FROM DOWNING ST. TO 49TH ST.
Trivial fact of the day: not one room inside 10 Downing street is air conditioned. The heat is so uneven, there's a space heater in the Prime Minister's office.
Thanks to British Airways and the wonders of jet travel (and with a nod to dizzying amounts of quick-turnaround, where-am-I jet lag) we are back in New York, having sat yesterday at this time where Churchill sat to read his morning papers. Tonight's broadcast will feature not a prime minister but a former president: Bill Clinton is, as of now, scheduled to spend a few minutes of live television time with us tonight to discuss his climate change initiatives (which he's unveiling today along with New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg).
The rest of the broadcast will be dictated by events and a few pieces we had planned for tonight, chief among them the continuing search for those 3 American soldiers missing in Iraq. Today, General Petraeus told our own Ian Williams that he has reason to believe all three are alive. The situation in Gaza is off the hook, and we'll look at that tonight. Also, from the land I just left: word that Prince Harry will NOT fight in Iraq. The Prime Minister seemed surprised yesterday when I told him an overseas news outfit was planning to have a camera crew follow Harry around and document his deployment.
Ron Allen will report on the fires consuming part of South Jersey, and we'll have a health story from an unusual place.
We're watching the dark skies to the west -- Midtown looks like its much later at night -- bad weather approaching, and I'm glad we landed ahead of it. Our traveling party is a bit worse for wear but happy to be back. We hope you will join us tonight.
Read more from Brian Williams 2007
More honors at Arlington
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The first comment posted is right on target. We're in the middle of a constitutional meltdown, while the mainstream media looks the other way. Outrageous!
(Sent May 16, 2007 7:23:35 PM)
Good Evening Again Mr. Williams, Regarding Ian Williams' report about the search for the three missing soldiers it was nice to hear that there is such a great effort to find them. As it should be always when our soldiers are missing. The numbers that Ian reported about the number of attacks in March and April doesn't show much impact from a surge of security forces. He then stated that nine mortar rounds were fired into the Green Zone. When will there ever be a safe place in that region? Everytime progress is made something blocks it from materializing. In the meantime keep all in the Middle East Bureaus safe and well!( Miss seeing Richard reporting. Hope he is on the air sometime soon.) I pray for everyones safety and for the safe return home of our missing soldiers and all our brave military. Peace to all!
Lisa McNeil,Alpharetta,Georgia (Sent May 16, 2007 7:23:29 PM)
The worst thing the British can do is NOT send Prince Harry to Iraq, to command what was supposed to be HIS unit. Being ex - Military, I can tell you that this will both de - moralize their soldiers in - field & embolden insurgents even more, to attack the soildiers that aren't being afforded special priviledge, because of their 'status' ! They might just as well draw - up a recruiting poster for them & save them the trouble.
Mike Moran; Derry, NH (Sent May 16, 2007 6:57:19 PM)
Mr. N=1 below is correct. Mr. Comey has just testified to the attempted ignorance by the Bush Administration of the rule of law in regards to the wiretapping of U.S. citizens sans warrant, to the extent of their attempt to take advantage of a sick man in order to obtain a legal opinion declaring the matter in accordance with U.S. law. We have enough shysters conning the elderly and sick, and here the White House itself is directly accused of that very tactic, and NEXT TO NOTHING IS HEARD?
Nicholas Eckert, Toledo, OH (Sent May 16, 2007 6:56:55 PM)
Not a word about Comey's testimoney? As in grounds for impeachment? The attempted co-opting of the FBI and the DOJ by Bush and Cheney for their own purposes? That Bush ran an illegal domestic spying program for weeks - after both Ashcroft and comey expressly refused to sign off and explained their reasons why? This begs the question - why are you ignoring the story? Was the spying used to blackmail NBC News?
As an aside, Gonzalez was a no call no show yesterday for his SUBPOENAED testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sens. Leahy and Specter sent him a letter demanding his compliance and explanation. Isn't this newsworthy?
N=1 (Sent May 16, 2007 6:02:32 PM)
Good Evening Mr.Williams, I am happy you had a safe return to New York. I certainly hope that General Petraeus is correct in thinking that the soldiers are still alive. We all want them to return to their families safe and well. I believe it is a good idea that Prince Harry not be deployed to Iraq. I would think that his presence would cause not only a danger to him, but to his men as well. Someday I wish all this fighting would stop. It is always great to travel and discover new cultures and it would be nice if the Middle East wasn't such a terribly violent area of the world. It is sad that these groups of people who cause such violence ruin any chance of others discovering and appreciating their culture by visiting their country. I hope someday that peace will be the norm and we would not have to worry about these acts of violence. I just wish that wasn't so much too ask. Anyway,looking forward to the broadcast. Peace to all!
Lisa McNeil,Alpharetta,Georgia (Sent May 16, 2007 5:26:58 PM)
Brian,
You certainly are traveling in the big league circles these days -- Prime Minister Blair, former President Clinton, recently President Bush. How do you manage to keep yourself so grounded?
While Prince Harry is rightfully disappointed that he won't be joining his unit in Iraq I do believe it is the right decision. No doubt the terrorists and other assorted bad guys had put a price/prize on his head. I fear too many people, the Prince himself, would have been killed/injured had he gone.
Still believe it is a world gone mad.
Amanda - Ridgewood, NJ (Sent May 16, 2007 4:50:06 PM)
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