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American Morning

Osama bin Laden: Up Close

Aired July 15, 2003 - 07:31   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: It's just about half past the hour now on this AMERICAN MORNING. I'm Heidi Collins. Bill is on vacation this week, and Soledad is resting. Anderson Cooper is with me.
In a few minutes, we are going to get a look inside the family of Osama bin Laden. Talking to a woman who used to be married to one of the terrorist's brothers. Now, she has written a book about the family and about life for women in the Saudi kingdom. She'll tell us all about that.

Also, our personal financial coach, David Bach, is coming up a little later, talking about ways to beat high prices at the gas pump. And, of course, it might involve a little driving. You might imagine.

Anderson -- back over to you.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Osama bin Laden is, of course, one of the world's most notorious men and one of the most notorious mysteries. Most likely no one outside his inner circle is really sure of whether he's alive or dead, although most intelligence sources do say he is alive.

Carmen bin Laden once lived in the al Qaeda leader's inner circle. She married one of bin Laden's more than two dozen brothers and made her home among his family in Saudi Arabia. Carmen bin Laden is in the process of divorcing her husband and has written about her experience in a book called "Inside the Kingdom: My Life in Saudi Arabia." Carmen bin Laden is here now.

Thanks for being with us this morning.

CARMEN BIN LADEN, AUTHOR, "INSIDE THE KINGDOM": Thank you for having me.

COOPER: Why did you write this book?

BIN LADEN: I wrote that book for my daughters, first of all, to explain the Saudi society to them, the Saudi culture, and why I had made some decision on their behalf that had changed so dramatically their life emotionally, because my daughters have been rejected by the bin Laden family and the bin Laden clan and by their father, because I managed to keep them outside of Saudi Arabia and give them the Western values.

COOPER: You met Osama bin Laden when you were living in Saudi Arabia with your husband and with your family. When you first met him, what did you think? BIN LADEN: Actually, you know, in Saudi Arabia, the society doesn't allow you to mix, and especially if your brother-in-law is very religious, Osama wouldn't sit with me and discuss with me. But I came to see him two times -- three times. And two times I was well, and another time it just happened that he knocked at the door. He wanted to see my husband. And I opened the door, and I was face-to- face to him.

COOPER: And he was very sort of flustered by that.

BIN LADEN: Yes. He just turned his back and walked away.

COOPER: What was your impression of him?

BIN LADEN: Well, you know, I knew he was a very religious person. He was well-admired, because when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan he went to fight with the mujahideen in Afghanistan.

COOPER: Right.

BIN LADEN: And he was really admired and respected in Saudi Arabia for his involvement in Afghanistan.

COOPER: Do you still think he is admired and respected by many in Saudi Arabia, and also perhaps even by his own family still?

BIN LADEN: Yes, I do believe that. Yes, I think that he has a lot of admirers in Saudi Arabia.

COOPER: Do you think that he still gets financial support from his family?

BIN LADEN: I think that it's very difficult for the bin Ladens to let down their brother so easily.

COOPER: For -- I mean, you grew up in Europe, and yet you were living in Saudi Arabia. The life is so different. Describe what it is like being a woman in Saudi Arabia. I mean, you can't go anywhere. You are veiled. I think at one point walking across the street was considered a big victory.

BIN LADEN: Yes, it was. But, you know, for me as a mother of two daughters at the time, what was bothering me was that I was wondering what their future would be as a...

COOPER: As a woman.

BIN LADEN: ... woman in that society. In Saudi Arabia, a woman can be independent financially and all property, but morally she's always under the tutorship of male relatives.

COOPER: Even if you wanted to walk in the garden, I read you had to inform household staff.

BIN LADEN: That was at the beginning, and this was what made me think that Saudi Arabian society would change, because at the beginning, for example, my mother-in-law was not -- we didn't talk directly to her gardener or her driver. She had a younger boy who would go and tell them what -- give the order to the male staff.

COOPER: Right.

BIN LADEN: But when I arrived there, my husband allowed me to start talking with the gardener.

COOPER: Some small changes.

BIN LADEN: Changes.

COOPER: Do you believe Saudi Arabia really is intent on fighting terrorism?

BIN LADEN: You know, now, they have it in their own country, then they will have to do something about it. But I think, you know, in Saudi Arabia, you have Saudi wahhabi...

COOPER: Wahhabism.

BIN LADEN: ... is so strong, and it's deeply rooted in the culture of Saudi Arabia.

COOPER: Yes. The book is "Inside the Kingdom: My Life in Saudi Arabia." Carmen bin Laden, thanks very much for being with us.

BIN LADEN: Thank you for having me.

COOPER: Thank you -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, Whoopi Goldberg has never been shy when it comes to talking about politics, but her latest comments have cost her. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business."

Also ahead, some help for firefighters battling this massive blaze in the West. But it may not have been enough.

Plus, emotions run high after a tiger is killed in Florida. The big cat's owner finds a little support from one famous animal expert.

Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER BREAK)

COOPER: The shooting of an escaped tiger is still stirring emotions in Florida. Bobo the tiger was shot and killed in West Palm Beach by a state wildlife officer, who says that the tiger lunged at him.

Last night, CNN's Larry King spoke with Bobo's owner, Steve Sipek and Jack Hanna, host of "Animal Adventures" and director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE SIPEK, OWNER OF TIGER: I ran over there across the field as hard as I could, and I heard five shots. I knew right away that they shot Bobo, because they promised they were going to use tranquilizers. And...

LARRY KING, CNN HOST: Steve -- Steve, why do you -- we're getting repetitive. Why do you think they shot him? Why do you think?

SIPEK: There's only one -- there is only one reason. They had to satisfy the public's opinion about their work, what they do for animals, why they're getting paid by our taxes. All of this put together only explain one thing.

JACK HANNA, HOST, "ANIMAL ADVENTURES": Larry...

KING: Now, Jack, why do you think they shot him?

HANNA: Larry, the Florida Wildlife Commission is one of the finest wildlife commissions in the United States. Now, I work with a lot of these people in the United States.

SIPEK: Bull!

HANNA: Why did they shoot him?

SIPEK: Bull!

HANNA: It's very simple, Larry. What would have happened, Larry -- and during the daytime the reason they went to get a drink of water is most cats are sleeping. And Steve knows in the daytime they're laying down, whether it's in the wild or a zoo. It's hot. They're laying down. The animal is going to start coming out at nighttime. They shot him because, No. 1, it's been 24 hours. People are around there. The last thing Steve ought to thank God is that some child or some person didn't get hurt or killed by the animal. The last thing...

KING: Why is 24 hours...

HANNA: The last thing they wanted to do was kill this cat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Well, animal experts used infrared helicopter equipment during the night as they hoped to spot the tiger and tranquilize him with darts. But it was searchers on the ground who encountered the big cat -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Still to come this morning, a key ruling in the Kobe Bryant case. Find out why the defense wanted what Bryant said to police thrown out of the case, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: It is 46 minutes past the hour. Time for a look at some of today's other news with Daryn Kagan.

Hey -- Daryn.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Anderson, good morning once again.

Let's start in Colorado, the latest on the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case. A judge is refusing to throw out Bryant's first statement about the case to police. The defense had argued that investigators recorded Bryant without his knowledge or consent. The judge is also allowing evidence taken from Bryant's room to be presented at his trial. The medical evidence is being barred because of problems with a police search warrant.

Iraq's interim prime minister, Iyad Allawi, is saying that, just minutes ago, he will form a new security service to tackle Iraq's insurgency. The announcement is coming on another deadly day in Iraq. A bombing near the main police station northwest of Baghdad killing at least 10 people. And near Karbala, two suspected suicide bombers were killed outside that city. They detonated their bomb after being detected at a police roadblock.

Back here in the U.S., some presidential politics. Democrat John Kerry is speaking to the country's largest civil rights organization today. Senator Kerry will the NAACP convention in Philadelphia before heading to events elsewhere in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

President Bush sparked some criticism by declining an invitation to that same convention. Instead, the president will address the National Urban League in Detroit later this month.

Rain has come to the aid of some Southern California firefighters, who are battling large wildfires. Those trying to contain a nearly 5,000-acre blaze in the Angeles National Forest didn't get any assistance from Mother Nature. Nearly 600 homes have been evacuated. Over 19,000 acres have burned across the state.

And finally, some critical remarks about President Bush hitting Whoopi Goldberg in the pocketbook. Goldberg recently made some sexually-charged comments about the president at a private fund-raiser for Senator Kerry. Now the Slim-Fast diet drink company has fired Whoopi from its ads. The company says it's disappointed by the way Goldberg chose to express herself.

And that is the news for now. Back to Heidi.

COLLINS: A little bit of trouble there, all right, for Anderson. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) like me today.

COOPER: Yes, I often get confused with you. Daryn, thanks very much.

KAGAN: All right.

COLLINS: That's OK.

KAGAN: They told me to toss it back to Heidi. I just follow directions.

COLLINS: They're just playing with you, Daryn.

All right, we are going to check in with Toure now and the "Question of the Day."

TOURE, "ROLLING STONE" MAGAZINE: Yes. The "Question of the Day": Do non-career politicians belong in politics? Right? Mike Ditka is not running now, but was planning to run for the Illinois Senate race.

So, let's have some answers. But first, we made a mistake, and we're going to be full service now. We're going to admit our mistakes.

From Gail from Omaha, Nebraska: "Tom Osborne, who coached three national championships in four years, is not the governor of Nebraska. He's in the House of Representatives." Thank you, Gail. She'll be traveling with me throughout the day to point out my mistakes. Sorry. OK.

COOPER: I think maybe Gail should maybe come in here and maybe do the "Question of the Day" some day.

COLLINS: Yes, a little competition.

TOURE: Thanks, bro!

OK. Can we have a question from Rufus -- or an answer from Rufus?: "Non-career politicians, why not? Actors and celebrities can lie just as well, if not better, than a politician."

COOPER: Ouch!

TOURE: Plus, "Our current president proved that one need not be too intelligent in order to get the job."

COOPER: Wow!

TOURE: Rufus is keeping it real in the morning.

John from Madison, Wisconsin: "Non-career politicians are the only ones who belong in politics. Having a career in politics is the only evidence that the person isn't fit for real work."

COOPER: Ouch! Man, a tough crowd this morning.

TOURE: I know. They're mean!

COLLINS: Bitter on a Thursday morning.

TOURE: Right.

Frank from Connellsville, Pennsylvania: "What kind of system do you want to create? One where gentlemen farmers make decisions for the good of the many rather than attempt to fence-sit to protect their own career? What next? Having elected officials answer direct questions with honest responses?" Oh, that would just ruin the whole process. We could never have that.

John from Pickering, Ontario: "Why shouldn't non-career politicians run? They may just be honest." Very good.

And finally, one more, John: "Entertainers should not enter politics because they have absolutely no training. Would you hire actors from "ER" to be your doctor? The "Law & Order" cast as your lawyers?" Maybe.

COOPER: I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV.

TOURE: That's right.

COLLINS: That's right. I've heard that before.

COOPER: All right, thanks...

TOURE: I'm not a newscaster but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

COLLINS: Wow!

COOPER: I don't get that.

COLLINS: It's an ad campaign.

COOPER: Oh, all right.

TOURE: Do you watch TV?

COOPER: I have TiVo. I don't watch commercials.

All right, still to come, you can always drive around to find the cheapest gas prices, but there is a better way. Some tips from our personal finance coach ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: This morning, we are going to get a look at the 56th Annual Emmy Award nominations coming your way at 8:30 this morning. We'll have it for you live. An interesting new system this year, so we'll see how it turns out.

Although gas prices have leveled off in recent weeks, the current national average, $1.96 a gallon, is enough to get a rise out of most drivers.

This morning in our weekly series, "Live Rich Today," personal finance contributor David Bach has some tips to pump up your savings. He talked to our Bill Hemmer. And Bill began by asking him how to use the Internet to get better gas prices.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DAVID BACH, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE CONTRIBUTOR: Let your fingers do the walking. Go to Google, for example. Put in "save money on gas." There is an entire host now of Web sites dedicated to help you find a better price on gas, both in your state and in your community. So, all you've got to do is go in there, put in your zip code. You'll find the best price on gas in your local area. That way you don't have to drive around and waste money looking for a good deal on gas.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: How many gas stations are on that site, though?

BACH: Right now, I've seen up to 90,000 on some of these Web sites. So, not every single gasoline station is in there, but a lot are. And also...

HEMMER: And chances are if you're using a local station perhaps it's there, as you point out.

BACH: That's right. And what you're going to see is the price on gas varies a lot. In the typical community we're finding gas prices vary as much as 40 to 50 cents a gallon.

HEMMER: The cheap end is Georgia. The high end is California.

BACH: You nailed it.

HEMMER: It's always the way it is.

BACH: All of those people on the West Coast getting killed for gas prices.

HEMMER: What are some of the sites that drivers should visit? What have you found?

BACH: Well, we've got a whole bunch here. One, they can go to FuelGaugeReport.com. That's the national average gas price. It kind of makes for good cocktail conversation. We've got FuelCostCalculator.com that helps you actually estimate the price of a trip. And then we've got GasBuddy.com. That's one of those Web sites that helps you find the best price in your community. Also, FuelMeUp.com. And we've got GasPriceWatch.com.

HEMMER: You know, if you find a gas station in your area, maybe it's not just down the street, maybe it's across town, doesn't that defeat the purpose a little bit?

BACH: Absolutely. If you find yourself driving 10 miles to save money on gas, it doesn't work. But again, a few blocks, you know, around the corner and you've saved 40 cents, you're looking at possibly up to $10, $15, $20 of savings a week. Take that over the year, you can be saving $1,000 a year on gas.

HEMMER: And that adds up.

BACH: It adds up.

HEMMER: This next one is very interesting. Avoid the filler-up frills. What do you mean by that? It's the grade of gasoline?

BACH: Two things. One, premium gas really is a rip-off. AAA did a recent report that said one in two people who buy premium gas, their car doesn't require it. Well, premium gas can cost anywhere from 25 to 50 cents more a gallon. Again, not buying premium gas can help you save up to $500 a year. So, skip the premium gas unless you really need it, and you're driving a Ferrari. And also, forget the full service.

HEMMER: Go with the cheap stuff, huh, 87 grade?

What about credit cards? Where could they help?

BACH: All right, check this out. We've now got frequent flyer cards for gas. So, instead of getting a frequent flyer card that gets you miles for airlines but you can't use anyway, you can go to a new card now done by Chase. It's called the Perfect Card. The Perfect Card is offering a 6 percent refund on gas for the first 90 days, and then a 3 percent refund on gas after 90 days. So, that's a great way to save money on gas and put money back into your pocket.

HEMMER: What about hybrid cars? Is there a benefit, a tax break that makes it worth it, the incentive worthwhile?

BACH: A small tax break. These new hybrid cars, example, Toyota has got one. It will give you 60 miles to the gallon. So, we know it's very fuel-efficient. It's also good for the ozone. Very important. But the government is giving us a tiny, little incentive, a $2,000 deduction right now if you buy a hybrid car. My personal recommendation to the U.S. government, give us a bigger deduction. If you gave us a 100 percent deduction on hybrid cars for, say, a two- year window, I think you'd see millions of Americans considering these cars and going out and buying one.

HEMMER: And would you buy one? Would you buy it?

BACH: I would buy one. Now, I live in New York City, so I don't need a car. But I think it's a great idea.

HEMMER: That's true.

BACH: I think it's good for the economy and it's good for our ozone layer and it's also good for the pocketbook because it's a tax deduction.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: And you can catch David every Thursday here on AMERICAN MORNING with tips on how to "Live Rich Today."

COOPER: Well, next, even if you were never good at sports, you, too, can have a real Heisman Trophy. We'll tell you how. Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.


Aired July 15, 2003 - 07:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: It's just about half past the hour now on this AMERICAN MORNING. I'm Heidi Collins. Bill is on vacation this week, and Soledad is resting. Anderson Cooper is with me.
In a few minutes, we are going to get a look inside the family of Osama bin Laden. Talking to a woman who used to be married to one of the terrorist's brothers. Now, she has written a book about the family and about life for women in the Saudi kingdom. She'll tell us all about that.

Also, our personal financial coach, David Bach, is coming up a little later, talking about ways to beat high prices at the gas pump. And, of course, it might involve a little driving. You might imagine.

Anderson -- back over to you.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Osama bin Laden is, of course, one of the world's most notorious men and one of the most notorious mysteries. Most likely no one outside his inner circle is really sure of whether he's alive or dead, although most intelligence sources do say he is alive.

Carmen bin Laden once lived in the al Qaeda leader's inner circle. She married one of bin Laden's more than two dozen brothers and made her home among his family in Saudi Arabia. Carmen bin Laden is in the process of divorcing her husband and has written about her experience in a book called "Inside the Kingdom: My Life in Saudi Arabia." Carmen bin Laden is here now.

Thanks for being with us this morning.

CARMEN BIN LADEN, AUTHOR, "INSIDE THE KINGDOM": Thank you for having me.

COOPER: Why did you write this book?

BIN LADEN: I wrote that book for my daughters, first of all, to explain the Saudi society to them, the Saudi culture, and why I had made some decision on their behalf that had changed so dramatically their life emotionally, because my daughters have been rejected by the bin Laden family and the bin Laden clan and by their father, because I managed to keep them outside of Saudi Arabia and give them the Western values.

COOPER: You met Osama bin Laden when you were living in Saudi Arabia with your husband and with your family. When you first met him, what did you think? BIN LADEN: Actually, you know, in Saudi Arabia, the society doesn't allow you to mix, and especially if your brother-in-law is very religious, Osama wouldn't sit with me and discuss with me. But I came to see him two times -- three times. And two times I was well, and another time it just happened that he knocked at the door. He wanted to see my husband. And I opened the door, and I was face-to- face to him.

COOPER: And he was very sort of flustered by that.

BIN LADEN: Yes. He just turned his back and walked away.

COOPER: What was your impression of him?

BIN LADEN: Well, you know, I knew he was a very religious person. He was well-admired, because when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan he went to fight with the mujahideen in Afghanistan.

COOPER: Right.

BIN LADEN: And he was really admired and respected in Saudi Arabia for his involvement in Afghanistan.

COOPER: Do you still think he is admired and respected by many in Saudi Arabia, and also perhaps even by his own family still?

BIN LADEN: Yes, I do believe that. Yes, I think that he has a lot of admirers in Saudi Arabia.

COOPER: Do you think that he still gets financial support from his family?

BIN LADEN: I think that it's very difficult for the bin Ladens to let down their brother so easily.

COOPER: For -- I mean, you grew up in Europe, and yet you were living in Saudi Arabia. The life is so different. Describe what it is like being a woman in Saudi Arabia. I mean, you can't go anywhere. You are veiled. I think at one point walking across the street was considered a big victory.

BIN LADEN: Yes, it was. But, you know, for me as a mother of two daughters at the time, what was bothering me was that I was wondering what their future would be as a...

COOPER: As a woman.

BIN LADEN: ... woman in that society. In Saudi Arabia, a woman can be independent financially and all property, but morally she's always under the tutorship of male relatives.

COOPER: Even if you wanted to walk in the garden, I read you had to inform household staff.

BIN LADEN: That was at the beginning, and this was what made me think that Saudi Arabian society would change, because at the beginning, for example, my mother-in-law was not -- we didn't talk directly to her gardener or her driver. She had a younger boy who would go and tell them what -- give the order to the male staff.

COOPER: Right.

BIN LADEN: But when I arrived there, my husband allowed me to start talking with the gardener.

COOPER: Some small changes.

BIN LADEN: Changes.

COOPER: Do you believe Saudi Arabia really is intent on fighting terrorism?

BIN LADEN: You know, now, they have it in their own country, then they will have to do something about it. But I think, you know, in Saudi Arabia, you have Saudi wahhabi...

COOPER: Wahhabism.

BIN LADEN: ... is so strong, and it's deeply rooted in the culture of Saudi Arabia.

COOPER: Yes. The book is "Inside the Kingdom: My Life in Saudi Arabia." Carmen bin Laden, thanks very much for being with us.

BIN LADEN: Thank you for having me.

COOPER: Thank you -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, Whoopi Goldberg has never been shy when it comes to talking about politics, but her latest comments have cost her. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business."

Also ahead, some help for firefighters battling this massive blaze in the West. But it may not have been enough.

Plus, emotions run high after a tiger is killed in Florida. The big cat's owner finds a little support from one famous animal expert.

Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER BREAK)

COOPER: The shooting of an escaped tiger is still stirring emotions in Florida. Bobo the tiger was shot and killed in West Palm Beach by a state wildlife officer, who says that the tiger lunged at him.

Last night, CNN's Larry King spoke with Bobo's owner, Steve Sipek and Jack Hanna, host of "Animal Adventures" and director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE SIPEK, OWNER OF TIGER: I ran over there across the field as hard as I could, and I heard five shots. I knew right away that they shot Bobo, because they promised they were going to use tranquilizers. And...

LARRY KING, CNN HOST: Steve -- Steve, why do you -- we're getting repetitive. Why do you think they shot him? Why do you think?

SIPEK: There's only one -- there is only one reason. They had to satisfy the public's opinion about their work, what they do for animals, why they're getting paid by our taxes. All of this put together only explain one thing.

JACK HANNA, HOST, "ANIMAL ADVENTURES": Larry...

KING: Now, Jack, why do you think they shot him?

HANNA: Larry, the Florida Wildlife Commission is one of the finest wildlife commissions in the United States. Now, I work with a lot of these people in the United States.

SIPEK: Bull!

HANNA: Why did they shoot him?

SIPEK: Bull!

HANNA: It's very simple, Larry. What would have happened, Larry -- and during the daytime the reason they went to get a drink of water is most cats are sleeping. And Steve knows in the daytime they're laying down, whether it's in the wild or a zoo. It's hot. They're laying down. The animal is going to start coming out at nighttime. They shot him because, No. 1, it's been 24 hours. People are around there. The last thing Steve ought to thank God is that some child or some person didn't get hurt or killed by the animal. The last thing...

KING: Why is 24 hours...

HANNA: The last thing they wanted to do was kill this cat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Well, animal experts used infrared helicopter equipment during the night as they hoped to spot the tiger and tranquilize him with darts. But it was searchers on the ground who encountered the big cat -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Still to come this morning, a key ruling in the Kobe Bryant case. Find out why the defense wanted what Bryant said to police thrown out of the case, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: It is 46 minutes past the hour. Time for a look at some of today's other news with Daryn Kagan.

Hey -- Daryn.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Anderson, good morning once again.

Let's start in Colorado, the latest on the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case. A judge is refusing to throw out Bryant's first statement about the case to police. The defense had argued that investigators recorded Bryant without his knowledge or consent. The judge is also allowing evidence taken from Bryant's room to be presented at his trial. The medical evidence is being barred because of problems with a police search warrant.

Iraq's interim prime minister, Iyad Allawi, is saying that, just minutes ago, he will form a new security service to tackle Iraq's insurgency. The announcement is coming on another deadly day in Iraq. A bombing near the main police station northwest of Baghdad killing at least 10 people. And near Karbala, two suspected suicide bombers were killed outside that city. They detonated their bomb after being detected at a police roadblock.

Back here in the U.S., some presidential politics. Democrat John Kerry is speaking to the country's largest civil rights organization today. Senator Kerry will the NAACP convention in Philadelphia before heading to events elsewhere in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

President Bush sparked some criticism by declining an invitation to that same convention. Instead, the president will address the National Urban League in Detroit later this month.

Rain has come to the aid of some Southern California firefighters, who are battling large wildfires. Those trying to contain a nearly 5,000-acre blaze in the Angeles National Forest didn't get any assistance from Mother Nature. Nearly 600 homes have been evacuated. Over 19,000 acres have burned across the state.

And finally, some critical remarks about President Bush hitting Whoopi Goldberg in the pocketbook. Goldberg recently made some sexually-charged comments about the president at a private fund-raiser for Senator Kerry. Now the Slim-Fast diet drink company has fired Whoopi from its ads. The company says it's disappointed by the way Goldberg chose to express herself.

And that is the news for now. Back to Heidi.

COLLINS: A little bit of trouble there, all right, for Anderson. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) like me today.

COOPER: Yes, I often get confused with you. Daryn, thanks very much.

KAGAN: All right.

COLLINS: That's OK.

KAGAN: They told me to toss it back to Heidi. I just follow directions.

COLLINS: They're just playing with you, Daryn.

All right, we are going to check in with Toure now and the "Question of the Day."

TOURE, "ROLLING STONE" MAGAZINE: Yes. The "Question of the Day": Do non-career politicians belong in politics? Right? Mike Ditka is not running now, but was planning to run for the Illinois Senate race.

So, let's have some answers. But first, we made a mistake, and we're going to be full service now. We're going to admit our mistakes.

From Gail from Omaha, Nebraska: "Tom Osborne, who coached three national championships in four years, is not the governor of Nebraska. He's in the House of Representatives." Thank you, Gail. She'll be traveling with me throughout the day to point out my mistakes. Sorry. OK.

COOPER: I think maybe Gail should maybe come in here and maybe do the "Question of the Day" some day.

COLLINS: Yes, a little competition.

TOURE: Thanks, bro!

OK. Can we have a question from Rufus -- or an answer from Rufus?: "Non-career politicians, why not? Actors and celebrities can lie just as well, if not better, than a politician."

COOPER: Ouch!

TOURE: Plus, "Our current president proved that one need not be too intelligent in order to get the job."

COOPER: Wow!

TOURE: Rufus is keeping it real in the morning.

John from Madison, Wisconsin: "Non-career politicians are the only ones who belong in politics. Having a career in politics is the only evidence that the person isn't fit for real work."

COOPER: Ouch! Man, a tough crowd this morning.

TOURE: I know. They're mean!

COLLINS: Bitter on a Thursday morning.

TOURE: Right.

Frank from Connellsville, Pennsylvania: "What kind of system do you want to create? One where gentlemen farmers make decisions for the good of the many rather than attempt to fence-sit to protect their own career? What next? Having elected officials answer direct questions with honest responses?" Oh, that would just ruin the whole process. We could never have that.

John from Pickering, Ontario: "Why shouldn't non-career politicians run? They may just be honest." Very good.

And finally, one more, John: "Entertainers should not enter politics because they have absolutely no training. Would you hire actors from "ER" to be your doctor? The "Law & Order" cast as your lawyers?" Maybe.

COOPER: I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV.

TOURE: That's right.

COLLINS: That's right. I've heard that before.

COOPER: All right, thanks...

TOURE: I'm not a newscaster but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

COLLINS: Wow!

COOPER: I don't get that.

COLLINS: It's an ad campaign.

COOPER: Oh, all right.

TOURE: Do you watch TV?

COOPER: I have TiVo. I don't watch commercials.

All right, still to come, you can always drive around to find the cheapest gas prices, but there is a better way. Some tips from our personal finance coach ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: This morning, we are going to get a look at the 56th Annual Emmy Award nominations coming your way at 8:30 this morning. We'll have it for you live. An interesting new system this year, so we'll see how it turns out.

Although gas prices have leveled off in recent weeks, the current national average, $1.96 a gallon, is enough to get a rise out of most drivers.

This morning in our weekly series, "Live Rich Today," personal finance contributor David Bach has some tips to pump up your savings. He talked to our Bill Hemmer. And Bill began by asking him how to use the Internet to get better gas prices.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DAVID BACH, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE CONTRIBUTOR: Let your fingers do the walking. Go to Google, for example. Put in "save money on gas." There is an entire host now of Web sites dedicated to help you find a better price on gas, both in your state and in your community. So, all you've got to do is go in there, put in your zip code. You'll find the best price on gas in your local area. That way you don't have to drive around and waste money looking for a good deal on gas.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: How many gas stations are on that site, though?

BACH: Right now, I've seen up to 90,000 on some of these Web sites. So, not every single gasoline station is in there, but a lot are. And also...

HEMMER: And chances are if you're using a local station perhaps it's there, as you point out.

BACH: That's right. And what you're going to see is the price on gas varies a lot. In the typical community we're finding gas prices vary as much as 40 to 50 cents a gallon.

HEMMER: The cheap end is Georgia. The high end is California.

BACH: You nailed it.

HEMMER: It's always the way it is.

BACH: All of those people on the West Coast getting killed for gas prices.

HEMMER: What are some of the sites that drivers should visit? What have you found?

BACH: Well, we've got a whole bunch here. One, they can go to FuelGaugeReport.com. That's the national average gas price. It kind of makes for good cocktail conversation. We've got FuelCostCalculator.com that helps you actually estimate the price of a trip. And then we've got GasBuddy.com. That's one of those Web sites that helps you find the best price in your community. Also, FuelMeUp.com. And we've got GasPriceWatch.com.

HEMMER: You know, if you find a gas station in your area, maybe it's not just down the street, maybe it's across town, doesn't that defeat the purpose a little bit?

BACH: Absolutely. If you find yourself driving 10 miles to save money on gas, it doesn't work. But again, a few blocks, you know, around the corner and you've saved 40 cents, you're looking at possibly up to $10, $15, $20 of savings a week. Take that over the year, you can be saving $1,000 a year on gas.

HEMMER: And that adds up.

BACH: It adds up.

HEMMER: This next one is very interesting. Avoid the filler-up frills. What do you mean by that? It's the grade of gasoline?

BACH: Two things. One, premium gas really is a rip-off. AAA did a recent report that said one in two people who buy premium gas, their car doesn't require it. Well, premium gas can cost anywhere from 25 to 50 cents more a gallon. Again, not buying premium gas can help you save up to $500 a year. So, skip the premium gas unless you really need it, and you're driving a Ferrari. And also, forget the full service.

HEMMER: Go with the cheap stuff, huh, 87 grade?

What about credit cards? Where could they help?

BACH: All right, check this out. We've now got frequent flyer cards for gas. So, instead of getting a frequent flyer card that gets you miles for airlines but you can't use anyway, you can go to a new card now done by Chase. It's called the Perfect Card. The Perfect Card is offering a 6 percent refund on gas for the first 90 days, and then a 3 percent refund on gas after 90 days. So, that's a great way to save money on gas and put money back into your pocket.

HEMMER: What about hybrid cars? Is there a benefit, a tax break that makes it worth it, the incentive worthwhile?

BACH: A small tax break. These new hybrid cars, example, Toyota has got one. It will give you 60 miles to the gallon. So, we know it's very fuel-efficient. It's also good for the ozone. Very important. But the government is giving us a tiny, little incentive, a $2,000 deduction right now if you buy a hybrid car. My personal recommendation to the U.S. government, give us a bigger deduction. If you gave us a 100 percent deduction on hybrid cars for, say, a two- year window, I think you'd see millions of Americans considering these cars and going out and buying one.

HEMMER: And would you buy one? Would you buy it?

BACH: I would buy one. Now, I live in New York City, so I don't need a car. But I think it's a great idea.

HEMMER: That's true.

BACH: I think it's good for the economy and it's good for our ozone layer and it's also good for the pocketbook because it's a tax deduction.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: And you can catch David every Thursday here on AMERICAN MORNING with tips on how to "Live Rich Today."

COOPER: Well, next, even if you were never good at sports, you, too, can have a real Heisman Trophy. We'll tell you how. Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

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