CNN.com -Transcripts Page 1of 12 MemberCenter:SignIn | Register InternationalEdition nmlkji nmlkj Search HomePage World Transcript Providers U.S. Weather Business Sports Return to Transcripts main page Analysis Politics LOUDOBBSTONIGHT Law Technology PentagonGivesGrimReportonIraq;More Science&Space CarnageTodayinIraq;DeadlyPlaneCrashin Iran;RegulationsForElectronicVotingMessy; Health PiceanceBasininNorthwestColoradoContains Entertainment OilShale;DoctorWhoSavedLivesInIraq Offbeat Honored Travel Education AiredSeptember1,2006-18:00ET SpecialReports THISISARUSHTRANSCRIPT.THISCOPYMAY Video NOTBEINITSFINALFORMANDMAYBE Autos UPDATED. I-Reports KITTYPILGRIM,CNNANCHOR:Tonight,agrim warningfromthePentagonafteroneoftheworst sectarianattacksinBaghdadinmonths.The PentagonsaysconditionsexistinIraqthatcouldleadtocivilwar. AndfourpeoplehavebeenkilledasTropicalDepressionErnestomovesuptheEastCoast.Hundredsofthousandsof peoplehavelostpower. ANNOUNCER:ThisisLOUDOBBSTONIGHT,news,debateandopinionforFriday,September1st. E-mails RSS SittinginforLouDobbs,who'sonvacation,KittyPilgrim. Podcasts PILGRIM:Goodevening,everybody. Mobile CNNPipeline ThePentagontodaysaidthatsectarianviolenceinIraqisspreadingandthenumberofattacksisrising.ThePentagon admittedtheincreasinglevelsofviolenceareasetback. Atthesametime,PresidentBushissteppingupeffortstodefendhisconductofthewar.NextTuesday,thepresident willdeliverthesecondinaseriesofmajorspeechesaboutthewar. JamieMcIntyrereportsfromthePentagononthemilitary'sgrimwarningsabouttheprogressofthewar. MichaelHolmesreportsfromBaghdadontheincreaseinviolenceinIraq.And EdHenryreportsfromtheWhiteHouseonthepresident'snewcampaigntodefendhiswarstrategy. WeturnfirsttoJamieMcIntyre--Jamie. JAMIEMCINTYRE,CNNSR.PENTAGONCORRESPONDENT:Well,Kitty,whetheryouthinktheviolenceisduetoa civilwar,sectarianfighting,orcriminaldeathsquads,onethingthisPentagonreportmakesclearisthatthingsinIraq aregettingworse,notbetter. (BEGINVIDEOTAPE) MCINTYRE(voice-over):ThereporttoCongressonhowthingsinIraqwentinJune,JulyandAugustdoescite progressinbuildingupIraqiforces,aswellasturningoveronesouthernprovincetoIraqicontrol.Butthegoodnewsis temperedwithgrimstatistics. Attacksup15percentoverthesummerandIraqicasualtiesupanalarming51percent,comparedtothespring.The reportsaysciviliancasualtiesincreasebyabout1,000permonthoverthethree-monthperiodandsays90percentof thebodiesbroughttothecentralmorgueinBaghdadappeartohavebeenexecutedinIraqi-on-Iraqiattacks,whichthe U.S.stillinsistsdoesnotconstituteacivilwar. COL.TOMVAIL,COMMANDER,101STAIRBORNEDIVISION:I'vegotanoptimisticviewthatcivilwarwouldnot http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0609/01/ldt.01.html 5/21/2007 CNN.com -Transcripts Page 2of 12 occur,butIcan'tpredictthefuture.Myoptimismcomesfromtheamountofforcesandtheamountofcapability availableinBaghdadrightnow,asweinterveneandweprotectthepeople. MCINTYRE:Thereportechoesthathopefulassessmentbutalsowarnsominously,"Conditionsthatcouldleadtocivil warexistinIraq,"evenasitconcludes,"Thecurrentviolenceisnotacivilwar,andmovementtowardscivilwarcanbe prevented." (ENDVIDEOTAPE) MCINTYRE:Thereportreferstothelevelandintensityoftheviolenceasasetbackthatisaffectingthestability,the reconstructionandtransitionplansforIraq.It'salso,thisreport,givensomeammunitiontoadministrationcritics. SenateDemocraticleaderHarryReidfiredoffastatementtodaysayingthatthereportshowsthatthespeechesof PresidentBush,VicePresidentCheney,DefenseSecretaryRumsfeldareincreasinglydivorced,hesaid,fromthefacts onthegroundinIraq--Kitty. PILGRIM:Thanks,Jamie. JamieMcIntyreatthePentagon. InIraqtoday,threepeoplewerekilledinamortarattacksouthofBaghdad. Meanwhile,rescuersintheIraqicapitalarestillsearchingforvictimsofcoordinatedattackslastnight.Itwasoneofthe worstattacksinmonths.Morethan60peoplewerekilled. MichaelHolmesreportsfromBaghdad--Michael. MICHAELHOLMES,CNNINTERNATIONALCORRESPONDENT:Kitty,thenumbersinthePentagonreportcomeas nosurprisetopeoplehereontheground,especiallyinBaghdad.Theyhavebeenseeingtheirownpeople,their neighbors,theirfamilybeingkilledinhugenumbersinthelastfewmonths. Justlet'sremember,therocketattackonthatresidentialareajust24hoursagowhichkilled62people,237wounded, explosions,rockets,mortarattack,thatsortofthingisbecomingfartoocommonplacehere,especiallyinBaghdad. Whatpeoplearesaying,though,isthatinareaswhereOperationTogetherForwardhasgoneon,whereU.S.andIraqi troopsmoveintothemoredangeroussuburbsandclearouttheinsurgents,getcachesofweapons,theysaythat's terrific. Actsofviolencearedown50percentinthoseareas.Butwhatthey'reworriedaboutisthattheinsurgentsmerelyleft andthattheywillcomebackwiththeirweaponsandcarryonwheretheyleftoff.Theywanttoseesomethingthatis morepermanent,somethingmoresustainablewhenitcomestotryingtoimprovethesecurity,theever-worsening securityforordinaryIraqis--Kitty. PILGRIM:MichaelHolmesreportingfromBaghdad. Well,formersecretaryofstateJamesBakertodayvisitedBaghdadtoassessU.S.strategyinIraq.Bakerandformer DemocraticcongressmanLeeHamiltonareleadingthebipartisanIraqStudyGroup.Now,thegroupwillproducea reportonIraqforCongressandtheWhiteHouse. BakerservedassecretaryofstateunderthefirstPresidentBush. PresidentGeorgeBushwilldeliveranothermajorspeechonthewarnextTuesday,andthepresidentistryingtoblunt voterskepticismaboutthewaraheadofthemidtermelections. EdHenryreportsfromtheWhiteHouse--Ed. EDHENRY,CNNWHITEHOUSECORRESPONDENT:Kitty,thisnewPentagonreportstepsabitonthepresident's latestseriesofspeechesonthewaronterror.ParttwocomesTuesday. HereinWashington,WhiteHousespokeswomanDanaPerinosayingthatthepresidentwillfocusonthestateofthe enemy,howit'sbeenweakened,howtheBushadministrationbelievesitispouringalltheresourcesnecessarytokeep theenemyontherun.TheWhiteHousefeelinggoodaboutthepresident'sspeechyesterday. Butperhapsamoreimportantaudience,thecongressionalRepublicans,willbeontheballotinNovember.Theymay beconcernedaboutIraqandDefenseSecretaryDonaldRumsfelddraggingthemdown.CongressmanPatTiberi,a RepublicanfromOhio,todaytoldthe"ColumbusDispatch,""Ican'tdefendhowthepresidentlaidouttheneedforgoing towarinIraq.Idon'tsupportRumsfeld." Askedwhetherthepresidenthasoperatedabovethelawintermsofgovernmentsurveillance,Tiberisaid,"Hemight have." ClearlytryingtoseparatehimselffromtheWhiteHouse.Andwhat'ssignificantisthatevenDemocratstellmethey don'tthinkTiberiisinthattoughofarace,unlike,say,Congressman--RepublicanChrisShaysofConnecticut,who lastweeksuggestedperhapsthereshouldbeatimetabletostartwithdrawingtroopsfromIraq. Heisinatightrace.Andthatmayexplainwhyhemadethatcall.Youhavetobecarefulaboutnottakingthe commentsofoneRepublicanandextrapolatingitouttoofar,butthisdoesperhapsshowsoneofthereasonswhythe presidentislaunchingthisnewseriesofspeeches.TheWhiteHouseconcernedaboutmoreRepublicansbetweennow http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0609/01/ldt.01.html 5/21/2007 CNN.com -Transcripts Page 3of 12 andNovemberrunningawayfromtheWhiteHouse. Finally,IcalledCongressmanTiberitoday.Hewouldnotgetonthephonewithme,buthisofficeputoutaprepared statementandmadetwopoints. Numberone,theysaythecongressmanstillsupportsthemissioninIraq.Andsecondly,thecongressmanclaimshe's callingonSecretaryRumsfeldtoresign.HejustwantsnewleadershipatthePentagon. Obviously,though,thetopleaderatthePentagonisSecretaryRumsfeld.Ifyouwantnewleadership,hemightbeone ofthepeopleyoucouldbereferringto--Kitty. PILGRIM:Thanksverymuch. EdHenry. Well,theUnitedStateshasbegunconsultingEuropeaboutpossiblesanctionsagainstIran.Iranhasrefusedtomeeta U.N.deadlinetostopenrichinguranium.TheUnitedStatessaysIranshouldnowfaceinternationalsanctions,but Europebelievesit'sstillpossibletonegotiateadeal. AnIranianairlinertodaycrashedinthenortheastofthecountry.Twenty-eightpeoplewerekilled,butincredibly,120 otherssurvived. AneeshRamanreportsfromtheIraniancapitalofTehran--Aneesh. ANEESHRAMAN,CNNCORRESPONDENT:Kitty,atragicairaccidentinIrantoday,butonethatIranianofficialsmay notjustblameonthecauseofthecrash,butontheinternationalcommunity. (BEGINVIDEOTAPE) RAMAN(voice-over):Asemergencyofficialsarrivedonthesceneandsurvivorswererushedtothehospital,thebodies ofthoseburnedtodeathlaycoveredonthetarmac.Thisisthewreckageofaplaneinvestigatorsbelievewasengulfed inflamesafteratireburstasitlandedintheIraniancityofMashhad. SuchaccidentsarealltoofrequentinIran,whereaircrasheskillscoresofpeopleeveryyear.AndIranianofficials consistentlylaytheblamewithcountriesthathaveimposedsanctionsontheIslamicrepublic. TheysaytheU.S.tradeembargohaspreventedIranfromupdatingitsdomesticfleet.Instead,forcingIranianairlinesto relyonRussian-madeplaneswithspottysafetyrecords.TheonethatcrashedonFridaywasaRussianTupolev. AndunderPresidentAhmadinejad,Irannowfacestheprospectofevenmoresanctions.Onatourofprovinces,he continuedtosounddefiant,adayafterrejectingaU.N.deadlinetostopenrichinguranium. MAHMOUDAHMADINEJAD,IRANIANPRESIDENT(throughtranslator):TheIraniannationispeace-seekingandafter negotiations.Itdoesnotcommitoppressionandaggression,buttheworldshouldknowthatitwillnotgiveinto pressureandtheviolationofitsrights. RAMAN:Buttheshellofthisburnt-outplaneinMashhadmakesasombercounterpointtothatdeclarationof independence.AnofferreportedlymadebyEuropeancountriestoIrantosuspenditsnuclearprogramincludedmaking airplanepartsavailable,butitcametonothingasthisnuclearrowrumbleson. (ENDVIDEOTAPE) RAMAN:Iraniansshrugoffanytalkofsanctions.They'vegotthemalready,andmanyherefeelthatmoresanctions canmakethingsmuchworse.Butitistheywhoareenduringalifeofincreasingisolationastheirgovernment continuestopursueitsnucleargoals--Kitty. PILGRIM:AneeshRamaninTehran. Well,theU.S.militaryhascarriedoutasuccessfultestofthiscountry'sballisticmissiledefenses.Aninterceptormissile