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Hamas Vowing to Carry Out 100 Retaliations for Israeli Assassination Rantisi; Eleven U.S. Soldiers Killed Over Weekend in Iraq

Aired April 19, 2004 - 10:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Daryn Kagan. Let's take a look at the headlines "At This Hour."
The war on terror has netted the arrests of ten people in the northern British city of Manchester. Police are offering few details and will not confirm local reports that the suspects are linked to Islamic groups that may have been targeting a shopping center.

Despite an impressive motorcade, Beijing is not formally confirming the arrival of North Korean leader, Kim Jong Il. The U.S. has been appealing for Beijing to pressure North Korea into abandoning its nuclear arms programs. South Korea is reporting that Kim Jong Il has met with China's president to discuss the nuclear issue.

And back in the U.S., presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry is being joined by a former rival on the campaign trail. Live pictures from Florida where Joe Lieberman will appear with Kerry in a series of stops in that state where Lieberman has significant support among Jewish voters.

We go live to Oklahoma City for the readings of the names of the victims.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our friends and family from the U.S. Marines Corps recruiting, Captain Randolph A. Guzman, Sergeant Benjamin Laronzo Davis (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We remember those from the U.S. customs. Claude Arthur Maderas, SSA. Paul D. Ice.

Remember those from the Department of Agriculture. Rita Bender Long, Carol Sue Cahill, Doris Adele Higginbottom, Richard Clemmons, Dr. Margaret L. "Peggy" Clark, James E. Boles, Olin Burle Bloomer.

Remember those from the U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion. Wanda Lee Watkins, Kayla Marie Tipsworth, Deloris Stratton, Victoria L. Sewn, John C. Moss III, Peggy Louise Holland, Karen Dice Carr and Sergeant First Class Lola Bolden, U.S. Army.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We continue to remember those from the Department of Transportation, Federal Highway. John A. Youngblood, Johnny Allen Wade, Rick L. Tomlin, Michelle A. Reeder, Jerry Lee Parker, Ranata Anne Newberry Woodbridge, James K. Martin, Larry James Jones, Michael Cirillo, Mark Allen Bolt, Lucio Allman Jr. We continue to remember those from the Federal Employees Credit Union. Teresa Jo Mathis Warton, Virginia M. Thompson, Victoria Jannette Texter, Karen Howell Shepherd, Sonya Lynn Sanders, Christy Roseus, Claudine Ritter and Jill Diane Randolph.

KAGAN: The reading of the names will go on until all 168 names have been read.

We move on now with other news of the day. Israelis' annual remembrance of the Holocaust comes as a modern day threat looms. The militant group Hamas is vowing to carry out 100 retaliations for the Israeli assassination of its leader. Our senior international correspondent Walter Rodgers is in Jerusalem with the latest -- Walter.

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.

Well the Israeli are indeed braced for possible retaliation from Hamas. Their usual method of operation is, of course, a bomb, a suicide bomb against Israelis.

The reason that they're concerned about a possible Hamas strike now is that on Saturday night, the Israeli's took out, assassinated yet another Hamas leader, Abdel Aziz Rantisi in Gaza. It was a helicopter firing a rocket at Rantisi. The Israelis say he is mastermind of murderous attacks against Israeli citizens in recent months. That being the case, he was as the Israelis saw it, a legitimate target.

On the streets of Gaza itself, there was volcanic rage after the attack. The Palestinians were screaming for revenge promising that it would, indeed come.

In Israel, of course, there was a more sober observation today. This was Holocaust Remembrance Day, the day all Israelis stopped for two minutes in the morning, a siren wails and the Israelis remember the six million Jews killed by the Nazis during the second World War.

There are some 70,000 holocaust survivors still living in Israel, nearly all of them over 70 years of age. Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon, took the occasion to remind the Palestinians and any militant enemies of the Israelis that the Jewish state will never again tolerate similar attacks, murders against Israeli citizens and against Jews as happened in the second World War -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Walter, a question about Hamas. With two of its leaders killed in the last month or so, they're now saying that they're going to keep their next leader -- try to keep the identity a secret. How do you run an organization with a secret leader?

RODGERS: Well, it's pretty easy if you've been living in Israeli gunsites for some time. When they did, indeed, elect Rantisi after the Israelis assassinated Shaikh Yassin a month ago, he was publicly announced. The speculation is that the new Hamas leader is Mahmoud Zahar. Again, it's not publicly announced, but he appears to be the favorite in all of this.

The question now, of course, is can Hamas carry out any more deadly attacks against Israel? Their leadership infrastructure has been shattered, again with the death of Rantisi, the assassination of Rantisi.

It's going to be pretty hard for them to mount an attack. At least that's what the Israelis are hoping because they believe that they have done very severe damage to Hamas or at the very least knocked it off balance for sometime yet -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Walter Rodgers in Jerusalem.

Now to the war on Iraq and troop movements constituting a major mission for the Defense Department. For an update on that, let's bring in our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.

Well, the coalition spokesman Dan Senor and Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt just finishing their daily press briefing in Baghdad. Dan Senor saying there is now some hopeful progress with the leaders of Fallujah to try to and reach an agreement to stop the violence in that city.

He said that they have met with many of the city leaders and if the insurgents turn in their heavy weapons, there will be some type of more permanent type of cease-fire arrangement. Families will be able to turn some normal activities, will be allowed to resume in Fallujah.

But still the death toll mounting. Now 100 U.S. troops killed in the last two weeks, 11 just over the weekend.

So when General Kimmitt was asked about whether the coalition is in control of Baghdad, the capital city, he did not give a very optimistic answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, COALITION SPOKESMAN: I don't think there's ever been a time that any nation could stand up and say we're in full control of a city.

Certainly the security forces that were running inside of Baghdad have reduced the risk in the past couple of weeks from where it was, say, on April 5, 6 time period.

Are we pleased where it is? No. Do we still have some work to do? Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP) STARR: Some of that work, Daryn, General Kimmitt says continuing to work on road security so convoys, whether they're military convoys or convoys run by private contractors, can get their jobs done providing resupply to many companies, of course, now working inside Iraq.

So on the overall question of coalition resolve to see the job through, here is what General Kimmitt had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIMMITT: What they want, more than anything else, is your fear. What they want is for you to capitulate. What they want is for you to negotiate.

And will the coalition remain here and remain resolve? Absolutely. Are we looking at pulling out? Absolutely not. Do we fear the terrorists? Hell no.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: And on the question again of Fallujah which is one of the top issues on the coalition agenda at the moment, it remains to be seen, of course, whether those leaders of Fallujah can really differ. But today hopeful words about that.

Nonetheless, military officials say that situations in Fallujah cannot go on forever. Eventually, they'll have to resolve it one way or the other -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

Now to the White House, which is responding to word that Spain is ordered its 1,300 troops in Iraq home as soon as possible.

For more on that, let's bring in our White House correspondent Dana Bash -- Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, and the president actually spoke with the new prime minister in Spain, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero this morning. They spoke very briefly, just for about five minutes. And according to the White House, President Bush expressed his disappointment and regret in the fact that the Spanish people decided to, according to the White House, abruptly pull out Spain, about 1,300 to 1,400 troops that are in Iraq.

According to the White House, the president said he wants to make sure this is done in a coordinated manner, not to put any of the coalition troops that are there at risk. He also, according to the White House, said that he wants to make sure in the future that terrorists are not given the false impression, false comfort, as the White House is putting it, that they can affect policy as perhaps they have done now. So very brief conversation according to the White House. The president did not urge the new prime minister to reconsider his decision, because this is something that they understand was a campaign pledge and he is keeping the campaign pledge -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Dana Bash at the White House. We understand in Washington, the Bob Woodward book a huge buzz. We're going to talk to you about that and get White House reaction to claims made in the book, in the next hour, so we'll see you in just a bit.

A child molester set free on a technicality is captured. The tip that led authorities to a self-proclaimed monster.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: Residents on the West Coast are breathing a sigh of relief after the arrest of a convicted child molester. Edward Stokes was released from prison in California on a technicality. That happened two weeks ago. Now he's in custody in Oregon.

Our Miguel Marquez has details on what lead to the arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Serial child molester and self-described monster, Edward Harvey Stokes, is behind bars, arrested in Gresham, Oregon, a suburb of Portland, after a tip came in from a woman who had seen news reports about Stokes.

GRANT MCCORMICK, GRESHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT: He admitted who he was. And he was taken into custody without incident.

MARQUEZ: Investigators searched a used ambulance Stokes had parked in a lot south of Portland and white Ryder van that Stokes rented last week.

MCCORMICK: There is a mattress in back of the van. We don't know what that is being used for, but that will be processed.

MARQUEZ: Stokes was let out of prison on April 7th in Orange County, California after his sentence for sexual battery of a teenager was overturned. Stokes' accuser in the case, a 16-year old boy, killed himself shortly before trial. And a California appellate court ruled that Stokes had been denied his constitutional right to confront and cross examine his accuser.

While serving an earlier sentence for child molestation in Colorado, Stokes wrote to a prison therapist that he had 212 victims. After being let out of prison in California, Stokes applied for a driver's license in Washington State. And investigators say he gave a false address. Two warrants were issued for his arrest.

(on camera): A spokesman from Noma County jail says Stokes is being held on a no bail warrant. His arraignment to come as early as Monday morning.

Miguel Marquez, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Your car safety is just ahead. A side impact that could be fatal and what could be done to protect cars from side-impact collisions with bigger vehicles.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We're talking sudden impact if you drive a mid-sized car or if you're shopping for one, buckle up for some bad news. The crashes are jarring, the results are less than comforting. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has tested midsized cars to see how they and their passengers would fare if a pickup or an SUV slammed into the side.

Our Kathleen Koch has answers for us. She is at the institute's testing center in Ruckersville, Virginia.

Good morning.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

It's a matter of simple physics, because in a side impact crash, there is no hood, there is no engine, there is no bumper, nothing to absorb the force of the impact. And these new tests found that especially when there is a dramatic difference in size, the SUV versus a mid-sized car, then you're really in trouble.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH (voice-over): It's the same result in test after test -- dummies' heads dealt lethal blows. It's the first time the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has crashed a barrier the size and shape of an SUV or light truck into a car.

ADRIAN LUND, INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY: What consumers are afraid of is true. Most of the vehicles do poorly in this kind of test. Ten of the 13 vehicles we tested did not do well.

KOCH: Failing grades to 10 midsized vehicles. Only two of those tested, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, got good ratings. The Chevrolet Malibu was rated acceptable.

The key for all three, a strong vehicle compartment and a side air bag upgrade, especially air bags that protect the head. But that's no guarantee. One failing vehicle, the Saturn L, had a side air bag, but it was too short.

LUND: If it had been deeper and covered more of the window, then the head would have stayed in contact with it.

KOCH: Nearly 10,000 people die every year in side crashes, 60 percent from head injuries. But side impact air bags are standard equipment in only one quarter of cars. And the federal government has never tested cars using an SUV sized barrier. Its barrier hits below the window. It now plans to propose tougher testing standards next month. JEFFREY RUNGE, NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION: We have declared an emergency to upgrade this side impact standard to protect people in vehicles when they're struck in the side.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH: Automakers, for their part, say that it is not fair to judge an automobile based on just one crash test. It is important to point out that all of these vehicles did pass the federal government side impact crash test, but still automakers have made the pledge by 2007, head protection and side impact air bags like this will be standard on half of all the vehicles on the road with the entire new vehicle fleet equipped with these as standard equipment by 2010 -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Kathleen Koch, in Ruckersville, Virginia.

Coming up on CNN LIVE TODAY, things are heating up in Boston. What does that mean for the marathoners? They are running the Boston Marathon on an almost record-setting day. A complete forecast just ahead.

And coming up on the next hour of CNN LIVE TODAY, a little help for building your dream home. What is the best investment for the extras? This is CNN LIVE TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Some big numbers for today's Boston marathon. Some 20,000 runners will likely take part in the hottest race in a decade. Temperatures are expected to hit the mid 80s, and humidity will peak at about 95 percent. They are adding water tables. Also they'll be at each mile marker anyway, and communities along the 26-mile route will add spraying stations as well.

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 19, 2004 - 10:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Daryn Kagan. Let's take a look at the headlines "At This Hour."
The war on terror has netted the arrests of ten people in the northern British city of Manchester. Police are offering few details and will not confirm local reports that the suspects are linked to Islamic groups that may have been targeting a shopping center.

Despite an impressive motorcade, Beijing is not formally confirming the arrival of North Korean leader, Kim Jong Il. The U.S. has been appealing for Beijing to pressure North Korea into abandoning its nuclear arms programs. South Korea is reporting that Kim Jong Il has met with China's president to discuss the nuclear issue.

And back in the U.S., presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry is being joined by a former rival on the campaign trail. Live pictures from Florida where Joe Lieberman will appear with Kerry in a series of stops in that state where Lieberman has significant support among Jewish voters.

We go live to Oklahoma City for the readings of the names of the victims.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our friends and family from the U.S. Marines Corps recruiting, Captain Randolph A. Guzman, Sergeant Benjamin Laronzo Davis (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We remember those from the U.S. customs. Claude Arthur Maderas, SSA. Paul D. Ice.

Remember those from the Department of Agriculture. Rita Bender Long, Carol Sue Cahill, Doris Adele Higginbottom, Richard Clemmons, Dr. Margaret L. "Peggy" Clark, James E. Boles, Olin Burle Bloomer.

Remember those from the U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion. Wanda Lee Watkins, Kayla Marie Tipsworth, Deloris Stratton, Victoria L. Sewn, John C. Moss III, Peggy Louise Holland, Karen Dice Carr and Sergeant First Class Lola Bolden, U.S. Army.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We continue to remember those from the Department of Transportation, Federal Highway. John A. Youngblood, Johnny Allen Wade, Rick L. Tomlin, Michelle A. Reeder, Jerry Lee Parker, Ranata Anne Newberry Woodbridge, James K. Martin, Larry James Jones, Michael Cirillo, Mark Allen Bolt, Lucio Allman Jr. We continue to remember those from the Federal Employees Credit Union. Teresa Jo Mathis Warton, Virginia M. Thompson, Victoria Jannette Texter, Karen Howell Shepherd, Sonya Lynn Sanders, Christy Roseus, Claudine Ritter and Jill Diane Randolph.

KAGAN: The reading of the names will go on until all 168 names have been read.

We move on now with other news of the day. Israelis' annual remembrance of the Holocaust comes as a modern day threat looms. The militant group Hamas is vowing to carry out 100 retaliations for the Israeli assassination of its leader. Our senior international correspondent Walter Rodgers is in Jerusalem with the latest -- Walter.

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.

Well the Israeli are indeed braced for possible retaliation from Hamas. Their usual method of operation is, of course, a bomb, a suicide bomb against Israelis.

The reason that they're concerned about a possible Hamas strike now is that on Saturday night, the Israeli's took out, assassinated yet another Hamas leader, Abdel Aziz Rantisi in Gaza. It was a helicopter firing a rocket at Rantisi. The Israelis say he is mastermind of murderous attacks against Israeli citizens in recent months. That being the case, he was as the Israelis saw it, a legitimate target.

On the streets of Gaza itself, there was volcanic rage after the attack. The Palestinians were screaming for revenge promising that it would, indeed come.

In Israel, of course, there was a more sober observation today. This was Holocaust Remembrance Day, the day all Israelis stopped for two minutes in the morning, a siren wails and the Israelis remember the six million Jews killed by the Nazis during the second World War.

There are some 70,000 holocaust survivors still living in Israel, nearly all of them over 70 years of age. Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon, took the occasion to remind the Palestinians and any militant enemies of the Israelis that the Jewish state will never again tolerate similar attacks, murders against Israeli citizens and against Jews as happened in the second World War -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Walter, a question about Hamas. With two of its leaders killed in the last month or so, they're now saying that they're going to keep their next leader -- try to keep the identity a secret. How do you run an organization with a secret leader?

RODGERS: Well, it's pretty easy if you've been living in Israeli gunsites for some time. When they did, indeed, elect Rantisi after the Israelis assassinated Shaikh Yassin a month ago, he was publicly announced. The speculation is that the new Hamas leader is Mahmoud Zahar. Again, it's not publicly announced, but he appears to be the favorite in all of this.

The question now, of course, is can Hamas carry out any more deadly attacks against Israel? Their leadership infrastructure has been shattered, again with the death of Rantisi, the assassination of Rantisi.

It's going to be pretty hard for them to mount an attack. At least that's what the Israelis are hoping because they believe that they have done very severe damage to Hamas or at the very least knocked it off balance for sometime yet -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Walter Rodgers in Jerusalem.

Now to the war on Iraq and troop movements constituting a major mission for the Defense Department. For an update on that, let's bring in our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.

Well, the coalition spokesman Dan Senor and Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt just finishing their daily press briefing in Baghdad. Dan Senor saying there is now some hopeful progress with the leaders of Fallujah to try to and reach an agreement to stop the violence in that city.

He said that they have met with many of the city leaders and if the insurgents turn in their heavy weapons, there will be some type of more permanent type of cease-fire arrangement. Families will be able to turn some normal activities, will be allowed to resume in Fallujah.

But still the death toll mounting. Now 100 U.S. troops killed in the last two weeks, 11 just over the weekend.

So when General Kimmitt was asked about whether the coalition is in control of Baghdad, the capital city, he did not give a very optimistic answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, COALITION SPOKESMAN: I don't think there's ever been a time that any nation could stand up and say we're in full control of a city.

Certainly the security forces that were running inside of Baghdad have reduced the risk in the past couple of weeks from where it was, say, on April 5, 6 time period.

Are we pleased where it is? No. Do we still have some work to do? Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP) STARR: Some of that work, Daryn, General Kimmitt says continuing to work on road security so convoys, whether they're military convoys or convoys run by private contractors, can get their jobs done providing resupply to many companies, of course, now working inside Iraq.

So on the overall question of coalition resolve to see the job through, here is what General Kimmitt had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIMMITT: What they want, more than anything else, is your fear. What they want is for you to capitulate. What they want is for you to negotiate.

And will the coalition remain here and remain resolve? Absolutely. Are we looking at pulling out? Absolutely not. Do we fear the terrorists? Hell no.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: And on the question again of Fallujah which is one of the top issues on the coalition agenda at the moment, it remains to be seen, of course, whether those leaders of Fallujah can really differ. But today hopeful words about that.

Nonetheless, military officials say that situations in Fallujah cannot go on forever. Eventually, they'll have to resolve it one way or the other -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

Now to the White House, which is responding to word that Spain is ordered its 1,300 troops in Iraq home as soon as possible.

For more on that, let's bring in our White House correspondent Dana Bash -- Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, and the president actually spoke with the new prime minister in Spain, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero this morning. They spoke very briefly, just for about five minutes. And according to the White House, President Bush expressed his disappointment and regret in the fact that the Spanish people decided to, according to the White House, abruptly pull out Spain, about 1,300 to 1,400 troops that are in Iraq.

According to the White House, the president said he wants to make sure this is done in a coordinated manner, not to put any of the coalition troops that are there at risk. He also, according to the White House, said that he wants to make sure in the future that terrorists are not given the false impression, false comfort, as the White House is putting it, that they can affect policy as perhaps they have done now. So very brief conversation according to the White House. The president did not urge the new prime minister to reconsider his decision, because this is something that they understand was a campaign pledge and he is keeping the campaign pledge -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Dana Bash at the White House. We understand in Washington, the Bob Woodward book a huge buzz. We're going to talk to you about that and get White House reaction to claims made in the book, in the next hour, so we'll see you in just a bit.

A child molester set free on a technicality is captured. The tip that led authorities to a self-proclaimed monster.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: Residents on the West Coast are breathing a sigh of relief after the arrest of a convicted child molester. Edward Stokes was released from prison in California on a technicality. That happened two weeks ago. Now he's in custody in Oregon.

Our Miguel Marquez has details on what lead to the arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Serial child molester and self-described monster, Edward Harvey Stokes, is behind bars, arrested in Gresham, Oregon, a suburb of Portland, after a tip came in from a woman who had seen news reports about Stokes.

GRANT MCCORMICK, GRESHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT: He admitted who he was. And he was taken into custody without incident.

MARQUEZ: Investigators searched a used ambulance Stokes had parked in a lot south of Portland and white Ryder van that Stokes rented last week.

MCCORMICK: There is a mattress in back of the van. We don't know what that is being used for, but that will be processed.

MARQUEZ: Stokes was let out of prison on April 7th in Orange County, California after his sentence for sexual battery of a teenager was overturned. Stokes' accuser in the case, a 16-year old boy, killed himself shortly before trial. And a California appellate court ruled that Stokes had been denied his constitutional right to confront and cross examine his accuser.

While serving an earlier sentence for child molestation in Colorado, Stokes wrote to a prison therapist that he had 212 victims. After being let out of prison in California, Stokes applied for a driver's license in Washington State. And investigators say he gave a false address. Two warrants were issued for his arrest.

(on camera): A spokesman from Noma County jail says Stokes is being held on a no bail warrant. His arraignment to come as early as Monday morning.

Miguel Marquez, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Your car safety is just ahead. A side impact that could be fatal and what could be done to protect cars from side-impact collisions with bigger vehicles.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We're talking sudden impact if you drive a mid-sized car or if you're shopping for one, buckle up for some bad news. The crashes are jarring, the results are less than comforting. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has tested midsized cars to see how they and their passengers would fare if a pickup or an SUV slammed into the side.

Our Kathleen Koch has answers for us. She is at the institute's testing center in Ruckersville, Virginia.

Good morning.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

It's a matter of simple physics, because in a side impact crash, there is no hood, there is no engine, there is no bumper, nothing to absorb the force of the impact. And these new tests found that especially when there is a dramatic difference in size, the SUV versus a mid-sized car, then you're really in trouble.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH (voice-over): It's the same result in test after test -- dummies' heads dealt lethal blows. It's the first time the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has crashed a barrier the size and shape of an SUV or light truck into a car.

ADRIAN LUND, INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY: What consumers are afraid of is true. Most of the vehicles do poorly in this kind of test. Ten of the 13 vehicles we tested did not do well.

KOCH: Failing grades to 10 midsized vehicles. Only two of those tested, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, got good ratings. The Chevrolet Malibu was rated acceptable.

The key for all three, a strong vehicle compartment and a side air bag upgrade, especially air bags that protect the head. But that's no guarantee. One failing vehicle, the Saturn L, had a side air bag, but it was too short.

LUND: If it had been deeper and covered more of the window, then the head would have stayed in contact with it.

KOCH: Nearly 10,000 people die every year in side crashes, 60 percent from head injuries. But side impact air bags are standard equipment in only one quarter of cars. And the federal government has never tested cars using an SUV sized barrier. Its barrier hits below the window. It now plans to propose tougher testing standards next month. JEFFREY RUNGE, NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION: We have declared an emergency to upgrade this side impact standard to protect people in vehicles when they're struck in the side.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH: Automakers, for their part, say that it is not fair to judge an automobile based on just one crash test. It is important to point out that all of these vehicles did pass the federal government side impact crash test, but still automakers have made the pledge by 2007, head protection and side impact air bags like this will be standard on half of all the vehicles on the road with the entire new vehicle fleet equipped with these as standard equipment by 2010 -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Kathleen Koch, in Ruckersville, Virginia.

Coming up on CNN LIVE TODAY, things are heating up in Boston. What does that mean for the marathoners? They are running the Boston Marathon on an almost record-setting day. A complete forecast just ahead.

And coming up on the next hour of CNN LIVE TODAY, a little help for building your dream home. What is the best investment for the extras? This is CNN LIVE TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Some big numbers for today's Boston marathon. Some 20,000 runners will likely take part in the hottest race in a decade. Temperatures are expected to hit the mid 80s, and humidity will peak at about 95 percent. They are adding water tables. Also they'll be at each mile marker anyway, and communities along the 26-mile route will add spraying stations as well.

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