Iraqis Vote on New Referendum; Millions More Movement; U.S. Ideas On Iraq War Might Change On Outcome Of Election; Father Angry After Son Is Killed In Iraq; Pakistan Devastated One Week After Earthquake
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The polls are closed, the counting is underway as Iraqis decide the fate of their country. We're live on what's at stake for the Iraq and U.S. Waterlogged and ready for some relief: Will the rain stop in parts of the northeast? Plus, 10 years later, the Millions More Movement makes the way to the nation's capital. We'll go there live to show you what that's all about. Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY, I'm Fredericka Whitfield. A busy hour straight ahead, but first here's some other stories now in the news. Bird flu is now confirmed in Eastern Europe. It's the first time the lethal strain is known to have spread beyond Asia. The Romanian government says tests detected the virus in wild birds found dead the Danube Delta. Asian flu doesn't easily infect humans but blamed for the deaths of 60 people in Asia. Officials fear it will mutate and become more transmissible among humans. Pakistan now says at least 38,000 people died from last week weekend's earthquake in the Himalayans with another 62,000 injured. Another 1,300 reported are dead in India. The quake has prompted rare cooperation with India and Pakistan which have fought three wars since 1947. Two other hugely contentious countries, Iran and the United States also are cooperating in the relief effort. In Texarkana, Arkansas, a train derailment prompts the evacuation of hundreds of home. Police say a Union Pacific train stuck -- struck, rather, a liquid propane gas tank early this morning. It caused an explosion and left a plume of smoke over the city. Our top story on CNN LIVE SATURDAY, a historic vote overseas. Iraqis by a millions make a critical decision, voting today to either accept or reject the country's draft constitution. Either way, the outcome will have dramatic impact on the country's future. If the constitution is approved, the document will be ratified. Elections for a permanent four-year parliament will be held by December 15 and a new government will be sworn in by December 31. But if the constitution is voted down, Iraq's parliament will be dissolved. New elections would be held by December 15 for a new interim parliament. That parliament would have to write a whole new constitution within a year and present it to voters in a second referendum. The constitution will fail if two thirds of voters in three or more provinces reject it. Polling stations closed just two hours ago and security was extremely tight. Joining us live from Baghdad with details now is CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour -- Christiane.</s>CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, indeed. Vote counting is underway. And although official results aren't due for several days, we will probably get some early word of how it's going fairly soon, perhaps within the next 24 hours if last year's election is anything to go by. There was very little violence, there was a huge security clamp down, and so far, what we saw was a steady trickle of people going to the polls. All we're waiting to see now is how they voted.</s>AMANPOUR (voice-over): It's Iraq's second time at the polls in nine months to vote a simple question or no on a complicated constitution that could shape their lives for generations. "We are free now after 35 years of oppression," says Saba Marti (ph). "We can vote, we can talk, we can do whatever we want. We hope this vote will bring all Iraqis a better future." Everyone hopes for a better future in Iraq, but not everyone agrees this constitution will guarantee that. Even these sisters are divided. How did you vote?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.</s>AMANPOUR (on camera): How did you vote?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.</s>AMANPOUR: Why?</s>AMANPOUR (voice-over): She says she worries the constitution doesn't guarantee Iraq's Arab identity. At this polling station, Jessica voted yes.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope our future of the Iraqis get the rights, special the women.</s>AMANPOUR: Her mother voted yes, also, but she is worried about the article stating Islam will be the base of all legislation.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Everyone should be free to worship," she says, "but we want a secular government, not a religious one." (on camera): Key to the success of this referendum will be its popular legitimacy. In other words, whether everyone, including the minority Sunnis, believes that they're included in the process, that their interests are represented. So far, they don't. (voice-over): A last-minute deal to get Sunnis to the polls did bring them out but...</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh. I vote no.</s>AMANPOUR: Dr. Manjad Al-Naid (ph), a Sunni, and his wife, Amira (ph) fear the constitution will rip the country apart and leave them out in the cold. (on camera): You're worried an about the country splitting?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, of course.</s>AMANPOUR (voice-over): Amira wants nothing to do with this document. She worries the constitution gives all the political and economic power to the majority Shiites and Kurds who sit on the country's oil wealth. One clear sign of change, this time, Iraqi security forces are manning the polling centers; ambulances on stand by just in case, and American forces on stand by, too. Colonel Ed Cardone says political development here is crucial.</s>COL. ED CARDONE, U.S. ARMY: Greatest thing to help us right now the development of a legitimate local governments. The governments that are here are -- were created by the old government and they're not a lot of them -- not seen as legitimate. And so, when the elections happen, when there's a legitimate local government, that going to help us a lot with the insurgency.</s>AMANPOUR: For instance, says the Colonel Cardone, he could wipe out an insurgent cell but with no local government to take its place, another one can spring back within days. And as people cast their vote this day, their highest hope is for an end in sight to the violence.</s>AMANPOUR: So, many people told us they were casting a vote, yet another vote, for peace. They really are totally fed up with violence and they really want to see an end to that. As well as joining a political process that determines their future and try to get some sort of political permanent solution to the rather traditional nature to the kind of leadership they've had over the last couple of years since the war. U.S. forces here tell us and U.S. commanders say that they hope that this referendum will start to split the insurgency and split the Sunni opposition, the rejectionist camp, but they say, people shouldn't hold out hope for that insurgency to be broken any time soon.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. Christiane Amanpour, thank you so much from Baghdad. Well, President Bush insists the vote in Iraq is much more than a referendum on a constitution. Today, during his weekly radio address, he compared it to battle against terrorism.</s>GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My by casting their ballots, the Iraqi people deal a sever blow to the terrorist and send a clear message to the world. Iraqis will decide the future of their country through peaceful elections, not violent insurgency. And by their courageous example, they're chartering a new course for the entire Mideast. This weekend's election is a critical step forward in Iraq's march toward democracy and with each step the Iraqi people take, al Qaeda's vision for the region becomes more remote.</s>WHITFIELD: General Wesley Clark responding for the democrats calls the vote an important political event but he says President Bush still needs to spell out to the American people exactly how he plans to bring stability to Iraq. Well, many Americans are wondering how today's vote will affect the military operation in Iraq. Specifically, if the constitution is approved, does that mean U.S. troops will come home sooner? Joining me now, CNN military analyst, retired major general, Don Shepperd, just back from Iraq. Good to see you. Before the prospects of a withdrawal of U.S. troops, let's talk about what you observed when you were there. Did you expect that this day would come, knowing the kind of climate of volatility that you experienced, that you witnessed while in Iraq?</s>MAJ. GEN.  DON SHEPPERD, U.S. AIR FORCE (RET.): Yes. I expected to see the elections go off. I expected a large turnout which you're seeing. I expect and predicted that the constitution will pass. I don't know if I'm going to right on that part or not. But basically what we did on our visit there we were visited with the top commanders, United States diplomats, including the ambassador, and Iraqi diplomats, as well, and we were supposed to meet with the prime minister, didn't meet with him. We got to meet with ministers, if you will. And then we visited the Iraqi security troops, got a lot of talking done with them and also with our own troops out there.</s>WHITFIELD: And you were encouraged, or at least inspired, about the Iraqi troops and whether they will indeed be able to better secure their country? Because that is what, in part, is going to determine whether there is an U.S. troop withdrawal or at least when it is.</s>SHEPPERD: I was very encouraged by what I saw of the Iraqi security forces. Now, we visited the military up at the 9th Mechanized Infantry Division, which is one of their best. Extremely encouraged with what I saw there. These guys are in the fight and they are ready and they are motivated. There are varying levels of -- of good and bad within the forces as within all forces out there. But most important what I did is talk to the Americans training and imbedded with these guys. They say they are good and they're getting better and they have a great deal of confidence in them and we're going to be able turn over major portions of the cities and country, over time, starting next year, to these people.</s>WHITFIELD: However, you do echo the same concerns that the Colonel Cardone reiterated there in Christiane's piece, saying that a primary concern is about the government, the stability of the government, not necessarily the stability of the Iraqi forces. What do you mean? What does he mean?</s>SHEPPERD: Yes, Fredricka, just like everywhere else, war is easy. Running a country is really hard and we found that out in Iraq -- fixing everything that's wrong there. But the most important thing in Iraq that's going on is not the security forces, not even the insurgency, it's being able to elected a competent government that is not riddled with corruption that gains the confidence of the people by giving them services over time and that is a tall order in this region.</s>WHITFIELD: Now, when it comes down to the insurgency there were some sporadic attempts of violence. The president, as well as the Iraqi government, said this would indeed happen. Donald Rumsfeld said it would happen leading up to the referendum vote. The insurgents want to intimidate, but it seems that the voter turnout just might be trying to send a message to the insurgency.</s>SHEPPERD: Yes. This insurgency is very, very complicated. We built them as 10 feet tall, they're certainly not 10 feet tall, but a defeat for American interests there would have been if there was a low voter turnout or if the Sunnis did not vote. The fact that the Sunnis are voting and there's a very substantial turnout, this is a defeat for the insurgents. It's been a bad week for the insurgents over there.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. Good old Don Shepperd, good to see you.</s>SHEPPERD: Pleasure.</s>WHITFIELD: And in person. All right, well, CNN Presents takes and in-depth look at what's working and what is not working in the battle to bring stability to Iraq. "The Iraq War: Progress Report II" airs today at 2:00 p.m. and again at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Well, more than a week of drenching rain and many wonder will it ever let up? We'll go live to Spring Lake, New Jersey. One of the hardest hit towns. And the Millions More Movement is drawing crowds of people to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. marking the 10th anniversary of the Million Man March. CNN LIVE SATURDAY continues right after this.