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CNN Sunday Morning
ABC News Anchor Injured in IED Blast in Iraq
Aired January 29, 2006 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: He is a familiar face to many of you. This morning ABC news anchor Bob Woodruff gets too close to the action in a war zone. We will bring you the latest in this developing story out of Iraq. And welcome everyone to CNN Sunday Morning, the 29th day of January. I'm Tony Harris. It is 9:00 a.m. here at the CNN Center in Atlanta and 5:00 p.m. in Baghdad.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: We are following developments on the condition of ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff and his cameraman in Iraq, both wounded in a roadside bombing in Iraq. The latest we know is that Bob Woodruff is in surgery. Here's what ABC announced less than an hour ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATE SNOW, ABC WEEKEND ANCHOR: We have some breaking news to report, disturbing news for us here at ABC News. We need to report that our co-anchor of "World News Tonight", Bob Woodruff and his cameraman Doug Vogt, were injured in an attack this morning in Baghdad, near Baghdad, in Taji, a city in Iraq. Injured in an improvised explosive device attack.
The two were working over there. As you know, Bob Woodruff has been on assignment in Iraq the last several days. They were embedded with the 4th Infantry Division and traveling with an Iraqi army unit in a mechanized vehicle.
We're told that they are both in serious condition. They're being treated at a U.S. military hospital in Iraq. And we're going to go now to my colleague, Martha Raddatz, who is at the White House this morning in Washington.
Martha?
MARTHA RADDATZ, ABC CORRESPONDENT: Kate, I'm actually in the Washington Bureau and getting bulletins from Baghdad.
They were traveling in an Iraqi convoy, but they were both with the 4th Infantry Division. Bob and Doug had been in an armored vehicle, a U.S. armored vehicle, and then transferred into an Iraqi mechanized vehicle. They were up in the hatch of that vehicle. They were apparently doing a report. I believe Doug was filming Bob at the time when they struck a large IED. It was also followed up with small arms fire after that. Both have head injuries. They are in the hospital right now. Bob is currently in surgery in Balad, which is a very large base there and has the best medical care possible for both of them, but both in serious condition at this point.
Kate?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: O.K., and that was a short time ago. Kate Snow, Martha Raddatz from ABC's "Weekend Morning Show", and this is a statement released by ABC News' president David Weston.
"Bob Woodruff and his cameraman, Doug Vogt, were injured in an IED attack near Taji, Iraq today. They were embedded with the 4th Infantry Division traveling with an Iraqi army unit in an Iraqi mechanized vehicle. Bob and Doug are in serious condition and are being treated at a U.S. military hospital in Iraq. ABC News will provide updates on their condition as they become available."
And then, again, that's from the president of ABC News.
For more, let's go straight to Baghdad now and CNN's Michael Holmes. And, Michael, this points up again just how dangerous a place Baghdad is, and the real threat posed by these improvised explosive devices. Good morning to you.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Tony. Our prayers are obviously with Bob and Doug's families. I can tell you, I have been in some of those military hospitals, and they are outstanding in terms of their capabilities. They're very, very fine facilities. Obviously, we're thinking about the families.
You're right, it does, again, bring home the dangers for journalists working here. Obviously, it's a lot more dangerous day- to-day for Iraqis, but ironically it's this past, this past week was the second anniversary of our own brush with danger here, and recently I examined that very issue.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES (voice-over): It is a sad fact of war coverage that casualties become numbers, compounding the tragedy, trivializing the individual, but that's what many victims here have become -- numbers. Forty-five killed in this bombing; 80 in that one. The maimed, their own lives shattered, even if not ended, are more numbers.
With so many deaths, it is impossible to cover the individual stories, the lives of those who perished.
Reporters at work. It's easy to become anesthetized. There's an element of deja vu here sometimes. Another day, another bomb, another attack, another death toll.
(on camera): Many of us, of course, try to stay detached from the actual violence. You would go crazy if you got emotionally involved in every horror that you see. But there are always times when we in the media cannot bury it, and usually that's when the horror involves you or someone you know.
(voice-over): Many in the media have lost friends and colleagues here. These are photos of just some of them. This week, it is two years since we lost two of our own, translator Dureid Mohammed Issa on the left, and one of our drivers, Yasser Khateeb. Two vibrant young men whose lives were cut short by insurgent bullets.
We had been returning from filming a story south of Baghdad when our two cars were attacked by two cars. None of us there will forget the image of gunmen standing up through the sunroofs, firing AK-47s, wanting to kill not someone who would become a number, but us.
Cameraman Scott McWhinnie was sitting next to me. He was shot in the head, but survived. Yasser and Dureid didn't make it.
(on camera): It changed me, changed all of us in the cars that day, of course, and many people who were not. These were people we'd worked with, lived with, and joked around with.
Yasser, young, idealistic, came to work for CNN despite his family's constant warning of the dangers. He used to bashfully teach us Arabic swear words on the way to stories.
Dureid, fun, funny, devoted father of two children the same ages as my own. We proudly compare photographs and laugh at their latest antics.
It's changed too how those of us who carry on work here in Iraq now. Those of us here in the early days would certainly take precautions, but would think little about walking the streets in Baghdad and elsewhere, speaking with locals, getting a firsthand look at the story we're covering. In this case, sitting on Saddam's famous statue before it was removed.
(on camera): This is where we do our live shots from every day reporting to you. However, most days, this is as close as we can get to those in the city behind me.
(voice-over): It is difficult to get out and about. We do, but it is always with great caution. The kidnapping of journalist Jill Carroll is another reminder of the risks involved. Like most of us, she is here because it is a story that needs telling, despite the risks.
Just a few photos of those who have died here. It helps now and then to remind ourselves and those who watch our work that those casualties lists contain more than numbers. Iraqis or coalition forces, they're people.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And, Tony, it's not a big international contingent of journalists here. Perhaps I think 65 or 70 of us, and it's amazing how close you become and how people gather around when something like this happens. Competition goes out the window, by and large, and, as I said, our thoughts and prayers obviously with Bob and Doug's family at this moment.
HARRIS: Hey, Michael, just a quick question. Do you feel more safe, less safe now nearly three years into the war in Iraq?
HOLMES: I have been here half a dozen times, Tony, and I got to say, to be honest, in terms of us getting around, covering the story, when you are out on the streets, less safe -- Tony.
HARRIS: CNN's Michael Holmes for us in the Baghdad bureau. Michael, thank you.
NGUYEN: Television journalists embedded in Iraq are sometimes more vulnerable to attacks and violence. They're lugging around equipment and can easily be distracted.
Bobby Ghosh is a senior correspondent with "Time" magazine. He spent over three years in Iraq and is headed back next week. He joins me by phone. We appreciate you talking with us today.
Obviously, close calls are something that you come in contact with a lot. It seems like it's almost a catch-22, being a journalist, because if you don't venture outside of that green zone, you may not get the full story, but by venturing outside, you really put yourself in a lot of danger, don't you?
BOBBY GHOSH, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Absolutely. Most journalists, I should say, live outside the green zone. "Time" magazine's own houses outside the green zone; most TV crews live outside the green zone. And the danger is a factor of life in Baghdad, not just for journalists, for ordinary Iraqis. And when we are covering the stories and the lives of ordinary Iraqis, we put ourselves in danger.
And as you mentioned at the start of this, TV crews are much more conspicuous because they have cameras, they have equipment, lights and so on, and that makes them especially vulnerable.
NGUYEN: So who do you rely on to protect you? If you are traveling obviously embedded, you are hoping that the troops that you are with can kind of steer you in the right direction, but you are really pretty vulnerable out there.
GHOSH: Well, with the troops, you have to take what they get, and quite often they are -- and particularly in the area that Bob and Doug were, which is in Taji and Baladi, areas slightly north of Baghdad, full of insurgent activity. There have been lots of pitched battles between soldiers and terrorist groups there, and, as I understand it, they were with some Iraqi forces. As we know in the past year, year and a half, some of the terrorist groups have especially targeted Iraqi forces for their attacks.
So when you go out on an embed with an Iraqi security team, then you have to essentially cope with whatever they're getting.
NGUYEN: Let's talk about that a moment. You also mentioned Taji, which is a volatile area. That's the area where, we're told, that Bob Woodruff was in when this IED exploded. He was with this Iraqi unit inside an Iraqi mechanized vehicle. How does that differ from a U.S. one? Does it?
GHOSH: Well, I don't know which particular vehicle they were using, but it's a fair guess -- it's a good guess that it was much less -- it was much lighter and didn't have the armor of a fully fitted humvee or much -- or an armored carrier.
Most of Iraqis' rolling stock involve old Soviet-era vehicles, which are fine for normal warfare, but are not very good against roadside bombs. We heard a rumor that the insurgents are now building roadside bombs that are capable of penetrating an Abrams tank, which is one of the hardest things to do. So an Iraqi military vehicle would probably be only slightly stronger than your average saloon car.
NGUYEN: Talk to us about the area of Taji. When you head out to that area, how do you prepare?
GHOSH: Well, if you are not going on an embed, very few people venture out there at all. If you go there, you try to keep as low a profile as you can possibly keep. Most journalists travel in groups of two cars. We have security guards. Our staff is almost entirely Iraqi, and they're usually armed.
These are steps that you take to try and ward off kidnapping attempts. When it comes to a roadside bomb or a suicide bomber, there's very little protection that you can have. It's entirely the question of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
NGUYEN: Yes, wrong place at the wrong time. When we hear the story of Bob Woodruff and his cameraman being injured, both in serious condition with head injuries, you are headed to Iraq next week. What does this make you think about as you head off?
GHOSH: Well, it does, and certainly makes my family more nervous than usual.
At one level, when you are working in an environment like that and as Michael was telling you earlier, you live in a certain state of denial. You report the story, you watch this happening to other people, and somewhere in the back of your mind you tell yourself that this won't happen to you. It's the only way to operate there. It's the only way you can stay sane and you can get a night's sleep.
NGUYEN: My. Well, we appreciate your insight. Thank you for speaking with us today, and best of luck to you next week.
GHOSH: Anytime, Betty, and our thoughts and prayers are with Bob and Doug and their families.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. Thank you -- Tony.
HARRIS: How vivid is that description?
If you are just joining us this morning, we're following developments on the condition of ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff and his cameraman, Doug Vogt, in Iraq. Both wounded in a roadside bombing in Iraq, Taji. The latest we know is that Woodruff is in surgery.
Here's what ABC News announced less than an hour ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW: We have some breaking news to report, disturbing news for us here at ABC News. We need to report that our co-anchor of "World News Tonight", Bob Woodruff and his cameraman Doug Vogt, were injured in an attack this morning in Baghdad, near Baghdad, in Taji, a city in Iraq. Injured in an improvised explosive device attack.
The two were working over there. As you know, Bob Woodruff has been on assignment in Iraq the last several days. They were embedded with the 4th Infantry Division and traveling with an Iraqi army unit in a mechanized vehicle.
We're told that they are both in serious condition. They're being treated at a U.S. military hospital in Iraq. And we're going to go now to my colleague, Martha Raddatz, who is at the White House this morning in Washington.
Martha?
RADDATZ: Kate, I'm actually in the Washington Bureau and getting bulletins from Baghdad.
They were traveling in an Iraqi convoy, but they were both with the 4th Infantry Division. Bob and Doug had been in an armored vehicle, a U.S. armored vehicle, and then transferred into an Iraqi mechanized vehicle. They were up in the hatch of that vehicle. They were apparently doing a report. I believe Doug was filming Bob at the time when they struck a large IED. It was also followed up with small arms fire after that.
Both have head injuries. They are in the hospital right now. Bob is currently in surgery in Balad, which is a very large base there and has the best medical care possible for both of them, but both in serious condition at this point.
Kate?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: There you see a picture of Bob Woodruff, and here is a picture of Doug Vogt, Bob Woodruff's cameraman working with him on location, also seriously injured. That was in that IED attack in Taji. Just another example of how dangerous those roadside explosives are, claiming so many lives.
And I have to tell you, Betty, I was just listening with your interview with Bobby Ghosh. It gives you a sense of what it would be like if you were just an American citizen landing in Baghdad and trying to venture out into the city. You probably wouldn't do it. It sounds like it is incredibly dangerous, and we certainly -- our thoughts, our prayers, our best wishes are going out now to Bob's family, Doug's family, and we're hoping for a speedy recovery.
NGUYEN: Both in serious condition with head injuries. Bob undergoing surgery. As we mentioned, prayers go out to all of the families involved.
Do want to mention too, that a lot has been going on in Iraq aside from this.
The Saddam trial got underway with fireworks this morning. Loud outbursts in court. Lots of name-calling. People walking out. We're going to update you on all the developments when we come back. You are watching "CNN Sunday Morning".
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SADDAM HUSSEIN (through translator): Do not force me. Do not force me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I'm not forcing you to do anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Man. That's just the beginning of it.
Former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein wasted little time. He called the new court-appointed lawyers if his war crimes trial evil. The judge fired back at him, called him old and some other stuff. They went back and forth like that. Before it was all over, co- defendant was expelled and Saddam and his defense team walked out. The proceedings are adjourned until Wednesday or Thursday.
Let's get straight to Aneesh Raman, who is live in Baghdad with more.
And Aneesh, we've heard what's been said, but I have to ask you, was there any business conducted? Did we hear from any witnesses before all of the fireworks, or was it straight to the confrontation?
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, we heard from three witnesses today. All of that drama that you outline happened in just about the course of an hour at the start of today's session.
After Saddam Hussein walked out, two other co-defendants walked out. A fourth co-defendant was physically dragged out after the defense team had walked out. Court-appointed lawyers had come in.
We heard from three witnesses, complainant witnesses, similar to what we've heard before. All of them testifying anonymously behind a curtain. Their voices disguised detailing years of torture endured after that failed assassination attempt on Saddam Hussein in the village of Dujayil in July 1982.
But of course, all of the courtroom was virtually empty. Only four of the defendants were seated in the docks, and there were six court-appointed defense attorneys who hadn't been present at any session prior to this one.
All of the drama in the course of the morning really embarked upon by the new chief judge, Raouf Rasheed Abel-Rahman, who from the start was really bringing a new tone to this court. He outlined a number of rules at the beginning of today's session.
The most important for the defendants was that there would be no more political diatribe and if anyone embarked on anything that was unrelated to the case at hand, they would be removed.
And Saddam Hussein's half-brother, Barzan Hassan, did just that. Moments later he was forcibly removed after calling the court, quote, "the daughter of a whore." The judge took umbrage with that. That forced the defense lawyers to stand up. They eventually walked out. Saddam then walked out along with two other co-defendants.
Now the trial is set to resume on Wednesday with huge questions. Will Saddam show up, and what's going to happen with his defense attorneys?
Tony?
HARRIS: I think we understand it but I'll ask the question anyway.
This new tougher stance from this judge. We recall that Arlen Specter and his delegation went to Iraq and came back and had some comments about the last judge, the judge who resigned.
Is there a sense that the message was sent to this judge by the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee, you've got to get tougher with this thing?
RAMAN: Well, as you mentioned, that was just one of any number of calls both from the U.S. as well as from Iraq for this court to move forward more efficiently.
There had been huge criticism by Iraqis, by Iraqi government officials on the former chief judge, Rizgar Amin, for being too lenient with the defendants, for allowing Saddam Hussein to speak at will, at length, often embarking on political speeches about the war in Iraq that were completely unrelated to the case at hand.
Also, allowing the defense lawyers to submit any number of motions that also were deemed by the public at least, to be irrelevant.
So that was just one of many voices, and clearly, the new chief judge has heard that criticism. He came out almost diametrically opposed in terms of his manner from what we saw before really trying to be in control to a process that up until now has been marred by chaos.
Now, the question will be whether he went too far too quickly and whether now there will be a stalemate between the defense lawyers and also between Saddam Hussein and this court. Saddam may boycott for a long period of time these court proceedings as long as his lawyers aren't present, Tony.
HARRIS: Did he go too far too fast?
Betty's going to take that question up.
Aneesh Raman, thank you.
NGUYEN: For a better perspective, as to what went on in the Hussein trial, let's talk with Michael Scharf, a law professor, at Case Western Reserve University.
Mr. Sharp, you're quite familiar with some of the judges involved in this trial. We'll ask you why in just a moment. But first of all, is this trial out of control? What is going on?
MICHAEL SCHARF, CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY: More chaos in the courtroom today. That's for sure, Betty.
Well, what's going on is that the new judge, Raouf Rasheed Abdel- Rahman, is under marching orders to put more control into the courtroom, but both judges were on a tight rope.
You can only have so much control and shut down Saddam so much until the dictator will decide he has nothing to gain from being in the courtroom. That's what he decided today, and he is going to boycott.
I think if he doesn't come back, one card that the judge has yet to play is that he can have a video link where Saddam has to watch the proceedings from his jail cell and maybe will see a split screen so that we will actually have the feeling that Saddam is in the courtroom even if he's not. So Saddam hasn't won the battle of the wills today.
NGUYEN: I see what you're saying. There is a way around it.
All right. So you're involved because you helped train some of the judges in this trial. This last judge was taken off because he wasn't seen as being strong enough, a little too lenient. How's this new judge faring because they went back and forth today?
SCHARF: Yes, well, I trained all of these judges in London about a year ago. The new judge, Judge Raouf -- of course these judges actually go by the first name, which is their family name, rather than the last name, so judge Raouf reminded me back in London of sort of a Patrick Stewart-like person. If you've see him, he's bald. He's very powerful. He's in control. Patrick Stewart, of course, is the star of "star Trek" and the X-men series. You get a sense of what this guy's judicial temperament would be like.
NGUYEN: This is kind of an outer space what's going on in Iraq with all the fireworks? I mean, it seems to really be out of control.
SCHARF: Yes, well, what he's trying to do is very quickly show his force and his power, play all the cards that he has, and, of course, that was likely to provoke the defense to act the way it did.
Now, what the defense strategy is, actually, is to try to provoke the judge to yell at them, and, unfortunately, I think we saw today Judge Raouf raise his voice, and that's something that Judge Rahman knew he should never do.
When Judge Richard May was trying Milosevic at The Hague, he also yelled at the former dictator from Serbia, and that played very poorly. Most people thought that there couldn't be a fair trail if the person who has to find the facts and decide guilt is already yelling at the defendant.
NGUYEN: Well, how is this playing out? Because we saw some yelling today. There have been so many turnarounds in this trial. New judges. Just walkouts. Defense team -- entire defense teams walking out. I mean, will the trial be held as a legitimate one once a verdict has been released?
SCHARF: Well, nothing that's gone on here is so far out of the ordinary for war crimes trials, which are always very messy.
I mean, in The Hague, remember, in the Milosevic case, two years into the trial, their judge died of a brain tumor, and they had to replace him with someone that knew nothing about the case.
So the changing of the guard is something that's happened before. International law does not necessarily view that as meaning that the trial cannot be fair. Ultimately, this trial will be judged on how much evidence comes in and whether there is sufficient evidence to prove the charges.
NGUYEN: All right. Michael Sharp, we'll be watching as well as you will be as things turn this way and that way in this trial.
Thank you for that.
Wednesday is the day when they start it all up again. Talk to you soon.
SCHARF: Good talking to you, Betty.
HARRIS: And still ahead, we will take you to the White House and CNN's Elaine Quijano to get a preview of Tuesday's State of the Union address, and Ron Brownstein is here with his thoughts as well.
But we are trying to round up any information that we can get our hands on on the condition of Bob Woodruff, anchor for "World News Tonight," ABC news, and the condition of his cameraman, as well, Doug Vogt. Injured today, seriously injured in an IED explosion in the Iraqi town of Taji, just north of Baghdad. They were embedded with the 4th Infantry Division traveling with an Iraqi army unit at the time of the explosion. Again, both are in serious condition, and they are being treated at a U.S. military hospital in Iraq.
That's what we know at this point. We will get more information and passion past that along.
You are watching "CNN Sunday Morning".
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: This just into CNN. If it hasn't already been a volatile day in Iraq, we are learning from Reuters News Agency that two bombs targeting churches in the northern city of Kirkuk killed at least four people, according to police there. A colonel on the ground says that the blast at the two churches also wounded nine people. So two churches involved in bombings. Four people dead so far. Nine wounded on the ground. This is coming from Reuters News Agency. We'll stay on top of this.
HARRIS: And again another just update on the story we have been reporting for the last hour. "ABC World News Tonight" anchor Bob Woodruff and his cameraman Doug Vogt seriously injured in an IED attack in Taji, Iraq, today, traveling embedded with the 4th Infantry Division, traveling with an Iraqi army unit in an Iraqi mechanized vehicle.
Certainly our thoughts and our prayers go out to Bob and Doug, the families as well. We will try to get more information on the condition. We understand that they are being treated now at a U.S. military hospital and that Bob, at last word, was in surgery. We will update the story with the latest information as soon as we get it, right now a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Speaker, the president of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Love that moment. I really do. No matter. No matter. It's just one of those moments.
NGUYEN: (INAUDIBLE)
HARRIS: Tuesday night President Bush heads to Capitol Hill to deliver the "Sate of the Union Address." He'll do so as the country faces major international and domestic challenges. And his party is facing falling poll number heading into this year's midterm elections. President Bush delivers his fifth "State of the Union Address" on Tuesday night. Months are spent in preparation for this key political event. With a preview, CNN political analyst Ron Brownstein.
Ron, good morning. RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning.
HARRIS: Joins us from our Washington bureau. But first, we go to Elaine Quijano live at the White House.
And Elaine, good morning to you.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Tony. Aides say that President Bush will try to set an optimistic tone in his "State of the Union Address." They say not to expect a laundry list of proposals, but, instead, to see some broad themes. Now, we got a little bit of a preview of what the president is going to say during his first news conference of the year this past week. Mr. Bush outlining some of the things he plans to talk about, including the war on terror. We can expect to hear another vigorous defense of the president's Iraq strategy as well as his use of the controversial NSA surveillance program. But aides say that President Bush will also try to hit on issues the administration believes are close to home for people -- the economy, gas prices, health care, and retirement, among them.
Now, the president heads into this address with his overall approval rating in the low 40s. A new "Time" magazine poll showing 41 percent of Americans say they approve of how the president is handing his job, and 55 percent say they disapprove. Now, that 41 percent number is actually down about 12 points from where the president was last year.
On the economy more than half of those polled, 56 percent said they disapprove of the president's handling of the economy with 39 percent saying they approve.
Now, of course, the political stakes, right now, are very high as the president heads into the "State of the Union Address." This, of course, is an election year, those midterm elections. The president, not only setting the tone for the country, Tony, but also setting the tone for the campaign year.
HARRIS: Hey Elaine, did you just say that those approval numbers are down how many points from last year?
QUIJANO: Twelve points from where the president was last year.
HARRIS: Let me take that up with Ron Brownstein right now. Elaine, thank you.
Ron Brownstein, good to see you, sir.
BROWNSTEIN: Good morning.
HARRIS: There's a whole bunch of other stuff they have me in here saying, today. Let's get right to it. The approval number is down 12 points from last year, and there's a lot going on here. Break that down for us.
BROWNSTEIN: Well, the president has had a very difficult fifth year of his presidency, by any measure, both self-inflicted wounds, the Social Security restructuring plan he could not sell to the country, the response to Katrina was seen as faltering by many Americans, the Harriet Myers nomination to the Supreme Court. But also, he has been battered, above all, by events in Iraq, which we continue to see them -- the difficulties there today, and overall, his approval rating in the first year of his second term has been lower on average than any other re-elected president since World War II. So he -- this speech is a very important moment for him. He had a little -- he had a recovery toward the end of last year. He's been sinking -- slipping a little bit again in a number of polls, as Elaine set out, with him in the low 40s. He needs to be in a stronger position for republicans to avoid a bad outcome in November.
HARRIS: These numbers are in the face of an aggressive posture by this administration on all kinds of topics, from the war in Iraq, to the domestic eavesdropping story, and, yet, the numbers continue to hang and sag and dip and drop.
BROWNSTEIN: Well, you know, the president has had a distinctive political strategy throughout his entire tenure. I call it deepen, not broaden. He's been more focused on consolidating his support among republicans, both in the Congress and the country, and generating a big turnout of republican supporters at election time even at the price, at times, of polarizing the electorate. But what's happened to him in his fifth year is those numbers among independent voters have really collapsed. In almost all polling he is running below 40 percent among swing voters, independent voters, and that is obviously something that is a danger for republicans.
When you look at the polling, he gets low marks on Iraq and on most domestic issues, but he still has one significant asset, and that he's preferred over democrats when it comes to the war on terror, and you can see, as you suggested, they've been drawing very bright lines in that area lately.
HARRIS: Yeah.
BROWNSTEIN: Because they see that as a strength they have, and the sharper the difference they can create there, the more they believe you benefit from it.
HARRIS: Let me pick up on that point you just mentioned. Deepen, not broaden. When are we going to get -- well, the point is is that we want the president to govern, don't we? We want him to govern, and I'm wondering when we might get that unity speech? Could it be Tuesday night?
BROWNSTEIN: I think probably not. I mean, by and large, the president has been able to govern from this strategy. They've been able to pass more of his agenda than might have seemed possible after winning that achingly narrow victory in 2,000, but often on a tight party line basis. For example, the budget that they cleared through Congress last year focusing only on spending cuts rather than dealing with taxes and also reduced the deficit and passed both chambers without a single democratic vote. And one of the things I think we're going be looking for in this speech, when he lays out the agenda for 2006, is it an agenda that might have some appeal across party lines, help republicans divide the democrats, or is it going to be something that is going to draw very bright lines of division between the parties on areas like health care, the economy, and so forth?
HARRIS: Well, but, Ron, we aren't going to get a laundry list, and we're used to laundry lists in these speeches. We need the laundry list. So, what is likely to be the No. 1 agenda item? Is it going to be health care?
BROWNSTEIN: Well, let's take -- let's break it apart. I think foreign policy, people are going to be watching most closely to hear, not what he says about Iraq, because I think we probably have a pretty good idea what we're going to hear there, but what he says about Iran and whether -- how specific and forceful he is in dealing with the threat of Iran moving toward nuclear weapons.
On domestic policy I think it's intriguing because the indications are that while the president is going to return to some familiar issues for him, like taxes, like spending reduction, like immigration, he's also going to add new flavors into the mix. Health care is not something he's talked about a lot in his five years, even though we're up to nearly 46 million Americans without health care. Competitiveness, perhaps some lobbying reform, so there are going to be some new areas here, and we're going to have some fresh debates, I think, that will be different than what we've seen over the last few years.
HARRIS: Ron Brownstein, energy this morning. That's wonderful. Ron, good to see you, as always.
BROWNSTEIN: Thank you.
HARRIS: CNN's Tuesday prime-time coverage begins with the special edition of the "Situation Room" with wolf Blitzer and Paula Zahn followed by our live coverage of the president's speech at 9:00. Then Anderson Cooper brings you immediate reaction, and Larry King hosts an hour of insight, analysis live, that's at Midnight. Look at this slate. CNN's prime-time coverage of the "State of the Union Address" begins Tuesday night 7:00 Eastern. Look, I'll be here.
NGUYEN: Do want to bring you up to speed on a story that we've been following throughout the morning. Dealing with ABC anchor Bob Woodruff. Here's what we learned so far this morning. That Bob Woodruff and his cameraman, Doug Vogt, which you see there on the screen, were traveling with the 4th Infantry Division. In fact, they were with an Iraqi army unit inside an Iraqi mechanized vehicle when an IED went off, a large IED, is what's being described by ABC News. That was then followed by small arms fire.
Both Bob Woodruff and his cameraman, Doug Vogt, were injured in those explosives. Both have head injuries, in serious condition. Last we heard Bob Woodruff was undergoing surgery at a U.S. military hospital, but, again, as you can see, very dangerous day in Iraq not only for the troops, but for journalists.
"ABC World News Tonight" anchor Bob Woodruff and his cameraman have been injured in Iraq. Just a quick note, Bob Woodruff took that post at ABC News on December 5, 2005, with Elizabeth Vargas replacing the late Peter Jennings. So, our hearts and thoughts are with the families of both men injured today in Iraq. We'll continue to follow the story and bring you the latest.
You are watching CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
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HARRIS: Just a quick shot there of our international desk doing so much work for us this morning in following these developments out of Iraq. And this is one of the top stories this morning out of Iraq. ABC anchor Bob Woodruff and his cameraman have been seriously injured in a bombing outside of Baghdad this morning. An ABC spokesperson says the two were embedded with the 4th Infantry, and they were traveling in an Iraqi military vehicle at the time of the attack, both suffered head injuries.
In southern Poland searchers have abandoned rescue efforts following a roof collapse at an exhibition center that was packed with people. At least 66 are known dead, but the death toll is expected to rise. The cause of the collapse has not been determined. Some are blaming heavy snow.
And part of the Las Vegas strip had to be shut down for a time last night after a street fight broke out between police and a group of party goers. At least 14 were arrested on what Vegas police call, quote, "a bunch of tiny charges." Several people were injured, including some officers.
NGUYEN: In "Global News" let's go to the international desk and Danielle Elias.
Tensions ran high in Saddam's wartime trial, leading to a walkout and the questions to whether Saddam can even get a fair trial after all these disruptions. Danielle, take us through what erupted today in court.
DANIELLE ELIAS, CNN INTERNATIONAL NEWS ANCHOR: Thanks Betty well as you said, in Baghdad this have been plenty of fireworks in Saddam Hussein's courtroom, as the former Iraqi dictator and his defense team stormed out of the court today. Earlier some strong words were exchanged between Hussein and the new chief judge. Let's go ahead and take a listen.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Good, God willing. Allow me to get out of this court because I cannot stay in this court session until all issues are resolved.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The court decided to get the defendant out of this courtroom. Sit down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Don't say that. You are an Iraqi. The Iraqi respect his elders. I'll I led you for 35 years. How can I tell them to get me out? Shame on you.
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ELIAS: Well, time is of the essence as hopes of more rescues are fading, and the death toll continues to rise in Poland's roof collapse, as we've been mentioning. At least 66 people have died and over 100 people are injured after the roof of an exhibition hall in southern Poland buckled under the weight of snow. The extreme cold weather has been a major problem, as temperatures are dipping well below zero.
Now, Tony, here's a tricky question for you. How would you build a 13 foot high 2-1/2 ton monument without spending a single dollar?
HARRIS: Slowly.
ELIAS: Got any ideas?
HARRIS: Yeah, just very slowly.
ELIAS: Slowly. Well, an artist in Argentina has a very clever answer. Donations.
HARRIS: Sure, sure.
ELIAS: Of course. He says he wanted to build a statue honoring the revolutionary icon Che Guevara, so he sent e-mails to his friends in Argentina and throughout the world, to see who's interested in his project. And the response, apparently, was overwhelming. The artists hopes to have enough bronze collected by spring to finish the monument.
And Tony, everyone who makes a donation can see just where the monument should be placed. The place with the most will be the winner. No, here's what I'm thinking. He was born near Buenos Aires in Argentina, so why don't we have it somewhere around there, what do you think?
HARRIS: OK.
NGUYEN: That makes sense.
HARRIS: All right.
NGUYEN: You got my vote. Thank you, Danielle.
ELIAS: All right. Thank you.
NGUYEN: All right, now to Los Angeles. The most acclaimed movie of 2005 adds yet another honor to its list. Ang Lee was named "filmmaker of the year" by his peers winning the Director's Guild of America award for his epic romance "Brokeback Mountain." The win affirmed Lee's position as favorite to win "best director" at the Academy Awards on March 5, so place your bets now.
Not overlooked, though, is Clint Eastwood getting a "Lifetime Achievement Award" for -- from the Director's Guild. Among movies for television, the tie between Joseph Sargent for "Warm Springs" on HBO and George C. Wolfe for "Lackawanna Blues." In the reality TV category, Tony's favorite, also a tie between Tony Croll for "Three Wishes" on ABC and J. Rupert Thompson for "Fear Factor" on NBC.
Now to comedy and comedy series. Director Mark Buckland for "My Name is Earl" on NBC. No, never watch all of those, I watch some of those, not all of them. "Fear Factor" can I get into very now and then if it's not too nasty.
HARRIS: Yeah well, that's all it is nasty.
NGUYEN: That's all it is pretty much. Well, you are driving cars over buildings and that stuff I can handle. All right, I digress. Let's move on. You want to stay with CNN for tonight's Screen Actors Guild Awards. Entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas will have live reports from the 12th annual ceremony. And stick with CNN early on Tuesday morning when the Academy Award nominations are going to be announced.
HARRIS: Well, Betty, I have to tell you, folks at home watching this morning have overwhelmed our email box, our inbox, with thoughts and the best wishes, and all kinds of thoughts on the news that Bob Woodruff, the anchor of "ABC World News Tonight" has been seriously injured, along with his cameraman, Doug Vogt, in an IED attack in Taji, Iraq. So, what we're going to do is we're going to take a quick break right now, and we will read some of your thoughts when we come back. You're watching CNN Sunday morning.
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NGUYEN: We got more breaking news to bring you now out of Iraq. We have just learned that five, count them, five car bombs have gone off in Baghdad injuring six people. Let me tell you how this unfolded. One of them was targeted at Iraqi police, the other four were targeting churches.
Speaking of churches, there were two bombs at churches in Kirkuk. These are separate from the Baghdad bombings. Those bombings killed three people and have injured 11 people. So, it's been a violent day in Iraq so far.
HARRIS: And Bob Woodruff, the anchor of "ABC World News Tonight" and his cameraman, Doug Vogt, were injured in an IED attack near Taji, Iraq today. They were embedded with the 4th Infantry Division traveling with an Iraqi army unit. At last word Bob Woodruff was in surgery. Both men suffered head injuries. We will continue to follow developments in all of these stories, and we will bring you the latest as soon as we get it.
And time now to check in with Howard Kurtz, see in Washington to see what's ahead on CNN's "Reliable Sources." Hi Howard.
HOWARD KURTZ, HOST, "RELIABLE SOURCES": Hi. We will stay on top of the Bob Woodruff story, as you've been reporting this last hour, the ABC anchor seriously injured in Iraq, in surgery. We will talk more about that and about who he is.
Also Oprah Winfrey's apology over that fraudulent memoir. What took her so long? And can the talk show queen repair her tarnished image?
Kobe Bryant and Bode Miller, how sportswriters build them up even when they get into personal trouble. And the president mounting a media blitz to defend his eavesdropping program. Is he neutralizing all those negative headlines?
Plus, Bill O'Reilly versus the host of "Reliable Sources?" We'll tell you more in a few moments.
HARRIS: Oh my. OK, Howard, thank you.
As I mentioned just a moment ago, we have been overwhelmed with your thoughts on the news that "ABC World News Tonight" anchor Bob Woodruff is seriously injured along with his cameraman Doug Vogt in an IED explosion in Taji, Iraq. We wanted to share some of your thoughts. This is from Denise.
NGUYEN: Yeah, Denise from San Diego, she writes: "God bless Mr. Woodruff, his cameraman and all the reporters and support personnel in Iraq and other places around the world in harms way who put their lives on the line to bring us the news."
HARRIS: And this is from Todd who says, "Sorry to hear about Mr. Woodruff and his cameraman. As I'm sure there will be (and should be) some pieces done on war correspondents, I hope that journalists like Ernie Pyle will be remembered. I hope your colleagues pull through."
Todd, thank you for those kind words. And again, just to give you the latest that we have right now, on the condition of Bob Woodruff and his cameraman, Doug Vogt, they are in serious condition after being injured in an IED explosion, an attack in the town of Taji, which I understand is north of Baghdad and at last word, Bob Woodruff was in surgery with head injuries.
NGUYEN: Right, and we understand from ABC News and reports from that they were filing that they both have head injuries and have been transported to a U.S. military hospital for treatment. But, as you mentioned, they were embedded with the 4th Infantry Division. They've been traveling in Iraq over the next -- over the past few days, covering stories there. Bob woodruff has been to Iraq several times, but this particular instance, they were traveling with an Iraqi army group, and they were inside an Iraqi mechanized vehicle when this improvised explosive device went off, and we also learn that when that exploded, it was followed by small arms fire, and that's when the injuries happened. Both of them seriously injured, but they are seeking treatment at this moment at a U.S. hospital.
HARRIS: OK, and just a quick recap, two car bombs exploded targeting churches in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. Just a violent, violent day so far in Iraq, killing three people and wounding 11 others, and then multiple car bombs in Baghdad, as well. Just a violent morning in Baghdad. "Reliable Sources" is next followed by "Late Edition" and "On the Story," so don't go anywhere.
NGUYEN: Plus, Susanne Malveaux will be with us all morning with live updates. Stay tuned to CNN.
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