Bush Picks New Homeland Security Secretary-Designate
BLITZER: Welcome back. Our top story, the weather, the wicked weather that's been unfolding out west in particular. Take a look at this. We're just getting these pictures in from southern Utah, a house simply collapsing, look at this, as these floods continue, not only in California but this is in Santa Clara, Utah. House simply destroyed as these flood waters get going. It's happening out west California, and now Utah. We're all over this story. We will continue to update our viewers and bring you the latest, bring you more as it becomes available. One family's house simply destroyed -- look at these pictures -- by this flood. In our CNN security watch, his first high-pick profile selection didn't necessarily work out when the former New York City police commissioner, Bernard Kerik, was forced to back out. Now, the president has nominated U.S. appeals court judge Michael Chertoff as his homeland security secretary. Let's go live to New York. CNN's Allan Chernoff is standing by with details.</s>ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Michael Chertoff is a heavy hitter in legal circles. He has extensive experience as a prosecutor, but also has a good background in fighting terrorism.</s>BUSH: In the days after September 11, Mike helped to trace the terrorist attacks to the al Qaeda network. He understood immediately that the strategy on the war on terror is to prevent attacks before they occur.</s>CHERNOFF: Chertoff had prosecutors working closely with the FBI, increasing authority for agents to conduct surveillance and using warrants to round up suspects.</s>CARRY FISHMAN, FMR. ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY: He clearly was at the forefront of trying to figure out how to gather intelligence and try to bring that to bear in preventing attacks on American soil even before there was a Department of Homeland Security.</s>CHERNOFF: As a prosecutor Chertoff's reputation is aggressive. In the '80s, he led the team that put Genovese mob boss Anthony "Fat Tony" Sarleno behind bars as well as other mafia leaders. He successfully prosecuted electronics tycoon Crazy Eddie Antar on racketeering and securities fraud and he oversaw the task force that prosecuted Enron's accountant Arthur Anderson which put the firm out of business.</s>LESLIE CALDWELL, FMR. ENRON TASK FORCE DIRECTOR: He is going to know everything there is to know about terrorism, he is going to know everything there is that's being done to prevent terrorism and he is the perfect kind of person to come up with new creative ideas and come up with better ways, faster ways, smoother ways, more effective ways to combat terrorism.</s>CHERNOFF: Chertoff has been a Bush supporter. He helped raise funds for the president during his first run for the White House. The Clintons remember him as a foe. Chertoff was special counsel to the Senate committee investigating Whitewater when he grilled White House aides about Bill and Hillary Clinton's involvement in the Arkansas land deal.</s>CHERNOFF: Rusty Harden, the opponent that Chertoff faced in the Anderson case says that if Chertoff is as tough on terrorists as he was on the Anderson case, he will be highly successful in the new position -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Allan Chernoff, thanks so much for that report. Pomp and ceremony, next week's presidential inauguration here in Washington will be very public, but will it be very vulnerable? It's the first since the 9/11 attacks. And the outgoing Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge announced today some extraordinary protective measures. CNN's Sumi Das reports.</s>SUMI DAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Next week's inauguration will signal four more years for the Bush administration, but beyond the pageantry will be an unprecedented security operation marrying multiple agencies and brand new technology. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge met law enforcement officials and toured mobile command centers before providing some details of security preparations. The United States' Secret Service will run the operational security plan, leading government agencies at every level, from federal air marshals to the Washington metropolitan police.</s>TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Protective measures will be seen. There will be quite a few that are not seen. Our goal is that any attempt on the part of anyone or any group to disrupt the inaugural will be repelled by multiple layers of security.</s>DAS: Activities will be monitored from land, sea and air. U.S. parked police helicopters will use forward looking infrared cameras providing a bird's eye view of events in real time.</s>DWIGHT PETTIFORD, ACTING CHIEF, U.S. PARK POLICE: It gives us the capability of having a downlink to our command centers. That's one of the great features of us being airborne that day.</s>DAS: Combat air patrols will make sure planes abide by a no fly zone that will triple in size covering a 3,000 square mile area around the capital. While Ridge has said the current level of terror chatter is down and there is no specific threat toward the inaugural, the event has received the highest security designation. Officials will be on alert.</s>MAJOR. GEN. GALEN JACKMAN, U.S. ARMY: We have looked at the full range of threats, we have looked at aircraft flying into this area, we've looked at snipers, mortars, rockets. You name it we have looked at it. We have prepared contingencies not only to respond, but to deter and prevent those types of things from happening.</s>DAS: 9/11 and the war in Iraq have heightened the security concerns for the upcoming inaugural events. This year's inauguration will have the most expensive and the most extensive security ever. Sumi Das, CNN, Washington.</s>BLITZER: And having driven around Washington earlier today especially around this area I can personally testify I have never seen security preparations under way as they are right now for the January 20 inauguration. Stay with CNN all day on that day, of course, for complete coverage of the president's inauguration. Also, please stay with CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security. Intimidation and assassinations, Iraqi police forces facing new dangers as enemy fighters work to disrupt the upcoming election there. Caught in the cross fire, seven children killed, all from the same extended family. 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