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American Morning

Race to the White House; Conspiracy Case; Who's Responsible for Madrid Bombings?; Talking Martha

Aired March 12, 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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Spain's prime minister no longer so sure that homegrown terrorists are to blame for the attacks that killed nearly 200 people.
NASA reaches a mission milestone, with its rover Spirit poised on the edge of a Martian crater.

And political upheaval in South Korea. The impeachment of a president on this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Good morning. It's Friday. Good to have you here, 9:00 in New York.

Other stories this hour, no conclusive evidence from Spain pointing to who's behind the attacks of yesterday. There is some concern that homegrown terrorists may have linked up with al Qaeda. More on that theory. And that is just one of them.

We deal in facts in this business, but right now we do not have clear answers out of Spain. We'll talk to you about what's being said, though, today, the day after, in a moment.

O'BRIEN: Also this morning, Senator John Kerry will not apologize for his remark about Republicans being crooked. We're going to take a look at the chances that his words will come back to haunt him.

HEMMER: Also, top stories now at the top of the hour. Let's get to it.

The Senate today approved a $2.36 trillion budget. The plan was approved earlier today 51-45. A leaner version of the president's original outline, the blueprint calling for lower spending, smaller tax cuts and less time for deficit reduction.

From Florida, the suspect in the kidnapping and murder of 11- year-old Carlie Brucia due in court today. Formal arraignment is set to take place at this hour for Joseph Smith. Brucia's abduction was caught on a surveillance camera last month in Florida.

The government cracking down on a steroid-like supplement known as Andro. The FDA wants manufacturers to stop production of the supplement until its makers can prove that it's safe. While not a steroid, the FDA says Andro may pose the same health risk.

The late Dr. Seuss now has a star of his own on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Fans gathered yesterday for the tribute, clutching their copies of "Cat in the Hat." Nice scene.

Parts of the series of events being held this month celebrating Dr. Seuss' 100th birthday. His widow accepting his honor on his behalf.

You're up to date at 9:01 here now.

O'BRIEN: That was a cute scene with the books and the hat. They look adorable.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: A New CNN survey finding that Senator John Kerry has racked up enough delegates for this summer's Democratic National Convention to clinch the nomination. This coming as the campaign against President Bush gets a bit meaner, a bit nastier, some say, on account of some New Bush campaign ads.

National correspondent Bob Franken has more on this now for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): John Kerry is taking a break today now that he's clinched his nomination and now that he's managed to energize not only his fellow Democrats, but Republicans, too.

REP. TOM DELAY (R), MAJORITY LEADER: To call people liars and crooks, particularly thinking that you were off mike, this shows you who the real person he is. Not the person that is set up and coifed for a town meeting or speech, but the real person. And I think America got a little glimpse of the real John Kerry.

FRANKEN: The real John Kerry was cruising from one happy meeting of unifying Democrats to another, while Republicans demanded an apology.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have no intention whatsoever of apologizing for my remarks. I think these -- I think the Republicans need to start talking about the real issues before the country.

FRANKEN: In fact, the many Democrats who believe their politicians have so often rolled over and played dead in the face of Republican attacks are delighted at all this.

MICHAEL MEEHAN, SENIOR ADVISER, KERRY CAMPAIGN: We're going to fight back, absolutely. We're going to spend the next eight months fighting back on that.

FRANKEN (on camera): It looks like Democrats and Republicans alike are about to heed the Kerry challenge and bring it on. Bob Franken, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Senator Kerry's comments, no doubt, the most talked about words the campaign season thus far. Here to talk a bit more about it, our senior analyst, Jeff Greenfield.

Nice to see you on a Friday.

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Good day.

HEMMER: Hardly the first time a politician has found his words, well, reaching an unintending audience, right?

GREENFIELD: Yes. You know, not in this age of suffocating news coverage and omnipresent mikes and cameras. Back in 1992, a C-SPAN mike captured Senator Bob Kerrey of Nebraska telling a very politically incorrect joke to Bill Clinton. I will not repeat the joke. And you will remember, back in 2000, then Governor Bush pointed out a reporter to Dick Cheney when they were on a speaker's platform and called him a major league body part.

HEMMER: We'll let that one slide.

GREENFIELD: Yes, sir.

HEMMER: Is this a real problem for Kerry?

GREENFIELD: You know, I think it could be, but not because of these particular words. I mentioned a couple of days ago here that pessimists don't win presidential elections, and neither do angry candidates.

The last one I can recall was Harry Truman, "Give them Hell Harry." And that was 56 years ago. Voters do want to see toughness in a president in the sense that he'll fight for himself and, therefore, for them.

My feeling is they also want a certain sense of perspective, generosity of spirit, a sense of limits. That was one idea, one perception fight that President Bush clearly won over Al Gore in 2000.

HEMMER: So then, specifically, for Kerry, what's the danger?

GREENFIELD: Well, what I think is there's a danger that if, for instance, Kerry never has anything mildly pleasant to say about the president, if it's always after him, that may have been his audience in the primaries that wanted red meat. But the voters he needs now, I think, simply don't have that kind of passionate dislike.

What Kerry needs to remember is that he has to convince people who voted for Bush last time that there's a reasonable argument to change the votes. And I think disdain and fury will do it. Excuse me. In fact, it plays right literally into Bush's hands. You'll remember that in his kickoff speech to the Republican governors, Bush said "Anger is not an agenda." And you'll remember what happened when Howard Dean, fairly on not, was labeled the angry candidate.

HEMMER: What we are hearing consistently from both camps is you have to define the other guy before he takes a chance to define you. And there are tough New ads out today from the White House doing just that.

GREENFIELD: Yes, very much so. I think that, you know, they brand Kerry not simply not as a high taxer, but I want you to listen particularly to this part of the Bush ad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NARRATOR: ... billion dollars on the war on terror, weaken the Patriot Act used to arrest terrorists and protect America, and he wanted to delay defending America until the United Nations approved. John Kerry, wrong on taxes, wrong on defense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GREENFIELD: Now, that last part is about Kerry's position on going to war with Iraq. But note the phrasing, "delayed defending America." That sure seems to imply that Kerry didn't want to protect America against terrorist attacks until the U.N. approved.

Now, remember, Bill, this is only March. And by October, one of these guys is going to be accusing the other of the Lindbergh baby kidnap.

HEMMER: You think so? And Jimmy Hoffa?

GREENFIELD: Yes, that's right. I think they've got to ratchet this stuff down for their own political sake.

HEMMER: You think so?

GREENFIELD: Yes.

HEMMER: Too tough?

GREENFIELD: I think, as I said, that when you see a candidate who's in a constant feral attack mood, where the face scrunches up, where he can't contain his anger, voters kind of back off. That's not where the people who decide this election are. A certain sense of, you know, I understand it's politics, it's not war, we're all Americans, that generally is the kind of people who win campaigns.

HEMMER: We'll watch it. Thanks, Jeff. Good to see you.

GREENFIELD: OK.

HEMMER: Enjoy the weekend.

GREENFIELD: Glad you got the memo on the pinstripes.

HEMMER: Thank you very much. Like that. OK.

Here's Soledad.

O'BRIEN: A former journalist and press secretary to four members of Congress has been arrested. She's accused of serving as a paid agent for the Iraqi Intelligence Service before and after the U.S. invasion.

More now from Justice correspondent Kelli Arena.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Susan Lindauer is due back in court today. The former journalist and congressional aide insists that she is not an Iraqi spy.

SUSAN LINDAUER, JOURNALIST: I'm an anti-war activist and I'm innocent.

ARENA: An indictment says Lindauer had repeated contacts with Iraqi intelligence officers in New York and Baghdad between 1999 and 2002, and conspired with two sons of Iraq's former liaison with U.N. weapons inspectors. Lindauer says she was trying to get inspectors back into Iraq.

LINDAUER: I'm very proud. And I will very proudly stand by my achievements.

ARENA: In January 2003, two months before the U.S. invaded Iraq, prosecutors say she took a letter to the home of a U.S. official saying she had access to Saddam Hussein's regime. Sources tell CNN that official was White House chief of staff Andrew Card, Lindauer's second cousin. The White House says Card never met with Lindauer and called the incident very sad.

LINDAUER: I'm an anti-war activist.

ARENA: Sources say Card alerted authorities, then the FBI set up a sting operation. In June, prosecutors say Lindauer met with an undercover FBI agent posing as an agent for Libyan intelligence looking to support resistance groups in post-war Iraq. And near her home in Tacoma Park, they say she followed instructions to leave unspecified documents at dead drop locations.

Neighbors were surprised.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was a Tacoma Park-type person. They're pretty unique around here. We're a nuclear-free zone, as you know. So very laid back, liberal sort of person.

ARENA: Prosecutors say Iraq paid Lindauer $10,000 for expenses and services. She faces up to 25 years in prison if she is convicted on all charges.

LINDAUER: This is what democracy is all about.

ARENA: Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Susan Lindauer was released yesterday on $500,000 bond.

Still to come this morning, searching for terrorists. Who is responsible for yesterday's attacks on commuters in Spain? We'll take you live to Madrid for that.

HEMMER: Also, fighting fires and one another. We'll talk with Chicago's fire commissioner about his department's problems with racism. The allegations are there. They are not going away. We'll try to get to the bottom of it in a moment.

O'BRIEN: Also, a friend of Martha Stewart tells us how she's coping with the possibility now of going to prison.

Those stories are all ahead as AMERICAN MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Spain's prime minister now says that all lines of investigation into the Madrid train bombings are being pursued. Large demonstrations against violence are being expected there later today. The numbers if you look at them are just staggering. At least 198 dead, some 1,400 injured.

We take you now to the Spanish capital, and also our chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour.

Christiane, good morning.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Soledad, good morning.

And even the rain hasn't been able to stop the people coming out earlier this morning. About noon time, in fact. Many people came out of the buildings, out of offices. Cars stopped in the road in a symbolic moment of silence. In fact, it went on for a good five to 10 minutes.

People have hung flags, the Spanish flag, from their balcony balconies, from many, many government buildings. Also, anything that they can, like white sheets draped with black ribbons. And obviously flags are flying at half-mast as three days of national mourning are under way.

The Spanish government has called for mass rallies to be held in all the capital cities of Spain's various regions for this evening at about 7:00 p.m. There was one held last night in Bilbao, the capital of the Basque region, in defiance of these killings. Really, Spain's worst terrorist attack in modern history, in modern memory.

Fourteen hundred and sixty-three people wounded. We're told some of those would still succumb to their injuries, they have been so badly and so severely injured.

Meantime, the investigation continues, and Spanish officials are struggling to try to come up with definitive leads to try to find out exactly who did this. They're under great pressure from the people, and really ahead of these elections as well, to show that they're pursuing every lead, to be able to say that the police are pursuing this and will bring the criminals to prosecution just as soon as possible.

The government as one basically heeds the blame on ETA, the terrorist organization that is responsible for many -- 35 years of armed struggle here. But now they're thinking there may be an Islamic link, and they are following that line of investigation as well. It's still too early to say who did it -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Christiane Amanpour in Madrid fofr us this morning. Christiane, thank you.

Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution joins us from Washington, D.C., now to talk a little bit more about whether al Qaeda may have been involved in the Madrid bombings.

Michael, nice to see you. Thanks for being with us.

MICHAEL O'HANLON, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: My pleasure, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Of course, the big problem now is that the evidence seems to be contradictory. Some of it points to ETA, some of it does seem to point to al Qaeda. To what degree do you think it's plausible that it could be al Qaeda? Weigh the odds for me.

O'HANLON: Well, I think they're probably pretty good, Soledad, if you consider al Qaeda not just to be bin Laden and his close associates, but to be all the groups around the world that are in some sense networked in with al Qaeda or inspired by it or learning from it. One thing we've realized in the last few months -- and CIA Director George Tenet has made this point -- is al Qaeda is not really a tight-knit organization, but only has a specific defined membership and leadership.

There are offshoots in places like Turkey, the JI group (ph) in Southeast Asia, various groups in places like Morocco. And we've seen bombings in all of these countries, and they're not necessarily being orchestrated by bin Laden or Zawahiri or anybody else who is an al Qaeda properly defined leader.

So I think there's a good chance that al Qaeda has inspired these attacks. And if you define it broadly enough, they're somehow involved.

It doesn't mean ETA wasn't. There could even be some kind of a collaboration here or some kind of cross-fertilization of techniques and packets. Terrorists do copy each other and learn from each other.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk a little bit about ETA specifically, though. Do you think that that group is organized and sophisticated enough to actually pull this off? Because if you look at historically what they've been able to do and the numbers they've killed, some people would say, no.

O'HANLON: Well, it's a good point, Soledad. Although, I think they could do it. The question is, do they want to?

If you think of what it takes to do this kind of an attack, unfortunately it's really not that hard. You do need material. And you need someone who knows the mechanics of hooking up the detonators and making sure they're all properly timed and synchronized.

Beyond that, you really just need 10 people who will carry backpacks to the right place at the right time and not give themselves away, and leave the backpacks where they're supposed to. It does not require sophistication beyond the material and the one principal bomb maker. So I'm afraid that many groups would have this kind of capacity if they chose to carry out this kind of an attack, and if they had access to the material.

O'BRIEN: If it's a combined scenario, like you just mentioned, combined al Qaeda along with ETA, I'd be curious to know what you think the big picture implication of a joining of the two of them would be.

O'HANLON: Well, yeah, that's a good question. The big picture implication, of course, the big picture worry, is that anybody who is collaborating with the United States in Iraq or other missions is now going to be a target. And the international coalition against terror may be put in some risk.

Because as you know well, Soledad, in Europe, the Iraq war was not popular. Even among countries that had leadership who supported us or participated in the post-Saddam period of peacekeeping, the war is not popular. And the question is, can political leaders in Europe, in countries like Spain, Italy, and Britain, really continue to support the United States if they are themselves seeing their own citizens killed and threatened by al Qaeda in response, or in retaliation?

That's a big question mark. We don't know if this coalition is going to be able to survive these kinds of attacks.

O'BRIEN: Huge question, of course. Interesting insight, as always. Michael O'Hanlon, thanks for being with us. Appreciate it.

O'HANLON: Thank you, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Bill?

HEMMER: On this same story, Soledad, the Madrid bombings prompting increased security measures on U.S. railways in this country. Amtrak increasing patrols by police and canine units. Electronic surveillance of bridges and tunnels also intensified.

Amtrak once again stressing to employees that they should report anything suspicious. Amtrak says there is no credible threat against it or other railroads. Just for the record, 500 Amtrak stations, 140,000 miles of track here in the U.S. alone.

O'BRIEN: And that's just Amtrak. We're not talking about the rest of the train lines that run.

HEMMER: It's a massive network.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: There was also a story -- remember last week about inspectors inspecting rail lines in France looking for signs of terrorism?

O'BRIEN: Right.

HEMMER: Yes.

CAFFERTY: I mean, it may or may not have anything to do with it, but what we've been talking about all morning off and on is whether or not al Qaeda might be involved in this stuff in Madrid. And we're interested in your thoughts on that.

And we're getting a lot of mail. And interestingly, we're hearing from people who either lived in or are very familiar with the area of Madrid that was bombed.

Andrew writes: "This attack has hit me harder than the attacks of September 11 because I personally rode those trains every day to get to class for three months while studying there. I still have not heard any word from my classmates that are currently studying there. Is there any way you can report U.S. citizens, if any, who might have been injured?"

Unfortunately, at this point, no we can't.

Stan in Ventura, California, "I seriously doubt" -- excuse me, I got ahead of myself. Anna in Newark: "As a Portuguese woman who left my country at the age of 22, I can't say how many times I would hear about ETA attacks on the news. Every time there was an attack, ETA would be first to say they did it. They also would warn ahead of time and say why they were doing it. This is not what we saw yesterday."

Stan in Ventura, California, writes this: "I doubt the Basques had anything to do with the Madrid bombings. I lived in Madrid for almost four years, and the Basques stuck to targeting Spanish government officials. America remained neutral in this civil war and was not targeted for reprisals."

And finally, Sy (ph) in Philadelphia weighs in with, "It seems to me all we need to do is find out what group, where they are, and set about the task of eliminating further threats from them. I don't care what group it is. I do care we assist our Spanish allies in any way we can to help bring the terrorist dogs to justice."

O'BRIEN: Interesting e-mail. Great perspective of people who really were there and know.

CAFFERTY: Yes, it's interesting. HEMMER: Part of this story I think is more ominous if it's not al Qaeda, if you have these groups now that are trying to mimic and copy the acts of al Qaeda because they've seen the massive amounts of international attention al Qaeda gets after activities like these.

CAFFERTY: And the repercussions, I mean, they're global now. Like 200 people get killed in Madrid, the stock market drops in New York City the minute it opens.

HEMMER: Ten days ago...

(CROSSTALK)

CAFFERTY: Yes.

HEMMER: Just for the record, 11 countries apparently were victims. The U.S. Embassy in Madrid now saying four wounded -- four wounded Americans there.

CAFFERTY: Yes. Andrew, if you're watching, call the State Department, is the best way, I guess, to go about finding out if your friends were among them.

HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.

Let's get a break here in a moment.

From Utah, there's a mother there facing criminal charges for accusing to have a Caesarian section. That story's ahead here. We'll explain right after this on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: A woman in the state of Utah who chose not to have a Caesarian section is now charged with murder. Court documents filed yesterday say 28-year-old Melissa Ann Rowland was repeatedly told that her unborn twins would die without the procedure. One was stillborn at delivery.

A nurse says Rowland complained repeatedly that the hospital planned to cut her -- and quoting now -- "from breast bone to pubic bone." A doctor outside the case said first time c-sections are never that big. If convicted of murder, Rowland could be sentenced to five years to life in prison. That story from Utah -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Well, turning now to the Martha Stewart case, how does Martha Stewart feel about the possibility of going to prison? Eva Scrivo is Stewart's stylist, also a close friend. And she did Martha Stewart's hair and makeup every day before court.

Earlier this morning, I sat down with her and asked her how Martha had felt during the course of the trial.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EVA SCRIVO, MARTHA STEWART'S STLIST AND FRIEND: We tried to remain, you know, very positive. And I think that everyone was very surprised by the verdict. Everyone that I know -- and I think even just a lot of people in the world, as proof of that how her stock rallied 20 percent higher than it was because everyone had such faith in her before the verdict was announced.

O'BRIEN: At the same time, you saw her daughter break down, fall apart. And Martha Stewart never did. And some jurors actually, when they came out later to talk to the press, said that demeanor during the entire trial left them to feel that she was cold and arrogant. A big fat cat kind of person.

SCRIVO: I see what you're saying. And Martha is a very stoic, strong human being who has gone through a tremendous amount of adversity to build an empire of this size.

So I think that she is somewhat -- can be self-contained in the sadness. But it doesn't mean that it's not real and doesn't exist. She's a real person with a lot of feelings about this. And it saddens her greatly that it's come to this decision, you know?

O'BRIEN: Does she say anything in hindsight -- you know, many people have all said, if at the start of all of this, she had just come forward and said, I'm sorry, I did it, let me pay the fine...

SCRIVO: Sure.

O'BRIEN: ... all of this could have been avoided.

SCRIVO: Well, Martha is a tremendously honest person, of all that I have got from her over the years. I have observed her in many circumstances.

I've traveled with her all over the country, spotlighting the artisans around the country, bringing them to her show. I see how much good that she does. And I really see her as an honest businesswoman.

O'BRIEN: Some people said it was greed, though, the $50,000 -- $40,000 to $50,000. That it was sort of a -- that that was a symbol of someone going after a small amount of money, and that was greed when she's worth a ton of money. Do you see her as a greedy person?

SCRIVO: I don't see her being that petty. Martha always looks at the big picture of things. And I think that through this time the focus is really on the company at this point.

It's very important to her. And I think the product, the quality, and the reputation of the product will remain very strong.

O'BRIEN: Has she said anything about what happens next, what her concerns are? I mean, you know, there's a very good chance she's going to go to prison for a decent amount of time.

SCRIVO: Well, I think she's going to appeal. And her attorneys are, I'm sure, diligently working on this. And I think a lot is going to happen in the next few months. You know, I think that she's incredibly resourceful and reinvents herself with new ideas all the time, which is so evident in her company. So I wouldn't be a bit surprised if something happens over the next few months, whether it be information or shedding some light on what happened.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: That was Eva Scrivo. She's a close friend of Martha Stewart. And she was speaking with us earlier this morning on AMERICAN MORNING. Martha Stewart's sentencing is scheduled for June 17 -- Bill.

HEMMER: In a moment here, we're going to Mars. The snapshots keep coming from the Red Planet. The mission's lead scientist tells us why these pictures are so special.

Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Half passed the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING, the city of Chicago in an uproar now about racist comments by firefighters. This morning, we're going to ask the Chicago fire commissioner about just how big this problem is. There he is. And also how big of a shake-up it might lead to in that department.

HEMMER: Also in a moment here, showing you a reunion between an accident victim and the man who pulled him from a burning car. What a reunion it is. We'll have that for you in a moment.

O'BRIEN: Mourners in Spain, our top story this morning, lining the streets in Madrid in remembrance of the city's terror attack. Nearly 200 people killed in the explosions on the city's train system yesterday. Spain's prime minister is vowing to bring the guilty to justice. He also says that all lines of investigation are being pursued.

Here in the U.S., Colorado's high court has cleared the way for Kobe Bryant's accuser to testify about her sexual past. The state Supreme Court yesterday refused a petition from a prosecutor in the case who asked for that line of questioning to be restricted. Bryant's accuser is scheduled to testify behind closed doors during a hearing later this month.

The California Supreme Court has put a stop to same-sex marriages in San Francisco for now. Same-sex couples can not get marriage licenses from city officials until legal wrangling over the issue is worked out. Meanwhile, Massachusetts lawmakers are one step closer to amending the state constitution to ban same-sex marriages but allow civil unions.

And South Korea's national assembly voted today to impeach President Roo Moo-hyun. It was a dramatic scene, with the politicians shoving each other and those loyal to President Roo trying to keep the assembly speaker from actually ever reaching the podium. That's, of course, the only place where the speaker can call for a vote.

Lawmakers voted right after that, but the emotions continued to run high. A little furniture was thrown. The constitutional court must still give final approval to unseat President Roo.

HEMMER: Tough crowd. It looked like a world wrestling enterprise.

O'BRIEN: You know, I was thinking, it looks more like that than any kind of politics.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: We think of firefighters oftentimes as heroes, risking their lives every day to save others. But some of Chicago's bravest and finest are being described in much less flattering terms. They're being called racist.

Over the past month, racial slurs have been heard over the department's two-way radio. In a moment, we'll talk with Chicago's fire commissioner about it.

First, though, today, for us, CNN's Keith Oppenheim reports on the city's head-hot controversy in Chicago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a city formed by a great fire, the people who fight fires are valued and admired. And so many were taken aback when, in February, a Chicago firefighter got foul-mouthed and was caught using racist language on a two-way radio.

That firefighter was suspended. But in weeks following, five more similar incidents were reported. This time, the culprits weren't identified.

MAYOR RICHARD DALEY (D), CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: We ask firemen to join us and their families to identify these cowards.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't condone any, you know, racial or ethnic slurs.

OPPENHEIM: The firefighters Union has been reacting to critics who suggest racism in the ranks is widespread.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's unfortunate that they're trying to use the firefighters and paramedics who do a great job every single day, and to misrepresent who we are and what we do.

OPPENHEIM: But there have been problems in the past, including a 1997 video of Chicago firefighters using racist language at a party.

(on camera): And one Chicago alderman after criticizing the radio behavior a few days ago, got an anonymous and threatening piece of mail. ED SMITH, CITY ALDERMAN: The letter states that if I ever have a fire at my house, I better have some black firemen there, otherwise the house will burn up.

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): Alderman Ed Smith joined others in praising the skill and bravery of Chicago firefighters overall. Still, the ugly words continue to reach the airwaves, putting an entire department on the defensive.

Keith Oppenheim, CNN, Chicago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: More on this story now. About 20 percent of the firefighters in Chicago are African-American. James Joyce is the fire commissioner. He's with us now from the Windy City to talk about the attention that's engulfed his department.

Sir, good morning to you. Appreciate your time today.

JAMES JOYCE, CHICAGO FIRE COMMISSIONER: Good morning. Glad to be here.

HEMMER: Do you think you have a problem with racism there in Chicago?

JOYCE: Well, we have 5,000 firefighters and paramedics in our department. Like any group of 5,000, there's going to be a small handful. And I would emphasize that the remarks that have been made on our radio, we feel, are made by a very small portion of our department.

And we're not sure exactly who is doing this, and if they're all firefighters. We're looking into that and we're investigating very closely.

HEMMER: What do you mean if they're not all firefighters? You're saying outside the force?

JOYCE: Well, we're looking at all possibilities. There are many, many radios out there. While it is illegal by federal rules to broadcast on an emergency channel, we know that there are radios available on eBay. We know that members of the press, fire buffs, almost anyone could get their hands on a radio that could be tampered with, that could tap into our system.

HEMMER: Back to your first answer, if I could. You said it's a small number. How do you know that?

JOYCE: Well, we've got a department with 150 years of tradition in serving the citizens of Chicago. We have very, very few incidents of this nature. We have a long history.

We have developed a sacred trust with the people of Chicago. And if there is any agency in the city of Chicago that the people have come to trust that call for help at their time of need, it is the fire department.

So the citizens of Chicago are very disturbed, as I am. I'm frustrated by this. The mayor is angry. Because it paints the department with a very broad brush, and that is not indicative of what our 100 fire stations are like in the city.

HEMMER: There was a suggestion a citizens oversight board is the answer. Would you support that?

JOYCE: I would support anything that would get to the bottom of this problem and make sure that a problem like this doesn't arise in the future. We do have a community advisory board in place now that works on issues just like these.

HEMMER: Last week, you said these offenses are firable (ph) offenses, totally unacceptable to you. How long before you can wrap it up? And will you fire those who are responsible when you find them?

JOYCE: Well, I put a memo out to the field. All firefighters and paramedics are clearly aware that an offense like this after the discipline process works its route, they could be fired for an incident like this. I intend to go after the most severe discipline possible. We have to make sure that the trust we have with the community is not violated.

HEMMER: Thank you, Commissioner. James Joyce there in Chicago. Good luck to you. Appreciate your sharing with us today.

JOYCE: Thank you.

HEMMER: You go it -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, a popular morning treat might actually be getting a little less sweet. Andy Serwer's going to have that story.

HEMMER: Also, some snapshots from Mars today. A look from Mars at the planet Earth. The first time it's ever been done this way.

Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: And let's check in with Jack and the "Question of the Day."

CAFFERTY: Thank you.

The question revolves around the tragedy in Madrid. "Are you afraid that the Madrid bombings might be the work of al Qaeda?" We've gotten a ton of mail this morning, beginning with this one from Matt in Sherman Oaks California...

"If we had left a contained Saddam to the United Nations, we could have used this last year to hammer al Qaeda and possibly prevented this."

Jane in New York writes: "One must wonder if Bush had sent 120,000 troops to go after al Qaeda in Afghanistan rather than messing around in Iraq, could events like yesterday's in Spain been avoided.?

Fiona in the United Kingdom weighs in with, "Bombs and terrorism are nothing new to Europe. Most of us have grown up with its influence. It will not and has not affected our lifestyle and values. And whoever is responsible will not succeed."

Dave in Reston: "Are the attacks in Spain the work of al Qaeda? Probably. Especially if one views al Qaeda as becoming a kind of generic name for terrorists, sort of like aspirin."

And Jean in Johnson City writes: "I look forward to Jack Cafferty's "IN THE MONEY" on Saturday. The subject is timely. I have watched it in the past. I have found to it be surprisingly informative, especially when compared with Jack's performance during the workweek."

HEMMER: Making friends fast.

CAFFERTY: Well, thank you, Jean.

Just for that, you will not be allowed to watch "IN THE MONEY" this weekend. Your set will automatically go off when our program comes on.

HEMMER: To your corner for a timeout.

CAFFERTY: Yes.

HEMMER: We'll check it out Saturday.

(CROSSTALK)

CAFFERTY: Tiny little thing.

HEMMER: Let's get to Mars. I know you love this topic.

CAFFERTY: Oh, I do.

HEMMER: Spirit and Opportunity, are the Red Planet pioneers at it yet again? Jim Garvin is the lead scientist for NASA's Mars exploration. He's with us earlier today talking about the latest images. Our first stop, the picture from the Bonneville Crater. Here's Mr. Garvin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM GARVIN, NASA: This is Mother Nature's great excavator. And we're hoping this crater has exposed the kind of rocks that will tell us more of the story at this Spirit site, the history of water.

HEMMER: And also, in this next photo here, they superimposed the rover. What's the intention of that? GARVIN: Well, Bill, this is our path planning tool. Our rover drivers have the ultimate video game. They get to use real Mars and simulate the driving of the Spirit or Opportunity rover to where we want to go.

And last night, we drove right to the edge of that crater. So we're poised to look in, to look at the kind of rocks that we hope to see there, like the one I'm holding up now.

HEMMER: And what is that?

GARVIN: This is a breccia. And that's a good crossword puzzle word. But it's a rock made in an impact here on Earth in a crater that contains bits of other kinds of rocks all stuck together. If we can find this kind of rock on Mars, we may get clues to what's underground and will tell us more about perhaps the history of water.

HEMMER: Even more important, we're working that crossword on Sunday morning. How do you spell that?

GARVIN: Oh, that's B-R-E-C-C-I-A.

HEMMER: All right. We got it now. Thanks for the clue.

A 3-D view is our next photo. Tell us what's in here.

GARVIN: Well, here is a view now of our own way of digging into Mars. Mars has a thin skin. And we want to see under the grains of soil. So now we're going to fly in to a three or four-inch deep trench that we dug with the wheels of the Spirit rover.

And in there, you can see there's layering. Some of the spoil's been compacted. And by exploring this, we can look beneath the level that the sun's rays, its energy, and the energy of deep space penetrates Mars. This may be where we find some of the hidden clues for the planet.

HEMMER: Interesting. This is all from Spirit. On the other end of the planet, there's Opportunity. Another photo here shows a lot of color. What does that signify?

GARVIN: Well, now, here we are 6,000 miles away in this little 60-foot crater. The colors here are a way we can use the eyes of the rover, special instrument, to map where this key telltale mineral hematite is located. So we're now mapping our surroundings before we drive up to the places to explore up close with the arm and the wheels.

HEMMER: All right. Back to Spirit now, we believe this is the first photo ever taken of our own planet from another planet in space. And that's where we are.

GARVIN: That's where we are, a little dot in the sky from Mars. And last time we did anything like this was 30 some years ago, when the Apollo human astronauts did pictures like this of the Earth from the moon. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Thanks to Jim Garvin for his thoughts earlier today. If the scientists are right now, the twin rovers will be sending back postcards much longer than first thought. Spirit and Opportunity originally about a period of 90 days with the solar panels attached there. The mission manager now says they may have enough light in them to last about 200 days. So more to come.

O'BRIEN: Interesting.

Still to come this morning, a person risks his own life to save that of another.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER AVALLONE, RESCUER: Doing pretty good?

JONATHAN MILLER, RESCUED BY AVALLONE: You are the savior of my life.

AVALLONE: It's quite all right.

MILLER: Thank you so much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: A happy run you're for one man who was close to death, and the hero who saved him. Our new series called the "Extra Effort" kicks off next. Stay with AMERICAN MORNING.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Well, time now for a new weekly segment that we like to call the "Extra Effort." We're going to look at people who have gone the extra mile to help somebody, in spite of great personal risks themselves.

We begin with a car accident in Connecticut and the story of a good samaritan who stopped to help.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN (voice-over): It was a touching reunion between court bailiff Peter Avallone and 19-year-old Jonathan Miller.

AVALLONE: Feeling pretty good?

MILLER: You are the savior of my life.

AVALLONE: It's quite all right.

MILLER: Thank you so much.

O'BRIEN: After spending a late night with friends in Connecticut, Miller headed home in his car. He never made it. MILLER: I was on Route 72 and I must have fell asleep at the wheel.

O'BRIEN: Avallone passed by moments after Miller lost control of the car.

AVALLONE: I came around the corner on 72 and just saw Jonathan's vehicle upside down on the exit ramp. I ran up to the vehicle, up to the driver's side where Jonathan was positioned. He was positioned on the roof of the vehicle because it was upside down, unconscious.

So I kicked out the window. And while I was kicking out the window, it sounded like a gas grill, when you light a gas grill. All I heard was a whoop. And the flames actually shot out between my legs.

O'BRIEN: Avallone and another man pulled Miller from the fire just as police and medics arrived.

AVALLONE: He got singed when we kicked the window open. That was like adding fuel to the fire, so to speak.

MILLER: I don't remember any of this. When I woke up at Bridgeport Hospital, I had no idea why. But then further explanation, they explained to me that Bridgeport Hospital was the only burn center in Connecticut. So I then realized that I must have been burned. I must have been on fire, an accident or something.

O'BRIEN: He's now recovering from third-degree burns to his hands and neck and stomach.

MILLER: On my stomach, they actually had a scar that was three inches wide around here. They cut it out and they stapled my stomach shut.

O'BRIEN: Jonathan Miller is set to be released from the hospital on Saturday morning. And he says he'll be forever indebted to his new friend.

AVALLONE: I guess I did what I had to do. I mean, I don't know. I just didn't want to see somebody die. You know what I mean? Or drive by and just wonder. I just had to stop.

MILLER: It took so much courage for you to actually help me, and to actually help someone that was burning on fire. Because you risked your own life for me. And I thank you very much for that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: A nice story. Jonathan Miller's dad, Donald, was also quick to praise Avallone, saying, "He's our hero." I'm sure echoing everything that everyone is thinking in that family.

HEMMER: Still to come here on CNN, next hour, in fact, the fallout from the attacks in Spain. Who's responsible? That search continues. Daryn has that next hour. We are back in a moment with Soledad, Jack and Andy -- the whole gang right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAFFERTY: We invite you to join us for "IN THE MONEY" this weekend. Former "Cheers" star John Ratzenberger has a new TV show called "Made in America." We're gong to talk with him about what he's learned from workers around the country, especially in light of all the outsourcing of American jobs that's going on.

"IN THE MONEY" at 1:00 Eastern, and Sunday at 3:00. Hope you'll check it out. I need the money.

O'BRIEN: Do you charge people to watch?

CAFFERTY: Now there's a good idea, actually, yes. Except for that one guy who is not allowed to watch because he made that nasty comment.

O'BRIEN: That was a compliment. It was just one of the most back-handed compliments I have ever heard.

HAMMER: Jack we missed your shot up here, this nifty little new product.

CAFFERTY: Do you think I'm dumb enough to bring (ph) anything that any of you people would offer me? You've got to be kidding.

HEMMER: That's your royal taster.

CAFFERTY: I ain't going near that.

O'BRIEN: That's a good instinct.

HEMMER: We've got to run. Here's Daryn Kagan at the Cnn Center.

Have a good weekend, everybody. Great to have you here. See you again on Monday morning, right?

Daryn, good morning to you.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, absolutely. I'm just so impressed. You know, Jack has more stars on his show than they do on "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS."

CAFFERTY: Yes. The check's in the mail, Daryn. Thank you.

KAGAN: You've got George Costanza, you've got Cliff the postman. We will be tuning in. You guys have a great weekend.

CAFFERTY: It's a place where the celebs hang out.

KAGAN: Absolutely with Jack Cafferty. They like that. You guys have a great weekend. We'll get started down here in Atlanta.

Good morning from CNN headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Daryn Kagan. Let's start by checking the hour's headlines.

It is a somber day in Spain, as a three-day period of mourning gets under way for the victims of yesterday's terror attacks. Nearly 200 hundred people were killed and hundreds more were injured in attacks on Madrid's commuter train network. Four trains at three different stations were bombed. Spanish authorities are trying to determine who carried out the attacks.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge says that a sustained international effort is necessary to defeat terrorist attacks like the ones in Madrid. Ridge is visiting Thailand, and Ridge says that with the help of U.S. allies, al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden will be caught.





Responsible for Madrid Bombings?; Talking Martha>


Aired March 12, 2004 - 9:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Spain's prime minister no longer so sure that homegrown terrorists are to blame for the attacks that killed nearly 200 people.
NASA reaches a mission milestone, with its rover Spirit poised on the edge of a Martian crater.

And political upheaval in South Korea. The impeachment of a president on this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Good morning. It's Friday. Good to have you here, 9:00 in New York.

Other stories this hour, no conclusive evidence from Spain pointing to who's behind the attacks of yesterday. There is some concern that homegrown terrorists may have linked up with al Qaeda. More on that theory. And that is just one of them.

We deal in facts in this business, but right now we do not have clear answers out of Spain. We'll talk to you about what's being said, though, today, the day after, in a moment.

O'BRIEN: Also this morning, Senator John Kerry will not apologize for his remark about Republicans being crooked. We're going to take a look at the chances that his words will come back to haunt him.

HEMMER: Also, top stories now at the top of the hour. Let's get to it.

The Senate today approved a $2.36 trillion budget. The plan was approved earlier today 51-45. A leaner version of the president's original outline, the blueprint calling for lower spending, smaller tax cuts and less time for deficit reduction.

From Florida, the suspect in the kidnapping and murder of 11- year-old Carlie Brucia due in court today. Formal arraignment is set to take place at this hour for Joseph Smith. Brucia's abduction was caught on a surveillance camera last month in Florida.

The government cracking down on a steroid-like supplement known as Andro. The FDA wants manufacturers to stop production of the supplement until its makers can prove that it's safe. While not a steroid, the FDA says Andro may pose the same health risk.

The late Dr. Seuss now has a star of his own on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Fans gathered yesterday for the tribute, clutching their copies of "Cat in the Hat." Nice scene.

Parts of the series of events being held this month celebrating Dr. Seuss' 100th birthday. His widow accepting his honor on his behalf.

You're up to date at 9:01 here now.

O'BRIEN: That was a cute scene with the books and the hat. They look adorable.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: A New CNN survey finding that Senator John Kerry has racked up enough delegates for this summer's Democratic National Convention to clinch the nomination. This coming as the campaign against President Bush gets a bit meaner, a bit nastier, some say, on account of some New Bush campaign ads.

National correspondent Bob Franken has more on this now for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): John Kerry is taking a break today now that he's clinched his nomination and now that he's managed to energize not only his fellow Democrats, but Republicans, too.

REP. TOM DELAY (R), MAJORITY LEADER: To call people liars and crooks, particularly thinking that you were off mike, this shows you who the real person he is. Not the person that is set up and coifed for a town meeting or speech, but the real person. And I think America got a little glimpse of the real John Kerry.

FRANKEN: The real John Kerry was cruising from one happy meeting of unifying Democrats to another, while Republicans demanded an apology.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have no intention whatsoever of apologizing for my remarks. I think these -- I think the Republicans need to start talking about the real issues before the country.

FRANKEN: In fact, the many Democrats who believe their politicians have so often rolled over and played dead in the face of Republican attacks are delighted at all this.

MICHAEL MEEHAN, SENIOR ADVISER, KERRY CAMPAIGN: We're going to fight back, absolutely. We're going to spend the next eight months fighting back on that.

FRANKEN (on camera): It looks like Democrats and Republicans alike are about to heed the Kerry challenge and bring it on. Bob Franken, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Senator Kerry's comments, no doubt, the most talked about words the campaign season thus far. Here to talk a bit more about it, our senior analyst, Jeff Greenfield.

Nice to see you on a Friday.

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Good day.

HEMMER: Hardly the first time a politician has found his words, well, reaching an unintending audience, right?

GREENFIELD: Yes. You know, not in this age of suffocating news coverage and omnipresent mikes and cameras. Back in 1992, a C-SPAN mike captured Senator Bob Kerrey of Nebraska telling a very politically incorrect joke to Bill Clinton. I will not repeat the joke. And you will remember, back in 2000, then Governor Bush pointed out a reporter to Dick Cheney when they were on a speaker's platform and called him a major league body part.

HEMMER: We'll let that one slide.

GREENFIELD: Yes, sir.

HEMMER: Is this a real problem for Kerry?

GREENFIELD: You know, I think it could be, but not because of these particular words. I mentioned a couple of days ago here that pessimists don't win presidential elections, and neither do angry candidates.

The last one I can recall was Harry Truman, "Give them Hell Harry." And that was 56 years ago. Voters do want to see toughness in a president in the sense that he'll fight for himself and, therefore, for them.

My feeling is they also want a certain sense of perspective, generosity of spirit, a sense of limits. That was one idea, one perception fight that President Bush clearly won over Al Gore in 2000.

HEMMER: So then, specifically, for Kerry, what's the danger?

GREENFIELD: Well, what I think is there's a danger that if, for instance, Kerry never has anything mildly pleasant to say about the president, if it's always after him, that may have been his audience in the primaries that wanted red meat. But the voters he needs now, I think, simply don't have that kind of passionate dislike.

What Kerry needs to remember is that he has to convince people who voted for Bush last time that there's a reasonable argument to change the votes. And I think disdain and fury will do it. Excuse me. In fact, it plays right literally into Bush's hands. You'll remember that in his kickoff speech to the Republican governors, Bush said "Anger is not an agenda." And you'll remember what happened when Howard Dean, fairly on not, was labeled the angry candidate.

HEMMER: What we are hearing consistently from both camps is you have to define the other guy before he takes a chance to define you. And there are tough New ads out today from the White House doing just that.

GREENFIELD: Yes, very much so. I think that, you know, they brand Kerry not simply not as a high taxer, but I want you to listen particularly to this part of the Bush ad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NARRATOR: ... billion dollars on the war on terror, weaken the Patriot Act used to arrest terrorists and protect America, and he wanted to delay defending America until the United Nations approved. John Kerry, wrong on taxes, wrong on defense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GREENFIELD: Now, that last part is about Kerry's position on going to war with Iraq. But note the phrasing, "delayed defending America." That sure seems to imply that Kerry didn't want to protect America against terrorist attacks until the U.N. approved.

Now, remember, Bill, this is only March. And by October, one of these guys is going to be accusing the other of the Lindbergh baby kidnap.

HEMMER: You think so? And Jimmy Hoffa?

GREENFIELD: Yes, that's right. I think they've got to ratchet this stuff down for their own political sake.

HEMMER: You think so?

GREENFIELD: Yes.

HEMMER: Too tough?

GREENFIELD: I think, as I said, that when you see a candidate who's in a constant feral attack mood, where the face scrunches up, where he can't contain his anger, voters kind of back off. That's not where the people who decide this election are. A certain sense of, you know, I understand it's politics, it's not war, we're all Americans, that generally is the kind of people who win campaigns.

HEMMER: We'll watch it. Thanks, Jeff. Good to see you.

GREENFIELD: OK.

HEMMER: Enjoy the weekend.

GREENFIELD: Glad you got the memo on the pinstripes.

HEMMER: Thank you very much. Like that. OK.

Here's Soledad.

O'BRIEN: A former journalist and press secretary to four members of Congress has been arrested. She's accused of serving as a paid agent for the Iraqi Intelligence Service before and after the U.S. invasion.

More now from Justice correspondent Kelli Arena.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Susan Lindauer is due back in court today. The former journalist and congressional aide insists that she is not an Iraqi spy.

SUSAN LINDAUER, JOURNALIST: I'm an anti-war activist and I'm innocent.

ARENA: An indictment says Lindauer had repeated contacts with Iraqi intelligence officers in New York and Baghdad between 1999 and 2002, and conspired with two sons of Iraq's former liaison with U.N. weapons inspectors. Lindauer says she was trying to get inspectors back into Iraq.

LINDAUER: I'm very proud. And I will very proudly stand by my achievements.

ARENA: In January 2003, two months before the U.S. invaded Iraq, prosecutors say she took a letter to the home of a U.S. official saying she had access to Saddam Hussein's regime. Sources tell CNN that official was White House chief of staff Andrew Card, Lindauer's second cousin. The White House says Card never met with Lindauer and called the incident very sad.

LINDAUER: I'm an anti-war activist.

ARENA: Sources say Card alerted authorities, then the FBI set up a sting operation. In June, prosecutors say Lindauer met with an undercover FBI agent posing as an agent for Libyan intelligence looking to support resistance groups in post-war Iraq. And near her home in Tacoma Park, they say she followed instructions to leave unspecified documents at dead drop locations.

Neighbors were surprised.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was a Tacoma Park-type person. They're pretty unique around here. We're a nuclear-free zone, as you know. So very laid back, liberal sort of person.

ARENA: Prosecutors say Iraq paid Lindauer $10,000 for expenses and services. She faces up to 25 years in prison if she is convicted on all charges.

LINDAUER: This is what democracy is all about.

ARENA: Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Susan Lindauer was released yesterday on $500,000 bond.

Still to come this morning, searching for terrorists. Who is responsible for yesterday's attacks on commuters in Spain? We'll take you live to Madrid for that.

HEMMER: Also, fighting fires and one another. We'll talk with Chicago's fire commissioner about his department's problems with racism. The allegations are there. They are not going away. We'll try to get to the bottom of it in a moment.

O'BRIEN: Also, a friend of Martha Stewart tells us how she's coping with the possibility now of going to prison.

Those stories are all ahead as AMERICAN MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Spain's prime minister now says that all lines of investigation into the Madrid train bombings are being pursued. Large demonstrations against violence are being expected there later today. The numbers if you look at them are just staggering. At least 198 dead, some 1,400 injured.

We take you now to the Spanish capital, and also our chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour.

Christiane, good morning.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Soledad, good morning.

And even the rain hasn't been able to stop the people coming out earlier this morning. About noon time, in fact. Many people came out of the buildings, out of offices. Cars stopped in the road in a symbolic moment of silence. In fact, it went on for a good five to 10 minutes.

People have hung flags, the Spanish flag, from their balcony balconies, from many, many government buildings. Also, anything that they can, like white sheets draped with black ribbons. And obviously flags are flying at half-mast as three days of national mourning are under way.

The Spanish government has called for mass rallies to be held in all the capital cities of Spain's various regions for this evening at about 7:00 p.m. There was one held last night in Bilbao, the capital of the Basque region, in defiance of these killings. Really, Spain's worst terrorist attack in modern history, in modern memory.

Fourteen hundred and sixty-three people wounded. We're told some of those would still succumb to their injuries, they have been so badly and so severely injured.

Meantime, the investigation continues, and Spanish officials are struggling to try to come up with definitive leads to try to find out exactly who did this. They're under great pressure from the people, and really ahead of these elections as well, to show that they're pursuing every lead, to be able to say that the police are pursuing this and will bring the criminals to prosecution just as soon as possible.

The government as one basically heeds the blame on ETA, the terrorist organization that is responsible for many -- 35 years of armed struggle here. But now they're thinking there may be an Islamic link, and they are following that line of investigation as well. It's still too early to say who did it -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Christiane Amanpour in Madrid fofr us this morning. Christiane, thank you.

Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution joins us from Washington, D.C., now to talk a little bit more about whether al Qaeda may have been involved in the Madrid bombings.

Michael, nice to see you. Thanks for being with us.

MICHAEL O'HANLON, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: My pleasure, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Of course, the big problem now is that the evidence seems to be contradictory. Some of it points to ETA, some of it does seem to point to al Qaeda. To what degree do you think it's plausible that it could be al Qaeda? Weigh the odds for me.

O'HANLON: Well, I think they're probably pretty good, Soledad, if you consider al Qaeda not just to be bin Laden and his close associates, but to be all the groups around the world that are in some sense networked in with al Qaeda or inspired by it or learning from it. One thing we've realized in the last few months -- and CIA Director George Tenet has made this point -- is al Qaeda is not really a tight-knit organization, but only has a specific defined membership and leadership.

There are offshoots in places like Turkey, the JI group (ph) in Southeast Asia, various groups in places like Morocco. And we've seen bombings in all of these countries, and they're not necessarily being orchestrated by bin Laden or Zawahiri or anybody else who is an al Qaeda properly defined leader.

So I think there's a good chance that al Qaeda has inspired these attacks. And if you define it broadly enough, they're somehow involved.

It doesn't mean ETA wasn't. There could even be some kind of a collaboration here or some kind of cross-fertilization of techniques and packets. Terrorists do copy each other and learn from each other.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk a little bit about ETA specifically, though. Do you think that that group is organized and sophisticated enough to actually pull this off? Because if you look at historically what they've been able to do and the numbers they've killed, some people would say, no.

O'HANLON: Well, it's a good point, Soledad. Although, I think they could do it. The question is, do they want to?

If you think of what it takes to do this kind of an attack, unfortunately it's really not that hard. You do need material. And you need someone who knows the mechanics of hooking up the detonators and making sure they're all properly timed and synchronized.

Beyond that, you really just need 10 people who will carry backpacks to the right place at the right time and not give themselves away, and leave the backpacks where they're supposed to. It does not require sophistication beyond the material and the one principal bomb maker. So I'm afraid that many groups would have this kind of capacity if they chose to carry out this kind of an attack, and if they had access to the material.

O'BRIEN: If it's a combined scenario, like you just mentioned, combined al Qaeda along with ETA, I'd be curious to know what you think the big picture implication of a joining of the two of them would be.

O'HANLON: Well, yeah, that's a good question. The big picture implication, of course, the big picture worry, is that anybody who is collaborating with the United States in Iraq or other missions is now going to be a target. And the international coalition against terror may be put in some risk.

Because as you know well, Soledad, in Europe, the Iraq war was not popular. Even among countries that had leadership who supported us or participated in the post-Saddam period of peacekeeping, the war is not popular. And the question is, can political leaders in Europe, in countries like Spain, Italy, and Britain, really continue to support the United States if they are themselves seeing their own citizens killed and threatened by al Qaeda in response, or in retaliation?

That's a big question mark. We don't know if this coalition is going to be able to survive these kinds of attacks.

O'BRIEN: Huge question, of course. Interesting insight, as always. Michael O'Hanlon, thanks for being with us. Appreciate it.

O'HANLON: Thank you, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Bill?

HEMMER: On this same story, Soledad, the Madrid bombings prompting increased security measures on U.S. railways in this country. Amtrak increasing patrols by police and canine units. Electronic surveillance of bridges and tunnels also intensified.

Amtrak once again stressing to employees that they should report anything suspicious. Amtrak says there is no credible threat against it or other railroads. Just for the record, 500 Amtrak stations, 140,000 miles of track here in the U.S. alone.

O'BRIEN: And that's just Amtrak. We're not talking about the rest of the train lines that run.

HEMMER: It's a massive network.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: There was also a story -- remember last week about inspectors inspecting rail lines in France looking for signs of terrorism?

O'BRIEN: Right.

HEMMER: Yes.

CAFFERTY: I mean, it may or may not have anything to do with it, but what we've been talking about all morning off and on is whether or not al Qaeda might be involved in this stuff in Madrid. And we're interested in your thoughts on that.

And we're getting a lot of mail. And interestingly, we're hearing from people who either lived in or are very familiar with the area of Madrid that was bombed.

Andrew writes: "This attack has hit me harder than the attacks of September 11 because I personally rode those trains every day to get to class for three months while studying there. I still have not heard any word from my classmates that are currently studying there. Is there any way you can report U.S. citizens, if any, who might have been injured?"

Unfortunately, at this point, no we can't.

Stan in Ventura, California, "I seriously doubt" -- excuse me, I got ahead of myself. Anna in Newark: "As a Portuguese woman who left my country at the age of 22, I can't say how many times I would hear about ETA attacks on the news. Every time there was an attack, ETA would be first to say they did it. They also would warn ahead of time and say why they were doing it. This is not what we saw yesterday."

Stan in Ventura, California, writes this: "I doubt the Basques had anything to do with the Madrid bombings. I lived in Madrid for almost four years, and the Basques stuck to targeting Spanish government officials. America remained neutral in this civil war and was not targeted for reprisals."

And finally, Sy (ph) in Philadelphia weighs in with, "It seems to me all we need to do is find out what group, where they are, and set about the task of eliminating further threats from them. I don't care what group it is. I do care we assist our Spanish allies in any way we can to help bring the terrorist dogs to justice."

O'BRIEN: Interesting e-mail. Great perspective of people who really were there and know.

CAFFERTY: Yes, it's interesting. HEMMER: Part of this story I think is more ominous if it's not al Qaeda, if you have these groups now that are trying to mimic and copy the acts of al Qaeda because they've seen the massive amounts of international attention al Qaeda gets after activities like these.

CAFFERTY: And the repercussions, I mean, they're global now. Like 200 people get killed in Madrid, the stock market drops in New York City the minute it opens.

HEMMER: Ten days ago...

(CROSSTALK)

CAFFERTY: Yes.

HEMMER: Just for the record, 11 countries apparently were victims. The U.S. Embassy in Madrid now saying four wounded -- four wounded Americans there.

CAFFERTY: Yes. Andrew, if you're watching, call the State Department, is the best way, I guess, to go about finding out if your friends were among them.

HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.

Let's get a break here in a moment.

From Utah, there's a mother there facing criminal charges for accusing to have a Caesarian section. That story's ahead here. We'll explain right after this on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: A woman in the state of Utah who chose not to have a Caesarian section is now charged with murder. Court documents filed yesterday say 28-year-old Melissa Ann Rowland was repeatedly told that her unborn twins would die without the procedure. One was stillborn at delivery.

A nurse says Rowland complained repeatedly that the hospital planned to cut her -- and quoting now -- "from breast bone to pubic bone." A doctor outside the case said first time c-sections are never that big. If convicted of murder, Rowland could be sentenced to five years to life in prison. That story from Utah -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Well, turning now to the Martha Stewart case, how does Martha Stewart feel about the possibility of going to prison? Eva Scrivo is Stewart's stylist, also a close friend. And she did Martha Stewart's hair and makeup every day before court.

Earlier this morning, I sat down with her and asked her how Martha had felt during the course of the trial.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EVA SCRIVO, MARTHA STEWART'S STLIST AND FRIEND: We tried to remain, you know, very positive. And I think that everyone was very surprised by the verdict. Everyone that I know -- and I think even just a lot of people in the world, as proof of that how her stock rallied 20 percent higher than it was because everyone had such faith in her before the verdict was announced.

O'BRIEN: At the same time, you saw her daughter break down, fall apart. And Martha Stewart never did. And some jurors actually, when they came out later to talk to the press, said that demeanor during the entire trial left them to feel that she was cold and arrogant. A big fat cat kind of person.

SCRIVO: I see what you're saying. And Martha is a very stoic, strong human being who has gone through a tremendous amount of adversity to build an empire of this size.

So I think that she is somewhat -- can be self-contained in the sadness. But it doesn't mean that it's not real and doesn't exist. She's a real person with a lot of feelings about this. And it saddens her greatly that it's come to this decision, you know?

O'BRIEN: Does she say anything in hindsight -- you know, many people have all said, if at the start of all of this, she had just come forward and said, I'm sorry, I did it, let me pay the fine...

SCRIVO: Sure.

O'BRIEN: ... all of this could have been avoided.

SCRIVO: Well, Martha is a tremendously honest person, of all that I have got from her over the years. I have observed her in many circumstances.

I've traveled with her all over the country, spotlighting the artisans around the country, bringing them to her show. I see how much good that she does. And I really see her as an honest businesswoman.

O'BRIEN: Some people said it was greed, though, the $50,000 -- $40,000 to $50,000. That it was sort of a -- that that was a symbol of someone going after a small amount of money, and that was greed when she's worth a ton of money. Do you see her as a greedy person?

SCRIVO: I don't see her being that petty. Martha always looks at the big picture of things. And I think that through this time the focus is really on the company at this point.

It's very important to her. And I think the product, the quality, and the reputation of the product will remain very strong.

O'BRIEN: Has she said anything about what happens next, what her concerns are? I mean, you know, there's a very good chance she's going to go to prison for a decent amount of time.

SCRIVO: Well, I think she's going to appeal. And her attorneys are, I'm sure, diligently working on this. And I think a lot is going to happen in the next few months. You know, I think that she's incredibly resourceful and reinvents herself with new ideas all the time, which is so evident in her company. So I wouldn't be a bit surprised if something happens over the next few months, whether it be information or shedding some light on what happened.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: That was Eva Scrivo. She's a close friend of Martha Stewart. And she was speaking with us earlier this morning on AMERICAN MORNING. Martha Stewart's sentencing is scheduled for June 17 -- Bill.

HEMMER: In a moment here, we're going to Mars. The snapshots keep coming from the Red Planet. The mission's lead scientist tells us why these pictures are so special.

Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Half passed the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING, the city of Chicago in an uproar now about racist comments by firefighters. This morning, we're going to ask the Chicago fire commissioner about just how big this problem is. There he is. And also how big of a shake-up it might lead to in that department.

HEMMER: Also in a moment here, showing you a reunion between an accident victim and the man who pulled him from a burning car. What a reunion it is. We'll have that for you in a moment.

O'BRIEN: Mourners in Spain, our top story this morning, lining the streets in Madrid in remembrance of the city's terror attack. Nearly 200 people killed in the explosions on the city's train system yesterday. Spain's prime minister is vowing to bring the guilty to justice. He also says that all lines of investigation are being pursued.

Here in the U.S., Colorado's high court has cleared the way for Kobe Bryant's accuser to testify about her sexual past. The state Supreme Court yesterday refused a petition from a prosecutor in the case who asked for that line of questioning to be restricted. Bryant's accuser is scheduled to testify behind closed doors during a hearing later this month.

The California Supreme Court has put a stop to same-sex marriages in San Francisco for now. Same-sex couples can not get marriage licenses from city officials until legal wrangling over the issue is worked out. Meanwhile, Massachusetts lawmakers are one step closer to amending the state constitution to ban same-sex marriages but allow civil unions.

And South Korea's national assembly voted today to impeach President Roo Moo-hyun. It was a dramatic scene, with the politicians shoving each other and those loyal to President Roo trying to keep the assembly speaker from actually ever reaching the podium. That's, of course, the only place where the speaker can call for a vote.

Lawmakers voted right after that, but the emotions continued to run high. A little furniture was thrown. The constitutional court must still give final approval to unseat President Roo.

HEMMER: Tough crowd. It looked like a world wrestling enterprise.

O'BRIEN: You know, I was thinking, it looks more like that than any kind of politics.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: We think of firefighters oftentimes as heroes, risking their lives every day to save others. But some of Chicago's bravest and finest are being described in much less flattering terms. They're being called racist.

Over the past month, racial slurs have been heard over the department's two-way radio. In a moment, we'll talk with Chicago's fire commissioner about it.

First, though, today, for us, CNN's Keith Oppenheim reports on the city's head-hot controversy in Chicago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a city formed by a great fire, the people who fight fires are valued and admired. And so many were taken aback when, in February, a Chicago firefighter got foul-mouthed and was caught using racist language on a two-way radio.

That firefighter was suspended. But in weeks following, five more similar incidents were reported. This time, the culprits weren't identified.

MAYOR RICHARD DALEY (D), CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: We ask firemen to join us and their families to identify these cowards.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't condone any, you know, racial or ethnic slurs.

OPPENHEIM: The firefighters Union has been reacting to critics who suggest racism in the ranks is widespread.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's unfortunate that they're trying to use the firefighters and paramedics who do a great job every single day, and to misrepresent who we are and what we do.

OPPENHEIM: But there have been problems in the past, including a 1997 video of Chicago firefighters using racist language at a party.

(on camera): And one Chicago alderman after criticizing the radio behavior a few days ago, got an anonymous and threatening piece of mail. ED SMITH, CITY ALDERMAN: The letter states that if I ever have a fire at my house, I better have some black firemen there, otherwise the house will burn up.

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): Alderman Ed Smith joined others in praising the skill and bravery of Chicago firefighters overall. Still, the ugly words continue to reach the airwaves, putting an entire department on the defensive.

Keith Oppenheim, CNN, Chicago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: More on this story now. About 20 percent of the firefighters in Chicago are African-American. James Joyce is the fire commissioner. He's with us now from the Windy City to talk about the attention that's engulfed his department.

Sir, good morning to you. Appreciate your time today.

JAMES JOYCE, CHICAGO FIRE COMMISSIONER: Good morning. Glad to be here.

HEMMER: Do you think you have a problem with racism there in Chicago?

JOYCE: Well, we have 5,000 firefighters and paramedics in our department. Like any group of 5,000, there's going to be a small handful. And I would emphasize that the remarks that have been made on our radio, we feel, are made by a very small portion of our department.

And we're not sure exactly who is doing this, and if they're all firefighters. We're looking into that and we're investigating very closely.

HEMMER: What do you mean if they're not all firefighters? You're saying outside the force?

JOYCE: Well, we're looking at all possibilities. There are many, many radios out there. While it is illegal by federal rules to broadcast on an emergency channel, we know that there are radios available on eBay. We know that members of the press, fire buffs, almost anyone could get their hands on a radio that could be tampered with, that could tap into our system.

HEMMER: Back to your first answer, if I could. You said it's a small number. How do you know that?

JOYCE: Well, we've got a department with 150 years of tradition in serving the citizens of Chicago. We have very, very few incidents of this nature. We have a long history.

We have developed a sacred trust with the people of Chicago. And if there is any agency in the city of Chicago that the people have come to trust that call for help at their time of need, it is the fire department.

So the citizens of Chicago are very disturbed, as I am. I'm frustrated by this. The mayor is angry. Because it paints the department with a very broad brush, and that is not indicative of what our 100 fire stations are like in the city.

HEMMER: There was a suggestion a citizens oversight board is the answer. Would you support that?

JOYCE: I would support anything that would get to the bottom of this problem and make sure that a problem like this doesn't arise in the future. We do have a community advisory board in place now that works on issues just like these.

HEMMER: Last week, you said these offenses are firable (ph) offenses, totally unacceptable to you. How long before you can wrap it up? And will you fire those who are responsible when you find them?

JOYCE: Well, I put a memo out to the field. All firefighters and paramedics are clearly aware that an offense like this after the discipline process works its route, they could be fired for an incident like this. I intend to go after the most severe discipline possible. We have to make sure that the trust we have with the community is not violated.

HEMMER: Thank you, Commissioner. James Joyce there in Chicago. Good luck to you. Appreciate your sharing with us today.

JOYCE: Thank you.

HEMMER: You go it -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, a popular morning treat might actually be getting a little less sweet. Andy Serwer's going to have that story.

HEMMER: Also, some snapshots from Mars today. A look from Mars at the planet Earth. The first time it's ever been done this way.

Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: And let's check in with Jack and the "Question of the Day."

CAFFERTY: Thank you.

The question revolves around the tragedy in Madrid. "Are you afraid that the Madrid bombings might be the work of al Qaeda?" We've gotten a ton of mail this morning, beginning with this one from Matt in Sherman Oaks California...

"If we had left a contained Saddam to the United Nations, we could have used this last year to hammer al Qaeda and possibly prevented this."

Jane in New York writes: "One must wonder if Bush had sent 120,000 troops to go after al Qaeda in Afghanistan rather than messing around in Iraq, could events like yesterday's in Spain been avoided.?

Fiona in the United Kingdom weighs in with, "Bombs and terrorism are nothing new to Europe. Most of us have grown up with its influence. It will not and has not affected our lifestyle and values. And whoever is responsible will not succeed."

Dave in Reston: "Are the attacks in Spain the work of al Qaeda? Probably. Especially if one views al Qaeda as becoming a kind of generic name for terrorists, sort of like aspirin."

And Jean in Johnson City writes: "I look forward to Jack Cafferty's "IN THE MONEY" on Saturday. The subject is timely. I have watched it in the past. I have found to it be surprisingly informative, especially when compared with Jack's performance during the workweek."

HEMMER: Making friends fast.

CAFFERTY: Well, thank you, Jean.

Just for that, you will not be allowed to watch "IN THE MONEY" this weekend. Your set will automatically go off when our program comes on.

HEMMER: To your corner for a timeout.

CAFFERTY: Yes.

HEMMER: We'll check it out Saturday.

(CROSSTALK)

CAFFERTY: Tiny little thing.

HEMMER: Let's get to Mars. I know you love this topic.

CAFFERTY: Oh, I do.

HEMMER: Spirit and Opportunity, are the Red Planet pioneers at it yet again? Jim Garvin is the lead scientist for NASA's Mars exploration. He's with us earlier today talking about the latest images. Our first stop, the picture from the Bonneville Crater. Here's Mr. Garvin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM GARVIN, NASA: This is Mother Nature's great excavator. And we're hoping this crater has exposed the kind of rocks that will tell us more of the story at this Spirit site, the history of water.

HEMMER: And also, in this next photo here, they superimposed the rover. What's the intention of that? GARVIN: Well, Bill, this is our path planning tool. Our rover drivers have the ultimate video game. They get to use real Mars and simulate the driving of the Spirit or Opportunity rover to where we want to go.

And last night, we drove right to the edge of that crater. So we're poised to look in, to look at the kind of rocks that we hope to see there, like the one I'm holding up now.

HEMMER: And what is that?

GARVIN: This is a breccia. And that's a good crossword puzzle word. But it's a rock made in an impact here on Earth in a crater that contains bits of other kinds of rocks all stuck together. If we can find this kind of rock on Mars, we may get clues to what's underground and will tell us more about perhaps the history of water.

HEMMER: Even more important, we're working that crossword on Sunday morning. How do you spell that?

GARVIN: Oh, that's B-R-E-C-C-I-A.

HEMMER: All right. We got it now. Thanks for the clue.

A 3-D view is our next photo. Tell us what's in here.

GARVIN: Well, here is a view now of our own way of digging into Mars. Mars has a thin skin. And we want to see under the grains of soil. So now we're going to fly in to a three or four-inch deep trench that we dug with the wheels of the Spirit rover.

And in there, you can see there's layering. Some of the spoil's been compacted. And by exploring this, we can look beneath the level that the sun's rays, its energy, and the energy of deep space penetrates Mars. This may be where we find some of the hidden clues for the planet.

HEMMER: Interesting. This is all from Spirit. On the other end of the planet, there's Opportunity. Another photo here shows a lot of color. What does that signify?

GARVIN: Well, now, here we are 6,000 miles away in this little 60-foot crater. The colors here are a way we can use the eyes of the rover, special instrument, to map where this key telltale mineral hematite is located. So we're now mapping our surroundings before we drive up to the places to explore up close with the arm and the wheels.

HEMMER: All right. Back to Spirit now, we believe this is the first photo ever taken of our own planet from another planet in space. And that's where we are.

GARVIN: That's where we are, a little dot in the sky from Mars. And last time we did anything like this was 30 some years ago, when the Apollo human astronauts did pictures like this of the Earth from the moon. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Thanks to Jim Garvin for his thoughts earlier today. If the scientists are right now, the twin rovers will be sending back postcards much longer than first thought. Spirit and Opportunity originally about a period of 90 days with the solar panels attached there. The mission manager now says they may have enough light in them to last about 200 days. So more to come.

O'BRIEN: Interesting.

Still to come this morning, a person risks his own life to save that of another.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER AVALLONE, RESCUER: Doing pretty good?

JONATHAN MILLER, RESCUED BY AVALLONE: You are the savior of my life.

AVALLONE: It's quite all right.

MILLER: Thank you so much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: A happy run you're for one man who was close to death, and the hero who saved him. Our new series called the "Extra Effort" kicks off next. Stay with AMERICAN MORNING.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Well, time now for a new weekly segment that we like to call the "Extra Effort." We're going to look at people who have gone the extra mile to help somebody, in spite of great personal risks themselves.

We begin with a car accident in Connecticut and the story of a good samaritan who stopped to help.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN (voice-over): It was a touching reunion between court bailiff Peter Avallone and 19-year-old Jonathan Miller.

AVALLONE: Feeling pretty good?

MILLER: You are the savior of my life.

AVALLONE: It's quite all right.

MILLER: Thank you so much.

O'BRIEN: After spending a late night with friends in Connecticut, Miller headed home in his car. He never made it. MILLER: I was on Route 72 and I must have fell asleep at the wheel.

O'BRIEN: Avallone passed by moments after Miller lost control of the car.

AVALLONE: I came around the corner on 72 and just saw Jonathan's vehicle upside down on the exit ramp. I ran up to the vehicle, up to the driver's side where Jonathan was positioned. He was positioned on the roof of the vehicle because it was upside down, unconscious.

So I kicked out the window. And while I was kicking out the window, it sounded like a gas grill, when you light a gas grill. All I heard was a whoop. And the flames actually shot out between my legs.

O'BRIEN: Avallone and another man pulled Miller from the fire just as police and medics arrived.

AVALLONE: He got singed when we kicked the window open. That was like adding fuel to the fire, so to speak.

MILLER: I don't remember any of this. When I woke up at Bridgeport Hospital, I had no idea why. But then further explanation, they explained to me that Bridgeport Hospital was the only burn center in Connecticut. So I then realized that I must have been burned. I must have been on fire, an accident or something.

O'BRIEN: He's now recovering from third-degree burns to his hands and neck and stomach.

MILLER: On my stomach, they actually had a scar that was three inches wide around here. They cut it out and they stapled my stomach shut.

O'BRIEN: Jonathan Miller is set to be released from the hospital on Saturday morning. And he says he'll be forever indebted to his new friend.

AVALLONE: I guess I did what I had to do. I mean, I don't know. I just didn't want to see somebody die. You know what I mean? Or drive by and just wonder. I just had to stop.

MILLER: It took so much courage for you to actually help me, and to actually help someone that was burning on fire. Because you risked your own life for me. And I thank you very much for that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: A nice story. Jonathan Miller's dad, Donald, was also quick to praise Avallone, saying, "He's our hero." I'm sure echoing everything that everyone is thinking in that family.

HEMMER: Still to come here on CNN, next hour, in fact, the fallout from the attacks in Spain. Who's responsible? That search continues. Daryn has that next hour. We are back in a moment with Soledad, Jack and Andy -- the whole gang right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAFFERTY: We invite you to join us for "IN THE MONEY" this weekend. Former "Cheers" star John Ratzenberger has a new TV show called "Made in America." We're gong to talk with him about what he's learned from workers around the country, especially in light of all the outsourcing of American jobs that's going on.

"IN THE MONEY" at 1:00 Eastern, and Sunday at 3:00. Hope you'll check it out. I need the money.

O'BRIEN: Do you charge people to watch?

CAFFERTY: Now there's a good idea, actually, yes. Except for that one guy who is not allowed to watch because he made that nasty comment.

O'BRIEN: That was a compliment. It was just one of the most back-handed compliments I have ever heard.

HAMMER: Jack we missed your shot up here, this nifty little new product.

CAFFERTY: Do you think I'm dumb enough to bring (ph) anything that any of you people would offer me? You've got to be kidding.

HEMMER: That's your royal taster.

CAFFERTY: I ain't going near that.

O'BRIEN: That's a good instinct.

HEMMER: We've got to run. Here's Daryn Kagan at the Cnn Center.

Have a good weekend, everybody. Great to have you here. See you again on Monday morning, right?

Daryn, good morning to you.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, absolutely. I'm just so impressed. You know, Jack has more stars on his show than they do on "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS."

CAFFERTY: Yes. The check's in the mail, Daryn. Thank you.

KAGAN: You've got George Costanza, you've got Cliff the postman. We will be tuning in. You guys have a great weekend.

CAFFERTY: It's a place where the celebs hang out.

KAGAN: Absolutely with Jack Cafferty. They like that. You guys have a great weekend. We'll get started down here in Atlanta.

Good morning from CNN headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Daryn Kagan. Let's start by checking the hour's headlines.

It is a somber day in Spain, as a three-day period of mourning gets under way for the victims of yesterday's terror attacks. Nearly 200 hundred people were killed and hundreds more were injured in attacks on Madrid's commuter train network. Four trains at three different stations were bombed. Spanish authorities are trying to determine who carried out the attacks.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge says that a sustained international effort is necessary to defeat terrorist attacks like the ones in Madrid. Ridge is visiting Thailand, and Ridge says that with the help of U.S. allies, al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden will be caught.





Responsible for Madrid Bombings?; Talking Martha>