GOP Calls for Investigation into Classified Leak; U.S., Iraqis Secure Border Town; French Authorities Hope Curfews will Quell Riots
LOU DOBBS, HOST: Thank you, Wolf. Good evening, everybody. Tonight, a major new leak investigation under way in Washington. Republicans trying to shift the political debate from pre-war intelligence on Iraq. We'll have that special report for you from Capitol Hill. And U.S. Marines in Iraq using overwhelming firepower to blast insurgents out of a strategically important town near the Syrian border. We're live in Baghdad with the story. And then, the 13th day of rioting in Muslim and Arab areas of France. The French prime minister declares his country is, quote, "at an hour of truth." We'll be taking you live to Paris. And on this election day 2005, a day of truth in California, where a series of referendums could determine the future of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's political career. We'll also tell you about a rare victory for working men and women in this country, handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court. We begin tonight with major new developments in what has become a highly partisan battle on Capitol Hill about the leak of secret U.S. intelligence. Republican leaders today launched an investigation into the leak of classified information to the "Washington Post" about secret CIA prisons for terrorists overseas. Ed Henry on Capitol Hill with the latest for us, Ed?</s>ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Lou, the latest is that CNN has just learned from U.S. officials that the CIA has now officially sent a report to the U.S. Justice Department suggesting that, in fact, classified information was leaked in this "Washington Post" report. What's significant here is that's exactly what happened in the Valerie Plame case. The CIA referred to this to Justice, and of course, they launched a criminal investigation that resulted, ultimately, in at least one indictment of Scooter Libby, the vice president's former chief of staff. So we're expecting that to be a big development. Also, as you mentioned, House Speaker Dennis Hastert and the Senate majority leader launching today a separate probe here on Capitol Hill, a joint investigation by the House and Senate intelligence committees to get to the bottom of this. But a little bit of a hang-up just in the last hour here, Senate Majority Leader Frist telling reporters he has not officially signed a letter that he and Hastert had drafted earlier today to the intelligence committee chairs to officially launch this investigation. What's the hang-up? Well, a little controversy has been brewing this afternoon. Officials up here were basically saying throughout the day that they believe former and current CIA officials were to blame for leaking this classified information to the "Washington Post" about the secret prisons where allegedly terror suspects were held. But then late this afternoon, Republican Senator Trent Lott basically stunned reporters saying that, in fact, he thinks that at least one Republican senator may have been involved in this, as well. Basically, Senator Lott told reporters that at last Tuesday, a private lunch between Republican senators and Vice President Cheney, this information about secret prisoners and prisons were actually -- this information was discussed in the Capitol among Vice President Cheney and Republican senators. Lott said point-blank, referring to the "Washington Post" report, quote, "A lot of it came out of that room last Tuesday," referring to the room where Cheney and Republican senators had lunch. He also added of senators, quote, "We can't keep our mouths shut." And then he added of Cheney, quote, "He was up here last week and he talked up here in that room right there in a room full of nothing but senators, and every word that he was said -- that was said in there went right to the newspaper." Now, I can tell you just in the short little while various Republicans telling me that Senator Lott is going to eventually be clarifying his remarks, that he was not saying that, in fact, the information was revealed there. There was some information -- was discussed. But I have not gotten a chance to get to Senator Lott to actually get to the bottom of it. Democrats are having some fun with this. They say now these Republican investigations might wind up investigating Republican senators -- Lou.</s>DOBBS: Well, investigating whomever. The fact that the majority leader in the U.S. Senate, Senator Bill Frist, has pointed out that he's not officially signed the agreement with Dennis Hastert, the speaker of the House, that seems like a pretty clear statement. Would you like to conclude what it means?</s>HENRY: Well, it's unclear. Hastert has signed the letter. He has signed it several hours ago. That was when we -- CNN first reported it, about 1 p.m. this afternoon. Now, why Senator Frist has not officially signed it, it's unclear. It's hard to speculate, and I don't want to speculate at this point. This controversy has popped up this afternoon and certainly raising some...</s>DOBBS: Speculate if you will, Ed Henry, on this. Why would the Senate majority leader be telling everybody he hasn't signed it yet?</s>HENRY: Well, perhaps because people are wondering whether this investigation is going to boomerang on the Republican leadership. And I think the Republican leaders are a little nervous about exactly where this investigation may go. But by the end of the evening, Senator Frist may end up signing the letter to show that, in fact, he does want to get to the bottom of it. I should also point out that, while he told me and other reporters he had not signed the letter, he did say he wants to get to the bottom of whether or not classified information was leaked. But it's very curious that on the one hand he's saying he wants to investigate it; on the other hand he's saying he hasn't signed the letter.</s>DOBBS: Did he go on to say that he would sign the letter, Ed?</s>HENRY: He did not go on to say it, but he told me that he had a 6 deadline. He didn't say what the deadline was, but it's now a couple minutes after 6. This was a few minutes before. I would expect that he was expecting to decide whether he would sign the letter by 6, so hopefully in a few minutes we'll have an answer.</s>DOBBS: And -- and hopefully, within a matter of just a few minutes after that you'll be back here reporting to this audience exactly what is going on.</s>HENRY: I look forward to, Lou.</s>DOBBS: Thank you very much. Ed Henry from Capitol Hill. The announcement comes as special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald continues his investigation into the CIA White House leak case. Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, is the only person indicted so far. Fitzgerald's investigation has now gone on 678 days. Of course, more than twice as long as Watergate 30 years ago. Congressional Democrats today stepped up their criticism of the way the White House used intelligence before the war in Iraq. House minority leader Nancy Pelosi declared any information into the CIA prison leak should include a look at pre-war intelligence as well. The Democratic vice chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, Senator Jay Rockefeller met with the committee's chairman, Senator Pat Roberts. Senator Rockefeller said there's still much work to be done on the issue. The chairman of the intelligence committee, Senator Roberts, said that there are difficulties. Senator Roberts said the two senators have what he calls a frank and candid discussion on the issues. As politicians argue about pre-war intelligence, it appears one of our most senior intelligence officials has inadvertently disclosed one of the government's most closely held secrets. A top CIA official last week revealed for the first time that the country's annual intelligence budget is $44 billion. That's slightly higher than published estimates, although the CIA has previously revealed, up until 1999 the budgets, this is the first time in six years it has done so. Not surprisingly, the official who released that information is now saying nothing, certainly nothing in public. Turning now to the war in Iraq, a top U.S. Marine officer declared that American and Iraqi troops have secured a strategically important town near the border with Syria. That after four days of heavy fighting. The Marine offensive is in the town of Husayba. It was the biggest U.S. offensive in a year. Aneesh Raman now joins us live from Baghdad -- Aneesh.</s>ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Lou, good evening. As you say, day four of Operation Steel Curtain winding down as U.S. And Iraqi force secure the city of Husayba. Now we have more exclusive CNN video of the operation to show you tonight. The city is of critical importance because for months it has been an insurgent command post. It also lies right on the Syrian border, across which foreign fighters, weapons and cache continue to flow into Iraq. They have destroyed a number of significant weapons caches, detained a number of suspected insurgents. The key now will be whether Iraqi security forces, who will remain behind permanently as its operation ends, can keep the area secure, that is key to U.S. troops coming home. The Pentagon yesterday announced that some 92,000 U.S. troops would rotate into Iraq from mid next year until 2008. That number, though, Lou, of course, dependent on the situation on the ground, the situation which very much is still war. We're just about eight days into November and already, 27 U.S. troops have been killed in Iraq -- Lou.</s>DOBBS: Unfortunately, 27 more, the total rising, well above 2,000. Aneesh Raman, we thank you very much, reporting from Baghdad. Police in Australia say a radical Islamist cleric there who praised Osama bin Laden is the leader of a group of suspected terrorists planning a jihad against Australians. The cleric and 16 other radical Islamists were arrested in a massive security operation in Australia's two biggest cities, Melbourne and Sydney. Friends and relatives of some of the accused men attacked reporters and photographers outside a courthouse in Melbourne. None of the newsmen were seriously -- were seriously hurt. Radical Islamist rioting continues in France tonight, the 13th night of attacks and riots and the violence that has swept across the entire country. As some local officials impose curfews, the French prime minister declared that France is now at an hour of truth. Becky Anderson is live in Paris with the very latest for us, Becky?</s>BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Lou, this is the hour of truth. And let me tell you, the law that was passed earlier today allowing for curfews has just gone into effect. We know of one area to the northeast of Paris, a very depressed area, a town known as Aneuille (ph). That annex suburbs are under curfew from now on through the next 12 days from 10 p.m. until 7 a.m. in the morning. Anybody out on those streets breaking the curfew will be either fined or put in prison for up to two months. That is the situation. So we know of one town in and suburb to the north of Paris just here that is under curfew at this point. The interior ministry said it has defined the other areas across France where curfews will be allowed. They haven't released those details to the media. It will become clear in the next few hours exactly where those towns with curfews are across France. Let's set some context for this for you. On Monday night, 226 towns and cities across France suffering violence and riots of some sort, and tonight, once again, in Toulouse and in Marseilles, before these curfews went into place, we're hearing reports once again of the torching of cars. A thousand cars torched last night, 350 people arrested. That was on the twelfth night of violence. The state here is hoping that these curfews will do the job. The people who live in these neighborhoods are calling these curfews draconian and provocative. They don't think this will necessarily help. We'll have to see -- Lou.</s>DOBBS: Becky Anderson from Paris. Thank you, Becky. Still ahead, a deadly school shooting in Tennessee today. We'll have the very latest for you. And important elections all across the country today. We'll have complete coverage, of course, coast-to-coast. And a grave new warning about communist China's threat to this country economically and militarily. We'll have that special report coming right up.