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American Morning

Tense Moments Inside Fallujah; In Tokyo, Sudden Anti-war Protests

Aired April 09, 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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Tense moments inside Fallujah. U.S. troops now trying to halt operations there. A reporter there tells us how insurgents are responding today.
In Tokyo, sudden anti-war protests, as Japan gives its answer to Iraqi kidnappers for holding three Japanese civilians hostage.

And the top secret White House document that talked about al Qaeda's intentions to attack the U.S. -- will the public get to see it? The answer on this AMERICAN MORNING.

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

O'BRIEN: And good morning.

Welcome back everybody.

Bill Hemmer has the day off, but Anderson Cooper has been kind enough to fill in for him.

It's nice to have you.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is my pleasure.

O'BRIEN: So, thank you very much. We certainly appreciate it. He's lying, but we appreciate it anyway.

COOPER: I'm not lying. It is my pleasure.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He's lying.

COOPER: There's no place I'd rather be.

O'BRIEN: Oh, now you're really lying.

CAFFERTY: So can you do Wolf's show, too, today?

O'BRIEN: We start with some pictures, actually, a serious shot to show you. You see smoke rising, a plume of smoke, over the skyline of Baghdad. There has been an explosion there in about the last 15 or 20 minutes or so. Unclear exactly what has caused that explosion. Blasts were reported. We are looking into this and we're going to bring you an update on exactly the circumstances of that explosion as soon as we get more information. COOPER: Another fascinating live picture you are watching right now from Baghdad. That is a poster of Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shiite -- controversial Shiite cleric who has become the focus of so much energy on the part of the U.S. But it was -- this is a poster that is in Baghdad right now. The Marines in that square, where the statue of Saddam Hussein was toppled a year ago today, these posters appeared. That's a year ago. Let's go back to today. These posters of Muqtada al-Sadr had appeared in Baghdad. Marines now in the square trying to take them down. You're watching these images live as they happened one year ago. What a difference a year makes.

O'BRIEN: Right. No question about that.

Mr. Cafferty is with us this morning.

CAFFERTY: You know, it's not getting any easier over there, is it?

O'BRIEN: No, so clearly not. What a terrible week.

CAFFERTY: Yes. Horrible.

Anyway, coming up in the Cafferty File, you'll never guess who showed up at the Yankees home opener last night?

And we'll tell you a story about a young girl who didn't want to go on vacation with her boyfriend and didn't want to tell her parents that she wasn't going. She got out of it. Wait till you hear the story.

O'BRIEN: All right.

CAFFERTY: Isn't that exciting?

O'BRIEN: It is exciting.

COOPER: That is why they call it a tease, because I'm intrigued.

O'BRIEN: I am.

COOPER: I want to know all those things.

CAFFERTY: That's why I'm here, is to intrigue.

COOPER: And tease.

CAFFERTY: Right. And tease.

O'BRIEN: It's working.

Let's get right to our top stories this morning.

Families of the Japanese hostages who were kidnapped in Iraq are calling on their government to do all it can to bring them home safely. This video of the three Japanese nationals shows them being held hostage at gunpoint at one point, at knifepoint. The group, calling itself Mujahedeen Squadrons, is demanding that Japan pull its forces out of Iraq. Japan's government says it will not withdraw its troops.

Democratic presidential could John Kerry is challenging President Bush's foreign policy in Iraq. Speaking in Wisconsin yesterday, Senator Kerry said President Bush should ask for more international help. Kerry pledged that as president he would work closer with the international community. The Bush campaign says that Senator Kerry is playing politics and should have focused his criticism on the insurgents in Iraq.

Well, get ready to dig even deeper into your pockets as you pay for gas. The Energy Department predicts that gas prices will go up another nickel per gallon before the end of June. The government predicting prices will drop back to current levels, though, before the fall. Right now the average price at the pump is $1.78 per gallon.

In baseball, the Padres did not disappoint on opening night at their new ball park. They beat the San Francisco Giants with a wild 4-3 win. The highlight of the game was Barry Bonds almost hitting a home run to tie up the score. Bonds hit a deep drive in the sixth inning that Padres newcomer Jay Payton (ph) caught just at the top of the fence. Replays were inconclusive, though, on whether Payton's catch saved a home run. Let's watch it again, shall we? Let's go back to the tape, Anderson. There it is.

COOPER: You're good at this.

O'BRIEN: Yes, I used to be a baseball announcer. No, obviously not. Payton said he wasn't sure if the ball would have gone out.

COOPER: I'm not sure either.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COOPER: The White House says it plans to declassify a document that's sought by the 9/11 Commission. It's a CIA report on Osama bin Laden that was given to President Bush a month before 9/11 and received a lot of attention yesterday as commissioners questioned National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice.

Jeanne Meserve is at the White House this morning -- good morning, Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Anderson.

The presidential daily brief is one and a half pages long. It's title, "Bin Laden Determined To Attack Inside the U.S." At yesterday's 9/11 Commission hearings, some panel members asked if that document shouldn't have been enough to put the administration on high alert to the possibility of a domestic attack.

National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice said no, it was a historical document, analytical in nature. However, it was revealed that this document talked about 70 FBI investigations into al Qaeda cells in the U.S. and that it mentioned the possibility of hijackings. Rice, however, testified that to her knowledge she had never been briefed on the possibility of planes being used as missiles. She said there was no silver bullet that could have prevented the attacks. She blamed the problems on structural issues within the U.S. government.

Now, this document is being vetted to make sure that its public release will not compromise any intelligence sources or methods. Its release could come as early as today. Officials say they want to put it out there because they are afraid that its contents may have been distorted or taken out of context -- Anderson, back to you.

COOPER: All right, Jeanne Meserve live from the White House.

Thanks, Jeanne -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Well, U.S. Marines are observing a break in their offensive operations in the Iraqi city of Fallujah. Several Marines and hundreds of Iraqi insurgents have been killed there in savage fighting through most of the week.

For more on that and other developments, we're joined by Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr -- Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.

Well, all eyes on Fallujah again today. The U.S. military saying it has temporarily halted offensive operations in the city. This is part of an effort to allow the citizens of Fallujah to get food and medical assistance into the city, allowing them to bury their dead, tend to their wounded. People who are not combatants will be allowed to leave. But a lot of questions coming up now. Later today, a meeting expected between the leadership of Fallujah and members of the Iraqi Governing Council to talk about the next step. The U.S. expected to present its demands for bringing peace to this region.

Of course, there is still gunfire reports around the Fallujah area. U.S. military officials saying if the insurgents fire on them, they will fire back, despite the announcement that at least for now, for today, until this meeting takes place, a temporary halt in offensive operations -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: I want to show you some live pictures, Barbara, which I'm sure you've had a chance to look at as we've been reporting over the last several minutes. This is the square in Baghdad where, you will recall, a year ago that big statue of Saddam was toppled. We're watching now Marines ripping down posters -- I'm sorry, rather, the Army ripping down posters of this Shiite cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr, the controversial cleric who's blamed for much of the inciting of insurgent violence in Kut and elsewhere.

The U.S. military said they've been searching for him.

What's the status of that search, Barbara?

STARR: Well, by all accounts, Muqtada al-Sadr remains in the holy city of Najaf, beyond the reach of U.S. military forces at the moment. The Shia holy days of Arbayeen are coming up. There is virtually no chance U.S. military troops will enter Najaf at this point or any time soon. The goal at the moment appears to be to get Iraqi security forces to go into Najaf and deal with the situation, possibly prosecute the arrest warrant against him.

But these live pictures are very interesting, Soledad. The military taking down these pictures of Muqtada al-Sadr because now the propaganda war is clearly beginning. We have learned this morning that in southern Iraq, the polish military commander has now issued a letter to the Arabic community down there, to the Arab news media, appealing to them to turn against Muqtada al-Sadr.

So, a lot of this now, in addition to the bullets flying through the air, of course, is becoming a war of words, a war of pictures, a war of propaganda.

O'BRIEN: All right, Barbara Starr for us this morning.

Barbara, thanks a lot.

Well, "Los Angeles Times" reporter Tony Perry has provided us with some very gripping accounts of what he has seen while he's been embedded with the Marines in Fallujah this week.

We spoke with him earlier this morning to get a little detail on just what he is seeing today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TONY PERRY, "LOS ANGELES TIMES": What has happened here is the Marines have been trying to, as they say, put an Iraqi face on the issue. They've been trying to stabilize things so that the Iraqi civil defense forces could come in and be part of the situation rather than being spectators, which they largely have been here. So through the day they've been working to see if they can't stabilize and get that in place.

But that has not occurred. Among -- two things have happened. One, the insurgents have attacked a convoy, a humanitarian convoy that came from Baghdad with food, medical supplies, water, clothing, fruit and things like that for the people of Fallujah. They dropped off their material yesterday and last night. The convoy was leaving -- these are large trucks marked with the red crescent of the Iraqi civil defense people, the Iraqi Red Cross. And they were attacked by the insurgents with small arms and also with RPGs.

The Marines responded the tanks and also with air power.

So any idea of a cease-fire, I think, flew out the window at that point and the battle is on.

The insurgents have also been fighting from a hospital clinic, taking it over, kicking the patients out and then using it as a vantage point. The Marines had to go in there. They killed several of them. Others fled and they're in pursuit of them. I know that there is an attempt to try and get things stabilized so that the Marines do not have to roll into downtown Fallujah and confront these insurgents who are waving AK-47s in the air. But how well that's going to play out is a very good question that's very much up in the air at this point.

O'BRIEN: Is there a sense at this time of exactly what the U.S. Marines control or what the coalition forces control at this point and what is not yet under their control percentage wise?

PERRY: Well, think of a city. It's about six kilometers, about four miles wide. And the Marines are on two sides of it. They've pushed about two miles on one side and about a mile on the other, although it's not a geographic control issue, of course, because the population is in that area that the Marines have not yet entered. I mean there is some population, of course, in the other areas. But the dense, dense neighborhoods where the insurgents are, where they're holed up and where they have shown a willingness in the past to use civilians as shields, that has yet to be entered by the Marines and that's what the Marines would really like to avoid, because inevitably you're going to have civilian casualties.

The Marines can win the military fight. If this was a classic war where you were trying to force a government to capitulate, you could roll in and you could take care of business and force that government to capitulate.

Here, of course, the Americans are the government. And so it's a much different sort of battle. It's military, but it's also political, and it's also hearts and minds. They could easily win the military with airpower, with troops, with cannons, with tanks, and lose the hearts and minds. We saw that yesterday when 10,000 Iraqi insurgents from Baghdad came in and were part of a humanitarian convoy. And these are not people who were pro-Saddam or pro- insurgent, but they are absolutely outraged at the potential of civilian deaths, of their countrymen's death in this battle between the insurgents and the Marines.

It's a very difficult, dicey political issue, you know, for the Marines and the Americans -- how do you kill insurgents or capture them without killing civilian -- innocent civilians when the insurgents are fighting in and amongst the civilians? It's an exceedingly difficult task.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: And that is "Los Angeles Times" reporter Tony Perry.

He's embedded with the U.S. Marines in Fallujah, Iraq.

COOPER: Still to come this morning, we're going to talk to retired General Wesley Clark for his perspective on what's happening in Iraq.

O'BRIEN: Also, tornado season almost here. It's creating one booming business, believe it or not, in the Midwest. We'll explain. COOPER: And the Mars rovers are getting new life.

All that ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Welcome back.

Today is the first anniversary of the fall of the statue of Saddam Hussein and the fall of the regime of Saddam Hussein. That, those are the pictures exactly one year ago today, just around this time in the morning. These are the pictures that happened just moments ago in Baghdad, the same spot where the statue once was. There were now posters of Muqtada al-Sadr. Someone had put them up, apparently overnight. Those U.S. Army forces trying to take the posters down. It took them quite a while. They finally did. They are now out of the square. One year ago today. What a difference a year makes.

Joining me now to talk about what is happening in Iraq, retired general and former Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark.

General Clark, good to see you this morning.

GEN. WESLEY CLARK (RET.), SUPPORTER OF JOHN KERRY: Good to see you, Anderson.

COOPER: As you look at those pictures of exactly one year ago today and now the pictures of Muqtada al-Sadr up in the square that have now been taken down, it seems to show at least that the enemy the U.S. is facing in Iraq is very well aware of the power of pictures, the power of the battle for hearts and minds.

Is the U.S. winning the battle for hearts and minds in Iraq right now?

CLARK: Well, it looks difficult for us to say that. It's possible that there are a large number of people who are standing by and hoping that the violence will just be over, and after this is over, if the United States succeeds -- and I think we will -- then they'll come back and say OK, it's over, we got the bad people to surface, you've taken care of them, you've identified them, now we can go on with our lives.

I think that's a 30 percent probability. I think the 70 percent probability is that the United States' credibility has been damaged in this, that the Iraqis will have hardened their opinion and they will have come to greater feelings that the United States has to leave more quickly, that for whatever reason, whatever our will was, it's time for the Americans to go and let them settle these problems amongst themselves.

And that's really, that's really a setback for us politically.

But, Anderson, when I looked at that statue, what I thought was that it's a shame that we didn't have a political plan when we came in there that was anywhere near as professional as the military plan. Our troops did a great job and they're still doing a great job. But the politics of putting a country together is very difficult. You've got to have experts that do it. You've got to have great intelligence. You've got to put resources into it. None of that was prepared when we took that statue down.

COOPER: General Clark, when you were running for president and also candidate, Senator Kerry right now, talk about internationalizing the force, trying to get some other European allies in there. At this point, it would seem very, very difficult to achieve any new European countries sending forces into Iraq.

Do you agree with that?

CLARK: Well, they're not going to send any forces in while this -- all this fighting and this confusion is on. Let's get it sorted out at the end. We still need to create a political and economic development assistance organization. It could be done directly by the U.N. My guess is we'll have to create something like we had in Bosnia, bring people together. Everybody who's contributing gets a seat at the table. And that way the United States takes a reduced, visible role. That's going to be essential in the aftermath of the fighting, I think, and it improves our long-term sustainability in the region.

COOPER: When you -- when one sees all these images in the media and you hear these different stories from the different cities, from Najaf and from Kut and from Ramadi and from Fallujah, does it feel to you, looking -- and I know you're not there -- but does it feel to you that the U.S. has a grip on what is happening on the ground? Or are we sort of just trying to ride the wave as best we can at this point?

CLARK: Well, I think it's clear we did not have a grip on what was happening on the ground. Anderson, what's happened has happened on three levels in Iraq. The first level is the fight we've had continuously with these insurgents. Then there's the Iraqi people themselves, trying to survive and make a living and go through normal life. And then there's the Shia as they're becoming politically active and aware and building their factions and organizations.

We weren't into the Shia community adequately. That's the real danger here, is Muqtada. He's the tip of the iceberg. What is the Shia public opinion? Will it coalesce around a single leader? How radical will it be? What will be Iran's influence in this? And, ultimately, will it help us achieve our aims in the Middle East or will it hamper our aims in the Middle East?

That's the real imponderable. And I'm afraid that what we've seen here is just the beginning of more difficulty in engaging with the Shia population.

COOPER: General Wesley Clark, appreciate you being on the program this morning.

Thank you. O'BRIEN: Well, those two Mars rovers exploring the red planet are moving on to some new adventures. NASA is extending their missions for five months. It's going to cost 15 million bucks. The Spirit rover met its goals this month after completing 90 Martian days. The new funding will allow the Mars mission to continue through September.

And s

till to come this morning, when will the White House declassify a document that could shed light on pre-9/11 terror warnings? A look at that is just ahead.

And trust us on this one. You've just got to see what happens.

COOPER: Yikes! What is that...

O'BRIEN: He's balancing a bunch of glassware on his chin.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Guess what time it is?

COOPER: What time?

O'BRIEN: Time to check -- thank you for setting that up.

Time to check in with Jack and the Question of the Day -- hello.

CAFFERTY: Hello, there.

Clear Channel Radio Group yesterday permanently dumped Howard Stern from the six stations that carried his program. This followed the Federal Communications Commission fining Clear Channel $495,000. Now the FCC might go after the show's syndicator. That would be Infinity Broadcasting. And the fines there could go over a million dollars.

The crackdown on indecency, coincidentally, dates back to that Janet Jackson Super Bowl halftime show. Now, neither Jackson nor MTV nor CBS had been fined a dime for that incident, even though it was sprung without anybody's prior knowledge or approval on an unsuspecting family audience of tens of millions of people who tuned in to watch the Super Bowl. You turn on Howard Stern, you sort of know what you're going to get.

The question is, should Howard Stern be the poster child for cleaning up the nation's airwaves? A provocative inquiry, don't you think?

O'BRIEN: I do.

CAFFERTY: Where in the hell are my glasses? I can't read this stuff without my glasses.

William in Texas: "Even though one knows what they're getting in listening to Howard Stern, it's about time radio and TV programming is cleaned up and Stern is as good a place to start as any. The next step should be a stiff fine for Janet Jackson and the people surrounding that event, and continuing on to other programming aired during the family hour."

Peter in Ontario: "The actions being taken against Howard Stern are ridiculous. You wouldn't eat a food you don't like. If you don't like his brand of comedy, don't listen. Simple."

Todd in Hookset, New Hampshire: "I find it disturbing, one of the few widely heard radio personalities who has been very vocal in his opposition to the Bush administration has been silenced by corporations that have made clear their support for the Bush administration." Hmmm. Such a coincidence.

Sandi Cary, North Carolina: "When, if I tune in to Stern's show, I know what to expect. I did not sit my 5 and 7-year-old boys in front of the TV expecting an attention grabbing stunt involving nudity from an artist during Super Bowl half time. Let's focus the punishment on those who deserve it."

And finally, Michael in Huron, South Dakota: "I'm not sorry about Howard Stern's punishment. It's too easy for kids to tune him in and be poisoned by him. I do agree that Janet should be punished, as well. Why not just put her in a room with Howard Stern?"

Howard would love that, actually.

COOPER: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Yes, I'm sure there's been a...

CAFFERTY: Right in Howard's (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

O'BRIEN: ... effort to try to get her on his show. But apparently her album is at number two, right?

COOPER: Number two.

O'BRIEN: So...

COOPER: And she's doing "Saturday Night Live" this weekend.

O'BRIEN: Yes. She's not been punished at all. She's doing never better.

CAFFERTY: Allow me to offer up a little free advertising for this fine program we do each weekend called "In The Money."

O'BRIEN: Sure.

CAFFERTY: The topic, celebrity justice. The guest, that guy, Alan Dershowitz, well known celebrity lawyer, to talk about the trials of Scott Peterson and that big fat worm, Dennis Kozlowski, and Michael Jackson. We'll find out if Dershowitz thinks the justice system needs changing in some way. "In The Money" airs Saturday at 1:00, Sunday at 3:00. We invite you to tune in. We promise you an exhilarating and fun filled hour of broadcasting.

O'BRIEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

COOPER: I was unaware that was Dennis Kozlowski's title, actually.

CAFFERTY: Yes, that and CEO of Tyco. Yes. He has two business cards depending on what neighborhood he's in.

O'BRIEN: We usually go with the latter.

COOPER: Right. Yes. Jack does, yes, OK.

O'BRIEN: But not Jack.

COOPER: Well, Ashreda Fuhrman (ph) has a thirst for setting records. I think there's a pun in there somewhere. This week he tried to balance 76 beer glasses on his chin. This is like Jack Cafferty at a party.

CAFFERTY: Yes.

COOPER: This is what happens.

CAFFERTY: That's a guy with no life.

COOPER: The rules require -- and there are actually rules -- oh, no! Ah! That he hold the stack for 10 seconds. He didn't make it, as you see. Oh, yikes! Let's see it again and again. Fuhrman has set 82 Guinness records so far. Apparently he has a lot of time and energy on his hands. He currently holds 20 records, including the record for most records.

O'BRIEN: That's just getting ridiculous.

CAFFERTY: His mother must be so proud.

COOPER: Yes.

CAFFERTY: That's my boy!

O'BRIEN: Well, you know, it is something.

Still to come this morning, Condoleezza Rice says that the Bush administration had been looking for a comprehensive plan to fight terror before the 9/11 attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICE: President Bush understood the threat and he understood its importance. He made clear to us that he did not want to respond to al Qaeda one attack at a time. He told me he was tired of swatting flies. (END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: But questions remain after Rice's testimony. We're going to take a closer look at what Dr. Rice had to say.

Stay with us.

You're watching AMERICAN MORNING.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired April 9, 2004 - 08:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Tense moments inside Fallujah. U.S. troops now trying to halt operations there. A reporter there tells us how insurgents are responding today.
In Tokyo, sudden anti-war protests, as Japan gives its answer to Iraqi kidnappers for holding three Japanese civilians hostage.

And the top secret White House document that talked about al Qaeda's intentions to attack the U.S. -- will the public get to see it? The answer on this AMERICAN MORNING.

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

O'BRIEN: And good morning.

Welcome back everybody.

Bill Hemmer has the day off, but Anderson Cooper has been kind enough to fill in for him.

It's nice to have you.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is my pleasure.

O'BRIEN: So, thank you very much. We certainly appreciate it. He's lying, but we appreciate it anyway.

COOPER: I'm not lying. It is my pleasure.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He's lying.

COOPER: There's no place I'd rather be.

O'BRIEN: Oh, now you're really lying.

CAFFERTY: So can you do Wolf's show, too, today?

O'BRIEN: We start with some pictures, actually, a serious shot to show you. You see smoke rising, a plume of smoke, over the skyline of Baghdad. There has been an explosion there in about the last 15 or 20 minutes or so. Unclear exactly what has caused that explosion. Blasts were reported. We are looking into this and we're going to bring you an update on exactly the circumstances of that explosion as soon as we get more information. COOPER: Another fascinating live picture you are watching right now from Baghdad. That is a poster of Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shiite -- controversial Shiite cleric who has become the focus of so much energy on the part of the U.S. But it was -- this is a poster that is in Baghdad right now. The Marines in that square, where the statue of Saddam Hussein was toppled a year ago today, these posters appeared. That's a year ago. Let's go back to today. These posters of Muqtada al-Sadr had appeared in Baghdad. Marines now in the square trying to take them down. You're watching these images live as they happened one year ago. What a difference a year makes.

O'BRIEN: Right. No question about that.

Mr. Cafferty is with us this morning.

CAFFERTY: You know, it's not getting any easier over there, is it?

O'BRIEN: No, so clearly not. What a terrible week.

CAFFERTY: Yes. Horrible.

Anyway, coming up in the Cafferty File, you'll never guess who showed up at the Yankees home opener last night?

And we'll tell you a story about a young girl who didn't want to go on vacation with her boyfriend and didn't want to tell her parents that she wasn't going. She got out of it. Wait till you hear the story.

O'BRIEN: All right.

CAFFERTY: Isn't that exciting?

O'BRIEN: It is exciting.

COOPER: That is why they call it a tease, because I'm intrigued.

O'BRIEN: I am.

COOPER: I want to know all those things.

CAFFERTY: That's why I'm here, is to intrigue.

COOPER: And tease.

CAFFERTY: Right. And tease.

O'BRIEN: It's working.

Let's get right to our top stories this morning.

Families of the Japanese hostages who were kidnapped in Iraq are calling on their government to do all it can to bring them home safely. This video of the three Japanese nationals shows them being held hostage at gunpoint at one point, at knifepoint. The group, calling itself Mujahedeen Squadrons, is demanding that Japan pull its forces out of Iraq. Japan's government says it will not withdraw its troops.

Democratic presidential could John Kerry is challenging President Bush's foreign policy in Iraq. Speaking in Wisconsin yesterday, Senator Kerry said President Bush should ask for more international help. Kerry pledged that as president he would work closer with the international community. The Bush campaign says that Senator Kerry is playing politics and should have focused his criticism on the insurgents in Iraq.

Well, get ready to dig even deeper into your pockets as you pay for gas. The Energy Department predicts that gas prices will go up another nickel per gallon before the end of June. The government predicting prices will drop back to current levels, though, before the fall. Right now the average price at the pump is $1.78 per gallon.

In baseball, the Padres did not disappoint on opening night at their new ball park. They beat the San Francisco Giants with a wild 4-3 win. The highlight of the game was Barry Bonds almost hitting a home run to tie up the score. Bonds hit a deep drive in the sixth inning that Padres newcomer Jay Payton (ph) caught just at the top of the fence. Replays were inconclusive, though, on whether Payton's catch saved a home run. Let's watch it again, shall we? Let's go back to the tape, Anderson. There it is.

COOPER: You're good at this.

O'BRIEN: Yes, I used to be a baseball announcer. No, obviously not. Payton said he wasn't sure if the ball would have gone out.

COOPER: I'm not sure either.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COOPER: The White House says it plans to declassify a document that's sought by the 9/11 Commission. It's a CIA report on Osama bin Laden that was given to President Bush a month before 9/11 and received a lot of attention yesterday as commissioners questioned National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice.

Jeanne Meserve is at the White House this morning -- good morning, Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Anderson.

The presidential daily brief is one and a half pages long. It's title, "Bin Laden Determined To Attack Inside the U.S." At yesterday's 9/11 Commission hearings, some panel members asked if that document shouldn't have been enough to put the administration on high alert to the possibility of a domestic attack.

National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice said no, it was a historical document, analytical in nature. However, it was revealed that this document talked about 70 FBI investigations into al Qaeda cells in the U.S. and that it mentioned the possibility of hijackings. Rice, however, testified that to her knowledge she had never been briefed on the possibility of planes being used as missiles. She said there was no silver bullet that could have prevented the attacks. She blamed the problems on structural issues within the U.S. government.

Now, this document is being vetted to make sure that its public release will not compromise any intelligence sources or methods. Its release could come as early as today. Officials say they want to put it out there because they are afraid that its contents may have been distorted or taken out of context -- Anderson, back to you.

COOPER: All right, Jeanne Meserve live from the White House.

Thanks, Jeanne -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Well, U.S. Marines are observing a break in their offensive operations in the Iraqi city of Fallujah. Several Marines and hundreds of Iraqi insurgents have been killed there in savage fighting through most of the week.

For more on that and other developments, we're joined by Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr -- Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.

Well, all eyes on Fallujah again today. The U.S. military saying it has temporarily halted offensive operations in the city. This is part of an effort to allow the citizens of Fallujah to get food and medical assistance into the city, allowing them to bury their dead, tend to their wounded. People who are not combatants will be allowed to leave. But a lot of questions coming up now. Later today, a meeting expected between the leadership of Fallujah and members of the Iraqi Governing Council to talk about the next step. The U.S. expected to present its demands for bringing peace to this region.

Of course, there is still gunfire reports around the Fallujah area. U.S. military officials saying if the insurgents fire on them, they will fire back, despite the announcement that at least for now, for today, until this meeting takes place, a temporary halt in offensive operations -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: I want to show you some live pictures, Barbara, which I'm sure you've had a chance to look at as we've been reporting over the last several minutes. This is the square in Baghdad where, you will recall, a year ago that big statue of Saddam was toppled. We're watching now Marines ripping down posters -- I'm sorry, rather, the Army ripping down posters of this Shiite cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr, the controversial cleric who's blamed for much of the inciting of insurgent violence in Kut and elsewhere.

The U.S. military said they've been searching for him.

What's the status of that search, Barbara?

STARR: Well, by all accounts, Muqtada al-Sadr remains in the holy city of Najaf, beyond the reach of U.S. military forces at the moment. The Shia holy days of Arbayeen are coming up. There is virtually no chance U.S. military troops will enter Najaf at this point or any time soon. The goal at the moment appears to be to get Iraqi security forces to go into Najaf and deal with the situation, possibly prosecute the arrest warrant against him.

But these live pictures are very interesting, Soledad. The military taking down these pictures of Muqtada al-Sadr because now the propaganda war is clearly beginning. We have learned this morning that in southern Iraq, the polish military commander has now issued a letter to the Arabic community down there, to the Arab news media, appealing to them to turn against Muqtada al-Sadr.

So, a lot of this now, in addition to the bullets flying through the air, of course, is becoming a war of words, a war of pictures, a war of propaganda.

O'BRIEN: All right, Barbara Starr for us this morning.

Barbara, thanks a lot.

Well, "Los Angeles Times" reporter Tony Perry has provided us with some very gripping accounts of what he has seen while he's been embedded with the Marines in Fallujah this week.

We spoke with him earlier this morning to get a little detail on just what he is seeing today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TONY PERRY, "LOS ANGELES TIMES": What has happened here is the Marines have been trying to, as they say, put an Iraqi face on the issue. They've been trying to stabilize things so that the Iraqi civil defense forces could come in and be part of the situation rather than being spectators, which they largely have been here. So through the day they've been working to see if they can't stabilize and get that in place.

But that has not occurred. Among -- two things have happened. One, the insurgents have attacked a convoy, a humanitarian convoy that came from Baghdad with food, medical supplies, water, clothing, fruit and things like that for the people of Fallujah. They dropped off their material yesterday and last night. The convoy was leaving -- these are large trucks marked with the red crescent of the Iraqi civil defense people, the Iraqi Red Cross. And they were attacked by the insurgents with small arms and also with RPGs.

The Marines responded the tanks and also with air power.

So any idea of a cease-fire, I think, flew out the window at that point and the battle is on.

The insurgents have also been fighting from a hospital clinic, taking it over, kicking the patients out and then using it as a vantage point. The Marines had to go in there. They killed several of them. Others fled and they're in pursuit of them. I know that there is an attempt to try and get things stabilized so that the Marines do not have to roll into downtown Fallujah and confront these insurgents who are waving AK-47s in the air. But how well that's going to play out is a very good question that's very much up in the air at this point.

O'BRIEN: Is there a sense at this time of exactly what the U.S. Marines control or what the coalition forces control at this point and what is not yet under their control percentage wise?

PERRY: Well, think of a city. It's about six kilometers, about four miles wide. And the Marines are on two sides of it. They've pushed about two miles on one side and about a mile on the other, although it's not a geographic control issue, of course, because the population is in that area that the Marines have not yet entered. I mean there is some population, of course, in the other areas. But the dense, dense neighborhoods where the insurgents are, where they're holed up and where they have shown a willingness in the past to use civilians as shields, that has yet to be entered by the Marines and that's what the Marines would really like to avoid, because inevitably you're going to have civilian casualties.

The Marines can win the military fight. If this was a classic war where you were trying to force a government to capitulate, you could roll in and you could take care of business and force that government to capitulate.

Here, of course, the Americans are the government. And so it's a much different sort of battle. It's military, but it's also political, and it's also hearts and minds. They could easily win the military with airpower, with troops, with cannons, with tanks, and lose the hearts and minds. We saw that yesterday when 10,000 Iraqi insurgents from Baghdad came in and were part of a humanitarian convoy. And these are not people who were pro-Saddam or pro- insurgent, but they are absolutely outraged at the potential of civilian deaths, of their countrymen's death in this battle between the insurgents and the Marines.

It's a very difficult, dicey political issue, you know, for the Marines and the Americans -- how do you kill insurgents or capture them without killing civilian -- innocent civilians when the insurgents are fighting in and amongst the civilians? It's an exceedingly difficult task.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: And that is "Los Angeles Times" reporter Tony Perry.

He's embedded with the U.S. Marines in Fallujah, Iraq.

COOPER: Still to come this morning, we're going to talk to retired General Wesley Clark for his perspective on what's happening in Iraq.

O'BRIEN: Also, tornado season almost here. It's creating one booming business, believe it or not, in the Midwest. We'll explain. COOPER: And the Mars rovers are getting new life.

All that ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Welcome back.

Today is the first anniversary of the fall of the statue of Saddam Hussein and the fall of the regime of Saddam Hussein. That, those are the pictures exactly one year ago today, just around this time in the morning. These are the pictures that happened just moments ago in Baghdad, the same spot where the statue once was. There were now posters of Muqtada al-Sadr. Someone had put them up, apparently overnight. Those U.S. Army forces trying to take the posters down. It took them quite a while. They finally did. They are now out of the square. One year ago today. What a difference a year makes.

Joining me now to talk about what is happening in Iraq, retired general and former Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark.

General Clark, good to see you this morning.

GEN. WESLEY CLARK (RET.), SUPPORTER OF JOHN KERRY: Good to see you, Anderson.

COOPER: As you look at those pictures of exactly one year ago today and now the pictures of Muqtada al-Sadr up in the square that have now been taken down, it seems to show at least that the enemy the U.S. is facing in Iraq is very well aware of the power of pictures, the power of the battle for hearts and minds.

Is the U.S. winning the battle for hearts and minds in Iraq right now?

CLARK: Well, it looks difficult for us to say that. It's possible that there are a large number of people who are standing by and hoping that the violence will just be over, and after this is over, if the United States succeeds -- and I think we will -- then they'll come back and say OK, it's over, we got the bad people to surface, you've taken care of them, you've identified them, now we can go on with our lives.

I think that's a 30 percent probability. I think the 70 percent probability is that the United States' credibility has been damaged in this, that the Iraqis will have hardened their opinion and they will have come to greater feelings that the United States has to leave more quickly, that for whatever reason, whatever our will was, it's time for the Americans to go and let them settle these problems amongst themselves.

And that's really, that's really a setback for us politically.

But, Anderson, when I looked at that statue, what I thought was that it's a shame that we didn't have a political plan when we came in there that was anywhere near as professional as the military plan. Our troops did a great job and they're still doing a great job. But the politics of putting a country together is very difficult. You've got to have experts that do it. You've got to have great intelligence. You've got to put resources into it. None of that was prepared when we took that statue down.

COOPER: General Clark, when you were running for president and also candidate, Senator Kerry right now, talk about internationalizing the force, trying to get some other European allies in there. At this point, it would seem very, very difficult to achieve any new European countries sending forces into Iraq.

Do you agree with that?

CLARK: Well, they're not going to send any forces in while this -- all this fighting and this confusion is on. Let's get it sorted out at the end. We still need to create a political and economic development assistance organization. It could be done directly by the U.N. My guess is we'll have to create something like we had in Bosnia, bring people together. Everybody who's contributing gets a seat at the table. And that way the United States takes a reduced, visible role. That's going to be essential in the aftermath of the fighting, I think, and it improves our long-term sustainability in the region.

COOPER: When you -- when one sees all these images in the media and you hear these different stories from the different cities, from Najaf and from Kut and from Ramadi and from Fallujah, does it feel to you, looking -- and I know you're not there -- but does it feel to you that the U.S. has a grip on what is happening on the ground? Or are we sort of just trying to ride the wave as best we can at this point?

CLARK: Well, I think it's clear we did not have a grip on what was happening on the ground. Anderson, what's happened has happened on three levels in Iraq. The first level is the fight we've had continuously with these insurgents. Then there's the Iraqi people themselves, trying to survive and make a living and go through normal life. And then there's the Shia as they're becoming politically active and aware and building their factions and organizations.

We weren't into the Shia community adequately. That's the real danger here, is Muqtada. He's the tip of the iceberg. What is the Shia public opinion? Will it coalesce around a single leader? How radical will it be? What will be Iran's influence in this? And, ultimately, will it help us achieve our aims in the Middle East or will it hamper our aims in the Middle East?

That's the real imponderable. And I'm afraid that what we've seen here is just the beginning of more difficulty in engaging with the Shia population.

COOPER: General Wesley Clark, appreciate you being on the program this morning.

Thank you. O'BRIEN: Well, those two Mars rovers exploring the red planet are moving on to some new adventures. NASA is extending their missions for five months. It's going to cost 15 million bucks. The Spirit rover met its goals this month after completing 90 Martian days. The new funding will allow the Mars mission to continue through September.

And s

till to come this morning, when will the White House declassify a document that could shed light on pre-9/11 terror warnings? A look at that is just ahead.

And trust us on this one. You've just got to see what happens.

COOPER: Yikes! What is that...

O'BRIEN: He's balancing a bunch of glassware on his chin.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Guess what time it is?

COOPER: What time?

O'BRIEN: Time to check -- thank you for setting that up.

Time to check in with Jack and the Question of the Day -- hello.

CAFFERTY: Hello, there.

Clear Channel Radio Group yesterday permanently dumped Howard Stern from the six stations that carried his program. This followed the Federal Communications Commission fining Clear Channel $495,000. Now the FCC might go after the show's syndicator. That would be Infinity Broadcasting. And the fines there could go over a million dollars.

The crackdown on indecency, coincidentally, dates back to that Janet Jackson Super Bowl halftime show. Now, neither Jackson nor MTV nor CBS had been fined a dime for that incident, even though it was sprung without anybody's prior knowledge or approval on an unsuspecting family audience of tens of millions of people who tuned in to watch the Super Bowl. You turn on Howard Stern, you sort of know what you're going to get.

The question is, should Howard Stern be the poster child for cleaning up the nation's airwaves? A provocative inquiry, don't you think?

O'BRIEN: I do.

CAFFERTY: Where in the hell are my glasses? I can't read this stuff without my glasses.

William in Texas: "Even though one knows what they're getting in listening to Howard Stern, it's about time radio and TV programming is cleaned up and Stern is as good a place to start as any. The next step should be a stiff fine for Janet Jackson and the people surrounding that event, and continuing on to other programming aired during the family hour."

Peter in Ontario: "The actions being taken against Howard Stern are ridiculous. You wouldn't eat a food you don't like. If you don't like his brand of comedy, don't listen. Simple."

Todd in Hookset, New Hampshire: "I find it disturbing, one of the few widely heard radio personalities who has been very vocal in his opposition to the Bush administration has been silenced by corporations that have made clear their support for the Bush administration." Hmmm. Such a coincidence.

Sandi Cary, North Carolina: "When, if I tune in to Stern's show, I know what to expect. I did not sit my 5 and 7-year-old boys in front of the TV expecting an attention grabbing stunt involving nudity from an artist during Super Bowl half time. Let's focus the punishment on those who deserve it."

And finally, Michael in Huron, South Dakota: "I'm not sorry about Howard Stern's punishment. It's too easy for kids to tune him in and be poisoned by him. I do agree that Janet should be punished, as well. Why not just put her in a room with Howard Stern?"

Howard would love that, actually.

COOPER: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Yes, I'm sure there's been a...

CAFFERTY: Right in Howard's (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

O'BRIEN: ... effort to try to get her on his show. But apparently her album is at number two, right?

COOPER: Number two.

O'BRIEN: So...

COOPER: And she's doing "Saturday Night Live" this weekend.

O'BRIEN: Yes. She's not been punished at all. She's doing never better.

CAFFERTY: Allow me to offer up a little free advertising for this fine program we do each weekend called "In The Money."

O'BRIEN: Sure.

CAFFERTY: The topic, celebrity justice. The guest, that guy, Alan Dershowitz, well known celebrity lawyer, to talk about the trials of Scott Peterson and that big fat worm, Dennis Kozlowski, and Michael Jackson. We'll find out if Dershowitz thinks the justice system needs changing in some way. "In The Money" airs Saturday at 1:00, Sunday at 3:00. We invite you to tune in. We promise you an exhilarating and fun filled hour of broadcasting.

O'BRIEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

COOPER: I was unaware that was Dennis Kozlowski's title, actually.

CAFFERTY: Yes, that and CEO of Tyco. Yes. He has two business cards depending on what neighborhood he's in.

O'BRIEN: We usually go with the latter.

COOPER: Right. Yes. Jack does, yes, OK.

O'BRIEN: But not Jack.

COOPER: Well, Ashreda Fuhrman (ph) has a thirst for setting records. I think there's a pun in there somewhere. This week he tried to balance 76 beer glasses on his chin. This is like Jack Cafferty at a party.

CAFFERTY: Yes.

COOPER: This is what happens.

CAFFERTY: That's a guy with no life.

COOPER: The rules require -- and there are actually rules -- oh, no! Ah! That he hold the stack for 10 seconds. He didn't make it, as you see. Oh, yikes! Let's see it again and again. Fuhrman has set 82 Guinness records so far. Apparently he has a lot of time and energy on his hands. He currently holds 20 records, including the record for most records.

O'BRIEN: That's just getting ridiculous.

CAFFERTY: His mother must be so proud.

COOPER: Yes.

CAFFERTY: That's my boy!

O'BRIEN: Well, you know, it is something.

Still to come this morning, Condoleezza Rice says that the Bush administration had been looking for a comprehensive plan to fight terror before the 9/11 attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICE: President Bush understood the threat and he understood its importance. He made clear to us that he did not want to respond to al Qaeda one attack at a time. He told me he was tired of swatting flies. (END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: But questions remain after Rice's testimony. We're going to take a closer look at what Dr. Rice had to say.

Stay with us.

You're watching AMERICAN MORNING.

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