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The Situation: Tuesday, September 20

Editor's Note: The Situation Report is a running log of dispatches, quotes, links and behind-the-scenes notes filed by the correspondents and producers of CNN's Washington Bureau. Watch "The Situation Room" with Wolf Blitzer on CNN 3 p.m. ET to 6 p.m. ET weekdays.

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_{Posted 5:53 p.m. ET
From Carol Cratty, CNN America Bureau}

An alleged terrorist says he came up with the idea to assassinate President George Bush and that it wasn't something suggested to him by al Qaeda operatives he allegedly met and conspired with in Saudi Arabia. "I came up with the idea on my own, but it did not get beyond the idea stage," Ahmed Abu Ali is quoted as telling Saudi interrogators on June 15, 2003, according to a court filing by the government made public Monday.

Court documents claim Abu Ali went on to say, "I wanted to be the brain, the planner, just like Mohammed Atta and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (sic)."

Although the interrogation was conducted by Saudis, FBI officials were allowed to observe it through a two-way mirror.

Abu Ali allegedly told his questioners he had two possible scenarios: "I would walk on the street as the President walked by, and I would get close enough to shoot him, or I would use a car bomb."

Scheduled to go on trial in late October, Abu Ali faces a nine-count indictment including charges he conspired to assassinate the president, conspiracy to commit aircraft piracy, conspiracy to destroy aircraft and providing material support to terrorists. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held in a jail in Alexandria, Virginia.

Al Qaeda video

_{Posted 4:18 p.m. ET
From Pam Benson, CNN America Bureau}

A U.S. counterterrorism official said the newly released tape of Osama bin Laden's chief deputy does not in itself demonstrate that al Qaeda planned or directed the terrorist attacks in London this summer.

In the tape broadcast Monday on Al-Jazeera, Ayman al-Zawahiri claimed responsibility for the July bombings on mass transit in downtown London. The first attack on July 7 killed 56 people, including the four bombers. Two weeks later, four bombs failed to detonate.

The U.S. official said this is not the first time al Qaeda has hinted at responsibility for the attacks. Al-Zawahiri appeared on a previous tape in which he blamed the policies of British Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.S. President George Bush for the bombings. But the counterterrorism official said al Qaeda seems "content to take credit for any terrorist attacks."

The official pointed to what he called the "stepped up propaganda efforts" by al Qaeda, attempts, he said, to get "better play" in Western media. For instance, al-Zawahiri's tape contained English subtitles.

Intelligence officials would not comment on the authenticity of the latest al-Zawahiri tape, other than to say, "We've never had a fake one."

The Morning Grind

_{Posted: 8:50 a.m. ET
From Molly Levinson, CNN Political Unit}
Not it.

Amid an avalanche of lowered approval ratings, President Bush heads back to Mississippi and New Orleans today for his fifth visit to the Gulf Coast since Hurricane Katrina devastated the area. Poll numbers aren't the only hazard in the way of Mr. Bush, who is confronted with rhetorical mud-slinging between federal and local authorities in the area, predictable political pot-shots inside the beltway, and an ongoing game of "Not It" amongst officials of all shapes, sizes and localities.

That is, except for one. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin finally reversed his invitation for city residents to return yesterday, under pressure from Mr. Bush and Vice Adm. Thad Allen, and citing danger from impending Hurricane Rita. But he fired off what we'll dare to say is not his last shot at Allen and the Administration, saying, "The admiral's a good man. I respect him. But when he starts talking to the citizens of New Orleans, that's kind of out of his lane. There's only one mayor of New Orleans and I'm it."

Meanwhile, an announcement this morning of yet another person in charge: Frances Frago Townsend, who will lead the internal inquiry into "what went wrong" inside the Administration. Despite ongoing optimism from House and Senate Republicans, there is still no sign of a Joint Congressional Committee to investigate the aftermath of the Hurricane, nor the independent investigation called for by the Democrats.

Still, lack of a formal Hurricane investigation in no way precludes meetings on Capitol Hill. Congressional Democrats will meet with leading African American ministers this morning, followed, of course, by a media avail. Inside the meetings - Bishop Thomas Hoyt, Jr., who is the presiding bishop of the Fourth Episcopal Church District, which includes 320 congregations in Mississippi and Louisiana.

This is one of several events this week which deal with the issues of race and poverty that have become forefront, and politicized, in the wake of Katrina. While Democrats from Bill Clinton to Howard Dean have leveled charges of racism against the Administration, there are still a few African Americans with higher profiles who contend that local mismanagement, rather than class or race, is to blame for the hundreds dead, and the homeless and jobless diaspora of thousands.

Frances Rice, chair of the National Black Republican Association says, "The NBRA applauds President Bush for his leadership, compassion and bold initiatives to help the people and rebuild New Orleans. It is shameful how the Democrats are using a natural disaster and the sufferings of African Americans to inflame racial divisiveness and further their partisan political agenda of keeping blacks poor, angry and voting for Democrats."

Ms. Rice's organization, the NBRA, was started about a month ago - and had reached a membership of approximately 15 individuals before the Hurricane struck. After disputes over whether or not to endorse Judge John Roberts, and then later, to endorse President Bush in the wake of the hurricane, the organization lost nearly half of its members, including three Executive Committee members.

** Today is Primary day in a place dear to many of our hearts: Manchester, New Hampshire. City voters cast ballots to determine who will be the candidate for Mayor.

** Also today, a hurricane relief concert at Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall. Elton John, the Neville Brothers, Dave Matthews, Tom Waits and the again-reunited Simon and Garfunkel, among many other acts, shuffled schedules at the last minute to help people who have lost family members, homes and jobs.

** Finally, a Memorial Service will be held today for the late ABC news anchorman Peter Jennings at Carnegie Hall. Jennings died of lung cancer on August 7.

CNN Vice President and Washington Bureau Chief David Bohrman shared some memories of Jennings with the Grind.

Peter Jennings
_{From David Bohrman, CNN Washington Bureau Chief}

I'll start with the Emmy Awards since we were there last night. I remember the Emmy's in, I think, 1983. There were only one or two ABC tables. I was there because I was a Senior Producer on World News Tonight, and Peter had just taken over. All of a sudden, it was announced that Peter Jennings had won for reporting from Beirut. I think it was the Marine Barracks bombings. And there was this really awkward moment when we realized that nobody was there to pick up the award. Peter was not award-driven at all. And add that to the fact that he was as insecure as anyone and probably never thought he would win. So there we were - and it was clear we needed to do something. We were all glancing around the table and finally I just got up, went to the podium and accepted the award on Peter's behalf. I knew that an award for reporting from Beirut would be especially meaningful to him.

Peter and I stayed in touch. A couple of years ago, when the newest of their sets was put in, Peter wanted to know what I thought. One evening, during the program, I sent him a short analysis. And 2 or 3 minutes later, WHILE HE WAS STILL ON THE AIR, he sent me a response... My immediate answer to that was to tell him not to email people in the middle of World News Tonight while he was working.

And speaking of Peter and email - the way to tell if an email was from Peter was if it were filled with typos and misspellings. I never got a note from him on email without at least several errors.

I miss him.

Political Hot Topics

_{Posted: 8:35 a.m. ET
From Stephen Bach, CNN Washington Bureau}BUSH APPROVAL HITS 40: President Bush's vow to rebuild the Gulf Coast did little to help his standing with the public, only 40 percent of whom now approve of his performance in office, according to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll released Monday. Just 41 percent of the 818 adults polled between Friday and Monday said they approved of Bush's handling of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, while 57 percent disapproved. And support for his management of the war in Iraq has dropped to 32 percent, with 67 percent telling pollsters they disapproved of how Bush is prosecuting the conflict. CNN.com: Bush approval rating at 40 percent

NAGIN CALLS OFF RETURN TO NOLA: Just as the region inched toward functional, the specter of Tropical Storm Rita prompted some officials across the New Orleans region to revoke plans for residents' return, fearing more rain could overtake already weakened levees and cause further flooding. Mayor Ray Nagin suspended plans to let Uptowners return later this week and asked Algiers residents, who were allowed to come back to their homes Monday, to evacuate. And St. Bernard halted re-entry plans altogether and imposed a mandatory evacuation beginning today at 4 a.m. New Orleans Times-Picayune: New storm threat ends homecoming for St. Bernard, N.O. residents

EXPECTING A BATTLE?: The White House is reshuffling its short list of potential Supreme Court nominees with a new emphasis on finding someone who will hold up under the pressure of what is expected to be fierce confirmation battle, several Republican allies close to the process said on Monday. The shifting calculus reflects the increased stakes in replacing the retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor as the court's swing vote as well as the expectation that the new nominee will be measured against Judge John G. Roberts Jr. New York Times: White House Said to Shift List for 2nd Court Seat

WH OFFICIAL NABBED IN ABRAMOFF PROBE: The Bush administration's top federal procurement official resigned Friday and was arrested yesterday, accused of lying and obstructing a criminal investigation into Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff's dealings with the federal government. It was the first criminal complaint filed against a government official in the ongoing corruption probe related to Abramoff's activities in Washington. The complaint, filed by the FBI, alleges that David H. Safavian, 38, a White House procurement official involved until last week in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, made repeated false statements to government officials and investigators about a golf trip with Abramoff to Scotland in 2002. Washington Post: Bush Official Arrested in Corruption Probe

HILLARY AND THE SIX-YEAR PLEDGE: Claiming Hillary Rodham Clinton is hiding behind her husband, possible Republican challenger Jeanine Pirro renewed her effort Monday to get New York's junior senator to take a pledge to serve a full, six-year term if re-elected. A major thrust of Pirro's campaign has been that Clinton wants to be the Democratic nominee for president in 2008 and will be an absentee senator if she is re-elected. AP via Yahoo! News: Pirro Renews Pressure on Clinton

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