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American Morning
Al Qaeda Plot in Jordan; Fight for Iraq
Aired April 27, 2004 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: If authorities are right, it would have been unlike anything the world has ever seen. It involved chemical weapons, they say, and by some accounts, could have killed tens of thousands in the capital city of Amman. We'll get to that story live in Jordan in a moment here.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Also, this morning, urban warfare in Iraq. All of the advanced equipment in the world is not enough to take away the extreme threat to U.S. troops and also to Iraqi civilians. Barbara Starr is going to join us for a look at the incredible dangers just ahead.
HEMMER: All right, first, though, let's start again here at the half-hour back in Iraq. U.S. forces have been engaged in some fierce fighting near the city of Najaf. That's the holy city south of Baghdad. A U.S. military spokesman says U.S. troops killed 43 insurgents late last night. Coalition officials are warning insurgents that if weapons were not removed from holy sites and schools, further steps may have to be taken there. More on the situation of what's happening in Najaf throughout our show this morning.
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Saud al Faisal, says the U.S. is partially responsible for the rise of Osama bin Laden. The prince says U.S. supported the Taliban during the Afghan war with the Soviets and shares the blame. Some lawmakers have criticized the Saudi kingdom for undermining efforts to fight terrorism.
Some lawmakers are pushing for quick approval of the man nominated to be America's first ambassador to post-Saddam Hussein Iraq. President Bush tapped John Negroponte, now the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., about a week ago. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is meeting today to talk about that very nomination.
Also in politics, the campaign trail is heating up as the president and Democratic hopeful John Kerry travel across the country yet again today. The president is in Baltimore to promote new high- tech policies in health care. And John Kerry continues jobs first bus tour through West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan this week. Senator Kerry is promoting new jobs programs while criticizing tax cuts for the rich.
Former President Bill Clinton's memoir, "My Life," is slated to go on sale in late June. The announcement was made yesterday by the book's publisher. The first printing, 1.5 million copies. The former president reportedly received a record $10 million advance for that book. It's going to be out in June. O'BRIEN: Wow, 1.5 million copies? That's huge.
HEMMER: That's a big, big order. Exactly right.
O'BRIEN: Let's see how he does. I wonder if he and Hillary are competing to see...
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: I think I'll leave that right over there.
O'BRIEN: You're not going to touch that one, huh?
HEMMER: That's right.
(WEATHER BREAK)
O'BRIEN: The government of Jordan says it could have been one of the deadliest terror attacks ever. Suspected al Qaeda operatives allegedly planned a major attack in the heart of the Jordanian capital. Among the alleged targets, the U.S. embassy and the Jordanian prime minister's office.
In a series of raids, security forces say they broke up the plot, killing three suspects and arresting several more.
John Vause is live for us in Amman with more.
Good morning -- John.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Last night on primetime, Jordanians watched the extraordinary televised confessions of four accused terrorists, who admitted they were planning what could have been al Qaeda's first ever chemical attack, one which the Jordanian government says was just days away from execution.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE (voice-over): Jordanian special forces raiding an apartment house in Amman in the hunt for an al Qaeda cell. Some of the suspects are killed, others arrested, ending what Jordanian intelligence says was a bold plan to use chemical weapons and truck bombs in their capital. Targets including Jordanian intelligence headquarters, the prime minister's office and the U.S. embassy. The Jordanian government fears the death toll could have run into the thousands, more deadly even than 9/11.
For the first time, the alleged plotters were interviewed on videotape, aired on Jordanian TV. CNN obtained copies of the tapes from the Jordanians. This man revealing his orders came from a man named Azmi Jayoussi, the cell's alleged ringleader.
HUSSEIN SHARIF, ACCUSED PLOTTER (through translator): The aim of this operation was to strike Jordan and the Hashamite (ph) royal family, a war against the crusaders and infidels. Azmi told me this would be the first chemical suicide attack that al Qaeda would execute.
VAUSE: Also appearing on the tape, Azmi Jayoussi, who says his orders came from this man, Abu Masab al Zarqawi (ph), the same man the U.S. says is behind many of the violent attacks in Iraq.
AZMI JAYOUSSI, ACCUSED PLOTTER (through translator): I took advanced explosives courses, poisons, high level. Then I pledged allegiance to Abu Masab al Zarqawi (ph) to obey him without any questioning and to be on his side. After this, Afghanistan fell. I met Abu Masab al Zarqawi (ph) in Iraq.
VAUSE: Al Jayoussi was only shown in profile. He had marks on his hand, neck and face. The Jordanians who taped the confessions say the suspect suffered the injuries during the arrest. CNN was not allowed access to any of those arrested.
The Jordanian government says this plot is only the latest attempt by al Qaeda to destabilize this country.
ASMA KHADER, JORDANIAN MINISTER OF STATE: Jordan was fighting these types of plans years now, and the security forces were able to confront them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: U.S. officials here confirm the embassy was one of the targets and describe the plot as a grave and serious threat -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: If, indeed, the plot is true and the threat was real, then it would be huge. But are there those who are questioning the extent of this plot that it actually is as big and as dramatic as the Jordanians are saying it is?
VAUSE: There appears to be no disagreement this was, in fact, a major attack in the planning. Where there is disagreement, though, is in the details. Whether this would have been more of a conventional blast or whether as (AUDIO GAP)...
O'BRIEN: Obviously, we lost our satellite with John Vause, but giving us our answer there where he says there doesn't seem to be many questions about whether or not that some attack was, in fact, being planned. The question, of course, is whether it was a conventional weapon attack or, in fact, chemical weapons. Interesting report, a really fascinating report from him this morning.
HEMMER: Indeed it is.
U.S. troops in Iraq, meanwhile, fought a bloody overnight battle near Najaf. U.S. forces killing more than 40 Iraqi insurgents and using the heavy firepower of an AC-130 gunship in the air above.
Also there and in Fallujah, concerns again that the conflict is increasingly becoming one of urban warfare. To the Pentagon this morning and Barbara Starr for more on this.
Barbara -- good morning.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.
Well, if the order does come to go into Fallujah, just how tough a fight will it be for the Marines?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STARR (voice-over): Fallujah now the classic urban warfare scenario. The Marines facing an enemy with an advantage.
MICHAEL O'HANLON, SENIOR FELLOW, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: The insurgents know their city. They can hide wherever they want. They can ambush us. So, even if we did know the city we wouldn't know where they were hiding.
STARR: The Marines in Fallujah have their edge: superior communications, night vision equipment, helicopters. Reconnaissance units are trying to locate and track insurgents.
But in Fallujah, where many citizens and foreign fighters oppose the U.S. occupation, if it comes to all-out street fighting, the prospect of civilian casualties, a major concern. The U.S. has repeatedly said its troops take every precaution, precisely targeting insurgents and trying to avoid civilians.
BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, U.S. ARMY: If a person inside Fallujah is not carrying a weapon, he will not be considered a threat.
STARR: Iraqi officials say hundreds of civilians have been killed in Fallujah. Many Iraqis say the U.S. is too heavy-handed. But the coalition insists that helicopter gunships, 500-pound bombs, mortars and artillery called in by the Marines are used only to defend themselves against insurgent attacks.
O'HANLON: The problem here is that you usually cannot tell insurgents from the general population, unless you see somebody with a gun.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: When U.S. forces reached Baghdad more than a year ago, they thought they would be battling for that city. Now it appears to be a scenario possibly unfolding in Fallujah, with all of the very tough challenges for U.S. forces, not the least of which if it did come to all-out fighting, street by street, house by house, a lot of concern that that may just fuel the insurgency even more.
O'BRIEN: That's Barbara Starr for us, obviously, reporting from the Pentagon.
Interesting points she makes there. Well, still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, images of burning U.S. Humvees. We'll look at that.
Also, life as the wife of a famous basketball star. It's not always the bed of roses one might think. And the women often have interesting insights on some...
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: Also, after a long delay and many controversies, the ball now expected to be in the jury's court. The Jayson Williams manslaughter trial winding down.
Back in a moment here after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: An update this morning on a story we've been watching. A convicted child molester recently released from a California prison has been charged with three new sex abuse counts; this time north of California, in the state of Oregon. Edward Stokes (ph) is facing charges in connection with three 1996 allegations, including kidnapping and sodomy. He was released from a California prison on the 7th of April while serving a life sentence on a child molestation conviction. A court threw out that conviction after Stokes' (ph) accuser committed suicide before the trial. Police issued a warrant for his arrest after he applied for a driver's license using a false address.
Jurors in the Jayson Williams trial are expected to start deliberations today. Yesterday, the prosecution and defense had their final say in closing arguments, leaving jurors now to decide if a limo driver's death was a case of reckless disregard or an accident waiting to happen.
In New Jersey, here's Deborah Feyerick.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tying their case together, lawyers for Jayson Williams argued there was no motive, no credible firsthand witness, no reason for Williams to kill limo driver Gus Christofi.
BILLY MARTIN, DEFENSE ATTONREY: It was an accident. Try as they may to make this a crime, it was not.
FEYERICK: His lawyer says Williams was not taunting and cursing the driver, as prosecutors tried to prove, insisting instead the driver was having a good time, treated to dinner by Williams.
MARTIN: If he was afraid, he wouldn't have gone in the house later. If he wasn't having a good time, he wouldn't have come into the room again.
FEYERICK: Another lawyer stressed only one witness saw Williams with his finger near the trigger. That witness, Benoit Benjamin, allegedly demanding Williams later give him money and a job.
JOSEPH HAYDEN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: There's a name for what Mr. Benjamin tried to do, and that name is shakedown.
FEYERICK: Williams' lawyers say the former NBA star was distraught, never expecting the gun to go off. The prosecutors blasted the tactic of blaming the shotgun.
STEVE LEMBER, PROSECUTOR: The shotgun alone did not kill Gus Christofi. The shotgun alone did not load itself. The shotgun alone did not fly from the gun cabinet. The shotgun alone did not crack itself open. The shotgun alone did not point itself directly at Gus Christofi.
FEYERICK: Prosecutors stressed there was no direct evidence from anyone that the gun misfired, as Williams maintains, and that what Williams calls an accident was a conscious disregard of the risks.
LEMBER: When you have loaded weapons in your gun cabinet and you take one down in the presence of three or four guests, you better look. You better look real hard and real carefully.
FEYERICK (on camera): Whatever the verdict, Jayson Williams has already tried to make amends with Gus Christofi's family. He apologized to them and paid them an undisclosed amount of money.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Somerville, New Jersey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: And again, deliberations may start today. Williams faces eight charges that carry up to 55 years in prison -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: In the case of Kobe Bryant, pretrial hearings this week may decide, among others things, if details of his accuser's sex life will be fair game. The NBA star is accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman at a Colorado resort last year. Bryant maintains that the sex was consensual.
Our next guest know something about the NBA. She's lived life as an NBA wife. Crystal McCrary Anthony was married to former pro player Greg Anthony, and she's also the co-author of a best-selling novel. It's titled "Home Court Advantage." And it's a fictional account of life on and off the hardwood. It's being re-released this week. She joins us this morning.
Nice to see you, Crystal. Thanks for being with us.
CRYSTAL MCCRARY ANTHONY, CO-AUTHOR, "HOME COURT ADVANTAGE": Thank you for having me.
O'BRIEN: You're re-releasing it because you've kind of added a lot of detail, I think, and current things to this book, and it was a great read the first time I read it.
ANTHONY: Well, thank you. O'BRIEN: So, I'm looking forward to updating it. It's a fictional account, but how much of it is based fictional and how much is it, do you think, is it really what you have lived?
ANTHONY: Well, I mean, it does touch upon the culture of the NBA and the culture of being in a type of career where you have celebrity status. And as we can see what's happening right now with the Kobe Bryant trial, it's taken on a larger-than-life interest, oftentimes overshadowing what's going on in his personal life, what's happen on the court.
O'BRIEN: When you first heard the allegations of rape being made -- and I remember, you know, it started to leak out. People couldn't believe it. Kobe Bryant then sat down and did a press conference. What was your reaction? What did you think?
ANTHONY: I mean, first of all, when I first heard it, I was shocked.
O'BRIEN: Do you know him?
ANTHONY: I have never met him. I've never met him. I've never met his wife. But I was shock on a variety of levels. I was shocked, you know, certainly personally, professionally, there are legal implications. And as a mother myself, and I had great empathy for his wife, who was brought out at the press conference, sitting there, holding his hand, in a position to support him, to essentially help keep him, you know, out of prison. I felt very badly for her and their 6-month-old child at home.
And the implications of, you know, his active infidelity, especially since Kobe was a player who held himself out to the public as being a role model, as being a very dedicated, committed husband. And the accusations certainly of rape are harmful in and of themselves, let alone, you know the infidelity, just what that means personally for he and his wife.
O'BRIEN: There are so many people who, I think, would agree with you, who would say in a culture where a lot of the men are, for lack of a better word, slimeballs, Kobe Bryant was a guy who really was completely different. He certainly held himself out to be different from the others. Do you think that the culture is such that it changes people, or do you think it's just the way it is?
ANTHONY: Well, I think that we live in a celebrity-mongering culture, first of all. And we touch upon that in "Home Court Advantage," and as you look around at what's in the news, I mean, we had issues of President Clinton and his infidelity, I mean, Frank Gifford and his infidelity, and...
O'BRIEN: The list goes on and on and on.
ANTHONY: It goes on and on. I mean, and it's problematic in general, and especially in the culture of the NBA and the issues where you do have fans and you do have many of them female fans that oftentimes do know when the players are coming to town and do throw themselves at them at times.
In the case of Kobe, I mean, he admits that it was at the very least consensual sex. But, as an attorney myself, I don't practice criminal law, there are the questions of whether or not it truly was consensual, which is going to be, you know, determined once the facts become more apparent in this case.
O'BRIEN: And certainly that's why everyone is watching to find out the celebrity part of it and also the facts of the case. I would agree with you. Crystal McCray Anthony, nice to have you. Thanks so much.
ANTHONY: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: This book is a great read.
ANTHONY: Well, I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
O'BRIEN: I loved it the first time, and I'm looking forward to it the second time around.
ANTHONY: Well, I hope you read "Home Court Advantage" again, and, you know, pick up -- I have some other issues that you want to hear about on my Web site, www.CrystalMcCraryAnthony.com, and I touch upon several of the issues that Kobe is dealing is with, as well as what his wife might be experiencing.
O'BRIEN: Great. Well, it's nice to have you. Thanks so much.
ANTHONY: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: All right, in a moment here, P. Diddy on a whole new stage. His debut in a Broadway classic last night. The reviews are in this morning. We'll get to it next here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: All right, welcome back. To Jack now, question of the day.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Bill.
The Supreme Court of the United States will hear arguments today on whether Vice President Dick Cheney should have to come clean on his energy task force meetings. A couple of groups have filed a lawsuit to get access to the records of those meetings. A lower court ordered the vice president to disclose the documents two years ago, but so far he has refused.
The solicitor general says the White House should be able to meet confidentiality -- or confidentially, rather, with private citizens, but opponents say the meetings have been heavily influenced by corporate interests, including those weenies from Enron, Kenny boy and the rest of those losers. Should the Supreme Court -- is the question here -- force Vice President Cheney to release information about his energy meetings? And don't you know everybody thinks he should. Almost everybody.
Doug in Tokyo: "Of course. We're not talking about some secret anti-terror strategy. We're talking about the most public of public policies, which is fundamental to the right of the people to know how their government arrives at decisions."
Ashley in Tampa Bay: "Absolutely. It raises fundamental questions about the very nature of our system of checks and balances. Cheney's actions look like an effort to weaken Congress. The veil of secrecy surrounding the Bush administration is incredible."
Joe in Chicago Heights: "No. I feel if anything worthwhile came out of those meetings they will surface on their own. A Supreme Court ruling is just not necessary to make these ideas come forward."
And D.G. writes: "Given the big deal the Bush regime is making over John Kerry's war record, I thought full disclosure was the order of the day, or does that only apply to Democrats?"
HEMMER: Now, are they alleging that here was wrongdoing here, or are they just saying that we need to see what happened there in these meetings and get a look at it?
CAFFERTY: They just want to shine a light on how they do the public's business.
HEMMER: What does the White House say? Are they saying you can do it, or you can't because of what?
CAFFERTY: Well, Cheney has steadfastly refused to reveal the minutes of the meeting. You know, executive privilege.
O'BRIEN: He requires (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Interesting.
HEMMER: And there you have it.
O'BRIEN: It's an interesting debate.
CAFFERTY: Well, not really.
HEMMER: Really?
O'BRIEN: Really? I think so.
HEMMER: You don't like it?
CAFFERTY: No. It's boring.
O'BRIEN: We like it.
HEMMER: Was it your idea?
CAFFERTY: Huh? HEMMER: Was it your idea?
CAFFERTY: Yes, it came out all good.
O'BRIEN: Well, you know...
HEMMER: Speaking softly over here.
O'BRIEN: Maybe tomorrow.
HEMMER: We're going to have an intervention here.
O'BRIEN: What, you don't like that? What are you going to do about it, Mr. Cafferty?
Hey, did you guys see P. Diddy on Broadway last night?
HEMMER: I did not, but I read the reviews.
CAFFERTY: Oh, gee, I missed it. Damn!
O'BRIEN: Get your tickets. You know what?
CAFFERTY: Is there any chance to get a standing room only, maybe?
O'BRIEN: I've got to tell you, last night he made his Broadway debut in the version of the classic, "A Raisin in the Sun." He plays the role that was originated by Sidney Poitier, a young husband and father looking to upgrade his family's life. And he says it is a real challenge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN "P. DIDDY" COMBS, BROADWAY ACTOR: It's the most difficult challenge. It is to me every day. But there's no takes. You know, acting live on stage, it's the hardest thing anybody can do. And I have so much respect for the other actors and so much respect for the play itself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: I've got to tell you, the reviews say he was not bad. He was good.
HEMMER: Not bad.
O'BRIEN: Better than -- actually, he was better than not bad, that he was actually pretty good.
HEMMER: Two curtain calls. Standing ovation for him last evening. He said it was one of the most challenging things he's ever done.
O'BRIEN: Yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're a good actor just because people come out, you know, and give you a standing ovation.
HEMMER: I think when critics in New York City say you did OK...
O'BRIEN: Yes, that's (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HEMMER: ... I think you did quite OK.
O'BRIEN: I may actually go see that now.
HEMMER: Yes, OK, we'll get Jack a ticket.
O'BRIEN: And I love (UNINTELLIGIBLE), she's in it, too, and Felisha Rashad (ph).
CAFFERTY: I'll go.
O'BRIEN: Really? Do you want to go as a date, the three of us?
HEMMER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: What? I don't know about that.
O'BRIEN: Maybe -- so, you want to think about? I'll get back to you after the show
CAFFERTY: I have.
HEMMER: Let's get a break here. In a moment, we're going to get you back to Iraq and what's happening over there today. A violent overnight clash taking dozens of lives there in Najaf. We'll talk to a journalist who is recently back from the scene of a lot of action near Fallujah as well. Back in a moment here, top of the hour on AMERICAN MORNING.
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Aired April 27, 2004 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: If authorities are right, it would have been unlike anything the world has ever seen. It involved chemical weapons, they say, and by some accounts, could have killed tens of thousands in the capital city of Amman. We'll get to that story live in Jordan in a moment here.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Also, this morning, urban warfare in Iraq. All of the advanced equipment in the world is not enough to take away the extreme threat to U.S. troops and also to Iraqi civilians. Barbara Starr is going to join us for a look at the incredible dangers just ahead.
HEMMER: All right, first, though, let's start again here at the half-hour back in Iraq. U.S. forces have been engaged in some fierce fighting near the city of Najaf. That's the holy city south of Baghdad. A U.S. military spokesman says U.S. troops killed 43 insurgents late last night. Coalition officials are warning insurgents that if weapons were not removed from holy sites and schools, further steps may have to be taken there. More on the situation of what's happening in Najaf throughout our show this morning.
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Saud al Faisal, says the U.S. is partially responsible for the rise of Osama bin Laden. The prince says U.S. supported the Taliban during the Afghan war with the Soviets and shares the blame. Some lawmakers have criticized the Saudi kingdom for undermining efforts to fight terrorism.
Some lawmakers are pushing for quick approval of the man nominated to be America's first ambassador to post-Saddam Hussein Iraq. President Bush tapped John Negroponte, now the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., about a week ago. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is meeting today to talk about that very nomination.
Also in politics, the campaign trail is heating up as the president and Democratic hopeful John Kerry travel across the country yet again today. The president is in Baltimore to promote new high- tech policies in health care. And John Kerry continues jobs first bus tour through West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan this week. Senator Kerry is promoting new jobs programs while criticizing tax cuts for the rich.
Former President Bill Clinton's memoir, "My Life," is slated to go on sale in late June. The announcement was made yesterday by the book's publisher. The first printing, 1.5 million copies. The former president reportedly received a record $10 million advance for that book. It's going to be out in June. O'BRIEN: Wow, 1.5 million copies? That's huge.
HEMMER: That's a big, big order. Exactly right.
O'BRIEN: Let's see how he does. I wonder if he and Hillary are competing to see...
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: I think I'll leave that right over there.
O'BRIEN: You're not going to touch that one, huh?
HEMMER: That's right.
(WEATHER BREAK)
O'BRIEN: The government of Jordan says it could have been one of the deadliest terror attacks ever. Suspected al Qaeda operatives allegedly planned a major attack in the heart of the Jordanian capital. Among the alleged targets, the U.S. embassy and the Jordanian prime minister's office.
In a series of raids, security forces say they broke up the plot, killing three suspects and arresting several more.
John Vause is live for us in Amman with more.
Good morning -- John.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Last night on primetime, Jordanians watched the extraordinary televised confessions of four accused terrorists, who admitted they were planning what could have been al Qaeda's first ever chemical attack, one which the Jordanian government says was just days away from execution.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE (voice-over): Jordanian special forces raiding an apartment house in Amman in the hunt for an al Qaeda cell. Some of the suspects are killed, others arrested, ending what Jordanian intelligence says was a bold plan to use chemical weapons and truck bombs in their capital. Targets including Jordanian intelligence headquarters, the prime minister's office and the U.S. embassy. The Jordanian government fears the death toll could have run into the thousands, more deadly even than 9/11.
For the first time, the alleged plotters were interviewed on videotape, aired on Jordanian TV. CNN obtained copies of the tapes from the Jordanians. This man revealing his orders came from a man named Azmi Jayoussi, the cell's alleged ringleader.
HUSSEIN SHARIF, ACCUSED PLOTTER (through translator): The aim of this operation was to strike Jordan and the Hashamite (ph) royal family, a war against the crusaders and infidels. Azmi told me this would be the first chemical suicide attack that al Qaeda would execute.
VAUSE: Also appearing on the tape, Azmi Jayoussi, who says his orders came from this man, Abu Masab al Zarqawi (ph), the same man the U.S. says is behind many of the violent attacks in Iraq.
AZMI JAYOUSSI, ACCUSED PLOTTER (through translator): I took advanced explosives courses, poisons, high level. Then I pledged allegiance to Abu Masab al Zarqawi (ph) to obey him without any questioning and to be on his side. After this, Afghanistan fell. I met Abu Masab al Zarqawi (ph) in Iraq.
VAUSE: Al Jayoussi was only shown in profile. He had marks on his hand, neck and face. The Jordanians who taped the confessions say the suspect suffered the injuries during the arrest. CNN was not allowed access to any of those arrested.
The Jordanian government says this plot is only the latest attempt by al Qaeda to destabilize this country.
ASMA KHADER, JORDANIAN MINISTER OF STATE: Jordan was fighting these types of plans years now, and the security forces were able to confront them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: U.S. officials here confirm the embassy was one of the targets and describe the plot as a grave and serious threat -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: If, indeed, the plot is true and the threat was real, then it would be huge. But are there those who are questioning the extent of this plot that it actually is as big and as dramatic as the Jordanians are saying it is?
VAUSE: There appears to be no disagreement this was, in fact, a major attack in the planning. Where there is disagreement, though, is in the details. Whether this would have been more of a conventional blast or whether as (AUDIO GAP)...
O'BRIEN: Obviously, we lost our satellite with John Vause, but giving us our answer there where he says there doesn't seem to be many questions about whether or not that some attack was, in fact, being planned. The question, of course, is whether it was a conventional weapon attack or, in fact, chemical weapons. Interesting report, a really fascinating report from him this morning.
HEMMER: Indeed it is.
U.S. troops in Iraq, meanwhile, fought a bloody overnight battle near Najaf. U.S. forces killing more than 40 Iraqi insurgents and using the heavy firepower of an AC-130 gunship in the air above.
Also there and in Fallujah, concerns again that the conflict is increasingly becoming one of urban warfare. To the Pentagon this morning and Barbara Starr for more on this.
Barbara -- good morning.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.
Well, if the order does come to go into Fallujah, just how tough a fight will it be for the Marines?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STARR (voice-over): Fallujah now the classic urban warfare scenario. The Marines facing an enemy with an advantage.
MICHAEL O'HANLON, SENIOR FELLOW, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: The insurgents know their city. They can hide wherever they want. They can ambush us. So, even if we did know the city we wouldn't know where they were hiding.
STARR: The Marines in Fallujah have their edge: superior communications, night vision equipment, helicopters. Reconnaissance units are trying to locate and track insurgents.
But in Fallujah, where many citizens and foreign fighters oppose the U.S. occupation, if it comes to all-out street fighting, the prospect of civilian casualties, a major concern. The U.S. has repeatedly said its troops take every precaution, precisely targeting insurgents and trying to avoid civilians.
BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, U.S. ARMY: If a person inside Fallujah is not carrying a weapon, he will not be considered a threat.
STARR: Iraqi officials say hundreds of civilians have been killed in Fallujah. Many Iraqis say the U.S. is too heavy-handed. But the coalition insists that helicopter gunships, 500-pound bombs, mortars and artillery called in by the Marines are used only to defend themselves against insurgent attacks.
O'HANLON: The problem here is that you usually cannot tell insurgents from the general population, unless you see somebody with a gun.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: When U.S. forces reached Baghdad more than a year ago, they thought they would be battling for that city. Now it appears to be a scenario possibly unfolding in Fallujah, with all of the very tough challenges for U.S. forces, not the least of which if it did come to all-out fighting, street by street, house by house, a lot of concern that that may just fuel the insurgency even more.
O'BRIEN: That's Barbara Starr for us, obviously, reporting from the Pentagon.
Interesting points she makes there. Well, still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, images of burning U.S. Humvees. We'll look at that.
Also, life as the wife of a famous basketball star. It's not always the bed of roses one might think. And the women often have interesting insights on some...
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: Also, after a long delay and many controversies, the ball now expected to be in the jury's court. The Jayson Williams manslaughter trial winding down.
Back in a moment here after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: An update this morning on a story we've been watching. A convicted child molester recently released from a California prison has been charged with three new sex abuse counts; this time north of California, in the state of Oregon. Edward Stokes (ph) is facing charges in connection with three 1996 allegations, including kidnapping and sodomy. He was released from a California prison on the 7th of April while serving a life sentence on a child molestation conviction. A court threw out that conviction after Stokes' (ph) accuser committed suicide before the trial. Police issued a warrant for his arrest after he applied for a driver's license using a false address.
Jurors in the Jayson Williams trial are expected to start deliberations today. Yesterday, the prosecution and defense had their final say in closing arguments, leaving jurors now to decide if a limo driver's death was a case of reckless disregard or an accident waiting to happen.
In New Jersey, here's Deborah Feyerick.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tying their case together, lawyers for Jayson Williams argued there was no motive, no credible firsthand witness, no reason for Williams to kill limo driver Gus Christofi.
BILLY MARTIN, DEFENSE ATTONREY: It was an accident. Try as they may to make this a crime, it was not.
FEYERICK: His lawyer says Williams was not taunting and cursing the driver, as prosecutors tried to prove, insisting instead the driver was having a good time, treated to dinner by Williams.
MARTIN: If he was afraid, he wouldn't have gone in the house later. If he wasn't having a good time, he wouldn't have come into the room again.
FEYERICK: Another lawyer stressed only one witness saw Williams with his finger near the trigger. That witness, Benoit Benjamin, allegedly demanding Williams later give him money and a job.
JOSEPH HAYDEN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: There's a name for what Mr. Benjamin tried to do, and that name is shakedown.
FEYERICK: Williams' lawyers say the former NBA star was distraught, never expecting the gun to go off. The prosecutors blasted the tactic of blaming the shotgun.
STEVE LEMBER, PROSECUTOR: The shotgun alone did not kill Gus Christofi. The shotgun alone did not load itself. The shotgun alone did not fly from the gun cabinet. The shotgun alone did not crack itself open. The shotgun alone did not point itself directly at Gus Christofi.
FEYERICK: Prosecutors stressed there was no direct evidence from anyone that the gun misfired, as Williams maintains, and that what Williams calls an accident was a conscious disregard of the risks.
LEMBER: When you have loaded weapons in your gun cabinet and you take one down in the presence of three or four guests, you better look. You better look real hard and real carefully.
FEYERICK (on camera): Whatever the verdict, Jayson Williams has already tried to make amends with Gus Christofi's family. He apologized to them and paid them an undisclosed amount of money.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Somerville, New Jersey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: And again, deliberations may start today. Williams faces eight charges that carry up to 55 years in prison -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: In the case of Kobe Bryant, pretrial hearings this week may decide, among others things, if details of his accuser's sex life will be fair game. The NBA star is accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman at a Colorado resort last year. Bryant maintains that the sex was consensual.
Our next guest know something about the NBA. She's lived life as an NBA wife. Crystal McCrary Anthony was married to former pro player Greg Anthony, and she's also the co-author of a best-selling novel. It's titled "Home Court Advantage." And it's a fictional account of life on and off the hardwood. It's being re-released this week. She joins us this morning.
Nice to see you, Crystal. Thanks for being with us.
CRYSTAL MCCRARY ANTHONY, CO-AUTHOR, "HOME COURT ADVANTAGE": Thank you for having me.
O'BRIEN: You're re-releasing it because you've kind of added a lot of detail, I think, and current things to this book, and it was a great read the first time I read it.
ANTHONY: Well, thank you. O'BRIEN: So, I'm looking forward to updating it. It's a fictional account, but how much of it is based fictional and how much is it, do you think, is it really what you have lived?
ANTHONY: Well, I mean, it does touch upon the culture of the NBA and the culture of being in a type of career where you have celebrity status. And as we can see what's happening right now with the Kobe Bryant trial, it's taken on a larger-than-life interest, oftentimes overshadowing what's going on in his personal life, what's happen on the court.
O'BRIEN: When you first heard the allegations of rape being made -- and I remember, you know, it started to leak out. People couldn't believe it. Kobe Bryant then sat down and did a press conference. What was your reaction? What did you think?
ANTHONY: I mean, first of all, when I first heard it, I was shocked.
O'BRIEN: Do you know him?
ANTHONY: I have never met him. I've never met him. I've never met his wife. But I was shock on a variety of levels. I was shocked, you know, certainly personally, professionally, there are legal implications. And as a mother myself, and I had great empathy for his wife, who was brought out at the press conference, sitting there, holding his hand, in a position to support him, to essentially help keep him, you know, out of prison. I felt very badly for her and their 6-month-old child at home.
And the implications of, you know, his active infidelity, especially since Kobe was a player who held himself out to the public as being a role model, as being a very dedicated, committed husband. And the accusations certainly of rape are harmful in and of themselves, let alone, you know the infidelity, just what that means personally for he and his wife.
O'BRIEN: There are so many people who, I think, would agree with you, who would say in a culture where a lot of the men are, for lack of a better word, slimeballs, Kobe Bryant was a guy who really was completely different. He certainly held himself out to be different from the others. Do you think that the culture is such that it changes people, or do you think it's just the way it is?
ANTHONY: Well, I think that we live in a celebrity-mongering culture, first of all. And we touch upon that in "Home Court Advantage," and as you look around at what's in the news, I mean, we had issues of President Clinton and his infidelity, I mean, Frank Gifford and his infidelity, and...
O'BRIEN: The list goes on and on and on.
ANTHONY: It goes on and on. I mean, and it's problematic in general, and especially in the culture of the NBA and the issues where you do have fans and you do have many of them female fans that oftentimes do know when the players are coming to town and do throw themselves at them at times.
In the case of Kobe, I mean, he admits that it was at the very least consensual sex. But, as an attorney myself, I don't practice criminal law, there are the questions of whether or not it truly was consensual, which is going to be, you know, determined once the facts become more apparent in this case.
O'BRIEN: And certainly that's why everyone is watching to find out the celebrity part of it and also the facts of the case. I would agree with you. Crystal McCray Anthony, nice to have you. Thanks so much.
ANTHONY: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: This book is a great read.
ANTHONY: Well, I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
O'BRIEN: I loved it the first time, and I'm looking forward to it the second time around.
ANTHONY: Well, I hope you read "Home Court Advantage" again, and, you know, pick up -- I have some other issues that you want to hear about on my Web site, www.CrystalMcCraryAnthony.com, and I touch upon several of the issues that Kobe is dealing is with, as well as what his wife might be experiencing.
O'BRIEN: Great. Well, it's nice to have you. Thanks so much.
ANTHONY: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: All right, in a moment here, P. Diddy on a whole new stage. His debut in a Broadway classic last night. The reviews are in this morning. We'll get to it next here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: All right, welcome back. To Jack now, question of the day.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Bill.
The Supreme Court of the United States will hear arguments today on whether Vice President Dick Cheney should have to come clean on his energy task force meetings. A couple of groups have filed a lawsuit to get access to the records of those meetings. A lower court ordered the vice president to disclose the documents two years ago, but so far he has refused.
The solicitor general says the White House should be able to meet confidentiality -- or confidentially, rather, with private citizens, but opponents say the meetings have been heavily influenced by corporate interests, including those weenies from Enron, Kenny boy and the rest of those losers. Should the Supreme Court -- is the question here -- force Vice President Cheney to release information about his energy meetings? And don't you know everybody thinks he should. Almost everybody.
Doug in Tokyo: "Of course. We're not talking about some secret anti-terror strategy. We're talking about the most public of public policies, which is fundamental to the right of the people to know how their government arrives at decisions."
Ashley in Tampa Bay: "Absolutely. It raises fundamental questions about the very nature of our system of checks and balances. Cheney's actions look like an effort to weaken Congress. The veil of secrecy surrounding the Bush administration is incredible."
Joe in Chicago Heights: "No. I feel if anything worthwhile came out of those meetings they will surface on their own. A Supreme Court ruling is just not necessary to make these ideas come forward."
And D.G. writes: "Given the big deal the Bush regime is making over John Kerry's war record, I thought full disclosure was the order of the day, or does that only apply to Democrats?"
HEMMER: Now, are they alleging that here was wrongdoing here, or are they just saying that we need to see what happened there in these meetings and get a look at it?
CAFFERTY: They just want to shine a light on how they do the public's business.
HEMMER: What does the White House say? Are they saying you can do it, or you can't because of what?
CAFFERTY: Well, Cheney has steadfastly refused to reveal the minutes of the meeting. You know, executive privilege.
O'BRIEN: He requires (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Interesting.
HEMMER: And there you have it.
O'BRIEN: It's an interesting debate.
CAFFERTY: Well, not really.
HEMMER: Really?
O'BRIEN: Really? I think so.
HEMMER: You don't like it?
CAFFERTY: No. It's boring.
O'BRIEN: We like it.
HEMMER: Was it your idea?
CAFFERTY: Huh? HEMMER: Was it your idea?
CAFFERTY: Yes, it came out all good.
O'BRIEN: Well, you know...
HEMMER: Speaking softly over here.
O'BRIEN: Maybe tomorrow.
HEMMER: We're going to have an intervention here.
O'BRIEN: What, you don't like that? What are you going to do about it, Mr. Cafferty?
Hey, did you guys see P. Diddy on Broadway last night?
HEMMER: I did not, but I read the reviews.
CAFFERTY: Oh, gee, I missed it. Damn!
O'BRIEN: Get your tickets. You know what?
CAFFERTY: Is there any chance to get a standing room only, maybe?
O'BRIEN: I've got to tell you, last night he made his Broadway debut in the version of the classic, "A Raisin in the Sun." He plays the role that was originated by Sidney Poitier, a young husband and father looking to upgrade his family's life. And he says it is a real challenge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN "P. DIDDY" COMBS, BROADWAY ACTOR: It's the most difficult challenge. It is to me every day. But there's no takes. You know, acting live on stage, it's the hardest thing anybody can do. And I have so much respect for the other actors and so much respect for the play itself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: I've got to tell you, the reviews say he was not bad. He was good.
HEMMER: Not bad.
O'BRIEN: Better than -- actually, he was better than not bad, that he was actually pretty good.
HEMMER: Two curtain calls. Standing ovation for him last evening. He said it was one of the most challenging things he's ever done.
O'BRIEN: Yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're a good actor just because people come out, you know, and give you a standing ovation.
HEMMER: I think when critics in New York City say you did OK...
O'BRIEN: Yes, that's (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HEMMER: ... I think you did quite OK.
O'BRIEN: I may actually go see that now.
HEMMER: Yes, OK, we'll get Jack a ticket.
O'BRIEN: And I love (UNINTELLIGIBLE), she's in it, too, and Felisha Rashad (ph).
CAFFERTY: I'll go.
O'BRIEN: Really? Do you want to go as a date, the three of us?
HEMMER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: What? I don't know about that.
O'BRIEN: Maybe -- so, you want to think about? I'll get back to you after the show
CAFFERTY: I have.
HEMMER: Let's get a break here. In a moment, we're going to get you back to Iraq and what's happening over there today. A violent overnight clash taking dozens of lives there in Najaf. We'll talk to a journalist who is recently back from the scene of a lot of action near Fallujah as well. Back in a moment here, top of the hour on AMERICAN MORNING.
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