Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of augmerosen plus fludarabine and cytarabine in treating patients who have refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia or acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Gene therapy such as augmerosen may make cancer cells more sensitive to chemotherapy drugs. Combining more than one drug with augmerosen may kill more cancer cells.