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American Morning
Tornadoes in Midwest Kill Three, Rescuers Spend Night Trying to Get Those Trapped to Safety
Aired April 21, 2004 - 07:00 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.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As I went in to grab a mattress to put over us, I turned around and the tornado was at our window.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Deadly tornadoes cut a path of destruction in the Midwest. Rescuers spend the night trying to get those trapped to safety.
Devastation in southern Iraq. Suicide bombers striking over and over in Basra. Dozens are dead there.
In Fallujah the cease-fire is broken. Insurgents trade gunfire with U.S. Marines there.
And a Purple Heart in question. Republicans demand Senator John Kerry release his military records.
All that straight ahead this morning here on AMERICAN MORNING.
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: And good morning. Welcome everybody.
Other stories that we're following this morning; Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is going to be joining us in just a few minutes, talking about the handover of power in Iraq.
Top administration officials also taking lots of heat yesterday on Capitol Hill. We're going to ask the former secretary of state about that.
Also, about some of the claims that are now coming out of Bob Woodward's book.
HEMMER: Also, on a much different topic, "90-Second Tips" back today. It is Wednesday. Our money coach is back, David Bach.
Advice about using your tax refund in ways that could reshape your financial future. We'll get to that as well, this morning, this hour. O'BRIEN: Jack Cafferty, good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Pentagon drawing up plans to send more troops to Iraq, if they are requested by commanders, on the ground there as a Republican senator suggests the burden of this war is being unequally shared in this country.
He thinks it's time to start up the draft again. We'll have more on that.
O'BRIEN: All right. Let's get to our top stories.
First this morning, Iraqi leaders have set up a tribunal for Saddam Hussein and his former officials. A spokesman says that Saddam will be tried in an Iraqi court, not an international body.
A U.S. educated lawyer has been named as general director, and the first batch of judges and prosecutors have been selected. The court will eventually determine the charges against Saddam -- a trial date has not yet been set.
The Pentagon reportedly deleted portions of an interview between Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Bob Woodward.
In Woodward's book he writes that Secretary Rumsfeld told the Saudi ambassador in January 2003 that he could, quote, "take it to the bank" that the Iraq invasion would take place.
The statement was missing from a transcript of the Woodward interview which was posted on the Defense Department's Web site on Monday. Secretary Rumsfeld says he does not recall saying that to the Saudi ambassador.
A Canadian aide worker held hostage in Iraq returns home. Fadi Fadel was held captive for more than a week. The people holding the Canadian apparently thought he was an Israeli working for the country's Rasad (ph) spy agency when they kidnapped him. Israel denies that he was an agent.
In sports LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers is now the youngest winner of the Rookie of the Year award.
The 19-year-old 6'8" guard received the honor yesterday at the NBA store here in New York City. The coach for the Cavaliers says James just has it all, including attitude. He marks the second straight year that a player jumping from high school to the pros has won that award.
And it was a warm welcome as the International Space Station crew got some new visitors. The Russian spacecraft called the Soyuz Capsule successfully docked in space, carrying a Russian, American, and a Dutchman.
The Russian and the American will remain at the outpost -- the Dutch astronaut will do some experiments, then return to earth with the current space station crew a little bit later this month.
That's a look at the news. Bill, back to you.
HEMMER: Soledad, thanks. We'll get to that severe weather in Illinois in a moment here, but it's been a very violent and tragic day so far in Iraq.
More than 60 Iraqis were killed in near simultaneous explosions outside three police stations and a training facility. Crowd threw stones at British troops trying to get to the scene there.
Meanwhile in Fallujah, Marines have been attacked three times overnight. New videotape coming to us about two hours ago. U.S. troops returning fire there. Three Marines said to be wounded, 17 insurgent fighters are dead.
Jane Arraf watching all these developments, and there are many today live in Baghdad to start us off this morning. Jane, hello.
JANE ARRAF, BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Hi, Bill. It's shaping up to be the worst attack in Basra, that southern port city, since the end of major combat last year, and it's sparking fears that in this climate with cracks in the coalition, Spanish forces, and two others pulling out of that southern sector that the violence is indeed heading south.
Now this was a coordinated attack that seemed to be timed for maximum impact. Horrifyingly, it hit just at rush hour when children were being taken to school, when police were showing up for work, and with at least four suicide bombs and a fifth explosion. At least 60 people have been confirmed dead and many more wounded.
Now this is relatively new in Basra in the southern sector where it has been relatively calm, but it follows a lull here in Baghdad in suicide bombs and in the wake of other attacks and in Fallujah west of Baghdad as you mentioned, Bill, fighting as well.
Now, this is not a complete break in the cease-fire announced on Monday, but it does certainly threaten it. Insurgents and Marines traded gunfire, mortar attacks.
Insurgents also fired rocket-propelled grenades. Three Marines wounded -- the Marines say they killed 17 of the insurgents. Local residents say several civilians were also killed in this fighting, and Marines say that if these attacks continue, they warn that the cease- fire will be off the table and they are prepared for an all-out assault on that city -- Bill.
HEMMER: Jane Arraf, thanks from Baghdad.
The Bush administration reiterating yet again it is committed to turning over control of Iraq to the Iraqis in a bit more than two months from now -- June 30 on the calendar. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright back with us today here on AMERICAN MORNING.
Madame Secretary, good morning to you. MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Good to be here today.
HEMMER: How do you recommend getting Iraq to the point of stability when you hear reports like these already today?
ALBRIGHT: Well this is an -- a -- incredible mess and when you look at it in terms of what it's doing about our troops -- there are so many questions about what we're doing.
I think what has to happen is somehow we have to take the American face off of this and end an occupation.
But the problem is that they are not ready to take over, and so it is necessary, I think, to get some international entity in there with the blessing of the U.N., or U.N. itself, in order to be able to get troops from other countries to come and help who do not want to be part of an occupation force, but do want to be part of a security force.
HEMMER: I know you're a strong proponent of the U.N. involvement there. Lakhdar Brahimi was there recently, Ambassador Negroponte was appointed this week to be the future U.S. ambassador in Baghdad.
Where is the incentive for the U.N. to get involved in Iraq after its literally blown out of that country last summer?
ALBRIGHT: Very hard, and I think that's the problem, Bill, because what we have done is undercut the credibility of the United Nations by the way that it was treated before, and now we need it, and I think the incentive can only be that the U.N. believes in the fact that this kind of fighting cannot go on, and the U.N. is basically the sum of its parts; all the member states who do not want to see this kind of chaos going on.
But we have to be supportive of the U.N. and not decide that it's a useless organization and then ask it to do more than it needed to do in the first place.
HEMMER: I want to talk about Woodward's book that is getting a lot of attention this past week.
Secretary of State Colin Powell in the book is described as the guy who is out of the loop with regard to the war in Iraq. Yesterday yet again he refuted that. Listen to how he parsed his words in Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: No decision was made to go to war until a decision was made to go to war in March, regardless of what speculation there is about when the president made a decision. He made a decision in March and we all received that decision together.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HEMMER: Where's the truth in this?
ALBRIGHT: Well, I think we have to see. I have the highest respect for Secretary Powell and I think that he is trying to explain that he in fact knew a great deal about whatever plans there were and I think we just have to see.
It's very hard to say. Being secretary of state I can testify is a very difficult job, and he has a hard job to do, and at the moment, as you've described, is a little bit of a food fight in Washington.
HEMMER: If I could go back to Iraq for a moment, here, Spain is set to pull its troops out at some point within the next six weeks.
Honduras has said it will as well. The Dominican Republic with about 350 soldiers says it will follow suit as well.
Militarily, this may not be that significant for what's happening with relation to the coalition in Iraq. Politically, what is the statement that is sent there, regarding the coalition and its strength?
ALBRIGHT: I think the statements that are being sent is that the U.S. is beginning to really see the effects of our lack of credibility -- that people have not understood how this war is being prosecuted, why it had to happen now, and that there were not adequate plans made for what next.
And it's basically, I think, a sense that there's doubt about American leadership, and that's the hardest part about this.
We are losing our credibility and we need it no matter how great a country we are -- every country for its reputation needs to have credibility, and that's the disaster at the moment -- is our credibility is in jeopardy.
HEMMER: Madeleine Albright, thanks for coming back here on AMERICAN MORNING. Nice to talk to you.
ALBRIGHT: Good to see you again, Bill, thank you.
HEMMER: All right, more news now with Soledad on the weather.
O'BRIEN: Well, powerful storms that swept through the Midwest left at least three people dead, thousands of others across the region in the dark.
One resident from the storm struck community of Utica, Illinois said of a tornado that wormed through yesterday, quote, "I didn't even have time to be scared."
For details now we got to Lisa Leiter -- she's in Utica for us this morning. Lisa, good morning.
LISA LEITER, CNN: Good morning Soledad. Well, the search and recovery effort continues behind me. You can hear the sounds from the trucks where they're repairing the power lines, and I just got off the phone with a Con Ed spokesman, the local power company that does not serve Utica but serves the surrounding areas.
The numbers have been taken down now; only 2700 homes in the Joliet area are without power tonight. It was as many as 15,000 earlier -- early this morning.
Now we just heard from LaSalle County sheriff Tom Templeton -- he confirmed that there are in fact three people dead in Utica and that was the result of The Tavern -- the local restaurant -- which is right behind me here that collapsed. It was a three-story building and the people -- there are four to five people unaccounted for there.
Now they had been heard from earlier on in the search and recovery effort but they have not been heard from, according to the sheriff, in several hours.
Now there are 30 to 35 people in this surrounding area here where many homes are down as you're seeing routes that are -- that have been ripped off, windows blown out -- and all of these homes have been marked with an X to indicate that, in fact, these people have been accounted for and they've been moved to local shelters in the area.
And its clear that with the devastation in just this one block area that this is the worst tornado to hit this area since the summer of 1990, when 29 people were killed and a thousand homes were damaged in the Joliet area.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The deadly tornadoes that tore through northern Illinois left a trail of destruction. Damaged homes, downed power lines, and piles of debris. The small town of Utica was hardest hit.
Emergency crews worked through the night to help the injured and find those still missing. Devastated residents, most without power, gathered in the streets.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My problem -- outside (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- we were just about three or four miles from here.
So I grabbed the boys and we went down in the basement. As soon as we got down in the basement, our fire department whistles went off and the boys got real scared, obviously.
I was a little nervous myself, and about a minute later you could just hear this big roar come through, just like they say, you know, freight trains.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The tornado moved east to Joliet, toppling more trees and ripping the roots off a Walgreen's drug store. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was just me and Ed talking and all of a sudden, next thing we knew, you know, everything went down -- it was like -- happened all in an instant.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's it look like inside there now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Looks like a bad day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEITER: Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is expected to come to Utica later on in the day. We don't have a time on that yet, and we won't be briefed again by local officials for a few hours -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, Lisa Leiter for us in Utica this morning.
Lisa, thanks, and of course we will continue to check in with you as we get more information on those folks who are apparently trapped in that basement.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: In a moment here, questions about Senator John Kerry's Vietnam war medals. Are there new disclosures that talk about today? Kelly Wallace here to talk about that in a moment.
O'BRIEN: Also a man who was in prison for years after blowing the cover off of Israel's nuclear program back in the 1980s. Well, he is finally free and he's talking. Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: News just in to us out of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
A few moments ago the Associated Press reporting along with Reuters an explosion has taken place in the capitol city of Riyadh.
Not a lot of information right now. At least one Arab television network is saying the explosion took place near the Saudi security forces headquarters.
But again, we cannot confirm this at this point. Getting word out of Riyadh right now an explosion took place a short time ago when we get more certainly we'll pass it along to you. That word form Riyadh moments ago -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, let's turn to presidential politics now. Presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry is seeking to end a controversy about his service in Vietnam. Senator Kerry is posting his military records on his campaign Web site amid questions from critics and Republicans.
National correspondent Kelly Wallace has been following the Kerry campaign, and she joins us with details. Give me a sense of how this first started. KELLY WALLACE, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What happened is last week "The Boston Globe" reported questions from his former commanding officer about the awarding of his first Purple Heart.
Over the weekend, the senator said he would release all his records. Well then "The Boston Globe" went to the campaign on Monday -- campaign saying, no, those new records not available. Campaign reversed course saying it would make these records available and the main controversy, Soledad, really revolves around the rewarding of that first Purple Heart.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE: The question comes as John Kerry's former commanding officer says during Vietnam; he questioned whether the senator earned the first of his three Purple Hearts.
Lieutenant Commander Grant Hibbard told "The Boston Globe" last week, quote, "People in the office were saying don't think we got any fire and there is this guy holding a little piece of shrapnel in his palm."
On NBC's "Meet the Press," Kerry was asked if, to answer that charge, he would follow President Bush's lead and release all his military records.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They're available to you to come and look at. I think that's a very unfair characterization by that person -- I mean, politics is politics. The medical records show that I had shrapnel removed from my arm.
WALLACE: A handful of documents on the Web site Tuesday evening include previously released information, such as the three certificates noting Kerry was awarded Purple Hearts for wounds received in action.
John Dalton is a former Navy Secretary and now a Kerry supporter.
JOHN DALTON, FORMER NAVY SECRETARY: When you're in a military combat zone and you get hit by enemy fire, you deserve a Purple Heart, period. Paragraph. I mean that's the way it is.
WALLACE: The Bush/Cheney campaign waded into the controversy, accusing the senator of waffling about releasing his records.
KEN MEHLMAN, BUSH CAMPAIGN MANAGER: I think what we're pointing out is that on this issue, like on many others, what John Kerry says and what John Kerry does are two very different things.
WALLACE: A Kerry campaign spokesman fired back saying if the Republicans want to compare Kerry's military service with President Bush's non-combat service during Vietnam, quote, "we welcome that."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE: And Kerry's advisers believe the senator's decorated Vietnam service is one of his strongest issues, but Soledad, now also that record facing more and more scrutiny.
O'BRIEN: At the same time, you know, he's been talking about that military record. Of course everyone in his campaign has been talking about it. It's a big part of sort of the marketing of Senator Kerry.
So I don't understand why originally the campaign wouldn't even have planned to hand over the documents in the first place. That seems strange to me.
WALLACE: You know the senator and his aides say, look, we always said these records are available. They are decades-old records and that they have them at the campaign, "The Boston Globe" reporter whose really been working this story harder than most has seen most of those records, but it wasn't until more and more questions were raised, and really until it became a bit of a political problem.
Republicans were sort of saying why aren't they going to release these records that the campaign reversed course.
A lot of people are questioning the way they handled this releasing many of these documents over night.
O'BRIEN: Maybe the handling more than anything else.
WALLACE: Maybe that's it.
O'BRIEN: All right Kelly Wallace; thanks as always appreciate it -- Bill.
HEMMER: Soledad after nearly 18 years in prison freedom today for the man who told the world about Israel's nuclear secrets. Mordechai Vanunu was convicted of treason and espionage for revealing details about Israel's alleged nuclear program.
He spent most of his time in prison in solitary confinement. After his release, Vanunu demanding that Israel open its nuclear program to international inspection.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MORDECHAI VANUNU, FMR. POLITICAL PRISONER: Israel don't need a nuclear arms, especially now that the old Middle East is free from nuclear weapon. Iraq (UNINTELLIGIBLE), Libya, Iran, Egypt, all the Middle East is free from nuclear weapons -- all Israel still have secrets.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Vanunu also accusing Israel of mistreating him because he had converted to Christianity back in the 1980s. Many Israelis consider him to be a traitor. Vanunu says he is proud of what he did -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, deadly bombings in the Iraqi city of Basra has some pointing the finger at Osama bin Laden. We've got the latest on that.
Also Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan's trip to Capitol Hill unnerves Wall Street. Andy has a look at that as well. Those stories just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: All right, welcome back everybody.
Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan talking yesterday and the market tanked. He's back on Capitol Hill today. Oh, joy.
Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business" now. Good morning to you.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning to you. We're hoping we're not getting a repeat performance this morning this afternoon when the Fed Chairman goes back to Capitol Hill. I don't think we will.
Alan Greenspan spooked the markets yesterday, talking about what I thought was pretty obvious -- that being the deflation, the risk of lower prices is over. Ergo, higher prices, inflation and higher interest rates may be coming.
Here's what happened -- the Dow was down 123 -- Nasdaq even more on a percentage basis. Really made the markets go down, 2:30 in the afternoon when he started speaking, you can see -- there we go -- falling off the cliff when he started talking.
Deflation, of course, when prices go lower. It sounds like a good thing but what it does it locks up the economy because people stop buying, anticipating even lower and lower prices going forward.
Going to be a busy session on Wall Street today, Bill. A lot of companies reporting earnings like Ford, J.P. Morgan, Coca-Cola -- Motorola after the bell yesterday doing some super stuff in terms of its business. And the stock is way, way up. Gaining share in the cell phone business at the expense of Nokia.
HEMMER: Tis' the season, the earnings season. Merrill Lynch just paid out a big fine. Is that what I understand?
SERWER: Yes, that's correct. The sex discrimination suits against Merrill Lynch and Smith Barney have been around for years and years.
Yesterday we learned that an arbitration panel has fined Merrill Lynch $2.2 million for discriminating against a broker, a woman, in San Antonio and this will add fuel to more suits that are out there. You'd think this Neanderthal behavior would be over, but apparently it's not. Merrill Lynch saying that this is behavior that comes from the old Merrill Lynch -- well, in the 1990s. Not that long ago, really.
HEMMER: All right, thanks Andy. Now Soledad.
O'BRIEN: "Question of the Day" and Jack.
CAFFERTY: Got a dollar from Hemmer today.
O'BRIEN: I think he owes me a dollar.
SERWER: NBA playoff money.
O'BRIEN: He predicted the Nicks would win.
SERWER: Yes, and they didn't.
O'BRIEN: A route.
SERWER: We all get money from him on that.
O'BRIEN: You owe me a dollar, too.
SERWER: You owe me a dollar, too.
CAFFERTY: Notice how you toss out a little thing in the water and then the piranhas descend.
The Pentagon has drafted plans to send more troops to Iraq. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said yesterday it's in case General John Abizaid says he wants more soldiers. If he does, he'll get them.
The violence in Iraq shows no sign of letting up. Some coalition countries, such as Spain -- weenies that they are -- are pulling their troops out of Iraq.
According to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll an increasing number of Americans support sending more troops to Iraq.
Thirty-three percent of those polled support it. That's up from 11 percent in January. And yesterday Republican Senator Chuck Hagel suggested the United States may be forced to reinstate the draft.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R) NEBRASKA: Why should we ask a very few people in our society to bear the heavy price, to carry the heavy burden and not ask everybody to carry some burden? There is a societal implication here.
It's the middle class, lower middle class, it's always the rifleman in the field that is always on the line, not the sons and daughters of the wealthy and the powerful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAFFERTY: So here's the question: do you agree with Senator Hagel that the United States should bring back the draft, am@cnn.com? He got to me -- right after the show I'm going to go down there and reenlist, I think.
SERWER: You're going to get a lot of e-mails on that. I mean that is one of the most controversial subjects there is.
HEMMER: And you piranhas will get yours a little later, too, by the way.
In a moment here same topic. A cease-fire under threat in Iraq, specifically in Fallujah where the fighting was fierce and the videotape shows it quite clearly.
U.S. Marines back in the battle. Dan Senor our guest in a moment from Baghdad, live in a moment, when we continue right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired April 21, 2004 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As I went in to grab a mattress to put over us, I turned around and the tornado was at our window.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Deadly tornadoes cut a path of destruction in the Midwest. Rescuers spend the night trying to get those trapped to safety.
Devastation in southern Iraq. Suicide bombers striking over and over in Basra. Dozens are dead there.
In Fallujah the cease-fire is broken. Insurgents trade gunfire with U.S. Marines there.
And a Purple Heart in question. Republicans demand Senator John Kerry release his military records.
All that straight ahead this morning here on AMERICAN MORNING.
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: And good morning. Welcome everybody.
Other stories that we're following this morning; Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is going to be joining us in just a few minutes, talking about the handover of power in Iraq.
Top administration officials also taking lots of heat yesterday on Capitol Hill. We're going to ask the former secretary of state about that.
Also, about some of the claims that are now coming out of Bob Woodward's book.
HEMMER: Also, on a much different topic, "90-Second Tips" back today. It is Wednesday. Our money coach is back, David Bach.
Advice about using your tax refund in ways that could reshape your financial future. We'll get to that as well, this morning, this hour. O'BRIEN: Jack Cafferty, good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Pentagon drawing up plans to send more troops to Iraq, if they are requested by commanders, on the ground there as a Republican senator suggests the burden of this war is being unequally shared in this country.
He thinks it's time to start up the draft again. We'll have more on that.
O'BRIEN: All right. Let's get to our top stories.
First this morning, Iraqi leaders have set up a tribunal for Saddam Hussein and his former officials. A spokesman says that Saddam will be tried in an Iraqi court, not an international body.
A U.S. educated lawyer has been named as general director, and the first batch of judges and prosecutors have been selected. The court will eventually determine the charges against Saddam -- a trial date has not yet been set.
The Pentagon reportedly deleted portions of an interview between Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Bob Woodward.
In Woodward's book he writes that Secretary Rumsfeld told the Saudi ambassador in January 2003 that he could, quote, "take it to the bank" that the Iraq invasion would take place.
The statement was missing from a transcript of the Woodward interview which was posted on the Defense Department's Web site on Monday. Secretary Rumsfeld says he does not recall saying that to the Saudi ambassador.
A Canadian aide worker held hostage in Iraq returns home. Fadi Fadel was held captive for more than a week. The people holding the Canadian apparently thought he was an Israeli working for the country's Rasad (ph) spy agency when they kidnapped him. Israel denies that he was an agent.
In sports LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers is now the youngest winner of the Rookie of the Year award.
The 19-year-old 6'8" guard received the honor yesterday at the NBA store here in New York City. The coach for the Cavaliers says James just has it all, including attitude. He marks the second straight year that a player jumping from high school to the pros has won that award.
And it was a warm welcome as the International Space Station crew got some new visitors. The Russian spacecraft called the Soyuz Capsule successfully docked in space, carrying a Russian, American, and a Dutchman.
The Russian and the American will remain at the outpost -- the Dutch astronaut will do some experiments, then return to earth with the current space station crew a little bit later this month.
That's a look at the news. Bill, back to you.
HEMMER: Soledad, thanks. We'll get to that severe weather in Illinois in a moment here, but it's been a very violent and tragic day so far in Iraq.
More than 60 Iraqis were killed in near simultaneous explosions outside three police stations and a training facility. Crowd threw stones at British troops trying to get to the scene there.
Meanwhile in Fallujah, Marines have been attacked three times overnight. New videotape coming to us about two hours ago. U.S. troops returning fire there. Three Marines said to be wounded, 17 insurgent fighters are dead.
Jane Arraf watching all these developments, and there are many today live in Baghdad to start us off this morning. Jane, hello.
JANE ARRAF, BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Hi, Bill. It's shaping up to be the worst attack in Basra, that southern port city, since the end of major combat last year, and it's sparking fears that in this climate with cracks in the coalition, Spanish forces, and two others pulling out of that southern sector that the violence is indeed heading south.
Now this was a coordinated attack that seemed to be timed for maximum impact. Horrifyingly, it hit just at rush hour when children were being taken to school, when police were showing up for work, and with at least four suicide bombs and a fifth explosion. At least 60 people have been confirmed dead and many more wounded.
Now this is relatively new in Basra in the southern sector where it has been relatively calm, but it follows a lull here in Baghdad in suicide bombs and in the wake of other attacks and in Fallujah west of Baghdad as you mentioned, Bill, fighting as well.
Now, this is not a complete break in the cease-fire announced on Monday, but it does certainly threaten it. Insurgents and Marines traded gunfire, mortar attacks.
Insurgents also fired rocket-propelled grenades. Three Marines wounded -- the Marines say they killed 17 of the insurgents. Local residents say several civilians were also killed in this fighting, and Marines say that if these attacks continue, they warn that the cease- fire will be off the table and they are prepared for an all-out assault on that city -- Bill.
HEMMER: Jane Arraf, thanks from Baghdad.
The Bush administration reiterating yet again it is committed to turning over control of Iraq to the Iraqis in a bit more than two months from now -- June 30 on the calendar. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright back with us today here on AMERICAN MORNING.
Madame Secretary, good morning to you. MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Good to be here today.
HEMMER: How do you recommend getting Iraq to the point of stability when you hear reports like these already today?
ALBRIGHT: Well this is an -- a -- incredible mess and when you look at it in terms of what it's doing about our troops -- there are so many questions about what we're doing.
I think what has to happen is somehow we have to take the American face off of this and end an occupation.
But the problem is that they are not ready to take over, and so it is necessary, I think, to get some international entity in there with the blessing of the U.N., or U.N. itself, in order to be able to get troops from other countries to come and help who do not want to be part of an occupation force, but do want to be part of a security force.
HEMMER: I know you're a strong proponent of the U.N. involvement there. Lakhdar Brahimi was there recently, Ambassador Negroponte was appointed this week to be the future U.S. ambassador in Baghdad.
Where is the incentive for the U.N. to get involved in Iraq after its literally blown out of that country last summer?
ALBRIGHT: Very hard, and I think that's the problem, Bill, because what we have done is undercut the credibility of the United Nations by the way that it was treated before, and now we need it, and I think the incentive can only be that the U.N. believes in the fact that this kind of fighting cannot go on, and the U.N. is basically the sum of its parts; all the member states who do not want to see this kind of chaos going on.
But we have to be supportive of the U.N. and not decide that it's a useless organization and then ask it to do more than it needed to do in the first place.
HEMMER: I want to talk about Woodward's book that is getting a lot of attention this past week.
Secretary of State Colin Powell in the book is described as the guy who is out of the loop with regard to the war in Iraq. Yesterday yet again he refuted that. Listen to how he parsed his words in Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: No decision was made to go to war until a decision was made to go to war in March, regardless of what speculation there is about when the president made a decision. He made a decision in March and we all received that decision together.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HEMMER: Where's the truth in this?
ALBRIGHT: Well, I think we have to see. I have the highest respect for Secretary Powell and I think that he is trying to explain that he in fact knew a great deal about whatever plans there were and I think we just have to see.
It's very hard to say. Being secretary of state I can testify is a very difficult job, and he has a hard job to do, and at the moment, as you've described, is a little bit of a food fight in Washington.
HEMMER: If I could go back to Iraq for a moment, here, Spain is set to pull its troops out at some point within the next six weeks.
Honduras has said it will as well. The Dominican Republic with about 350 soldiers says it will follow suit as well.
Militarily, this may not be that significant for what's happening with relation to the coalition in Iraq. Politically, what is the statement that is sent there, regarding the coalition and its strength?
ALBRIGHT: I think the statements that are being sent is that the U.S. is beginning to really see the effects of our lack of credibility -- that people have not understood how this war is being prosecuted, why it had to happen now, and that there were not adequate plans made for what next.
And it's basically, I think, a sense that there's doubt about American leadership, and that's the hardest part about this.
We are losing our credibility and we need it no matter how great a country we are -- every country for its reputation needs to have credibility, and that's the disaster at the moment -- is our credibility is in jeopardy.
HEMMER: Madeleine Albright, thanks for coming back here on AMERICAN MORNING. Nice to talk to you.
ALBRIGHT: Good to see you again, Bill, thank you.
HEMMER: All right, more news now with Soledad on the weather.
O'BRIEN: Well, powerful storms that swept through the Midwest left at least three people dead, thousands of others across the region in the dark.
One resident from the storm struck community of Utica, Illinois said of a tornado that wormed through yesterday, quote, "I didn't even have time to be scared."
For details now we got to Lisa Leiter -- she's in Utica for us this morning. Lisa, good morning.
LISA LEITER, CNN: Good morning Soledad. Well, the search and recovery effort continues behind me. You can hear the sounds from the trucks where they're repairing the power lines, and I just got off the phone with a Con Ed spokesman, the local power company that does not serve Utica but serves the surrounding areas.
The numbers have been taken down now; only 2700 homes in the Joliet area are without power tonight. It was as many as 15,000 earlier -- early this morning.
Now we just heard from LaSalle County sheriff Tom Templeton -- he confirmed that there are in fact three people dead in Utica and that was the result of The Tavern -- the local restaurant -- which is right behind me here that collapsed. It was a three-story building and the people -- there are four to five people unaccounted for there.
Now they had been heard from earlier on in the search and recovery effort but they have not been heard from, according to the sheriff, in several hours.
Now there are 30 to 35 people in this surrounding area here where many homes are down as you're seeing routes that are -- that have been ripped off, windows blown out -- and all of these homes have been marked with an X to indicate that, in fact, these people have been accounted for and they've been moved to local shelters in the area.
And its clear that with the devastation in just this one block area that this is the worst tornado to hit this area since the summer of 1990, when 29 people were killed and a thousand homes were damaged in the Joliet area.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The deadly tornadoes that tore through northern Illinois left a trail of destruction. Damaged homes, downed power lines, and piles of debris. The small town of Utica was hardest hit.
Emergency crews worked through the night to help the injured and find those still missing. Devastated residents, most without power, gathered in the streets.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My problem -- outside (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- we were just about three or four miles from here.
So I grabbed the boys and we went down in the basement. As soon as we got down in the basement, our fire department whistles went off and the boys got real scared, obviously.
I was a little nervous myself, and about a minute later you could just hear this big roar come through, just like they say, you know, freight trains.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The tornado moved east to Joliet, toppling more trees and ripping the roots off a Walgreen's drug store. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was just me and Ed talking and all of a sudden, next thing we knew, you know, everything went down -- it was like -- happened all in an instant.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's it look like inside there now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Looks like a bad day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEITER: Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is expected to come to Utica later on in the day. We don't have a time on that yet, and we won't be briefed again by local officials for a few hours -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, Lisa Leiter for us in Utica this morning.
Lisa, thanks, and of course we will continue to check in with you as we get more information on those folks who are apparently trapped in that basement.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: In a moment here, questions about Senator John Kerry's Vietnam war medals. Are there new disclosures that talk about today? Kelly Wallace here to talk about that in a moment.
O'BRIEN: Also a man who was in prison for years after blowing the cover off of Israel's nuclear program back in the 1980s. Well, he is finally free and he's talking. Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: News just in to us out of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
A few moments ago the Associated Press reporting along with Reuters an explosion has taken place in the capitol city of Riyadh.
Not a lot of information right now. At least one Arab television network is saying the explosion took place near the Saudi security forces headquarters.
But again, we cannot confirm this at this point. Getting word out of Riyadh right now an explosion took place a short time ago when we get more certainly we'll pass it along to you. That word form Riyadh moments ago -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, let's turn to presidential politics now. Presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry is seeking to end a controversy about his service in Vietnam. Senator Kerry is posting his military records on his campaign Web site amid questions from critics and Republicans.
National correspondent Kelly Wallace has been following the Kerry campaign, and she joins us with details. Give me a sense of how this first started. KELLY WALLACE, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What happened is last week "The Boston Globe" reported questions from his former commanding officer about the awarding of his first Purple Heart.
Over the weekend, the senator said he would release all his records. Well then "The Boston Globe" went to the campaign on Monday -- campaign saying, no, those new records not available. Campaign reversed course saying it would make these records available and the main controversy, Soledad, really revolves around the rewarding of that first Purple Heart.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE: The question comes as John Kerry's former commanding officer says during Vietnam; he questioned whether the senator earned the first of his three Purple Hearts.
Lieutenant Commander Grant Hibbard told "The Boston Globe" last week, quote, "People in the office were saying don't think we got any fire and there is this guy holding a little piece of shrapnel in his palm."
On NBC's "Meet the Press," Kerry was asked if, to answer that charge, he would follow President Bush's lead and release all his military records.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They're available to you to come and look at. I think that's a very unfair characterization by that person -- I mean, politics is politics. The medical records show that I had shrapnel removed from my arm.
WALLACE: A handful of documents on the Web site Tuesday evening include previously released information, such as the three certificates noting Kerry was awarded Purple Hearts for wounds received in action.
John Dalton is a former Navy Secretary and now a Kerry supporter.
JOHN DALTON, FORMER NAVY SECRETARY: When you're in a military combat zone and you get hit by enemy fire, you deserve a Purple Heart, period. Paragraph. I mean that's the way it is.
WALLACE: The Bush/Cheney campaign waded into the controversy, accusing the senator of waffling about releasing his records.
KEN MEHLMAN, BUSH CAMPAIGN MANAGER: I think what we're pointing out is that on this issue, like on many others, what John Kerry says and what John Kerry does are two very different things.
WALLACE: A Kerry campaign spokesman fired back saying if the Republicans want to compare Kerry's military service with President Bush's non-combat service during Vietnam, quote, "we welcome that."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE: And Kerry's advisers believe the senator's decorated Vietnam service is one of his strongest issues, but Soledad, now also that record facing more and more scrutiny.
O'BRIEN: At the same time, you know, he's been talking about that military record. Of course everyone in his campaign has been talking about it. It's a big part of sort of the marketing of Senator Kerry.
So I don't understand why originally the campaign wouldn't even have planned to hand over the documents in the first place. That seems strange to me.
WALLACE: You know the senator and his aides say, look, we always said these records are available. They are decades-old records and that they have them at the campaign, "The Boston Globe" reporter whose really been working this story harder than most has seen most of those records, but it wasn't until more and more questions were raised, and really until it became a bit of a political problem.
Republicans were sort of saying why aren't they going to release these records that the campaign reversed course.
A lot of people are questioning the way they handled this releasing many of these documents over night.
O'BRIEN: Maybe the handling more than anything else.
WALLACE: Maybe that's it.
O'BRIEN: All right Kelly Wallace; thanks as always appreciate it -- Bill.
HEMMER: Soledad after nearly 18 years in prison freedom today for the man who told the world about Israel's nuclear secrets. Mordechai Vanunu was convicted of treason and espionage for revealing details about Israel's alleged nuclear program.
He spent most of his time in prison in solitary confinement. After his release, Vanunu demanding that Israel open its nuclear program to international inspection.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MORDECHAI VANUNU, FMR. POLITICAL PRISONER: Israel don't need a nuclear arms, especially now that the old Middle East is free from nuclear weapon. Iraq (UNINTELLIGIBLE), Libya, Iran, Egypt, all the Middle East is free from nuclear weapons -- all Israel still have secrets.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Vanunu also accusing Israel of mistreating him because he had converted to Christianity back in the 1980s. Many Israelis consider him to be a traitor. Vanunu says he is proud of what he did -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, deadly bombings in the Iraqi city of Basra has some pointing the finger at Osama bin Laden. We've got the latest on that.
Also Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan's trip to Capitol Hill unnerves Wall Street. Andy has a look at that as well. Those stories just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: All right, welcome back everybody.
Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan talking yesterday and the market tanked. He's back on Capitol Hill today. Oh, joy.
Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business" now. Good morning to you.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning to you. We're hoping we're not getting a repeat performance this morning this afternoon when the Fed Chairman goes back to Capitol Hill. I don't think we will.
Alan Greenspan spooked the markets yesterday, talking about what I thought was pretty obvious -- that being the deflation, the risk of lower prices is over. Ergo, higher prices, inflation and higher interest rates may be coming.
Here's what happened -- the Dow was down 123 -- Nasdaq even more on a percentage basis. Really made the markets go down, 2:30 in the afternoon when he started speaking, you can see -- there we go -- falling off the cliff when he started talking.
Deflation, of course, when prices go lower. It sounds like a good thing but what it does it locks up the economy because people stop buying, anticipating even lower and lower prices going forward.
Going to be a busy session on Wall Street today, Bill. A lot of companies reporting earnings like Ford, J.P. Morgan, Coca-Cola -- Motorola after the bell yesterday doing some super stuff in terms of its business. And the stock is way, way up. Gaining share in the cell phone business at the expense of Nokia.
HEMMER: Tis' the season, the earnings season. Merrill Lynch just paid out a big fine. Is that what I understand?
SERWER: Yes, that's correct. The sex discrimination suits against Merrill Lynch and Smith Barney have been around for years and years.
Yesterday we learned that an arbitration panel has fined Merrill Lynch $2.2 million for discriminating against a broker, a woman, in San Antonio and this will add fuel to more suits that are out there. You'd think this Neanderthal behavior would be over, but apparently it's not. Merrill Lynch saying that this is behavior that comes from the old Merrill Lynch -- well, in the 1990s. Not that long ago, really.
HEMMER: All right, thanks Andy. Now Soledad.
O'BRIEN: "Question of the Day" and Jack.
CAFFERTY: Got a dollar from Hemmer today.
O'BRIEN: I think he owes me a dollar.
SERWER: NBA playoff money.
O'BRIEN: He predicted the Nicks would win.
SERWER: Yes, and they didn't.
O'BRIEN: A route.
SERWER: We all get money from him on that.
O'BRIEN: You owe me a dollar, too.
SERWER: You owe me a dollar, too.
CAFFERTY: Notice how you toss out a little thing in the water and then the piranhas descend.
The Pentagon has drafted plans to send more troops to Iraq. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said yesterday it's in case General John Abizaid says he wants more soldiers. If he does, he'll get them.
The violence in Iraq shows no sign of letting up. Some coalition countries, such as Spain -- weenies that they are -- are pulling their troops out of Iraq.
According to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll an increasing number of Americans support sending more troops to Iraq.
Thirty-three percent of those polled support it. That's up from 11 percent in January. And yesterday Republican Senator Chuck Hagel suggested the United States may be forced to reinstate the draft.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R) NEBRASKA: Why should we ask a very few people in our society to bear the heavy price, to carry the heavy burden and not ask everybody to carry some burden? There is a societal implication here.
It's the middle class, lower middle class, it's always the rifleman in the field that is always on the line, not the sons and daughters of the wealthy and the powerful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAFFERTY: So here's the question: do you agree with Senator Hagel that the United States should bring back the draft, am@cnn.com? He got to me -- right after the show I'm going to go down there and reenlist, I think.
SERWER: You're going to get a lot of e-mails on that. I mean that is one of the most controversial subjects there is.
HEMMER: And you piranhas will get yours a little later, too, by the way.
In a moment here same topic. A cease-fire under threat in Iraq, specifically in Fallujah where the fighting was fierce and the videotape shows it quite clearly.
U.S. Marines back in the battle. Dan Senor our guest in a moment from Baghdad, live in a moment, when we continue right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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