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Your World Today
President Bush Discusses Iraq, War on Terror in Charlotte, South Carolina; Italian Police Round Up An Alleged Terror Cell Centered Around An Imam, His Mosque
Aired July 24, 2007 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And he instructed terrorists in Iraq to listen to him and obey him. It's hard to argue that Al Qaeda in Iraq is separate from bin Laden's al Qaeda when the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq took an oath of allegiance to Osama bin Laden.
According to our intelligence community, the Zarqawi-bin Laden merger gave Al Qaeda in Iraq "prestige" among potential recruits and financiers. The merger also gave the al Qaeda's senior leadership "a foothold in Iraq" to extend its geographic presence to plot external operations, and to tout the centrality of the jihad in Iraq to solicit direct monetary support elsewhere.
The merger between al Qaeda and its Iraqi affiliate is an alliance of killers. And that is why the finest military in the world is on their trail.
Zarqawi was killed by U.S. forces in June 2006. He was replaced by another foreigner, an Egyptian named Abu Ayyub al-Masri.
His ties to the al Qaeda senior leadership are deep and longstanding. He's collaborated with Zawahiri for more than two decades, and before 9/11 he spent time with al Qaeda in Afghanistan, where he taught classes indoctrinating others in al Qaeda's radical ideology.
After Abu Ayyub took over at al Qaeda's operations last year, Osama bin Laden sent a terrorist leader named Abdul Hadi al-Iraqi to help him. According to our intelligence community, this man was a senior adviser to bin Laden who served as his top commander in Afghanistan.
Abdul Hadi never made it to Iraq. He was captured and recently transferred to the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay.
The fact that Osama bin Laden risked sending one of his most valuable commanders to Iraq shows the importance he places on success of al Qaeda's Iraqi operations. According to our intelligence community, many of our Al Qaeda in Iraq's other senior leaders are also foreign terrorists.
They include a Syrian who is Al Qaeda in Iraq's emir in Baghdad; a Saudi who is Al Qaeda in Iraq's top spiritual and legal adviser; an Egyptian who fought in Afghanistan in the 1990s and who has met with Osama bin Laden; a Tahitian who we believe plays a key role in managing foreign fighters. Last month in Iraq we killed a senior al Qaeda facilitator named Mehmet Umats (ph), a Turkish national who fought with al Qaeda in Afghanistan and met the September the 11th mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other al Qaeda leaders.
A few weeks ago, we captured a senior Al Qaeda in Iraq leader named Mashadani. Now, this terrorist is an Iraqi. In fact, he was the highest ranking Iraqi in the organization.
Here's what he said, here's what he told us. The foreign leaders of Al Qaeda in Iraq went to extraordinary lengths to promote the fiction that Al Qaeda in Iraq is an Iraqi-led operation. He says al Qaeda even created a figure head who they named Omar al-Baghdadi.
The purpose was to make Iraqi fighters believe they were following the orders of an Iraqi instead of a foreigner. Yet, once in custody, Mashadani revealed that al-Baghdadi is only an actor.
He confirmed our intelligence that foreigners are the top echelons of Al Qaeda in Iraq. They are the leaders, and that the foreign leaders make most of the operational decisions, not Iraqis.
Foreign terrorists also account for most the suicide bombings in Iraq. Our military estimates that between 80 and 90 percent of suicide attacks in Iraq are carried out by foreign-born al Qaeda terrorists.
It's true that today most of Al Qaeda in Iraq's rank and file fighters and some of its leadership are Iraqi. But to focus exclusively on this single fact is to ignore the larger truth. Al Qaeda in Iraq is a group founded by foreign terrorists, led largely by foreign terrorists, and loyal to a foreign terrorist leader, Osama bin Laden.
They know they're know they're al Qaeda. The Iraqi people know they are al Qaeda. People across the Muslim world know they are al Qaeda. And there's a good reason they are called "Al Qaeda in Iraq". They are al Qaeda in Iraq.
Some also assert that Al Qaeda in Iraq is a separate organization because al Qaeda's central command lacks full operational control over it. This argument reveals a lack of understanding.
Here's how al Qaeda's global terrorist network actually operates.
Al Qaeda and its affiliate organizations are a loose network of terrorist groups that are united by a common ideology and shared objectives and have differing levels of collaboration with al Qaeda senior leadership. In some cases, these groups have formally merged into al Qaeda and take what's called a biat (ph), a pledge of loyalty to Osama bin Laden.
In other cases, other organizations are not formally merged with al Qaeda but collaborate closely with al Qaeda leaders to plot attacks and advance their shared ideology. In still other cases, there are small cells of terrorists that are not part of al Qaeda or any other broader terrorist group, but maintain contact with al Qaeda leaders and are inspired by its ideology to conduct attacks.
Our intelligence community assesses that Al Qaeda in Iraq falls into the first of these categories. They are a full member of the al Qaeda terrorist network.
The al Qaeda leadership provides strategic guidance to their Iraqi operatives. Even so, there have been disagreements, important disagreements between the leaders, Osama bin Laden, and the Iraqi counterparts, including Zawahiri's criticism of Zarqawi's relentless attacks on the Shia. But our intelligence community reports that al Qaeda senior leaders generally defer to their Iraqi-based commanders when it comes to internal operations because distance and security concerns preclude day-to-day command authority.
Our intelligence community concludes that "Al Qaeda and its regional node in Iraq are united in their overarching strategy." And they say that al Qaeda senior leaders and their operatives in Iraq "see Al Qaeda in Iraq as part of al Qaeda's decentralized chain of command," not as a separate group.
Here's the bottom line.
Al Qaeda in Iraq is run by foreign leaders loyal to Osama bin Laden. Like bin Laden, they are cold-blooded killers who murder the innocent to achieve al Qaeda's political objectives. Yet, despite all of the evidence, some will tell you that Al Qaeda in Iraq is not really al Qaeda and not really a threat to America.
Well, that's like watching a man walk into a bank with a mask and a gun and saying he's probably just there to cash a check. You might wonder why some in Washington insist on making this distinction about the enemy in Iraq. It's because they know that if they can convince America we're not fighting bin laden's al Qaeda there, they can paint the battle in Iraq as a distraction from the real war on terror.
If we're not fighting bin Laden's al Qaeda, they can argue that our nation can pull out of Iraq and not undermine our efforts in the war on terror. The problem they have is with the facts.
We are fighting bin Laden's Al Qaeda in Iraq. Iraq is central to the war on terror. And against its enemy, America can accept nothing less than complete victory.
(APPLAUSE)
There are others who accept that al Qaeda's operating in Iraq but say its role is overstated. And al Qaeda is one of several Sunni jihadist groups in Iraq, but our intelligence community believes that al Qaeda is the most dangerous of the Sunni jihadist groups for several reasons.
First, more than any other group, al Qaeda is behind most of the spectacular high-casualty attacks that you see on your TV screens. Second, these al Qaeda attacks are designed to accelerate sectarian violence by attacking Shia in hopes of sparking reprisal attacks that inspire Sunnis to join al Qaeda's cause.
Third, al Qaeda is the only jihadist group in Iraq with stated ambitions to make the country a base for attacks outside Iraq. For example, Al Qaeda in Iraq dispatched terrorists who bombed a wedding reception in Jordan. In another case, they sent operatives to Jordan where they attempted to launch a rocket attack on U.S. Navy ships in the Red Sea.
And most important for the people who wonder if the fight in Iraq is worth it, Al Qaeda in Iraq shares Osama bin Laden's goal of making Iraq a base for its radical Islamic empire and using it as a safe haven for attacks on America. That is why our intelligence community reports, and I quote, "Compared with other leading Sunni jihadist groups, Al Qaeda in Iraq stands out for its extremism, unmatched operational strength, foreign leadership, and determination to take the jihad beyond Iraq's borders."
Our top commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, has said that al Qaeda is public enemy number one in Iraq.
Fellow citizens, these people have sworn allegiance to the man who ordered the death of nearly 3,000 people on our soil. Al Qaeda is public enemy number one for the Iraqi people. Al Qaeda is public enemy number one for the American people. And that is why, for the security of our country, we will stay on the hunt, we'll deny them safe haven, and we will defeat them where they have made their stand.
(APPLAUSE)
Some note that Al Qaeda in Iraq did not exist until the U.S. invasion and argue that it is a problem of our own making. The argument follows the flawed logic that terrorism is caused by American actions. Iraq's not the reason that the terrorists are at war with us.
We were not in Iraq when the terrorists bombed the World Trade Center in 1993. We were not in Iraq when they attacked our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. We were not in Iraq when they attacked the USS Cole in 2000. And we were not in Iraq on September the 11th, 2001.
Our action to remove Saddam Hussein did not start the terrorist violence. And America withdrawal from Iraq would not end it.
The al Qaeda terrorists now blowing themselves up in Iraq are dedicated extremists who have made killing the innocent the calling of their lives. They are part of a network that has murdered men, women and children in Madrid and slaughtered fellow Muslims in Istanbul, in Casablanca, Riyadh, Jakarta and elsewhere around the world.
If we were not fighting the al Qaeda extremists and terrorists in Iraq, they would not be leading productive lives of service and charity. Most would be trying to kill Americans and other civilians elsewhere, in Afghanistan or other foreign capitals, or on the streets of our own cities.
Al Qaeda's in Iraq, and they're in for a reason. And surrendering the future of Iraq to al Qaeda would be a disaster for our country.
We know their intentions. Here are the words of al Qaeda's top commander in Iraq when he issued an audio statement in which he said he would not rest until he has attacked our nation's capital.
If we were to cede Iraq to men like this, we would leave them free to operate from a safe haven which they could use to launch new attacks on our country. And al Qaeda would gain prestige amongst the extremists across the Muslim world as the terrorist network have faced down America and forced us into retreat.
If we were to allow this to happen, sectarian violence in Iraq could increase dramatically, raising the prospect of mass casualties. Fighting could engulf the entire region in chaos, and we would soon face a Middle East dominated by Islamic extremists who would pursue nuclear weapons and use their control of oil for economic blackmail or to fund new attacks on our nation.
We've already seen how al Qaeda used a failed state thousands of miles from our shores to bring death and destruction to the streets of our cities. And we must not allow them to do so again.
So, however difficult the fight is in Iraq, we must win it. And we can win it.
Less than a year ago, Anbar province was al Qaeda's base in Iraq and was written off by many as lost. Since then, U.S. and Iraqi forces have teamed with Sunni sheikhs who have turned against al Qaeda.
Hundreds have been killed or captured. Terrorists have been driven from most of the population centers.
Our troops are now working to replicate the success in Anbar and other parts of the country. Our brave men and women are taking risks and they're showing courage, and we're making progress.
For the security of our citizens and the peace of the world, we must give General Petraeus and his troops the time and the resources they need so they can defeat Al Qaeda in Iraq.
(APPLAUSE)
Thanks for letting me come by.
Today, I've explained the connection between al Qaeda and its Iraqi affiliate. I presented intelligence that clearly establishes this connection.
The facts are that al Qaeda terrorists killed Americans on 9/11, they're fighting us in Iraq and across the world, and they are plotting to kill Americans here at home again. Those who justify withdrawing our troops from Iraq by denying the threat of Al Qaeda in Iraq and its ties to Osama bin Laden ignore the clear consequences of such a retreat.
If we were to follow their advice, it would be dangerous for the world and disastrous for America. We will defeat Al Qaeda in Iraq.
In this effort, we're counting on the brave men and women represented in this room. Every man and woman who serves at this base and around the world is playing a vital role in this war on terror.
With your selfless spirit and devotion to duty, we will confront this mortal threat to our country, and we're going to prevail. I have confidence in our country and I have faith in our cause, because I know the character of the men and women gathered before me.
I thank you for your patriotism. I thank you for your courage. You're living up to the motto, "One family, one mission, one fight."
Thank you for all you do. God bless your families. God bless America.
JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: We must win it. We can win it. The message from George W. Bush.
The U.S. president there in an impassioned plea at Charleston Air Force Base.
I'm Jim Clancy.
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And I'm Rosemary Church.
You join us as we listen to that speech from U.S. President George W. Bush in South Carolina, in Charleston. He was making the link there.
And I want to go to Michael Ware now, actually, who's in Baghdad. Just want to bring you up to speed here.
Michael, just want to look -- we were listening there to the U.S. president saying that it's indisputable, basically, this link that the group, Al Qaeda in Iraq is a full member of the al Qaeda terrorist network.
Is that indisputable?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, there's no question about it. And there's never been a question from the beginning.
I mean, I'm sorry, but perhaps I've been in Iraq too long and I've lost track of the debate in the U.S. and what people know and don't know. But everything President Bush is patently clear here on the ground. He's made no claims or produced any fresh evidence.
This has been the way from the beginning. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who created Al Qaeda in Iraq, made it very clear from the beginning what his intentions were. And they're precisely what the president has spelled out.
What strikes me is why the president is making a point of this now at this juncture. This is either telling us something about the president's administration, or about the knowledge of the American people, or perhaps both. Because this strikes me as spin that they need to beat this drum at this point right now.
That Al Qaeda in Iraq is part of the broader al Qaeda network, that it has aspirations beyond Iraqi's borders, has never been a question. So I don't know why the president is treating as if it has been.
CHURCH: All right. So pointing out the obvious, he said himself, it's called "Al Qaeda in Iraq," and that's exactly what it is. And pointed out, too, that it was established by foreigners not locals.
As you say, though, the big question is, what's this about that then? What's behind this? What do you think are the possibilities here and the timing of this?
WARE: Well, clearly, I think this plays much more into U.S. domestic politics than anything else. I mean, the fact that the original organization, Tawid wa'al Jihad, which then became Al Qaeda in Iraq, was former by foreigners, is commanded by foreigners, and whose suicide bombers are mainly foreigners, has long been a matter of established fact.
I mean, I was meeting with some of these people, and more importantly, I was meeting with the Iraqis as they joined these people.
Now, what President Bush is highlighting all of a sudden has long been a source of friction here in Iraq. Many of the Iraqi members have long sought to have more Iraqis in command.
So there's been a concerted effort by Osama bin Laden and others to put more of an Iraqi face on this organization. But that's not for the global community. That's for an Iraqi domestic audience.
So it seems to me that President Bush is laboring a point that has long since been won in the public debate. Again, I'm struggling to understand, subject to American domestic political concerns, why the president is treating this as a revelation. It seems like Al Qaeda in Iraq 101. It's very rudimentary.
CHURCH: Interesting. All right.
Michael Ware reporting there from Baghdad.
Thanks so much for that -- Jim.
CLANCY: All right. As we look at all of the elements of this, I want to talk us now to Washington and Mackenzie Eaglen, senior homeland security analyst with the Heritage Foundation. Now, that, of course, a conservative public policy institute in Washington.
Mackenzie, we heard an impassioned president there. And I think I have a sense of what he's arguing about here.
He fears the American people are losing their will to stay his course in Iraq. They've canceled -- Condoleezza Rice has canceled all kinds of trips abroad. All the foreign policy is being focused right now on Iraq.
Why?
MACKENZIE EAGLEN, SENIOR ANALYST, HERITAGE FOUNDATION: If you look at the tone and tenor of what's going on inside Washington's beltway right now, to me it seems a no-brainer why he's making this impassioned speech over and over.
The floor of the U.S. Senate, last week, the House of Representatives later this week and next week, it's all Iraq all the time. It's a continuous debate. And we see over and over rising poll numbers of restlessness among ordinary Americans wanting to know more, why we're not succeeding, what is the eventual plan for a drawdown in Iraq.
And members of Congress have taken note. They've sat up, they've listened to the president say that General Petraeus will provide an assessment in September. But there was also this one this month.
So members of Congress rightly are wondering what's going on, not only today, but what's the plan going forward?
CLANCY: All right. The president also trying to stress here that, you know, the invasion had nothing to do with this.
In your analysis there at the Heritage Foundation, did the president's invasion of Iraq make -- first of all, make it possible for Al Qaeda in Iraq? That's almost a foregone conclusion -- but end up making al Qaeda as a group, with all of its branches, stronger?
EAGLEN: Al Qaeda would have been fighting the United States throughout the world, no matter what had happened. Whether we had gone into Iraq or not. But what our invasion of Iraq has created is basically a magnet. We have centralized foreign fighters in one particular location.
There's still parts of al Qaeda...
CLANCY: Do you think we increased them in their numbers and capabilities?
EAGLEN: Iraq has served as a source of recruiting and propaganda for al Qaeda. It's also a source of training for terrorists to come to Iraq and basically try and fight the best military in the world. They would have been doing this again anyway all over the globe.
CLANCY: Or trying to do to it. I mean, a lot of people that I talk with, they note -- and we heard the president there talk about 80 percent of the attacks, I think was his figure, were carried out by foreign fighters.
What are your numbers?
EAGLEN: Well, specifically, what he's referring to are suicide bombers. Eighty percent of all suicide bomb attacks in Iraq are carried out by foreign fighters. These numbers have grown steadily since we went into Iraq, because if you look at the intelligence estimates from previous years, our primary threat to U.S. force's and Iraqi security forces were Shiite death squads and an insurgency -- a violent insurgency. Today, it is Al Qaeda in Iraq, primarily because of the influx of foreign fighters.
CLANCY: All right. But Al Qaeda in Iraq, the foreign fighters, still less than one half of one percent of all of those people on the ground fighting the U.S.
EAGLEN: That's right. But the kind of fight that...
CLANCY: All right. So -- no, we just have -- you're talking about the suicide bombings. I just want to make it clear how there's a difference in here. A very small number. Nevertheless, very serious threat.
Mackenzie Eaglen, I want to thank you very much for being with us here.
EAGLEN: Thanks.
CLANCY: Rosemary.
CHURCH: All right.
We're going back to Charleston, South Carolina, and to Elaine Quijano, who is traveling there with the U.S. president.
Elaine, just give us an idea on what exactly the president and his advisers are hoping to achieve with this announcement today.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, clearly, this speech was coming at a time when there has been not only concern expressed on the part of the opposition party by Democrats about the president's Iraq policy, but also a number of Republicans, and prominent Republicans as well. Members of the president's own party who have come out in recent weeks and broken with him, saying that they do not believe the current surge strategy, as it's called, is working.
So we heard President Bush today try to put another robust defense of his surge strategy forward. The president pointing to newly-declassified information as evidence, he says, that Al Qaeda in Iraq is very much connected to the larger al Qaeda organization. And therefore, poses a serious threat. One that United States forces, coalition forces must continue to battle in the days ahead. But interesting to note as well, Rosemary, this is coming at a time when there have been renewed calls on the part of Democrats that the administration has taken its eye off the ball when it comes to the were war on terror by not focusing enough attention on Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Recently, of course, we saw that national intelligence estimate saying that al Qaeda had managed to re-establish safe haven in tribal areas of Pakistan along the border with Afghanistan. It is against that backdrop that President Bush came to Charleston, South Carolina, today to make his argument, to try and present evidence of why he believes Iraq continues to be the central front on the war on terror -- Rosemary.
CHURCH: All right. Our Elaine Quijano reporting there from Charleston, South Carolina -- Jim.
CLANCY: All right.
We've been listening to all sides in this. It's an important debate. It is one that is consuming American politics right now, as we have heard.
At the same time, on the ground in Baghdad and elsewhere, it is being fought in a very bloody war.
Mahmoud Othman is a lawmaker, a Kurdish independent lawmaker in Baghdad. He sees his people suffering from this day by day.
Sir, all of the debate about al Qaeda, whether it's foreign fighters or not, how much concern do you have about this debate? The president is standing up there afraid the Democrats, some Americans want to pull out of Iraq now.
What do you see as the consequences of that?
MAHMOUD OTHMAN, IRAQI PARLIAMENT MEMBER: Well, I think the president is right. Al Qaeda is now concentrating on Iraq, and Iraq is a base for al Qaeda. And actually, he's talking to American people, he's talking to Democrats, to the Congress, asking them that they couldn't leave the country now with al Qaeda here, so they should fight al Qaeda.
And I think he's right, because actually speaking, before America came into Iraq, we didn't have Al Qaeda in Iraq. So at least they came to fight America. And they came to fight Iraqis over there, killing a lot of Iraqis, innocent Iraqis.
So I think it is the duty of America to help Iraqis, and Iraqis and America together to clean out this country from al Qaeda, which is becoming a big danger. But at the same time, they are not fighting Iraqi al Qaeda in the desert. There's a people, there's a country, there's deterioration in security, in services, in standards of living, and all other problems for Iraqi citizens.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We apologize for interrupting YOUR WORLD TODAY. We'll get back to that in a moment. But breaking news out of New Orleans right now.
We hear that a grand jury will not indict a doctor accused of killing four seriously ill patients. It all happened during the chaos of Hurricane Katrina.
CNN's Sean Callebs has been following the case for a couple years now.
And we have, apparently, some results -- Sean.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. And really, I think you hit the nail on the head when we talk about this case has been going on almost exactly two years. Next month marks the two-year anniversary from the time that Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast area.
What this case focuses on is Memorial Hospital here in the heart of the city. Dr. Anna Pou was accused of killing four patients by administering a lethal cocktail. Now, to set the stage, remember, in the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina, there was no electricity, so for days physicians and nurses been manually ventilating, bagging patients. They had been fanning patients, trying to keep them cool.
The investigation by the grand jury had gone for weeks. This was a case that was really driven by the State Attorney General Charles Fodie (ph). He was convinced it was homicide. And so Pou faced the possibility of second-degree murder.
However, the district attorney here in New Orleans, Kyra, refused to prosecute the case. He would not indict Pou. Instead delivering all the information to a grand jury. And the grand jury just moments ago, returned a no true bill, meaning Pou will not face murder charges.
Now, her supporters had come to her defense over the months saying the medical staff inside Memorial simply acted heroically in those days after the hurricane. There was water 10 feet high in the bottom of that hospital. It had become a refuge for as many as 2,000 people, patients, their family, the staff of the hospital.
As the conditions continued to deteriorate, the hospital staff could look out the windows and see looting. And they feared that the city was simply descending into anarchy. Now, what happened? Why were the patients not evacuated? That remains the big question. Still unanswered at this point.
But what Pou had been accused of, by the state attorney general, was because those patients could not be evacuated, she was accused of administering a lethal cocktail. But Kyra, as I mentioned, the grand jury, after hearing the testimony decided not to pursue any charges against Anna Pou. So the this physician, a cancer physician, who specializes in eye, ear, nose and throat, will remain free. PHILLIPS: Let me ask you, what has she been doing in the meantime? Has she been working, Sean? And, if not, does this mean she go back to at the hospital?
CALLEBS: Well, that hospital has been closed. She had stopped her private practice. Obviously, the strain of trying to prepare for a defense in this kind of case simply wearing on her. But she had been working at a teaching hospital at LSU up in Baton Rouge. And as I mentioned, she's had a wealth of supporters who have come to her aid; who have been vocal supporters out there saying, rather than being prosecuted, she, and the other nurses -- there are also two nurses who were going to face charges. But instead, they were granted immunity and were forced to testify in this case against Anna Pou.
PHILLIPS: All right. Sean Callebs will continue to follow this story, of course, and all of the developing news. Appreciate it. We'll talk to you again in about a half hour.
In the meantime we're going to go back to YOUR WORLD TODAY right after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CLANCY: Hello, everyone. Welcome back, to all of you, joining us from more than 200 countries and territories around the globe, including the United States. This is YOUR WORLD TODAY. I'm Jim Clancy.
CHURCH: And I'm Rosemary Church. And here's some of the top stories we've been following.
Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor are free after spending eight years in a Libyan prison. They had been sentenced to die for infecting hundreds of children with HIV. A tragedy experts insisted was more likely caused by poor hospital hygiene.
They European brokered deal for their freedom, won Libya new cooperation with the EU.
CLANCY: Despite super human efforts to save power stations affected by massive flooding in Britain, more than 250,000 customers remain without power. Water levels are falling in some areas, but there are fears of more flooding downstream.
CHURCH: U.S. President George W. Bush is defending his administration's focus on Iraq in the broader war on terror. At a speech at a U.S. military base, Mr. Bush said there's a strong connection between Al Qaeda in Iraq and the terror group at large. And he rejected criticism that the U.S. war effort is pursuing the wrong enemy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Once in custody, Mashadani revealed that al Baghdadi is only an actor. He confirmed our intelligence that foreigners are the top echelons of Al Qaeda in Iraq. They are the leaders. And that foreign leaders make most of the operational decisions, not Iraqis. Foreign terrorists also account for most of the suicide bombings in Iraq.
Our military estimates that between 80 and 90 percent of suicide attacks in Iraq are carried out by foreign-born Al Qaeda terrorists.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: All right. Now, to central Italy where police are searching for a fourth man suspected of running a so-called terror school.
CLANCY: A Moroccan-born imam and two of his aides have already been arrested. Police say their mosque being used to recruit and train the next generation of terrorists.
CHURCH: Police also say they found up to 60 toxic chemicals in the imam's home. Since 9/11 police say they have arrested hundreds of would-be terrorists in Italy.
CLANCY: That's right. And Alessio Vinci, our correspondent there says only a fraction of those detained end up being convicted.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN INTL. CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Every time there is a terror-related arrest, the Italian media sound the alarm. Headlines screaming Al Qaeda school in Italy. And "Terrorist Ready to Strike". One daily even identified airports in Rome and Milan as potential targets.
The accused includes the imam of a mosque near the central Italian town of Perugia. Investigators are said to be analyzing toxic materials and remote controlled devices found in his home.
(on camera): Every time there's a threat of terror in this country, a mosque seems to be involved.
MARIO SCAIALOJA, ROME ISLAMIC CULTURE CENTRE: When somebody is arrested and the police may incursions in one place or another, it looks like a big matter, then it boils down to very minor offenses -- if any. So we have to take everything with a grain of salt, but we must be vigilant.
VINCI (voice over): The arrests were carried out on suspicion the imam and his aides were involved in terror training activities. The first test in new law that makes the teaching of terrorism as much a crime as terrorism itself.
Court documents shows the suspects used mainly material downloaded from the Internet, such as how to detonate a bomb using a cell phone and how to pilot a 747. Court documents also suggest the imam instigated and radicalized a group of Muslim teenagers attending the mosque, and trained them, in this room, to combat techniques. But officials point out the group was not ready to strike.
"We averted a potential danger," says this chief of police, "coming from what was a proper terrorism school."
ALESSIO (on camera): Since 9/11, more than 20,000 terrorists have been investigated in this country, resulting in the arrests on terror-related charges of about 600 individuals. Of those, about 80 have been convicted. Although prosecutors say more convictions are expects later this year, critics, especially among the Muslim community here, say those numbers suggest that most of these arrest here have nothing to do with terrorism or Al Qaeda.
(Voice over): Muslim community leaders in Rome say highly publicized arrests are rarely followed by disclaimers when the suspects are released for lack of evidence.
"There is the terrific that a Muslim feels like he's always persecuted," he says, "And there is a risk weak elements in our community sees these activities as a reason to radicalize, and we must avoid it."
Some anti-immigration politicians suggest that all the country's mosques should be closed and checked for illegal activities. A measure Italian officials dismiss, but one that is likely to find a growing number of the supporters every time the press tells the people that an attack is eminent, even when police say, one is not.
Alessio Vinci, CNN, Rome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: All right. We leave our coverage for the war on terror for now and move to showbiz, to a young Hollywood starlet who can't seem to stay out of trouble.
Lindsay Lohan, arrested again. And this time, the charges could be more serious. For more, let's bring in CNN Entertainment Correspondent Brooke Anderson in New York.
What has she been up to this time?
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Nothing good, Rosemary.
The Santa Monica police department in Santa Monica, California, received a call around 1:30 this morning from the mother of Lindsay Lohan's personal assistant -- who had just quit about two hours prior to this call -- that she was afraid. She felt her safety was threatened. Lindsey was apparently chasing the car the mother of that assistant was driving. So, police responded to the scene, it was the parking lot of an auditorium. There was a verbal altercation. They detained Lindsay there.
And an Officer Padilla from the Santa Monica police department held a press conference just a little while ago. And listen what happened next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After officers conducted their initial investigation, they determined that she was driving her vehicle under the influence. She was arrested for driving under the influence and transported here to the Santa Monica jail. While in the jail, officers found in her possession, a small amount of cocaine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Now, Lindsay's blood alcohol content exceed the legal limit of .08. She actually blew between a .12 and a .13; she's charged with two counts of driving under the influence, possession of cocaine, bringing a controlled substance into a jail facility, and driving on a suspended license. She was booked and she was released on $25,000 bail.
Now, all of this comes just five days after she was booked on charges relating to a May incident, where she crashed her car into a curb and then fled the scene. They faces DUI charges and hit and run charges there. A court date is scheduled for August 24th. Interestingly, Lindsay just got out of rehab. Her second stint in rehab this year.
She had been wearing an alcohol monitoring bracelet. We're looking at video here. You can see the bracelet on the left ankle, I believe. And her representative told us that she wore that voluntarily, so there would be no questions about her sobriety in case she wanted to dine or dance in a place where alcohol was served.
Lindsay's lawyer, Blair Burke, just released a statement through TMZ.com saying that since Lindsay transitioned to out patient care, she has been monitored on a SCRAM bracelet and tested daily in order to support her sobriety.
"Throughout this period, I have received timely and accurate reports from the testing companies. Unfortunately late yesterday I was informed that Lindsay had relapsed. The bracelet has now been removed. She is safe, out of custody and presently receiving medical care.
Of course, we will have complete coverage of Lindsay Lohan's arrest and all the circumstances surrounding it, on "Showbiz Tonight". That's at 11 Eastern and Pacific on CNN "Headline Prime" -- Rosemary.
CHURCH: Brooke, what's going on with these Hollywood stars, they appear to be self-destructing and all of this after Paris Hilton has been released from her time in jail?
ANDERSON: Right, you wonder what is it going to take for them to have a reality check, for them to know that they cannot act this way that they're not above the law. Addiction is a very serious disease. It is a day-to-day battle, they say. Obviously, Lindsay Lohan has some serious issues, but there comes a point where she has to ask herself, OK, I may have some problems that I need to deal with. But I cannot drive and put other people in danger anymore.
Nicole Richie is also facing a court date in August, as well, on DUI charges. It's a very complicated matter. And no one knows what's going on. A lot of people say they live a life of excess. That they're surrounded by yes people. That they have no guidance, and that they don't make good decisions. And this is quite obvious with what has happened with Lindsay Lohan, this morning.
CHURCH: That's what we seem to be seeing. Brooke Anderson, thanks so much, appreciate that.
CLANCY: All right. Next time one of these girls gets a tattoo of the Hollywood taxi company's phone number.
CHURCH: That's right.
CLANCY: All right, I'd better move along now before I say anymore.
Coming up on YOUR WORLD TODAY --
CHURCH: The days of humming along to a lyric-less national anthem may soon be over. The Spain's search for a songwriter, when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CLANCY: Hello, welcome, everyone. You're watching YOUR WORLD TODAY on CNN International.
CHURCH: Well, we are seen live in more than 200 countries and territories all across the globe, including United States.
Well, CNN paired up with YouTube to put a new spin on what many called the tired political debate format.
CLANCY: And it did that. I watched. I really liked it. All the questions came from viewer submissions that went into that web video site.
CHURCH: That's right. Candy Crowley sums up the new world of politics.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): No open warfare, but the two leading Democrat contenders circled each other, time and time again. Obama on Clinton's call for a Pentagon plan for withdrawal from Iraq.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The time for us to ask how we were going to get out of Iraq was before we went in. And that is something that too many of us failed to do.
CROWLEY: Clinton after Obama said he would meet with leaders of the countries like Cuba and Iran in the first year of his presidency.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Because I think it's not that you promise the meeting at that high a level before you know what the intentions are. I don't want to be used for propaganda purposes.
CROWLEY: It was a debate that covered the waterfront with questions from a mother with a son headed for a second tour of Iraq. Aid workers in a refugee camp near Darfur; and a same-sex couple looking to get married. Hoping for a little traction out of his third- place position, John Edwards repeatedly returned to populous themes.
JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Big insurance companies, big drug companies, big oil companies, they're not going to negotiate. They're not going to give away their power. The only way they're going to give away their power is if we take it away from them.
CROWLEY: Gender, race, taxes, education, even a melting snowman asking about global warming. The debate was often humorous, and more often passionate.
DENNIS KUCINICH (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Let's get those troops home, and let's take a stand and do it now.
CROWLEY: The questions were fearless, and pointed, the answers sometimes blunt. Does gender matter?
CLINTON: I believe there isn't much doubt in anyone's mind, that I can be taken seriously.
CROWLEY: Is Barack Obama, quote, "authentically black enough"?
OBAMA: When I'm catching a cab in Manhattan, in the past, I think, I've given my credentials.
CROWLEY: There were no obvious stumbles, and more than a couple of strong performances. But in the end, the stars of the night may have been the people with the questions. Candy Crowley, CNN, Charleston, South Carolina.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: She's right. It was the people sending in the questions.
CHURCH: Absolutely.
CLANCY: And just as, you know, viewers sent questions into the candidates, they've also sent us their thoughts about the debate.
CHURCH: Yes, never ending. James Brierton, is a young student from New York's Long Island, and a frequent contributor to CNN iReport.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES BRIERTON, NEW YORK (voice over): Finally, the questions we want to hear. When we ask the questions, we hear the questions we want to hear. But tonight's big question was whether or not the candidates would actually respond to our questions. They're known for being off topic, and they're known for not answering our questions.
We saw tonight with Governor Richardson's response about Darfur. Anderson Cooper asked him twice whether or not he would send U.S. troops into Darfur, if he was elected president. Richardson responded both times with plenty of detail, but never answered question.
Another issue I was keeping a close eye on tonight, where the promises that these candidates made in tonight's debate, and the ones they are making along their campaign.
It's going to be interesting to see if they make it to the White House, and if they actually follow through on these promises. This issue was addressed in tonight's first question when Chris Dodd suggested that we should ask candidates to explain to us how they're going to follow through on these promises.
And Anderson, don't worry about the white hair, it looks good. If anybody should be worried about their hair, it's Edwards. How much did he spend on tonight's hair cut, I wonder. From Long Island, I'm iReporter, James Brierton.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Definitely a budding reporter there. You can hear how the other side responds just a little later this year. Our America Votes 2008 coverage continues in September, when Republican candidates face your questions. That's Monday, September 17th, right here on CNN.
CLANCY: All right. We have to take a short break. Coming up on YOUR WORLD TODAY, music and lyrics.
CHURCH: Specifically, the drive to add words to one country's national anthem and why purists say leave the sweet melody alone.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CLANCY: All right. Now, there are your routine traffic stops, and then there's --what's that? There's this?
CHURCH: Well, take a look at this video. Shot from the dashboard of a Wisconsin state trooper's patrol car. That's a World War II era plane, at T-6G, in case you were wondering, landing on a highway near the Fond Du Lac County airport.
CLANCY: The pilot actually experienced engine trouble; he was forced to touch down on the road. Amazingly, he managed to set it down, nobody was hurt.
CHURCH: That's a first for him, I'm sure. Driving past the plane, though, was another story. The impromptu landing snarled traffic for hours.
CLANCY: A beautiful plane, though, isn't it?
(CROSS TALK)
CHURCH: All right. Now to the age-old question, what's in a word?
CLANCY: I can tell you when it comes to Spain's national anthem, not much. It's all been in the melody.
CHURCH: But as Al Goodman reports, that may be about to change.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: La-la-la-la --
AL GOODMAN, CNN INTL. CORRESPONDENT (voice over): He's singing Spain's national anthem. It's not that he can't remember the words -- it doesn't have any. But some people want to change that.
ALEJANDRO BLANCO, PRES., SPANISH OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (through translator): When the national anthem plays during the medal ceremony, you see the emotions are running high. Everyone has memories and we are a country where people like to sing, so words are missing that express the sentiment.
GOODMAN: Spaniards are famous for their love of talk. They never seem to be at a loss for words, except when it comes to the national anthem.
BLANCO (through translator): I get a very strange feeling when we have to sing la, la, la, or chunda, chunda, chunda.
GOODMAN: But coming up with the lyrics for the national anthem may not be simple.
CARLOS VASCO, MUSICIAN, COMPOSER (through translator): We have to take care and not make it overtly political. It should reflect Spanish patriotic values, and should include everyone, leaving aside political ideologies.
GOODMAN: Not an easy task in a nation with fierce regional pride, where non-Spanish flags fly prominently in some parts.
(on camera): There are Spain's different languages, Caculan (ph) is spoken in Barcelona, Uscara (ph), in the Basque region, Dialgo (ph) in Northwest Galethia; nationalists in those areas would not be thrilled to have Spanish lyrics in the national anthem. Even in the capital, there are some doubters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It won't be easy to change, and things that aren't easy and aren't needed, why bother. The anthem is fine as it is.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): The national anthem is really horrible. I think they should change the music first, then think about the lyrics if they want to.
GOODMAN: Spain's anthem is two centuries old. The movement to add lyrics is recent. Parliament would have to approve, but that's not stopping the enthusiasts. In a village near Madrid, they're already practicing lyrics, including the line, all of your children at the foot of the flag, in freedom, and with the constitution. Catchy.
Al Goodman, CNN, Madrid.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: Aw, there it is. I heard it. The fat lady has sung in Spain. That brings YOUR WORLD TODAY to a close here. For this hour anyway. I'm Jim Clancy.
And we'll be singing that all day. I'm Rosemary Church, stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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