George H.W. Bush Blasts Cheney, Rumsfeld in New Book; New Books Allege Vatican Mired in Scandal
CURNOW: Rescue workers are still searching for survivors in the rubble in a collapsed factory in Lahore, Pakistan. At least 23 people were killed when the four-story building fell down on Wednesday. But Reuters News Agency says more than 100 survivors have been pulled out of the wreckage. Many used mobile phones to call family members, who then alerted rescue workers. Some of the injured say the factory owner ignored advice to stop construction on the building after last week's earthquake. Myanmar's pro-democratic leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, says if her party wins an upcoming election, her position will be, quote, "above the president." She made the comment in a news conference on Thursday. Unclear what she means exactly. Under the country's constitution, Suu Kyi is currently barred from that role of president. Now Sunday's election is being touted as the freest in decades and Suu Kyi's party is expected to do well at the polls. And in an upcoming biography of George H.W. Bush, the former U.S. president makes critical assessments of some of the top officials from his son's presidency. Now the senior Bush reportedly said George W. Bush's vice president, Dick Cheney, had carved out his own empire in the White House and that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld served his son, quote, "badly." "Destiny and Power" will be released next week. CNN's John Berman has more on what we're learning about the book.</s>JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: Bush biographer writes Bush says of Dick Cheney --</s>BERMAN: -- he was "Just iron-ass. His seeming knuckling under to the real hard-charging guys who want to fight about everything, use force to get our way in the Middle East." Also the elder Bush goes after his son's Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, calling him, "an arrogant fellow who served the president badly." The book quotes him as saying, "There is a lack of humility, a lack of seeing what the other guy thinks. He's more kick-ass and take names, take numbers." Now George W. Bush responded to his father's pretty harsh words about his administration. According to "The New York Times," he says, quote, "I disagree with his characterization of what was going on. I made the decisions. This was my philosophy." Now as for the former vice president, Dick Cheney, he responded on FOX News. I think we have that sound. We'll play that.</s>DICK CHENEY, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I fully admit that, after 9/11, I saw my role as being this tough and aggressive as needed to be to carry out the president's policy, 43's policy, to make sure we didn't get hit again.</s>CURNOW: Well that was John Berman reporting there. The book will be released on Tuesday. Two other books that are causing some controversy, these ones about the Vatican, saying that they are mired -- that the Vatican is mired in financial scandal and they say these books that Pope Francis faces an uphill battle to reform the Roman Catholic Church. "Via Crucis," or "Merchants in the Temple" details a leaked conversation between the pope and the Vatican's financial oversight committee. Now the book claims the pope complained about inflated bills from contractors, among other expenditures. He's quoted as saying, "Something isn't right. We have to get this problem under control." The Vatican is pursuing possible legal action against the authors of these two books. Stay with us here at the INTERNATIONAL DESK. Coming up, mourning the victims of the Metrojet crash. The first funerals for the 224 people killed in the disaster are starting to take place in Russia. Our correspondent in Moscow joins me next.