thanks very much for that.
Kelli Arena reporting.
We're also watching William Jefferson, another congressman. He's now back in New Orleans. He's expected to speak. We'll hear what he has to say.
The House of Representatives voted earlier today to strip him of his seat on the House Ways and Means Committee. Our Susan Roesgen is in New Orleans. Once he speaks we'll bring you his comments, as well.
Coming up, as the war rages in Iraq, a bitter war of words rages in the U.S. Congress. We'll tell you the outcome of today's heated debate.
And also coming up, my interview with the new Iraqi ambassador to the United States. Were recent documents seized in Iraq really a treasure trove of information that could mean the end of al Qaeda in Iraq? I'll ask the ambassador.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Embattled Congressman William Jefferson has just arrived back in Louisiana and has just spoken out. This, just hours after the House of Representatives voted to remove him from the powerful House Ways and Means Committee amid corruption allegations.
Our Gulf Coast correspond, Susan Roesgen, is joining us now from Kenner, Louisiana, at the airport with the latest -- Susan.
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN GULF COAST CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the congressman came out today, spoke to reporters, and he said that he believes, in his words, he's been made a "scapegoat" by the National Democratic Party. He believes the party simply wants to take the high road ethically in the upcoming elections and that he has been sacrificed for this.
He says it's grossly unfair since he believes that no other committee member, other members of Congress who are on committees and under investigation have not been kicked out. And Wolf, he talked about how he tried to persuade his colleagues in the House to let him stay.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. WILLIAM JEFFERSON (D), LOUISIANA: I asked them to stand in my place and imagine if they could that they were standing there and not me, and if they could in good conscious without a rule that applied to me and have -- and without a rule that would apply to them in that instance, if they could in good conscience vote themselves off of a committee under the circumstances where you had news reports of third-party allegations and no indictments or any such thing as that, and no rule to apply to the situation. Then vote me off. If they couldn't do that, then let me stay on that committee.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ROESGEN: Congressman Jefferson especially blames House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. He says there's been bad blood between the two of them because he says he tends to vote differently than she would prefer on trade issues and energy issues that he feels are important to his district here in the New Orleans area.
So he blames Nancy Pelosi and other members of the Democratic Party national leadership for taking him off of that committee, though he says, Wolf, that he has no intention of stepping down from Congress and he does still now plan to run for re-election here in New Orleans in November -- Wolf.
BLITZER: We'll see if any charges are actually filed against him if he's indicted. Thanks very much, Susan, for that.
Let's get back to our top story now. The war in Iraq and a week of bitter furious debate in the Congress set against the backdrop of some approaching midterm elections here in this country. Our senior analyst, Jeff Greenfield, has more on the Iraq debate -- Jeff.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SENIOR ANALYST: Wolf, there are really two debates about Iraq that are taking place right about now. One happened on Capitol Hill this week. The other, and likely much more significant, is the debate taking place in Iraq itself about what's really going on there.
(voice-over) In Congress the Iraq debate is -- surprise, surprise -- steeped in politics. Senate Republicans took John Kerry's "out by year's end" proposal and sought to put it to a floor vote. Senate Democratic leader Reid forced a quick end to the debate and a quick vote. It was 93-6 against to take that argument off center stage.
The House took up its own resolution, supporting the troops and declaring that Iraq is a key part of the global war on terror. House Speaker Dennis Hastert took to the floor, something speakers almost never do, to support the resolution.
REP. DENNIS HASTERT (R-IL), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: When our freedom is challenged, Americans do not run.
GREENFIELD: Democrat Rahm Emanuel, who is leading his party's efforts to retake the House, assailed Republicans for enabling Bush administration mistakes.
REP. RAHM EMANUEL (D), ILLINOIS: Democrats will never put American service members in harm's way without a plan and without support. For that you need to sit and watch the complacency of a Republican Congress.
GREENFIELD: Because the House resolution could not be amended the political terrain was clear. Vote yes and you're backing the idea that Iraq is a key to the war on terror. If you voted no, you might be accused of not backing the troops. The resolution passed today overwhelmingly. But the effort has one Republican critic of the war, North Carolina's Walter Jones, crying foul.
REP. WALTER JONES (R), NORTH CAROLINA: What is being proposed is nothing more or less than really a charade.
GREENFIELD: So what about that other debate? Well, one document captured in the raids that killed Zarqawi shows al Qaeda in Iraq despairing at the loss of their power, at the growing capacity of U.S. and Iraqi government forces to quell the insurgency.
Writer Ralph Peters, a supporter of the war but a longtime critic of Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, says that this shows that the tide has, in fact, turned.
But two Brookings Institute scholars in the latest update of their measurance (ph) of progress, paint a different picture. Fifteen hundred civilian deaths last month against a thousand a year earlier. Thirty-five Iraqis kidnapped every day, 250 acts of sectarian violence a month, 12 times the number a year ago. And most tellingly, only 30 percent of Iraqis are optimistic about the future, half the percentage of optimists of a year ago.
(on camera) The debate in Washington this week may be more about politics than policy but what is much more likely to shape politics at home is what finally emerges from that other debate half a world away -- Wolf.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Jeff Greenfield, thanks very much.
Let's talk a little bit more about the state of the war in Iraq. Joining us now, Samir al-Sumaidaie, the new Iraqi ambassador to the United States.
Mr. Ambassador, welcome back to THE SITUATION ROOM.
SAMIR AL-SUMAIDAIE, IRAQI AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: As we're speaking, there's word that one American soldier was killed, two others are now missing at a checkpoint at a location at a place calls Yusufiyah near Baghdad, not too far away. You're familiar with this area.
AL-SUMAIDAIE: Yes, this area is notorious for insurgent activity. And it was called variously the "road of death" or the "area of death." It was particularly dangerous for people going from Baghdad to Najaf, and there were a lot of kidnappings and killings in that area. So we understand that that is a dangerous area.
There was a sweep or a series of sweeps which reduced the level of violence in that area, but this is certainly unwelcome news.
BLITZER: And we hope they find these two American soldiers speedily.
AL-SUMAIDAIE: I certainly do hope so.
BLITZER: Let's talk a little bit about the continuing violence that's going on. Today another Shiite mosque, as you know, was bombed. The sectarian violence, they're trying to foment, these insurgents, the terrorists, the strife between Shiites and Sunnis.
Are they going to succeed in creating this civil war, which after bombing of the mosque in Samarra a few weeks back, it looked like the country was on the verge?
AL-SUMAIDAIE: Yes. But they have failed. This is the cornerstone of their strategy: to create civil war in Iraq, to make the country ungovernable, to drive the Americans out and thereby seize power.
Iraqi population, by and large, have not shown any inclination to go that way. There are, of course, those who are extremists or on the fringes, I would say, who have indulged in sectarian violence, and there was a peak of that immediately after the Samarra attack.
But this has subsided. And I believe now with the taking over of this new government there are indications, especially with the pronouncements of the government and the clear indication that they are taking serious measures, that things will be brought under control.
BLITZER: There was deep concern in Washington yesterday, especially in the Congress, when there was report that the new government of Prime Minister al-Maliki was going to give amnesty to insurgents and terrorists in prison right now who may have been involved in killing U.S. troops.
I know there's been a denial, but I want you to explain to our viewers what the policy of the government is as far as amnesty for prisoners and their records is concerned.
AL-SUMAIDAIE: Well, let's be very clear. The new government wants to isolate the extremists and the hardcore terrorists. And the way -- only way to isolate them is to try and win over those people on the borders: those who might have carried arms for nationalist reasons; those who feel that it is their duty to protect the country against an occupying foreign power, but they are not really terrorists as such.
Now, there are a number of ways to attract them away from al Qaeda and away from Saddam Hussein. That is to assure them that there is an alternative, that if they lay down their arms, if they join the political process, we will not be...
BLITZER: But if they were involved and had blood on their hands and they killed American soldiers...
AL-SUMAIDAIE: I don't believe the government will tolerate -- and I think the prime minister was very explicit about this. No one with blood on his hands will be dealt with in that way.
BLITZER: Will there be fewer than 100,000 troops in Iraq at the ends of this year, as your national security adviser, Mowaffak al- Rubaie, told me the other day?
AL-SUMAIDAIE: Well, he might be in a better position to tell you. But the best person to tell you is likely to be General Casey, who is the person on the ground assessing all the risks and operations and his needs. He is in the best position to tell us what he needs.
BLITZER: Are you concerned that the U.S. might withdraw militarily too quickly?
AL-SUMAIDAIE: If the U.S. withdraws prematurely, I think the consequences would be very bad both for U.S. and for Iraq.
BLITZER: So you're worried about that, seeing this debate in Washington? I want your reaction as you see a very, very tough debate, especially in the House of Representatives.
AL-SUMAIDAIE: It is understandable. I watched part of that debate yesterday. And it is understandable for the sentiment of some of the participants in that debate, that they want their boys home. This everybody can understand.
But we have to look at the complete picture. What are the consequences of bringing everyone home right now. I think that would be a disaster for the United States, for Iraq and for the region.
BLITZER: One final question. The national security adviser of Iraq said, "We believe that this is the beginning of the end of al Qaeda in Iraq."
AL-SUMAIDAIE: Well, there is certainly a wave of optimism going through. And it's not totally unjustified. We have a lot of intelligence gains. Al Qaeda is on the defensive right now. And I believe if we seize this moment and strengthen our security forces, we can make real progress towards security and stability.
BLITZER: The new ambassador of Iraq to the United States, Samir al-Sumaidaie, thanks very much for joining us.
AL-SUMAIDAIE: Thank you very much.
BLITZER: We hope you'll be a frequent visitor here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
AL-SUMAIDAIE: Thank you. Thank you so much.
BLITZER: The case for a war against Iraq was based largely on evidence that Saddam Hussein was developing weapons of mass destruction. On Sunday night CNN presents -- "CNN PRESENTS" pieces together the chain of events that ultimately proved that the intelligence was dead wrong. That program airs right here on CNN Saturday and Sunday night 8 p.m. Eastern both nights. Still to come, in California tearing down a divide while raising new fears. Some Muslim men and women are now praying together. But some fear they'll now be eyeing each other.
And Apple responds to allegations about the factory that makes its hugely popular iPod. Critics are questioning the working conditions. We'll show you what Apple is doing about it. Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back.
U.S. forces in Afghanistan say at least 40 militants have been killed in the latest attacks on Taliban insurgents. The dead are said to include would-be bombers and local cell leaders. It's part of the largest U.S.-led offensive since the Taliban were ousted from power back in 2001.
Our senior international correspondent, Brent Sadler, is with the troops on the front lines in Kandahar -- Brent.
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BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, U.S.-led coalition forces have been pounding the Taliban for the past month, inflicting heavy losses. U.S. helicopters are playing a key role in the fighting, especially Apache gun ships based here in Kandahar.
(voice-over) Taliban country, southern Afghanistan. U.S.-led forces push hard with a mountain offensive, quickening the pace. Repositioning firepower to blast Taliban insurgents when they hit and run. Kandahar air base a center of operations, packed with U.S. helicopters from Task Force Night Hawk.
Double rotors do the heavy lifting. Apache gun ships fight. Black Hawks join the loop of resupply, moving troops and ammo, flying missions on the edge of danger.
COL. MARK PATTERSON, U.S. ARMY: Each and every day every time we launch an aircraft from here, it is a combat mission, and we treat it just like a combat mission.
SADLER: Thirty-one-year-old Lieutenant Nicole Smith knows about combat missions. Fresh into this war from flight school, she is the co-pilot gunner of this U.S. Army Apache gun ship.
(on camera) Give me some idea what it's like up here when you're facing ground fire from the Taliban.
LT. NICOLE SMITH, U.S. ARMY: It's pretty scary. You're always nervous, because you never know what you're -- what you're -- what kind of situation you're going into and what -- what to expect.
SADLER: The Apache was designed to knock out Soviet tanks during the Cold War, but here in Afghanistan its role against the Taliban is very different.
(voice-over) This Apache is training for hard battle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right target 500 meters.
SADLER: Pilots say they get so close to the Taliban it feels like a knife fight.
CAPT. KEVIN HICKEY, U.S. ARMY: We can see them. They can see us.
We try to shoot them before they shoot at us. There's always fire going both ways.
SMITH: When I get in the aircraft and I strap in, and I'm not letting the adrenaline or seriousness of the situation affect the way that I would normally operate the aircraft, there's nothing else I'd rather be doing. This is a dream come true.
SADLER: Her boss, Night Hawks' commander, returns from a grueling nine-hour combat mission. The war, he says, is going well.
PATTERSON: Clearly, we're winning. We're making a difference here each and every day. There's no doubt in my military mind that we're making a difference.
SADLER: The difference, hopes the U.S. military, between a country that breeds terrorism to one that can defeat it.
(on camera) Night Hawk helicopters have taken hits mostly from small arms fire on missions often supporting U.S. infantry units and Special Forces, maintaining the military pressure on Taliban insurgents -- Wolf.
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BLITZER: Brent Sadler reporting for us. Thank you, Brent. Good reporting.
Up ahead, iPod problems for Apple. We'll show you why the company is looking into conditions at the Chinese factory where they're made.
And later, during our 7 p.m. Eastern hour, my conversation with the Iraq war critic, Congressman John Murtha, about today's House resolution on Iraq. That's coming up, 7 p.m. Eastern. Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
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BLITZER: Looking into conditions at a Chinese factory where its hugely popular iPods are made after reports that workers are being possibly exploited. CNN's Mary Snow is following the story for us. She's joining us from New York -- Mary.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, Apple is quick to respond and point out its supplier code of conduct. That code bans the kind of allegations made, linked to the gadget that is only growing in popularity.
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SNOW (voice-over): From the pope to the president, iPods are so popular Apple says it sold about 50 million of them. Labels on the famous music players read "designed by Apple in California, assembled in China." Exactly how they're made in China is coming under question.
The British newspaper "The Mail on Sunday" reports allegations that factory workers in a so-called iPod city, putting in 15-hour days, earning about $50 a month. Following the publication of that article, the maker of iPods, Apple, told CNN in a statement, "We are currently investigating the allegations regarding working conditions in the iPod manufacturing plant in China."
The Human Rights Watch, which monitors working conditions in China, couldn't address iPod factories specifically, but it says overall in China, poor working conditions are not uncommon and not confined to factories making clothes or toys.
SOPHIE RICHARDSON, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: It's probably something of a surprise to people to learn that there could be equally bad conditions in higher tech factories.
SNOW: Tech industry observers say overall, Chinese factory workers employed by western companies make more money and tend to fare a bit better.
NAVI RADJOU, FORRESTER RESEARCH: It's true that, you know, the numbers seem a little bit, you know, below what we might expect in the west, but within the Chinese economic context, I think that the salary is a very decent one offered to those, you know, employees.
SNOW: Although they still make far less than their western counterparts, about conditions in China the company says, "Apple is committed to ensuring that working conditions in our supply chain are safe. Workers are treated with respect and dignity, and manufacturing processes are environmentally responsible."
Even though the cost of manufacturing in China is a fraction of what it would be in the U.S., companies are still pressured to provide better conditions or face negative headlines and public scrutiny.
RICHARDSON: Look, there's a reason goods that come from China are so cheap. It's because people don't get paid properly.
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SNOW: Now CNN contacted the Chinese mission here in New York and the Chinese embassy in Washington for comment. Spokesmen at both offices declined, saying it wasn't really something they could address -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Mary Snow, thank you very much.
Let's check in with Zain Verjee once again. She's joining us from the CNN Center with some other important stories.
Hi, Zain.
VERJEE: Hi, Wolf.
Delta Airlines says it will file to end its pilots' pensions plan. The ailing airline says it expects to do so on Monday. Delta's CEO says in a statement that, unless the billion dollar plan is terminated, Delta can't successfully restructure and pull out of bankruptcy. The nation's third largest carrier filed for bankruptcy last September.
Today, firefighters battled blazes across New Mexico and aren't getting much of break from wind and dry conditions. South of Albuquerque this fire forced the evacuation of about 30 homes. It also temporary shut down a stretch of Interstate 25. In all, the wildfires have driven people from hundreds of homes. The largest fire has scorched at least 7,000 acres in a national forest.
The no smoking sign may come on in Philadelphia. The city council in Philly has passed a Bill that would ban smoking in most public places, including bars and restaurants. The measure, though, still needs approval from Mayor John Street, who's not said if he'll actually sign it. It also faces some amendment tweaks when council reconvenes after the summer recess -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Zain, thank you very much. Zain Verjee reporting.
Former President Bill Clinton is moments away from delivering the key note speech at the ground breaking of the Columbine Memorial in Littleton, Colorado. The monument will honor the victims of that tragic high school massacre back in 1999.
Our Internet reporter, Jacki Schechner, is standing by with more -- Jacki.
SCHECHNER: Wolf, that was April 20, 1999, when 12 students and one teacher were killed and dozens were injured. Now there's going to be a permanent memorial. That's the ground breaking today.
It's going to be located in a park next to the high school. And it's going to -- expect to cost about $1.5 million, according to the memorial fund. They've already raised about $1.1 million, and they're still accepting donations.
This is a rendering of what that's going to look like. It will have a fountain and trees. It will also have a memorial remembrance wall.
Now President Clinton is scheduled to give that key note address in just moments. He spent part of the day meeting with victims' families.
And construction of the memorial is expected to be completed pretty quickly. They expect it to be done by this fall -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Jacki. Thanks very much.
Up next, breaking barriers. A mosque in California challenges a tradition centuries in the making. We'll tell you what's going on. Stay with us.
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BLITZER: Want to show you a live picture of Air Force One. It's making a landing right now at Kirkland Air Force Base in Albuquerque. There it is. Air Force One. It's always a majestic, beautiful sight. The president going to a fundraiser for Heather Wilson. She's a congresswoman who needs some help in New Mexico right now. That's what the president is going to try to do.
A California mosque is coming under fire for making what some say is a radical change in the way its members worship. CNN's Chris Lawrence is joining us live from Los Angeles with the story -- Chris.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, not every mosque has an actual wall that separates men from women, but until very recently, San Francisco's largest mosque did. And not everyone is happy that they tore it down.
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LAWRENCE (voice-over): Men and women, once separated by a wall, now only divided by a simple white sign.
SOULEIMAN GHALI, ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF SAN FRANCISCO: We are the first mosque in the Bay Area that I know of that had a wall and tore it down.
LAWRENCE: No mosque allows men and women to sit side by side. Traditionally, men lined up behind the prayer leader; women lined up behind them. But the Koran never mentions an actual wall, much less one that blocks a woman's view of the sermon.
GHALI: It was -- to me it was really a second class, segregated hall.
LAWRENCE: But destroying one division created another. The mosque was criticized, and some members left. Some say Islam's physical poses make it too tempting for men and women to pray together.
USMAN MADHA, KING FAHAD MOSQUE: When you're praying in that manner, the possibility exists that a man may, instead of praying, may be ogling at the female.
LAWRENCE: Usman Madha says at his mosque, women pray upstairs behind a glass wall, but separation isn't something that's forced on Muslim women.
MADHA: They get their privacy. Nobody bothers them. They get to do the spiritual activity that they came to do. Our women choose to pray separately from us.
LAWRENCE: One political science professor says the conflict has greater implications for Islam.
PROF. RICHARD DEKMEJIAN, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: If during prayer that wall is coming down, yes, it does imply in terms of the long-term, an empowerment of Muslim women.
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LAWRENCE: And the mosque founder says so far, not one woman has reported any kind of harassment. But some women feel tearing it down destroyed the privacy of prayer, and they refuse to attend the mosque -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. It's interesting that in orthodox Judaism, they have a barrier between men and women so they pray separately, as well. Very interesting. Chris Lawrence reporting for us.
Remember, we're here in THE SITUATION ROOM weekday afternoons, 4 to 6 p.m. Eastern, back at 7 p.m. Eastern, an hour from now. Until then, thanks very much for joining us. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.
"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now. Kitty Pilgrim is sitting in for Lou -- Kitty.
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