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CNN Saturday Morning News

Foiled Terrorist Plot to Blow Up U.S.-bound Planes; Presidential Radio Address; Middle East Crisis; Castro Walking, Talking and Being Briefed

Aired August 12, 2006 - 10:00   ET

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

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: "Now in the News" -- Chilling new details about the alleged plot to blow up U.S.-bound planes from the U.K. A security memo says the suspects had been told to "Do your attacks now." Airports remain on high alert today. We have a live report from London's Heathrow Airport in about two minutes.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: A plan for peace. The Lebanese cabinet is expected to begin meeting this hour to take up a U.N. cease-fire resolution. The resolution calls for an end to the month-old war between Israel and Hezbollah. The Lebanese cabinet includes two Hezbollah members.

NGUYEN: Well, despite the U.N. resolution, the Israeli military says it expanded its ground offensive -- moving deep into southern Lebanon -- hoping to weaken Hezbollah. Israel also says more than 80 air strikes were carried out overnight. Israel's cabinet discusses the U.N. resolution tomorrow.

HARRIS: And this just in to CNN, a Cuban communist newspaper claims Fidel Castro is walking, talking and being briefed on the goings-on in Cuba. Castro turns 80 tomorrow but hasn't been seen publicly since July 26. He temporarily turned over power to his younger brother on July 31 before undergoing surgery.

NGUYEN: Well, the wildfire near Reno, Nevada, now threatens as many as five dozen homes and covers more than eight square miles. Smoke could pose problems for flights in and out of Reno today, you can see right in that video. Large wild fires are also burning in Montana, Oregon and California.

HARRIS: Let's get you another check of the forecast around the nation now. Reynolds Wolf -- there he is in the CNN Weather Center. Reynolds, good morning.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN WEATHERCASTER: Good morning. And right now we're seeing that threat of wild fires now move east of Reno, where we have all the conditions coming together -- very dry conditions, very low humidity, and, at the same time, breezy conditions -- not at all what you want to be dealing with in places like Wildhorse, Elko or Battle Mountain, Nevada, when you're fighting fires. So that's certainly going to be a big area of concern for us.

Meanwhile, we're seeing some scattered showers and storms rolling across portions of the southeastern United States, in Alabama, into Atlanta, Georgia, and back into the Carolinas. But it is beautiful in New England. We'll give you that forecast coming up in just a few moments.

HARRIS: Reynolds, thank you.

We update the top stories every 15 minutes here on "CNN Saturday Morning." Your next update is coming up at 10:15 Eastern time.

HARRIS: A daring rescue from a burning research boat. Take a look at this. We will have the details on the story in about ten minutes.

It is Saturday, August 12 -- 10:00 a.m. here in Atlanta -- 3:00 p.m. in London. Good morning, everyone, from the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen. We want to thank you for being with us today.

Well, the go-ahead had been given. And we are learning more about the alleged plot to blow up planes bound for the U.S. from the U.K, and how close it came to being carried out.

CNN's John Vause joins us live from London's Heathrow Airport with the latest on this investigation. What have you uncovered so far, John?

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Betty. It appears that this investigation is now moving on to Germany, with officials at the Interior Ministry in Berlin telling CNN they're looking at a possible connection there with one of the men who is still being detained by British authorities.

We're also learning just how close this alleged terror plot may have been to actually being carried out. According to the Department of Homeland Security, a phone call was intercepted after it was made from Karachi in Pakistan. Now, the message there was quite simple. It said, "Do your attacks now." Also, from British police, who've raided a number of homes, they say they found martyrdom videotapes, which are usually made just a few days before.

Also, information coming from the Department of Homeland Security, which says that they found evidence of a wire transfer of money being sent from Pakistan to Britain, which could have quite possibly been used to purchase airline tickets to carry out this alleged attack.

Betty?

NGUYEN: All right. CNN's John Vause joining us live from London's Heathrow Airport. John, thank you for that.

Tony?

HARRIS: President Bush will give his Saturday radio address in about one minute. He's expected to have a few things to say about the alleged airline terror plot foiled this week in Britain. And within the past hour, the White House released a statement welcoming the U.N. resolution to end the Israel/Hezbollah conflict.

The president is still on vacation at his Texas ranch. CNN's Suzanne Malveaux joins us from nearby Crawford. Suzanne, good morning.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony. We just got that statement within the last 30 minutes or so. The president making that statement, saying that he's putting pressure -- he wants both Israel, as well as Lebanon, to come and agree on this U.N. Security Council resolution -- because the resolution ultimately, Tony, means very little if you don't have the principals in this conflict also on board with ending the violence.

So, there is a lot of pressure for all of this to come together. We have yet to see that violence really stop or even abate in the conflict. So that is what the administration is trying to accomplish.

Now, what you're going to hear in the president's weekly radio address, he is going to be talking about, of course, that foiled plot -- the airline attack -- and he is going to make two points here.

The first one is that the United States -- that Americans are safer than they were prior to September 11. That the administration has done a good job in protecting Americans.

Secondly, he is also using this foiled plot, essentially, to justify the broader war on terror -- whether it is Iraq, Afghanistan, whether it is attacking Syria and Iran -- saying that there is still a threat that exists against the United States, against Americans. And, therefore, the administration is doing the right thing in carrying out this very aggressive war when it comes to the situation in Iraq.

So those are the two points you're going to hear the president make out of that foiled attack. Of course, Democrats are saying that some of this is political, but the administration believes that they are on solid ground here.

Tony?

HARRIS: Suzanne, as we wait to hear the president's radio address coming up in just moments, those twin themes that you've just hit on, we -- as a matter of fact, Suzanne, here is the president right now. Let's give a listen.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: America received a stark reminder that terrorists are still plotting attacks to kill our people.

Beginning on Wednesday night, authorities in Great Britain arrested more than 20 individuals, who we believe were plotting to detonate liquid explosives aboard flights from the United Kingdom to the United States. If these terrorists had succeeded, they could have caused death on a massive scale.

The plot appears to have been carefully planned and well advanced. They planned to bring the components of their explosives on board in their carry-on luggage, disguised as bottled drinks and electronic devices.

We believe that this week's arrests have significantly disrupted the threat, yet we cannot be sure that the threat has been eliminated. So, as a precaution, on Thursday the federal government took several steps to increase security at our airports and aboard our planes.

First, the Department of Homeland Security has raised our nation's threat warning to code red -- the highest level -- for flights from Great Britain to America, in coordination with British authorities.

Second, we've raised the threat warning for all domestic and international flights landing in the United States to code orange -- the second highest level.

We also have sent additional federal air marshals to Great Britain to provide extra protection aboard flights from the United Kingdom to the United States.

This plot is further evidence that the terrorists we face are sophisticated and constantly changing their tactics. On September 11, 2001, they used box cutters to hijack airplanes and kill thousands of innocent people. This time, we believe they planned to use liquid explosives to blow up planes in mid-air. In response, we've adjusted our security precautions by temporarily banning most liquids as carry- on items on planes.

I know many of you will be traveling during this busy summer vacation season, and I ask for your patience, cooperation and vigilance in the coming days. The inconveniences you will face are for your protection. And they will give us time to adjust our screening procedures to meet the current threat.

I'm grateful for the outstanding work of intelligence and law enforcement officers in the United Kingdom and in our country. This week's arrests were the culmination of hard work, cooperation and information-sharing across different agencies and different governments. We're dealing with a new enemy that uses new means of attack and new methods to communicate. This week's events demonstrate the vital importance of ensuring that our intelligence and law enforcement personnel have all the tools they need to track down the terrorists and prevent attacks on our country.

Because of the measures we've taken to protect the American people, our nation is safer than it was prior to September 11. Still, we must never make the mistake of thinking the danger of terrorism has passed. This week's experience reminds us of a hard fact. The terrorists have to succeed only once to achieve their goal of mass murder, while we have to succeed every time to stop them.

Unfortunately, some have suggested recently that the terrorist threat is being used for partisan political advantage. We can have legitimate disagreements about the best way to fight the terrorists, yet there should be no disagreement about the dangers we face.

America's fighting a tough war against an enemy whose ruthlessness is clear for all to see. The terrorists attempt to bring down airplanes full of innocent men, women and children. They kill civilians and American servicemen in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they deliberately hide behind civilians in Lebanon.

They are seeking to spread their totalitarian ideology. They're seeking to take over countries like Afghanistan and Iraq so they can establish safe havens from which to attack free nations. These killers need to know that America, Great Britain and our allies are determined to defend ourselves and advance the cause of liberty.

With patience, courage and untiring resolve, we will defend our freedom, and we will win the war on terror. Thank you for listening.

HARRIS: And there you have it. The president, in his Saturday morning radio address, reminding us what has been done in the aftermath of the foiled, disrupted terror plot that came to light on Thursday out of the U.K. and making it clear that we still have much to do. That we have to remain vigilant in this country moving forward in protecting the United States.

And Suzanne Malveaux is with us in Crawford, Texas. And, Suzanne, those are twin messages -- the message that you have to be vigilant, but you also have to support this - understand, at least, why we're continuing to fight the war on terror in the way that we are. The president makes those twin points, those twin messages. He gives those to us often, doesn't he?

MALVEAUX: Well, he does. And really, the political aspect of all of this -- Democrats are saying: Look, perhaps you're using this particular occasion for a political -- to score political points here -- using the occasion -- the advanced knowledge of this foiled plot -- to make the case that Democrats are weak when it comes to national security or the war on terror.

White House officials say: Look, you know, we've been talking about this theme for some time. It has been a very successful theme. They do not believe that they are using it for political gains -- at least the advanced knowledge of that attack -- but, as you know, Tony, it is one that has worked very well for this administration for the re-election of the president, as well as the Republicans.

You are really going to see that coming November. You're going to hear it more and more often -- Democrats and Republicans fighting over how is the best way to execute this war on terror. President Bush making it very clear, he believes the administration is doing a good job, and he used this foiled attack to make the point.

Tony?

HARRIS: And we didn't hear the president use the terminology Islamic fascist when describing the enemy this time. I wonder if that was a conscious decision not to use that kind of terminology, but I guess we'll know in the days ahead.

All right, Suzanne Malveaux for us...

MALVEAUX: I think he's going to continue to use that term, sure.

HARRIS: You think so. OK.

MALVEAUX: I do, despite the controversy.

HARRIS: And why do you think so?

MALVEAUX: Because I think it really summarizes what his thinking is when he looks at the broader war on terror. That it really is about this movement. It's not just about Iraq. It's not just about Iran -- but an ideology that crosses all of those lines - those geographical lines, political lines. It's something the administration feels pretty strongly about, so we'll see.

HARRIS: That's interesting, because it -- the other side of that -- it caused quite a bit of controversy -- a bit of a firestorm elsewhere.

Suzanne Malveaux for us in Crawford, Texas. That was good. Suzanne, thank you.

HARRIS: And the fighting -- as we turn the page here -- the fighting rages on in the Middle East. Can the U.N. resolution stop the violence? We're live in Tyre, Lebanon, with the latest.

NGUYEN: Plus, how to safely carry your shampoo, cologne, those other liquids in your checked baggage -- because that's where you have to carry it these days -- and avoid those wet clothes and just a big mess. What can you do? Well, we have advice for the experienced, and not so experienced, traveler. "CNN Saturday Morning" continues in just a moment.

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HARRIS: And good morning, everyone. "Now in the News" -- Ending the Mideast war. The Lebanese cabinet is due to meet this hour to discuss a U.N. resolution designed to end the month-long war between Israel and Hezbollah. A vote could come today. The Lebanese cabinet includes two Hezbollah members. Israel takes up the U.N. proposal tomorrow.

NGUYEN: A suspected plot to blow up U.S.-bound planes may have been just days away from being carried out. A memo from the Department of Homeland Security says the suspects had been given the go-ahead. They were told, "Do your attacks now."

HARRIS: Three more missing college exchange students from Egypt were arrested last night in Des Moines, Iowa. That means nine of the missing students have been located. The nationwide man hunt was triggered when 11 of them failed to show up for classes at Montana State University. Federal authorities are still looking for the remaining two.

NGUYEN: BP plans to increase oil production in the western half of its Prudhoe Bay oil field, after having to shut down the Eastern half for repairs --now, they discovered major corrosion in feeder lines. BP hopes that keeping part of the oil field open will lessen the blow of increased oil prices.

HARRIS: A rescue off the coast of Louisiana. The U.S. Coast Guard rescued 40 people from a burning research boat 10 miles south of Grand Isle. The crews sent a distress call out after fighting a fire in the engine room for more than two hours. Two people are recovering in the hospital.

We update the top stories every 15 minutes here on "CNN Saturday Morning." Your next update is coming up at 10:30 Eastern.

NGUYEN: A plan for peace. The U.N. Security Council approved a cease-fire resolution yesterday aimed at ending the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanese and Israeli officials take up the measure this weekend, so here are the details.

Resolution 1701 calls for increasing the number of U.N. troops in south Lebanon from 2,000 to 15,000. They'll be assigned to help Lebanese government troops secure that area. It also calls for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon. That is supposed to coincide with the deployment of the Lebanese army to the area. And the measure calls for the unconditional release of two Israeli soldiers kidnapped on July 12. As you recall, it was their capture by Hezbollah that sparked the current conflict.

HARRIS: The battle in the Middle East rages on with more casualties. CNN's Ben Wedeman joins us from Tyre, Lebanon, with the latest developments.

Ben, good morning to you.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Good morning, Tony.

Well, we heard all that talk from New York about a cease-fire, but certainly here in southern Lebanon, there's little indication that it's taking hold. We've heard throughout the day the distant thump of artillery. There's also been some air strikes behind us in the last few hours. Overnight, Israeli airplanes took out some electrical power plants in Tyre, as well as Sidon. Now most of Lebanon, into southern Lebanon -- is completely without electricity.

Now, to the east of here, in a place called Handuriah (ph), which is seven miles north of the Israeli boarder, Israeli commandos have taken up positions there. We're told they are encountering fierce resistance from Hezbollah fighters. The Israeli army says that at least 30 soldiers have been wounded in fighting overnight.

Now, also in southern Lebanon, in the town of Rashaf, we're told by Lebanese security sources that at least 15 people were killed in an Israeli air strike there. All indications are that they were civilians.

Also, here in Tyre today, the International Committee of the Red Cross brought in a boat with 200 tons of supplies, that includes wheat flour and medicine and other relief materials. But, of course, the problem is that it's not getting the material to Tyre itself, it's getting it to these outlying towns and villages that, for all intents and purposes, Tony, are cut off from the rest of the country.

HARRIS: Cut off. Isolated. Man. CNN's Ben Wedeman for us in Tyre, Lebanon. Ben, thank you.

NGUYEN: Back here at home, no liquids or gels. Those are the rules and the new airport reality. So, how do you pack to avoid just a real mess when traveling? We'll get some expert tips ahead.

HARRIS: And this Hollywood agent strikes gold...

NGUYEN: A Hollywood agent wins?

HARRIS: That's a movie there, isn't it?

NGUYEN: Exactly. I think he wrote his own script.

HARRIS: That's like, what if? He won $12 million at the World Series of Poker. But wait, there's more. He's not doing it for the money. He won it for his dad. We'll explain in about 20 minutes.

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HARRIS: This just in to CNN - we're getting word that Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah is set to make a speech. As you can see, there he is right now. Oh, I'm sorry. As we can see in the upper right-hand corner, these are file pictures of Sheik Hassan Nasrallah.

Once again, we're getting word that he is set to make a speech -- a new speech -- in the next few minutes. We will monitor that speech, and we will bring you portions of it in just a couple of minutes.

Betty?

NGUYEN: In the meantime, we are following a developing story -- hearing word that Cuban leader Fidel Castro is improving. His condition is improving. So let's get straight to Havana and CNN's Morgan Neill.

What do you know about this, Morgan?

MORGAN NEILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, what we've got is the first official word -- since nearly two weeks ago -- on the president's condition. This coming out in today's edition of Granma -- the state-run newspaper here. What we have is a very small article in which it says President Fidel Castro got up after receiving physical therapy, took steps in his room, and then began to converse in an animated way.

Now, of course, somewhere else this may seem an odd way to give out the news, but this has been, as I say, the only update we've had on his condition in nearly two weeks. It comes at a time one day before his 80th birthday. Many Cubans are starting to say they are getting a bit anxious to hear or to see either President Fidel Castro or Acting President Raul Castro, one or the other, make a public appearance and talk to them about what the latest developments have been here in Cuba.

Betty?

NGUYEN: Let me ask you about that. He's sitting up. He's walking. He's talking, according to these reports. Is there any word that he may be coming back to work in the upcoming weeks? That he may be taking the post once again?

NEILL: Well, all of the comments that we've heard from Cuban officials, which have largely come from officials on trips abroad, have been exactly that. That he is recovering well, and that we expect him, they say, to be back at work within a few weeks. But we haven't had any definite times.

So all of those comments have come, and they have been remarkably similar -- the comments that we've heard from various officials and on various trips. So we do expect that, because we're hearing almost the same thing from so many officials. But, as I say, nothing definite to this point. Today's article -- the first official word since the latest announcement August 2.

NGUYEN: And to be very clear. Today's article didn't include a picture or anything like that. It was just verbiage saying that he is sitting up, and he's walking and talking. Correct?

NEILL: That's right, Betty, but you have to keep in mind, of course, this is a state-run newspaper. So if it comes out in the state-run newspaper, it is the official line.

NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Morgan Neill in Havana for us. Thank you for that, Morgan.

HARRIS: Still ahead, duty-free and customer-free. Straight ahead, airport shops are feeling the pinch in a big way as customers walk away without buying any items. The body shops...

NGUYEN: Really, they can't...

HARRIS: A lot of those in those airports...

NGUYEN: ... because you can't pack it.

HARRIS: We'll have a live report from Dulles Airport.

NGUYEN: And what would you do with $12 million? Just think about that. Look at all the money. Can we get that shot back? There it is. What would you do with all of that? Well, it's not just a dream for this poker champion. It is a reality. In fact, he's juggling money, that's what he's doing with it. But, you know what, he didn't win it just for the money. We're going to tell you his inspiration ahead.

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