Biden's Unannounced Visit to Iraq; General Petraeus Starts His First Day in Afghanistan; Russian Spy Ring; Day 75 of Gulf Oil Spill
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: And here we are from CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia; top of the hour here now on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING for July 3rd, a holiday weekend. Hello to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes. It's 11:00 a.m. where I sit here in Atlanta, 8:00 a.m. out in Los Angeles. Wherever you maybe I'm glad you're right here with us. Well, General David Petraeus, he's arriving in Afghanistan and he's beginning his new command. We've got a live report coming from there for you this morning. Also, President Obama talking about the economy but will the latest job numbers hurt him politically? Also, we are on day 75 of the Gulf oil disaster, and a new report warning that South Florida is in serious jeopardy. But first, Vice President Biden has made it to Iraq. He has just arrived on this unannounced trip to visit the troops there. Our Arwa Damon is live in Baghdad with the details. And Arwa, one of the interesting details, was not just that he has arrived in Baghdad but who came with him.</s>ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, T.J., his wife. And as far as war, this is the first time that we have had a similar official -- a similar visit from a senior official and they have brought their spouse along. But they are both here to celebrate Fourth of July with the troops. And of course, Vice President Biden will also be meeting with senior Iraqi officials as well as the leaders of the various political parties. And this is especially critical because we have been seeing a political deadlock here that has cost -- created something of a vacuum after this country's inconclusive March elections. Now, the U.S. would like to see a government seated before that drawdown completes itself by the end of August. The U.S., of course, as we remember, drawing down to 50,000 troops. But that is not a critical factor. We have been hearing repeatedly from the U.S. military, from senior administration officials, that unless something catastrophic takes place, that drawdown will stay on course. What we are seeing in Iraq these days aside from the political bickering that is taking place is that drawdown happening in the complete and total intensity. It really is overwhelming when you look at it. We're talking about the U.S. moving millions of pieces of equipment. We're talking about hundreds of bases shutting down across the country. All of this very critical, being very closely watched by Iraqi officials, but also by the Iraqi people. There are very wide spread concerns here amongst the population that the U.S. footprint is shrinking at time when nothing is so -- and especially since government has still to be formed --</s>T.J. HOLMES: We're seeing Arwa on -- on Dr. Biden, on Joe Biden's wife, she is not just there, quite frankly, to -- to shake some hands and stand by her husband's side. She has a schedule of her own while she is there?</s>DAMON: That's right, T.J., she does. We are hearing that she's also going to be meeting with the military. We were also hearing that she was going to be sitting down and having something of a round table with teachers; teachers, Iraqi teachers who teach English in the greater Baghdad area. And this perhaps could be an indication of just how the U.S. rule here is shifting or how the U.S. would like to see its role here shift where it's going from combat operations from having the military out of Portland to having efforts such as teaching people, such as trying to bring up businesses, such as trying to help Iraq's economy, really be at the forefront. America is truly hoping that its role here is going to shift from one of combat and military to one where it is trying to bolster up Iraq politically and economically. But we still have to continue to underscore the reality that this still does remain a very uncertain environment. And there are some Iraqi officials that we have been talking to who are concerned about a U.S. military drawdown without a government being seated who feel that it's going to be creating a political vacuum that perhaps insurgents will try to move in and take advantage of. That concern is also being expected by the Iraqi people --</s>T.J. HOLMES: All right, Arwa Damon for us in Baghdad. Arwa, we appreciate you this morning. Thanks so much. Meanwhile, the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, she's in Poland this morning announcing a major donation of $50 million, to help preserve one of the more notorious concentration camps in Europe. She said, the money will also go towards Holocaust education, remembrance, and research. More than a million people perished at the Auschwitz Camp, during the World War -- World War II, that is. Congress still has to approve though, that donation. Well, boots now firmly planted on the ground. The change of military command in Afghanistan is complete and U.S. Army General David Petraeus replacing the disgraced General Stanley McChrystal. Our Atia Abawi live for us in Kabul with the new commander's message to the troops on this Fourth of July holiday weekend. Atia hello to you.</s>ATIA ABAWI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, T.J. Well, it was General David Petraeus' first full day on the job here in Afghanistan as a top NATO commander. He started off with a daily briefing at ISAF headquarters where a NATO spokesman said that he was fully engaged, asking questions and trying to get a lay of the land. That was followed with an event at the U.S. Embassy Fourth of July celebration, a day before the Fourth of July. But he was standing side by side with U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry shaking hands and greeting 1,700 dignitaries whether they be Americans, Afghans or internationals. That's where he also addressed the audience and stated that this has to be a cooperation between everyone to make sure that they win the war in Afghanistan.</s>GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, U.S. COMMANDER IN AFGHANISTAN: I'm reminded that this is an effort in which we must achieve unity of effort and common purpose. Civilian and military, Afghan and international, we are part of one team with one mission. In this important endeavor, cooperation is not optional. This is a tough question. There is nothing easy about it.</s>ABAWI: Well, following the Independence Day celebrations, NATO spokesperson did tell us that General Petraeus went to meet with his top commanders here on the ground in Afghanistan. Talk about the situation in Afghanistan with them, how they feel that they should proceed and just pretty much get a lay of what they are feeling about the war. And also the most important meeting of all, that was with the president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai. That's going to be a key and the mission in Afghanistan and building a relationship with General Petraeus and the NATO coalition and the government of Afghanistan, particularly the president. That's something that General McChrystal succeeded at. He was very close to President Karzai. And it's something that General Petraeus has to start with now --</s>T.J. HOLMES: All right, Atia Abawi for us in Kabul. Atia, we appreciate you as always. Thanks so much. Well, there's another new twist in the ongoing Russian spy ring investigation. Four married Russian couples accused of working deep cover had seven children between them. And Brian Todd tells us they could be left in limbo as the investigation unfolds.</s>BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Emerging from what authorities say was a deep cover operation three accused Russian spies appear in federal court. The judge calls each a danger to the community and a flight risk. Orders them held without bail. They include a married couple Patricia Mills and Michael Zottoli (ph) who have separate lawyers and don't even make eye contact with each other in court; Mills' face showing clear signs of strain. Authorities say she is trying to get their two children, ages one and three, sent to Russia to be with her relatives. There are at least seven children among four married couples in this alleged spy operation. Children struggling not only with sudden separation from their parents --</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are -- all both of them innocent.</s>TODD: But also the accusation that their parents weren't who they said they were. The government's complaint says "Illegals -- spies who don't have diplomatic cover, sometimes work under the guise of married couples and will often have children together. This further deepens an illegal's legend." I asked child protection advocate Terri Braxton about theat. (on camera): Now the children might question whether their parents were ever even married. Or their parents actually felt an emotional bond with each other because they could be spies, they could be set up to do all of this. How bizarre is that?</s>TERRI BRAXTON, CHILD WELFARE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: Well, I you know, I don't have any precedent on which to base an opinion. So I -- so I think that this is certainly something that I have not experienced before. But -- and I can't imagine that any of the kids in this situation are going to feel good about this situation.</s>TODD (voice-over): The kids may not have even known their parents' names until now. Prosecutor say suspect Patricia Mills told investigators her real name is Natalia Peraversava (ph) and that her apparent husband Zotolli (ph) said his name is Mikhail Kudzic (ph). I spoke about that balancing act with Eric O'Neill, a former FBI operative who helped catch Russia's FBI mole, Robert Hanson, a case dramatized in the Hollywood film, "Breach". (on camera): How hard is it to be a spy when you've got kids of any age?</s>ERIC O'NEILL, THE GEORGETOWN GROUP: Yes it's got to be incredibly difficult. Because when you're a spy the focus of your life is to be a spy, to accomplish the operation, to accomplish your objectives. When you're a parent, you're supposed to take care of your kids; you are supposed to put them first in your life. And a spy can't do that.</s>TODD: Experts say despite the bizarre nature of this case, the children of all of these suspects will very likely be handed over to whomever the parents choose for guardianship unless there is evidence of abuse on the part of the parents. Brian Todd, CNN, Alexandria, Virginia.</s>HOLMES: And we are on day 75 now of the oil disaster. And the surf's up they are hoping; some people they want to come out there and actually surf but the surf we're talking about here has been some bad news. The surf is so high it has kept a lot of those skimming ships from being out there and actually skimming some of that oil off the surface. But they're hoping that surf's up this weekend for tourist. The tourists want it, they want them to come out and they want them to enjoy that surf. Well, the tourists this weekend, we don't know if they are going to show up. Our Reynolds Wolf in the Gulf for us, Gulf Shores, Alabama, specifically.</s>REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, T.J. anyone coming out here this morning is going to notice a couple of things, one thing you're going to notice a very busy beach. In fact, if you look over here, you see some earth-moving vehicles they are pushing a lot of that sand and trying to create two barriers to help hold back the possibility that oil spreading on other -- on other spots of the beach. Something else you're going to notice up here on the top of this flag pole. You're going to see not one but two different flags. That means something. What that means is you are not allowed in the water out here. And the reason is actually twofold. One, you've got oil in the water, that's one. And number two is that the surf conditions are awfully rough. We've got some big wave that are approaching the shorelines, with that possibility of what we could be seeing it could be some well, rip tides. We could be seeing a strong undertow. So just for the safety of the swimmers they would like you to stay onshore. And you can stay on the beach, the beach conditions are fantastic and they love as many people as they possibly they can get to come down here. This is a huge industry. They bring in $1.1 billion a year for the Gulf Coast, especially in this area for tourism. And keep in mind how different it is from last year. Last year, there was no hotel room to be had. Everything was booked solid. This year, we've got hotel rooms that have dropped in price from $225 on average to about $150. And even then, they are only about halfway full. So again, it's not looking too good so far. But they're keeping a chin up and they're hoping to have a good time through the holiday weekend and looking for better times ahead for the rest of the summer. T.J., that's the latest from Gulf Shores. Let's send it back to you in the studio.</s>HOLMES: All right and thanks to our Reynolds Wolf who's keeping an eye on things for us this weekend at the gulf. Well, a lot of people are thinking about the troops this weekend on this Fourth of July holiday weekend. How can you help out? Well, can you believe you can do it by just drinking beer? And the more you drink, the more you can help out. I'll explain just ahead. It's 12 minutes past the hour.