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American Morning
Spain Reacts to War and Terror
Aired March 15, 2004 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Spain reacting to war and terror, throwing out its political leaders in a stunning election. New ties to al Qaeda in the Madrid train bombings. How concerned should the rest of Europe be?
And workouts that promise to reshape your body in a measly 21 minutes a week? We'll get to it this hour on AMERICAN MORNING.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR:
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Welcome back, everybody.
Other stories that we're following this morning, another big week coming up in the trial of former NBA star Jayson Williams, with more former Harlem Globetrotters expected to testify. Jeff Toobin is going to be back to talk to us about the strength of the prosecution's case; also, what the defense might have in store.
HEMMER: Also this hour, approaching the week for the one year anniversary for the start of the Iraq war. A bit later this hour, Jamie McIntyre looks at the successes and the failures for the U.S., as well as some of the lessons learned, and, also, too, what the Iraqi people are saying today, one year later, as well.
O'BRIEN: Mr. Cafferty is with us with a really interesting, I think, Question of the Day.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I was downstairs reading Toobin's piece in the "New Yorker" about Martha Stewart. He's a pretty good writer, you know?
HEMMER: Oh, yes?
CAFFERTY: It's fas -- it really is a fascinating piece.
O'BRIEN: It's a great piece.
CAFFERTY: Yes, talking about, you know, the things leading up to trial and -- anyway, you should pick it up and read it.
Coming up in the Cafferty File, why some D.C. area schools may end nap time for pre-kindergarten classes. That'll thrill the teachers. It's the only break they get.
And if you're a fan of "The Apprentice," you don't want to miss the latest fashion accessory by Donald Trump and Bloomingdale's.
O'BRIEN: Huh, I can't even begin to think what that would be.
HEMMER: Every angle covered.
CAFFERTY: Well, we're going to show you.
O'BRIEN: All right.
HEMMER: Oh, yes.
O'BRIEN: Good.
Thanks, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: The top stories now, a possible bombing attempt was thwarted today outside the U.S. consulate in Karachi, Pakistan. Police noticed a suspicious van that turned out to be packed with explosives. According to authorities, the bomb was defused without any injuries. The incident comes just two days before Secretary of State Colin Powell is scheduled to visit Pakistan. A suicide car bombing outside that same consulate killed 12 Pakistanis and left dozens more wounded in June of 2002.
California officials say they may release the names of the victims, the nine victims killed in Fresno. Flowers and balloons have piled up outside the home where police found the bodies on Friday. Authorities say 57-year-old Marcus Wesson faces nine counts of murder. Police say they're looking into whether someone helped Wesson with the shootings, perhaps even one of his victims. More on that story ahead, as well.
Haiti's interim prime minister, Gerard Latortue, is warning against Jean-Bertrand Aristide's return to the Caribbean. The ousted Haitian president left his exile in Africa today to presumably reunite with his family in Jamaica. His visit is expected to last no more than 10 weeks. But Latortue says Aristide's return will only increase tensions in Haiti.
Coin collecting experts say they have identified what could be THE most expensive dollar in the world. They say that a 210-year-old coin could be the first silver dollar ever made by the U.S. Mint. It's owned by a California collector who said he paid multi-millions of dollars for it and has it ensured for 10 million bucks. He says the coin is a national treasure and it's not for sale.
And today is a big day for Prince and some other music veterans. Prince will be indicated into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tonight here in New York City. The 45-year-old artist has sold 36 million albums. Prince is going to be honored, along with ZZ Top, Bob Seeger, The Dells, Jackson Browne and George Harrison. HEMMER: A pretty good group there, huh?
O'BRIEN: I don't know The Dells. What did The Dells sing?
HEMMER: The Dells? I have no idea actually.
O'BRIEN: Anybody?
HEMMER: You put me on the spot.
O'BRIEN: Anybody?
HEMMER: Over Dell, no, I'm making that up.
O'BRIEN: No.
HEMMER: Here's Chad Myers at the CNN Center.
We're going to go to Google real quickly here.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: Well, dude, what's up my Dell? That's what we came up with, Chad.
A weak effort.
Thanks, again.
We want to get back to the story on Spain, the fallout from the Madrid train bombings already being felt in Spain, in a big way, too. The reaction to those attacks on Thursday is being listed among the reasons for the election victory yesterday by Spain's Socialist Party.
For more on this and the continuing bombing investigation, we want to get you live to Madrid and CNN's Brent Sadler, who is on the scene there -- and, Brent, I know the prime minister elect is now addressing, through a press conference, the people of Spain.
What is his plan, almost with a mandate now in that country, his plan to fight terrorism in Spain?
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the prime minister designate has said that one of his top priorities will be to combat terrorism. But at the same time he's also saying the he is threatening to pull Spanish troops, about 1,300 of them, out of the coalition in Iraq today unless there is a new United Nations Security Council resolution that could provide international cover for those Spanish troops to stay. So that's important, very important in terms of a change, a possible change in Spanish policy.
Now, Bill, this is the day after a major upset in Spanish politics here and Spanish are still grieving for what they call their March 11 terror attacks. Two hundred people from 11 nations were killed. In hospital today, there are still 243 survivors, 45 of them in a dangerous condition. Now, the political fallout here has, indeed, been vast. The ruling Popular Party, that's been led by the prime minister, Jose Maria Aznar, a staunch supporter of U.S. policy in Iraq, was voted out at the ballot box. This could not, say many commentators here, have happened unless there had been those terror attacks just last Thursday. Opinion polls have said that the government might lose its absolute majority, but would remain in power.
That result turned upside down because this whole debate about the responsibility of who was behind the attacks reignited Spanish discontent towards their government's decision to go against popular opinion here and support the United States-led invasion of Iraq.
So that has been a dramatic change in events on the ground here, politically speaking -- Bill.
HEMMER: Brent, thanks for that.
Brent Sadler live.
A bit earlier today, I talked with Rohan Gunaratna.
He's an expert on al Qaeda and terrorism, especially as it applies to Europe. He's also the author of a book called "Inside al Qaeda."
I asked him whether or not he believes al Qaeda is the strongest suspect in this matter.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROHAN GUNARATNA, EXPERT ON AL QAEDA: Al Qaeda is the only group with the intention and the capability to mount coordinated, simultaneous, mass casualty, mass fatality attacks of this proportion.
HEMMER: What type of influence, what type of connections do we find with al Qaeda in that country?
GUNARATNA: Al Qaeda has a significant presence in Spain. Al Qaeda started to operate in Spain in the early 1990s. And, of course, we have seen that Mohamed Atta, the 9/11 operations commander, visited Spain on two occasions before the 9/11 operation. And Spain has been a very important gateway for al Qaeda and for its associated groups, especially the North African groups, to enter into Europe and operate. Spain has been always the strategic gateway for al Qaeda.
HEMMER: Yes, there is a man in custody in Spain with alleged ties to a man by the name of Imad Yarkus, otherwise known as Abu Dahdah, said to be possibly the mastermind of the attacks of 9/11.
What do you know about him?
GUNARATNA: Abu Dahdah is the head of al Qaeda in Spain and for many years he headed the al Qaeda network in Spain. And he generated vast amounts of support for al Qaeda while being located in Spain. HEMMER: You have recently assessed the security of Europe and you have concluded, along with others, that they were becoming complacent.
How did you gauge that?
GUNARATNA: In fact, in January 2004, our threat assessment, which we made public in January of 2004, clearly stated that it is very likely that Western Europe will witness a terrorist attack in 2004. It was primarily because we observed that the European law enforcement and security agencies were becoming complacent.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: That's the author and al Qaeda expert Rohan Gunaratna earlier today from Sydney, Australia.
Now Soledad again.
O'BRIEN: Well, it was one year ago this week that the U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq. Over the weekend, the administration put out its major players to defend the case for going to war. That as the bombings in Spain raised some concerns about just how long international cooperation will last.
Kathleen Koch has this report from the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They were firm and unapologetic on the decision to go to war in Iraq.
DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Yes, I think it was the right thing to do.
KOCH: On the elusive weapons of mass destruction.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ...May not exist any longer. But let's not suggest that somehow we knew this. KOCH: The Bush Administration's top officials made the rounds of the Sunday morning talk shows insisting the world is now a safer place and that the war on terrorism is being won.
But a new Al-Qaeda claim that it launched lost week's Madrid attacks to punish Spain for joining the U.S. in Iraq and in Afghanistan, prompted questions about whether the coalition would endure.
CONDOLEEZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: No one can be intimidated. We are at war with these people. And yes, they will try and attack those who they believe might defeat them. That is a part of their game. But they will not win, and we will not falter.
Koch: One lawmaker compared some Spaniards' belief that if they pull their troops out of Iraq, they'll be safe with British efforts to appease Hitler before World War II. SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN, (D) CONNECTICUT: I hate to say it, but that's the same kind logic that led Nevel Chamberlain (ph) in Munich to try to pacify Hitler in the late '30s. Obviously that didn't work, and it won't work anymore with Al-Qaeda or their elk (ph)around the world. We have to stop them.
KOCH: That's easier said than done, and some worry what will happen if as the Al-Qaeda message promised, more terror attacks followed, are getting Spain or other U.S. allies.
KEN POLLACK, CNN ANALYST: There are countries which have given into terrorism and changed their ways because they don't want to suffer additional terrorist attacks. I think Spain's reaction itself will be a very important sign of things to come.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOCH: The White House is still formulating its response to the dramatic ousting by Spanish voters of the existing government in favor of the Socialist opposition, which has promised to pull Spanish troops out of Iraq. So the administration this morning grappling with losing not only a coalition partner, but a valued ally -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Kathleen Koch for us this morning.
Kathleen, thanks, reporting from the White House.
HEMMER: In a moment here, the prosecution piling on more testimony in the Jayson Williams manslaughter trial. And in a moment, Jeff Toobin is back to talk about whether or not it makes sense for Williams to take the stand in his own defense in that case.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, looking at missteps on the campaign trail. The president's team is struggling to regain its footing. But campaign problems could also be slowing down Senator John Kerry, too. Jeff Greenfield has a look at that.
HEMMER: Also, a plan claiming that all you need to get in shape is 21 minutes a week. Is it all in the mind?
Sanjay is back from vacation. He has that answer a bit later this hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Two more Harlem Globetrotters are expected to testify this week in the manslaughter trial of former NBA star Jayson Williams. Williams had been giving the players a tour of his mansion when a limo driver was killed by a single shotgun blast two years ago.
Let's get an update on the case now from our senior legal analyst Jeff Toobin -- good morning.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
O'BRIEN: Two more Harlem Globetrotters, it's expected that they're really going to say similar things to what the first two have already said.
So how do you think they move the case forward?
TOOBIN: Well, it's an open question whether they do or not. I mean the prosecution here seems to be operating on the theory of more is better. But, in fact, the facts of the case here are relatively not in dispute. I mean it's clear that Jayson Williams shot Gus Christofi. It's not, of course, clear exactly what was in his mind and how reckless he was. And what's come up as each of these witnesses has testified is their testimony differs in subtle degrees and the defense might be able to exploit that.
So it's a question of whether it's worth it to call all these people.
O'BRIEN: They're, they've done six weeks of testimony, incredibly long. I mean this is the prosecution's case.
Do you think day by day by day, in addition to the fact that every day it's like more startling testimony in the Jayson, more graphic testimony in the Jayson Williams trial, what kind of an impact does that have on jurors?
TOOBIN: Well, by and large, more evidence is usually good, unless it contradicts each other to such an extent that the jury starts to get doubts in their mind. And here there have been issues about, you know, was his finger on the trigger. One witness says yes, another witness has said no. How close was Jayson Williams to Gus Christofi when he shot him? Again, there's some divergence in the opinion there. There are ambiguities in the evidence.
One of the peculiarities here is that the gunshot angle appears to be going up in Gus' body when Jayson Williams is 6'10" and Guy Christofi is 5'6," why is the angle going up? A peculiarity. It may not matter. But the longer testimony goes on, the more you have ambiguities like that.
O'BRIEN: We talked a lot about this during the Martha Stewart trial.
TOOBIN: We did.
O'BRIEN: Should Jayson Williams take the stand? When you're a celebrity, do you almost have to take the stand in your own defense?
TOOBIN: I think the answer is no. I think it is a good reason why most defendants don't take the witness stand. Consider the most sensational piece of evidence that is not before this jury. There's this very sensational incident, a horrible incident where Jayson Williams is supposed to have shot a dog.
O'BRIEN: His dog.
TOOBIN: His own dog, because he got angry. The judge has said that's off limits, that is too prejudicial...
O'BRIEN: That's admissible if he decides to take the stand?
TOOBIN: If he takes the stand, almost everything is open season. That's the kind of risk you take. It's not so much the description of the incident itself, because that's usually good for the defendant to tell, from his perspective, what happened. It's what from the defendant's past that gets in when you have cross-examination. And I think that's, that would be, that is such a horrible situation...
O'BRIEN: Oh, the jurors would turn on someone.
TOOBIN: It was hard to imagine he could be acquitted after that.
O'BRIEN: What's he facing? Give me a sense of the best case scenario for Jayson Williams, outside of, you know, being completely acquitted, and the worst case.
TOOBIN: He's facing a lot of different charges, ranging from just sort of tampering with evidence charges to reckless homicide. The sentencing range is enormous. He could face conviction but just get probation to, I believe it's 30 years in prison. So it's a very wide range of options. Even if he's convicted, sentencing will be a, quite a separate battle here.
O'BRIEN: And so the key is proving, for the prosecution's side, at least, recklessness. That's what their whole case is based on.
TOOBIN: Reckless -- extreme indifference to human life. Those are some of the buzz words. It's very hard to translate those sort of legal terms into real world scenarios, but that's what the jury is going to have to do.
O'BRIEN: Well, we'll see how they do then.
All right, Jeff Toobin, thanks, as always.
TOOBIN: OK.
O'BRIEN: Bill?
HEMMER: We want to get to Fresno, California now, 18 minutes past the hour, where police and community residents are trying to make sense of a grizzly mass killing. Fifty-seven-year-old Marcus Wesson is charged with murdering nine members of his own family, ranging in ages from one to 24.
As Miguel Marquez now reports today, you might be a bit surprised to whom is coming at the father's defense.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IRENE TARZA, FRESNO RESIDENT: This is horrible for everybody here that he took all their lives all at one time. It's so sad. So sad.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Irene Tarza didn't know the Wesson family, but she made the trip from West Fresno to pay her respects. Others came, kneeled in front of the home and prayed. Some just stared and wept. This, as the children of Marcus Wesson, those that are left, try to understand what happened.
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) 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: Well, there was a family dispute over children and basically things 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 to 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 it, but he is not against having different wives and to him, actually, he's pro-god, 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 cult like relationship between Wesson and his family. Wesson's sons say their father may have been eccentric, but that does not add up to a cult.
D. WESSON: There is no cult. And if you call Seventh Day Adventists a cult, then I guess that's a cult. Then I guess I'm 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 back in to search for information that will hopefully lead to answers, answers the small city in California's central valley are hoping to hear.
Miguel Marquez, CNN, Fresno, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Once again, the police chief with us last hour says Marcus Wesson is cooperating, now being held on $9 million bail.
In a moment here, politics. Democrat John Kerry trying to put out a potential fire in his own campaign. Jeff Greenfield examines that, in a moment, on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: All righty, welcome back.
The Question of the Day and Jack again. CAFFERTY: Thanks, Bill.
The United States may have lost a solid ally in Europe following yesterday's upset in the Spanish elections. The incumbent prime minister Aznar's Popular Party had a lead in the polls before last week's train bombings in Madrid. Now, the socialists suddenly have been swept into office. Their leader says he'll withdraw Spain's troops from Iraq, a shift in foreign policy away from the United States and toward European allies like France and Germany.
So the question we thought might be interesting this morning was this, do Spain's election results mean the terrorists are winning?
Ann in Fort Royal, Virginia writes: "The decision in Spain absolutely means the terrorists are winning. This also gives the terrorists confirmation that this is the way to get what they want."
Amanda in Boca Raton, Florida: "Why doesn't Spain tell its children that when a bully picks on them at school, it's OK to quit school and stay home? If they think that standing up for what's right made them a target, wait till they see what bullies do to the weak."
Karl in Wellington, Ohio: "The terrorists may not be winning, but it's apparent that they have the ability to change the political landscape at a moment's notice. One only need to look at what happened in Madrid for proof. I suspect that the United States may be in for the same last minute political terrorism the closer we get to the November elections."
And Tony in Roscoe, Illinois writes this: "No, the terrorists will never win. I think the Spanish election results may, however, be an indication that the Bush-Blair project will not have an extended run."
Our e-mail address is am@cnn.com.
HEMMER: A lot of response today?
CAFFERTY: Hundreds and hundreds of e-mails.
HEMMER: Yes, is that so?
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: You know, there's a caveat in this whole Spanish involvement in Iraq. He's already said that he would pull them out if there's not a U.N. resolution passed between now and June 30...
O'BRIEN: Before the bombings.
HEMMER: And depending on who you pay attention to and which analyst is talking, that resolution could be possible within the next three months, which would keep Spain there.
CAFFERTY: The U.N. may do something?
HEMMER: Perhaps.
CAFFERTY: Is that what you're suggesting?
HEMMER: Well, the other thing, their force is only 1,300, which is not going to make a sizable difference for the military involvement there.
CAFFERTY: That's not the point.
HEMMER: But it is a huge statement if they were to pull them out.
CAFFERTY: Well, the election, the election results are a huge statement. That's a huge statement.
HEMMER: Already he's talking to reporters about reinstalling ties with France and Germany. I think he mentioned ties with the U.S. will be cordial at this point. So we shall see which direction that goes. A significant story throughout the week, no question.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, how the post-war plan has been shaped by what the Pentagon did not know a year ago, a look at that is ahead as AMERICAN MORNING continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Get the latest news every morning in your e-mail. Sign up for AMERICAN MORNING Quick News, cnn.com/am.
In a moment here, the latest numbers on Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," and they are astounding.
Back in a moment with that, after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: They've come here by the dozens, Soledad. The World Stride Tours out of San Antonio, Texas making a tour of New York.
O'BRIEN: How cute are they. Hello. Good morning.
HEMMER: And off to D.C. next. I saw them down at ground zero over the weekend, actually.
O'BRIEN: Really?
HEMMER: So they have been making the rounds here in New York City.
O'BRIEN: Wow.
HEMMER: Good to have you here.
O'BRIEN: That's great.
HEMMER: Good morning. Welcome back.
O'BRIEN: That's nice, to have them visiting.
It is just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
In just a few minutes, a year's worth of hindsight in Iraq. This week marks the first anniversary of the beginning of the war. Jamie McIntyre is looking at the lessons that the U.S. is learning, some of them, many of them, the hard way. We'll take a look at that.
HEMMER: Also, in politics, the road to the White House littered with potholes. And Jeff Greenfield is going to show us where they lie. His look at campaign mistakes from both the president and his Democratic rival in a moment, so stay tuned for that, as well. It's a busy Monday morning here.
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Aired March 15, 2004 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Spain reacting to war and terror, throwing out its political leaders in a stunning election. New ties to al Qaeda in the Madrid train bombings. How concerned should the rest of Europe be?
And workouts that promise to reshape your body in a measly 21 minutes a week? We'll get to it this hour on AMERICAN MORNING.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR:
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Welcome back, everybody.
Other stories that we're following this morning, another big week coming up in the trial of former NBA star Jayson Williams, with more former Harlem Globetrotters expected to testify. Jeff Toobin is going to be back to talk to us about the strength of the prosecution's case; also, what the defense might have in store.
HEMMER: Also this hour, approaching the week for the one year anniversary for the start of the Iraq war. A bit later this hour, Jamie McIntyre looks at the successes and the failures for the U.S., as well as some of the lessons learned, and, also, too, what the Iraqi people are saying today, one year later, as well.
O'BRIEN: Mr. Cafferty is with us with a really interesting, I think, Question of the Day.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I was downstairs reading Toobin's piece in the "New Yorker" about Martha Stewart. He's a pretty good writer, you know?
HEMMER: Oh, yes?
CAFFERTY: It's fas -- it really is a fascinating piece.
O'BRIEN: It's a great piece.
CAFFERTY: Yes, talking about, you know, the things leading up to trial and -- anyway, you should pick it up and read it.
Coming up in the Cafferty File, why some D.C. area schools may end nap time for pre-kindergarten classes. That'll thrill the teachers. It's the only break they get.
And if you're a fan of "The Apprentice," you don't want to miss the latest fashion accessory by Donald Trump and Bloomingdale's.
O'BRIEN: Huh, I can't even begin to think what that would be.
HEMMER: Every angle covered.
CAFFERTY: Well, we're going to show you.
O'BRIEN: All right.
HEMMER: Oh, yes.
O'BRIEN: Good.
Thanks, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: The top stories now, a possible bombing attempt was thwarted today outside the U.S. consulate in Karachi, Pakistan. Police noticed a suspicious van that turned out to be packed with explosives. According to authorities, the bomb was defused without any injuries. The incident comes just two days before Secretary of State Colin Powell is scheduled to visit Pakistan. A suicide car bombing outside that same consulate killed 12 Pakistanis and left dozens more wounded in June of 2002.
California officials say they may release the names of the victims, the nine victims killed in Fresno. Flowers and balloons have piled up outside the home where police found the bodies on Friday. Authorities say 57-year-old Marcus Wesson faces nine counts of murder. Police say they're looking into whether someone helped Wesson with the shootings, perhaps even one of his victims. More on that story ahead, as well.
Haiti's interim prime minister, Gerard Latortue, is warning against Jean-Bertrand Aristide's return to the Caribbean. The ousted Haitian president left his exile in Africa today to presumably reunite with his family in Jamaica. His visit is expected to last no more than 10 weeks. But Latortue says Aristide's return will only increase tensions in Haiti.
Coin collecting experts say they have identified what could be THE most expensive dollar in the world. They say that a 210-year-old coin could be the first silver dollar ever made by the U.S. Mint. It's owned by a California collector who said he paid multi-millions of dollars for it and has it ensured for 10 million bucks. He says the coin is a national treasure and it's not for sale.
And today is a big day for Prince and some other music veterans. Prince will be indicated into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tonight here in New York City. The 45-year-old artist has sold 36 million albums. Prince is going to be honored, along with ZZ Top, Bob Seeger, The Dells, Jackson Browne and George Harrison. HEMMER: A pretty good group there, huh?
O'BRIEN: I don't know The Dells. What did The Dells sing?
HEMMER: The Dells? I have no idea actually.
O'BRIEN: Anybody?
HEMMER: You put me on the spot.
O'BRIEN: Anybody?
HEMMER: Over Dell, no, I'm making that up.
O'BRIEN: No.
HEMMER: Here's Chad Myers at the CNN Center.
We're going to go to Google real quickly here.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: Well, dude, what's up my Dell? That's what we came up with, Chad.
A weak effort.
Thanks, again.
We want to get back to the story on Spain, the fallout from the Madrid train bombings already being felt in Spain, in a big way, too. The reaction to those attacks on Thursday is being listed among the reasons for the election victory yesterday by Spain's Socialist Party.
For more on this and the continuing bombing investigation, we want to get you live to Madrid and CNN's Brent Sadler, who is on the scene there -- and, Brent, I know the prime minister elect is now addressing, through a press conference, the people of Spain.
What is his plan, almost with a mandate now in that country, his plan to fight terrorism in Spain?
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the prime minister designate has said that one of his top priorities will be to combat terrorism. But at the same time he's also saying the he is threatening to pull Spanish troops, about 1,300 of them, out of the coalition in Iraq today unless there is a new United Nations Security Council resolution that could provide international cover for those Spanish troops to stay. So that's important, very important in terms of a change, a possible change in Spanish policy.
Now, Bill, this is the day after a major upset in Spanish politics here and Spanish are still grieving for what they call their March 11 terror attacks. Two hundred people from 11 nations were killed. In hospital today, there are still 243 survivors, 45 of them in a dangerous condition. Now, the political fallout here has, indeed, been vast. The ruling Popular Party, that's been led by the prime minister, Jose Maria Aznar, a staunch supporter of U.S. policy in Iraq, was voted out at the ballot box. This could not, say many commentators here, have happened unless there had been those terror attacks just last Thursday. Opinion polls have said that the government might lose its absolute majority, but would remain in power.
That result turned upside down because this whole debate about the responsibility of who was behind the attacks reignited Spanish discontent towards their government's decision to go against popular opinion here and support the United States-led invasion of Iraq.
So that has been a dramatic change in events on the ground here, politically speaking -- Bill.
HEMMER: Brent, thanks for that.
Brent Sadler live.
A bit earlier today, I talked with Rohan Gunaratna.
He's an expert on al Qaeda and terrorism, especially as it applies to Europe. He's also the author of a book called "Inside al Qaeda."
I asked him whether or not he believes al Qaeda is the strongest suspect in this matter.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROHAN GUNARATNA, EXPERT ON AL QAEDA: Al Qaeda is the only group with the intention and the capability to mount coordinated, simultaneous, mass casualty, mass fatality attacks of this proportion.
HEMMER: What type of influence, what type of connections do we find with al Qaeda in that country?
GUNARATNA: Al Qaeda has a significant presence in Spain. Al Qaeda started to operate in Spain in the early 1990s. And, of course, we have seen that Mohamed Atta, the 9/11 operations commander, visited Spain on two occasions before the 9/11 operation. And Spain has been a very important gateway for al Qaeda and for its associated groups, especially the North African groups, to enter into Europe and operate. Spain has been always the strategic gateway for al Qaeda.
HEMMER: Yes, there is a man in custody in Spain with alleged ties to a man by the name of Imad Yarkus, otherwise known as Abu Dahdah, said to be possibly the mastermind of the attacks of 9/11.
What do you know about him?
GUNARATNA: Abu Dahdah is the head of al Qaeda in Spain and for many years he headed the al Qaeda network in Spain. And he generated vast amounts of support for al Qaeda while being located in Spain. HEMMER: You have recently assessed the security of Europe and you have concluded, along with others, that they were becoming complacent.
How did you gauge that?
GUNARATNA: In fact, in January 2004, our threat assessment, which we made public in January of 2004, clearly stated that it is very likely that Western Europe will witness a terrorist attack in 2004. It was primarily because we observed that the European law enforcement and security agencies were becoming complacent.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: That's the author and al Qaeda expert Rohan Gunaratna earlier today from Sydney, Australia.
Now Soledad again.
O'BRIEN: Well, it was one year ago this week that the U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq. Over the weekend, the administration put out its major players to defend the case for going to war. That as the bombings in Spain raised some concerns about just how long international cooperation will last.
Kathleen Koch has this report from the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They were firm and unapologetic on the decision to go to war in Iraq.
DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Yes, I think it was the right thing to do.
KOCH: On the elusive weapons of mass destruction.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ...May not exist any longer. But let's not suggest that somehow we knew this. KOCH: The Bush Administration's top officials made the rounds of the Sunday morning talk shows insisting the world is now a safer place and that the war on terrorism is being won.
But a new Al-Qaeda claim that it launched lost week's Madrid attacks to punish Spain for joining the U.S. in Iraq and in Afghanistan, prompted questions about whether the coalition would endure.
CONDOLEEZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: No one can be intimidated. We are at war with these people. And yes, they will try and attack those who they believe might defeat them. That is a part of their game. But they will not win, and we will not falter.
Koch: One lawmaker compared some Spaniards' belief that if they pull their troops out of Iraq, they'll be safe with British efforts to appease Hitler before World War II. SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN, (D) CONNECTICUT: I hate to say it, but that's the same kind logic that led Nevel Chamberlain (ph) in Munich to try to pacify Hitler in the late '30s. Obviously that didn't work, and it won't work anymore with Al-Qaeda or their elk (ph)around the world. We have to stop them.
KOCH: That's easier said than done, and some worry what will happen if as the Al-Qaeda message promised, more terror attacks followed, are getting Spain or other U.S. allies.
KEN POLLACK, CNN ANALYST: There are countries which have given into terrorism and changed their ways because they don't want to suffer additional terrorist attacks. I think Spain's reaction itself will be a very important sign of things to come.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOCH: The White House is still formulating its response to the dramatic ousting by Spanish voters of the existing government in favor of the Socialist opposition, which has promised to pull Spanish troops out of Iraq. So the administration this morning grappling with losing not only a coalition partner, but a valued ally -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Kathleen Koch for us this morning.
Kathleen, thanks, reporting from the White House.
HEMMER: In a moment here, the prosecution piling on more testimony in the Jayson Williams manslaughter trial. And in a moment, Jeff Toobin is back to talk about whether or not it makes sense for Williams to take the stand in his own defense in that case.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, looking at missteps on the campaign trail. The president's team is struggling to regain its footing. But campaign problems could also be slowing down Senator John Kerry, too. Jeff Greenfield has a look at that.
HEMMER: Also, a plan claiming that all you need to get in shape is 21 minutes a week. Is it all in the mind?
Sanjay is back from vacation. He has that answer a bit later this hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Two more Harlem Globetrotters are expected to testify this week in the manslaughter trial of former NBA star Jayson Williams. Williams had been giving the players a tour of his mansion when a limo driver was killed by a single shotgun blast two years ago.
Let's get an update on the case now from our senior legal analyst Jeff Toobin -- good morning.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
O'BRIEN: Two more Harlem Globetrotters, it's expected that they're really going to say similar things to what the first two have already said.
So how do you think they move the case forward?
TOOBIN: Well, it's an open question whether they do or not. I mean the prosecution here seems to be operating on the theory of more is better. But, in fact, the facts of the case here are relatively not in dispute. I mean it's clear that Jayson Williams shot Gus Christofi. It's not, of course, clear exactly what was in his mind and how reckless he was. And what's come up as each of these witnesses has testified is their testimony differs in subtle degrees and the defense might be able to exploit that.
So it's a question of whether it's worth it to call all these people.
O'BRIEN: They're, they've done six weeks of testimony, incredibly long. I mean this is the prosecution's case.
Do you think day by day by day, in addition to the fact that every day it's like more startling testimony in the Jayson, more graphic testimony in the Jayson Williams trial, what kind of an impact does that have on jurors?
TOOBIN: Well, by and large, more evidence is usually good, unless it contradicts each other to such an extent that the jury starts to get doubts in their mind. And here there have been issues about, you know, was his finger on the trigger. One witness says yes, another witness has said no. How close was Jayson Williams to Gus Christofi when he shot him? Again, there's some divergence in the opinion there. There are ambiguities in the evidence.
One of the peculiarities here is that the gunshot angle appears to be going up in Gus' body when Jayson Williams is 6'10" and Guy Christofi is 5'6," why is the angle going up? A peculiarity. It may not matter. But the longer testimony goes on, the more you have ambiguities like that.
O'BRIEN: We talked a lot about this during the Martha Stewart trial.
TOOBIN: We did.
O'BRIEN: Should Jayson Williams take the stand? When you're a celebrity, do you almost have to take the stand in your own defense?
TOOBIN: I think the answer is no. I think it is a good reason why most defendants don't take the witness stand. Consider the most sensational piece of evidence that is not before this jury. There's this very sensational incident, a horrible incident where Jayson Williams is supposed to have shot a dog.
O'BRIEN: His dog.
TOOBIN: His own dog, because he got angry. The judge has said that's off limits, that is too prejudicial...
O'BRIEN: That's admissible if he decides to take the stand?
TOOBIN: If he takes the stand, almost everything is open season. That's the kind of risk you take. It's not so much the description of the incident itself, because that's usually good for the defendant to tell, from his perspective, what happened. It's what from the defendant's past that gets in when you have cross-examination. And I think that's, that would be, that is such a horrible situation...
O'BRIEN: Oh, the jurors would turn on someone.
TOOBIN: It was hard to imagine he could be acquitted after that.
O'BRIEN: What's he facing? Give me a sense of the best case scenario for Jayson Williams, outside of, you know, being completely acquitted, and the worst case.
TOOBIN: He's facing a lot of different charges, ranging from just sort of tampering with evidence charges to reckless homicide. The sentencing range is enormous. He could face conviction but just get probation to, I believe it's 30 years in prison. So it's a very wide range of options. Even if he's convicted, sentencing will be a, quite a separate battle here.
O'BRIEN: And so the key is proving, for the prosecution's side, at least, recklessness. That's what their whole case is based on.
TOOBIN: Reckless -- extreme indifference to human life. Those are some of the buzz words. It's very hard to translate those sort of legal terms into real world scenarios, but that's what the jury is going to have to do.
O'BRIEN: Well, we'll see how they do then.
All right, Jeff Toobin, thanks, as always.
TOOBIN: OK.
O'BRIEN: Bill?
HEMMER: We want to get to Fresno, California now, 18 minutes past the hour, where police and community residents are trying to make sense of a grizzly mass killing. Fifty-seven-year-old Marcus Wesson is charged with murdering nine members of his own family, ranging in ages from one to 24.
As Miguel Marquez now reports today, you might be a bit surprised to whom is coming at the father's defense.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IRENE TARZA, FRESNO RESIDENT: This is horrible for everybody here that he took all their lives all at one time. It's so sad. So sad.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Irene Tarza didn't know the Wesson family, but she made the trip from West Fresno to pay her respects. Others came, kneeled in front of the home and prayed. Some just stared and wept. This, as the children of Marcus Wesson, those that are left, try to understand what happened.
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) 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: Well, there was a family dispute over children and basically things 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 to 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 it, but he is not against having different wives and to him, actually, he's pro-god, 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 cult like relationship between Wesson and his family. Wesson's sons say their father may have been eccentric, but that does not add up to a cult.
D. WESSON: There is no cult. And if you call Seventh Day Adventists a cult, then I guess that's a cult. Then I guess I'm 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 back in to search for information that will hopefully lead to answers, answers the small city in California's central valley are hoping to hear.
Miguel Marquez, CNN, Fresno, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Once again, the police chief with us last hour says Marcus Wesson is cooperating, now being held on $9 million bail.
In a moment here, politics. Democrat John Kerry trying to put out a potential fire in his own campaign. Jeff Greenfield examines that, in a moment, on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: All righty, welcome back.
The Question of the Day and Jack again. CAFFERTY: Thanks, Bill.
The United States may have lost a solid ally in Europe following yesterday's upset in the Spanish elections. The incumbent prime minister Aznar's Popular Party had a lead in the polls before last week's train bombings in Madrid. Now, the socialists suddenly have been swept into office. Their leader says he'll withdraw Spain's troops from Iraq, a shift in foreign policy away from the United States and toward European allies like France and Germany.
So the question we thought might be interesting this morning was this, do Spain's election results mean the terrorists are winning?
Ann in Fort Royal, Virginia writes: "The decision in Spain absolutely means the terrorists are winning. This also gives the terrorists confirmation that this is the way to get what they want."
Amanda in Boca Raton, Florida: "Why doesn't Spain tell its children that when a bully picks on them at school, it's OK to quit school and stay home? If they think that standing up for what's right made them a target, wait till they see what bullies do to the weak."
Karl in Wellington, Ohio: "The terrorists may not be winning, but it's apparent that they have the ability to change the political landscape at a moment's notice. One only need to look at what happened in Madrid for proof. I suspect that the United States may be in for the same last minute political terrorism the closer we get to the November elections."
And Tony in Roscoe, Illinois writes this: "No, the terrorists will never win. I think the Spanish election results may, however, be an indication that the Bush-Blair project will not have an extended run."
Our e-mail address is am@cnn.com.
HEMMER: A lot of response today?
CAFFERTY: Hundreds and hundreds of e-mails.
HEMMER: Yes, is that so?
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: You know, there's a caveat in this whole Spanish involvement in Iraq. He's already said that he would pull them out if there's not a U.N. resolution passed between now and June 30...
O'BRIEN: Before the bombings.
HEMMER: And depending on who you pay attention to and which analyst is talking, that resolution could be possible within the next three months, which would keep Spain there.
CAFFERTY: The U.N. may do something?
HEMMER: Perhaps.
CAFFERTY: Is that what you're suggesting?
HEMMER: Well, the other thing, their force is only 1,300, which is not going to make a sizable difference for the military involvement there.
CAFFERTY: That's not the point.
HEMMER: But it is a huge statement if they were to pull them out.
CAFFERTY: Well, the election, the election results are a huge statement. That's a huge statement.
HEMMER: Already he's talking to reporters about reinstalling ties with France and Germany. I think he mentioned ties with the U.S. will be cordial at this point. So we shall see which direction that goes. A significant story throughout the week, no question.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, how the post-war plan has been shaped by what the Pentagon did not know a year ago, a look at that is ahead as AMERICAN MORNING continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Get the latest news every morning in your e-mail. Sign up for AMERICAN MORNING Quick News, cnn.com/am.
In a moment here, the latest numbers on Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," and they are astounding.
Back in a moment with that, after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: They've come here by the dozens, Soledad. The World Stride Tours out of San Antonio, Texas making a tour of New York.
O'BRIEN: How cute are they. Hello. Good morning.
HEMMER: And off to D.C. next. I saw them down at ground zero over the weekend, actually.
O'BRIEN: Really?
HEMMER: So they have been making the rounds here in New York City.
O'BRIEN: Wow.
HEMMER: Good to have you here.
O'BRIEN: That's great.
HEMMER: Good morning. Welcome back.
O'BRIEN: That's nice, to have them visiting.
It is just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
In just a few minutes, a year's worth of hindsight in Iraq. This week marks the first anniversary of the beginning of the war. Jamie McIntyre is looking at the lessons that the U.S. is learning, some of them, many of them, the hard way. We'll take a look at that.
HEMMER: Also, in politics, the road to the White House littered with potholes. And Jeff Greenfield is going to show us where they lie. His look at campaign mistakes from both the president and his Democratic rival in a moment, so stay tuned for that, as well. It's a busy Monday morning here.
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