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CNN Live Today
Michael Jackson Arrives to Plead; 2 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq
Aired April 30, 2004 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go ahead and bring -- we have two correspondents on the scene. we have our Gary Tuchman who we checked in with. Also, our Miguel Marquez who is there in front of the courthouse.
Miguel, let's check in with you now.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, things are definitely different than they were last time around, Daryn. Mr. Jackson arrived here just a short time ago. He got out a limousine and walked up. Did not wave to fans as he got out of the car. He was looking somewhat more professional today. He even had glasses on.
He walked straight into the courtroom without addressing anybody with his lawyer, his new lawyer, Thomas Mesereau Jr.
What's expected to happen today, in about a half hour is that the judge in this case, Rodney Melville, a Santa Barbara superior court judge, will read charges that a grand jury handed up last week.
Mr. Jackson, we presume, according to his lawyers, anyway, will then say "not guilty" to those charges, and that will be the meat of what will happen here today. But there may be some other matters regarding evidence, some media issues to deal with.
The courts here saying that they're expecting the hearing to last until about noon Pacific time today, and then Mr. Jackson would make his exit again. It's not clear if there would be this sort of party atmosphere that ensued here after his last court hearing, and it's not clear -- we don't see any sign of them handing out leaflets and flyers for a party at Neverland Ranch after this thing.
So it seems at this point that we have a Michael Jackson who is much more professional -- Daryn.
KAGAN: We would think. And yet as we saw as he walked in the courthouse there, there is a kind of spontaneous aspect to Michael Jackson that when he feels like making a statement, he just does that, as he did when he put his hand over the camera, the pool camera that's there inside of the courthouse. Let's talk about bail for Michael Jackson. He's already posted this, $3 million, I believe. And that will stand, Miguel?
MARQUEZ: Most likely. Legal experts I've talked to say that there will be a discussion of bail in the courtroom and that the judge will simply accept the bail that's already been posted for him. You know, and on the camera thing, he does grab the camera. He's done that before to cameras. It's not ever clear whether he's just being playful or if he's upset about it -- Daryn.
KAGAN: All right, Miguel, you stand by. Let's bring back in our Gary Tuchman. Gary, tell us a little about the candlelight vigil that was supposed to take place outside Neverland Ranch last night.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, there was a candlelight vigil there. It was not a huge turnout. There were less than 100 people who showed up. Once again from all over the world people were there, but a relatively small turnout.
Also, though, there was something called a "Caravan of Faith." Michael Jackson's Web site advertised that they would offer free buses from the Los Angeles area, from Orange County, south of Los Angeles, and from the Las Vegas area, for people, for fans to get on for free and come here to the courthouse.
Those buses arrived about 15 minutes before Michael Jackson arrived. Several dozen people we saw get off. There may be more who came in behind the courthouse where we're standing, but not a huge turnout either. So that's a little different, that we have fewer people here.
But the big difference is, something we haven't touched upon yet, is remember in January, when Michael Jackson came here for that initial arraignment, he showed up 20 minutes late inside the courtroom. That did not sit well with Judge Rodney Melville. Today he showed up 50 minutes earlier. So that's a huge difference.
But Daryn, one thing I want to mention to you today, touching the camera. I don't know how many of our viewers know television news cameramen, but they take a lot of pride in their work, a lot of pride in their cameras, and there are many occasions when someone touches the camera, the cameraman will touch back. Didn't happen in this case, but you don't touch a camera. It's something you don't do. That camera was allowed inside. As we just heard, it's a pool camera. All the media are using that camera.
And to give you away contrast, in the Kobe Bryant case, Kobe Bryant has been coming to court for 10 months. There's a pool camera inside the courtroom that shoots his every move, going to the men's room even. He's been very respectful, hasn't touched it, hasn't been bothered by it. And you saw what happened when Michael Jackson came inside this courthouse.
KAGAN: Well, it would appear we're dealing with two very different type of men in Kobe Bryant and Michael Jackson in terms of how they handle themselves publicly.
Gary, thank you for that, we'll be back to you. Also Miguel Marquez. I want to go ahead and bring in lawyer Kendall Coffey. He's watching all this unfold from his house in South Florida, Florida, where Michael Jackson has been spending a lot of his time.
And Kendall, on the conditions of Michael Jackson's bail, he is allowed to move around the U.S.
KENDALL COFFEY, LEGAL ANALYST: And that's likely to stay intact. I agree that given his resources, his ability to travel, that they are likely to keep the $3 million bail in place and keep some of the travel restrictions.
Meanwhile, I think what we're seeing is a Michael Jackson who has gotten a big dose of reality. Perhaps the grand jury process, which is a very frustrating ordeal for a defendant because you're basically, with your hands tied, hearing rumors day to day about witnesses that are coming in, saying all kinds of things that could be very, very damaging. There's essentially nothing a defendant can do in that scenario.
And then, of course, the culmination, which we're about to see in a few minutes, the actual presentation of the grand jury charges, I think that whole process has in some fashion transformed Michael Jackson's attitude. New counsel, who he believes can give entire attention to his case as opposed to other competing obligations, and at the same time Michael Jackson himself seems to understand that being a showboating celebrity isn't what's required with something this serious confronting him. And at least up until now, up until this moment, he's acting like a serious criminal defendant rather than a celebrity who's more concerned about playing to the crowd.
KAGAN: And you make a good point. A reminder once again just how serious these charges are and the type of prison time he could face, Kendall.
COFFEY: Well, he could be in prison for decades if he's convicted. There are seven counts of lewd and lascivious conduct in the original charges, two counts for the use of alcohol as an intoxicant being basically applied to a minor. So those nine counts could be what we see again today. It could be some upgrading in the charges, could be some change in the charges.
But these are extremely serious charges. And I think at long last Michael Jackson is beginning to get a reality check and acknowledge that he has got to treat these charges, these allegations with the seriousness that they deserve.
KAGAN: You are talking about what we'll see inside the Santa Maria courtroom today. Of course, no cameras in the courtroom, so we won't actually get to see. But there are reporters inside. What are you looking to learn from today's proceedings, Kendall?
COFFEY: Well, I think the most important thing is to find out the precise nature of the charges, whether they're going to be essentially the same charges again, have some of the counts been upgraded, made into more serious counts than what they were before, and they were already very serious, or are there some changes?
The other question is could there be greater specificity in the allegations because the grand jury heard days and days of testimony. You may recall that the original charges that were filed just by the district attorney himself were very bare bones, just a couple sentences with allegations in the most general way possible.
So finding out more about the particularity of the charges is the most important thing. But the part on Michael Jackson's stand is going to be simply getting up and saying "not guilty." From that standpoint it's a non-event.
KAGAN: Kendall Coffey in South Florida. Thank you to you, also to Gary Tuchman and our Miguel Marquez standing by in Santa Maria. Much more ahead from California as news develops from that courthouse in the central part of the state.
Now, though, on to news in Iraq. And U.S. Marines beginning to pull -- U.S. Marines are beginning to pull back from Fallujah while the Arab world reacts to photos of Iraqi prisoners apparently being abused. Our Ben Wedeman has the latest on the fight for Iraq, and he joins us live from Baghdad -- Ben.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CAIRO BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, Daryn. Well, we are seeing a repositioning of Marine forces in and around Fallujah. The Marines are adamant, as is the coalition here in Baghdad, that they are not leaving Fallujah, that what is going on is the Iraqi security presence in that town is being bolstered, bolstered by a force of as many as 1100 men, mostly former members of the Iraqi army led by former generals of the Iraqi army of Saddam Hussein.
The United States is providing them with logistical support. This rather rapidly formed group will be under the command of the Marine force in that area. It is hoped that they will be able to restore some form of law and order. What we did see earlier today were pictures of some those Iraqi generals going into Fallujah and greeted fairly enthusiastically by a population that's really suffered over the last few weeks as a result of the fighting there.
Hundreds have been killed, thousands have fled the city. And so there is a hope that somehow a resolution is gradually emerging in Fallujah. The question is, Daryn, where are the insurgents? They haven't agreed to any cease-fire, any peace agreement with the coalition. There is some suggestion they may simply melt back into the civilian population or move to other parts of Iraq to fight another day -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Ben, let's talk a little about the growing controversy over these photos that have come out from the Abu Ghraib Prison and alleged abuse of the prisoners there.
WEDEMAN: Yes. Those photos have been widely broadcast on Arab news networks, and reaction here has been universally negative, people focusing their anger once again on the United States. And there's a certain amount of irony, many people will tell you that the United States, they say, which came to establish democracy and human rights in Iraq, seems to be abusing them, in the opinion of many people, in a prison that was very much the symbol of abuse of human rights under the regime of Saddam Hussein.
But the United States is saying that they are conducting a criminal investigation. They are also conducting an investigation into how that prison was run. And they say they aren't going to tolerate any sort of repetition of this sort of abuse in the future -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Ben Wedeman in Baghdad.
Now onto the military angle, U.S. military officials saying they're cautiously optimistic about efforts to form an Iraqi security force in Fallujah. Our Elaine Quijano is at the Pentagon with more on the makeup of those Iraqi forces -- Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, the name of that proposed security force is the Fallujah brigade, and as we heard Ben Wedeman say a moment ago, it could be 600 to 1100, as many as 1100 personnel that would make up this security force, that according to Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, who held a briefing just a short time ago.
Also saying that they will be led by a former Iraqi general who has been carefully chosen, who has been vetted, an interesting choice of words there; senior Pentagon officials saying this morning that that Iraqi general came forward, actually.
Now, that general would work under the U.S. Marine commander in the area, and equipment, resources would be provided by U.S. Marines. But again, General Kimmitt emphasizing that the Marines are not withdrawing as part of this proposal, that instead some of the Marines are being repositioned around Fallujah in anticipation of turning over some security duties like checkpoints.
Now this morning the head of U.S. Central Command, General John Abizaid, said that although all military options were still on the table, this was a possible breakthrough.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. JOHN ABIZAID, CMDR., U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: What we have there is an opportunity and not necessarily an agreement. The opportunity is to build an Iraqi security force from former elements of the army that will work under the command of coalition forces.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, also today at that briefing by Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt -- a separate briefing, that one taking place in Baghdad. The brigadier general expressing outrage again over those photographs that have now been broadcast on Arab television networks, the pictures of the alleged abuses at the Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq.
Echoing the opinions -- the feelings, rather, of people here at the Pentagon, a senior Pentagon official telling me today that officials here are livid about those images, about the alleged behavior in those pictures that have aired at a time when the U.S. military and the Bush administration in a much broader sense has been trying to build up its credibility in the region. They say that this simply does not reflect who they are. As this senior defense official put it, quote, "it is just not who we are" -- Daryn. KAGAN: Elaine Quijano at the Pentagon, thank you.
A member of Iraq's government plans (sic) to react to the plan to hand over security in Fallujah to an Iraqi force. On CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" he called it an encouraging development.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAMIR SUMAIDA'IE, IRAQI MINISTER: This force is going to be made up of Fallujahns (ph), mainly local people, would be put together along the same lines as the other Iraqi ICDC -- Civil Defense Brigades. And I think it's promising. There is a possibility here that they will help distance the coalition military from the local community and thereby bring together a solution and at the same time get rid of their terrorists.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: It's not clear when the redeployment in Fallujah will be completed. We're at 12 minutes past the hour. Tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary since President Bush declared an end to major combat in Iraq. But in Iraq major combat does continue. Now critics are hammering the White House and the statement of "mission accomplished." That's coming up next.
Also, for years Pat Tillman merchandise went unnoticed. His death has changed that. This week's buzz on the Web looks at the run on Tillman memorabilia.
And we're watching Santa Maria, California, that is where Michael Jackson is appearing in court. Much more live coverage when CNN LIVE TODAY returns.
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KAGAN: Tomorrow will mark a year since President Bush landed on an aircraft carrier with a banner behind him declaring "mission accomplished." But since the end of major combat last May, many more American troops have died in Iraq. In fact this month alone, more were killed than during the initial invasion last spring. That statistic is not lost today on the critics of the president's war policy. More now from White House correspondent Dana Bash.
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DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One year ago Democrats worried this made-for-TV image would end up in a Bush campaign ad, glorifying a swift win in Iraq. Instead, his opponent made the ad.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Who can take on George Bush and change the direction of the nation?
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Iraq is free. BASH: May 1, aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln to declare major combat over in Iraq. But the war continued. On that date, 139 troops had been killed. One year later, six times that, 736 casualties. Since then Karl Rove and other top advisers say they wish that banner wasn't overhead. Tough lesson in how images can quickly turn with events.
DAN BARTLETT, WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIR.: I won't call it a mistake, but I will call it -- you know, hindsight is always perfect.
BASH: The White House now says focus on the words, not the pictures.
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: What he said is still correct. But there are still certainly combat operations and dangers that remain in Iraq. Our troops are doing an outstanding job.
BASH: But for Democrats, "mission accomplished" is now a metaphor for Bush mistakes, the focus of a series of blistering speeches around the year anniversary.
SEN ROBERT BYRD (D), WEST VIRGINIA: Mission accomplished? The mission in Iraq, as laid out by President Bush and Vice President Cheney, has failed.
SEN. TED KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Iraq is George Bush's Vietnam.
BASH (on camera): While polls show most Americans agree with the president, it's important to stay the course in Iraq, approval of how he's handling the situation there has dropped some 30 points since one year ago. But the Bush campaign takes solace in the fact that those same polls show the public still sees the president as better suited to deal with Iraq than his Democratic opponent.
Dana Bash, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: President Bush has taken a lot of criticism for his approach to terrorism in the months before September 11. It turns out the man he chose to run Iraq after the war was one of his critics. Paul Bremer, in a speech in February 2001, told an audience that the Bush White House was, quote, "paying no attention to terrorism." Bremer went on to say, quote, "what they will do is stagger along until there's a major incident and then suddenly say, oh, my God, shouldn't we be organized to deal with this?" end quote.
Online message boards are buzzing about the sale of memorabilia from a former NFL player who was killed in action in Afghanistan. For more on the Pat Tillman story and other hot topics on the Web, let's bring in AOL's Regina Lewis in Washington, D.C.
Regina, good morning.
REGINA LEWIS, AOL: Good morning, Daryn. KAGAN: Pat Tillman, people trying to sell parts of his memorabilia online.
LEWIS: Yes. And that was kind of the reaction, is the level of appropriateness. Normally, particularly in sports, to be bid up on eBay gives you bragging rights. In this case people thought, wow, are you really trying to cash in, especially so quickly on a tragedy of sorts?
So you started to see people change their description to, you know, signed by a hero, I'll give the money, or at least part of it, to charity. Also one of the jerseys he wore which one of the collectors in the country had, he actually opted to send it back to the family. It's expected there may only be six of those.
And under the radar there's at least one manufacturer out there who says when the dust settles on this they would love to talk to the family about a vintage clothing line. So I think his name and everything it represents could be around for a long time.
KAGAN: All right. But clearly he was a man who wasn't really interested in cashing in on that during his lifetime.
LEWIS: right.
KAGAN: Let's talk other topics that are hot online. World of sports, Kentucky Derby, the running of the roses tomorrow.
LEWIS: Yes. There you go. And all the information, you can be very smart when you watch this race if you go online. The daily forum for horseracing, the little piece of paper that the old men at the track used to walk around with, is now online. And you can play the numbers and run it every different way. It's really kind of fascinating. Also, betting on horseracing is legal online. It's an extension of offtrack betting in most states. So we see big spikes in numbers for that as well.
KAGAN: Regina Lewis, thank you so much, from AOL. We're going to cut our time short today because we do have breaking news out of Iraq and this coming out of -- the news coming out of Baghdad but word from Fallujah, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad saying that today two Marines were killed and six wounded in a suicide car bombing in Fallujah.
Fallujah, of course, the hot spot to the west of Baghdad where there have been thousands of insurgents holed up with Marines circling that city. And word today, when we were listening to the briefing earlier today, that they're working on getting together an Iraqi security force to help the Marines there.
But today, once again, getting word that a car bomb exploding in Fallujah, two Marines dead, six more wounded in that incident.
KAGAN: Much more ahead. Perhaps we'll hear from President Bush. We are standing by about 25 minutes from right now. We expect to see him in the Rose Garden with the prime minister of Canada for a news conference there. So that's coming up. Right now we have a quick break, and we're back after this.
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KAGAN: Now to New Mexico. State police there say that they could shut down a stretch of Interstate 40 again today, that's if blinding dust storms continue. They closed a seven-mile section of the highway yesterday. It reopened last night. Authorities say the dust appears to be coming from a patch of vacant land west of the town of Grants (ph).
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KAGAN: We've been doing a lot of coverage from California, from Santa Maria, California, the Michael Jackson arraignment taking place at this hour. In fact, just a few minutes ago his brother, Jermaine Jackson arrived at that courthouse in Santa Maria. A live picture from outside, much more of a fence and much more of a police presence than when things got a little bit out of control back in January. We'll have more coverage from Santa Maria. Also want to let you know that Jermaine Jackson will be a guest later today -- tonight, 9:00 p.m. Eastern with our Larry King, 6:00 p.m. Pacific, 9:00 p.m. Eastern. A break now, we are back after this.
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Aired April 30, 2004 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go ahead and bring -- we have two correspondents on the scene. we have our Gary Tuchman who we checked in with. Also, our Miguel Marquez who is there in front of the courthouse.
Miguel, let's check in with you now.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, things are definitely different than they were last time around, Daryn. Mr. Jackson arrived here just a short time ago. He got out a limousine and walked up. Did not wave to fans as he got out of the car. He was looking somewhat more professional today. He even had glasses on.
He walked straight into the courtroom without addressing anybody with his lawyer, his new lawyer, Thomas Mesereau Jr.
What's expected to happen today, in about a half hour is that the judge in this case, Rodney Melville, a Santa Barbara superior court judge, will read charges that a grand jury handed up last week.
Mr. Jackson, we presume, according to his lawyers, anyway, will then say "not guilty" to those charges, and that will be the meat of what will happen here today. But there may be some other matters regarding evidence, some media issues to deal with.
The courts here saying that they're expecting the hearing to last until about noon Pacific time today, and then Mr. Jackson would make his exit again. It's not clear if there would be this sort of party atmosphere that ensued here after his last court hearing, and it's not clear -- we don't see any sign of them handing out leaflets and flyers for a party at Neverland Ranch after this thing.
So it seems at this point that we have a Michael Jackson who is much more professional -- Daryn.
KAGAN: We would think. And yet as we saw as he walked in the courthouse there, there is a kind of spontaneous aspect to Michael Jackson that when he feels like making a statement, he just does that, as he did when he put his hand over the camera, the pool camera that's there inside of the courthouse. Let's talk about bail for Michael Jackson. He's already posted this, $3 million, I believe. And that will stand, Miguel?
MARQUEZ: Most likely. Legal experts I've talked to say that there will be a discussion of bail in the courtroom and that the judge will simply accept the bail that's already been posted for him. You know, and on the camera thing, he does grab the camera. He's done that before to cameras. It's not ever clear whether he's just being playful or if he's upset about it -- Daryn.
KAGAN: All right, Miguel, you stand by. Let's bring back in our Gary Tuchman. Gary, tell us a little about the candlelight vigil that was supposed to take place outside Neverland Ranch last night.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, there was a candlelight vigil there. It was not a huge turnout. There were less than 100 people who showed up. Once again from all over the world people were there, but a relatively small turnout.
Also, though, there was something called a "Caravan of Faith." Michael Jackson's Web site advertised that they would offer free buses from the Los Angeles area, from Orange County, south of Los Angeles, and from the Las Vegas area, for people, for fans to get on for free and come here to the courthouse.
Those buses arrived about 15 minutes before Michael Jackson arrived. Several dozen people we saw get off. There may be more who came in behind the courthouse where we're standing, but not a huge turnout either. So that's a little different, that we have fewer people here.
But the big difference is, something we haven't touched upon yet, is remember in January, when Michael Jackson came here for that initial arraignment, he showed up 20 minutes late inside the courtroom. That did not sit well with Judge Rodney Melville. Today he showed up 50 minutes earlier. So that's a huge difference.
But Daryn, one thing I want to mention to you today, touching the camera. I don't know how many of our viewers know television news cameramen, but they take a lot of pride in their work, a lot of pride in their cameras, and there are many occasions when someone touches the camera, the cameraman will touch back. Didn't happen in this case, but you don't touch a camera. It's something you don't do. That camera was allowed inside. As we just heard, it's a pool camera. All the media are using that camera.
And to give you away contrast, in the Kobe Bryant case, Kobe Bryant has been coming to court for 10 months. There's a pool camera inside the courtroom that shoots his every move, going to the men's room even. He's been very respectful, hasn't touched it, hasn't been bothered by it. And you saw what happened when Michael Jackson came inside this courthouse.
KAGAN: Well, it would appear we're dealing with two very different type of men in Kobe Bryant and Michael Jackson in terms of how they handle themselves publicly.
Gary, thank you for that, we'll be back to you. Also Miguel Marquez. I want to go ahead and bring in lawyer Kendall Coffey. He's watching all this unfold from his house in South Florida, Florida, where Michael Jackson has been spending a lot of his time.
And Kendall, on the conditions of Michael Jackson's bail, he is allowed to move around the U.S.
KENDALL COFFEY, LEGAL ANALYST: And that's likely to stay intact. I agree that given his resources, his ability to travel, that they are likely to keep the $3 million bail in place and keep some of the travel restrictions.
Meanwhile, I think what we're seeing is a Michael Jackson who has gotten a big dose of reality. Perhaps the grand jury process, which is a very frustrating ordeal for a defendant because you're basically, with your hands tied, hearing rumors day to day about witnesses that are coming in, saying all kinds of things that could be very, very damaging. There's essentially nothing a defendant can do in that scenario.
And then, of course, the culmination, which we're about to see in a few minutes, the actual presentation of the grand jury charges, I think that whole process has in some fashion transformed Michael Jackson's attitude. New counsel, who he believes can give entire attention to his case as opposed to other competing obligations, and at the same time Michael Jackson himself seems to understand that being a showboating celebrity isn't what's required with something this serious confronting him. And at least up until now, up until this moment, he's acting like a serious criminal defendant rather than a celebrity who's more concerned about playing to the crowd.
KAGAN: And you make a good point. A reminder once again just how serious these charges are and the type of prison time he could face, Kendall.
COFFEY: Well, he could be in prison for decades if he's convicted. There are seven counts of lewd and lascivious conduct in the original charges, two counts for the use of alcohol as an intoxicant being basically applied to a minor. So those nine counts could be what we see again today. It could be some upgrading in the charges, could be some change in the charges.
But these are extremely serious charges. And I think at long last Michael Jackson is beginning to get a reality check and acknowledge that he has got to treat these charges, these allegations with the seriousness that they deserve.
KAGAN: You are talking about what we'll see inside the Santa Maria courtroom today. Of course, no cameras in the courtroom, so we won't actually get to see. But there are reporters inside. What are you looking to learn from today's proceedings, Kendall?
COFFEY: Well, I think the most important thing is to find out the precise nature of the charges, whether they're going to be essentially the same charges again, have some of the counts been upgraded, made into more serious counts than what they were before, and they were already very serious, or are there some changes?
The other question is could there be greater specificity in the allegations because the grand jury heard days and days of testimony. You may recall that the original charges that were filed just by the district attorney himself were very bare bones, just a couple sentences with allegations in the most general way possible.
So finding out more about the particularity of the charges is the most important thing. But the part on Michael Jackson's stand is going to be simply getting up and saying "not guilty." From that standpoint it's a non-event.
KAGAN: Kendall Coffey in South Florida. Thank you to you, also to Gary Tuchman and our Miguel Marquez standing by in Santa Maria. Much more ahead from California as news develops from that courthouse in the central part of the state.
Now, though, on to news in Iraq. And U.S. Marines beginning to pull -- U.S. Marines are beginning to pull back from Fallujah while the Arab world reacts to photos of Iraqi prisoners apparently being abused. Our Ben Wedeman has the latest on the fight for Iraq, and he joins us live from Baghdad -- Ben.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CAIRO BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, Daryn. Well, we are seeing a repositioning of Marine forces in and around Fallujah. The Marines are adamant, as is the coalition here in Baghdad, that they are not leaving Fallujah, that what is going on is the Iraqi security presence in that town is being bolstered, bolstered by a force of as many as 1100 men, mostly former members of the Iraqi army led by former generals of the Iraqi army of Saddam Hussein.
The United States is providing them with logistical support. This rather rapidly formed group will be under the command of the Marine force in that area. It is hoped that they will be able to restore some form of law and order. What we did see earlier today were pictures of some those Iraqi generals going into Fallujah and greeted fairly enthusiastically by a population that's really suffered over the last few weeks as a result of the fighting there.
Hundreds have been killed, thousands have fled the city. And so there is a hope that somehow a resolution is gradually emerging in Fallujah. The question is, Daryn, where are the insurgents? They haven't agreed to any cease-fire, any peace agreement with the coalition. There is some suggestion they may simply melt back into the civilian population or move to other parts of Iraq to fight another day -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Ben, let's talk a little about the growing controversy over these photos that have come out from the Abu Ghraib Prison and alleged abuse of the prisoners there.
WEDEMAN: Yes. Those photos have been widely broadcast on Arab news networks, and reaction here has been universally negative, people focusing their anger once again on the United States. And there's a certain amount of irony, many people will tell you that the United States, they say, which came to establish democracy and human rights in Iraq, seems to be abusing them, in the opinion of many people, in a prison that was very much the symbol of abuse of human rights under the regime of Saddam Hussein.
But the United States is saying that they are conducting a criminal investigation. They are also conducting an investigation into how that prison was run. And they say they aren't going to tolerate any sort of repetition of this sort of abuse in the future -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Ben Wedeman in Baghdad.
Now onto the military angle, U.S. military officials saying they're cautiously optimistic about efforts to form an Iraqi security force in Fallujah. Our Elaine Quijano is at the Pentagon with more on the makeup of those Iraqi forces -- Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, the name of that proposed security force is the Fallujah brigade, and as we heard Ben Wedeman say a moment ago, it could be 600 to 1100, as many as 1100 personnel that would make up this security force, that according to Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, who held a briefing just a short time ago.
Also saying that they will be led by a former Iraqi general who has been carefully chosen, who has been vetted, an interesting choice of words there; senior Pentagon officials saying this morning that that Iraqi general came forward, actually.
Now, that general would work under the U.S. Marine commander in the area, and equipment, resources would be provided by U.S. Marines. But again, General Kimmitt emphasizing that the Marines are not withdrawing as part of this proposal, that instead some of the Marines are being repositioned around Fallujah in anticipation of turning over some security duties like checkpoints.
Now this morning the head of U.S. Central Command, General John Abizaid, said that although all military options were still on the table, this was a possible breakthrough.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. JOHN ABIZAID, CMDR., U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: What we have there is an opportunity and not necessarily an agreement. The opportunity is to build an Iraqi security force from former elements of the army that will work under the command of coalition forces.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, also today at that briefing by Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt -- a separate briefing, that one taking place in Baghdad. The brigadier general expressing outrage again over those photographs that have now been broadcast on Arab television networks, the pictures of the alleged abuses at the Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq.
Echoing the opinions -- the feelings, rather, of people here at the Pentagon, a senior Pentagon official telling me today that officials here are livid about those images, about the alleged behavior in those pictures that have aired at a time when the U.S. military and the Bush administration in a much broader sense has been trying to build up its credibility in the region. They say that this simply does not reflect who they are. As this senior defense official put it, quote, "it is just not who we are" -- Daryn. KAGAN: Elaine Quijano at the Pentagon, thank you.
A member of Iraq's government plans (sic) to react to the plan to hand over security in Fallujah to an Iraqi force. On CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" he called it an encouraging development.
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SAMIR SUMAIDA'IE, IRAQI MINISTER: This force is going to be made up of Fallujahns (ph), mainly local people, would be put together along the same lines as the other Iraqi ICDC -- Civil Defense Brigades. And I think it's promising. There is a possibility here that they will help distance the coalition military from the local community and thereby bring together a solution and at the same time get rid of their terrorists.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: It's not clear when the redeployment in Fallujah will be completed. We're at 12 minutes past the hour. Tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary since President Bush declared an end to major combat in Iraq. But in Iraq major combat does continue. Now critics are hammering the White House and the statement of "mission accomplished." That's coming up next.
Also, for years Pat Tillman merchandise went unnoticed. His death has changed that. This week's buzz on the Web looks at the run on Tillman memorabilia.
And we're watching Santa Maria, California, that is where Michael Jackson is appearing in court. Much more live coverage when CNN LIVE TODAY returns.
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KAGAN: Tomorrow will mark a year since President Bush landed on an aircraft carrier with a banner behind him declaring "mission accomplished." But since the end of major combat last May, many more American troops have died in Iraq. In fact this month alone, more were killed than during the initial invasion last spring. That statistic is not lost today on the critics of the president's war policy. More now from White House correspondent Dana Bash.
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DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One year ago Democrats worried this made-for-TV image would end up in a Bush campaign ad, glorifying a swift win in Iraq. Instead, his opponent made the ad.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Who can take on George Bush and change the direction of the nation?
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Iraq is free. BASH: May 1, aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln to declare major combat over in Iraq. But the war continued. On that date, 139 troops had been killed. One year later, six times that, 736 casualties. Since then Karl Rove and other top advisers say they wish that banner wasn't overhead. Tough lesson in how images can quickly turn with events.
DAN BARTLETT, WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIR.: I won't call it a mistake, but I will call it -- you know, hindsight is always perfect.
BASH: The White House now says focus on the words, not the pictures.
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: What he said is still correct. But there are still certainly combat operations and dangers that remain in Iraq. Our troops are doing an outstanding job.
BASH: But for Democrats, "mission accomplished" is now a metaphor for Bush mistakes, the focus of a series of blistering speeches around the year anniversary.
SEN ROBERT BYRD (D), WEST VIRGINIA: Mission accomplished? The mission in Iraq, as laid out by President Bush and Vice President Cheney, has failed.
SEN. TED KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Iraq is George Bush's Vietnam.
BASH (on camera): While polls show most Americans agree with the president, it's important to stay the course in Iraq, approval of how he's handling the situation there has dropped some 30 points since one year ago. But the Bush campaign takes solace in the fact that those same polls show the public still sees the president as better suited to deal with Iraq than his Democratic opponent.
Dana Bash, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: President Bush has taken a lot of criticism for his approach to terrorism in the months before September 11. It turns out the man he chose to run Iraq after the war was one of his critics. Paul Bremer, in a speech in February 2001, told an audience that the Bush White House was, quote, "paying no attention to terrorism." Bremer went on to say, quote, "what they will do is stagger along until there's a major incident and then suddenly say, oh, my God, shouldn't we be organized to deal with this?" end quote.
Online message boards are buzzing about the sale of memorabilia from a former NFL player who was killed in action in Afghanistan. For more on the Pat Tillman story and other hot topics on the Web, let's bring in AOL's Regina Lewis in Washington, D.C.
Regina, good morning.
REGINA LEWIS, AOL: Good morning, Daryn. KAGAN: Pat Tillman, people trying to sell parts of his memorabilia online.
LEWIS: Yes. And that was kind of the reaction, is the level of appropriateness. Normally, particularly in sports, to be bid up on eBay gives you bragging rights. In this case people thought, wow, are you really trying to cash in, especially so quickly on a tragedy of sorts?
So you started to see people change their description to, you know, signed by a hero, I'll give the money, or at least part of it, to charity. Also one of the jerseys he wore which one of the collectors in the country had, he actually opted to send it back to the family. It's expected there may only be six of those.
And under the radar there's at least one manufacturer out there who says when the dust settles on this they would love to talk to the family about a vintage clothing line. So I think his name and everything it represents could be around for a long time.
KAGAN: All right. But clearly he was a man who wasn't really interested in cashing in on that during his lifetime.
LEWIS: right.
KAGAN: Let's talk other topics that are hot online. World of sports, Kentucky Derby, the running of the roses tomorrow.
LEWIS: Yes. There you go. And all the information, you can be very smart when you watch this race if you go online. The daily forum for horseracing, the little piece of paper that the old men at the track used to walk around with, is now online. And you can play the numbers and run it every different way. It's really kind of fascinating. Also, betting on horseracing is legal online. It's an extension of offtrack betting in most states. So we see big spikes in numbers for that as well.
KAGAN: Regina Lewis, thank you so much, from AOL. We're going to cut our time short today because we do have breaking news out of Iraq and this coming out of -- the news coming out of Baghdad but word from Fallujah, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad saying that today two Marines were killed and six wounded in a suicide car bombing in Fallujah.
Fallujah, of course, the hot spot to the west of Baghdad where there have been thousands of insurgents holed up with Marines circling that city. And word today, when we were listening to the briefing earlier today, that they're working on getting together an Iraqi security force to help the Marines there.
But today, once again, getting word that a car bomb exploding in Fallujah, two Marines dead, six more wounded in that incident.
KAGAN: Much more ahead. Perhaps we'll hear from President Bush. We are standing by about 25 minutes from right now. We expect to see him in the Rose Garden with the prime minister of Canada for a news conference there. So that's coming up. Right now we have a quick break, and we're back after this.
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KAGAN: Now to New Mexico. State police there say that they could shut down a stretch of Interstate 40 again today, that's if blinding dust storms continue. They closed a seven-mile section of the highway yesterday. It reopened last night. Authorities say the dust appears to be coming from a patch of vacant land west of the town of Grants (ph).
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KAGAN: We've been doing a lot of coverage from California, from Santa Maria, California, the Michael Jackson arraignment taking place at this hour. In fact, just a few minutes ago his brother, Jermaine Jackson arrived at that courthouse in Santa Maria. A live picture from outside, much more of a fence and much more of a police presence than when things got a little bit out of control back in January. We'll have more coverage from Santa Maria. Also want to let you know that Jermaine Jackson will be a guest later today -- tonight, 9:00 p.m. Eastern with our Larry King, 6:00 p.m. Pacific, 9:00 p.m. Eastern. A break now, we are back after this.
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