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Monday, September 11

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Editor's Note: The CNN Wire is a running log of the latest news from CNN World Headquarters, reported by CNN's correspondents and producers, and The CNN Wire editors. "Posted" times are Eastern Daylight.

Kashmir government would welcome militant ceasefire

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir (CNN) -- Jammu and Kashmir's chief minister said his government would respond positively if the militants were to announce a ceasefire for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which starts in a few weeks.

The "people of Jammu and Kashmir are completely fed up with (the) cult of violence," Ghulam Nabi Azad said in a statement.

"Time has come to openly declare stoppage of all kinds of violence, attacks on innocents, throwing of grenades, planting of IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and resorting to harassment of people, by militants."

In recent years, militants have offered and recognized a ceasefire during Ramadan only to return to the violence once the holy month of fasting was over. (Posted 2:35 a.m.)

Bermuda weathers Florence well; Gordon forms in Atlantic

HAMILTON, Bermuda (CNN) -- Residents of Bermuda cleared uprooted trees and branches scattered early Monday by the powerful winds of Hurricane Florence, but the mid-Atlantic island chain weathered the storm without any significant damage and no reports of injuries.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Gordon, the seventh named storm of the season, formed Monday afternoon northeast of the Leeward Islands.

The National Hurricane Center's five-day forecast shows the storm moving slightly west but mostly north, which would take it over open ocean well east of Bermuda. However, because of the erratic nature of hurricane movement, such long-range forecasts can vary.

By Tuesday, Gordon, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, is expected to strengthen into a full-blown hurricane, with winds in excess of 74 mph. (Posted 2:35 a.m.)

On 9/11 anniversary, Bush says war on terror is 'calling of our generation'

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Five years to the day after Islamic terrorists brought death and destruction home to America, President Bush warned the American people Monday night that a "difficult road" still lies ahead in the global war on terror, which he said "will not be over until either we or the extremists emerge victorious."

"The war against this enemy is more than a military conflict. It is the decisive ideological struggle of the 21st century and the calling of our generation," the president said in a televised address from the Oval Office. "Dangerous enemies have declared their intention to destroy our way of life. They are not the first to try, and their fate will be the same as those who tried before."

Denouncing what he called "a global network of extremists ... driven by a perverted vision of Islam," Bush said that "if we do not defeat these enemies now, we will leave our children to face a Middle East overrun by terrorist states and radical dictators armed with nuclear weapons." (Posted 9:48 p.m.)

Hurricane Florence heads into open water

SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda (CNN) -- Hurricane Florence moved away from Bermuda Monday evening, leaving only a tropical storm warning in its wake as it sped into open Atlantic waters, the National Hurricane Center said in its 8 p.m. advisory.

The eye of Florence was centered about 195 miles north of the island as it moved on a north-northeasterly course at about 16 mph, a speed expected to increase as the evening goes on, the NHC said. The storm's top winds had dropped from 90 mph to 85 mph.

The NHC said the tropical storm warning still in place for Bermuda would likely be dropped later in the evening. (Posted 8:35 p.m.)

Hurricane Florence starts pulling away from Bermuda

SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda (CNN) -- Hurricane Florence was moving away from Bermuda Monday afternoon and toward open Atlantic waters, but its top winds remained near 90 mph, the National Hurricane Center's 5 p.m. ET advisory said.

The eye of Florence was centered about 145 miles north of the island as it moved on a north-northeasterly course at about 16 mph, a speed expected to increase as the evening goes on, the NHC said.

Hurricane Florence's center was 60 miles from Bermuda at its closest point late Monday morning, delivering sustained winds of 90 mph and gusts measured to 111 mph, the NHC said.

No significant damage was reported on the island, where stringent building codes are enforced. (Posted 5:38 p.m.)

Bush to characterize war on terror as 'struggle for civilization' in 9/11 speech

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In an address from the Oval Office Monday night, President Bush will caution the American people that even after five years, the war on terror touched off by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks is far from over -- and that the country should brace for "a difficult road ahead."

"America did not ask for this war, and every American wishes it were over. So do I," Bush will say, according to excerpts of his speech released in advance by the White House. "But the war is not over, and it will not be over until either we or the extremists emerge victorious.

"If we do not defeat these enemies now, we will leave our children to face a Middle East overrun by terrorist states and radical dictators armed with nuclear weapons. We are in a war that will set the course for this new century and determine the destiny of millions across the world." (Posted 5:35 p.m.)

American Airlines calls 9/11 miniseries 'inaccurate and irresponsible'

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- American Airlines on Monday blasted ABC's docudrama on the history of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, calling scenes involving lead hijacker Mohammed Atta "inaccurate and irresponsible."

The first half of of the film, "The Path to 9/11," aired Sunday night. Its opening scenes depicted American ticket agents at Boston's Logan International Airport issuing a boarding pass to Atta despite a warning that pops up on their computer, which would have required them only to hold his bags until he boarded the aircraft.

Atta actually cleared security in Portland, Maine, and boarded a US Airways flight to Boston before transferring to American Flight 11, the first of two jets that slammed into the World Trade Center, the independent commission that investigated the attacks concluded. (Posted 5:28 p.m.)

More charges expected to be filed against American seen on al Qaeda videos

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- More charges are expected to be filed soon against a U.S. citizen who, as a member of al Qaeda, has recently appeared in several videotapes put out by the terror organization, two sources familiar with the investigation tell CNN.

The sources said Gadahn is already facing a sealed indictment charging him with material support to terrorism. One of the sources said prosecutors have been debating whether to charge him with treason, but it is not known whether a final decision has been made on what exactly an updated indictment would allege.

When asked about Gadahn's importance to the al Qaeda organization in an interview last week, FBI Director Robert Mueller told CNN, "It's significant in terms of his being a spokesperson for al Qaeda. ... I mean he has been on television. People have seen his face. It's going to be very difficult for him to become an operative. But he is a a contributor. He's certainly supporting al Qaeda and (is) somebody who we would very much like to arrest and prosecute."

Gadahn, who is called "Azzam the American," has appeared in several al Qaeda messages recently speaking English. --From CNN's Kevin Bohn and Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena (Posted 5:24 p.m.)

Tropical Storm Gordon forms in Atlantic; no U.S. threat seen

(CNN) -- Tropical Storm Gordon formed Monday in the Atlantic Ocean north of the Leeward Islands, but the storm's current forecast trajectory does not show it as a threat to the United States or islands in the Caribbean.

At 5 p.m., the center of Gordon -- the seventh tropical system to reach named status this year -- was about 425 miles northeast of the Leeward Islands, moving northwest at nearly 9 mph. The National Hurricane Center reported the storm's maximum sustained winds at about 45 mph.

The five-day forecast for the storm shows it moving slightly west but mostly north, which would take it over open ocean. The only land area that might be affected under the current forecast is Bermuda, which was pounded Monday by the wind and rain of Hurricane Florence.

While forecasters expect some strengthening, Gordon is not expected to become a hurricane. (Posted 5:14 p.m.)

As Darfur crisis worsens, Rice warns Khartoum better U.S. relations depend on U.N. force

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Monday she pressed Sudan's government to accept a U.N. force in the war-torn region of Darfur, warning improved U.S. relations depend on it.

Rice met Monday with Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol before leaving for a two-day trip to Canada. Speaking to reporters aboard her plane, Rice suggested Khartoum remains opposed to such a force.

"I won't say that we made progress but I will say that I delivered the strongest possible message in the strongest possible terms to the Sudanese government that any hope for bettering relations between the United States and the Sudan rests on Sudan's cooperation," she said.

Rice said that Akol, in their meeting, "brought hopes, for better relations between the United States and Sudan, and I told him in no uncertain terms that that wasn't on the agenda unless the Sudan acted responsibly."

A State Department official said that Rice also voiced strong concern during her meeting with Akol over the deployment of thousands of Sudanese troops in Darfur and reports of attacks on civilians. --From CNN State Department Producer Elise Labott (Posted 5:08 p.m.)

Chicago mayor vetoes 'big box' minimum wage hike; override possible

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley on Monday vetoed a "living wage" ordinance that seeks to force big-box retailers like Wal-Mart and Target to increase their hourly pay and other benefits.

However, the veto can be overridden by 34 votes from the Chicago City Council, which approved it in July by a 35-14 vote. The council meets Wednesday.

The ordinance calls for chain stores with more than $1 billion in annual sales and at least 90,000 square feet of retail space to pay wages of at least $10 an hour plus $3 in benefits by 2010.

"I understand and share a desire to ensure that everyone who works in the city of Chicago earns a decent wage," Daley said in a written statement. "But I do not believe that this ordinance, well intentioned as it may be, would achieve that end.

"Rather, I believe it would drive jobs and businesses from our city, penalizing neighborhoods that need additional economic activity the most. In light of this, I believe it is my duty to veto this ordinance." (Posted 4:30 p.m.)

9/11 commission chiefs warn reforms still needed

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The leaders of the independent commission that investigated the 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington warned against a renewed complacency about homeland security as the fifth anniversary of the attacks arrived Monday.

"These people are wily. They take a long time," said former New Jersey Gov. Thomas Kean, the commission's chairman. "As you know, the 9/11 attacks were planned over five or six years, and we can't let our guard down."

Kean and co-chairman Lee Hamilton, the former chairman and ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, used the fifth anniversary of the attacks to prod Congress to do more to enact the commission's recommendations.

"Our first responders still don't have the help they need. They still can't talk to each other in the way they should," Kean said. "That cost lives on 9/11. It cost even more lives with Katrina." (Posted 3:20 p.m.)

Effort to identify WTC victims' remains continues

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Five years after 9/11 only about half of the recovered remains of those who perished in the attacks on New York City's World Trade Center have been identified, the office of the city's medical examiner said Monday.

Hampering the identification process has been the degraded state of many of the remains, said Ellen Borakave, a spokeswoman for the office. City medical examiners have dehydrated the unidentified remains in an effort to preserve them.

Borakave was quick to point out that they have not slowed in their efforts to identify all remains.

"We're constantly working with whatever technology holds some promise in making further identifications," Borakave said. "And we will be working with it in the hopes of positively identifying everyone."

To date the city's medical examiner has identified 10,933, or nearly 53 percent, of the 20,730 body parts recovered at the World Trade Center site through DNA analysis alone. This year, however, only one set of remains was successfully matched to a 9/11 victim. --From CNN's Zak Sos (Posted 1:47 p.m.)

Kurdish villagers testify in genocide trial against Saddam Hussein

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A woman who now resides in the U.S. state of Virginia was the first person to take the stand Monday to testify against former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and six members of his regime charged with killing tens of thousands of people in the 1988 Anfal military campaign in Iraq's Kurdish region.

Kathryn Mikhail, a Christian Kurd in her late 50s, testified on the fourth day of the trial, which resumed after a two-and-a-half week recess.

The trial is scheduled to continue Tuesday.

Mikhail said she witnessed four Iraqi Air Force jets bomb Kurdish areas in northern Iraq 18 years ago and described the aftermath of what she said were chemical gas attacks.

She submitted photographs to the court, including that of a child she said was killed as a result of the Baathist regime's military campaign against the Kurds. (Posted 1:09 p.m.)

Xinhua: 25 workers trapped after tunnel collapses in SW China

BEIJING (CNN) -- Chinese rescuers are trying to locate 25 workers trapped after a highway tunnel collapsed Monday in the southwestern Yunnan province, according to state-run news agency Xinhua.

The 165-foot-long (50 meter) tunnel, which was constructed in 2004, collapsed around 11:40 a.m. (11:40 p.m. ET Sunday), according to Xinhua, which did not report the incident until over 12 hours later.

No other details were available. (Posted 12:42 p.m.)

Americans mark 5th anniversary of terrorist attacks

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Thousands of people gathered Monday on a clear, crisp day in Lower Manhattan to mark together the time five years ago when the two towers of the World Trade Center were felled in an act of terrorism that fundamentally changed much of the world.

In a reading that was expected to last four hours, the names of the 2,749 victims were read aloud by their spouses, partners and significant others.

"It surely cannot be easy to come to this site and speak out loud the name of the person that you had always thought would be next to you, the one with whom you had hoped to face the world, to stand by your side," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The readings were interrupted four times by moments of silence -- marking when each of two passenger jets crashed into the towers and when each tower fell. (Posted 12:38 p.m.)

Rice honors foreign nationals killed on 9/11

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- International standoffs took a back seat to reflection Monday as the State Department honored people from more than 90 countries who were killed in the Sept. 11 attacks five years ago.

Standing before a row of flags representing each country that lost citizens in the attacks, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice led an "International Remembrance" ceremony to recognize the fallen.

In addition to members of the diplomatic corps, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was in the audience.

"Five years ago, on this very day, evil swept into America's skies and onto American soil. In a violent instant, thousands of innocent souls were stolen from us," Rice said. Beyond being the worst assault on America's homeland in history, Rice called the attacks "an attack on the universal ideals of peace and liberty and human rights that civilized nations like ours embody and strive to uphold." --From CNN State Department Producer Elise Labott (Posted 12:16 p.m.)

Hayden delivers message to CIA staff on attack anniversary

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- On the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden told members of his workforce they should be proud of their achievements since the devastating attacks.

Hayden acknowledged the intelligence community's inability to prevent the attacks, but praised it for adapting quickly to what he called "a new type of war."

"We know the enemy and understand his methods with far greater depth and precision," said Hayden in the videotaped message to CIA employees.

Although the war on terror has not yet been won, the four-star Air Force general said, the enemy spends most of its time "looking over their shoulder," because of the efforts of the intelligence community. --From CNN National Security Senior Producer Pam Benson (Posted noon)

Woman reported missing from cruise ship

MIAMI (CNN)-- A 36-year-old woman was reported missing Monday from the Carnival Cruise Lines ship Imagination, said Petty Officer Dana Warr.

The woman was reported missing by family members after the ship arrived in the Port of Miami Monday morning, he said.

According to a statement released by Carnival Cruise Lines, the ship was returning from Calica, Mexico, after a four-day cruise that included a stop in Key West, Fla. (Posted 11:49 a.m.)

Diverted United Airlines flight back in the air

DALLAS (CNN) -- A United Airlines flight diverted to Dallas while on its way from Atlanta to San Francisco is continuing to California after a security check determined there was no threat from a Blackberry communication device found by a flight attendant but not claimed by a passenger, according to a Transportation Safety Administration spokeswoman.

The passengers were rescreened by TSA personnel at a gate at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and dogs searched the Airbus 319's cabin, said TSA spokeswoman Sari Koshetz. It was decided there was no security threat, she said. (Posted 11:28 a.m.)

Anti-homosexual protesters taunt service in remembrance of 9/11 crash in Pennsylvania

SHANKSVILLE, Pa. (CNN) -- Anti-homosexual protesters from Kansas staged a demonstration and shouted as people gathered here Monday to remember United Flight 93 that crashed on Sept. 11.

Around a dozen demonstrators from the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., held up signs saying, "Thank God for 9/11" and taunted family members and others attending a service of remembrance, saying the crash resulted from America's tolerance of homosexuals.

The demonstrators were kept about 400 yards from the service by Pennsylvania State Troopers. (Posted 10:11 a.m.)

Palestinian leaders agree to form unity government

GAZA CITY (CNN) -- Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Monday he had asked Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya to form a new government within 48 hours after the two agreed to a unity government.

The two struck a deal to create a new government that includes Abbas' moderate Fatah Party in the hope of lifting international sanctions that have cut off funding to the current Hamas-led government.

The Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz reported the two sides were able to cement a deal after Hamas agreed to indirectly recognize Israel by accepting a 2002 Arab peace initiative as part of the platform for the unity government.

Hamas is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and many other nations.

As a result, international aid -- which is the main source of funding for the Palestinian government -- stopped earlier this year after Hamas won control of the Palestinian parliament and took over day-to-day operation of the Palestinian government. (Posted 9:56 a.m.)

Rocket fire interrupts 9/11 commemoration at U.S. military base in Afghanistan

EASTERN AFGHANISTAN (CNN) -- Rocket fire near a U.S. military base in eastern Afghanistan sent soldiers and a CNN crew scrambling for cover as they gathered to begin a moment of silence marking the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

The attack happened around 5 p.m. (8:30 a.m. ET) during a live broadcast by CNN's Anderson Cooper. The U.S. military has asked CNN not to disclose the exact location of the base which is inside Afghanistan near the Pakistani border.

The soldiers fired artillery from the base toward the direction of rocket fire.

The soldiers had planned to take part in a moment of silence at 5:16 p.m. (8:46 a.m. ET) marking the time that the first hijacked plane hit the World Trade Center.

CNN's Nic Robertson said he heard at least five incoming rounds, and none landed near the base or caused any damage or casualties to the U.S. soldiers. (Posted 9:04 a.m.)

Attackers target provinical governor's funeral, a day after his assassination

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A bombing Monday targeted the funeral of an Afghan provincial governor who was assassinated a day earlier by a suicide bomber, the Afghan Interior Ministry told CNN.

No details about the funeral attack were immediately available. Police and witnesses told the Associated Press the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber and there were casualties.

Abdul Hakim Taniwal -- governor of the eastern Paktia province -- was killed Sunday along with his bodyguard and nephew as they left his office in Paktia's provincial capital of Gardez. (Posted 7:18 a.m.)

Suicide bomber kills 13 Iraqi army recruits; car bomb wounds 4 civilians

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A suicide bomber detonated an explosives vest on board a minibus Monday morning, killing 13 Iraqi army recruits, Iraqi police said.

Another recruit was wounded in the attack which took place around 10 a.m. (2 a.m. ET), just outside the army's Al-Muthana recruiting center in northern Baghdad. The bomber boarded the minibus that is commonly used by recruits going to and from the center.

At midday, a car bomb exploded on Palestine Street's busy commercial district in eastern Baghdad.

The attack wounded four civilians and damaged numerous businesses. (Posted 6:47 a.m.)

Over 220 Taliban fighters killed this weekend in Operation Medusa

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The NATO offensive in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province, dubbed "Operation Medusa," kicked into high gear this weekend, claiming the lives of more than 220 Taliban insurgents between late Friday and Sunday.

"The Taliban in the Panjwayi-Zhari area have suffered significant attrition," said Col. Chris Vernon, head of NATO's International Security Assistance Forces southern command.

ISAF said it expects the fighting in the region to end soon, but cautioned residents not to return until Afghan and ISAF authorities formally announce it is safe for them to return.

More than 500 insurgents, one coalition soldier whose nationality has not been released, and at least five Canadian soldiers have been killed in Operation Medusa, which began last weekend and is being spearheaded by Canadian and Afghan forces. (Posted 6:08 a.m.)

Zawahiri warns of 'new events' on eve of 9/11 anniversary

(CNN) -- A lengthy video statement from Ayman al-Zawahiri, issued on the eve of the fifth anniversary of al Qaeda's attacks on the United States, calls on Muslims to step up their resistance to the United States and warns that "new events" are on the way.

"Your leaders are hiding from you the true extent of the disaster," the fugitive deputy to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden says in a lengthy video statement that appeared on Islamist Web sites late Sunday. "And the days are pregnant and giving birth to new events, with Allah's permission and guidance."

It appeared just hours before Monday's anniversary of the al Qaeda 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, which killed nearly 3,000 people. Similar announcements have been followed by statements posted on the Internet or broadcast by Arabic-language networks like Al-Jazeera.

The statement calls on Muslims to fight U.S. allies in Somalia, where an Islamic militia recently pushed U.S.-backed alliance of warlords out of the capital Mogadishu, and urges Iraq's Kurds to take up arms against the Americans as well.

The statement is more technically sophisticated than previous ones released by al Qaeda's fugitive leadership. It runs an hour and 16 minutes long and is subtitled in English, with a short section of highlights at the start of the video. (Posted 10:50 p.m.)

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