President Bush to Announce Iraq Troop Drawdown; Voters on VP Pick: Who Can Handle a Crisis as President
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Texas Governor Rick Perry already announced a disaster declaration for 88 counties ahead of the storm.The U.S. is reportedly selling a $7 billion missile-defense system to the United Arab Emirates. Experts say the country is concerned about retaliation from Iran. In the event of a possible strike on nuclear facilities by the U.S. or Israel, the system is designed to intercept ballistic missiles both inside and outside of earth's atmosphere. The deal still needs Congressional before it goes ahead. And breaking this morning, a plan to bring more troops home from Iraq. Today President Bush is expected to announce that 8,000 troops will come home by early next year. Here's CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr with the details.</s>BARBARA STARR, PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It may be President Bush's last big decision about Iraq. Mr. Bush has approved modest troop cuts to be completed by February when he has gone from office, accepting his commander's recommendations to draw down 8,000 troops from the current level of about 146,000. It's a cautious approach that doesn't really help either presidential candidate's arguments.</s>WILLIAM DOBSON, FOREIGN POLICY MAGAZINE: They're going to be able to find fodder to help make their arguments -- the arguments they're already been making. They will be able to look at this announcement and find what they want to find to make the case that they've already made.</s>STARR: But they will need to tread carefully. For McCain, the lone number could undermine his ticket's message that the surge has worked. But don't expect the Republicans to move off that message.</s>GOV. SARAH PALIN (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Our opponent finally admitted what we've known all along and thanks to the skill and the valor of our great troops, the surge in Iraq has worked.</s>STARR: But for Obama, the small number of troops hardly reflects the one to two brigades a month he's calling for in reductions. Still, the Obama campaign sees the move in a positive light.</s>SEN. JOE BIDEN (D), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They're doing what Barack Obama has suggested over 14 months ago -- turn responsibility over, and draw down our troops.</s>STARR: And when the president makes that official announcement later this morning, the path will be set. A substantial number of U.S. troops will remain on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan well into the next presidency, no matter who wins in November -- John.</s>ROBERTS: Barbara Starr from the Pentagon this morning with that breaking news. And, of course, CNN will cover the president's announcement later on today -- Kiran.</s>KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And now, here to offer his perspective on this drawdown plan is CNN's Baghdad correspondent Michael Ware. Thanks for being with us. So we heard what Barbara Starr is telling us about this drawdown of troops. Partially political?</s>MICHAEL WARE, CNN BAGHDAD CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think so. I mean, the tone certainly suits. Is it coincidence or is it by design? It's difficult to say. One thing is clear, though. The conditions on the ground, which was always to be the prerequisite for a drawdown, do justify some pulling out of U.S. troops. I mean, let's look at it. But all the measures that the U.S. military uses, violence is down by between 40 to 80 percent. Civilians who are dying at 4,000 a month 18 months ago are now dying at 500 a month. U.S. troops in the last May, 126 were killed. This May, 19. So, the violence has come down. So, there is an argument that, yes, you can start freeing up troops. But as we keep saying, what no one is looking at is what's the price for that success.</s>CHETRY: And what you've talked about every time you're here...</s>WARE: Yes.</s>CHETRY: ... is the growing Iranian influence and that once the U.S. troops leave, somebody is going to fill that vacuum and void. Who will it be? Chances are possibly Iran. Is there any way to head that off? Meaning that, are we just delaying the inevitable by not having -- by keeping U.S. troops there?</s>WARE: In a sense, yes, it is delaying of the inevitable. Although, however, I believe with the ongoing presence of the U.S. troops will increasingly become, it's not so much a force to keep violence down, a force to strike al-Qaeda. It's going to be a force to try and consolidate the Sunni's position, to protect that Sunni interest, which is so important to America's Arab allies. Listen, by this point, Pentagon strategists, the White House, the mission on the ground from the embassy have all conceded in one way or another that Iran has the upper hand, politically and certainly in terms of their militias and paramilitaries. So it's like given that people have come to that realization, now it's making the best of a worse situation.</s>CHETRY: That's one of the things that Bob Woodward talks about in his new book that he wrote, revising what winning means and what success is in Iraq, and something we'll be talking about with you over the coming days. Thanks for being with us, Michael.</s>WARE: Great pleasure.</s>CHETRY: Also, you can watch President Bush in the National Defense University. He's going to be addressing them. It's live this morning, 9:55 Eastern time right here on</s>CNN. ROBERTS: There are brand new poll numbers out today asking voters which vice presidential candidate has the ability to take over as commander in chief. CNN's Ed Henry is going over all of the brand new numbers, and he joins us now live. Good morning, Ed. What are the numbers telling us?</s>ED HENRY, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. Well, it's interesting. On the question of who do you essentially trust to handle a crisis, which is obviously a very important question as charges about experience are thrown back and forth, these new numbers in the CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll among registered voters, 61 percent say they'd be confident of Joe Biden being able to handle a crisis; 37 percent saying they'd be uneasy for Sarah Palin, the Republican pick. Fifty-three percent saying they'd be confident with her in a crisis, 45 percent saying they'd be uneasy. Now, that seems to back up some of these Democratic claims that with Senator Obama's pick of his VP that sort of reassured people a bit across the country about the question of experience. But I think, on the other hand, the McCain camp could look at these numbers and say wait a second, there's only an eight-point gap there. And with Joe Biden in the Senate for decades having that foreign policy experience, you would expect he would have a much bigger edge against Sarah Palin. And that's why I think this is really just an early snapshot. It will be much, much more important as when these two square off in that one and only vice presidential debate and see, you know, who really handles that better -- John.</s>ROBERTS: We hear election cycle after election cycle, Ed, that voters don't vote for the vice presidential running mate. Perhaps this year will be a little bit different. But Sarah Palin getting an awful lot of buzz on the campaign trail. Overall, how is she viewed by voters?</s>HENRY: Very interesting numbers. In this poll, we also found on the question of whether you look at these two veep candidates favorably, 57 percent said they found Sarah Palin favorable. Twenty-seven percent had an unfavorable view of her, 16 percent unsure. Joe Biden only 51 percent favorable, 28 percent unfavorable, 21 percent unsure. Not a huge difference, but a six-point edge for Palin. I think that's reflective of what we're seeing on the campaign trail. Certainly, John McCain at least getting a boost at these rallies. A lot more people showing up because of this buzz about Palin -- John.</s>ROBERTS: Yes. Certainly done a lot to solidify his base with the pick of Governor Palin.</s>HENRY: No doubt.</s>ROBERTS: No question about that. Ed Henry for us this morning in Washington. Ed, thanks so much.</s>HENRY: Thank you.</s>CHETRY: And back to our top story this hour, Hurricane Ike getting stronger as it gets closer to the Gulf Coast. Rob Marciano tracking it all from the CNN weather center. Looks like we're more concerned now about the Texas coast, places like Brownsville, easing some of the worries for folks in Louisiana.</s>ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: At least for now, we'll see where the path out here over the next few days. Right now, winds of 80 miles an hour. It's about 80 miles to the south of Havana. So being right in front quadrant, that city certainly getting the full force of this for the most part. It is still over water, so for that reason it's holding itself together quite nicely. And then, Hurricane Hunter airplanes are going in there flying around Cuba to get there. And now, this is going to go through the western tip of Cuba. The track brings it to the Gulf of Mexico. Waters still here really warm even after Gustav rolled through. So we bring it to major hurricane status. Here you go. Tomorrow Thursday night and Friday morning, Category three in the central western gulf and the track has shifted somewhat to bring the cone completely out of Louisiana, at least for now, and maybe possibly even out of Houston. So maybe along the border of Mexico at some point Friday night into Saturday morning, this could very well shift back towards the north but the National Hurricane Center doesn't like to do what we call windshield wipe. Go from one extreme to the other. So the models are beginning to shift this thing a little bit farther to the south. And this thing actually jogged south yesterday. Key West and the Florida Keys getting some decent feeder bands rotating around this system, so you will see battering wind and waves throughout the day today and a bit of a storm surge anywhere from one to four feet. One of the reasons this is shifting a little bit farther to the south, two areas of high pressure kind of squishing it down. By the way, New York and the I-95 corridor, you may see a fair share of afternoon thunderstorms today. Kiran, back up to you, or John.</s>CHETRY: All right. Rob, thanks.</s>MARCIANO: You got it.</s>ROBERTS: It's coming up on nine minutes after the hour. It is a huge influence in her life, but does it also influence the way she governs. Ahead in a CNN exclusive, we go to Anchorage, Alaska, to talk about Sarah Palin's faith with her former Pentecostal pastor.</s>CHETRY: The fight of his life.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hang on a second.</s>CHETRY: Dr. Sanjay Gupta catches up with the Olympic swimmer who put life-saving surgery on hold to compete for his country.</s>DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Eric's prep reads ready to go.</s>CHETRY: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."