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CNN Live Today
U.S. Marine Treated in Miami After Being Wounded in Haiti; Bomb Found Inside Van Parked near U.S. Consulate in Karachi
Aired March 15, 2004 - 10:00 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, we are at CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Daryn Kagan. Let's start with the headlines.
A military spokesman says a U.S. Marine is being treated in a Miami hospital, after he was shot and wounded yesterday in Haiti's capital. Officials say the Marine's wounds are not life threatening. It's the first reported U.S. casualty since American forces landed in Haiti two weeks ago.
Police in Pakistan have found a bomb inside this van in the south part of the country; it was parked near the U.S. consulate in Karachi. Police were able to defuse the device, which included a large tank filled with nearly 200 gallons of liquid explosives, a timer and two detonators. The incident comes two days before Secretary of State Colin Powell will visit Pakistan's capitol, Islamabad.
Now to neighboring Afghanistan. In a surprise assault on a cave complex, U.S. forces killed three anti-coalition fighters. The offensive, launched over the weekend, also netted 13 prisoners. U.S. troops have stepped up their hunt for Osama bin Laden in the mountainous region between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
And Spain's prime minister elect says his country's participation in the war in Iraq was, quote, "a total error," and that Spanish troops will likely be pulled out by June 30. Jose Luis Rodriquez Zapatero was swept into power in yesterday's national elections. He told reporters in the last hour, he wants Spain to maintain good relations with the U.S.
Live this hour, a year of war, a year of protests; anti-war demonstrators are gathering outside the White House, demanding the end of military action in Iraq. Meanwhile, the Bush administration has scheduled its own weeklong series of events to mark the first anniversary of the Iraqi invasion. We'll go live to Washington in just a few minutes.
We begin this hour though, in Madrid, where there are thunderous new reverberations from Thursday's train attacks. These though are political. Outraged voters have ousted Spain's ruling party, a key Washington ally, and replaced it with a government that's already vowing to yank Spain's troops out of Iraq. The political upset comes amid growing evidence of al Qaeda link to the bombings.
Brent Sadler is in Spain's capital with the latest. Brent, hello.
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. Indeed, major political upheaval here, even as Spanish pay their respects in public for those who lost their lives in last Thursday's bomb attacks, what Spaniards call their own March 11 Day of Terror.
Now, there was vast political fallout. The ruling popular party that's been headed by Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar for the last eight years, supposedly stepping down in this election he was hoping to hand over smoothly to his successor. That did not happen. Why did it not happen? Because Spanish voters decided that they would punish the government for going over the heads of the people, in terms of Spain's involvement, support of the U.S.-lead invasion of Iraq a year ago. This coming hard on the heels within two or three days after those attacks, which now increasingly in terms of evidence that's emerging, points a very strong finger of suspicion at a multi-national cell of al Qaeda operatives that may or may not still be here in Spain.
So many, many reverberations from those bomb attacks, but specifically on the political level. And it is the prime minister designate, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero who said that on June 30, he will withdraw Spanish troops, about 1,300 of them, from Iraq, from part of the coalition forces there; unless there's a new United Nations Security Council resolution providing some form of international cover for those Spanish troops do stay. This is what Mr. Zapatero told a news conference here a short time ago, about motives for going to war against Iraq in the first place.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSE LUIS ZAPATERO, PRIME MINISTER DESIGNATE OF SPAIN (through translator): I don't agree with the war in Iraq. I don't think there was a reason to go into war. And I think time is giving me the credit that it was not a good idea to go in. And I don't think the administration in Iraq is the best.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SADLER: Mr. Zapatero says at the forefront of his policies will be the fight to go against terrorism, not just in Spain but worldwide. But he has implied that his policies might be directed more towards traditional allies of Spain, like France and Germany, two countries, which took a stand against U.S.-lead invasion of Iraq without United Nations approval.
Back to Daryn.
KAGAN: Brent, let's get back to the investigation into last week's bombing for just a minute. And of the suspects that were arrested, what can you tell us about a connection with cell phones?
SADLER: Well, one of the -- an unexploded device was located after the blast inside a sports bag, in that bag a mobile telephone and a calling card. Investigations into that led authorities here to a number of people. In fact five were arrested, three more Moroccans and two Indians involved in selling cheap phones and cards. But it seems they carrel, the Moroccans at least, have supplied this communications equipment that triggered the devices that seems to those who led these attacks.
Now, one of those Moroccans say investigators here has associations with a former top al Qaeda operative here, who has been in jail for more than two years now, since the September 11 attacks in America. And he was implicated in those 9/11 attacks himself, now under indictment. The Moroccan is not indicted himself, but strongly suspected involvement with terror activities here as well as in Morocco -- in Casablanca, under scrutiny following last Thursday's bomb attacks against targets in Casablanca -- Daryn
KAGAN: Brent Sadler in Madrid, thank you for the latest on that.
Not too surprising, leaders of the European Union are considering a high-level security summit. They'll discuss what the group can do to improve security across the continent. Tighter anti-terror measures are already in place; in places like London, where for the first time plain-clothes officers are riding the rails to guard against a similar attack.
Our senior international correspondent Sheila MacVicar joins us with the latest on that from London -- Sheila.
SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN SENIOR INT'L. CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, this is something that the British government has revealed over the weekend. That on the trains, which are a major source of transportation for commuters coming into work in London from outlying towns and villages, that they have now placed 1,000 additional transport police riding the rails. For the three million people who ride London's Underground system every day, there are also enhanced security measures. More police presence, they are talking about using sniffer dogs, and a public awareness campaign, something that is familiar to Londoners and those in Britain from the years of terrorist actions, carried out by the IRA. A "whose bag is that" campaign, asking people to be very vigilant and very aware.
Over the course, over the course of the last year and a half really, we have been hearing from senior British government officials, including the head of Britain's internal security service, MI-5, that a terror strike here in the U.K. is considered inevitable. And the only question is when it would happen and what form it might take -- Daryn.
KAGAN: That's a pretty ominous threat. Is that affecting people riding the railways there in England?
MACVICAR: Well, people have adopted, if you will, a kind of a stiff upper lip attitude. That if they change their behavior, if they change their patterns of travel that they would, in effect, be giving into terrorism. But there are people who obviously are thinking again about the methods of transport that they choose. There's no guarantee, of course, that an attack might come against the rail system, or might come against the Underground system. People in the U.K. have seen the security services here, the emergency responders carry out some very extensive drills, involving the possibility of a terror strike on London's tube. So they know that that's a possibility. They know that that's something that their government has thought of.
KAGAN: Sheila MacVicar in London. Sheila, thank you for that.
Well, the war in Iraq has deeply entrenched the divisions here in the U.S. The one-year anniversary looming at the end of the week, anti-war protesters are mobilizing. This morning demonstrators are marching on the White House.
Our Elaine Quijano is in Washington with more on that.
Elaine, good morning.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. Well, we are outside the gates of Walter Reed Army Medical Center here in Washington. And just a few moments ago, those anti-war demonstrators actually began their march about six miles through the streets of Washington to the White House.
Now, one of those people who will be joining those protesters is with me now. This is John Walker who traveled from Germantown, Maryland to be here.
John, thanks for being here. Why did you decide to come out today?
JOHN WALKER, ANTI-WAR PROTESTER: I am supporting the Military Families Speak Out organization. I first learned of the organization on Thursday, reading in "The Washington Post." And it struck a cord with me, and I didn't realize that there were actually any organizations out there for military families.
QUIJANO: It struck a cord with you because your...
WALKER: Because I'm a -- my brother, Jeffrey -- Staff Sergeant Jeffrey Walker was killed in action in Iraq on January 2004.
QUIJANO: What do you hope to accomplish by being out here today?
WALKER: I'm just trying to get the message out there that I think that this war is unnecessary from the start. And if anything, we would like to let everyone know we support the military folks that are still in Iraq and everywhere else. We are not trying to unsupport them in any way. We, you know, we definitely want them to know we support them. And we would like for them all to come back safely. I don't want anyone else, like myself, to have lost a family member to have to go through this. It's not something that anyone should go through.
QUIJANO: Tell me about your brother.
WALKER: He was my kid brother. I think I have written or said before that we grew up together. It was very tough for us as we were younger but we actually got closer as we got older. And it was just very hard for me to lose him. I loved him very much. he loved us very much. And it's really difficult to put everything into words.
QUIJANO: As you know, there were counter demonstrators out here this morning, who said that calling some people unpatriotic for being out here. What is your response to that?
WALKER: Well, I think we are not showing unpatriotism by being out here. You know, he has his right to be out here to say what he says, the same as us. But he should respect us for have -- for speaking our views on that.
QUIJANO: Thank you very much for being here with us John Walker.
WALKER: You're welcome. Thank you.
QUIJANO: So the sentiment from the many people who have turned out, about 60 to 75 protesters. They are expecting by the end of the afternoon to have about 100 to 200 people here in Washington. They plan to march through the streets in Washington, as I said, and finally end up across the street from the White House at Lafayette Park. That is scheduled to take place later this afternoon. And there, they will read the names of the Iraqi war dead. Not just U.S. troops, but also the names of coalition forces, as well as Iraqis who have been killed since this conflict began.
But Daryn, obviously a very difficult time for many family of these members who have come out here today -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Yes. And we thank that one gentleman for sharing his story and sharing his brother's story, as well. Thank you so much Elaine Quijano in Washington, D.C.
Well, one man's shortcut leads to some long, tense moments on a coastal cliff weeks. We're going to show you what happened when the rescuers were called in.
Accused of murdering nine members of his own family, authorities look into whether Marcus Wesson was part of a cult. Hear what his two surviving sons have to say.
And startling statistics reflect a dramatic increase in the number of lifts, nips, and tucks. We are going to talk with a plastic surgeon on why more Americans are turning to plastic surgery. And he's going to answer your questions, we'll tell you how just ahead.
You are watching CNN LIVE TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Watch very closely. We're showing you an amazing rescue along the Oregon coast. The Coast Guard plucks a man from the jagged cliff near Cannon Beach, after he teetered on the edge for over two hours. The 20-year-old college student, from Portland State University, got stuck after he and four friends climbed the rock to escape a rising tide on the beach. All four are said to be in good condition. Maybe not the best planning that took place there, but everyone is OK. So that's the good news.
In Fresno, California homicide investigators are trying to unravel a gruesome crime, entangled with incest, multiple wives and cult-like devotion. A man is accused of killing nine of his own family members; some that he allegedly fathered with his own daughters.
Yet, two of the suspect's sons are coming to his defense as we hear from Miguel Marquez.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IRENE TARZO, FRESNO RESIDENT: This is horrible for everybody here that he took all of their lives all at one time. It's so sad, so sad.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Irene Tarzo didn't know the Wesson family, but she made the trip from West Fresno to pay her respects. Others came and kneeled in front of the home and prayed. Some just prayed and wept. This, as the children of Marcus Wesson, those that are left, try to understand what happen.
SERAFINO WESSON, SUSPECT'S SON: I don't think he did it personally, but you know, I never know. You know, people are responsible for (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and I don't know. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't.
MARQUEZ: Serafino Wesson is one of Marcus Wesson's sons. For he and his older brother Dorian, explaining the unthinkable is all but impossible.
DORIAN WESSON, SUSPECT'S SON: It was a family dispute over children and basically these went wrong.
MARQUEZ: A family dispute over children that police say ended with 57 year old Marcus Wesson killing six females, and three males, most of them younger than eight. Police also say many of them were from different women. And two of them; Wesson was both a grandfather and a father.
D. WESSON: He's not against having different wives. But I don't know if he believes, but he's not against having different wives. And to him, actually he's pro that. And so am I.
MARQUEZ: Both sons say they have a difficult time believing their father is guilty. Police are investigating whether there was a consult-like relationship between Wesson and his family. Wesson's sons say their father may ever eccentric, but that does not add up to a cult.
D. WESSON: There is no consult. If you call Seven-Day Adventist a cult, then I guess that's a consult, because I'm in a cult too. But that's not a cult. It's a regular church. MARQUEZ (on camera): At the Wesson home, police tape went back up. Investigators allowed in to search for information that would hopefully lead to answers. Answers this small city, in California's central valley, are hoping to hear.
Miguel Marquez, Fresno, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: In Pittsburgh, they are remembering the heroes, firefighters who perished in a church blaze this weekend.
Also Gerri Willis is ahead -- Gerr.
GERRI WILLIS, CNNFN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, Daryn. On a different note today, we are going to be talking about selling your House. What you need to know to stage your house to get the best possible return -- Daryn.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Low interest rates, high demand, if you are selling your home, it is still a hot time to do that. If you really want more bang for your buck, consider this. You can get the sweetest deal for your home sweet home after giving it a little makeover.
Here to tell us more bit about that, CNNfn's personal finance editor Gerri Wilson, who needs no makeover. She is ready to go, as is in New York.
WILLIS: Daryn, you are so nice.
KAGAN: Good morning.
WILLIS: Good morning. You know, Tip No. 1, it's all about the curb appeal. Now, if you were thinking about upgrading your house because you were going to live in it, I'd say one great place to look for landscaping is your backyard; because your family is going to spend a lot of time there. Not so if you are selling. You want to think about that front door, make it really attractive. Add maybe some plants in front, change the lighting fixtures, update those. And put your money where sellers -- buyers -- potential buyers are going to see it at the front door.
KAGAN: How about in the kitchen? What can you do?
WILLIS: Well, you know, the kitchen is a very big deal for buyers. They really care deeply about that room. And the average makeover of a kitchen, Daryn, is $75,000. You don't want to spend that.
KAGAN: No.
WILLIS: So spend $700, get a kitchen island, people love the islanders. They are really attractive; really add value. And you don't to have spend an arm and a leg. If you really want something special give it a granite countertop.
KAGAN: Very good. What about in the bathroom?
WILLIS: Bathroom another place that people often spend a lot of money. The average overhaul there, $25,000. Why not just spent 500 and upgrade some of the fixtures, maybe use some epoxy to reline your tub so it looks brand new. A tube of epoxy costs like 30 bucks, Daryn. So that's a cheap way to make things look just a little bit better.
KAGAN: And in some place that people don't spend a lot of time but it seems to be important to them, the basement.
WILLIS: Well, you know, it's not the look of the basement so much that turns people off. It's the smell. If it's that musty odor down there, people are worried that you've got a big water leak. So make sure you clean out those gutters, and that the water drains away from your home correctly. And then finally, you can paint those basement walls with a sealant so that you don't have any water seeping in, creating that odor.
KAGAN: And so sometimes, it's just about time and not money? We like to hear that.
WILLIS: Oh, yes. A little elbow grease can work wonders, you know? Think about maybe repainting those walls white, particularly if you have done what a lot of people have done in the last few years. Which is use those bright colors, the Chinese reds, and the yellows throughout the House. You want those buyers to come through and be able to imagine their own furnishings, their own rugs, and chairs, and sofas in your House. And they can only do that if it's depersonalized. Paint the walls white, get rid of some of the family pictures, make it a little less personal, and you will sell it faster -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Very good tips, five of them. Gerri Willis, thank you so much. We will see you later in the week.
WILLIS: You bet.
KAGAN: Nearly a year after Shock and Awe, the White House assesses the war in Iraq. We will hear what the Bush administration is saying.
And live from Baghdad, "TIME" correspondent Stefan Faris is with us with his post war perspective.
And later, a new documentary tracks the trial and ultimate fate of Barry Bonds' million ball. We'll talk to the film's producer and director; he is a great story all by himself.
CNN Live Today is back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Bomb Found Inside Van Parked near U.S. Consulate in Karachi>
Aired March 15, 2004 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, we are at CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Daryn Kagan. Let's start with the headlines.
A military spokesman says a U.S. Marine is being treated in a Miami hospital, after he was shot and wounded yesterday in Haiti's capital. Officials say the Marine's wounds are not life threatening. It's the first reported U.S. casualty since American forces landed in Haiti two weeks ago.
Police in Pakistan have found a bomb inside this van in the south part of the country; it was parked near the U.S. consulate in Karachi. Police were able to defuse the device, which included a large tank filled with nearly 200 gallons of liquid explosives, a timer and two detonators. The incident comes two days before Secretary of State Colin Powell will visit Pakistan's capitol, Islamabad.
Now to neighboring Afghanistan. In a surprise assault on a cave complex, U.S. forces killed three anti-coalition fighters. The offensive, launched over the weekend, also netted 13 prisoners. U.S. troops have stepped up their hunt for Osama bin Laden in the mountainous region between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
And Spain's prime minister elect says his country's participation in the war in Iraq was, quote, "a total error," and that Spanish troops will likely be pulled out by June 30. Jose Luis Rodriquez Zapatero was swept into power in yesterday's national elections. He told reporters in the last hour, he wants Spain to maintain good relations with the U.S.
Live this hour, a year of war, a year of protests; anti-war demonstrators are gathering outside the White House, demanding the end of military action in Iraq. Meanwhile, the Bush administration has scheduled its own weeklong series of events to mark the first anniversary of the Iraqi invasion. We'll go live to Washington in just a few minutes.
We begin this hour though, in Madrid, where there are thunderous new reverberations from Thursday's train attacks. These though are political. Outraged voters have ousted Spain's ruling party, a key Washington ally, and replaced it with a government that's already vowing to yank Spain's troops out of Iraq. The political upset comes amid growing evidence of al Qaeda link to the bombings.
Brent Sadler is in Spain's capital with the latest. Brent, hello.
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. Indeed, major political upheaval here, even as Spanish pay their respects in public for those who lost their lives in last Thursday's bomb attacks, what Spaniards call their own March 11 Day of Terror.
Now, there was vast political fallout. The ruling popular party that's been headed by Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar for the last eight years, supposedly stepping down in this election he was hoping to hand over smoothly to his successor. That did not happen. Why did it not happen? Because Spanish voters decided that they would punish the government for going over the heads of the people, in terms of Spain's involvement, support of the U.S.-lead invasion of Iraq a year ago. This coming hard on the heels within two or three days after those attacks, which now increasingly in terms of evidence that's emerging, points a very strong finger of suspicion at a multi-national cell of al Qaeda operatives that may or may not still be here in Spain.
So many, many reverberations from those bomb attacks, but specifically on the political level. And it is the prime minister designate, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero who said that on June 30, he will withdraw Spanish troops, about 1,300 of them, from Iraq, from part of the coalition forces there; unless there's a new United Nations Security Council resolution providing some form of international cover for those Spanish troops do stay. This is what Mr. Zapatero told a news conference here a short time ago, about motives for going to war against Iraq in the first place.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSE LUIS ZAPATERO, PRIME MINISTER DESIGNATE OF SPAIN (through translator): I don't agree with the war in Iraq. I don't think there was a reason to go into war. And I think time is giving me the credit that it was not a good idea to go in. And I don't think the administration in Iraq is the best.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SADLER: Mr. Zapatero says at the forefront of his policies will be the fight to go against terrorism, not just in Spain but worldwide. But he has implied that his policies might be directed more towards traditional allies of Spain, like France and Germany, two countries, which took a stand against U.S.-lead invasion of Iraq without United Nations approval.
Back to Daryn.
KAGAN: Brent, let's get back to the investigation into last week's bombing for just a minute. And of the suspects that were arrested, what can you tell us about a connection with cell phones?
SADLER: Well, one of the -- an unexploded device was located after the blast inside a sports bag, in that bag a mobile telephone and a calling card. Investigations into that led authorities here to a number of people. In fact five were arrested, three more Moroccans and two Indians involved in selling cheap phones and cards. But it seems they carrel, the Moroccans at least, have supplied this communications equipment that triggered the devices that seems to those who led these attacks.
Now, one of those Moroccans say investigators here has associations with a former top al Qaeda operative here, who has been in jail for more than two years now, since the September 11 attacks in America. And he was implicated in those 9/11 attacks himself, now under indictment. The Moroccan is not indicted himself, but strongly suspected involvement with terror activities here as well as in Morocco -- in Casablanca, under scrutiny following last Thursday's bomb attacks against targets in Casablanca -- Daryn
KAGAN: Brent Sadler in Madrid, thank you for the latest on that.
Not too surprising, leaders of the European Union are considering a high-level security summit. They'll discuss what the group can do to improve security across the continent. Tighter anti-terror measures are already in place; in places like London, where for the first time plain-clothes officers are riding the rails to guard against a similar attack.
Our senior international correspondent Sheila MacVicar joins us with the latest on that from London -- Sheila.
SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN SENIOR INT'L. CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, this is something that the British government has revealed over the weekend. That on the trains, which are a major source of transportation for commuters coming into work in London from outlying towns and villages, that they have now placed 1,000 additional transport police riding the rails. For the three million people who ride London's Underground system every day, there are also enhanced security measures. More police presence, they are talking about using sniffer dogs, and a public awareness campaign, something that is familiar to Londoners and those in Britain from the years of terrorist actions, carried out by the IRA. A "whose bag is that" campaign, asking people to be very vigilant and very aware.
Over the course, over the course of the last year and a half really, we have been hearing from senior British government officials, including the head of Britain's internal security service, MI-5, that a terror strike here in the U.K. is considered inevitable. And the only question is when it would happen and what form it might take -- Daryn.
KAGAN: That's a pretty ominous threat. Is that affecting people riding the railways there in England?
MACVICAR: Well, people have adopted, if you will, a kind of a stiff upper lip attitude. That if they change their behavior, if they change their patterns of travel that they would, in effect, be giving into terrorism. But there are people who obviously are thinking again about the methods of transport that they choose. There's no guarantee, of course, that an attack might come against the rail system, or might come against the Underground system. People in the U.K. have seen the security services here, the emergency responders carry out some very extensive drills, involving the possibility of a terror strike on London's tube. So they know that that's a possibility. They know that that's something that their government has thought of.
KAGAN: Sheila MacVicar in London. Sheila, thank you for that.
Well, the war in Iraq has deeply entrenched the divisions here in the U.S. The one-year anniversary looming at the end of the week, anti-war protesters are mobilizing. This morning demonstrators are marching on the White House.
Our Elaine Quijano is in Washington with more on that.
Elaine, good morning.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. Well, we are outside the gates of Walter Reed Army Medical Center here in Washington. And just a few moments ago, those anti-war demonstrators actually began their march about six miles through the streets of Washington to the White House.
Now, one of those people who will be joining those protesters is with me now. This is John Walker who traveled from Germantown, Maryland to be here.
John, thanks for being here. Why did you decide to come out today?
JOHN WALKER, ANTI-WAR PROTESTER: I am supporting the Military Families Speak Out organization. I first learned of the organization on Thursday, reading in "The Washington Post." And it struck a cord with me, and I didn't realize that there were actually any organizations out there for military families.
QUIJANO: It struck a cord with you because your...
WALKER: Because I'm a -- my brother, Jeffrey -- Staff Sergeant Jeffrey Walker was killed in action in Iraq on January 2004.
QUIJANO: What do you hope to accomplish by being out here today?
WALKER: I'm just trying to get the message out there that I think that this war is unnecessary from the start. And if anything, we would like to let everyone know we support the military folks that are still in Iraq and everywhere else. We are not trying to unsupport them in any way. We, you know, we definitely want them to know we support them. And we would like for them all to come back safely. I don't want anyone else, like myself, to have lost a family member to have to go through this. It's not something that anyone should go through.
QUIJANO: Tell me about your brother.
WALKER: He was my kid brother. I think I have written or said before that we grew up together. It was very tough for us as we were younger but we actually got closer as we got older. And it was just very hard for me to lose him. I loved him very much. he loved us very much. And it's really difficult to put everything into words.
QUIJANO: As you know, there were counter demonstrators out here this morning, who said that calling some people unpatriotic for being out here. What is your response to that?
WALKER: Well, I think we are not showing unpatriotism by being out here. You know, he has his right to be out here to say what he says, the same as us. But he should respect us for have -- for speaking our views on that.
QUIJANO: Thank you very much for being here with us John Walker.
WALKER: You're welcome. Thank you.
QUIJANO: So the sentiment from the many people who have turned out, about 60 to 75 protesters. They are expecting by the end of the afternoon to have about 100 to 200 people here in Washington. They plan to march through the streets in Washington, as I said, and finally end up across the street from the White House at Lafayette Park. That is scheduled to take place later this afternoon. And there, they will read the names of the Iraqi war dead. Not just U.S. troops, but also the names of coalition forces, as well as Iraqis who have been killed since this conflict began.
But Daryn, obviously a very difficult time for many family of these members who have come out here today -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Yes. And we thank that one gentleman for sharing his story and sharing his brother's story, as well. Thank you so much Elaine Quijano in Washington, D.C.
Well, one man's shortcut leads to some long, tense moments on a coastal cliff weeks. We're going to show you what happened when the rescuers were called in.
Accused of murdering nine members of his own family, authorities look into whether Marcus Wesson was part of a cult. Hear what his two surviving sons have to say.
And startling statistics reflect a dramatic increase in the number of lifts, nips, and tucks. We are going to talk with a plastic surgeon on why more Americans are turning to plastic surgery. And he's going to answer your questions, we'll tell you how just ahead.
You are watching CNN LIVE TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Watch very closely. We're showing you an amazing rescue along the Oregon coast. The Coast Guard plucks a man from the jagged cliff near Cannon Beach, after he teetered on the edge for over two hours. The 20-year-old college student, from Portland State University, got stuck after he and four friends climbed the rock to escape a rising tide on the beach. All four are said to be in good condition. Maybe not the best planning that took place there, but everyone is OK. So that's the good news.
In Fresno, California homicide investigators are trying to unravel a gruesome crime, entangled with incest, multiple wives and cult-like devotion. A man is accused of killing nine of his own family members; some that he allegedly fathered with his own daughters.
Yet, two of the suspect's sons are coming to his defense as we hear from Miguel Marquez.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IRENE TARZO, FRESNO RESIDENT: This is horrible for everybody here that he took all of their lives all at one time. It's so sad, so sad.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Irene Tarzo didn't know the Wesson family, but she made the trip from West Fresno to pay her respects. Others came and kneeled in front of the home and prayed. Some just prayed and wept. This, as the children of Marcus Wesson, those that are left, try to understand what happen.
SERAFINO WESSON, SUSPECT'S SON: I don't think he did it personally, but you know, I never know. You know, people are responsible for (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and I don't know. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't.
MARQUEZ: Serafino Wesson is one of Marcus Wesson's sons. For he and his older brother Dorian, explaining the unthinkable is all but impossible.
DORIAN WESSON, SUSPECT'S SON: It was a family dispute over children and basically these went wrong.
MARQUEZ: A family dispute over children that police say ended with 57 year old Marcus Wesson killing six females, and three males, most of them younger than eight. Police also say many of them were from different women. And two of them; Wesson was both a grandfather and a father.
D. WESSON: He's not against having different wives. But I don't know if he believes, but he's not against having different wives. And to him, actually he's pro that. And so am I.
MARQUEZ: Both sons say they have a difficult time believing their father is guilty. Police are investigating whether there was a consult-like relationship between Wesson and his family. Wesson's sons say their father may ever eccentric, but that does not add up to a cult.
D. WESSON: There is no consult. If you call Seven-Day Adventist a cult, then I guess that's a consult, because I'm in a cult too. But that's not a cult. It's a regular church. MARQUEZ (on camera): At the Wesson home, police tape went back up. Investigators allowed in to search for information that would hopefully lead to answers. Answers this small city, in California's central valley, are hoping to hear.
Miguel Marquez, Fresno, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: In Pittsburgh, they are remembering the heroes, firefighters who perished in a church blaze this weekend.
Also Gerri Willis is ahead -- Gerr.
GERRI WILLIS, CNNFN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, Daryn. On a different note today, we are going to be talking about selling your House. What you need to know to stage your house to get the best possible return -- Daryn.
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KAGAN: Low interest rates, high demand, if you are selling your home, it is still a hot time to do that. If you really want more bang for your buck, consider this. You can get the sweetest deal for your home sweet home after giving it a little makeover.
Here to tell us more bit about that, CNNfn's personal finance editor Gerri Wilson, who needs no makeover. She is ready to go, as is in New York.
WILLIS: Daryn, you are so nice.
KAGAN: Good morning.
WILLIS: Good morning. You know, Tip No. 1, it's all about the curb appeal. Now, if you were thinking about upgrading your house because you were going to live in it, I'd say one great place to look for landscaping is your backyard; because your family is going to spend a lot of time there. Not so if you are selling. You want to think about that front door, make it really attractive. Add maybe some plants in front, change the lighting fixtures, update those. And put your money where sellers -- buyers -- potential buyers are going to see it at the front door.
KAGAN: How about in the kitchen? What can you do?
WILLIS: Well, you know, the kitchen is a very big deal for buyers. They really care deeply about that room. And the average makeover of a kitchen, Daryn, is $75,000. You don't want to spend that.
KAGAN: No.
WILLIS: So spend $700, get a kitchen island, people love the islanders. They are really attractive; really add value. And you don't to have spend an arm and a leg. If you really want something special give it a granite countertop.
KAGAN: Very good. What about in the bathroom?
WILLIS: Bathroom another place that people often spend a lot of money. The average overhaul there, $25,000. Why not just spent 500 and upgrade some of the fixtures, maybe use some epoxy to reline your tub so it looks brand new. A tube of epoxy costs like 30 bucks, Daryn. So that's a cheap way to make things look just a little bit better.
KAGAN: And in some place that people don't spend a lot of time but it seems to be important to them, the basement.
WILLIS: Well, you know, it's not the look of the basement so much that turns people off. It's the smell. If it's that musty odor down there, people are worried that you've got a big water leak. So make sure you clean out those gutters, and that the water drains away from your home correctly. And then finally, you can paint those basement walls with a sealant so that you don't have any water seeping in, creating that odor.
KAGAN: And so sometimes, it's just about time and not money? We like to hear that.
WILLIS: Oh, yes. A little elbow grease can work wonders, you know? Think about maybe repainting those walls white, particularly if you have done what a lot of people have done in the last few years. Which is use those bright colors, the Chinese reds, and the yellows throughout the House. You want those buyers to come through and be able to imagine their own furnishings, their own rugs, and chairs, and sofas in your House. And they can only do that if it's depersonalized. Paint the walls white, get rid of some of the family pictures, make it a little less personal, and you will sell it faster -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Very good tips, five of them. Gerri Willis, thank you so much. We will see you later in the week.
WILLIS: You bet.
KAGAN: Nearly a year after Shock and Awe, the White House assesses the war in Iraq. We will hear what the Bush administration is saying.
And live from Baghdad, "TIME" correspondent Stefan Faris is with us with his post war perspective.
And later, a new documentary tracks the trial and ultimate fate of Barry Bonds' million ball. We'll talk to the film's producer and director; he is a great story all by himself.
CNN Live Today is back in a moment.
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