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HIGHLIGHTS OF U.S. BROADCAST NEWS COVERAGE OF THE MIDDLE EAST FROM SEPTEMBER 07, 2006 (FULL TRANSCRIPTS) (FNS MIDDLE EAST, SEPTEMBER 08, 2006)(Federal News Service (Middle East) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) FRIDAY, September 8, 2006 (Broadcasts of Thursday, September 7, 2006) JIM LEHRER NEWSHOUR, PBS TV, 7 PM, SEPTEMBER 7, 2006: Interview with Army Lieutenant General Peter Chiarelli: JIM LEHRER: Our newsmaker interview with the commanding general of multinational forces in Iraq, Army Lieutenant General Peter Chiarelli. Ray Suarez talked with him earlier today. There were a few audio difficulties on the satellite feed from Baghdad. RAY SUAREZ: General, welcome. It seems, every morning, on the news in the United States, there's an overnight tally of how many people are being killed in Iraq, 25 one day, 38 the next, a dozen tortured bodies picked up from the street the next day. In that kind of conflict zone, what's the role of an individual American Marine or soldier? LIEUTENANT GENERAL PETER CHIARELLI, Commanding General, Multinational Corps Iraq: Well, the individual American Marine or soldier is out every single day, trying to bring peace to Iraq, and trying to help establish the democratic government of Iraq. I see the same reports you see. Some of them are correct. Some of them are incorrect. But I will tell you, there's -- there's good things happening in Baghdad and around the country. The last two days, I have been in two of the areas that we have cleared, and been able to see firsthand what is going in those areas. And they have become secure areas, not totally free of violence, but areas where people are beginning to get on with their lives, where individuals who were displaced from their homes in the very, very heavy violence that we had a month ago are -- are now returning to their homes. And we're seeing the beginning of economic revitalization of those areas. And, before too long, we will see some long-term projects, where basic services kick in, and, we think, really, really contribute to the security of Baghdad. RAY SUAREZ: If there are gangs or militias or groups of people who really intend to wreak violence on each other, how does an armed force intervene to stop that? LIEUTENANT GENERAL PETER CHIARELLI: Well, I -- I think it's important to understand that this isn't all Iraqis fighting all Iraqis. There are small groups of individuals -- we call them death squads -- who are intent on attempting to try to continue this level of sectarian violence. It's our job to go out on the security line of operation and find those death squads, and -- and bring them to justice. At the same time, we're facilitating bringing basic services and allowing the government to bring basic services to the people in these focus areas. The focus areas are increasing every single day, as we secure and of Baghdad. And that will continue for the months to come. RAY SUAREZ: This morning, the Iraqi Health Ministry released statistics that showed that, as far as they were concerned, August was just as violent a month as July in the Iraqi capital, this even with Iraqi forces and the United States, in a joint operation, concentrating on trying to quell the violence in Baghdad itself. What's your response? LIEUTENANT GENERAL PETER CHIARELLI: Well, there -- there are political agendas being played in -- in this government, as they are in all governments. And we don't necessarily agree with -- with -- with those numbers that have come out. The numbers that I have seen in the August time period indicate a decrease in sectarian violence. All the indicators that we have indicate that, in Baghdad and the surrounding areas, and really throughout all of Iraq -- but since Baghdad and Diyala Province have been the key provinces for sectarian violence, we saw a significant decrease in the months of August over the same numbers we saw in July. The Ministry of Health has numbers. We have numbers. And I -- I will tell you that I feel comfortable that our numbers indicate a decrease in sectarian violence in the month of August. RAY SUAREZ: You have been quoted as saying that this is a different war than the one the United States was fighting in Iraq two or three years ago. How so? How have forces had -- had to adjust in recent months? LIEUTENANT GENERAL PETER CHIARELLI: Well, there's no doubt in my mind this is a different war than we fought two or three years ago, or this is -- and this is a different war than the United States has ever fought. I, quite frankly, don't even like comparisons to Vietnam. You can say it's an insurgency, and Vietnam was an insurgency. But this is a different kind of insurgency. This is an insurgency that -- for an example, in Baghdad -- it's a city of 7.5 million people -- we're not fighting large formations. We're fighting an enemy that blends in to the population, an enemy that has no fixed numbers. And it requires U.S. forces to -- to change the way they fight, to move from the things that I and many soldiers are very comfortable, what we call kinetic things, such as the use of power, to use and non-kinetic elements. And it's those non-kinetic elements that prove so absolutely critical. I never thought that I would know anything about how a sewer system in a city of 7.5 million people work, but I do now. And -- and I know that, only because the people of Baghdad want their sewers fixed, it is important that I understand how it works. And I can help the Iraqi government do what is necessary to make sure that it works, that fresh, potable water works, that sewage systems work, that electricity works that health care systems work. Those are all part of that non-kinetic fight critical to the security of Iraq, because, if we can have the people in Baghdad and all over Iraq believe that their life is getting better in those four or five areas, it will definitely contribute to the security line of operation, and make Baghdad and Iraq a much secure city and country. RAY SUAREZ: One very measurable aspect of the United States forces' time in Iraq that you have put a lot of stock in trying to address is the killing of civilians by U.S. forces at places where there are encounters between the two. What have you done? And how has it been working so far? LIEUTENANT GENERAL PETER CHIARELLI: We call it escalation of force. And we have driven those numbers down significantly in the last six months. In fact, we -- we have cut them by almost two-thirds. Again, this is an extremely difficult battle for a soldier. The enemy doesn't wear uniforms. It's hard to tell a vehicle that's rigged with explosives from a vehicle that's going to the market. And what we're trying to do is not take away a soldier's right of self-defense in a very, very difficult environment. What we are trying to do, and what our soldiers and sailors and airmen and Marines have reacted to, is to try to give them that which they need to make the right decision, should they feel a necessity to go ahead and have to apply lethal force. RAY SUAREZ: And what kinds of techniques are we talking about? LIEUTENANT GENERAL PETER CHIARELLI: Well, it's -- it's -- it's pretty complicated. But, in reality, what you're trying to do is give a soldier those tools that he needs to be able to try to identify those folks that are, in fact, a threat to him, as opposed to those folks that, quite frankly, are -- are just confused, because they have run into a checkpoint that wasn't there earlier in the day, wasn't there the day before. And what we want to do is provide our soldiers and Marines with the tools they need and the time that they need to make the decision on whether or not that is a threat to them, or whether or not that's just an individual who, quite frankly, is confused. We have got leaders talking to soldiers, talking over techniques, looking for what are those things that you should look for, something as simple as counting the number of heads in a vehicle, understanding that a majority of SVBIEDs, if not all -- and those are the suicide vehicle borne improvised explosive devices -- are, in fact, driven by a single individual, and that, if you have two or three individuals in the vehicle, if you can give the soldier both the capability and the time to go ahead and count the heads, he can make a much better decision on whether this is someone who just is purely confused, or someone who is truly a threat to him and those around him at the checkpoint, or wherever he may be in Baghdad or anywhere in Iraq. RAY SUAREZ: This morning, I heard a soldier speak, with a little frustration to a reporter, about what he called whack-a-mole. You hit the insurgents, the people you're fighting against, in one place, and they pop up somewhere else. With all the reinforcement of Baghdad, have you been playing whack-a-mole, having to worry about whether the bad guys will pop up somewhere else, if you concentrate your efforts in the Iraqi capital? LIEUTENANT GENERAL PETER CHIARELLI: Well, that is definitely a frustration that we all have, from the standpoint of the insurgency popping up in different locations. But -- but the key here is, is to turn portions of the population, increasing portions of the population, to the side of the government, to the side of the Iraqi government. And, as we increase those areas, the insurgents will find it much difficult, because the people see in their government a legitimacy. The people see in their government a government that's going to make life better for all Iraqis. And, when that happens, it will be very, very difficult for the terrorists to operate anywhere in Iraq. This isn't something that happens overnight. We have to gain -- the government has to gain credibility with its citizen. And we're doing everything we possibly can to help them. RAY SUAREZ: Well, you have talked about building confidence in the government, fewer accidental killings, electricity and water. What part, in this overall effort, does something like the new Army field manual play, that tells soldiers what they can and can't do in the treatment of prisoners? LIEUTENANT GENERAL PETER CHIARELLI: Well, that -- it is an important addition to our doctrine. And -- and that's exactly what it is. The field manual gives us guides that -- for us to use. I haven't had an opportunity to -- to read it yet, nor be briefed on it. Our folks are working very, very hard to put together all that information now. But it's part of this constant evolution, as -- as we adjust our way of -- of fighting to this new way of war, a way of war that I -- I don't think will be something that we just see here in Iraq. I -- I think the whole idea of war has changed forever. And -- and, along with that field manual and many, many others, we're going to have to look at the way we do things across the board to fight this kind of conflict. RAY SUAREZ: Lieutenant General Peter Chiarelli, from Baghdad, thanks a lot for being with us. LIEUTENANT GENERAL PETER CHIARELLI: Thank you, sir. Debate on Military Tribunals: JIM LEHRER: They follow reactions to the president's terror trials proposals. Judy Woodruff is in charge of that. JUDY WOODRUFF: Just weeks before Congress goes home for the midterm elections, President Bush yesterday dramatically raised the legal and political stakes in the fight over how to deal with the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. In addition to the 400-plus prisoners already held there, the president said that 14 would be moved from CIA secret prisons to face justice at Guantanamo. They include three major figures: Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind behind the 9/11 plot; Abu Zubaydah, an aide to Osama bin Laden; and Ramzi Binalshibh, another 9/11 plotter. The president's announcement yesterday represented his fullest response to the June Supreme Court decision that overturned the administration's plan for military tribunals to try the Guantanamo detainees. Now Congress takes up the issue of whether the detainees would be tried under the provisions of the Uniform Code of Military Justice or by rules that would give government prosecutors far leeway. We get our congressional response now from two senators. John Sununu is a New Hampshire Republican. He's a member of the Foreign Relations Committee. And Jack Reed is a Rhode Island Democrat. He's on the Armed Services Committee. Gentlemen, thank you for being with us. And, Senator Reed, to you first. The president has sent this program, his proposal to the Congress. He's saying: I need this in order to prosecute these terrorists. Do you believe this is the right way to go about prosecuting them? SEN. JACK REED (D), Rhode Island: Well, currently, Judy, the debate is among Republicans, so than between Republicans and Democrats. Senator John McCain, Senator Lindsey Graham have pointed out that, in order to provide a -- a legitimate process, that modifications must be made to the president's proposal. That sentiment was echoed today by the uniformed military lawyers who testified before the House of Representatives. These gentlemen have dedicated their lives to serving their country in uniform, and they understand that this is not just about prosecuting these individuals who committed heinous crimes, but it's also about ensuring that, if Americans fall into this type of captivity, they will have fair procedures, also. So, I would take the advice of the uniformed military, the advice that both Senator McCain and Senator Warner, and Senator Graham, are urging on the president. JUDY WOODRUFF: But it's our understanding that these senators -- you mentioned McCain -- you mentioned Senator Graham -- are -- are -- have been asked by the Republican leadership to take another look, so that they can try to come up with a compromise. Let me turn to you, Senator Sununu. At this point, do you think what the president has proposed is something that you can accept? SEN. JOHN SUNUNU (R), New Hampshire: Well, I think it's unlikely that it would be passed through the House and the Senate in the exact form that the -- the president has put it forward. And, in fact, though, I -- I think it will be similar to what the president has proposed. The differences that are being discussed really focus on only two areas. I think there's very large agreement among Democrats, Republicans, Senators McCain and Graham, as Senator Reed mentioned, and the White House on all the components, except for the specific rules of evidence and the use of hearsay in a trial. But other than that, I think there's pretty broad agreement. My guess is, there will be some modification made in -- in at least one, if not both of those areas, before it's sent to the president. But the key is that we get a good statutory framework in place that is consistent with the Supreme Court ruling, so that these trials can begin. JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, let's talk about those two specific points, because they are going to be getting a lot of attention. Senator Reed, on the hearsay evidence, where do you come down on that? And -- and where do others in your party come down on that? SEN. JACK REED: Well, I will just speak for myself, but I will echo the comments of the uniformed military officers today, who insisted, in their testimony, that these rules that would disqualify hearsay and also allow examination of the evidence before the tribunal by both sides are the rules that they favor, because they're consistent with not only our international obligations, but also with the legitimate procedure. And there's another point I think John alluded to, is, we don't want to get in a situation where we pass defective legislation that doesn't really bring these individuals to justice, but simply allows another process of appeals all the way to the Supreme Court, and rejection again by the Supreme Court. We have got to get this right. I think we can, but it requires modification of the president's proposal. And one final point, too, I think important -- we're talking now about punishing people who have done very heinous things. But they can be detained, regardless of these tribunals. As long as they maintain a -- a threat to the United States, under generally accepted principles of law, they can be detained. So, we're talking about the issue of how we adequately punish them, not how we keep them out of harm's way, of harming us. JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, Senator Sununu, let me come back to you on the -- on the point that you yourself raised a minute ago. Are you, at this point, in agreement with some of the moderates in your own party, who -- who say, have been saying, that they have difficulty, serious difficulty, and want changes in the approach that the administration had been applying, and that is largely included in this approach? SEN. JOHN SUNUNU: I have not read Senator Graham's proposal, but I think it's fair to say I certainly have concerns in both of these areas. There are several things that we want to accomplish. First, we want to set a good example. Senator Reed mentioned, if -- if we're allowing evidence to be used in court that defense attorneys or those on trial can have no access to, can't see, then what is going to happen if American service members or American citizens are taken into custody in another country around the world? I think it -- it runs against American -- fundamental American beliefs to have someone tried on evidence that they can never see. JUDY WOODRUFF: So, you're in... SEN. JOHN SUNUNU: So, I... JUDY WOODRUFF: ... disagreement with the president on that point? SEN. JOHN SUNUNU: Well, I -- I think that there -- there ought to be a way to ensure that this element of due process is -- is provided. Second, we want to make sure that those that are conducting the prosecutions believe it's a system that will work. Senator Reed mentioned the -- the testimony by the Army Judge Advocate General. And -- and the simple question I would want to pose to those individuals, those responsible for prosecutions at Gitmo, as well, is, with these rules, with these procedures that have been suggested, that would allow sharing of evidence, in some cases in unclassified or summarized form, will this system still allow you to prosecute effectively, to prosecute fully? And -- and most of those that have been asked that question, both at Gitmo and here in hearings in Congress, have said, yes, we can conduct trials, conduct them effectively, get prosecutions, even with some of these accommodations. So, there are a couple of areas that need to be addressed. I think they -- they can be addressed. And I think we can get a framework in place that will allow these prosecutions to move forward. JUDY WOODRUFF: If that's the case, Senator Reed, then what is -- what is your concern? SEN. JACK REED: Well, my concern is that the president, just a few weeks before the election, suddenly has transferred prisoners from places around the world to Guantanamo, and now is demanding, as he has so often done, sort of, take it or leave it; it's my way or the highway. And, frank -- that's not the way to do good legislation. And it does reflect, I think, a consistent position by the administration to treat our international obligations sort of cavalierly. And I think that has led us to lots of problems around the world. It contributed to -- in part to Abu Ghraib. And it does ultimately jeopardize the safety of our military forces, as Senator Sununu pointed out. And, when you have individuals who are experienced, like Senator McCain and Senator Graham, military experience, and uniformed officers who are saying, we have to abide by these provisions that are generally outlined in the UCMJ, that's compelling. And, if the White House would quickly accede to that view of the military and of these experienced individual senators, then I think we could get something done rather expeditiously. JUDY WOODRUFF: Senator Sununu, you agree with Senator Reed that the president's attitude is essentially, my way or the highway, and that he is treating these international obligations, in Senator Reed's words, in a cavalier way? SEN. JOHN SUNUNU: No. I -- I don't think he's treating them in a cavalier way. Look, he did the right thing in moving these 14 prisoners to -- to Guantanamo, and -- and suspending the operations of the overseas detention facilities. He has done the right thing in proposing a -- a commission system. Even if we don't yet agree on all the details, we need this legislation, or similar legislation, to be passed, so that prosecutions can begin. And I think he's done the right thing in saying, we need to move forward with these trials. We need to bring those in Guantanamo Bay for whom we have evidence of their committing and supporting and planning terrorist acts, bring them to trials, and -- and bring them to justice. I -- I think those are the right things for the president to do, to do at this time. If he had waited two months, waited until after the elections, the critics will -- would have said, well, this is long overdue; he should have done this months ago. Now is the right time. It's a good starting point. And I think we can get this done in the next couple of weeks. JUDY WOODRUFF: But, at the risk of repeating, and just to clarify, you are not in agreement with him on some of these important points of how these prosecutions would take place? SEN. JOHN SUNUNU: I think it's fair to say that, looking at the legislation, I would like to see some modifications. And I think it's likely that some modifications will be made, in either the House or the Senate, before it gets to his desk. JUDY WOODRUFF: Senator Reed, you mentioned politics. You said -- you point out, the president has put this out there two months before the election. There are observers out there right now who are saying, this puts the Democrats in a tough spot -- the president, Republicans trying to paint the Democrats as soft on terror. And this permits the administration, if Democrats oppose this sort of a strict structure, if you will, of trying these detainees -- if Democrats oppose that, don't you run the risk of falling right into this -- this descriptive, this portrait that the Republicans are trying to paint you into? SEN. JACK REED: Well, I think what we have to do is the best possible legislation, not just for the short run, the next several weeks leading up to the election, but in the long run. And I think what is very significant and very important is that, if we follow the advice of the military officers who have dedicated their life, not only to the armed services, but to military justice, then, we will disagree on these important points with the White House, and will insist, not on a partisan base, but obviously bipartisan basis, led by people like Senator Warner and others, on legislation that will both protect our security, and also give us a legitimate political process, will give us the opportunity in -- in the world to claim that we are true to our principles, without sacrificing our security. So, I think this is a case where, if we stick to principles, we will be fine. JUDY WOODRUFF: So, you're not worried about the Republican mantra right now, and that this -- that Democrats are soft -- I mean, we have heard the term Defeatocrat -- and that the president's proposal here, that it -- it runs the risks, for Democrats, of placing you further into -- painting you further into that corner? SEN. JACK REED: Well, I would be concerned about the risks that our military, our soldiers, our -- our Marines, our sailors, our air men and women, are running right now in Iraq and across the globe, and also in the future. And I think, if we're true to -- to their sacrifice, to their dedication, we will do the right thing here; we won't be swayed by what some have characterized as merely political attacks. I think we will try to come up with legislation -- and I think Senator Sununu suggests that we can -- that embodies the best principles of this country, without sacrificing the security of this nation. JUDY WOODRUFF: Senator Sununu, so, what do you think is going to happen here? You said -- I think you said a minute ago that you think a compromise can be reached. But the president has put a very tight timetable on this. He said he wants it done in the next few weeks, before Congress goes home. SEN. JOHN SUNUNU: I don't know what's going to happen. And -- and, to be very direct, I have spent a good part of today talking to colleagues, trying to get a sense of what they think might happen. I think the most likely process would be for the Armed Services Committee, led by Senator Warner, to put together a package based on the president's proposal, but containing some modifications, a package that can get a very strong, very strong majority of votes in that committee. And I think that would be a good basis for legislation to be brought to the floor of the Senate. I think, if you have a strong, very strong majority in the Armed Services Committee, you're going to minimize the number of amendments that are offered on the floor, minimize the opportunity for obstruction by -- by either side, and get something done. JUDY WOODRUFF: But with some differences from what the president has proposed? SEN. JOHN SUNUNU: I have said several times, it's just hard to imagine the president's proposal, exactly as he submitted it, passing both the House and the Senate, and ending up on his desk. JUDY WOODRUFF: And -- and... SEN. JOHN SUNUNU: You're going to see some changes. JUDY WOODRUFF: And, Senator Reed, just quickly, if that is what emerges from Senate Armed Services, is -- would that pass, do you think? SEN. JACK REED: Oh, I think Senator Sununu has got it just about right. If Senator Warner and Senator Levin and Senator McCain, Senator Graham and others on the committee can work and constructively respond to the concerns of our uniformed military lawyers, and produce a legislation that has a strong bipartisan support, then, I think it will move quickly through here. The president could help that, though, by being cooperative, in terms of recognizing the legitimate concerns raised about his proposal. JUDY WOODRUFF: We hear you both. Senator Jack Reed, Senator John Sununu, we thank you very much for being with us. SEN. JACK REED: Thank you. SEN. JOHN SUNUNU: Thank you. CBS EVENING NEWS, CBS TV, 6.30 PM, SEPTEMBER 7, 2006: Another al-Qaeda Tape Released: KATIE COURIC: With al-Qaeda, timing is everything and America's number one enemy demonstrated that again today. Just as President Bush was telling America we are safer than we were before 9/11, al-Qaeda terrorists put out a message of their own - 'We're still here.' The message came in the form of a videotape we hadn't seen before. Jim Axelrod has the pictures and the story. JIM AXELROD: Al Qaeda is now out with its own run-up to the fifth anniversary of 9/11, a videotape claiming to show Osama bin Laden and the 9/11 hijackers planning the attacks. The Arab network Al Jazeera broadcast it, saying it reveals for the first time the alleged coordinator of the attacks, Ramzi Binalshibh meeting with Bin Laden. Alshibh, by the way, is one of the 14 terror subjects just transferred to Guantanamo Bay for a future trial. Clearly, it's bad timing for the president, who just today in his fourth speech in eight days about the war on terror promised to bring Bin Laden to custody. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: We will keep steady pressure, unrelenting pressure on al-Qaeda and its associates. We will deny them safe haven. We will find them and we will bring them to justice. AXELROD: It wasn't just U.S. enemies that interrupted Mr. Bush's momentum. His strongest ally did, as well. British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced he'll step down within a year, under pressure from his own party, partly for his support of the war in Iraq. TONY BLAIR (British Prime Minister): I would have preferred to do this in my own way, but it has been pretty obvious from what many of my Cabinet colleagues have said. AXELROD: As for the al-Qaeda tape, a new CBS News/New York Times poll suggests why it might spell trouble for the president. A majority of Americans say the U.S. cannot win the war on terror if Bin Laden is not killed or captured. And fewer than half are confident that he will be. That's not good news for a president who's been speaking of little else lately about why his war no terror will succeed. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: We need to do everything in our power to stop the next attack. And so America has gone on the offense across the world. AXELROD: Well, you can certainly tell there's an election coming up and the rhetoric sure is getting sharper. The Democrats are out with a name for the president's series of speeches. They're calling it the 'fear and smear tour.' KATIE COURIC: Well, Jim, apart from the name-calling, the war on terror is consuming both parties on Capitol Hill these days, isn't it? AXELROD: Yeah, there's just about a month till they're going to break for a little pre-midterm election campaigning, so if your issue isn't terror-related, forget it. Immigration - huge issue, right? Forget it. Right now, Katie, it's all terror all the time. KATIE COURIC: All right. Jim Axelrod. Jim, thanks so much. The Home Front: KATIE COURIC: President Bush says Iraq is a big part of the war on terror and two American soldiers and a Marine have been killed in action there. With casualties rising, the president's approval ratings are falling. The latest CBS News/New York Times poll shows just 36 percent of Americans approve of the job he's doing. Support for the war is slipping, even in places where not long ago everyone backed it. Here's our national correspondent Byron Pitts. BYRON PITTS: It's faith, family and the Corps. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE SALES CLERK: We give a military discount to show our appreciation for what they're doing for us. PITTS: Jacksonville is home to Camp Lejeune, the largets Marine corps base on the east coast. But even here, support for the war may be waning. Marine corporal John Miller. CORPORAL JOHN MILLER (Marine Corps): There's a lot of people that think we've been there too long, but personally I think we should stay there until they have an established government. PITTS: Breakfast Shift manager, Lily Cantrell. Do you still support the war? LILY CANTRELL: (Hesitates for about five seconds): Yes. PITTS: Three or four years ago, would you have hesitated that long to answer the question? LILY CANTRELL: No. PITTS: What's changed in three or four years? LILY CANTRELL: It's just that things keep getting worse and worse. PITTS: A CBS News/New York Times poll found 65 percent of Americans disapprove of the way George Bush is handling the war in Iraq. Even some life-long conservatives are no longer hearing the president's message. JIM VAN RYPER (sp) (Retired Marine Corps Colonel): I turned him off. I tuned him out. PITTS: Retired Marine Corps Colonel Jim Van Ryper is a Christian, card-carrying member of the NRA who voted for President Bush twice. But as Marines have died in Iraq, his confidence in the Bush administration died as well. JIM VAN RYPER (sp) (Retired Marine Corps Colonel): If they had done it their way and they succeeded, I couldn't be talking to you like this. They did it their way, they failed, and they won't admit it. PITTS: And that's what burns you? JIM VAN RYPER (sp) (Retired Marine Corps Colonel): That's arrogance. And I don't mind arrogance, except when there's dead bodies as a result. PITTS: So this November, for the first time, Colonel Van Ryper will vote for Democrats across the board. JIM VAN RYPER (sp) (Retired Marine Corps Colonel): I've voted Republican nearly all my life. I'm very conservative. I'm still conservative. My hope is that the Democrats win the House. PITTS: Van Ryper's twin brother is a retired Marine general and his love for the Corps remains strong. This is very personal for you? JIM VAN RYPER (sp) (Retired Marine Corps Colonel): Yes, sir. I had a son there. I've got a nephew there now. It's personal. PITTS: If you could sit across from President Bush, what would you say to him? JIM VAN RYPER (sp) (Retired Marine Corps Colonel): Sir, I'm disappointed. PITTS: Here in a place where war is so very personal and faith so very deep, the president is preaching to a choir that no longer seems quite so willing to believe. Byron Pitts, CBS News, Jacksonville, North Carolina. NBC NIGHTLY NEWS, NBC TV, 7 PM, SEPTEMBER 7, 2006: Another Al Qaeda Video Released: BRIAN WILLIAMS: Today al Qaeda proved once again it still has the power to toy with a super power. As this nation prepares to mark the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, there is new video tape out tonight - it aired on the Al Jazeera Television Network today - and it shows Osama bin Laden and some of the 9/11 hijackers purportedly training for the job they later carried out - a job that killed close to 3,000 Americans. And while there may be videotape to come there may also be clues in these new videotape pictures for investigators. We begin our reporting on this new development tonight with NBC's Lisa Myers in our Washington bureau. LISA MYERS: There is no explicit threat of another attack on this tape. But this propaganda video clearly is meant to conjure up frightening images for Americans. The al Qaeda video popped up on Al Jazeera this afternoon. For the first time it shows Bin Laden and other senior al Qaeda leaders with some of the 9/11 conspirators, and claims to show some of the hijackers training to take over planes using only knives. Intelligence analysts tell NBC News they believe the Bin Laden scenes were shot sometime around 9/11. Some describe this - Bin Laden greeting 9/11 planner Ramzi bin Al-Shibh as a return of the conquering hero after the attacks. Others believe this meeting occurred before the attacks. MICHAEL SHEEHAN (NBC News terrorism analyst): It's very interesting that they held these tapes for five years and are now releasing them obviously to get a propaganda boost for the organization as they try to motivate their faithful and intimidate the west. MYERS: Bin Al-Shibh was captured four years ago. Just yesterday the president announced that he and others had been moved to Guantanamo. If Bin Al-Shibh is put on trial, as the president proposes, this tape could become evidence. It clearly labels Bin Al- Shibh the coordinator of the 9/11 attacks. Also new today, so-called martyrdom videos by two hijackers, labeled 'the martyrs of the Manhattan raid.' This hijacker was a Muslim man on the first plane to hit the towers. This man, a muscle man on the second plane. ROGER CRESSEY (NBC News terrorism analyst): It's all about searing into our minds the imagery of 9/11 and reminding the jihadi faithful that the fight is still ongoing. MYERS: This is the second tape released by al Qaeda in less than a week. Last Saturday this tape featured an appeal from an American, Adam Gadahn, urging other Americans to join the ranks of al Qaeda. ADAM VAHIIYE GADAHN (ASSAM THE AMERICAN) on tape): I invite all Americans and other non-believers to Islam, wherever they are. MYERS: NBC News confirmed today that the U.S. has indicated Gadahn on terrorism charges and that some prosecutors want to charge him with treason. U.S. intelligence officials expect at least one al Qaeda tape over the next few days. And they say it is significant that no current video of Bin Laden has been released in almost two years. Brian? WILLIAMS: All right. Lisa Myers in our Washington bureau. Lisa, thank you for that reporting. We just heard in that set-up piece from NBC News counterterrorism analyst, Roger Cressey - he is a veteran of the National Security Council in the Bush White House. He's with us from Washington for on this. And, Roger, let's go back to the central point in the opening of the broadcast tonight, that even though - as people have pointed out - these are people living in caves in some cases. This still shows, at minimum, they have the power to toy with the United States. ROGER CRESSEY: That's right, Brian. They have the ability to get our attention at the drop of a video. It demonstrates the resiliency of their public relations network and also demonstrates the strength of their propaganda right now, which is why al Qaeda continues to publish these videos. WILLIAMS: Now what else can we glean from looking at these pictures? CRESSEY: Not a whole lot of actionable intelligence. I think this was aimed at a western audience. Look at the English subtitles. It was the imagery of Bin Laden greeting the conquering hero, like Bin Al-Shibh identifying himself yet again with the 9/11 attack. Those are images that will resonate in a global audience. And they are truly intended for an American audience especially, Brian. WILLIAMS: All right. Our national security analyst Roger Cressey with us tonight from Washington. Roger, thanks, as always. Guantanamo Prisoners: BRIAN WILLIAMS: A day after President Bush announced that some top terrorism detainees are now at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, awaiting military trials, the military's own top lawyers said today they'd still have objections to the administration's approach to those tribunals. The story from NBC's Chip Reid. CHIP REID: In Atlanta today, President Bush put the burden on Congress to make sure al Qaeda detainees, including the alleged mastermind of 9/11, face trial. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: The sooner that Congress authorizes the military commissions that I have called for, the sooner Khalid Sheik Mohammed will receive the justice he deserves. REID: Khalid Sheik Mohammed is one of 14 high-value al Qaeda prisoners transferred from CIA detention centers to Guantanamo Bay. In June, the Supreme Court struck down the administration's commissions for trying suspected terrorists for not giving them adequate legal rights. Today, a panel of the Pentagon's top uniformed lawyers said the president's new proposal may also be unconstitutional because it would allow the use of evidence obtained through coercion and severely limit defendants' access to the evidence against them. BRIG. GEN. JAMES WALKER (staff judge advocate, U.S. Marine Corps): I simply believe the right to see the evidence against you and to be present when evidence is presented are fundamental to a full and fair trial. REID: Three influential Senate Republicans (Warner, Graham, McCain) say they, too, have concerns about the constitutionality of the president's bill and are writing their own. Senator Lindsey Graham, a judge in the Air Force Reserve, says in a statement, 'I do not think we can afford to again cut legal corners that will result in federal court rejection of our work product.' Republicans and Democrats say they're hopeful a compromise can be reached. In part that's because, with elections so close, no one in Congress wants to look soft on terrorism. SEN. HARRY REID (D-Nev., Senate minority leader): We need these very, very bad people brought to justice. CHIP REID: Republicans said today there's no doubt they will pass a bill quickly. As one aide put it, 'We're not going home to campaign and leave Khalid Sheik Mohammed hanging around without a way to bring him to justice.' Chip Reid, NBC News, the Capitol. Developments in Iraq: BRIAN WILLIAMS: In Iraq today, and with some fanfare, the United States today officially transferred control of part of that nation's military forces to its new government. The problem is the ceremony only involved one of Iraq's army divisions and its tiny air force and navy. The navy includes inflatable boats. The handover coincided with a rash of new insurgent attacks, mostly aimed at the Iraqi police force in Baghdad. At least 17 people, most of them police officers, were killed. SPECIAL REPORT, FOX NEWS CHANNEL, 6 PM, SEPTEMBER 7, 2006: Democrats and Republicans Spar on Security Strategy: BRIT HUME: There's an old axiom in politics that the party in power tends to point with pride to its achievements, and the political opposition views the same events with alarm. So it was today. As the president was pointing to accomplishments in the war on terrorism, Democrats in Washington were viewing the security situation with alarm. Congressional correspondent Major Garrett reports. MAJOR GARRETT: Unlike previous election cycles, Democrats this year appear eager to go toe to toe with the Bush White House on national security. The Senate Democratic leader blasted today's presidential post-9/11 progress report describing Mr. Bush's antiterror efforts as a lot of political theater. SENATOR HARRY REID (D-NV): (From tape.) It's a cynical, but typical move from the campaigner-in-chief. There's a reason five years after 9/11 that America is not as safe as it needs to be. It's because Republicans play politics of national security but fail when it comes to the policy of national security. GARRETT: New York's junior senator and likely '08 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton brandished a new six-point Democratic national security agenda. SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY): (From tape.) This is a very stark choice for Americans. You can have all the tough rhetoric you want by sticking with the other side because they're experts at it, or we can start being serious, thoughtful, strong, and smart. GARRETT: The Democratic plan calls for a gradual withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, new laws legalizing terrorist surveillance and trials, increased funding for first responders, special forces troops, tighter port and rail and mass transit security, and congressional oversight of the intelligence community. Democrats pounded again on port and rail security, labeling current administration efforts an insult to the victims of 9/11 and their survivors. SENATOR CHARLES SCHUMER (D-NY): (From tape.) It is almost blasphemy to the memory of those who were lost that we only inspect 5 percent of the containers that come into our harbors. It is forgetting everything they suffered when we see that there is virtually no rail security or truck security done to prevent another terrorist act from occurring. GARRETT: In a speech to the National Press Club, Delaware Democrat Joseph Biden, another likely '08 presidential candidate, previewed the Democrats' midterm slogan on national security. SENATOR JOSEPH BIDEN (D-DE): (From tape.) Are we safer today than we were five years ago? GARRETT: Playing off the upcoming five-year anniversary of 9/11, Biden said the answer was self-evident. SENATOR BIDEN: (From tape.) Five years ago President Bush pledged to capture Osama bin Laden, and then he redirected our military away from Afghanistan and toward Iraq. Today, bin Laden remains at large and his videotape messages inspire others to make attacks around the world. GARRETT: In response to this Democratic offensive, the conservative group Progress for America today released his TV ad to air on national cable and in Missouri, home to a tough reelection battle for GOP incumbent Jim Talent. COMMERCIAL: (From tape.) Many seem to have forgotten the evil that happened only five years ago. They would cut and run in the Middle East, leaving al Qaeda to attack us again. GARRETT: Democrats say this new strategy is no lark, but one rooted in than a year of consistent polling data. The liberal group Democracy Corps sent a memorandum today to congressional Democrats summarizing what it said is the national mood on Iraq, and I quote: 'Voters are worried about the Republicans staying in Iraq too long than about Democrats withdrawing too soon.' Brit? HUME: Major, thank you. Hearings on Military Commissions Move Forward: HUME: While that political war of words went on, the House Armed Services Committee went to work today on the president's request for a congressionally approved way to put terror suspects on trial. As Pentagon correspondent Mike Emanuel reports, one sticking point may be the question of how much sensitive information such defendants may be entitled to know as they prepare their defense. MIKE EMANUEL: Some of the military's top lawyers appeared before the House Armed Services Committee to answer questions about the new White House plan to prosecute suspected terrorists. Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter said any military court set up to handle these cases must allow the government to protect intelligence sources. REP. DUNCAN HUNTER (R-CA): (From tape.) And while we need to provide basic fairness in our prosecutions, we must also preserve the ability of our warfighters to operate effectively on the battlefield. EMANUEL: Hunter's argument matches the White House position on the issue, but some of the Pentagon's judge advocates general, or JAGs, took issue with the portion of the White House plan to potentially restrict a defendant's access to evidence because in their opinion that could violate the requirements of the Geneva Conventions. MAJ GEN SCOTT BLACK (Army Judge Advocate General): (From tape.) I believe the accused should see that evidence, sir. BRIG GEN JAMES WALKER (USMC Judge Advocate General): (From tape.) I concur with my colleagues that if we get to a point where the sole evidence against an accused is classified, he must be able to see that evidence. That's just essentially one of those elements of a full and fair trial. EMANUEL: But Chairman Hunter argued that could hamper prosecuting these cases. REP. HUNTER: (From tape.) Some of these acts of complicity in terrorist operations or plots are very small pieces. The guy that drives the car, the guy that delivers the document, and you don't have in many cases other broad evidence. That's enough to convict them and yet you're saying that if that's the only piece you have, you have to let them walk. Is that right? MAJ GEN BLACK: (From tape.) If you get to the end of that trial, yes sir, you do. EMANUEL: The administration was forced to create a new method for trying suspected terrorists captured in the war on terror after the Supreme Court ruled in June the military commissions originally set up to try detainees were unconstitutional and violated international law. A top Justice Department official argued these trials under the new plan would be quite similar to court martial procedures conducted by military lawyers, but adjusted for terrorists. STEVEN BRADBURY (Acting Asst Attorney General): (From tape.) These military commission procedures would provide for fundamentally fair trials. The accused will know the charges against him. He will be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. He will have a right to counsel, including an appointed military defense counsel and the ability to retain private counsel. EMANUEL: And the administration argues these terrorists will have other fundamental legal rights. BRADBURY: (From tape.) The accused will have the right to at least two appeals from any conviction, including an appeal to an Article III court. And he may not be tried a second time for the same offense. EMANUEL: The new plan would increase the number of military officers hearing a case from three to five. In death cases, those would require a minimum of 12 military officers to vote unanimously before capital punishment could be imposed. Brit? HUME: Mike, thank you. Former Iranian President Tours US: HUME: Former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami's tour of the United States brought him to Washington, D.C., today after a talk at the University of Virginia. His visit has met with considerable criticism from those who believe he presided over a brutal regime when he was in office and at the same time was a leading exporter of terrorism. Correspondent James Rosen reports. JAMES ROSEN: Appearing at the University of Virginia, the former Iranian president took aim at President Bush, albeit without ever naming him, and at the doctrine of preemptive war. MOHAMMED KHATAMI (Former Iranian President): (From tape, translated.) The unilateralists who claim world leadership blatantly declared new forms of war aimed at globalization of power and resources and results in statements such as whomever is not with us is against us. This us is a small circle encompassing a few that have the right to arrive at any verdict they please regarding the ones they consider the other. ROSEN: Khatami claimed the U.S. in 2003 spurned his proposal for dealing with Saddam Hussein, a plan Khatami said had the support of the UN, the Saudis, the Egyptians, and other regional powers, and that the U.S. is still paying the price. KHATAMI: (From tape, translated.) The result was the transference of the terrorism that was located in Afghanistan to Iraq. ROSEN: Khatami's two-week tour of the U.S. makes him the most senior Iranian to venture beyond UN headquarters since the late 1970s. His visit is controversial because ever since then the U.S. has officially designated Iran a state sponsor of terrorism. Mitt Romney, the governor of Massachusetts, where Khatami will travel this weekend, ordered state agencies not to provide security for Khatami's entourage. The U.S. government approved Khatami's visa and is providing security for him, but the State Department says there are no plans for administration officials to meet with Khatami. Last week, a spokesman was pressed on why Khatami isn't being detained and interrogated. SEAN MCCORMACK (State Dept Spokesman): (From tape.) We would hope that these organizations and the individuals attending these events might take the opportunity to ask him hard questions about Iran's role in the world. ROSEN: (From tape.) You tell us you're engaged in a war on terror. You tell us that this man was president of a country that was the leading state sponsor of terror for several years, and yet you tell us that when you have him in your midst and on our soil you have no intention of interrogating him for the intelligence value that would provide in this war on terror. Does that make sense? MCCORMACK: (From tape.) James, I answered the question. ROSEN: Although as President Khatami pressed for some liberalizing reforms and called for a two-state solution in the Middle East, the leader routinely described as a moderate also routinely attacked Israel as an illegal state, and last year declared his, quote, 'love' for Hezbollah. Iranian born human rights activists protested his visit to the capital. UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (From tape, translated.) I started his presidency in a cell and I ended it in a cell. ROSEN: While some other observers welcomed it. ROSS POURZAL (Alliance of Progressive Iranians): (From tape.) He generally brought civility to politics. ROSEN: Later, in a news conference at the National Cathedral, Khatami indicated Iran is willing to discuss a suspension of its uranium enrichment program, as the UN Security Council has ordered, but not before further talks begin, as the Council also demanded. He also made this claim about the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. KHATAMI: (From tape, translated.) For the present time, the IAEA has not found any evidence that Iran has pursued a non-peaceful nuclear program. ROSEN: In fact, the IAEA reported last month that it could not confirm the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program, and the agency has raised serious questions, Brit, in the past about a military dimension to that program. HUME: Now, what about the planned visit of the current Iranian president to come to the UN and his challenge to debate the president there. ROSEN: Well, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is scheduled to come to the United Nations General Assembly on September 19th, in New York, and speak on that date, as is President Bush, also on that date. We don't know if that will stay the way it is. Ahmadinejad has issued previously a challenge to debate President Bush live and on television. Now he's proposing that the UN be the forum for that. The UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has said he's just not going to get into this. We doubt, as the White House said today, that there will be any kind of steel cage grudge match between the two presidents at the UN, Brit. HUME: All right, James. Thank you. 9-11 SPECIAL, CBS TV, 10 PM, SEPTEMBER 06, 2006: Five Years - How Safe Are We? KATIE COURIC: Five years after the deadliest attack ever on American soil, U.S. soldiers are at war in two countries. Americans still feel threatened at home and the stakes couldn't be higher. Good evening, everyone, I'm Katie Couric. Tonight, we'll take a hard look at the war on terrorism. I talked to President Bush about it earlier today. It's a battle he calls the decisive struggle of this century. We'll have that interview, and we'll take our own look at what's working, what's not and what's next. What happened here at Ground Zero on 9/11 is part of our history and our memory. Five years later, the question for all Americans is: How safe are we now? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we will ultimately suffer some kind of attack again. I'm a survivor of 9/11. I was standing at the base of the World Trade Center when the first plane hit. I think 9/11 was a defining moment for our country and that it was the day that global terrorism arrived in the United States. As a father of three children, I speculate about what the future holds for my kids. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a clash of cultures and we don't understand folks who want to destroy our way of life. I have been in the horse business for 40 years. We need to try to understand why this small group of people is so dedicated to destroying us. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's important for people to obviously understand that not all Muslims are terrorists. Traveling since 9/11 has been a little frustrating; nine out of ten times on the security line and I'm usually plucked out of it and my bags are searched, and while it's frustrating, I understand the need for security and how much is it helping, that remains to be seem. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These are small inconveniences when you're thinking about trying to make the country a little safer. I'm a letter carrier for the United States postal facility that came under attack by anthrax, two of the employees passed away. It used to be we only had to worry about dog bites, bad weather, now, we're worried about anthrax, bombs in mailboxes and no telling what else they're going to do. PRESIDENT BUSH: You're either with us or you're against us in the fight against terror. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After 9/11 for America to defend itself, war and conflict are going to happen. All three of my kids are soldiers, two are in Iraq right now, one has just left the Army. I think the war in Iraq is making us safer overall and that the world knows we're going to defend our country. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The war in Iraq has certainly cost us a lot of goodwill around the world. I'm just not sure how we can fix that problem militarily. I'm a commercial airline pilot. My job is to keep that cockpit safe, defend that cockpit at all costs. I'm not sure that they'll hit us again on an airplane; there are certainly enough other easier targets out there - shopping malls, universities, any type of sports event. You can't defend that stuff 100 percent of the time. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If another attack is attempted, we are ready. We're always out there. We're always on duty. I'm part of a brand new Coast Guard unit that's on the frontlines of homeland security. The terrorist is able to reach out and touch us directly at home and that's really what drives a lot of us who do the best that we can to protect this country and citizens. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On September 11th, we had about 11,000 members of the fire department, 343 were killed that day. You see a lot of video of the clouds coming and people running; you don't see any firemen running away. I'm a firefighter in Ladder 55 in the Bronx. I think about September 11th every day. You look at your watch and it's 9/11, it's 3:43, every day you think about it, every day. Everybody agrees that we are going to get hit by another attack; it's just a matter of where and when. COURIC: George Bush's presidency has been defined by 9/11 and by his stated mission to prevent another devastating attack. I asked the President about the war on terror, threats to our own country and the difficulties ahead. First of all, thank you so much Mr. President for talking with us. PRESIDENT BUSH: Glad to do it. COURIC: We really, really appreciate it. As you well know, Monday is the fifth anniversary of 9/11 and so many Americans are thinking about that day, and I'm just wondering what your thoughts are as we approach that anniversary? PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, I approach it with mixed emotions. I remember the horror and I remember the loss of life. I also remember the lessons and the truth of the matter is September 11th affected my thinking. It basically changed my attitude about the world and I resolved around that time that I would do everything to protect the American people, and frankly, has defined much of how I think as the President. And so for me, it's not just a moment, you know, its really been a change of life. COURIC: A major shift in your philosophy of the world. PRESIDENT BUSH: Yeah, it really has been. COURIC: How so? PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, it reminded me that we're in a major struggle with extremists. Now, when you really think about why would somebody kill 3,000 Americans? And I realize the struggle was than just defeating al Qaeda; it is really an ideological war between extremism and moderation and reasonableness, and it was a profound moment, but I say that but it was no profound than the thousands of our citizens who lost a loved one and so September the 11th is going to be a sad moment, a day of remembrance and a day of commitment. COURIC: You have said, Mr. President, that America is safer, but we're not yet safe. PRESIDENT BUSH: Right. COURIC: When you think about the threats out there, what is your biggest fear? PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, my biggest fear is somebody will come in and slip in this country and kill Americans, and I can't tell you how. Obviously, there would be the spectacular and that would be the use of some kind of biological weapon or weapon of mass destruction, but as we learned recently from the British plots, people were going to get on airplanes and blow up airplanes with innocent people flying to America, and you know, one way to look at it is we have to be right 100 percent of the time in order to protect this country and they've got to be right once. It's just a fact of life. We're facing an enemy, Katie, that just doesn't care about innocent life. I mean, they really are evil people. COURIC: You consider Iraq the central front in the war against terrorism, and I'm wondering, Mr. President, if sometimes in your private moments you feel incredible frustration that this war is not going better, and frustration that public support for it has eroded pretty significantly in recent months. PRESIDENT BUSH: First of all, I do think Iraq is a central front in the war on terror and so does Osama bin Laden. There has been some good moments and some bad moments in Iraq. There's been some highlights, nearly 12 million people voting for government. What was the other part of your question? COURIC: I was saying are you frustrated? You mentioned the positive developments, but certainly, you would acknowledge there are a lot of negative things. PRESIDENT BUSH: Absolutely, starting with the death of innocent people and our soldiers; that's the hardest thing for me. I meet with a lot of the families and I do the best I can to cry with them or laugh with them if they want to laugh and hug them. One thing most have said to me is don't leave before this job gets done. They understand the stakes and so do our soldiers, and the stakes are these that if we leave before the job is done, an enemy that has attacked us will be emboldened. Allies and moderate people will wonder where America's soul is. COURIC: Does it concern you as we walk this corridor and see portraits of people like President Reagan for whom your dad worked as Vice President, some of your father's close colleagues have criticized the war in Iraq, our efforts, particularly Brent Scowcroft, his former national security adviser, very publicly saying in 2004, Iraq is a failing venture. PRESIDENT BUSH: Yeah. Does it bother me? No, not really. When you do hard things, people are going to criticize you. The American people expect me to make decisions based upon principle, to deal with the threats that face our nation and not to worry about criticism. Of course, I listen to it; that's part of the job. COURIC: Conversely, I guess, Mr. President, while people admire so much your ability to adhere to your principles, there is also criticism as you say and there will always be critics that you're inflexible and that your position doesn't change with changing circumstances. PRESIDENT BUSH: I am inflexible when it comes to making sure that we don't get hit again, and you bet I'm going to remain strong about making sure that the world we leave behind is a peaceful world. The question is: Will we see the stakes clearly? And will we use our influence to help moderate folks defeat radical extremism? My answer is, yeah, I bet the American people and the American governments that follow me will do that. I certainly hope so. COURIC: We're going to talk about this some and have a seat because, obviously, there's a lot to talk about. You have said that we can't cut and run on than one occasion; we have to stay until we win, otherwise we'll be fighting the terrorists here at home on our own streets. So what do you mean exactly by that, Mr. President? PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, I mean that a defeat in Iraq will embolden the enemy and will provide the enemy opportunity to train, plan and to attack us. That's what I mean. You know, one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror. I believe it as I told you, Osama bin Laden believes it, but the American people have got to understand that a defeat in Iraq, in other words, if this government there fails, the terrorists will be emboldened and the radicals will topple moderate governments and I truly believe this is the ideological struggle of the 21st century and the consequences for not achieving success are dire. COURIC: During our interview this morning, the President revealed information about previously undisclosed terror plots. Fourteen suspected top al Qaeda terrorists captured after 9/11 revealed important information during interrogations. Now, the President is pushing Congress to approve military tribunals to bring them to justice. Can you give us any indication about what kind of information you were able to glean from these, quote, unquote, 'high value targets?' PRESIDENT BUSH: Right. Well, for example, we uncovered a potential anthrax attack on the United States or the fact that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed had got somebody to line up people to fly airlines - to crash airlines, I think, the West Coast or somewhere in America and these would be Southeast Asians. We've uncovered cells and this is pretty rich data. COURIC: When you look back on the last five years, President Bush, is there anything that you wish you had done differently? PRESIDENT BUSH: Yeah, I mean, I wish for example Abu Ghraib didn't happen. That was a stain on our nation's character and it sent a signal about who we're not to a lot of people around the world. I probably could have watched my language a little better. COURIC: In terms of - PRESIDENT BUSH: Sometimes, I try to explain myself in plain terms and sometimes the terms too plain. COURIC: You can take the boy out of Crawford, but you can't take Crawford out of the boy? PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, that's one way to look at it. COURIC: I'll have with the President later, but next, the Director of the FBI says he's taking aim at a target right here at home. Is he on the right track? That's next. (Commercial break.) COURIC: Since we've been hit, the FBI's budget has almost doubled. It's now close to $6 billion. Almost half the Bureau's investigations involve counterterrorism and they've added 6,000 new people. Jim Stewart went inside the FBI to find out just who they're after. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We believe in Mohammed as a prophet of Islam. We pray five times a day. This is Islam, very simple. JIM STEWART: Korzaim Ramali (sp), the Islamic Society of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn is very simply a place for peaceful worship, but this holy place was also the spiritual home of 22-year-old Matin Siraj, a man the FBI and New York Police describe as a new breed of enemy, the homegrown terrorist. This police video shows Siraj in the back seat. MATIN SIRAJ (Terrorist Suspect): This is big? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's very big. SIRAJ: It's pretty small. STEWART: Asking two cohorts how big a backpack bomb they'll need to blow up New York City's Herald Square subway station. According to FBI Director Robert Mueller, the significance of the case is that al Qaeda doesn't have to plot to send killers here any. What's the definition? What is homegrown? ROBERT MUELLER (FBI Director): These are individuals who are inspired and motivated by al Qaeda, but we have not seen any direct connection with al Qaeda. STEWART: Siraj, outraged by the Abu Ghraib torture scandal, conspired to bomb the subway with a friend. SIRAJ: I'll get dressed up like a Jew and I'll put the bomb there. STEWART: And a mentor from the Bay Ridge mosque who turned out to be a confidential informant working for the NYPD. In the past two years, the FBI and local police say they have uncovered at least five homegrown cells around the country, most recently in Miami where seven men were charged with plotting to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago. Have you been lucky or have you been good? MUELLER: It's both. Yes, you could be fortunate, but to the extent that you are thorough, to the extent that you follow up on every lead, you make your luck. STEWART: But if the latest homegrown cell shared bin Laden's ideology, they sorely lacked his expertise. The Miami group's revolutionary strategy bordered on delusional. Are these really terrorists? MUELLER: Prior to September 11th, you have several individuals with box cutters only who had a scheme to hijack airlines and run them into buildings. Any one of these groups could undertake a like attack, and I can assure you that where we have indication or evidence of such planning that we will investigate and we will disrupt and we will prosecute. STEWART: And no apologies? MUELLER: No apologies. STEWART: Are we safer now? MUELLER: Yes. The Patriot Act broke down the walls and we are much adept now at identifying pieces of information and following up on those pieces of information with all of our counterparts in the intelligence community and the law enforcement community. MICHAEL SCHEUER (Terrorism Consultant): I think they're whistling past the graveyard if they think that we're significantly safer than we were on 9/11. STEWART: CBS News consultant Michael Scheuer ran Alex Station, the former CIA unit tasked with tracking Osama bin Laden. He says the FBI shouldn't exaggerate the value of taking out these homegrown cells. SCHEUER: Whatever amount of resources that's devoted to that particular cell is not being devoted against the A-team, against al Qaeda. STEWART: Isn't the proof in the pudding that we haven't been attacked since 9/11? SCHEUER: I think that's one of the slickest and most cynical arguments and successful arguments that American politicians have ever come up. STEWART: Your argument then is that it's not so much what the FBI has done to keep an attack from occurring here, it's just that al Qaeda hasn't gotten around to us yet, your busy elsewhere? SCHEUER: I think they're busy elsewhere. I think they're also endlessly patient. STEWART: Draw your points to the recent London plane plot, which was in the works for months and which U.S. intelligence officials have linked directly to al Qaeda. MUELLER: This was al Qaeda proper. They're still capable of pulling off the big attack. I don't believe anybody is saying that al Qaeda proper; bin Laden and Zawahiri do not still have the ability to undertake attacks. STEWART: That's what keeps New York City police commissioner Ray Kelly up at night. He says despite the FBI's best efforts, the city that's home to Ground Zero needs . RAY KELLY (New York City Police Commissioner): It's just common sense to realize that New York is on top of the terrorist target. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's two high profile targets in Manhattan right now. STEWART: Nowhere in this country is counterterrorism such an in-your-face experience as in New York where displays of firearms and manpower called surges have become routine. Kelly is also permanently stationed some officers overseas. There's some people in Washington not altogether happy with that. KELLY: We have to do what we have to do to protect this city. Five blocks from here we had 2,700 people killed. STEWART: But aside from the machine guns and helicopters, law enforcement's best weapon may be covert operations. It was the NYPD's infiltration of the Brooklyn mosque, which led to the conviction of Matin Siraj and the conspiracy to bomb Herald Square. KELLY: We got a tip and the confidential informant came in and he was very well motivated because he felt so strongly about this case. STEWART: That motivation could be the most underreported force helping to keep us safe. MUELLER: The Muslim-American community here has been tremendously helpful in terms of alerting us to individuals or group of individuals who they believe may undertake a terrorist attack. STEWART: That's because unlike their militant counterparts in Europe - UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What you have witnessed now is only the beginning. STEWART: Which spawned the bombings in London and Madrid; America's Muslims have been assimilated completely. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I came here to this country, I have never seen in my life people like the American people with an open heart. STEWART: And ultimately, that patriotism may turn out to be our best defense. COURIC: You don't have to be on anyone's watch list to discover you're being watched, that's ahead, and as we continue tonight, we want to recognize some Americans across this country working to make us safer every day, the first responders. (Commercial break.) COURIC: Thousands of cameras, one city, watching, waiting. Here's Erin Moriarty. ERIN MORIARTY: If we have learned anything in the past five years, it is this: One man's symbol of prosperity could be another man's target, and here in the heartland's largest city, there are plenty of targets. CORTEZ TROTTER (Chief Emergency Officer, City of Chicago): We have the Sears Tower. We have a thriving financial market. We have a city that looks great. MORIARTY: While most Americans don't want to think about potential disasters, Cortez Trotter thinks of little else. TROTTER: What you see - MORIARTY: In April, the mayor of Chicago appointed him the city's first-ever chief emergency officer. TROTTER: It's something that, A, you don't take lightly and B, you go home at night thinking I've got to do better, I've got to do . MORIARTY: There are a number of new security measures that have been added to make the city safer. Out here on the streets of Chicago, you probably won't see them, but these days, and , someone is probably watching you. TROTTER: We have people watching all types of things that ten years ago we might have thought there was nothing unusual about it. MORIARTY: Operation Virtual Shield may be the most extensive city surveillance system in the country linking about 3,000 cameras. TROTTER: We've got them spaced every two blocks. MORIARTY: And how close can we get? TROTTER: Closer, closer. Let's see where you bought the car from. Now, if that truck is sitting there an hour from now maybe what we should do is have a police squad go by and just check why is this car that's been there for an hour still sitting there. MORIARTY: And than 100 private companies are also connecting their cameras to the system. TROTTER: Of course, Sears is on that list. Boeing is on that list. John Hancock is on the list. What we're doing is taking their cameras and feeding them right into our system here. MORIARTY: Chicago has had a head start over most cities. RICHARD DALEY (Chicago Mayor): The fact is there is no other system in the world - MORIARTY: In 1995, Mayor Richard Daley had a vision of putting police, fire and emergency responders into one building; it's cost, $217 million. DALEY: I said just build me something that we know it's going to last, that's controversial and someone said it's a waste of money, but when 9/11 came, you're a genius. TROTTER: Let's bring up Sears Tower. MORIARTY: It is considered state-of-the-art, but there are still large holes in this virtual shield, holes big enough to drive trains through. Is there any screening of passengers getting on trains like this? JOE SHOFER (Transportation Expert): No. No. MORIARTY: None? SHOFER: How could you do it? MORIARTY: Pre-screening passengers is impractical says mass transportation expert Joe Shofer, yet while the federal government spends about $8 per passenger for aviation security, only four cents per passenger goes toward rail safety. SHOFER: I think it's disproportionate. MORIARTY: Chicago's METRA and other rail lines use bomb- sniffing dogs, but as you are about to see, they are not foolproof. Watch what happened in February on this undercover video from CBS station WBBM when an investigator carrying a bag with components of gunpowder walks by a dog. There is no reaction, not even when the bag is put right in front of the dog. TROTTER: In the event of a release of some type - MORIARTY: The kind of terrorism that seems to worry security experts most is bio-chemical and Chicago has already had a close call. Just six months after 9/11, a man was found in a subway tunnel with the ingredients for cyanide gas. Joseph Konopka, who called himself Dr. Chaos, had no apparent political agenda; he is now in federal prison. TROTTER: How many areas can we be hit by terrorism, probably than we could ever protect. MORIARTY: Cortez Trotter admits no city can prevent all attacks, which is why the response is just as critical. TROTTER: We have the 22nd floor of the Sears Tower. MORIARTY: In Chicago, detailed floor plans of major buildings are available to all emergency services. TROTTER: The responding units know that there is potentially 100 people on that particular floor. We have not only the floor plan, but the actual evacuation procedure plan on each and every one of these buildings. MORIARTY: What kind of grade would you give the City of Chicago? JIM THOMPSON (Former Illinois Governor): I'd give Chicago a B for achievement and an A for effort. THOMAS KEAN (9/11 Commission Co-Chairman): Today, we present this report - MORIARTY: Former Illinois Governor Jim Thompson who sat on the 9/11 Commission, says Chicago like all American cities may still have problems with communication among rescue workers. THOMPSON: Congress agreed to turn over radio spectrum to first responders so that police and fire can talk to each other as they were not able to do in New York, but when do we turn it over, 2009. Why 2009? Why not now? MORIARTY: How often do you think of 9/11? TROTTER: Often. I watched the video of it. Often. It keeps me focused. As I see the faces of the public as I walk on the street, we're responsible for them and I want them to go on living their lives and feeling comfortable knowing that at night or early in the morning, I'm doing enough worrying for everybody. COURIC: So many lives on the line, two wars, a global battle. Can we finish the job? Coming up. (Commercial break.) COURIC: There's an increasingly heated debate about how we should be fighting global terrorism. In a new CBS News/New York Times poll, a majority of Americans, 54 percent say the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are creating terrorists who want to attack us. Lara Logan has been on the ground in both countries and for the soldiers she spoke to, there is no debate. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They know we're here. LARA LOGAN: Five years after 9/11, American soldiers are still being wounded and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their sacrifices are necessary President Bush says to ensure that no Americans die in terror attacks on U.S. soil. That mission certainly remains a cause worth fighting for to Marine Captain Andrew Delgaudio. People talk about the war on terror. They talk about the war against al Qaeda, but its you and your Marines who are really fighting that war up close. CAPTAIN ANDREW DELGAUDIO (U.S. Marine Corps): I look at it as every insurgent that we kill over here is one less person that will fly an airplane into the World Trade Center or some other building in the United States. LOGAN: But as these two wars drag on with no end in sight, the fighting is making America less, not safe, says leading Afghan expert Barnett Rubin. BARNETT RUBIN (Afghanistan Expert): I think it is very hard for Americans who have not traveled in this region to understand the very high level of anger at the United States throughout the Muslim world. LOGAN: In Afghanistan, that anger has helped fuel a resurgence of the Taliban, an enemy America thought it had defeated, but the very people who once harbored Osama bin Laden have made this past year the bloodiest ever for U.S. troops here. RUBIN: After five years of effort, the Taliban are now powerful than they have been at any time since they were removed from power. LOGAN: We were determined to see for ourselves. We drove just two hours south of the Afghan capital, Kabul, to get to an area under Taliban control. After months of negotiations, their leaders agreed to meet with us, but I was required to wear traditional dress. I met with than 100 Taliban fighters a mere ten miles from the nearest U.S. base. They told me they want to drive the Americans out of Afghanistan. You are only fighting for your country? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. No. No. We are fighting for first for our religion, our country and our earth. LOGAN: Since the U.S. invasion, the Taliban have adopted new tactics and, today, they're using roadside bombings and suicide attacks, hallmarks of al Qaeda, a sign the two groups are now closer than ever. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those people who are against American interests are al Qaeda. LOGAN: Okay. We have to stop to pray. Afghanistan is seen by al Qaeda as their spiritual home, and Osama bin Laden and his followers are determined to get it back no matter how long it takes. The Afghan government doesn't believe bin Laden has been in this country since he fled U.S. and Afghan forces along this very road nearly five years ago. U.S. intelligence hasn't had any word on him here for at least ten months. The most widely held belief is that he's just across the Afghan border inside Pakistan, beyond the reach of U.S. forces. ROBERT TEMPLER (Islam Expert): If the Taliban did come back into power, even if the Taliban were to gain control over a significant area, that would provide a base for al Qaeda. LOGAN: Robert Templer, an expert on Islamic extremism, says that would be a disaster. TEMPLER: It would provide a greater ease of movement, flexibility, training camps - all those sorts of things that we saw before 9/11. LOGAN: Military might alone is not enough to contain the newly emboldened Taliban and their spreading influence. Army Lieutenant Colonel Chris Toner emphasizes you have to win the hearts and minds as well. LIEUTENANT COLONEL CHRIS TONER (U.S. Army): And the people, you can see it in their faces. They see progress. They understand what is the future for them. After 30 years of war, you're not going to make it happen in five years. LOGAN: Some changes are already happening. A vibrant free press, new construction, girls in the classroom and the burqa, the very symbol of the repressive Taliban regime is slowly coming off, but for most Afghans who still don't have electricity, clean water or jobs, the pace of change has been painfully slow. GENERAL DAVID RICHARDS (NATO Commander): We need to address that sense of frustration. LOGAN: NATO commander Lieutenant General David Richards. RICHARDS: That isn't happening rapidly or visibly enough. LOGAN: Why isn't it happening rapidly enough? RICHARDS: Well, I think the Achilles heel of this operation has been this belief that it was all in the bag initially. LOGAN: Many believe this same mistake was made in Iraq where America's welcome has turned into a bloody fight for survival. than 700 attacks on civilians every day make rebuilding parts of the country all but impossible, and today, civil war looms. TEMPLER: As for Iraq being an incubator of hate, it's clear that Iraq policies just had immense damage to the image of America around the world. Its been a source of unfortunate inspiration for some people to go out and wage jihad. LOGAN: And that's precisely what's happening in the Iraqi town of Ramadi, a breeding ground for a new generation of al Qaeda terrorists who have taken on the U.S. Marines with a vengeance. For the past 25 minutes, the Marines have been firing at insurgents who engage this building. We took small arms fire incoming. They returned fire. Since that firefight in April, at least 13 Americans have died, but even with that rising toll, Marine Captain Delgaudio is convinced his men are doing their part to make Americans safer. DELGAUDIO: So 30, 40 years from now, you know, we don't have another World Trade Center, we don't have another Pentagon, we don't have Americans dying on their shores because we've allowed this cancer to grow in the Middle East. COURIC: Ever hear of the NCTC? What about the threat matrix? We'll tell you what they are and what they do to keep us safe. Stay with us. (Commercial break.) COURIC: The 9/11 attacks were a kind of puzzle the government couldn't solve with all kinds of warnings and clues. Would we get it right today? David Martin found an unmarked building in the Washington suburbs where secrets are being shared. SCOTT REDD (Director, National Counterterrorism Center): Before 9/11, there were 13 different databases on known terrorist identities. They were disconnected, different agencies and people didn't talk to each other. DAVID MARTIN: Scott Redd may be the most important person you've never heard of. As head of the new and very secret National Counterterrorism Center, it is his job to make all the different intelligence agencies and their computers talk to each other and share everything they know about terrorist plots against this country. So you're the guy in charge of the war plan for the war against terror? REDD: That's one way of putting it, yes, sir. MARTIN: And you give that to the President? REDD: Well, yes, sir, I do. MARTIN: Another way of describing your job might be to make sure something like 9/11 never happens again. REDD: That's what we worry about every day, David. MARTIN: Known by the initials NCTC, the Counterterrorism Center is normally off-limits and we're not allowed to tell you exactly where this building is, but we were given unprecedented access to this brand new, state-of-the-art nerve center. Because this center is so new, it is loaded with the kind of gadgets that make this make this conference room look like a made-for- TV movie, but it's not the gadgets that make this room the hub of the war against terror; it's the business that's transacted here. You do this every morning? KEVIN BROCK (FBI Agent): Every morning at eight o'clock. MARTIN: FBI agent Kevin Brock chairs the morning's top-secret meeting. BROCK: Here is where we exchange current intelligence, daily intelligence about what the terrorism threat is out there, and we talk about and we make sure that information is being exchanged freely among the agencies in the intelligence community. MARTIN: For the first time in the history of this country, 18 different intelligence agencies are routinely sharing the kind of sensitive information they used to keep to themselves. We're not allowed to stay long. BROCK: Good morning, everybody, we're going to get started. MARTIN: And when you listen to the roll call, you'll understand why. BROCK: CIA, good morning. NSA, good morning. White House, good morning. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: White House here. MARTIN: Every morning begins with an update of the threat matrix, intelligence that has come in overnight on plots against this country. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning, everyone. We have two SIT items and seven threat matrix items to brief this morning. MARTIN: One of those SIT reps, short for situation report contains the latest developments in the London bomb plot, which was just broken up the day before we were here. Redd recited for us the message he sent to his staff after that. REDD: I said this was just the type of event that NCTC was established to address. The amount of effort that went into foiling this plot was admirable and extremely effective. Bottom line is: We save lives. MARTIN: And the corollary is, watch out for the next one? REDD: Watch out for the next one. Never let your guard down. MARTIN: That's why the operation center goes 24/7. Randy Crawford is the supervisor of this watch. Is this some sort of an airline - RANDY CRAWFORD (National Counterterrorism Center): That's an aircraft tracker and what that is used for tracking aircraft movement around the United States. These are aircraft that are inbound to the Washington National Capital Region, and we can go in and pull up their flight numbers. MARTIN: They can also call up the passenger manifest and check it against the no-fly list of known or suspected terrorists. CRAWFORD: Earlier this week, there was a no-fly on a flight bound from Heathrow into the United States, and sure enough, we got the list and there was a no-fly on it and the plane turned around and landed at Heathrow. MARTIN: There's a name on there that corresponds to a name on that huge database that you keep of all suspected terrorists, and then that's enough for someone else to make the decision to turn a plane around. CRAWFORD: Yes. RUSS TRAVERS (National Counterterrorism Center): Information sharing is undoubtedly the most complex thing I've ever been associated with. MARTIN: Russ Travers is responsible for keeping that list of suspected terrorists accurate and up to date. How big is that database? TRAVERS: It's got between 300,000 and 400,000 names in it now. It's huge. It doubled in '04 and it doubled again in '05. MARTIN: Sorting through the 6,000 cables that come in each day and the six million documents stored on the Center's internal Web site is a task of mind-boggling complexity, but Redd insists it's night and day better than before 9/11. REDD: Five years on, we're better prepared today to fight this war than we have been at any time in our history. MARTIN: We're better prepared, but are we winning? REDD: You don't know a commander that is going to tell you that he is winning the war in the midst of a war. There are too many unknowns out there, but I will say this, it's a long war and if we have the perseverance to stick with it, we'll lose a few battles along the way and that's almost inevitable, but we're going to win most of the battles and at the end of the day, Lord willing, we'll win the war. PRESIDENT BUSH: If the United States ever says, oh, my goodness, I don't want to defend democracy because somebody might harm us, we will have lost our soul. (Commercial break.) COURIC: One philosophical question - PRESIDENT BUSH: Sure. COURIC: That many people have that I'd like you to respond to if you could is that U.S. policy vis-a-vis Iraq and the United States close alliance with Israel have galvanized terrorists worldwide, in other words, these policies have created terrorists than they have eliminated. How do you respond to that? PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, the first thing I would tell people that we weren't in Iraq on September 11th, 2001 when 19 killers killed 3,000 Americans in the most brutal attack on our soil ever. COURIC: But they were from Saudi Arabia. PRESIDENT BUSH: They share the same jihadist mentality, this radicalism, and so my first answer is on Iraq the notion that somehow defending ourselves has made us vulnerable, I just don't agree with it. Secondly, of course, we stand with democracies and our friend, Israel. If the United States ever says, oh, my goodness, I don't want to defend democracy because somebody might harm us, we will have lost our soul. Look, let me just share something with you that I strongly believe. I believe a mother in America and a Muslim mother in the Middle East share the same concerns for their children and that is they want peace and they want their children to grow up in a hopeful world. That's what I believe. That's why I can say the extremists are in the minority in the Middle East, and I strongly believe we have a duty to help those who recognize that, you know, this quagmire, this swamp of resentment can be drained by liberty. COURIC: So five years later, how safe are we? Americans have an answer; most say the threat of a terrorist attack is something we'll always have to live with. That's the new normal. We're still figuring out how to be free and vigilant at the same time, and still trying to figure out what victory is in this new kind of war. We do know one thing, the heroism that came out of 9/11 is still very much alive. You see it every day in our soldiers half a world away and in the first responders who say they would do it all over again, thankfully, that's also part of the new normal. I'm Katie Couric, good night. Copyright 2006 Federal News Service, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |