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Bombs Target Shiite Muslims; Kerry: International Cooperation Needed in Iraq; State Department Denies Kidnapping Aristide
Aired March 02, 2004 - 07:00 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: Breaking news out of Iraq, where explosions have ripped through two cities. Religious worshippers are the target, many of them dead this morning.
John Kerry can add as many as 10 states to his mounting victory total on this Super Tuesday. We talk to him about his critical day.
And what have scientists found on Mars? NASA says it has a significant announcement to make and will make it today.
All those stories are ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome everybody. Lots to cover this morning.
BILL HEMMER, ANCHOR: There certainly is. Let's start from Iraq today. Explosion after explosion ripping into crowds in two Iraqi towns today.
Tens of thousands of Shiite Muslims, celebrating one of their holiest days, when an unknown numbers of blasts went off almost simultaneously, some in Baghdad and some 50 miles south in the town of Karbala.
That's where Brent Sadler is live in car now, in Karbala.
Brent, what's happening?
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Bill, things have called down a bit now, but four hours ago when we heard the first of a series of bomb blasts in this holy city, we could see the mood change very quickly from one of worship to one of sheer panic.
I want to show you one of the blasts that was taken very much at the climax of this Ashura religious festival that's been going on here for days and nights.
One blast came, and then we counted up to nine others in various parts of Karbala. Not in the center, a couple of miles away from the main religious shrines.
And there we can show you some exclusive pictures in the immediate aftermath of one of the bombs. Some pretty horrific scenes of carnage, the dead and injured lying on the streets.
Even as they were taking away the bodies and the injured, there were yet more blasts, sending shock waves through Karbala. People scrambling for cover as security forces, the police and Islamic parties, tried to get a grip of control of the situation.
Since then it has calmed down somewhat, but religious festivities are still continuing here -- Bill.
HEMMER: Brent, it was said that security was so tight. They wanted to keep all vehicles, cars and trucks, away from these shrines and holy sites today.
Does that mean mortar rounds were fired into the area or possibly suicide bombers were responsible? What's the word on the ground from security forces there on that?
SADLER: In terms of coming here, we came two or three days ago to get through the tight vehicle security. No vehicles in the center of town.
But the suspicion is very strongly -- we're hearing this as I speak to you, one of the investigating officers on the ground telling CNN a series of suicide bombers got through. As many as five suicide bombers detonated explosives in this series of deadly explosions.
And hospital sources at the Hussein Hospital here in Karbala are now putting the injured at around 300 and the dead as many as 85. So those figures have certainly shot up in the past hour or so -- Bill Hemmer.
HEMMER: Brent Sadler, thank you, live on the scene there.
One American soldier also killed and another seriously wounded after today's explosions in Baghdad.
Angry crowds turned on U.S. troops, blaming them for stirring up hostility between the Sunni and Shiite Muslim sects. An explosive device was thrown into the Humvee carrying the soldier, who was killed there on the scene.
Also from overseas, a quick note from Pakistan, more blood spilled there today. Shiite Muslims there celebrating a holy day. Six people killed, 30 other wounded in the town of Quetta in southwestern Pakistan.
All these stories are developing at this hour. We will not be far from them throughout the morning today.
O'BRIEN: Of course, that's our top story. Other stories, though, making headlines this morning.
Former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide says the United States forced him out of the country in a real coup d'etat. Aristide, who is now in temporary exile in the Central African Republic, told CNN yesterday that he was essentially kidnapped. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEAN-BERTRAND ARISTIDE, FORMER HAITIAN PRESIDENT: I want this very clear. The fact that we had military surrounding the effort, the palace, my house, and in the streets. We had foreign militaries, maybe from other countries, maybe, I don't know.
But I know for sure there were American militaries with Haitians, well armed, ready for the fight. And they told me, made it clear and bluntly that thousands of people will get killed once they start. So I had to do my best to avoid that bloodshed. (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Activists and lawmakers are calling for an investigation into Aristide's allegations. U.S. officials deny that claim. Much more on this is just ahead.
A divided Senate will vote on gun legislation today. Democrats want to renew an expiring ban on the manufacture importation of assault weapons, and they want to add that amendment to a GOP sponsored bill that would give the gun industry immunity from certain lawsuits.
But most Republicans don't want to combine the two bills. Senator John Kerry, John Edwards expected to interrupt campaigning to vote on the gun measure.
In Eagle, Colorado, the first court appearance for Kobe Bryant's accuser has been delayed. A judge has decided to limit questions about the woman's sexual history and postponed her appearance until later this month.
Without the alleged victim's testimony today, the hearing is expected to focus on whether Bryant was illegally questioned by investigators. We've got more on this story coming up in the next half hour.
Scientists are holding their breath this morning after word of a major discovery on Mars. NASA will not release any details in advance, but the agency says, quote, "significant findings will be revealed at a news conference this afternoon."
The Opportunity rover has been searching for any signs that Mars once had water. A little bit later this hour, we're going to talk with the director of the Haden Planetarium (ph) about what exactly that might mean.
In Philadelphia a mother has found her long lost daughter six years after the little girl was presumed dead in a fire.
The fire was apparently a ruse to cover up the kidnapping of the 10-day-old baby. In January, Luz Cuevas saw a child at a birthday party who she thought resembled her family.
Police did a DNA test, investigated, then confirmed that, in fact, the little girl was the woman's daughter.
The suspect in the kidnapping and the fire is at large now.
HEMMER: that's just extraordinary.
O'BRIEN: Yes. We're going to be talking with the mom this morning about exactly how she was able to recognize this little girl at a birthday party. She set she saw her smile, and it reminded her of her 10-day-old baby smile.
HEMMER: Wow.
O'BRIEN: Incredible story.
HEMMER: You have it next hour, right?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
HEMMER: OK.
A check of the weather now. Here's Chad Myers at the CNN center in the northeast. Good morning, Chad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: Indeed you're right. No whining here. Look at that. Hopefully we'll look a little bit later and it will be equally to what we had yesterday. Thank you, Chad.
Presidential politics now.
The biggest single day of the Democratic campaign season is today. It's called Super Tuesday. It's called super for a reason. Ten states hold contests. Altogether 1,151 delegates up for grabs.
Senator John Kerry hoping for a sweep that would all but guarantee him the nomination and possibly force his closest rival, Senator John Edwards, out of the raise.
I talked with the Democratic frontrunner a few minutes ago, asked him how he feels about his chances today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I've never trusted polling. I've said that when I'm behind. I say it when I'm ahead.
What counts today is what individual voters decide to do, and I'm still campaigning. I'm here in Atlanta. I'm appealing for votes up until the last minute.
And I hope people will go out and vote for change in America. We need to provide jobs. We need a health care plan for all Americans. And I think people want a more effective foreign policy and leadership in the war on terror. Those are the issues that matter. HEMMER: I want to get to foreign policy again in a moment.
First, a number of articles have been written since Sunday, the debate here in New York City, describing your relationship with Senator Edwards as strained.
How would you describe your relationship with the North Carolina senator?
KERRY: Not in the least. My -- Whoever is writing that is writing fiction, and they're guessing. I have a terrific relationship with John and with Elizabeth. I admire him enormously, and that's just not true.
HEMMER: Would you describe yourself as close, as colleagues? How would you put it?
KERRY: I'd describe us as friends, good friends. And, you know, we haven't had a chance to spend a lot of time because we've all been campaigning individually, but I like John.
I mean, he's somebody that I seek out on the floor, I sit beside. We have conversations. We've had great conversations on the trail, and I have great respect and affection for he and his family.
HEMMER: Let's talk about the issue of foreign policy, specifically Iraq today. It is in the news with considerable violence today in Karbala and the capital city of Baghdad today.
You say your policy would be different in Iraq from the current White House. How would it be different, Senator?
KERRY: I would do what George Bush should have done in the first place, which is bring the rest of the world to the table.
Europe and the Arab nations all have a fundamental interest in not having a failed Iraq. But George Bush has failed completely to bring them to the table in a serious way. It reflects the failure of his unilateral ideological foreign policy, and I would bring the international community to share responsibility and reconstruction.
HEMMER: The White House would say that dozens of countries are helping now in the effort on the ground in Iraq and they are engaged with the U.N., as well, how would more international involvement prevent the violence we're seeing today?
KERRY: Well, the fact is that those countries are really window dressing to the greatest degree. And they weren't there in the beginning when we went in, and they're not carrying the cost of this war.
What we need is, the war -- the occupation at this point, what we need is a much broader involvement.
And I think that the overall foreign policy of the United States has a profound impact on that. How we deal with North Korea, how we deal with proliferation, how we deal with AIDS, how we deal with global warming, how we deal with the United Nations itself. It's all cumulative.
And the cumulative bank account of the United States of goodwill and of good feeling has really been exhausted by this administration's arrogant attitude.
HEMMER: Just to be clear, you're not going to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq, correct?
KERRY: No, sir, absolutely not. The United States cannot cut and run, just as we shouldn't have just gone in by bait and switch.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Senator Kerry from earlier today. Senator Edwards, we invited him to appear today. He declined our invitation.
However, bottom of the hour we'll talk with one of Edwards' supporters, Congressman Albert Wynn in the state of Maryland.
Also stay tuned with CNN, complete coverage later tonight. Wolf Blitzer kicks off our coverage 7 p.m. Eastern Time, 4 p.m. in California. We'll take you on through the night later tonight on Super Tuesday -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, was former President Jean- Bertrand Aristide forced out of Haiti? We're going to take a look at his controversial claims.
HEMMER: Also shocking testimony in the trial of basketball superstar Jayson Williams. His friend describes what he saw when a shotgun went off inside Williams' home, killing a limo driver that night.
O'BRIEN: And a major NASA announcement is expected just ahead on what they have found on Mars. We'll explain as AMERICAN MORNING continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: On Haiti today it's a war of words between the U.S. yet again and the now former president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
Secretary of State Colin Powell and others within the administration strongly denying claims by the former president that he was forced to step down.
David Ensor picks it up there from Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a bitter phone call with CNN from exile in Africa, the former Haitian president claimed he was hustled out of his country as part of what he called a coup d'etat, involving, he said, American officials who lied to him. ARISTIDE: They told me that -- bluntly (ph) in that way, that thousands of people would get killed once they start. So I had to do my best to avoid that bloodshed. They used force to push me out. That's why I call it, again and again, the coup d'etat, the modern way (ph) to have modern dignity (ph).
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: The allegations that somehow we kidnapped former President Aristide, absolutely baseless, absurd.
ENSOR: In fact, a senior State Department official said Aristide has a history of, quote, "unusual and erratic statements."
And officials say while he may be having second thoughts now, he left Haiti with 15 bodyguards of his own free will after requesting U.S. help to leave.
He even signed this letter of resignation, made available to CNN by a source, in which he says, quote, "I am resigning in order to avoid a bloodbath."
POWELL: We did not force him onto the airplane. He went onto the airplane willingly. And that's the truth.
ENSOR: Aristide told CNN he and his wife were kept on a plane out of touch for nearly a full day and a night, not told where they were going.
ARISTIDE: We spent 20 hours in that plane, without knowing where we go. We were denied the right to contact our people.
ENSOR: True, say U.S. officials, but that was because they could not officially find a country that would take him.
Some critics, and other Caribbean governments charge, even if the Bush administration kidnap Aristide, it left him with no choice but to leave, sending a disturbing message to other democratically elected leaders.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fact of the matter is we said to President Aristide, "Look, you can stay and be killed, or you can leave. You make the choice." That's hardly a voluntary departure.
ENSOR (on camera): The critics say by refusing to protect Aristide, the U.S. becomes at least partly responsible for what follows. It must now undertake nation building in Haiti, they say, and should be rightly condemned if it gives up too soon.
David Ensor, CNN State Department.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ENSOR: Now, this morning U.S. and international troops securing key sites around the capital city of Port-au-Prince.
Rebels poured into the capitol yesterday, part of the scene here on videotape. As many as 2,000 American troops eventually may be sent for peacekeeping duties, most expected to be from the U.S. Marine Corps -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: An update now on some of the court cases we've been following.
The woman who is accusing NBA star Kobe Bryant of rape will not appear in court today, as anticipated. After a closed-door session yesterday with prosecutors and defense attorneys, the judge decided to limit questions about the accuser's sexual history.
Her appearance has been postponed until later this month.
In the Michael Jackson case now, court documents released yesterday provide details about the warrants used when police searched Jackson's home and things that investigators took. Police focused a lot of attention on 12 computers from the Neverland Ranch.
In the Martha Stewart trial, closing arguments are expected to be heard from the prosecution as well as from Stewart's attorney. The eight-man, four-women jury is expected to get the case tomorrow.
HEMMER: Members of the Harlem Globetrotters expected to testify today in the manslaughter trial of former NBA star Jayson Williams.
In testimony yesterday, a friend of Williams testified that Williams was holding a shotgun when he cursed at a limo driver, then raised the weapon and snapped it shut just before it fired a fatal shot at the driver.
Kent Culuko also indicated Williams tried to make the death of the driver known as Gus look like a suicide.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KENT CULUKO, PROSECUTION WITNESS: He had the gun in one hand and he tried to go underneath Gus' hands and put his hand underneath Gus' hands and tried to lightly touch Gus' fingerprints to the gun, fingers to the gun.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Culuko told authorities he had seen the shooting only after a deal he made to avoid jail time in a record. Prior to that deal, he had said in several sworn statements that he only heard the gunshot.
That case continues today -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, lose weight, fatten up your wallet. Andy Serwer has details on a way that taxpayers could get some big bucks back from Uncle Sam.
We'll explain as AMERICAN MORNING continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: OK. Money talk now. Why losing weight might also lighten your tax load. Interesting tidbit. Market preview, also, with Andy Serwer minding your business.
Good morning.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: The taxman giveth in these situations. If you're obese and you decide to lose weight and spend a lot of money doing it. This is really pretty interesting stuff, I think.
The IRS providing tax incentives to obese Americans to lose weight. Previously, the IRS would only let you make deductions connected to obesity if you had diseases associated with obesity.
Now if you're obese and you spend a lot of money trying to get the weight off, you're allowed to deduct it. Up to -- it would be taxes -- or expenses, that is in excess of 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income. I'll give you an example in a second.
You've got to itemize only for uncompensated expenses, of course. That's things not reimbursed by insurance companies.
And let me give you an example. So if you have income of $5,000, moneys -- $50,000, monies spent in excess of $3,750 would be deductible. In other words a gastric bypass costs about $25,000. In that example, the money over $3,750 you could use to deduct.
HEMMER: I've got it. I think I do. I think I do.
SERWER: Yes. If you spend a lot of money trying to lose weight, basically. But you have to be obese. It's not just if you want to take off a lot of pounds.
HEMMER: Market preview. March came in like a lion yesterday.
SERWER: Yes, sir. A lot of money flowing into the market yesterday. The Dow up over 90 points, the NASDAQ up over 1.4 percent.
You can see that, a lot of positive stuff on the manufacturing front, as well. Separate core (ph), biotech stock up over 15 points, a lot of action.
This morning, though, probably a little bit of a weaker open. And some news out of Gateway Computer this morning. It looks like they're going to be cutting back about 2,400 jobs, they've announced, over this year. Company's lost $1.8 billion...
HEMMER: Is that so?
SERWER: ... in the last couple years. Yes.
HEMMER: And for what?
SERWER: The market position is basically weakening in the company. And so it's a tough sled to compete against companies like Dell.
HEMMER: I bet it is. Thank you Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: Let's get right to the question of the day and Jack.
Good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Soledad.
The question of day, marriage, gets more and more complicated. Now Mayor Jason West, that kid who runs New Paltz, New York, and married 25 couples on Friday, says he's going to keep marrying gay and lesbian couples. A thousand couples have contacted his office. They say they want to get married there.
New York Governor George Pataki, the chief executive officer of the state of New York, instructed the state's top law enforcement official, that would be the attorney general, Elliott Spitzer, to stop the gay weddings. The attorney general refused.
And New Paltz may not be the only town to get in on the debate. Yesterday, the mayor of Ithaca, New York, says she's going to start accepting marriage license applications from gay couples.
This after more than 3,000 gay marriages were performed in San Francisco.
So the question is this, what's the ultimate answer to the gay marriage dilemma? What in the world are we going to do about this?
O'BRIEN: And why is upstate New York becoming a hot bed for gay marriage, although it's very scenic for a marriage location.
SERWER: Scenic.
O'BRIEN: It's a lovely...
SERWER: Cornell, Ithaca is gorgeous up there, right?
O'BRIEN: I wonder why there? San Francisco and then there.
HEMMER: What's your suggestion? Arrest him?
CAFFERTY: I have no suggestion. I just report the news, a humble reporter in search of the truth. I have no suggestion, no suggestion.
HEMMER: How old is that mayor on New Paltz?
O'BRIEN: Twenty-six.
SERWER: Twenty-six. Oh, my. He's a kid.
O'BRIEN: He looks younger, but he's 26. HEMMER: In a moment here, back to Iraq. Scores are dead, hundreds are injured. One of the holiest days of the year. Details live in Baghdad in a moment here when we continue, right after this, on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Seven-thirty here into New York. We're going to bottle this stuff, because spring has arrived.
O'BRIEN: Yes, it has. Will spring stay is the question.
HEMMER: Very big question, too.
A lot of stories, we're covering this hour, from Iraq explosions, killing dozens of Shiite worshippers in two cities. Also Super Tuesday is today. Ten states, Democratic nomination at stake, on the line. We'll have a look at both stories in a moment here.
O'BRIEN: And ahead this morning, Jules DeGraff Titan (ph) is the director of the Haden Planetarium, is going to join us to talk about the big secret about Mars.
NASA has been saying they've got some big information, a significant announcement that they're going to make today, this afternoon in fact. But they won't give any clues as to what it is. We're going to talk with Dr. Titan (ph).
HEMMER: Some are saying H2O.
O'BRIEN: We'll see.
HEMMER: Maybe could be, sort of.
O'BRIEN: Maybe. That's what's been predicted. We'll see.
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Cooperation Needed in Iraq; State Department Denies Kidnapping Aristide>
Aired March 2, 2004 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: Breaking news out of Iraq, where explosions have ripped through two cities. Religious worshippers are the target, many of them dead this morning.
John Kerry can add as many as 10 states to his mounting victory total on this Super Tuesday. We talk to him about his critical day.
And what have scientists found on Mars? NASA says it has a significant announcement to make and will make it today.
All those stories are ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome everybody. Lots to cover this morning.
BILL HEMMER, ANCHOR: There certainly is. Let's start from Iraq today. Explosion after explosion ripping into crowds in two Iraqi towns today.
Tens of thousands of Shiite Muslims, celebrating one of their holiest days, when an unknown numbers of blasts went off almost simultaneously, some in Baghdad and some 50 miles south in the town of Karbala.
That's where Brent Sadler is live in car now, in Karbala.
Brent, what's happening?
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Bill, things have called down a bit now, but four hours ago when we heard the first of a series of bomb blasts in this holy city, we could see the mood change very quickly from one of worship to one of sheer panic.
I want to show you one of the blasts that was taken very much at the climax of this Ashura religious festival that's been going on here for days and nights.
One blast came, and then we counted up to nine others in various parts of Karbala. Not in the center, a couple of miles away from the main religious shrines.
And there we can show you some exclusive pictures in the immediate aftermath of one of the bombs. Some pretty horrific scenes of carnage, the dead and injured lying on the streets.
Even as they were taking away the bodies and the injured, there were yet more blasts, sending shock waves through Karbala. People scrambling for cover as security forces, the police and Islamic parties, tried to get a grip of control of the situation.
Since then it has calmed down somewhat, but religious festivities are still continuing here -- Bill.
HEMMER: Brent, it was said that security was so tight. They wanted to keep all vehicles, cars and trucks, away from these shrines and holy sites today.
Does that mean mortar rounds were fired into the area or possibly suicide bombers were responsible? What's the word on the ground from security forces there on that?
SADLER: In terms of coming here, we came two or three days ago to get through the tight vehicle security. No vehicles in the center of town.
But the suspicion is very strongly -- we're hearing this as I speak to you, one of the investigating officers on the ground telling CNN a series of suicide bombers got through. As many as five suicide bombers detonated explosives in this series of deadly explosions.
And hospital sources at the Hussein Hospital here in Karbala are now putting the injured at around 300 and the dead as many as 85. So those figures have certainly shot up in the past hour or so -- Bill Hemmer.
HEMMER: Brent Sadler, thank you, live on the scene there.
One American soldier also killed and another seriously wounded after today's explosions in Baghdad.
Angry crowds turned on U.S. troops, blaming them for stirring up hostility between the Sunni and Shiite Muslim sects. An explosive device was thrown into the Humvee carrying the soldier, who was killed there on the scene.
Also from overseas, a quick note from Pakistan, more blood spilled there today. Shiite Muslims there celebrating a holy day. Six people killed, 30 other wounded in the town of Quetta in southwestern Pakistan.
All these stories are developing at this hour. We will not be far from them throughout the morning today.
O'BRIEN: Of course, that's our top story. Other stories, though, making headlines this morning.
Former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide says the United States forced him out of the country in a real coup d'etat. Aristide, who is now in temporary exile in the Central African Republic, told CNN yesterday that he was essentially kidnapped. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEAN-BERTRAND ARISTIDE, FORMER HAITIAN PRESIDENT: I want this very clear. The fact that we had military surrounding the effort, the palace, my house, and in the streets. We had foreign militaries, maybe from other countries, maybe, I don't know.
But I know for sure there were American militaries with Haitians, well armed, ready for the fight. And they told me, made it clear and bluntly that thousands of people will get killed once they start. So I had to do my best to avoid that bloodshed. (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Activists and lawmakers are calling for an investigation into Aristide's allegations. U.S. officials deny that claim. Much more on this is just ahead.
A divided Senate will vote on gun legislation today. Democrats want to renew an expiring ban on the manufacture importation of assault weapons, and they want to add that amendment to a GOP sponsored bill that would give the gun industry immunity from certain lawsuits.
But most Republicans don't want to combine the two bills. Senator John Kerry, John Edwards expected to interrupt campaigning to vote on the gun measure.
In Eagle, Colorado, the first court appearance for Kobe Bryant's accuser has been delayed. A judge has decided to limit questions about the woman's sexual history and postponed her appearance until later this month.
Without the alleged victim's testimony today, the hearing is expected to focus on whether Bryant was illegally questioned by investigators. We've got more on this story coming up in the next half hour.
Scientists are holding their breath this morning after word of a major discovery on Mars. NASA will not release any details in advance, but the agency says, quote, "significant findings will be revealed at a news conference this afternoon."
The Opportunity rover has been searching for any signs that Mars once had water. A little bit later this hour, we're going to talk with the director of the Haden Planetarium (ph) about what exactly that might mean.
In Philadelphia a mother has found her long lost daughter six years after the little girl was presumed dead in a fire.
The fire was apparently a ruse to cover up the kidnapping of the 10-day-old baby. In January, Luz Cuevas saw a child at a birthday party who she thought resembled her family.
Police did a DNA test, investigated, then confirmed that, in fact, the little girl was the woman's daughter.
The suspect in the kidnapping and the fire is at large now.
HEMMER: that's just extraordinary.
O'BRIEN: Yes. We're going to be talking with the mom this morning about exactly how she was able to recognize this little girl at a birthday party. She set she saw her smile, and it reminded her of her 10-day-old baby smile.
HEMMER: Wow.
O'BRIEN: Incredible story.
HEMMER: You have it next hour, right?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
HEMMER: OK.
A check of the weather now. Here's Chad Myers at the CNN center in the northeast. Good morning, Chad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: Indeed you're right. No whining here. Look at that. Hopefully we'll look a little bit later and it will be equally to what we had yesterday. Thank you, Chad.
Presidential politics now.
The biggest single day of the Democratic campaign season is today. It's called Super Tuesday. It's called super for a reason. Ten states hold contests. Altogether 1,151 delegates up for grabs.
Senator John Kerry hoping for a sweep that would all but guarantee him the nomination and possibly force his closest rival, Senator John Edwards, out of the raise.
I talked with the Democratic frontrunner a few minutes ago, asked him how he feels about his chances today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I've never trusted polling. I've said that when I'm behind. I say it when I'm ahead.
What counts today is what individual voters decide to do, and I'm still campaigning. I'm here in Atlanta. I'm appealing for votes up until the last minute.
And I hope people will go out and vote for change in America. We need to provide jobs. We need a health care plan for all Americans. And I think people want a more effective foreign policy and leadership in the war on terror. Those are the issues that matter. HEMMER: I want to get to foreign policy again in a moment.
First, a number of articles have been written since Sunday, the debate here in New York City, describing your relationship with Senator Edwards as strained.
How would you describe your relationship with the North Carolina senator?
KERRY: Not in the least. My -- Whoever is writing that is writing fiction, and they're guessing. I have a terrific relationship with John and with Elizabeth. I admire him enormously, and that's just not true.
HEMMER: Would you describe yourself as close, as colleagues? How would you put it?
KERRY: I'd describe us as friends, good friends. And, you know, we haven't had a chance to spend a lot of time because we've all been campaigning individually, but I like John.
I mean, he's somebody that I seek out on the floor, I sit beside. We have conversations. We've had great conversations on the trail, and I have great respect and affection for he and his family.
HEMMER: Let's talk about the issue of foreign policy, specifically Iraq today. It is in the news with considerable violence today in Karbala and the capital city of Baghdad today.
You say your policy would be different in Iraq from the current White House. How would it be different, Senator?
KERRY: I would do what George Bush should have done in the first place, which is bring the rest of the world to the table.
Europe and the Arab nations all have a fundamental interest in not having a failed Iraq. But George Bush has failed completely to bring them to the table in a serious way. It reflects the failure of his unilateral ideological foreign policy, and I would bring the international community to share responsibility and reconstruction.
HEMMER: The White House would say that dozens of countries are helping now in the effort on the ground in Iraq and they are engaged with the U.N., as well, how would more international involvement prevent the violence we're seeing today?
KERRY: Well, the fact is that those countries are really window dressing to the greatest degree. And they weren't there in the beginning when we went in, and they're not carrying the cost of this war.
What we need is, the war -- the occupation at this point, what we need is a much broader involvement.
And I think that the overall foreign policy of the United States has a profound impact on that. How we deal with North Korea, how we deal with proliferation, how we deal with AIDS, how we deal with global warming, how we deal with the United Nations itself. It's all cumulative.
And the cumulative bank account of the United States of goodwill and of good feeling has really been exhausted by this administration's arrogant attitude.
HEMMER: Just to be clear, you're not going to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq, correct?
KERRY: No, sir, absolutely not. The United States cannot cut and run, just as we shouldn't have just gone in by bait and switch.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Senator Kerry from earlier today. Senator Edwards, we invited him to appear today. He declined our invitation.
However, bottom of the hour we'll talk with one of Edwards' supporters, Congressman Albert Wynn in the state of Maryland.
Also stay tuned with CNN, complete coverage later tonight. Wolf Blitzer kicks off our coverage 7 p.m. Eastern Time, 4 p.m. in California. We'll take you on through the night later tonight on Super Tuesday -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, was former President Jean- Bertrand Aristide forced out of Haiti? We're going to take a look at his controversial claims.
HEMMER: Also shocking testimony in the trial of basketball superstar Jayson Williams. His friend describes what he saw when a shotgun went off inside Williams' home, killing a limo driver that night.
O'BRIEN: And a major NASA announcement is expected just ahead on what they have found on Mars. We'll explain as AMERICAN MORNING continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: On Haiti today it's a war of words between the U.S. yet again and the now former president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
Secretary of State Colin Powell and others within the administration strongly denying claims by the former president that he was forced to step down.
David Ensor picks it up there from Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a bitter phone call with CNN from exile in Africa, the former Haitian president claimed he was hustled out of his country as part of what he called a coup d'etat, involving, he said, American officials who lied to him. ARISTIDE: They told me that -- bluntly (ph) in that way, that thousands of people would get killed once they start. So I had to do my best to avoid that bloodshed. They used force to push me out. That's why I call it, again and again, the coup d'etat, the modern way (ph) to have modern dignity (ph).
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: The allegations that somehow we kidnapped former President Aristide, absolutely baseless, absurd.
ENSOR: In fact, a senior State Department official said Aristide has a history of, quote, "unusual and erratic statements."
And officials say while he may be having second thoughts now, he left Haiti with 15 bodyguards of his own free will after requesting U.S. help to leave.
He even signed this letter of resignation, made available to CNN by a source, in which he says, quote, "I am resigning in order to avoid a bloodbath."
POWELL: We did not force him onto the airplane. He went onto the airplane willingly. And that's the truth.
ENSOR: Aristide told CNN he and his wife were kept on a plane out of touch for nearly a full day and a night, not told where they were going.
ARISTIDE: We spent 20 hours in that plane, without knowing where we go. We were denied the right to contact our people.
ENSOR: True, say U.S. officials, but that was because they could not officially find a country that would take him.
Some critics, and other Caribbean governments charge, even if the Bush administration kidnap Aristide, it left him with no choice but to leave, sending a disturbing message to other democratically elected leaders.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fact of the matter is we said to President Aristide, "Look, you can stay and be killed, or you can leave. You make the choice." That's hardly a voluntary departure.
ENSOR (on camera): The critics say by refusing to protect Aristide, the U.S. becomes at least partly responsible for what follows. It must now undertake nation building in Haiti, they say, and should be rightly condemned if it gives up too soon.
David Ensor, CNN State Department.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ENSOR: Now, this morning U.S. and international troops securing key sites around the capital city of Port-au-Prince.
Rebels poured into the capitol yesterday, part of the scene here on videotape. As many as 2,000 American troops eventually may be sent for peacekeeping duties, most expected to be from the U.S. Marine Corps -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: An update now on some of the court cases we've been following.
The woman who is accusing NBA star Kobe Bryant of rape will not appear in court today, as anticipated. After a closed-door session yesterday with prosecutors and defense attorneys, the judge decided to limit questions about the accuser's sexual history.
Her appearance has been postponed until later this month.
In the Michael Jackson case now, court documents released yesterday provide details about the warrants used when police searched Jackson's home and things that investigators took. Police focused a lot of attention on 12 computers from the Neverland Ranch.
In the Martha Stewart trial, closing arguments are expected to be heard from the prosecution as well as from Stewart's attorney. The eight-man, four-women jury is expected to get the case tomorrow.
HEMMER: Members of the Harlem Globetrotters expected to testify today in the manslaughter trial of former NBA star Jayson Williams.
In testimony yesterday, a friend of Williams testified that Williams was holding a shotgun when he cursed at a limo driver, then raised the weapon and snapped it shut just before it fired a fatal shot at the driver.
Kent Culuko also indicated Williams tried to make the death of the driver known as Gus look like a suicide.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KENT CULUKO, PROSECUTION WITNESS: He had the gun in one hand and he tried to go underneath Gus' hands and put his hand underneath Gus' hands and tried to lightly touch Gus' fingerprints to the gun, fingers to the gun.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Culuko told authorities he had seen the shooting only after a deal he made to avoid jail time in a record. Prior to that deal, he had said in several sworn statements that he only heard the gunshot.
That case continues today -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, lose weight, fatten up your wallet. Andy Serwer has details on a way that taxpayers could get some big bucks back from Uncle Sam.
We'll explain as AMERICAN MORNING continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: OK. Money talk now. Why losing weight might also lighten your tax load. Interesting tidbit. Market preview, also, with Andy Serwer minding your business.
Good morning.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: The taxman giveth in these situations. If you're obese and you decide to lose weight and spend a lot of money doing it. This is really pretty interesting stuff, I think.
The IRS providing tax incentives to obese Americans to lose weight. Previously, the IRS would only let you make deductions connected to obesity if you had diseases associated with obesity.
Now if you're obese and you spend a lot of money trying to get the weight off, you're allowed to deduct it. Up to -- it would be taxes -- or expenses, that is in excess of 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income. I'll give you an example in a second.
You've got to itemize only for uncompensated expenses, of course. That's things not reimbursed by insurance companies.
And let me give you an example. So if you have income of $5,000, moneys -- $50,000, monies spent in excess of $3,750 would be deductible. In other words a gastric bypass costs about $25,000. In that example, the money over $3,750 you could use to deduct.
HEMMER: I've got it. I think I do. I think I do.
SERWER: Yes. If you spend a lot of money trying to lose weight, basically. But you have to be obese. It's not just if you want to take off a lot of pounds.
HEMMER: Market preview. March came in like a lion yesterday.
SERWER: Yes, sir. A lot of money flowing into the market yesterday. The Dow up over 90 points, the NASDAQ up over 1.4 percent.
You can see that, a lot of positive stuff on the manufacturing front, as well. Separate core (ph), biotech stock up over 15 points, a lot of action.
This morning, though, probably a little bit of a weaker open. And some news out of Gateway Computer this morning. It looks like they're going to be cutting back about 2,400 jobs, they've announced, over this year. Company's lost $1.8 billion...
HEMMER: Is that so?
SERWER: ... in the last couple years. Yes.
HEMMER: And for what?
SERWER: The market position is basically weakening in the company. And so it's a tough sled to compete against companies like Dell.
HEMMER: I bet it is. Thank you Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: Let's get right to the question of the day and Jack.
Good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Soledad.
The question of day, marriage, gets more and more complicated. Now Mayor Jason West, that kid who runs New Paltz, New York, and married 25 couples on Friday, says he's going to keep marrying gay and lesbian couples. A thousand couples have contacted his office. They say they want to get married there.
New York Governor George Pataki, the chief executive officer of the state of New York, instructed the state's top law enforcement official, that would be the attorney general, Elliott Spitzer, to stop the gay weddings. The attorney general refused.
And New Paltz may not be the only town to get in on the debate. Yesterday, the mayor of Ithaca, New York, says she's going to start accepting marriage license applications from gay couples.
This after more than 3,000 gay marriages were performed in San Francisco.
So the question is this, what's the ultimate answer to the gay marriage dilemma? What in the world are we going to do about this?
O'BRIEN: And why is upstate New York becoming a hot bed for gay marriage, although it's very scenic for a marriage location.
SERWER: Scenic.
O'BRIEN: It's a lovely...
SERWER: Cornell, Ithaca is gorgeous up there, right?
O'BRIEN: I wonder why there? San Francisco and then there.
HEMMER: What's your suggestion? Arrest him?
CAFFERTY: I have no suggestion. I just report the news, a humble reporter in search of the truth. I have no suggestion, no suggestion.
HEMMER: How old is that mayor on New Paltz?
O'BRIEN: Twenty-six.
SERWER: Twenty-six. Oh, my. He's a kid.
O'BRIEN: He looks younger, but he's 26. HEMMER: In a moment here, back to Iraq. Scores are dead, hundreds are injured. One of the holiest days of the year. Details live in Baghdad in a moment here when we continue, right after this, on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Seven-thirty here into New York. We're going to bottle this stuff, because spring has arrived.
O'BRIEN: Yes, it has. Will spring stay is the question.
HEMMER: Very big question, too.
A lot of stories, we're covering this hour, from Iraq explosions, killing dozens of Shiite worshippers in two cities. Also Super Tuesday is today. Ten states, Democratic nomination at stake, on the line. We'll have a look at both stories in a moment here.
O'BRIEN: And ahead this morning, Jules DeGraff Titan (ph) is the director of the Haden Planetarium, is going to join us to talk about the big secret about Mars.
NASA has been saying they've got some big information, a significant announcement that they're going to make today, this afternoon in fact. But they won't give any clues as to what it is. We're going to talk with Dr. Titan (ph).
HEMMER: Some are saying H2O.
O'BRIEN: We'll see.
HEMMER: Maybe could be, sort of.
O'BRIEN: Maybe. That's what's been predicted. We'll see.
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Cooperation Needed in Iraq; State Department Denies Kidnapping Aristide>
