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American Morning

Latest on Fighting in Fallujahh; Update on Sexual Assault Case Against Kobe Bryant

Aired April 28, 2004 - 08:00   ET

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

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


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've been playing patty cake with these insurgents. We have not begun to do offensive operations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.

On again/off again battles in Fallujah. Is the big one coming soon?

A nail biter for one of the most senior senators in Congress. Is there a political message in last night's challenge to Arlen Specter?

And the hearing in Colorado that may define the strategy in the Kobe Bryant trial.

All ahead this hour 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: Good morning.

Welcome, everybody.

Other stories that we're following this morning, some experts are seeing a growing trend among girls, becoming more and more violent. We're going to talk to an author who's reschedule the problem and also look at a very shocking case out of Maryland. Did you guys hear this? A group of teenaged girls beat up a 12-year-old girl, put her in the hospital in a coma, all because a boy went over and kissed her on the cheek. I mean a really ridiculous story. We'll get into that this morning.

HEMMER: Also, on a much different topic, talking to the leader of a new expedition, setting out to find Noah's Ark. For a long time, some people have claimed the Ark is real and what's left of it is in Turkey's Mount Ararat. Why this expedition may be quite different from ones in the past. We'll talk to two men involved in that in a moment.

O'BRIEN: Interesting.

Mr. Cafferty -- good morning. JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

Coming up in the Cafferty File, Bobby Brown, the singer, says he needs a vacation in the Bahamas. Hey, he just got out of jail and he's married to Whitney Houston. He probably needs a vacation someplace. And Dolly Parton threatening a wardrobe malfunction of her own...

HEMMER: Whoa, Nelly.

CAFFERTY: Which, when you think about it, could be breathtaking.

HEMMER: And a few other things.

CAFFERTY: Yes.

HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.

O'BRIEN: That's pretty funny.

All right, we'll look forward to that, Jack.

Good teases this morning.

Let's get right to our top story.

The Supreme Court will hear two back to back cases today that test the balance between civil liberties and national security. Jose Padilla and Yaser Hamdi, both U.S. citizens, are considered enemy combatants by the Bush administration. The questions before the justices -- can the government imprison Americans and then refuse them access to their lawyers?

The body of another contract worker killed in Iraq has now been identified. Halliburton says the man is 47-year-old Tony Johnson from California. Johnson's body was found after a convoy attack earlier this month and Johnson was one of four Halliburton workers who were killed in the ambush. Three others are still missing.

The wreckage of a missing Black Hawk helicopter has been found in South Carolina. The UH-60 chopper was found in a wooded area near a bridge off Interstate 95. Military sources say all three crew members are presumed dead. The helicopter went missing on Monday night during a routine training flight from Fort Bragg in North Carolina. The cause of the crash is now under investigation.

National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice is giving another briefing on the war in Iraq. Rice is expected to meet with House Democrats in a closed door session today. She spoke to House and Senate Republicans and Senate Democrats last week. Some Democrats are criticizing Rice for holding separate party meetings instead of bipartisan sessions.

And it was two times unlucky at a California supermarket. Take a look at this. Police say a 73-year-old woman was shaken but unhurt after she crashed her sedan into the store's entrance yesterday. It's the second time that same store has been hit by a car. There was another car crash there back in January.

You know what? They are way too close to the street, obviously, and they need to put those, you know, little borders up.

HEMMER: Yes?

O'BRIEN: Like planters.

HEMMER: Or maybe just move, because the target is on them.

O'BRIEN: Oh, yes.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: Back to Iraq now this morning. Word again today of renewed fighting in Fallujah. This new reported fighting follows a heavy bombardment by U.S. forces of insurgent targets yesterday. You saw it live here on CNN by way of night scope.

To Baghdad this hour.

Ben Wedeman is tracking the latest out of Iraq -- Ben, good afternoon.

What do you know at this hour? BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hello, Bill.

Well, according to the Al Jazeera Arabic satellite news channel, there has been renewed -- a renewed outbreak of fighting in Fallujah, that very restive town to the west of Baghdad. Not much more in the way of details from there, but that follows a very noisy evening in Fallujah, when we saw, as you mentioned, those live pictures from there.

Now what we've learned since then from a senior military official is that what happened was is that you -- an AC-130 U.S. gunship was brought in and fired upon two trucks that had been seen approaching the perimeter of the town in the Jolan neighborhood. That neighborhood a real hotbed for the anti-coalition insurgents.

Those trucks apparently were carrying some sort of ammunition or explosives. The AC-130 rounds hit those trucks, causing those very large blasts that we saw.

Now, despite this fighting, the fighting this afternoon and last night, we are told that tomorrow sheikhs or tribal leaders will be converging upon Fallujah to try to work out some sort of end to this very long and difficult and, indeed, bloody insurrection in that town.

Now, the United States forces, the coalition is anxious to try to avoid the kind of bloodshed that occurred earlier this month. They're giving the diplomats, or rather the intermediaries, a chance to work things out.

Now, the situation in Najaf also a bit unclear. What we're hearing is that U.S. forces have surrounded the town of Kufa, which is just up the road from the Shiite holy city of Najaf. What they're trying to do is cut Najaf off, specifically, the Mahdi Army. That is that militia loyal to firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

One interesting bit of news we're hearing from sources close to the situation in Najaf is that some members of the Mahdi Army are shedding their black clothing, which identifies them as members of the Mahdi Army and trying to dissolve back into the local population. This is a result of something of a backlash against them -- Bill.

HEMMER: Ben Wedeman, thanks, in Baghdad.

Also, earlier today, I talked with Scott Peterson.

He's an international correspondent with the "Christian Science Monitor."

He's been providing us with firsthand accounts of what's happening with the Marines. He's stationed at the base camp east of Fallujah about six miles.

The first topic for Scott, last night's air attacks on these weapons stashes inside of Fallujah.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCOTT PETERSON, INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, "CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR": What U.S. military commanders on the ground here are telling us is that basically what happened was the reconnaissance unit identified a truck laden with weapons. They decided to call in Specter gunships, strike the truck. That launched a series of secondary explosions from the ammunition that was actually in the truck. And then, as people jumped out of that truck in order to run into a house that was nearby, it turns out that that house, too, apparently was a weapons, a weapons dump. Because when the Specter gunships struck that house, yet again there were more and more secondary explosions.

So Marine commanders here are pleased at the results. They say they saw no casualties of their own overnight, but they have managed to destroy quite a few weapons.

HEMMER: Scott, when we see this videotape and these pictures here, does the cease-fire still exist? And if it does, how do the Marines explain that at this point?

PETERSON: Well, I think that the cease-fire is really a construct now that is, that really is -- I mean by all normal definitions of a cease-fire, it no longer exists. There have been engagements every single day. Both sides have been active. Like I say, last night it sounds like the Marines took this target of opportunity and struck this weapons vehicle. It's not clear whether Iraqis fired first or not.

The day before, the insurgents actually began things with a very powerful strike against Marine positions. So in terms of a cease-fire, no, it doesn't exist. But what it does do is it enables the -- both sides to say that there is some kind of a diplomatic process under way. They're talking about joint patrols starting later this week. And today we understand sheikhs from around the country are heading toward Fallujah, it sounds like with some aim toward mediating.

HEMMER: You mentioned the sheikh story, the sheikhs converging at some point on Fallujah.

Does that give us an indication that the political track still exists at this point?

PETERSON: Well, I think it also -- yes, it does. And I think the Marines, the Marine commanders that I've spoken to this morning indicate that they are interested in pursuing that track. In part, I think, because they see that what they're gaining at the moment by, for example, the destruction of this weapons, you know, those, so many weapons last night, with very little loss of life from their side. Also, they've had some very effective strikes against groups of insurgents holed up in various places in recent days.

So they feel that the benefits at the moment of not launching a major military strike outweigh the disadvantages. And, of course, those disadvantages are it gives the insurgents an opportunity to rearm and regroup.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: At the end of our conversation, Scott Peterson saw those AC-130 gunships in the air again. At the time they were not firing. But, again, in the past few minutes, indications out of Fallujah that the fighting has resumed there. When we get more, we'll certainly pass it along to you. Scott Peterson, the "Christian Science Monitor," with the U.S. Marines -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Well, late last night, veteran Republican Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania narrowly won a shot at a fifth term. The race was being closely watched to see if moderates like Specter still have a role in the grand old party.

Here's congressional correspondent Joe Johns for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Senator Arlen Specter is known as a survivor in politics, and he lived up to that reputation Tuesday night.

SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (R-PA), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Thank you very much for persevering through a long evening and thank you for your support during a very tough campaign.

JOHNS: Congressman Pat Toomey, who campaigned against Specter's moderate voting record, conceded the race shortly after midnight. REP. PAT TOOMEY (R), PENNSYLVANIA: Senator Specter and I have our differences. Everybody knows that now. And we don't need to cover up those differences or pretend they're not there. They are. But despite those differences, I have no hesitation in supporting him now.

JOHNS: The race had been billed as a test of whether moderates like Specter have a place in an increasingly conservative Republican Party. But in the end, Specter won the support of some key conservatives, who worried that a Toomey victory could cost Republicans the state in the fall. Specter's biggest selling point in the final days, that a vote for him would protect President Bush's chances of winning this swing state in the general election. With this hard fought race behind them, Specter said the party is now united towards that goal.

SPECTER: Now is the time, having settled our family disagreement within the Republican Party, to unify to reelect President Bush, to maintain the Republican majority in the United States Senate.

JOHNS (on camera): With Toomey out of the race, the Republican national party was feeling better about the chances of retaining the Senate seat. But as soon as the results came in, Democrats were already saying Specter's unimpressive victory showed he was vulnerable to the challenger he'll face this fall, Democratic Congressman Joe Hoeffel.

Joe Johns, CNN, Philadelphia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: After the victory, Senator Specter thanked President Bush for his support. The president lost Pennsylvania to Al Gore in the 2000 presidential campaign.

HEMMER: Also on the trail, battle lines being drawn. Senator John Kerry is firing back at the White House over criticism of his record on national security. Again he talked about this yesterday. Senator Kerry was in Cleveland, Ohio.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They want you to believe that John Kerry, who put the uniform of his country on voluntarily, who felt an obligation to go to Vietnam when so many others didn't, who stood up and fought for our country, they want you to believe -- they want you to believe that somehow I'm not strong for the defense of our nation.

Well, I've defended our nation. And I'm prepared to stand up and defend it as president and forever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Also yesterday, the White House spokesperson, Scott McClellan, saying that President Bush and his surrogates will continue to make their distinctions between the president and Senator Kerry.

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, will the jury in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case hear evidence about his accuser's sexual history? A look at that ahead.

HEMMER: Also, Saddam Hussein getting another year older in custody. His interrogators, though, are not celebrating. He had a visit yesterday, too. We'll talk about it.

O'BRIEN: And are girls becoming more violent against other girls? We'll take a look at this disturbing trend just ahead, as AMERICAN MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Kobe Bryant will have to wait until mid-May at least for a ruling on whether or not his accuser's sexual history will be admitted in court.

Adrian Baschuk is live in Eagle County, back with us today, this morning, for more on that case there -- good morning, Adrian.

ADRIAN BASCHUK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.

We've been stuck in this pretrial phase of this case for 10 months now. Kobe Bryant has still yet to enter a plea. We expected a lot of developments coming out of this eighth round of preliminary hearings. So far, all the court has give us is more delays.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BASCHUK (voice-over): Both the defense and the prosecution are anxious to set a trial date today. But the court is not quite there yet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A date for the trial?

QUESTION: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We do not anticipate a date for the trial being set.

BASCHUK: This round of pretrial hearings, which interrupts Kobe Bryant's play-off run, was the last scheduled. Late Tuesday, the court announced more hearings are needed in mid-May.

LARRY POZNER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: If we're still doing motions in May, there isn't going to be a trial in June. There may be a trial in August.

BASCHUK: The May hearings once again promise to wrap up the rape shield debate. The defense argues Bryant's accuser had sex with multiple partners in the days before and in the 15 hours after allegedly being raped by Bryant. Her attorney, John Clune, vehemently denies she had sex with another man after the alleged incident. Today, both sides are expected to enter closing arguments on the defense motion to suppress statements Bryant made to police outside the Cordillera Resort. His lawyers claim police did not advise him of his Miranda rights.

CRAIG SILVERMAN, FORMER DENVER DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: We know this about Kobe Bryant's statement. It's something that he said that was embarrassing and he now regrets.

BASCHUK: Later today, the court will open its doors and the public will hear the status of DNA testing, as well as arguments asking for a speedy trial.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASCHUK: The Lakers play the Rockets at 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time, where they can take the series. The team does expect Kobe there in time for the tip-off. That provided the judge lets Kobe Bryant off a little early from today's hearings, plus the advent that he's got a private jet, cutting the door to door time from the Eagle County courthouse to the Staples Center to about two and a half hours -- Bill.

HEMMER: Adrian, thanks.

Adrian Baschuk again in Eagle -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Experts say it is a disturbing trend among girls nationwide. They're becoming more violent and their targets are other girls. Case in point is this story. Twelve-year-old Nicole Townes. The Maryland teenager has just gotten out of a coma. But she might have suffered permanent brain damage after she was beaten by a group of girls at a birthday party back in February.

So why are so many young girls settling arguments with their fists?

Rachel Simmons is the author of "Odd Girl Out" and she joins us this morning to talk a little bit more about this aggression.

Let's talk first about this story out of Baltimore, because maybe not to you, but to me it just seems so out in left field. A 12-year- old girl at a birthday party, invited. One of the young boys comes over who's at the party, kisses her on the cheek from a dare. The next thing you know, these girls, a bunch of girls are beating on her and mothers and adults, as well. The kid is in a coma. She's now emerged. The prognosis, though, doesn't look 100 percent.

How much of this is symbolic of a massive problem in our nation and how much is this just a really bizarre case, in all your research and experience?

RACHEL SIMMONS, AUTHOR, "ODD GIRL OUT": Actually, this really is a problem. It's a problem when you talk about parents encouraging the aggression of their daughters. And this isn't just a problem that you see in the inner cities. You have in this situation the mother giving the cue to the daughter -- you go take care of business, watching her, endorsing it and then participating in it. And you don't just see that in the inner city. You see middle class mothers doing this. You see this in neighborhoods where you wouldn't expect girls to be physical. You see mothers in many ways regressing and acting out their own childhoods with their daughters and setting the example that I think then leads to these kinds of tragic situations.

O'BRIEN: Is the bullying growing or do you think it's just changing and there's always been bullying, just kind of of a different type when you and I were in high school and then when our moms were in high school?

SIMMONS: Right. Well, there's no question that physical aggression among girls is on the rise. We see the statistics going up and up and up.

Having said that, there are other kinds of aggression that girls engage in, like gossiping and rumor spreading, turning people against other girls, that we've really only been able to start looking at in the last few years.

So we can't even say for sure how much girls' aggression has changed because as a country, we've only just come out of denial about the fact that you know what? Girls aren't sugar and spice.

O'BRIEN: For a long time I think people didn't think that gossiping or doing sort of mean things -- now, of course, the girls are using the Internet to sort of make it even more vile -- that it wasn't real violence.

SIMMONS: Exactly. The attitude was well, that's just girls being girls. That's a rite of passage. Now, what we've got to do is start defining it as aggression, because what we also see is that before these physical episodes happen, there are often these other kinds of aggression, like gossip spreading, like rumoring, that precede it. So if we're not looking at that, then we're missing whole classes of aggression to deal with.

O'BRIEN: In this story, or coming out of this story, I've read a lot of sort of people's theories on the rationale behind it. I'm going to read you some of the theories then I want you to weigh in on it. Break down in family values across the board; parents just obviously idiots for taking part in the beating; a lack of female role models because women are now working.

What do you think is the rationale? I mean that's actually been one -- I know you rolled your eyes at the last one...

SIMMONS: I know.

O'BRIEN: ... but that's...

SIMMONS: Rolling the eyes, of course, being a form of female aggression.

O'BRIEN: I forgive you.

SIMMONS: Right. O'BRIEN: It's OK.

SIMMONS: My negative byline which, we're still friends. Actually, I really, I have a hard time agreeing with the idea that it's women somehow, you know, not being in the household that are a problem. Overall, across-the-board, families are struggling to support their children. It's true that most two parent families, most people in households have to work outside the home. But it's the workplace and it's our culture that continue to deny parents the ability to -- and the supports that they need to take care of their kids.

So when we look at a break down in family values, when we look at the effects of divorce and illness and imprisonment of parents on the impact of children, what we also see is the culture not accommodating how those situations affect their ability to take care of their kids.

So if we don't help parents take care of their children by giving them leaves and flexibility, then we can't be surprised when their children act out in these tragic ways.

O'BRIEN: Oh, it's a terrible story out of Baltimore. And really interesting research, as well.

Rachel Simmons, nice to see you.

Your girl -- your book, again, is called "Odd Girl Out."

A fascinating read. I remember when it first came out it was really a wonderful book.

So thanks for joining us.

SIMMONS: Thanks for having me.

O'BRIEN: Bill.

HEMMER: In a moment here, the world is watching that stand-off in Fallujah. Is this the moment of truth? We'll get back to that in a moment.

Also, Saddam Hussein is spending his 67th birthday in captivity. After months of interrogation, is he saying much? Ahead in a moment here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: The Question of the Day.

Yet again, here's Jack.

CAFFERTY: Yes. A pretty good question, too. The options on the table in Fallujah. So far, negotiating and talking and having cease- fires don't seem to be getting it done. And that leaves the coalition with a couple of choices, neither of them great -- a ground assault, which would increase the number of American casualties; or an air assault, which would save American lives, but cause a much higher Iraqi civilian death toll.

So the question we posed is what's the answer to the situation in Fallujah?

And we're getting a ton of mail.

Gary in Des Moines, Iowa writes this: "There's a third alternative. Let the insurgents have Fallujah. Fallujah is not worth one single American life. If the Iraqi citizens refuse to fight for their own freedom, what are we fighting for? We have Saddam. There are no weapons of mass destruction. Why are we there?"

Joe writes: "I'm a veteran of Vietnam and I know what our troops are going through. The longer we wait to attack, the more troops will die on the defense, letting the enemy pick the time and place. Take the battle to them now. No more talking."

Vicki in Boise Hot Springs, California: "Aerial assault. The civilians should be told it could happen beginning on XYZ day and to leave or, if the civilians don't want their town destroyed, they should turn in the insurgents and indicate to the coalition where the weapons are hidden."

Judith writes from Summerfield, Florida: "Two words -- level it."

Am@cnn.com.

O'BRIEN: I was going to say, was that Shane? Because Shane's been -- we've been having this conversation all morning. You've got a...

CAFFERTY: Well, Shane's a Nazi. I mean he's a good guy...

O'BRIEN: No...

CAFFERTY: ... but he's just a Nazi.

O'BRIEN: ... he is not. No he's not.

CAFFERTY: He absolutely is. Shane is our boom cameraman.

O'BRIEN: He's not a Nazi.

HEMMER: Yes, that's right. He's our guy.

CAFFERTY: He's a degenerate Yankee fan.

HEMMER: He's a Yankee fan.

CAFFERTY: And he's a Nazi. He's just a...

O'BRIEN: No, he's just got his own theories.

CAFFERTY: Yes, you see him? He's hiding behind the deal there. There he is. HEMMER: There.

CAFFERTY: That's our guy Shane.

O'BRIEN: Hey. He's got his own theories about -- and I'll tell you what I think why this question is really resonating is exactly that, people have -- everybody's got a theory on this. Because clearly the two, as you say, theories that are out there are sort of like bad theory A and bad theory B.

CAFFERTY: Yes, it's -- but, we have things to look forward to, including Dolly Parton talking about having a wardrobe malfunction of her own.

HEMMER: Hey...

CAFFERTY: So...

HEMMER: Get you to that.

CAFFERTY: And Shane will be hanging around for that, I can assure you.

O'BRIEN: It sounds like a good file.

HEMMER: That's true.

CAFFERTY: Absolutely.

O'BRIEN: Also today, our newborn series continues. I know you guys are waiting on every bated -- with bated breath for everything Sanjay says about this.

HEMMER: Absolutely.

CAFFERTY: Post-partum depression, I've been through four episodes of it.

O'BRIEN: Really?

CAFFERTY: It's not pretty. O'BRIEN: It's very serious.

CAFFERTY: I know it's serious.

O'BRIEN: I've never had it, thank god. But...

CAFFERTY: Yes.

O'BRIEN: ... no, I've had friends who really suffered.

CAFFERTY: Yes. And it's very hard on the father.

O'BRIEN: Dr. Sanjay Gupta is going to take a look at the symptoms and the treatments just ahead this morning.

Stay with us, everybody.

(COMMERCIAL 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 28, 2004 - 08:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've been playing patty cake with these insurgents. We have not begun to do offensive operations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.

On again/off again battles in Fallujah. Is the big one coming soon?

A nail biter for one of the most senior senators in Congress. Is there a political message in last night's challenge to Arlen Specter?

And the hearing in Colorado that may define the strategy in the Kobe Bryant trial.

All ahead this hour 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: Good morning.

Welcome, everybody.

Other stories that we're following this morning, some experts are seeing a growing trend among girls, becoming more and more violent. We're going to talk to an author who's reschedule the problem and also look at a very shocking case out of Maryland. Did you guys hear this? A group of teenaged girls beat up a 12-year-old girl, put her in the hospital in a coma, all because a boy went over and kissed her on the cheek. I mean a really ridiculous story. We'll get into that this morning.

HEMMER: Also, on a much different topic, talking to the leader of a new expedition, setting out to find Noah's Ark. For a long time, some people have claimed the Ark is real and what's left of it is in Turkey's Mount Ararat. Why this expedition may be quite different from ones in the past. We'll talk to two men involved in that in a moment.

O'BRIEN: Interesting.

Mr. Cafferty -- good morning. JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

Coming up in the Cafferty File, Bobby Brown, the singer, says he needs a vacation in the Bahamas. Hey, he just got out of jail and he's married to Whitney Houston. He probably needs a vacation someplace. And Dolly Parton threatening a wardrobe malfunction of her own...

HEMMER: Whoa, Nelly.

CAFFERTY: Which, when you think about it, could be breathtaking.

HEMMER: And a few other things.

CAFFERTY: Yes.

HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.

O'BRIEN: That's pretty funny.

All right, we'll look forward to that, Jack.

Good teases this morning.

Let's get right to our top story.

The Supreme Court will hear two back to back cases today that test the balance between civil liberties and national security. Jose Padilla and Yaser Hamdi, both U.S. citizens, are considered enemy combatants by the Bush administration. The questions before the justices -- can the government imprison Americans and then refuse them access to their lawyers?

The body of another contract worker killed in Iraq has now been identified. Halliburton says the man is 47-year-old Tony Johnson from California. Johnson's body was found after a convoy attack earlier this month and Johnson was one of four Halliburton workers who were killed in the ambush. Three others are still missing.

The wreckage of a missing Black Hawk helicopter has been found in South Carolina. The UH-60 chopper was found in a wooded area near a bridge off Interstate 95. Military sources say all three crew members are presumed dead. The helicopter went missing on Monday night during a routine training flight from Fort Bragg in North Carolina. The cause of the crash is now under investigation.

National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice is giving another briefing on the war in Iraq. Rice is expected to meet with House Democrats in a closed door session today. She spoke to House and Senate Republicans and Senate Democrats last week. Some Democrats are criticizing Rice for holding separate party meetings instead of bipartisan sessions.

And it was two times unlucky at a California supermarket. Take a look at this. Police say a 73-year-old woman was shaken but unhurt after she crashed her sedan into the store's entrance yesterday. It's the second time that same store has been hit by a car. There was another car crash there back in January.

You know what? They are way too close to the street, obviously, and they need to put those, you know, little borders up.

HEMMER: Yes?

O'BRIEN: Like planters.

HEMMER: Or maybe just move, because the target is on them.

O'BRIEN: Oh, yes.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: Back to Iraq now this morning. Word again today of renewed fighting in Fallujah. This new reported fighting follows a heavy bombardment by U.S. forces of insurgent targets yesterday. You saw it live here on CNN by way of night scope.

To Baghdad this hour.

Ben Wedeman is tracking the latest out of Iraq -- Ben, good afternoon.

What do you know at this hour? BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hello, Bill.

Well, according to the Al Jazeera Arabic satellite news channel, there has been renewed -- a renewed outbreak of fighting in Fallujah, that very restive town to the west of Baghdad. Not much more in the way of details from there, but that follows a very noisy evening in Fallujah, when we saw, as you mentioned, those live pictures from there.

Now what we've learned since then from a senior military official is that what happened was is that you -- an AC-130 U.S. gunship was brought in and fired upon two trucks that had been seen approaching the perimeter of the town in the Jolan neighborhood. That neighborhood a real hotbed for the anti-coalition insurgents.

Those trucks apparently were carrying some sort of ammunition or explosives. The AC-130 rounds hit those trucks, causing those very large blasts that we saw.

Now, despite this fighting, the fighting this afternoon and last night, we are told that tomorrow sheikhs or tribal leaders will be converging upon Fallujah to try to work out some sort of end to this very long and difficult and, indeed, bloody insurrection in that town.

Now, the United States forces, the coalition is anxious to try to avoid the kind of bloodshed that occurred earlier this month. They're giving the diplomats, or rather the intermediaries, a chance to work things out.

Now, the situation in Najaf also a bit unclear. What we're hearing is that U.S. forces have surrounded the town of Kufa, which is just up the road from the Shiite holy city of Najaf. What they're trying to do is cut Najaf off, specifically, the Mahdi Army. That is that militia loyal to firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

One interesting bit of news we're hearing from sources close to the situation in Najaf is that some members of the Mahdi Army are shedding their black clothing, which identifies them as members of the Mahdi Army and trying to dissolve back into the local population. This is a result of something of a backlash against them -- Bill.

HEMMER: Ben Wedeman, thanks, in Baghdad.

Also, earlier today, I talked with Scott Peterson.

He's an international correspondent with the "Christian Science Monitor."

He's been providing us with firsthand accounts of what's happening with the Marines. He's stationed at the base camp east of Fallujah about six miles.

The first topic for Scott, last night's air attacks on these weapons stashes inside of Fallujah.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCOTT PETERSON, INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, "CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR": What U.S. military commanders on the ground here are telling us is that basically what happened was the reconnaissance unit identified a truck laden with weapons. They decided to call in Specter gunships, strike the truck. That launched a series of secondary explosions from the ammunition that was actually in the truck. And then, as people jumped out of that truck in order to run into a house that was nearby, it turns out that that house, too, apparently was a weapons, a weapons dump. Because when the Specter gunships struck that house, yet again there were more and more secondary explosions.

So Marine commanders here are pleased at the results. They say they saw no casualties of their own overnight, but they have managed to destroy quite a few weapons.

HEMMER: Scott, when we see this videotape and these pictures here, does the cease-fire still exist? And if it does, how do the Marines explain that at this point?

PETERSON: Well, I think that the cease-fire is really a construct now that is, that really is -- I mean by all normal definitions of a cease-fire, it no longer exists. There have been engagements every single day. Both sides have been active. Like I say, last night it sounds like the Marines took this target of opportunity and struck this weapons vehicle. It's not clear whether Iraqis fired first or not.

The day before, the insurgents actually began things with a very powerful strike against Marine positions. So in terms of a cease-fire, no, it doesn't exist. But what it does do is it enables the -- both sides to say that there is some kind of a diplomatic process under way. They're talking about joint patrols starting later this week. And today we understand sheikhs from around the country are heading toward Fallujah, it sounds like with some aim toward mediating.

HEMMER: You mentioned the sheikh story, the sheikhs converging at some point on Fallujah.

Does that give us an indication that the political track still exists at this point?

PETERSON: Well, I think it also -- yes, it does. And I think the Marines, the Marine commanders that I've spoken to this morning indicate that they are interested in pursuing that track. In part, I think, because they see that what they're gaining at the moment by, for example, the destruction of this weapons, you know, those, so many weapons last night, with very little loss of life from their side. Also, they've had some very effective strikes against groups of insurgents holed up in various places in recent days.

So they feel that the benefits at the moment of not launching a major military strike outweigh the disadvantages. And, of course, those disadvantages are it gives the insurgents an opportunity to rearm and regroup.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: At the end of our conversation, Scott Peterson saw those AC-130 gunships in the air again. At the time they were not firing. But, again, in the past few minutes, indications out of Fallujah that the fighting has resumed there. When we get more, we'll certainly pass it along to you. Scott Peterson, the "Christian Science Monitor," with the U.S. Marines -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Well, late last night, veteran Republican Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania narrowly won a shot at a fifth term. The race was being closely watched to see if moderates like Specter still have a role in the grand old party.

Here's congressional correspondent Joe Johns for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Senator Arlen Specter is known as a survivor in politics, and he lived up to that reputation Tuesday night.

SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (R-PA), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Thank you very much for persevering through a long evening and thank you for your support during a very tough campaign.

JOHNS: Congressman Pat Toomey, who campaigned against Specter's moderate voting record, conceded the race shortly after midnight. REP. PAT TOOMEY (R), PENNSYLVANIA: Senator Specter and I have our differences. Everybody knows that now. And we don't need to cover up those differences or pretend they're not there. They are. But despite those differences, I have no hesitation in supporting him now.

JOHNS: The race had been billed as a test of whether moderates like Specter have a place in an increasingly conservative Republican Party. But in the end, Specter won the support of some key conservatives, who worried that a Toomey victory could cost Republicans the state in the fall. Specter's biggest selling point in the final days, that a vote for him would protect President Bush's chances of winning this swing state in the general election. With this hard fought race behind them, Specter said the party is now united towards that goal.

SPECTER: Now is the time, having settled our family disagreement within the Republican Party, to unify to reelect President Bush, to maintain the Republican majority in the United States Senate.

JOHNS (on camera): With Toomey out of the race, the Republican national party was feeling better about the chances of retaining the Senate seat. But as soon as the results came in, Democrats were already saying Specter's unimpressive victory showed he was vulnerable to the challenger he'll face this fall, Democratic Congressman Joe Hoeffel.

Joe Johns, CNN, Philadelphia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: After the victory, Senator Specter thanked President Bush for his support. The president lost Pennsylvania to Al Gore in the 2000 presidential campaign.

HEMMER: Also on the trail, battle lines being drawn. Senator John Kerry is firing back at the White House over criticism of his record on national security. Again he talked about this yesterday. Senator Kerry was in Cleveland, Ohio.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They want you to believe that John Kerry, who put the uniform of his country on voluntarily, who felt an obligation to go to Vietnam when so many others didn't, who stood up and fought for our country, they want you to believe -- they want you to believe that somehow I'm not strong for the defense of our nation.

Well, I've defended our nation. And I'm prepared to stand up and defend it as president and forever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Also yesterday, the White House spokesperson, Scott McClellan, saying that President Bush and his surrogates will continue to make their distinctions between the president and Senator Kerry.

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, will the jury in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case hear evidence about his accuser's sexual history? A look at that ahead.

HEMMER: Also, Saddam Hussein getting another year older in custody. His interrogators, though, are not celebrating. He had a visit yesterday, too. We'll talk about it.

O'BRIEN: And are girls becoming more violent against other girls? We'll take a look at this disturbing trend just ahead, as AMERICAN MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Kobe Bryant will have to wait until mid-May at least for a ruling on whether or not his accuser's sexual history will be admitted in court.

Adrian Baschuk is live in Eagle County, back with us today, this morning, for more on that case there -- good morning, Adrian.

ADRIAN BASCHUK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.

We've been stuck in this pretrial phase of this case for 10 months now. Kobe Bryant has still yet to enter a plea. We expected a lot of developments coming out of this eighth round of preliminary hearings. So far, all the court has give us is more delays.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BASCHUK (voice-over): Both the defense and the prosecution are anxious to set a trial date today. But the court is not quite there yet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A date for the trial?

QUESTION: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We do not anticipate a date for the trial being set.

BASCHUK: This round of pretrial hearings, which interrupts Kobe Bryant's play-off run, was the last scheduled. Late Tuesday, the court announced more hearings are needed in mid-May.

LARRY POZNER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: If we're still doing motions in May, there isn't going to be a trial in June. There may be a trial in August.

BASCHUK: The May hearings once again promise to wrap up the rape shield debate. The defense argues Bryant's accuser had sex with multiple partners in the days before and in the 15 hours after allegedly being raped by Bryant. Her attorney, John Clune, vehemently denies she had sex with another man after the alleged incident. Today, both sides are expected to enter closing arguments on the defense motion to suppress statements Bryant made to police outside the Cordillera Resort. His lawyers claim police did not advise him of his Miranda rights.

CRAIG SILVERMAN, FORMER DENVER DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: We know this about Kobe Bryant's statement. It's something that he said that was embarrassing and he now regrets.

BASCHUK: Later today, the court will open its doors and the public will hear the status of DNA testing, as well as arguments asking for a speedy trial.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASCHUK: The Lakers play the Rockets at 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time, where they can take the series. The team does expect Kobe there in time for the tip-off. That provided the judge lets Kobe Bryant off a little early from today's hearings, plus the advent that he's got a private jet, cutting the door to door time from the Eagle County courthouse to the Staples Center to about two and a half hours -- Bill.

HEMMER: Adrian, thanks.

Adrian Baschuk again in Eagle -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Experts say it is a disturbing trend among girls nationwide. They're becoming more violent and their targets are other girls. Case in point is this story. Twelve-year-old Nicole Townes. The Maryland teenager has just gotten out of a coma. But she might have suffered permanent brain damage after she was beaten by a group of girls at a birthday party back in February.

So why are so many young girls settling arguments with their fists?

Rachel Simmons is the author of "Odd Girl Out" and she joins us this morning to talk a little bit more about this aggression.

Let's talk first about this story out of Baltimore, because maybe not to you, but to me it just seems so out in left field. A 12-year- old girl at a birthday party, invited. One of the young boys comes over who's at the party, kisses her on the cheek from a dare. The next thing you know, these girls, a bunch of girls are beating on her and mothers and adults, as well. The kid is in a coma. She's now emerged. The prognosis, though, doesn't look 100 percent.

How much of this is symbolic of a massive problem in our nation and how much is this just a really bizarre case, in all your research and experience?

RACHEL SIMMONS, AUTHOR, "ODD GIRL OUT": Actually, this really is a problem. It's a problem when you talk about parents encouraging the aggression of their daughters. And this isn't just a problem that you see in the inner cities. You have in this situation the mother giving the cue to the daughter -- you go take care of business, watching her, endorsing it and then participating in it. And you don't just see that in the inner city. You see middle class mothers doing this. You see this in neighborhoods where you wouldn't expect girls to be physical. You see mothers in many ways regressing and acting out their own childhoods with their daughters and setting the example that I think then leads to these kinds of tragic situations.

O'BRIEN: Is the bullying growing or do you think it's just changing and there's always been bullying, just kind of of a different type when you and I were in high school and then when our moms were in high school?

SIMMONS: Right. Well, there's no question that physical aggression among girls is on the rise. We see the statistics going up and up and up.

Having said that, there are other kinds of aggression that girls engage in, like gossiping and rumor spreading, turning people against other girls, that we've really only been able to start looking at in the last few years.

So we can't even say for sure how much girls' aggression has changed because as a country, we've only just come out of denial about the fact that you know what? Girls aren't sugar and spice.

O'BRIEN: For a long time I think people didn't think that gossiping or doing sort of mean things -- now, of course, the girls are using the Internet to sort of make it even more vile -- that it wasn't real violence.

SIMMONS: Exactly. The attitude was well, that's just girls being girls. That's a rite of passage. Now, what we've got to do is start defining it as aggression, because what we also see is that before these physical episodes happen, there are often these other kinds of aggression, like gossip spreading, like rumoring, that precede it. So if we're not looking at that, then we're missing whole classes of aggression to deal with.

O'BRIEN: In this story, or coming out of this story, I've read a lot of sort of people's theories on the rationale behind it. I'm going to read you some of the theories then I want you to weigh in on it. Break down in family values across the board; parents just obviously idiots for taking part in the beating; a lack of female role models because women are now working.

What do you think is the rationale? I mean that's actually been one -- I know you rolled your eyes at the last one...

SIMMONS: I know.

O'BRIEN: ... but that's...

SIMMONS: Rolling the eyes, of course, being a form of female aggression.

O'BRIEN: I forgive you.

SIMMONS: Right. O'BRIEN: It's OK.

SIMMONS: My negative byline which, we're still friends. Actually, I really, I have a hard time agreeing with the idea that it's women somehow, you know, not being in the household that are a problem. Overall, across-the-board, families are struggling to support their children. It's true that most two parent families, most people in households have to work outside the home. But it's the workplace and it's our culture that continue to deny parents the ability to -- and the supports that they need to take care of their kids.

So when we look at a break down in family values, when we look at the effects of divorce and illness and imprisonment of parents on the impact of children, what we also see is the culture not accommodating how those situations affect their ability to take care of their kids.

So if we don't help parents take care of their children by giving them leaves and flexibility, then we can't be surprised when their children act out in these tragic ways.

O'BRIEN: Oh, it's a terrible story out of Baltimore. And really interesting research, as well.

Rachel Simmons, nice to see you.

Your girl -- your book, again, is called "Odd Girl Out."

A fascinating read. I remember when it first came out it was really a wonderful book.

So thanks for joining us.

SIMMONS: Thanks for having me.

O'BRIEN: Bill.

HEMMER: In a moment here, the world is watching that stand-off in Fallujah. Is this the moment of truth? We'll get back to that in a moment.

Also, Saddam Hussein is spending his 67th birthday in captivity. After months of interrogation, is he saying much? Ahead in a moment here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: The Question of the Day.

Yet again, here's Jack.

CAFFERTY: Yes. A pretty good question, too. The options on the table in Fallujah. So far, negotiating and talking and having cease- fires don't seem to be getting it done. And that leaves the coalition with a couple of choices, neither of them great -- a ground assault, which would increase the number of American casualties; or an air assault, which would save American lives, but cause a much higher Iraqi civilian death toll.

So the question we posed is what's the answer to the situation in Fallujah?

And we're getting a ton of mail.

Gary in Des Moines, Iowa writes this: "There's a third alternative. Let the insurgents have Fallujah. Fallujah is not worth one single American life. If the Iraqi citizens refuse to fight for their own freedom, what are we fighting for? We have Saddam. There are no weapons of mass destruction. Why are we there?"

Joe writes: "I'm a veteran of Vietnam and I know what our troops are going through. The longer we wait to attack, the more troops will die on the defense, letting the enemy pick the time and place. Take the battle to them now. No more talking."

Vicki in Boise Hot Springs, California: "Aerial assault. The civilians should be told it could happen beginning on XYZ day and to leave or, if the civilians don't want their town destroyed, they should turn in the insurgents and indicate to the coalition where the weapons are hidden."

Judith writes from Summerfield, Florida: "Two words -- level it."

Am@cnn.com.

O'BRIEN: I was going to say, was that Shane? Because Shane's been -- we've been having this conversation all morning. You've got a...

CAFFERTY: Well, Shane's a Nazi. I mean he's a good guy...

O'BRIEN: No...

CAFFERTY: ... but he's just a Nazi.

O'BRIEN: ... he is not. No he's not.

CAFFERTY: He absolutely is. Shane is our boom cameraman.

O'BRIEN: He's not a Nazi.

HEMMER: Yes, that's right. He's our guy.

CAFFERTY: He's a degenerate Yankee fan.

HEMMER: He's a Yankee fan.

CAFFERTY: And he's a Nazi. He's just a...

O'BRIEN: No, he's just got his own theories.

CAFFERTY: Yes, you see him? He's hiding behind the deal there. There he is. HEMMER: There.

CAFFERTY: That's our guy Shane.

O'BRIEN: Hey. He's got his own theories about -- and I'll tell you what I think why this question is really resonating is exactly that, people have -- everybody's got a theory on this. Because clearly the two, as you say, theories that are out there are sort of like bad theory A and bad theory B.

CAFFERTY: Yes, it's -- but, we have things to look forward to, including Dolly Parton talking about having a wardrobe malfunction of her own.

HEMMER: Hey...

CAFFERTY: So...

HEMMER: Get you to that.

CAFFERTY: And Shane will be hanging around for that, I can assure you.

O'BRIEN: It sounds like a good file.

HEMMER: That's true.

CAFFERTY: Absolutely.

O'BRIEN: Also today, our newborn series continues. I know you guys are waiting on every bated -- with bated breath for everything Sanjay says about this.

HEMMER: Absolutely.

CAFFERTY: Post-partum depression, I've been through four episodes of it.

O'BRIEN: Really?

CAFFERTY: It's not pretty. O'BRIEN: It's very serious.

CAFFERTY: I know it's serious.

O'BRIEN: I've never had it, thank god. But...

CAFFERTY: Yes.

O'BRIEN: ... no, I've had friends who really suffered.

CAFFERTY: Yes. And it's very hard on the father.

O'BRIEN: Dr. Sanjay Gupta is going to take a look at the symptoms and the treatments just ahead this morning.

Stay with us, everybody.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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