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House Passes "Doomsday Bill" That Would Require Elections Within 45 Days if More Than 100 House Members Killed in Terrorist Attack

Aired April 23, 2004 - 10:00   ET

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


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


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We'll get started here in Atlanta. Good morning from CNN's headquarters, I'm Daryn Kagan. And let's check the latest developments at this hour.
A group of congressmen and environmentalists warning that terrorists could easily strike the U.S. again. They say that terrorists could turn chemical plants and freight trains into weapons of mass destruction against the U.S. More on that just ahead.

In Fallujah, U.S. Marines are exchanging fire with insurgents. One coalition official warns only a few days remain trying to find a peaceful solution. Other coalition officials report a weapons handover has resulted in collecting mostly junk.

And in Karbala, suspected insurgents ambush a coalition convoy near city hall. At least one coalition soldier was injured.

An Army sergeant back from a year in Iraq is now charged with killing his wife. James Pitts pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder after turning himself in to military authorities at Fort Lewis in Washington State. He's accused of drowning his wife in a bathtub. Relatives say that Pitts came back from Iraq a changed man.

FBI director Robert Mueller warns civilian law enforcement is not enough to defeat international terrorist groups. He says military action like the U.S.-led mission in Afghanistan is what's needed to win. Mueller made the remarks in Tokyo while visiting with Japanese police and justice officials.

The International Red Cross is now assessing the extent of yesterday's devastating train explosion in North Korea. Those officials caution that casualty figures are subject to change almost hourly. So far, nearly 100 are known dead, more than 8,000 homes damaged and destroyed, and the North Korean government has asked the U.N. for assistance. A U.N. official says that the North Korean government has appealed to the U.N. for assistance in the train explosion that killed dozens. The blast happened in a town about 30 miles from the Chinese border, a border train hauling explosives used in mining. CNN will bring you the latest updates on the story as they become available.

Meanwhile, we move on to other news today. As we were mentioning just a few moments ago, there is a new warning out that the U.S. could be hit by terrorists. The weapons of choice could involve chemical plants and freight trains. That warning coming from several lawmakers and environmentalists.

The U.S. House has passed a so-called "Doomsday Bill" that would require elections within 45 days, if more than a hundred House members are killed in a terrorist attack. That bill will now go to the Senate for approval. Senators have been discussing a proposal for a constitutional amendment possibly allowing governors or state legislators to appoint successors more quickly. All this is a response to the 9/11 attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BRIAN BAIRD (D), WASHINGTON: On September 11, on Flight 83, those passengers gave their lives to give us a second chance. That fourth plane was heading here with the full intent to kill everybody in this building, if it possibly could. We know that our adversaries would seek nuclear weapons. We know nuclear materials are available. We know if they get one, they will set it off and they will do so in this capital. We have been given a second chance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: In other news today. A federal appeals court decision puts terrorism suspects Zacarias Moussaoui trial back on track. He is the only person publicly charged in the United States in connection with the 9/11 attacks.

Our justice correspondent Kelli Arena has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The government's case against Zacharias Moussaoui is still on track. The appeals court ruled to lift sanctions imposed by the trial judge that would have prevented Moussaoui from facing the death penalty, and would have kept all evidence regarding September 11 out of court. But the appeals panel also said Moussaoui has the right to introduce testimony from these three top al Qaeda operatives, who he says can help clear him.

FRANK DUNHAM, MOUSSAOUI ATTORNEY: You can't underestimate the importance of a witness upon whose testimony the death penalty may ride. Moussaoui life in a death penalty case, we have argued, would rest upon the testimony of these witnesses.

ARENA: The government argued Moussaoui is not entitled to access to the detainees because they are in military custody outside the United States. Prosecutors offered written summaries of their interrogations instead. Moussaoui defense attorneys balked. So did the Judge Leonie Brinkema, ruling there could be no adequate substitute for live witness testimony. But the appeals court disagreed and sent the case back to the judge so she could work out a compromise.

JAYNE WEINTRAUB, ATTORNEY: What they've done is said basically, well yes, you're entitled to present mitigating evidence, you're entitled to show some part of the defense by introducing mitigation from witnesses outside the United States that you maintain or al Qaeda witnesses. However, we're not going to let you have the right of confrontation.

ARENA (on camera): Even though Moussaoui lawyers call the ruling a positive step and a win/win, the government is studying the ruling and says it's pleased its core position was upheld.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And now to -- and now to Iraq. The Pentagon has tight restrictions on media coverage of war dead arriving back in the U.S. Yet, many of those images have suddenly surfaced.

Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr explained how that happened.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With quiet dignity and military respect, caskets arrive at Dover Air Base in Delaware; troops killed in Iraq now on the final journey back to their families. Ceremonies repeated more than 500 hundred times since the war began. A flag unfolded over a casket, a gentle touch, smoothing the corner. But these extraordinary pictures were never supposed to be seen. The Air Force released more than 300 photographs to this private antigovernment secrecy website. Pictures the Air Force says were meant only for history.

A Defense Department spokesman says the release of the pictures, under the Freedom of Information Act, violated military policy. The entire matter is under review. Since the war in Iraq, the Pentagon has strictly enforced its long-standing policy of not allowing media coverage of caskets arriving at Dover. Officials say it is out of deference to grieving families, not an effort to keep the news media from covering the mounting death toll.

For the families, news coverage is always difficult. Some do allow cameras at funerals. One group, the National Military Family Association, had this to say. "We believe the current policy is sensitive to the needs of the families and would urge everyone else to be sensitive to them as well." The issue remains controversial.

SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D), DELAWARE: And the idea that there is essentially snuck back into the country under the cover of night so no one can see that their casket has arrived, I just think is wrong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: And Daryn, the Pentagon says it is going to stick to its policy. They believe that is what the families want. But a contractor, a private cargo worker has been fired from her job, because in the last several days, she, too, took a picture of caskets being returned to the United States -- Daryn. KAGAN: Barbara, in your piece you call this a long-standing Pentagon policy, so this isn't any different than in previous conflicts?

STARR: Well, it is being very strictly enforced by the Bush administration. There have been exceptions over recent years. There have been presidential ceremonies, of course, at Dover for the return of some remains. But basically, when the Bush administration came into office, they looked at it, upheld it and they decide to do very strictly enforce it. Since the war in Afghanistan, the war in Iraq, there has been no news media coverage and officials say they continue to talk to the families to see what they want to do about all of this. They say the families want to keep the policy the way it is and it has been upheld by the courts.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

Other news from Iraq now. A policy that bars former Baath members from serving in the new Iraqi government is getting a second look. Coalition administrator Paul Bremer may relax that rule, permitting some former Baathist to lend their expertise to rebuilding the country.

Meanwhile, Iraqi officials have a suspect in this week's car bombings in Basra.

Our Jim Clancy has details from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Iraqi officials say a suspect arrested near the scene of the one of the suicide bombings in Basra was from the besieged city of Fallujah. In the view of some it is evidence the suicide bombings that killed 20 school children, along with more than 50 other Iraqis, were not the work of al Qaeda or foreign fighters, but Iraqis outraged by the U.S. military's Fallujah campaign that has killed hundreds of Iraqis including many civilians.

But it also raises questions about who may be directing the suicide attacks from inside the city. U.S. Marines in Fallujah are still exchanging fire with anti-coalition fighters as a nominal cease- fire continues. Coalition commanders asserted that hundreds of foreign fighters may be among them. The surrender of those foreign elements, along with the insurgents' arsenal of weapons, is being demanded as a condition of any permanent truce. Thus far, coalition military sources say the weapons handover has been disappointing, with old, rusted arms or dummy rockets being handed it.

When coalition forces surrounded and cut of Fallujah earlier this month, it was noted that feared bomb attacks in the south failed to materialize during Shiia Muslim religious commemorations. That was in stark contrast to similar events that were marked by hundreds of casualties in Baghdad and Karbala. The coalition blamed those attacks on al Qaeda or Abu Mus'ab al Zarqawi, a Jordanian born militant with similar aims. While stressing no group has been tied to the Basra attacks, some believe that the tactics are familiar. BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, DEPUTY OPS DIR., U.S. MILITARY: If you take a look at the manner in which it was carried out, the technique that was used, the tactics that were used in the attack, it clearly points to a network, a coordinated terrorist network such as the Zarqawi network.

CLANCY: Al Zarqawi is believed trying to foment civil war between Iraq's Shiia and Sunni communities, as the best way of destroying U.S. plans here. (on camera): Friday, a coalition spokesman said they had no more information on what the suspect is telling investigators. If he is indeed tied to the Basra carnage, those investigators are going to want answers that go far beyond Basra.

Jim Clancy, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Wait till you hear this interesting twist to a hostage release from Iraq. The Japanese civilians, who were held hostage in Iraq and then later freed, received a chilly reception upon their return to Japan this week. The government and the public apparently blame them for ignoring warnings against going to Iraq. Some lawmakers want the former hostages to pay the cost of their release. The government already plans to bill them $6,000 for their charter flight out of Iraq.

We're at 10 minutes past the hour. Spring storms into the heartland, twisters sending locals running for shelter. A complete look at severe weather in the U.S. That's straight ahead with Rob Marciano.

And a search for the missing nuclear fuel rods, the effort to find them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There were 24 kidnappings.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: And it's a fictional story of a soldier fortune. It has Denzel Washington. What more do you need to know? We'll ask Mr. Moviefone. He is ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Parts of eastern Oklahoma are cleaning up following at least 10 tornado touchdowns last night. So far, knock wood, no reports of injuries or deaths. Officials are tallying the damage in at least a half dozen counties. It was the area's third straight day of severe weather.

KAGAN: We got confirmation of a story, a very sad story that concerns Iraq and the world of sports. Pat Tillman, I don't know if this is name that rings a bell, it's not going to for a lot of people. But you're going to remember his story. Pat Tillman was a free safety for the Arizona Cardinals. After 9/11, he and his brother quit their respective sports. His brother was a minor league baseball player. They joined the Army and they went to Iraq. They were reportedly with the elite 75 Ranger Regiment. He passed up a multimillion-dollar salary to join the Army.

We are getting very sad news in from Iraq according to the Pentagon, Pat Tillman has been killed while serving -- actually, he was serving in Afghanistan. Details of his death and exactly what took place still coming in from the Pentagon, we're working on that.

Pat Tillman, a silent hero did not give any interviews once he quit the NFL and went into the Army, said he just believed he was doing what he had to do and just walked away from the NFL. And as I said, a multimillion dollar contract; basically went from making over $300,000 in the NFL and making $18,000 in salary basically because he decided it was time to serve his country. He didn't give any interviews. Neither did his brother. Neither did his family. There is a picture, you can see.

A lot of Arizona ties for Pat Tillman. Graduated from ASU where he also played football and was playing for the Cardinals when he decided to join the Army. Twenty-six years old when he joined the Army and walked away. And left an impressive record behind in the NFL as well. Set a team record of 224 tackles when he played in 2000. Defied a lot of values that people have here in America; materialism and fame and walked away in order to serve his country. Pat Tillman has died in his 20s.

Let's bring in our Barbara Starr, who's at the Pentagon as we continue to break the story and get coverage of Pat Tillman.

Barbara, he was serving in Afghanistan when he died?

STARR: Indeed, Daryn. Officials now confirming Pat Tillman was killed in action. Those are the words the U.S. military is using on a mission in Afghanistan yesterday. He was with Army Special Operations. He was operating in southeastern Afghanistan we are told. Now, this is an area, of course, where Special Operations Forces have been operating for some time. They are on a mission there to mop up remnants of the Taliban and the al Qaeda, as well as look for those so-called high value targets.

This is a very dangerous mission. They operate in very remote rugged circumstances. There have been, of course, a number of soldiers killed in this region of Afghanistan. There have been ambushes, roadside bombings, a number of attacks, a number of Afghan soldiers killed as well.

We do not know the circumstances regarding what happened to Pat Tillman. The Pentagon, of course, very sensitive to this entire issue. We have confirmed, of course, that his family has been notified that his death has occurred. But the Pentagon does not expect to make a formal announcement about this under their family notification procedures for some hours yet. The procedure is the family is notified and then there is a 24-hour period at the family's wishes under regular procedures, before it is made public to give them a chance, of course, for privacy. But word began to circulate very early today that someone that would be of note, that would be known to many young people, many people here in the United States had died in action.

Pat Tillman, as you say, played with the Arizona Cardinals, walked away from a three-year $3.6 million contract. His brother, Kevin, also giving up a minor league baseball career. Both of these young men joining the U.S. military after the 9/11 attacks, doing it with no publicity. They were very adamant that this was a private choice that they had made, and the Army respected that. There were no interviews with them. They simply went off to serve as so many soldiers do.

And of course, Daryn, a sensitive issue. Why so much publicity for someone whose name is so well known when so many others have died? This man, this young man, clearly a role model to so many other young Americans -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Right. And when we report the death of Pat Tillman, we do it of course, with respect to all of the families who have lost loved ones in service in the military. He just was such an incredible story that he walked away from so much and in such a private manner as you said.

Do we know if his brother is still serving? As you mentioned, his brother Kevin joined at the same time you mentioned.

STARR: Right. We are checking on that at this moment. We have every reason to believe his brother is still serving in the military. Not known at this time, I must say, whether his brother is overseas on deployment.

KAGAN: All right. Well, we will let you -- cut you loose so that you can do some more reporting on that.

Barbara Starr with the latest from the Pentagon.

But once again, starting free safety for the Arizona Cardinals, Pat Tillman, who walked away from his NFL career and his multimillion- dollar to join the Army, has been killed while serving in Afghanistan. Right now, we take a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: All right. We're going to have much more on the death of Pat Tillman, the former Arizona Cardinals who quit his NFL career to join the Army. Once again, getting word that he has been killed while on active duty in Afghanistan. More on that just ahead.

Right now, we are going to fit in some business news at 25 minutes past the hour. Talking mutual funds, they are the investment of choice for a lot of working Americans. Managing them properly requires some know-how.

Our personal finance editor Gerri Willis has today's "Top Five Tips."

Gerr, good morning.

GERRI WILLIS, CNNFN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, Daryn. Good to see you. My first tip today, how much is too much? How do you know when he hold too many mutual funds? Well, it's pretty simple. If you don't know the names of all of them you've probably got too many.

So think about this. Make it simple. Try the six-pack approach. If all you're doing is investing in a 401k, that's your only savings goal right now, six mutual funds may be enough. Large caps, mid cap, small cap, international bond fund, and of course, a money market fund will make sense. And of course, if you have multiple savings goals in a really big portfolio, you may want to have a few more than that, but it's a good way to get started with just six.

KAGAN: Kind of a good lesson in general. Dump the losers. Whether we're talking mutual funds or something else, right?

(LAUGHTER)

WILLIS: Exactly. It works in many contexts. Well, what I mean here is do it the right way, because a lot of people just sell funds that aren't performing well after a month or two of bad performance. You could set yourself up to just owning hot funds, which is not going to get you a good return at all. You want to do is make sure that the funds you're selling have had bad performance two years back-to-back. And you're comparing that, of course, with other funds that do the same kind of investing they do. For example, compare small cap with small cap funds. And two years back-to-back, if they're not doing any better, you can un-loan them -- Daryn.

KAGAN: How about avoiding overlaps? Some people own more funds than they really need to.

WILLIS: Right. The problem with overlap is that so many funds buy the same stocks. And you really don't -- you may not know from the name of the fund. You may have an S&P 500 Index Fund and then a growth fund, and they may their biggest holdings may be exactly the same. There is a way to find out however. Go to morningstar.com, they have a portfolio X-ray tool that will tell you if your funds hold all the same stocks. And you want to winnow those down if that's the case.

KAGAN: Save you a lot of time there. Also, a lot of these funds are overpriced?

WILLIS: Yes, you've really got to watch out for fees, fees, fees. And here I'm talking about the expense ratio, it should be 1 percent or less is what you're looking for here. Keep in mind too, there is also something called a marketing fee or a 12B-1 fee. And more and more advisors in this area are telling me if they're charging you a12B-1 fee, do not buy the fund in the first place.

And one other fee to watch out for, Daryn, if you're selling a fund you'll probably incur an exit fee. That's a fee to sell the fund that can 2 percent to 5 percent, so you got to know what these guys are charging you because it can be very, very expensive.

KAGAN: A lot of us put off on buying mutual funds by the scandals that we've heard over the last year. You say more news on that might be ahead?

WILLIS: Well, I think what people should do is if these funds that you own have been in the headlines with some of this bad news, they're under investigation by regulators. You might want to choose these funds to sell if you're trying to hold fewer funds overall. Look, they've already proven they don't care about investors, right? They're more interested in their own trading gains. So I think that is a great place to start if you're trying to winnow down your portfolio -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Gerri Willis in New York City, have a great weekend. Thank you, Gerr.

WILLIS: Thank you. You too.

KAGAN: The president is heading to Florida touting his environmental record in the Florida wetlands.

CNN LIVE TODAY continues after this break.

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 23, 2004 - 10:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We'll get started here in Atlanta. Good morning from CNN's headquarters, I'm Daryn Kagan. And let's check the latest developments at this hour.
A group of congressmen and environmentalists warning that terrorists could easily strike the U.S. again. They say that terrorists could turn chemical plants and freight trains into weapons of mass destruction against the U.S. More on that just ahead.

In Fallujah, U.S. Marines are exchanging fire with insurgents. One coalition official warns only a few days remain trying to find a peaceful solution. Other coalition officials report a weapons handover has resulted in collecting mostly junk.

And in Karbala, suspected insurgents ambush a coalition convoy near city hall. At least one coalition soldier was injured.

An Army sergeant back from a year in Iraq is now charged with killing his wife. James Pitts pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder after turning himself in to military authorities at Fort Lewis in Washington State. He's accused of drowning his wife in a bathtub. Relatives say that Pitts came back from Iraq a changed man.

FBI director Robert Mueller warns civilian law enforcement is not enough to defeat international terrorist groups. He says military action like the U.S.-led mission in Afghanistan is what's needed to win. Mueller made the remarks in Tokyo while visiting with Japanese police and justice officials.

The International Red Cross is now assessing the extent of yesterday's devastating train explosion in North Korea. Those officials caution that casualty figures are subject to change almost hourly. So far, nearly 100 are known dead, more than 8,000 homes damaged and destroyed, and the North Korean government has asked the U.N. for assistance. A U.N. official says that the North Korean government has appealed to the U.N. for assistance in the train explosion that killed dozens. The blast happened in a town about 30 miles from the Chinese border, a border train hauling explosives used in mining. CNN will bring you the latest updates on the story as they become available.

Meanwhile, we move on to other news today. As we were mentioning just a few moments ago, there is a new warning out that the U.S. could be hit by terrorists. The weapons of choice could involve chemical plants and freight trains. That warning coming from several lawmakers and environmentalists.

The U.S. House has passed a so-called "Doomsday Bill" that would require elections within 45 days, if more than a hundred House members are killed in a terrorist attack. That bill will now go to the Senate for approval. Senators have been discussing a proposal for a constitutional amendment possibly allowing governors or state legislators to appoint successors more quickly. All this is a response to the 9/11 attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BRIAN BAIRD (D), WASHINGTON: On September 11, on Flight 83, those passengers gave their lives to give us a second chance. That fourth plane was heading here with the full intent to kill everybody in this building, if it possibly could. We know that our adversaries would seek nuclear weapons. We know nuclear materials are available. We know if they get one, they will set it off and they will do so in this capital. We have been given a second chance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: In other news today. A federal appeals court decision puts terrorism suspects Zacarias Moussaoui trial back on track. He is the only person publicly charged in the United States in connection with the 9/11 attacks.

Our justice correspondent Kelli Arena has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The government's case against Zacharias Moussaoui is still on track. The appeals court ruled to lift sanctions imposed by the trial judge that would have prevented Moussaoui from facing the death penalty, and would have kept all evidence regarding September 11 out of court. But the appeals panel also said Moussaoui has the right to introduce testimony from these three top al Qaeda operatives, who he says can help clear him.

FRANK DUNHAM, MOUSSAOUI ATTORNEY: You can't underestimate the importance of a witness upon whose testimony the death penalty may ride. Moussaoui life in a death penalty case, we have argued, would rest upon the testimony of these witnesses.

ARENA: The government argued Moussaoui is not entitled to access to the detainees because they are in military custody outside the United States. Prosecutors offered written summaries of their interrogations instead. Moussaoui defense attorneys balked. So did the Judge Leonie Brinkema, ruling there could be no adequate substitute for live witness testimony. But the appeals court disagreed and sent the case back to the judge so she could work out a compromise.

JAYNE WEINTRAUB, ATTORNEY: What they've done is said basically, well yes, you're entitled to present mitigating evidence, you're entitled to show some part of the defense by introducing mitigation from witnesses outside the United States that you maintain or al Qaeda witnesses. However, we're not going to let you have the right of confrontation.

ARENA (on camera): Even though Moussaoui lawyers call the ruling a positive step and a win/win, the government is studying the ruling and says it's pleased its core position was upheld.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And now to -- and now to Iraq. The Pentagon has tight restrictions on media coverage of war dead arriving back in the U.S. Yet, many of those images have suddenly surfaced.

Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr explained how that happened.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With quiet dignity and military respect, caskets arrive at Dover Air Base in Delaware; troops killed in Iraq now on the final journey back to their families. Ceremonies repeated more than 500 hundred times since the war began. A flag unfolded over a casket, a gentle touch, smoothing the corner. But these extraordinary pictures were never supposed to be seen. The Air Force released more than 300 photographs to this private antigovernment secrecy website. Pictures the Air Force says were meant only for history.

A Defense Department spokesman says the release of the pictures, under the Freedom of Information Act, violated military policy. The entire matter is under review. Since the war in Iraq, the Pentagon has strictly enforced its long-standing policy of not allowing media coverage of caskets arriving at Dover. Officials say it is out of deference to grieving families, not an effort to keep the news media from covering the mounting death toll.

For the families, news coverage is always difficult. Some do allow cameras at funerals. One group, the National Military Family Association, had this to say. "We believe the current policy is sensitive to the needs of the families and would urge everyone else to be sensitive to them as well." The issue remains controversial.

SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D), DELAWARE: And the idea that there is essentially snuck back into the country under the cover of night so no one can see that their casket has arrived, I just think is wrong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: And Daryn, the Pentagon says it is going to stick to its policy. They believe that is what the families want. But a contractor, a private cargo worker has been fired from her job, because in the last several days, she, too, took a picture of caskets being returned to the United States -- Daryn. KAGAN: Barbara, in your piece you call this a long-standing Pentagon policy, so this isn't any different than in previous conflicts?

STARR: Well, it is being very strictly enforced by the Bush administration. There have been exceptions over recent years. There have been presidential ceremonies, of course, at Dover for the return of some remains. But basically, when the Bush administration came into office, they looked at it, upheld it and they decide to do very strictly enforce it. Since the war in Afghanistan, the war in Iraq, there has been no news media coverage and officials say they continue to talk to the families to see what they want to do about all of this. They say the families want to keep the policy the way it is and it has been upheld by the courts.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

Other news from Iraq now. A policy that bars former Baath members from serving in the new Iraqi government is getting a second look. Coalition administrator Paul Bremer may relax that rule, permitting some former Baathist to lend their expertise to rebuilding the country.

Meanwhile, Iraqi officials have a suspect in this week's car bombings in Basra.

Our Jim Clancy has details from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Iraqi officials say a suspect arrested near the scene of the one of the suicide bombings in Basra was from the besieged city of Fallujah. In the view of some it is evidence the suicide bombings that killed 20 school children, along with more than 50 other Iraqis, were not the work of al Qaeda or foreign fighters, but Iraqis outraged by the U.S. military's Fallujah campaign that has killed hundreds of Iraqis including many civilians.

But it also raises questions about who may be directing the suicide attacks from inside the city. U.S. Marines in Fallujah are still exchanging fire with anti-coalition fighters as a nominal cease- fire continues. Coalition commanders asserted that hundreds of foreign fighters may be among them. The surrender of those foreign elements, along with the insurgents' arsenal of weapons, is being demanded as a condition of any permanent truce. Thus far, coalition military sources say the weapons handover has been disappointing, with old, rusted arms or dummy rockets being handed it.

When coalition forces surrounded and cut of Fallujah earlier this month, it was noted that feared bomb attacks in the south failed to materialize during Shiia Muslim religious commemorations. That was in stark contrast to similar events that were marked by hundreds of casualties in Baghdad and Karbala. The coalition blamed those attacks on al Qaeda or Abu Mus'ab al Zarqawi, a Jordanian born militant with similar aims. While stressing no group has been tied to the Basra attacks, some believe that the tactics are familiar. BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, DEPUTY OPS DIR., U.S. MILITARY: If you take a look at the manner in which it was carried out, the technique that was used, the tactics that were used in the attack, it clearly points to a network, a coordinated terrorist network such as the Zarqawi network.

CLANCY: Al Zarqawi is believed trying to foment civil war between Iraq's Shiia and Sunni communities, as the best way of destroying U.S. plans here. (on camera): Friday, a coalition spokesman said they had no more information on what the suspect is telling investigators. If he is indeed tied to the Basra carnage, those investigators are going to want answers that go far beyond Basra.

Jim Clancy, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Wait till you hear this interesting twist to a hostage release from Iraq. The Japanese civilians, who were held hostage in Iraq and then later freed, received a chilly reception upon their return to Japan this week. The government and the public apparently blame them for ignoring warnings against going to Iraq. Some lawmakers want the former hostages to pay the cost of their release. The government already plans to bill them $6,000 for their charter flight out of Iraq.

We're at 10 minutes past the hour. Spring storms into the heartland, twisters sending locals running for shelter. A complete look at severe weather in the U.S. That's straight ahead with Rob Marciano.

And a search for the missing nuclear fuel rods, the effort to find them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There were 24 kidnappings.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: And it's a fictional story of a soldier fortune. It has Denzel Washington. What more do you need to know? We'll ask Mr. Moviefone. He is ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Parts of eastern Oklahoma are cleaning up following at least 10 tornado touchdowns last night. So far, knock wood, no reports of injuries or deaths. Officials are tallying the damage in at least a half dozen counties. It was the area's third straight day of severe weather.

KAGAN: We got confirmation of a story, a very sad story that concerns Iraq and the world of sports. Pat Tillman, I don't know if this is name that rings a bell, it's not going to for a lot of people. But you're going to remember his story. Pat Tillman was a free safety for the Arizona Cardinals. After 9/11, he and his brother quit their respective sports. His brother was a minor league baseball player. They joined the Army and they went to Iraq. They were reportedly with the elite 75 Ranger Regiment. He passed up a multimillion-dollar salary to join the Army.

We are getting very sad news in from Iraq according to the Pentagon, Pat Tillman has been killed while serving -- actually, he was serving in Afghanistan. Details of his death and exactly what took place still coming in from the Pentagon, we're working on that.

Pat Tillman, a silent hero did not give any interviews once he quit the NFL and went into the Army, said he just believed he was doing what he had to do and just walked away from the NFL. And as I said, a multimillion dollar contract; basically went from making over $300,000 in the NFL and making $18,000 in salary basically because he decided it was time to serve his country. He didn't give any interviews. Neither did his brother. Neither did his family. There is a picture, you can see.

A lot of Arizona ties for Pat Tillman. Graduated from ASU where he also played football and was playing for the Cardinals when he decided to join the Army. Twenty-six years old when he joined the Army and walked away. And left an impressive record behind in the NFL as well. Set a team record of 224 tackles when he played in 2000. Defied a lot of values that people have here in America; materialism and fame and walked away in order to serve his country. Pat Tillman has died in his 20s.

Let's bring in our Barbara Starr, who's at the Pentagon as we continue to break the story and get coverage of Pat Tillman.

Barbara, he was serving in Afghanistan when he died?

STARR: Indeed, Daryn. Officials now confirming Pat Tillman was killed in action. Those are the words the U.S. military is using on a mission in Afghanistan yesterday. He was with Army Special Operations. He was operating in southeastern Afghanistan we are told. Now, this is an area, of course, where Special Operations Forces have been operating for some time. They are on a mission there to mop up remnants of the Taliban and the al Qaeda, as well as look for those so-called high value targets.

This is a very dangerous mission. They operate in very remote rugged circumstances. There have been, of course, a number of soldiers killed in this region of Afghanistan. There have been ambushes, roadside bombings, a number of attacks, a number of Afghan soldiers killed as well.

We do not know the circumstances regarding what happened to Pat Tillman. The Pentagon, of course, very sensitive to this entire issue. We have confirmed, of course, that his family has been notified that his death has occurred. But the Pentagon does not expect to make a formal announcement about this under their family notification procedures for some hours yet. The procedure is the family is notified and then there is a 24-hour period at the family's wishes under regular procedures, before it is made public to give them a chance, of course, for privacy. But word began to circulate very early today that someone that would be of note, that would be known to many young people, many people here in the United States had died in action.

Pat Tillman, as you say, played with the Arizona Cardinals, walked away from a three-year $3.6 million contract. His brother, Kevin, also giving up a minor league baseball career. Both of these young men joining the U.S. military after the 9/11 attacks, doing it with no publicity. They were very adamant that this was a private choice that they had made, and the Army respected that. There were no interviews with them. They simply went off to serve as so many soldiers do.

And of course, Daryn, a sensitive issue. Why so much publicity for someone whose name is so well known when so many others have died? This man, this young man, clearly a role model to so many other young Americans -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Right. And when we report the death of Pat Tillman, we do it of course, with respect to all of the families who have lost loved ones in service in the military. He just was such an incredible story that he walked away from so much and in such a private manner as you said.

Do we know if his brother is still serving? As you mentioned, his brother Kevin joined at the same time you mentioned.

STARR: Right. We are checking on that at this moment. We have every reason to believe his brother is still serving in the military. Not known at this time, I must say, whether his brother is overseas on deployment.

KAGAN: All right. Well, we will let you -- cut you loose so that you can do some more reporting on that.

Barbara Starr with the latest from the Pentagon.

But once again, starting free safety for the Arizona Cardinals, Pat Tillman, who walked away from his NFL career and his multimillion- dollar to join the Army, has been killed while serving in Afghanistan. Right now, we take a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: All right. We're going to have much more on the death of Pat Tillman, the former Arizona Cardinals who quit his NFL career to join the Army. Once again, getting word that he has been killed while on active duty in Afghanistan. More on that just ahead.

Right now, we are going to fit in some business news at 25 minutes past the hour. Talking mutual funds, they are the investment of choice for a lot of working Americans. Managing them properly requires some know-how.

Our personal finance editor Gerri Willis has today's "Top Five Tips."

Gerr, good morning.

GERRI WILLIS, CNNFN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, Daryn. Good to see you. My first tip today, how much is too much? How do you know when he hold too many mutual funds? Well, it's pretty simple. If you don't know the names of all of them you've probably got too many.

So think about this. Make it simple. Try the six-pack approach. If all you're doing is investing in a 401k, that's your only savings goal right now, six mutual funds may be enough. Large caps, mid cap, small cap, international bond fund, and of course, a money market fund will make sense. And of course, if you have multiple savings goals in a really big portfolio, you may want to have a few more than that, but it's a good way to get started with just six.

KAGAN: Kind of a good lesson in general. Dump the losers. Whether we're talking mutual funds or something else, right?

(LAUGHTER)

WILLIS: Exactly. It works in many contexts. Well, what I mean here is do it the right way, because a lot of people just sell funds that aren't performing well after a month or two of bad performance. You could set yourself up to just owning hot funds, which is not going to get you a good return at all. You want to do is make sure that the funds you're selling have had bad performance two years back-to-back. And you're comparing that, of course, with other funds that do the same kind of investing they do. For example, compare small cap with small cap funds. And two years back-to-back, if they're not doing any better, you can un-loan them -- Daryn.

KAGAN: How about avoiding overlaps? Some people own more funds than they really need to.

WILLIS: Right. The problem with overlap is that so many funds buy the same stocks. And you really don't -- you may not know from the name of the fund. You may have an S&P 500 Index Fund and then a growth fund, and they may their biggest holdings may be exactly the same. There is a way to find out however. Go to morningstar.com, they have a portfolio X-ray tool that will tell you if your funds hold all the same stocks. And you want to winnow those down if that's the case.

KAGAN: Save you a lot of time there. Also, a lot of these funds are overpriced?

WILLIS: Yes, you've really got to watch out for fees, fees, fees. And here I'm talking about the expense ratio, it should be 1 percent or less is what you're looking for here. Keep in mind too, there is also something called a marketing fee or a 12B-1 fee. And more and more advisors in this area are telling me if they're charging you a12B-1 fee, do not buy the fund in the first place.

And one other fee to watch out for, Daryn, if you're selling a fund you'll probably incur an exit fee. That's a fee to sell the fund that can 2 percent to 5 percent, so you got to know what these guys are charging you because it can be very, very expensive.

KAGAN: A lot of us put off on buying mutual funds by the scandals that we've heard over the last year. You say more news on that might be ahead?

WILLIS: Well, I think what people should do is if these funds that you own have been in the headlines with some of this bad news, they're under investigation by regulators. You might want to choose these funds to sell if you're trying to hold fewer funds overall. Look, they've already proven they don't care about investors, right? They're more interested in their own trading gains. So I think that is a great place to start if you're trying to winnow down your portfolio -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Gerri Willis in New York City, have a great weekend. Thank you, Gerr.

WILLIS: Thank you. You too.

KAGAN: The president is heading to Florida touting his environmental record in the Florida wetlands.

CNN LIVE TODAY continues after this break.

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