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American Morning
Attorney General John Ashcroft Hospitalized With Gallstones; Hunt for Osama bin Laden
Aired March 05, 2004 - 9:00 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Breaking news from Washington. The attorney general, John Ashcroft, now in intensive care. More on this story.
The woman who stabbed her husband 193 times convicted of murder. Did the punishment fit crime?
And blown off the road. Powerful storms roaring through the South.
All ahead this hour on AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome everybody.
Other stories that we're following this morning, Barbara Starr is going to join us, telling us why the U.S. military thinks they might actually be getting closer to Osama bin Laden. Lots of high-tech equipment being used in the search. Barbara is going to update us on that.
HEMMER: Also, from space, now that we know water was once on Mars, questions for the rovers continue. How much water? How deep? And how long ago was it there? We'll talk to a scientist from the Museum of Natural History about all those questions, trying to get some answers for you as well.
Jack's going to be along in a moment, too. So stay tuned.
O'BRIEN: Well, let's get right to a story that just broke a few minutes ago, the story concerning Attorney General John Ashcroft. He's in intensive care in a Washington, D.C. hospital after being admitted last night for gallstone pancreatitis.
He's 61 years old. He was brought to the emergency room of George Washington University Hospital for evaluation, apparently, of stomach complaints. That's according to a statement from the Justice Department this morning.
We're also told that emergency room doctors determined, "that he was suffering from a severe case of gallstone pancreatitis." The statement goes on to say that Ashcroft was admitted to intensive care for careful monitoring. He's being treated now with antibiotics, and doctors expect to know within 48 hours. We've got our doctor, Sanjay Gupta, to weigh in on this for us.
First, what exactly is gallstone pancreatitis?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, a lot of people have heard of gallstones. You have a gallbladder, and basically stones can sometimes develop in that, which can be painful in and of itself if you just get stones in the gallbladder. Typically, women are more predisposed to that.
Sometimes those gallstones can actually migrate into a different organ called the pancreas and sort of cause it to block up. The pancreas doesn't work as well, and all the enzymes that are in the pancreas that typically work to digest food and stuff like that just start to build up. And this can be exquisitely painful.
Some of the most painful things not only abdominal complaints, but also back complaints, because the pancreas is located sort of in two areas of the abdomen. So it can be a pretty painful thing.
O'BRIEN: How dangerous, though, is it, beyond just very painful?
GUPTA: Well, it can be somewhat dangerous. Not just because of the pancreas itself, but sometimes what happens is other organs also become involved. Sometimes your kidneys don't work as well. You certainly need to get antibiotics because an infection can occur in this sort of situation.
Really, the key is to try to get rid of those stones. It's sort of obvious; it's simple mechanics. Get rid of the stones so they're not causing the blockage anymore.
A couple of ways people do that, sometimes they take out the entire gallbladder. They can do that through an operation. Or sometimes they actually put a little stent in there to sort of push the stones out of those little ducts. And that's another procedure which is sometimes done as well.
O'BRIEN: We've heard them say that they'll know more within 48 hours, and it's a severe case. So it sounds very serious at this point. Is this a life-threatening issue or is it just incredibly painful that's going to require some kind of serious treatment?
GUPTA: Most likely the latter. In this day and age it's not something that's usually life-threatening. It is going to be painful. It is going to be something that can cause dips in blood pressure, needs pain medication control, which is probably why the ICU is a necessity in this case, giving lots of intravenous fluids.
Doctors will refer to it as letting the pancreas cool down for a couple of days and determining whether or not an operation is necessary, or this other procedure. But that's sort of going to be the course probably for the next couple of days for him.
O'BRIEN: OK. Of course we're going to continue to follow it and see exaclty what the status of his condition is. Sanjay, thanks a lot for that update. Appreciate it.
GUPTA: Thank you -- Bill.
HEMMER: Other top stories still developing from Iraq, a delay for the signing of that interim constitution in Baghdad. We are told internal matters are said to have caused that delay. Some members of the Iraqi Governing Council had last-minute reservations over the charter.
That document a big milestone if it is signed, and the U.S. plans to hand over power back to the Iraqis by the 30th of June. We had expected this an hour ago. There is a delay.
Jane Arraf is on the scene. She is keeping us up to date on the minute-to-minute matters there in Baghdad.
Meanwhile, in this country now, jury selection continues today in the Scott Peterson double murder trial. Potential jurors spent much of yesterday filling out a 30-page questionnaire. The process of selecting 12 jurors and six alternates, we are told, could take more than a month. Peterson is accused of killing his wife and their unborn son.
The biological mother of a little girl who was kidnapped at the age of 10 days old could have her daughter back home as early as Monday. A New Jersey court has given Luz Cuevas custody of her 6- year-old daughter, Delimar. The woman who is accused of kidnapping her is being held now on $1 million bail.
Cleanup efforts under way today after a line of severe thunderstorms going across parts of Texas and Oklahoma. High winds and twisters damaged a number of homes, destroyed some in Texas. At least three deaths in the state of Oklahoma are blamed on that weather. We were warned about it yesterday, and it was true to form.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: High technology will soon be brought to bear in the hunt for the al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden. U.S. forces will deploy U-2 spy planes and predator drones to take pictures and intercept communications in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Barbara Starr live for us at the Pentagon this morning.
Barbara, good morning.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Well, the Bush administration clearly feels it has its best chance in a long time right now of getting Osama bin Laden. A little bit more is emerging on how they plan to accomplish that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) STARR (voice-over): CNN has learned the new strategy to catch Osama bin Laden includes high-tech surveillance to keep a 24/7 watch over the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Officially, none of this is acknowledged.
GEN. JOHN ABIZAID, COMMANDER, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: Of course, you've read and heard in the press the idea that Osama bin Laden is surrounded and we have him cornered and we know where he is, et cetera, et cetera. And, of course, we don't know that.
STARR: But U.S. officials believe bin Laden may be feeling the heat from Pakistani military forces now hunting him, and could start to move. So around-the-clock surveillance could pay off. As one official told CNN, "We are putting the pieces in place to throw the net over him. Everything will be in position within days."
Those intelligence-gathering censors include U-2 spy planes flying for hours at 70,000 feet or above, taking pictures, using raiders and intercepting communications. Unmanned predators will take a closer look, flying at 25,000 feet. Its cameras seek vehicles and people.
Special radars operate through clouds. Some may have Hellfire missiles. Ground censors may also be set along mountain passes, listening for vehicles. Streams of data will be sent via satellite to analysts for quick action. The military has brought up satellite transmission capacity in the region, making sure it can respond quickly.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: And, Soledad, if any of these censors get lucky and spot Osama bin Laden, U.S. Special Forces will be on the ground, of course, waiting to capture or kill them. But as everybody reminds us, bin Laden has slipped the net before -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Yes he has. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon for us this morning. Barbara, thanks -- Bill.
HEMMER: About nine minutes past the hour. The stir created by those White House political ads with a reference to 9/11 is still getting attention today. Here's part of the ad.
Some families of the victims of 9/11 and the Firefighters Union that has endorsed John Kerry for the White House accuse the Bush campaign of seeking political advantage from the tragedy. Bush aides say there is no way to avoid discussing the impact of the attacks on the country. And while the president did not address the controversy while campaigning yesterday in California, he did talk about his own post-9/11 experience.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: On September 14, 2001, I stood in the ruins of the twin towers. I'll never forget that day. I remember the workers and the hard hats who were shouting, "Whatever it takes." I remember the guy who pointed his finger at me and said, "Don't let me down."
As we all did that day, these men and women searching through the rubble took it personally. I took it personally.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: That was the president in California yesterday. With us now to share their reactions to the Bush ad, two women who lost their husbands in the attack in the World Trade Center two-and-a-half years ago. Kristin Breitweiser back with us.
Nice to see you again.
Also Mindy Kleinberg.
Good morning to you, Mindy. Nice to see you as well.
What do you think of the spots? Are you offended by them?
KRISTIN BREITWEISER, HUSBAND RON KILLED ON SEPTEMBER 11: You know, personally, as someone who has fought for two years to get an independent commission established and get the commission access to documents and individuals like the president, like Condoleezza Rice, I am offended because, really, I don't think President Bush has been too cooperative with the commission. I think that he should use 9/11. He should use it as a reason to fix homeland security, a reason to go into the commission. I encourage him to speak to the commission for longer than an hour, which is all he's willing to give of his time to speak towards the devastation of September 11.
HEMMER: You are making headway there in your personal daily briefings, a little bit of access for part of the commission there. The one-hour testimony is more than you were given before. Do you think you're breaking that wall at this point or not?
BREITWEISER: I think we're making strides, and I'm thankful that it is an election year, because I think there will be pressure for President Bush to cooperate better. But certainly, we wanted an extension. And we were told we could not have an extension through the election cycle simply because the White House did not want public hearings going on in the height of the election season.
These hearings are crucial. They have vital information that will make this nation safe, that will inform the public. And there's no reason that they should not be carried out by this commission with high-ranking officials under oath, like Condoleezza Rice, because they serve to make this nation safe and hold people accountable.
HEMMER: Specifically, if I could get back to the political ads, Mindy, what is your take on what you saw?
MINDY KLEINBERG, HUSBAND ALAN KILLED ON SEPTEMBER 11: I don't think it's appropriate to use the imagery of death and destruction in an ad for political gain. I think that you can't ignore September 11, and certainly in this election year. I want them to discuss the issues. I want them to debate the issues. I want the candidates to tell what they would have done differently or what they feel their role as a leader is. But to use the imagery, it is very different discussing the issue than using the imagery in an ad for political gain.
HEMMER: A bit earlier today, Rudy Giuliani was on our program. Here's how he talked about the use of those ads.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUDY GIULIANI, FMR. NEW YORK MAYOR: This was done in a very tasteful way. It's an ad about a group of challenges the president has faced. The recession, other things and September 11, 2001. You'd almost not be able to do the ad and talk about the challenges if you couldn't mention the truth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: That's Rudy Giuliani talking with Soledad earlier today. What about his point?
BREITWEISER: I think that, you know, my problem with the ads is that there is golden toned music in the background, they're pastoral, they're fuzzy and warm. That's not my reality of 9/11.
My reality of 9/11 was that my husband and 3,000 others were murdered while this nation did nothing to defend itself. And I would respectfully suggest that people like Mayor Giuliani or certain other individuals who find that Ground Zero is the perfect backdrop for political ads, I think that that's deplorable.
Ground Zero represents to me hell on Earth. And I don't know why anyone would want to use that forepolitical gain. I think we need to use it in the proper manner, which is to effect change and make this nation safe. That's the way to honor the victims.
HEMMER: Karen Hughes, a Bush campaign adviser -- you know her quite well -- she was on our program yesterday. She said the ads are optimistic and full of hope.
Did you see that, Mindy?
KLEINBERG: You know, certainly the ads were optimistic. But that's different from using the imagery of September 11. I don't understand where the disconnect is.
Nobody wants to erase this event. And if you were doing a historical perspective, or you were doing a news piece, then that footage is appropriate. It's that they're using that particular footage in the wrong way.
I think that, you know what? If he had wanted to put a picture of himself on Air Force One, which is where he was September 11, that would have been appropriate. If he had wanted to put himself -- the picture of him getting told by Andrew Card about the second attack while he was sitting in the classroom, that would have been appropriate.
Nobody wants to take away the fact that he was the president on September 11. That does not mean you use the imagery in an ad that's supposed to evoke emotion.
HEMMER: Thanks for sharing. We're out of time. Mindy Kleinberg, thanks.
KLEINBERG: Thank you.
HEMMER: Kristin Breitweiser, thanks again.
BREITWEISER: Thank you.
HEMMER: Soledad?
O'BRIEN: Other political news. Americans apparently evenly divided between President Bush and Senator John Kerry. A new Associated Press poll is showing that the survey also indicates that Ralph Nader could affect the outcome of the presidential election.
Forty-six percent of those polled support President Bush. Senator Kerry got 45 percent. Six percent backed Ralph Nader, an Independent candidate.
Nader took less than 3 percent of the vote in the 2000 election, but Mr. Bush's margin of victory in Florida and New Hampshire was slim. And if most of the Nader votes had gone to Al Gore, Al Gore would have won the election -- Bill.
HEMMER: About 15 minutes past the hour. In a moment here, the woman who stabbed her husband 193 times, claiming self-defense, learning her sentence. Reaction from her attorney in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, the Martha Stewart jury has some intriguing questions for the judge. What might it all mean? We'll explain.
HEMMER: Also, new pictures from Mars. Now that the rovers have found proof of water, what discoveries are next? We'll get to that ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Within the hour, jurors are to resume deciding the fate of Martha Stewart and her former stockbroker, Peter Bacanovic. Shortly before deliberations ended yesterday, the jury sent a note to the judge asking what was needed to convict Bacanovic on a charge of perjury. They wanted to know if the testimony of a witness and a document produced by that same witness are considered separate pieces of evidence. The judge's response was, well, basically yes.
Susan Wright was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in prison for murder. During her sensational trial, Houston prosecutors acted out the bedroom scene where Wright stabbed her husband 193 times. Susan Wright's attorney, Neal Davis, joins us this morning from Houston, Texas.
Mr. Davis, good morning. Thanks for being with us.
NEAL DAVIS, SUSAN WRIGHT'S ATTORNEY: Good morning. Thank you.
O'BRIEN: What was your client's reaction to that sentence? She could have gotten, I believe, 99 years, or she could have gotten probation. So what did she think about the 25-year sentence?
DAVIS: Well, she was surprised and she was disappointed. We asked for probation. But the 25 years was quite a bit lower than what the prosecutor had argued for, which was 45 to life. In fact, really what the prosecutor was gunning for was a life sentence in this case.
O'BRIEN: How much of the time will Susan Wright serve? How does it work in Texas?
DAVIS: She'll serve about 12 years, and she'll be eligible for parole.
O'BRIEN: The crime was sensational, as you well know. But certainly the prosecution's tactics as well, rolling the bed into the courtroom, and then here we see the female prosecutor basically climbing on top of a male colleague to re-enact the crime scene was also sensational. Really, it's what led newscasts around the country for the past week. How damaging do you think that part was in and of itself was to your client?
DAVIS: Well, I think it was very inflammatory. It was based completely on the speculation of a detective.
We objected vigorously, but the judge allowed it to some degree. There was a point where the judge shut it down and thought it was getting out of hand. But obviously we thought it was a major concern.
O'BRIEN: Your client, in fact, sobbed through the entire re- enactment. And you were objecting. And as you mention, the judge did allow a lot of it. Why do you think the judge would allow a significant part of it?
DAVIS: Well, I think he felt like the prosecutor should be able to re-enact their theory of the case. Our position was that, look, this re-enactment, which was almost like a bad made-for-television movie, was not based on any personal knowledge of the detective. It was based solely on the detective's speculation, and the jury should not see it.
O'BRIEN: I know that you are planning an appeal. Will the fact that the prosecutors were allowed to show that scene in the courtroom and re-enact it, will that be part of your appeal, or are you still deciding?
DAVIS: No, I anticipate that that will be one point raised on appeal.
O'BRIEN: Your client has said, of course, that this was self- defense. And there are many people who had a hard time buying that, stabbing her husband 193 times, dragging his body through the house, burying him in the backyard, all while the two young children sleeping upstairs. Give me a sense of why you think the jury was wrong in the way they came down, and that, in fact, it was self-defense.
DAVIS: Well, I think you have to look at the hard evidence in this case. And the facts of the case showed that the deceased had defensive wounds on his hand and that Susan had defensive wounds on her hands. And that's exactly what prosecution, not defense witnesses, testified to.
I think that casts serious doubt on whether he was tied up. If he was tied up in that bed, then he would not have gotten defensive wounds on his hands. The defensive wounds suggest that there was some struggle over the knife. And that was what we said all along.
O'BRIEN: I see. So you think that jurors didn't believe, in fact, that he wasn't tied up. But at the same time, when you consider that sentence, 25 years, when they could have given her a lot more time, did believe the other part of her defense, which was that she was abused?
DAVIS: I believe that's accurate. The jurors had a hard time believing that he was not tied up. But they also recognized that in fact she was abused.
O'BRIEN: What does your client go into prison?
DAVIS: She went into custody right after the guilty verdict was read, before the punishment phase.
O'BRIEN: Neal Davis is the attorney for Susan Wright joining us this morning.
Thanks for your time. We appreciate it.
DAVIS: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Bill?
HEMMER: A couple of stories we're watching from Iraq, a delay in the interim constitution, the ratification of that. We will not leave that story for long.
Also in a moment here, Jack is back with the Eleventh Commandment right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: All right. Welcome back.
"Question of the Day," Jack?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Eleventh Commandment. There's a competition in a Methodist church in England where they're looking for an Eleventh Commandment. We figured if they can do it, we can do it here. So that was the question: if there were an Eleventh Commandment, what would it be? Got to love some of these.
Don writes: "Thou shall not bring 11 items to the express checkout counter."
Linda in San Antonio: "Thou shall testify before the 9/11 Commission if one wants to continue exploiting it for political gain."
Robin in Edmonton, Canada: "Thou shall not let harm, fear or hunger fall on the life or spirit of any child." I like that one.
O'BRIEN: I like that one, too.
CAFFERTY: Courtney in Denver: "Thou shall not have more than five remote controls on the coffee table."
HEMMER: Amen.
CAFFERTY: Edward in Ottawa: "Thou shall not have wardrobe malfunction in less in privacy of their own hut with consensual adults."
Gil in Corpus Christi: "Thou shall not take thyself too seriously."
HEMMER: Amen.
CAFFERTY: Christopher writes: "Thou shall not waste news time by doing feature pieces on stupid looking furry mascots called Big Red."
O'BRIEN: I take personal exception to that. Thank you -- was that Christopher?
CAFFERTY: Yes, but Christopher's right.
And Carol in Stockton made by day: "Thou shall watch 'The Cafferty File' every day of thy life and lusteth after the host."
HEMMER: Frame that, will you?
CAFFERTY: Did you hear them all laugh?
O'BRIEN: That was laughing with you, not at you.
CAFFERTY: Thank you, Carol, for making an old man's day. I appreciate it.
HEMMER: Amen.
CAFFERTY: And a reminder about "IN THE MONEY" this weekend. On the topic of an Eleventh Commandment, Matthew wrote this: "Thou shall watch 'IN THE MONEY' every Saturday at 1:00 Eastern and every Sunday at 3:00 Eastern until it moves to a much better time slot."
Thank you, Matt. Are you listening, Atlanta? "A much better time slot."
I mean, I have been looking at some of the primetime ratings. They're a little shaky.
O'BRIEN: Do you want to come in at primetime then?
HEMMER: Easy.
CAFFERTY: Well, then I could give this up, you see. Those shows are only an hour long. This is three hours long.
O'BRIEN: No, no, no. No, it would be in addition. It would be in addition. You come in the morning and come back at night.
CAFFERTY: Let me tell you something. Anything is negotiable.
HEMMER: Renne (ph), do you have that e-mail we could put up on the screen one more time for our friend Jack?
CAFFERTY: About what?
O'BRIEN: Carol.
CAFFERTY: Carol in Stockton, Kansas? Yes. "Thou shall watch 'The Cafferty File' every day of thy life and lusteth after the host."
HEMEMR: We're going to frame it.
O'BRIEN: Get her on the phone. I need to talk to her.
CAFFERTY: Hey.
O'BRIEN: I want to -- all good.
CAFFERTY: What do you want to talk to her about? Don't comment on what you don't know about, darling.
O'BRIEN: Yes, well -- moving on.
The latest on the health of Attorney General John Ashcroft after undergoing emergency surgery. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is going to join us with a look at that.
That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
Gallstones; Hunt for Osama bin Laden>
Aired March 5, 2004 - 9:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Breaking news from Washington. The attorney general, John Ashcroft, now in intensive care. More on this story.
The woman who stabbed her husband 193 times convicted of murder. Did the punishment fit crime?
And blown off the road. Powerful storms roaring through the South.
All ahead this hour on AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome everybody.
Other stories that we're following this morning, Barbara Starr is going to join us, telling us why the U.S. military thinks they might actually be getting closer to Osama bin Laden. Lots of high-tech equipment being used in the search. Barbara is going to update us on that.
HEMMER: Also, from space, now that we know water was once on Mars, questions for the rovers continue. How much water? How deep? And how long ago was it there? We'll talk to a scientist from the Museum of Natural History about all those questions, trying to get some answers for you as well.
Jack's going to be along in a moment, too. So stay tuned.
O'BRIEN: Well, let's get right to a story that just broke a few minutes ago, the story concerning Attorney General John Ashcroft. He's in intensive care in a Washington, D.C. hospital after being admitted last night for gallstone pancreatitis.
He's 61 years old. He was brought to the emergency room of George Washington University Hospital for evaluation, apparently, of stomach complaints. That's according to a statement from the Justice Department this morning.
We're also told that emergency room doctors determined, "that he was suffering from a severe case of gallstone pancreatitis." The statement goes on to say that Ashcroft was admitted to intensive care for careful monitoring. He's being treated now with antibiotics, and doctors expect to know within 48 hours. We've got our doctor, Sanjay Gupta, to weigh in on this for us.
First, what exactly is gallstone pancreatitis?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, a lot of people have heard of gallstones. You have a gallbladder, and basically stones can sometimes develop in that, which can be painful in and of itself if you just get stones in the gallbladder. Typically, women are more predisposed to that.
Sometimes those gallstones can actually migrate into a different organ called the pancreas and sort of cause it to block up. The pancreas doesn't work as well, and all the enzymes that are in the pancreas that typically work to digest food and stuff like that just start to build up. And this can be exquisitely painful.
Some of the most painful things not only abdominal complaints, but also back complaints, because the pancreas is located sort of in two areas of the abdomen. So it can be a pretty painful thing.
O'BRIEN: How dangerous, though, is it, beyond just very painful?
GUPTA: Well, it can be somewhat dangerous. Not just because of the pancreas itself, but sometimes what happens is other organs also become involved. Sometimes your kidneys don't work as well. You certainly need to get antibiotics because an infection can occur in this sort of situation.
Really, the key is to try to get rid of those stones. It's sort of obvious; it's simple mechanics. Get rid of the stones so they're not causing the blockage anymore.
A couple of ways people do that, sometimes they take out the entire gallbladder. They can do that through an operation. Or sometimes they actually put a little stent in there to sort of push the stones out of those little ducts. And that's another procedure which is sometimes done as well.
O'BRIEN: We've heard them say that they'll know more within 48 hours, and it's a severe case. So it sounds very serious at this point. Is this a life-threatening issue or is it just incredibly painful that's going to require some kind of serious treatment?
GUPTA: Most likely the latter. In this day and age it's not something that's usually life-threatening. It is going to be painful. It is going to be something that can cause dips in blood pressure, needs pain medication control, which is probably why the ICU is a necessity in this case, giving lots of intravenous fluids.
Doctors will refer to it as letting the pancreas cool down for a couple of days and determining whether or not an operation is necessary, or this other procedure. But that's sort of going to be the course probably for the next couple of days for him.
O'BRIEN: OK. Of course we're going to continue to follow it and see exaclty what the status of his condition is. Sanjay, thanks a lot for that update. Appreciate it.
GUPTA: Thank you -- Bill.
HEMMER: Other top stories still developing from Iraq, a delay for the signing of that interim constitution in Baghdad. We are told internal matters are said to have caused that delay. Some members of the Iraqi Governing Council had last-minute reservations over the charter.
That document a big milestone if it is signed, and the U.S. plans to hand over power back to the Iraqis by the 30th of June. We had expected this an hour ago. There is a delay.
Jane Arraf is on the scene. She is keeping us up to date on the minute-to-minute matters there in Baghdad.
Meanwhile, in this country now, jury selection continues today in the Scott Peterson double murder trial. Potential jurors spent much of yesterday filling out a 30-page questionnaire. The process of selecting 12 jurors and six alternates, we are told, could take more than a month. Peterson is accused of killing his wife and their unborn son.
The biological mother of a little girl who was kidnapped at the age of 10 days old could have her daughter back home as early as Monday. A New Jersey court has given Luz Cuevas custody of her 6- year-old daughter, Delimar. The woman who is accused of kidnapping her is being held now on $1 million bail.
Cleanup efforts under way today after a line of severe thunderstorms going across parts of Texas and Oklahoma. High winds and twisters damaged a number of homes, destroyed some in Texas. At least three deaths in the state of Oklahoma are blamed on that weather. We were warned about it yesterday, and it was true to form.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: High technology will soon be brought to bear in the hunt for the al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden. U.S. forces will deploy U-2 spy planes and predator drones to take pictures and intercept communications in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Barbara Starr live for us at the Pentagon this morning.
Barbara, good morning.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Well, the Bush administration clearly feels it has its best chance in a long time right now of getting Osama bin Laden. A little bit more is emerging on how they plan to accomplish that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) STARR (voice-over): CNN has learned the new strategy to catch Osama bin Laden includes high-tech surveillance to keep a 24/7 watch over the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Officially, none of this is acknowledged.
GEN. JOHN ABIZAID, COMMANDER, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: Of course, you've read and heard in the press the idea that Osama bin Laden is surrounded and we have him cornered and we know where he is, et cetera, et cetera. And, of course, we don't know that.
STARR: But U.S. officials believe bin Laden may be feeling the heat from Pakistani military forces now hunting him, and could start to move. So around-the-clock surveillance could pay off. As one official told CNN, "We are putting the pieces in place to throw the net over him. Everything will be in position within days."
Those intelligence-gathering censors include U-2 spy planes flying for hours at 70,000 feet or above, taking pictures, using raiders and intercepting communications. Unmanned predators will take a closer look, flying at 25,000 feet. Its cameras seek vehicles and people.
Special radars operate through clouds. Some may have Hellfire missiles. Ground censors may also be set along mountain passes, listening for vehicles. Streams of data will be sent via satellite to analysts for quick action. The military has brought up satellite transmission capacity in the region, making sure it can respond quickly.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: And, Soledad, if any of these censors get lucky and spot Osama bin Laden, U.S. Special Forces will be on the ground, of course, waiting to capture or kill them. But as everybody reminds us, bin Laden has slipped the net before -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Yes he has. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon for us this morning. Barbara, thanks -- Bill.
HEMMER: About nine minutes past the hour. The stir created by those White House political ads with a reference to 9/11 is still getting attention today. Here's part of the ad.
Some families of the victims of 9/11 and the Firefighters Union that has endorsed John Kerry for the White House accuse the Bush campaign of seeking political advantage from the tragedy. Bush aides say there is no way to avoid discussing the impact of the attacks on the country. And while the president did not address the controversy while campaigning yesterday in California, he did talk about his own post-9/11 experience.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: On September 14, 2001, I stood in the ruins of the twin towers. I'll never forget that day. I remember the workers and the hard hats who were shouting, "Whatever it takes." I remember the guy who pointed his finger at me and said, "Don't let me down."
As we all did that day, these men and women searching through the rubble took it personally. I took it personally.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: That was the president in California yesterday. With us now to share their reactions to the Bush ad, two women who lost their husbands in the attack in the World Trade Center two-and-a-half years ago. Kristin Breitweiser back with us.
Nice to see you again.
Also Mindy Kleinberg.
Good morning to you, Mindy. Nice to see you as well.
What do you think of the spots? Are you offended by them?
KRISTIN BREITWEISER, HUSBAND RON KILLED ON SEPTEMBER 11: You know, personally, as someone who has fought for two years to get an independent commission established and get the commission access to documents and individuals like the president, like Condoleezza Rice, I am offended because, really, I don't think President Bush has been too cooperative with the commission. I think that he should use 9/11. He should use it as a reason to fix homeland security, a reason to go into the commission. I encourage him to speak to the commission for longer than an hour, which is all he's willing to give of his time to speak towards the devastation of September 11.
HEMMER: You are making headway there in your personal daily briefings, a little bit of access for part of the commission there. The one-hour testimony is more than you were given before. Do you think you're breaking that wall at this point or not?
BREITWEISER: I think we're making strides, and I'm thankful that it is an election year, because I think there will be pressure for President Bush to cooperate better. But certainly, we wanted an extension. And we were told we could not have an extension through the election cycle simply because the White House did not want public hearings going on in the height of the election season.
These hearings are crucial. They have vital information that will make this nation safe, that will inform the public. And there's no reason that they should not be carried out by this commission with high-ranking officials under oath, like Condoleezza Rice, because they serve to make this nation safe and hold people accountable.
HEMMER: Specifically, if I could get back to the political ads, Mindy, what is your take on what you saw?
MINDY KLEINBERG, HUSBAND ALAN KILLED ON SEPTEMBER 11: I don't think it's appropriate to use the imagery of death and destruction in an ad for political gain. I think that you can't ignore September 11, and certainly in this election year. I want them to discuss the issues. I want them to debate the issues. I want the candidates to tell what they would have done differently or what they feel their role as a leader is. But to use the imagery, it is very different discussing the issue than using the imagery in an ad for political gain.
HEMMER: A bit earlier today, Rudy Giuliani was on our program. Here's how he talked about the use of those ads.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUDY GIULIANI, FMR. NEW YORK MAYOR: This was done in a very tasteful way. It's an ad about a group of challenges the president has faced. The recession, other things and September 11, 2001. You'd almost not be able to do the ad and talk about the challenges if you couldn't mention the truth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: That's Rudy Giuliani talking with Soledad earlier today. What about his point?
BREITWEISER: I think that, you know, my problem with the ads is that there is golden toned music in the background, they're pastoral, they're fuzzy and warm. That's not my reality of 9/11.
My reality of 9/11 was that my husband and 3,000 others were murdered while this nation did nothing to defend itself. And I would respectfully suggest that people like Mayor Giuliani or certain other individuals who find that Ground Zero is the perfect backdrop for political ads, I think that that's deplorable.
Ground Zero represents to me hell on Earth. And I don't know why anyone would want to use that forepolitical gain. I think we need to use it in the proper manner, which is to effect change and make this nation safe. That's the way to honor the victims.
HEMMER: Karen Hughes, a Bush campaign adviser -- you know her quite well -- she was on our program yesterday. She said the ads are optimistic and full of hope.
Did you see that, Mindy?
KLEINBERG: You know, certainly the ads were optimistic. But that's different from using the imagery of September 11. I don't understand where the disconnect is.
Nobody wants to erase this event. And if you were doing a historical perspective, or you were doing a news piece, then that footage is appropriate. It's that they're using that particular footage in the wrong way.
I think that, you know what? If he had wanted to put a picture of himself on Air Force One, which is where he was September 11, that would have been appropriate. If he had wanted to put himself -- the picture of him getting told by Andrew Card about the second attack while he was sitting in the classroom, that would have been appropriate.
Nobody wants to take away the fact that he was the president on September 11. That does not mean you use the imagery in an ad that's supposed to evoke emotion.
HEMMER: Thanks for sharing. We're out of time. Mindy Kleinberg, thanks.
KLEINBERG: Thank you.
HEMMER: Kristin Breitweiser, thanks again.
BREITWEISER: Thank you.
HEMMER: Soledad?
O'BRIEN: Other political news. Americans apparently evenly divided between President Bush and Senator John Kerry. A new Associated Press poll is showing that the survey also indicates that Ralph Nader could affect the outcome of the presidential election.
Forty-six percent of those polled support President Bush. Senator Kerry got 45 percent. Six percent backed Ralph Nader, an Independent candidate.
Nader took less than 3 percent of the vote in the 2000 election, but Mr. Bush's margin of victory in Florida and New Hampshire was slim. And if most of the Nader votes had gone to Al Gore, Al Gore would have won the election -- Bill.
HEMMER: About 15 minutes past the hour. In a moment here, the woman who stabbed her husband 193 times, claiming self-defense, learning her sentence. Reaction from her attorney in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, the Martha Stewart jury has some intriguing questions for the judge. What might it all mean? We'll explain.
HEMMER: Also, new pictures from Mars. Now that the rovers have found proof of water, what discoveries are next? We'll get to that ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Within the hour, jurors are to resume deciding the fate of Martha Stewart and her former stockbroker, Peter Bacanovic. Shortly before deliberations ended yesterday, the jury sent a note to the judge asking what was needed to convict Bacanovic on a charge of perjury. They wanted to know if the testimony of a witness and a document produced by that same witness are considered separate pieces of evidence. The judge's response was, well, basically yes.
Susan Wright was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in prison for murder. During her sensational trial, Houston prosecutors acted out the bedroom scene where Wright stabbed her husband 193 times. Susan Wright's attorney, Neal Davis, joins us this morning from Houston, Texas.
Mr. Davis, good morning. Thanks for being with us.
NEAL DAVIS, SUSAN WRIGHT'S ATTORNEY: Good morning. Thank you.
O'BRIEN: What was your client's reaction to that sentence? She could have gotten, I believe, 99 years, or she could have gotten probation. So what did she think about the 25-year sentence?
DAVIS: Well, she was surprised and she was disappointed. We asked for probation. But the 25 years was quite a bit lower than what the prosecutor had argued for, which was 45 to life. In fact, really what the prosecutor was gunning for was a life sentence in this case.
O'BRIEN: How much of the time will Susan Wright serve? How does it work in Texas?
DAVIS: She'll serve about 12 years, and she'll be eligible for parole.
O'BRIEN: The crime was sensational, as you well know. But certainly the prosecution's tactics as well, rolling the bed into the courtroom, and then here we see the female prosecutor basically climbing on top of a male colleague to re-enact the crime scene was also sensational. Really, it's what led newscasts around the country for the past week. How damaging do you think that part was in and of itself was to your client?
DAVIS: Well, I think it was very inflammatory. It was based completely on the speculation of a detective.
We objected vigorously, but the judge allowed it to some degree. There was a point where the judge shut it down and thought it was getting out of hand. But obviously we thought it was a major concern.
O'BRIEN: Your client, in fact, sobbed through the entire re- enactment. And you were objecting. And as you mention, the judge did allow a lot of it. Why do you think the judge would allow a significant part of it?
DAVIS: Well, I think he felt like the prosecutor should be able to re-enact their theory of the case. Our position was that, look, this re-enactment, which was almost like a bad made-for-television movie, was not based on any personal knowledge of the detective. It was based solely on the detective's speculation, and the jury should not see it.
O'BRIEN: I know that you are planning an appeal. Will the fact that the prosecutors were allowed to show that scene in the courtroom and re-enact it, will that be part of your appeal, or are you still deciding?
DAVIS: No, I anticipate that that will be one point raised on appeal.
O'BRIEN: Your client has said, of course, that this was self- defense. And there are many people who had a hard time buying that, stabbing her husband 193 times, dragging his body through the house, burying him in the backyard, all while the two young children sleeping upstairs. Give me a sense of why you think the jury was wrong in the way they came down, and that, in fact, it was self-defense.
DAVIS: Well, I think you have to look at the hard evidence in this case. And the facts of the case showed that the deceased had defensive wounds on his hand and that Susan had defensive wounds on her hands. And that's exactly what prosecution, not defense witnesses, testified to.
I think that casts serious doubt on whether he was tied up. If he was tied up in that bed, then he would not have gotten defensive wounds on his hands. The defensive wounds suggest that there was some struggle over the knife. And that was what we said all along.
O'BRIEN: I see. So you think that jurors didn't believe, in fact, that he wasn't tied up. But at the same time, when you consider that sentence, 25 years, when they could have given her a lot more time, did believe the other part of her defense, which was that she was abused?
DAVIS: I believe that's accurate. The jurors had a hard time believing that he was not tied up. But they also recognized that in fact she was abused.
O'BRIEN: What does your client go into prison?
DAVIS: She went into custody right after the guilty verdict was read, before the punishment phase.
O'BRIEN: Neal Davis is the attorney for Susan Wright joining us this morning.
Thanks for your time. We appreciate it.
DAVIS: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Bill?
HEMMER: A couple of stories we're watching from Iraq, a delay in the interim constitution, the ratification of that. We will not leave that story for long.
Also in a moment here, Jack is back with the Eleventh Commandment right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: All right. Welcome back.
"Question of the Day," Jack?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Eleventh Commandment. There's a competition in a Methodist church in England where they're looking for an Eleventh Commandment. We figured if they can do it, we can do it here. So that was the question: if there were an Eleventh Commandment, what would it be? Got to love some of these.
Don writes: "Thou shall not bring 11 items to the express checkout counter."
Linda in San Antonio: "Thou shall testify before the 9/11 Commission if one wants to continue exploiting it for political gain."
Robin in Edmonton, Canada: "Thou shall not let harm, fear or hunger fall on the life or spirit of any child." I like that one.
O'BRIEN: I like that one, too.
CAFFERTY: Courtney in Denver: "Thou shall not have more than five remote controls on the coffee table."
HEMMER: Amen.
CAFFERTY: Edward in Ottawa: "Thou shall not have wardrobe malfunction in less in privacy of their own hut with consensual adults."
Gil in Corpus Christi: "Thou shall not take thyself too seriously."
HEMMER: Amen.
CAFFERTY: Christopher writes: "Thou shall not waste news time by doing feature pieces on stupid looking furry mascots called Big Red."
O'BRIEN: I take personal exception to that. Thank you -- was that Christopher?
CAFFERTY: Yes, but Christopher's right.
And Carol in Stockton made by day: "Thou shall watch 'The Cafferty File' every day of thy life and lusteth after the host."
HEMMER: Frame that, will you?
CAFFERTY: Did you hear them all laugh?
O'BRIEN: That was laughing with you, not at you.
CAFFERTY: Thank you, Carol, for making an old man's day. I appreciate it.
HEMMER: Amen.
CAFFERTY: And a reminder about "IN THE MONEY" this weekend. On the topic of an Eleventh Commandment, Matthew wrote this: "Thou shall watch 'IN THE MONEY' every Saturday at 1:00 Eastern and every Sunday at 3:00 Eastern until it moves to a much better time slot."
Thank you, Matt. Are you listening, Atlanta? "A much better time slot."
I mean, I have been looking at some of the primetime ratings. They're a little shaky.
O'BRIEN: Do you want to come in at primetime then?
HEMMER: Easy.
CAFFERTY: Well, then I could give this up, you see. Those shows are only an hour long. This is three hours long.
O'BRIEN: No, no, no. No, it would be in addition. It would be in addition. You come in the morning and come back at night.
CAFFERTY: Let me tell you something. Anything is negotiable.
HEMMER: Renne (ph), do you have that e-mail we could put up on the screen one more time for our friend Jack?
CAFFERTY: About what?
O'BRIEN: Carol.
CAFFERTY: Carol in Stockton, Kansas? Yes. "Thou shall watch 'The Cafferty File' every day of thy life and lusteth after the host."
HEMEMR: We're going to frame it.
O'BRIEN: Get her on the phone. I need to talk to her.
CAFFERTY: Hey.
O'BRIEN: I want to -- all good.
CAFFERTY: What do you want to talk to her about? Don't comment on what you don't know about, darling.
O'BRIEN: Yes, well -- moving on.
The latest on the health of Attorney General John Ashcroft after undergoing emergency surgery. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is going to join us with a look at that.
That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
Gallstones; Hunt for Osama bin Laden>
