Denver Airport Opens Up Two Runways Today; Security Council Unanimously Votes Sanctions Against Iran
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, sanctions against Iran. By a unanimous vote today the UN Security Council agreed to punish Iran for continuing its nuclear program. We have a live report straight ahead from senior UN correspondent Richard Roth. Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are meeting in Jerusalem. The two men shook hands and kissed each other before the talks began a little over an hour ago. While a meeting had been expected, it was not officially announced until today. Coalition officials in Afghanistan say a top Taliban military leader is dead. They say Mullah Akhmar Mohammad Osmani (ph) was killed during a U.S. air strike near the Pakistan border. Taliban spokesman deny the report but a U.S. spokesman says it has been confirmed. And two more runways in Denver are open today as the nation's fifth largest airport tries to recover from Wednesday's blizzard. The airport had been shut down for 45 hours. Causing a ripple effect across the country. Flights are now operating close to schedule. But many passengers bumped during the storm are still waiting to be rebooked. The namesake of the Stafford student loan program is dead. Former U.S. Senator Robert Stafford, a Vermont Republican, died this morning at the age of 93. In 1988, the Senate recognized his dedication to education by renaming the federal student loan program. Those loans are now known as Stafford loans. And good afternoon. You are in the NEWSROOM on this Saturday, December 23. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Coming up this hour, the Saudi government runs up an $8 million-plus tab with the U.S. this year. We will take you live to Washington. And you have heard that rape charges have been dropped against the Duke University lacrosse players. Well, now listen to what our legal eagles have to say about it.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am so sorry this happened. So many of us just don't realize how are actions, even one night of poor judgment, can affect the rest of our lives.</s>WHITFIELD: The former Miss Nevada USA fired for illicit photos says she may not leave without a fight. We get started with a developing story from the United Nations. The UN Security Council voted 15-0 in favor of sanctions against Iran. The resolution is designed to punish Iran for continuing its nuclear program. CNN's senior UN correspondent Richard Roth joins us now with details. Richard?</s>RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was a unanimous vote, 15-0. The Security Council getting tough again on Tehran. It has been a steady course towards this day because Iran failed to cooperate and freeze its uranium enrichment program which the U.S. and other countries warned could be up to no good and lead to the development of a nuclear bomb. The acting U.S. ambassador Alexander Wolff said Iran must get the message.</s>ALEX WOLFF, U.S. DEPUTY AMBASSADOR TO UN: Adoption of this resolution is only a first step. In the coming weeks, we will work with a sanctions committee to ensure this resolution is as effective as possible. We will also take steps under U.S. law to ensure that we have put in place appropriate measures against individuals and entities involved in the Iranian nuclear program. We will call on every other country to urgently follow suit. Finally, if necessary, we will not hesitate to return to this body for further action if Iran fails to take steps to comply.</s>ROTH: These sanctions tell countries in effect you can have any importing, exporting with Iran of any materials or technology that could be used for Iran's nuclear or missile program. The Russians eventually in the end came onboard but they are concerned that any new sanctions if Iran does not cooperate with this resolution, that it would lead towards some type of military force and they say right now they would be opposed to that.</s>VITALY CHURKIN, RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO UN (through translator): We are convinced that ways effectively to resolve the Iraq -- Iranian nuclear problem can be found exclusively in the political, diplomatic and legal context. This context is as important that the measures provided for in the resolution shall be taken in accordance with Article 41 of the United Nations charter. And shall not permit any use of force.</s>ROTH: The last speaker in the debate went on for the longest time. Iran's United Nations ambassador with the blistering critique and criticism of Israel saying that country has nuclear weapons, the Security Council is employing double standard because Israel has disregarded Security Council resolutions. And the Iranian ambassador targeted the British and U.S. who they say are pushing this resolution.</s>JAVAD ZARIF, IRANIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UN: It is not an open secret. That their sole objective from the negotiations has always been to impose and then prolong and then perpetuate the suspension of Iran's rights in line with their arbitrary and fluctuating deadlines. Finding solutions has never been even among the objectives.</s>ROTH: The Iranian ambassador called it a sad day. Many of the ambassadors said it will not be a sad day again if Iran would just cooperate, come back to negotiating and bargaining table and then these sanctions could get lifted. Fredricka?</s>WHITFIELD: And when do the sanctions take effect?</s>ROTH: Well, they have got to come up with a list here of companies - they already have that list and it will take time. This is a cumbersome process but in 60 days or so they could come back if there is no progress on behalf of Iran cooperating.</s>WHITFIELD: Richard Roth at the UN. Thanks so much. Meantime, out of Washington, or at least the area, President Bush monitoring today's UN developments from Camp David where he also met with defense secretary Robert Gates. CNN White House correspondent Elaine Quijano joins live with already some reaction to the sanctions.</s>ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Fredricka. Well, the State Department says it does not think that this resolution is necessarily enough in and of itself. U.S. would like the international community to do more. Particularly targeting the money flowing into Iran and those institutions that might unwittingly be helping to facilitate that. Meantime, President Bush today focused his attention on Iraq as well. Meeting for the first time since Secretary Gates visited Baghdad earlier this week at Camp David. The president and Secretary Gates sitting down for about an hour and Gates, of course, spent three days in Iraq listening to a variety of opinions from troops and senior commanders as well. About whether or not they think it will be a good idea to send more U.S. forces to help stabilize Baghdad. Now, the president, of course, is considering that in the short term. Perhaps a temporary short term surge of tens of thousands of forces to help the situation in Baghdad. But the president after being briefed or before being briefed by Secretary Gates actually yesterday took some time to visit with wounded troops. This is something that he has done now, become an emotional holiday tradition. The president and the first lady visited with 38 service members and the president awarded 16 Purple Hearts. Well, today in his weekly radio address the president had a message for U.S. forces in Iraq.</s>GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want our troops to know while the coming year will bring change one thing will not change. And that is our nation's support for you and the vital work you do to achieve a victory in Iraq. The American people are keeping you in our thoughts and players and will make sure have you the resources you need to accomplish your mission.</s>QUIJANO: Now, as for his Iraq deliberation, senior administration officials say that the National Security Council next Thursday when the president is at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, is going to be meeting but they are saying don't expect any decisions out of that meeting, instead it will be more of the consultations that are continuing to go on. As you know, Fredricka, the president is expected to make some sort of announcement on changes to his Iraq policy in the early part of the new year. Fredricka?</s>WHITFIELD: Elaine Quijano, at the White House. Thanks so much. Well, something else that's very topical this holiday weekend. The Christmas travel crunch by plane, train and automobile, millions of Americans are on the move this weekend. AAA says nearly 65 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles from home during the holidays. And at the Denver Airport, things are a bit better today. But holiday travelers are still facing some delays after a blizzard shut down the airport for two days. Pattie Logan is keeping track of the situation there.</s>PATTIE LOGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here at Denver International Airport they have four runways open today which is full capacity. The airlines will be running a full schedule of flights in and out of Denver today. Unlike yesterday when they were only on a partial schedule. They expect to move 160,000 passengers here today in and out of Denver. But there are enormous lines inside. They are asking people to come four hours ahead of their flight in order to get through all of those lines at check-in and security. Unfortunately, for a lot of the stranded passengers, they may not be getting out today, tomorrow. It may be Christmas or after. They are squeezing them on to flights that are already full with passengers who have booked their flights weeks and months in advance. So some of the stranded passengers getting out today the ones that have been rebooked. That will be going on for the next few days as they all hope to get home for the holidays.</s>WHITFIELD: And at airports across the U.S., a ripple effect from the delays in Denver. We check in now with CNN's Thelma Gutierrez at Los Angeles Airport.</s>THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, I can tell you the things look much better here in Los Angeles. This is the fifth busiest airport in the entire world. And it is, after all, the day before Christmas Eve. And while it is busy, haven't seen the lines, the frenzied travelers, the lines wrapped around the terminal that you'd normally expect. You take a look here. The traffic is moving smoothly and there aren't a lot of folks waiting at curbside to check in their luggage. We walk in here to Terminal 4. This is American Airlines. You can see that the line is forming, many of the people here waiting to get their baggage through security screening. But in anticipation of the holiday rush, officials here brought in 131 additional security teams to keep those lines moving, to prevent them from bogging down the security screening points. Now, LAX officials say they expect nearly 2 million people to travel in and out of the airport this holiday period. Travel was not smooth for all passengers, however. Especially those flying to Denver.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Flying with united and there is 185 people flying standby on full flights. The earliest anybody can get out is Christmas. So yeah, it has been pretty difficult.</s>GUTIERREZ: One of our colleagues told us a short time ago that he was flying from Denver back to Los Angeles and there were 22 empty seats on his flight. He says that that is because many of the people waiting to get out of Denver were bogged down in lines that were three hours long and those planes had to leave on schedule. And so some of them left with empty seats. Fredricka?</s>WHITFIELD: All right. What a mess, indeed. But at least folks are trying to get to their holiday destinations. Thelma Gutierrez, thanks so much. And this information just in after spending a week or a good part of the week in his first week on the job. Defense secretary spending time in Iraq. Now this weekend spending time with the president at Camp David. These are the first images we are able to see. They are working on a new strategy for how to deal with the U.S. troops in Iraq. And apparently next week President Bush will be in Crawford where he again will be meeting with top advisers and members of his cabinet to talk about how to deal with Iraq. Meantime, "The Washington Post" says the Saudis owe contractors more than $8 million. And they haven't paid them. We are headed live to Washington for the story. Plus this.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When it comes to being photographed, no matter how close you are with someone, how much you trust that person.</s>WHITFIELD: The former Miss Nevada with words of advice after she is stripped of her crown for illicit photos. Hear what else she has to say. And they are celebrating because they are the winners of the richest lottery in the world. Find out how much money at stake and who is taking home their share of the pot of gold.