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Secretary Rumsfeld in Iraq; 'Paging Dr. Gupta'

Aired May 13, 2004 - 08:31   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody. Just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Much more this morning on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's sudden trip to Iraq. That's coming up in just a few minutes. Also, what psychological tricks are considered acceptable for the interrogation of prisoners of war? This morning, we talk to a psy-ops expert with 26 years of experience in the military about what can be done and what cannot be done.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also this half hour, A few suggestions going around Washington that Senator John Kerry might boost his campaign with an early VP pick. Talked about this earlier with Carol Costello and other. Carlos Watson joins us in a moment, looks at who's on the list and the different strategies that campaign could take, depending on which selection is made.

O'BRIEN: First, let's talk about the defense secretary. Donald Rumsfeld says he'd like to release all the unreleased photos, depicting abuse of Iraqi prisoners. He'd like them made public. But today on his way to an unannounced visit to Iraq, he said no one in the government legally is recommending that kind of release because of the concerns about the ongoing legal proceedings.

For more about the secretary's visit, let's check in with Barbara Starr, who's at the Pentagon for us this morning.

Hey, Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you again, Soledad. Well, yes, Secretary Rumsfeld, accompanied by General Richard Myers, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. Both of them are in Iraq at this hour. They are meeting with top officials to discuss the prisoner abuse crisis. Also expected to meet with troops, give them a pat on the back, tell them they're doing a good job and try to boost morale in the face of this abuse scandal.

Now on his way to Iraq, that 15-hour flight from Washington to Baghdad, the secretary spoke with reporters traveling with him, answered a few questions about the scandal, and one of the things he was asked was, what about the public release of those very disturbing photographs that were shown to Congress yesterday? Here's what the secretary had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECY.: My first choice would be to release them. But it's my understanding that at the present time the people who have an obligation to take into account privacy issues, legal requirements under privacy laws, and Geneva Convention, are advising against it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: So this trip part of an effort, again, to publicly demonstrate both here in the United States in Iraq and to the troops that top administration officials are getting a handle on the crisis. But here in Washington, every indication that it still goes on. Secretary Rumsfeld also warning that he fully expects there will be even more photographs, more images possibly emerging in the days and weeks ahead. He said there's no way to tell if they've seen everything yet -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon for us this morning. Barbara, thanks.

And in fact, it is still not clear whether that new batch of photos that show what appear to be abuses at the prison will be released. The Pentagon, as Barbara mentioned, allowed members of Congress to take a look at hundreds of those digital images yesterday, and the lawmakers responded with mixed reactions. No clear census on whether the materials should in fact be made public or not.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN WARNER (R), CHAIRMAN, ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: These pictures at this time by the executive branch should not be released into the public domain, and they await release until the course of the trials.

SEN. BILL NELSON (D), FLORIDA: I think eventually they are going to leak out and the best thing to do would just get them out and get this thing behind us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: So far, three U.S. soldiers face courts martial in connection with the abuse.

In India, the prime minister there, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is expected to offer his resignation today. Official results from the country's parliamentary elections show millions of voters supporting Sonia Gandi and her opposition congress party to lead India's government. The upset apparently surprising the prime minister who had called for parliamentary elections six months early.

It's further proof that the Internet has infiltrated nearly every aspect of our culture, and not always in a good way. Gang members battled it out in the streets of a Dallas suburb. Look at these pictures. This is a rumble organized apparently over the Internet. In fact, this is police videotape of that fight. Nearly three dozen people, including 27 high school students, were arrested this week in connection with that brawl that took place on March 3rd.

Pretty incredible pictures, and pretty incredible to think that it was organized online.

Heavy rains pelted an already saturated New Orleans yesterday. The thunderstorms caused flash flooding and street closures, trapping drivers in the high waters. High winds, in fact, knocked down power lines throughout the city's suburbs; 8,000 people without power last night. I fact, this morning, some schools are closed still due to that flooding.

HEMMER: Talk about that weather there in New Orleans all week.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: While congressional leaders say the unreleased pictures of prisoner abuse are much worse than what's been seen to date, our next guest says the abuse also is way beyond what any legitimate interrogator or psy-op would entail. Lynndie England, one of the soldiers at the center of this scandal says this photo, and others like it, were used for just that reason, psy-ops.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PFC LYNNDIE ENGLAND: I was instructed by persons in higher rank to stand there, hold this leash and look at the camera, and they took a picture for psy-op, and that's all I know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Psy-op in her answer. And retired Army Major John Glassford spent 26 years in military psy-ops and special ops. He's with us live in D.C. Good to have you here on AMERICAN MORNING.

Good morning to you.

Take the last part of her answer, psy-ops. Is this what is used or called for?

MAJ. JOHN GLASSFORD (RET.), U.S. ARMY: This shows a total ignorance of what psychological operations psy-ops is. Psy-op is designed to persuade a target group or audience to support American goals and objectives, not to inflame it. This has the total opposite effect.

HEMMER: Psy-ops is short for psychological operations. What is the difference between that and interrogation?

GLASSFORD: There is a big difference. Interrogation is focused on the individual. Psychological operations is focused on influencing large groups of people -- military officers, military enlisted, the local population. The foundations of both interrogation and psychological operations are the same, and it's persuasion, understanding the beliefs, hopes and values and the attitudes of a particular group of people or individual.

HEMMER: In this case, if you're able to transplant yourself in Baghdad in that prison west of the capital city, what's appropriate when it comes to interrogation? GLASSFORD: Interrogation -- interrogators at all levels are train from the very beginning about the rights and privileges of detainees, whether they're prisoners of war or detainees or whatever. They are to be treated humanely and within the code of military justice and Geneva Convention, and all military personnel and all military police receive this training. They may be ill trained. It may not have taken, but they have received the training.

HEMMER: I don't know if you've seen the "USA Today" so far this morning. Front page, right below the fold there, and I'll quote from it, "One of the most surprising things about the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. soldiers is that so many Americans are surprised by it. It goes on to say that throughout history of war, this takes place. How do we then put this into proper context, based on what we've been talking about for the past eight days running? Is it the fact the pictures and evidence are out there for the public to see?"

GLASSFORD: This is an isolated case, believe me. We did not teach this in any way shape or form. It's not even field expedient, to borrow a slang term in the military. Interrogation, yes, has a bad connotation, as well as does propaganda, which is psychological warfare as well. American prisoners have been subject to torture for decades in Vietnam and other wars. We have been tortured. That doesn't mean that we torture people. We want to maintain the moral high ground. There is a double standard. We put that standard on ourselves. To descend to this level of techniques, if you will, is so way beyond the pale that -- and it's counterproductive. One, it's morally wrong. Two, it's against uniform code of military justice and Geneva Convention, and three, if it should get out, look at the effect it's having, totally devastating.

HEMMER: Thank you, major, John Glassford, retired from the U.S. Army in Washington.

GLASSFORD: My pleasure.

HEMMER: Soledad.

O'BRIEN: We continue talking politics this morning. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry on the campaign trail in the Deep South. He arrived in Arkansas yesterday, and we'll talk about health care issues today in Little Rock. The Kerry team, in fact, is conducting background checks on several potential vice presidential running mates.

And joining us today to talk about the search is our political analyst Carlos Watson.

Hey, Carlos, good morning to you. Nice to see you.

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POL. ANALYST: Hi, Soledad. Good to see you.

O'BRIEN: Thank you very much.

You have said there are sort of four basic categories, big categories, that Senator Kerry is considering when he thinks about who he needs to pick to be his vice president. Give me a sense of what those categories are.

WATSON: I think the first is regional, so he can think about regionally balancing his ticket. The second is thematic, the third is what I call a hail Mary choice, and the fourth is what I call a comfort choice.

O'BRIEN: All right then, let's walk through these. When you say regional, what regions does Senator Kerry need to pick to support his presidential bid?

WATSON: Long ago, you would have said the South, and that's obviously what John F. Kennedy did in picking LBJ. But nowadays, he would think about the Midwest or maybe the Southwest. So if he thought about the Midwest, thought about winning states like Ohio, Michigan and Iowa, he might think about a Dick Gephardt, who's from Missouri, or he might think about Tom Vilsack, the governor of Iowa.

But if he turned his attention to the Southwest, which some Democrat strategist are saying he should do, he might think about Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, or even think about Janet Napolitano, more of a longshot, but the governor of Arizona, two critical states that Democrats ultimately want to put together 270 electoral votes.

O'BRIEN: You say a longshot. In fact, I was going to ask you that. How likely do you think it is any woman is going to be on the ticket with Senator Kerry?

WATSON: You know, I'm always surprised. I'm hearing Louisiana. I continue to do focus groups, Soledad, all around the country, and I will tell you, not just from Democrats, but from Republicans, the single most popular name that I always hear in these groups is Hillary Clinton. Now, Hillary Clinton has said I'm not going to do it, I'm not interested. But I tell you what, that's a name you keep hearing. Will she or any other woman end up on the ticket? I think it's a longshot. But make no mistake about it, if she did end up on the ticket, it would energize the base.

O'BRIEN: You talk about thematic choices as well. And I know that for you the themes are national security and the economy. So national security-wise, who potentially could be a pick?

WATSON: You could think about a couple people, certainly Wesley Clark, the former general, who also ran is someone who people would certainly consider. Bob Kerrey, who's gotten a larger profile as a part of the 9/11 Commission, is certainly someone else people would think about, or Bob Graham from the state of Florida, former chairman of the Intelligence Committee, but also comes from a prize and pivotal state in Florida, as someone else you might consider, if you wanted to emphasize the national security as a strength on the Democratic side.

O'BRIEN: If you want to emphasize the economy then, who do you think is the pick?

WATSON: Couple interesting, maybe unconventional choices here, former Treasury Secretary Bob Rubin might be someone you'd look at. Former director of the Office of Management and Budget, and he would end up being the first African-American on a major party ticket. Franklin Raines would be another long-shot choice.

But maybe the most likely choice if you wanted to emphasize the economy, is John Edwards, who emphasized the two Americas theme, kind of an economic populism, if you will, when he ran for president earlier this year. And he might be someone who might be picked in order to emphasize a growing and strong economy.

O'BRIEN: Carlos, we're almost out of time, but I want to -- quick question for you -- you said Hail Mary category, Hillary Clinton falls into that, and certainly the comfort zone category, you've mentioned Senator Dianne Feinstein. So at the end of the day, who do you pick to be his running mate, just to put you on the spot?

WATSON: You know, if you asked me today, I would say that John Edwards has the best choice, but I would not rule out Dick Gephardt, although a lot of people think that that's a choice that would seem a little old and a little antiquated. He does give you a great shot at choosing Missouri. And Missouri has gone through 24 of the last 25 people who have been elected president. If Dick Gephardt could help you win his home state, that might be worth it in choosing him.

O'BRIEN: We'll see if you're right, Carlos. Thanks.

WATSON: Take care.

HEMMER: In a moment here, the potentially deadly dangers of food allergies. Sanjay's back to explain how to guard against them in a moment, and we continue right after this, on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Welcome back, everybody. Twelve minutes before the hour now. One in every 25 Americans has one or more food allergy. And as Dr. Sanjay Explains this morning, for many, certain foods can trigger a life-threatening reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: When 11-year-old Sam Gilman reach for a snack, he knows what to do.

SAM GILMAN, FOOD ALLERGY SUFFERER: Basically you have to read it from bottom to top and backwards, because that way you concentrate word for word.

GUPTA: And not miss even a trace amount of anything, because that could be deadly. You see, Sam has food allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, sesame and poppy seeds and shellfish.

GILMAN: I go into Anaphylaxis shock, and worst-case scenario, I could die.

GUPTA: Like others with life-threaten allergies, Sam has lots of an antibody called IEG. If he is even remotely exposed to an allergen, chemicals are released in the body that cause a frightening reaction.

ANNE MUOOZ-FURLONG, FOOD ALLERGY AND ANAPHYLAXIS NETWORK: Difficulty breathing, swelling of the lips or the tongue, the throat. You can hit the gastrointestinal system with vomiting, cramping, diarrhea. You can have hives on your arm or all over your body. In severe reactions, it can cause a drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness and death.

GUPTA: Sam is not alone. According to the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, five million Americans suffered from food allergies five years ago. Today it exceeds 11 million. It's unclear why.

MUOOZ-FURLONG: One of the theories is that perhaps we've changed the way we live, our homes are cleaner, our immune system doesn't have anything to do. And for some people, it's developing allergies.

GUPTA: For those with food allergies, avoidance is currently the only option.

GILMAN: This is OK.

GUPTA: But avoiding allergens is not always easy. Sometimes it also involves learning a new language.

For example, lactoglobulin encasen (ph) equals milk. Spout ensaten (ph), that equals wheat.

REP. NITA LOWEY (D), NEW YORK, CO-SPONSOR OF BILL: A language they use, instead of talking English, they talk this fancy science talk.

GUPTA: So confusing that in March, legislation passed the Senate to force food manufacturers to more clearly label their products. The bill goes to the House next.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you just tell me what's in the artichoke salad?

GUPTA: Like many people, Sam and his family first learned about his allergies when he almost died as an infant. Today they take no chances.

ANDY GILMAN, FATHER OF FOOD ALLERGY SUFFERER: We've been lucky that we haven't had another incident like the first one where we've had to. But that doesn't mean you can relax your guard.

GUPTA: Good advice, because although researchers are working on an immunization, no cure exists as of yet.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Also told through Sanjay, some 6.5 million Americans have seafood allergies. That's double the number of people who have to avoid peanuts. In a moment, a market update. A wild ride yesterday. We'll see what's in store today with Andy Serwer. Back in a moment with that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: A lot of economic news out to drive the markets this morning. Andy Serwer is here "Minding Your Business."

What do you got?

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Yes, some unhappy news, I would have to say. First of all, let's start with your PPI, Jack. How is your PPI? That's your producer price index? This is actually relevant, OK?

HEMMER: Look at his face. Look at his face, Andy.

SERWER: I won't look at it. When I talk about wholesale prices, I do not look Jack in the face in the eye, anywhere. Here's the story, in April, wholesale prices rose unexpectedly more than anticipated, .7 percent. Economists looking for about half that. That means the Fed is really going to be taking a sharp look at raising interest rates in June, I think. We're going to get the consumer prices tomorrow and people are saying, you put those two together. If they are both higher, and we've got one of them higher, the Fed may move in June, Jack. Also retail sales weaker than expected. Jobless claims coming in a little bit higher than expected.

But the big news is that wholesale price showing that inflation is, in fact, kicking around here, I think.

CAFFERTY: Futures then, I would guess, are lower this morning. We had a big bounceback yesterday afternoon. Somebody say it was because the S&P 500 touched its 200-day moving average, and that triggered some buying.

SERWER: Just touched it right, yes.

Computers had a lot to do with that, and we had the 200-point swing in the afternoon. Futures are down. Here you're talking about up 25 when the Dow was down 167 at one point. But futures are lower on that wholesale price, the PPI news, Jack.

CAFFERTY: Thank you, Andy.

SERWER: You're welcome, Jack.

CAFFERTY: You are trying and I'm not going there. I'm not going there.

Time for The Cafferty File. Here's a safe combination, firearms and nightclubs. The Arizona statehouse -- you've got to love the folks out West. These are my people. The Arizona statehouse added nightclubs and bars to a bill that will let people take guns into restaurants that serve alcohol. There's a good idea. The catch is the gun carriers will not be allowed to drink alcohol.

Now, of course if you're the bartender, you search everybody that comes into the bar and see if they have a gun or not.

One of the NRA card-toters who supports this bill said -- this is a quote -- "I find the best safety we have in society is good citizens who are armed."

SERWER: And have had a couple of cocktails.

CAFFERTY: Yes, And a taste. That's true.

One other quick note here. Pandas apparently the new sex symbol in the nation's capital for this summer. Meet "Pandala Anderson." Look like Anna Nicole Smith. This is a buxom Baywatch panda that will be decorating the streets of Washington during something called Panda Mania, which starts this week. You may want to make a note of this. The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities provided artists with 150 blank pandas and paints and said, go to it. The exhibition will wrap up with an auction in which the pandas will be sold to raise money for artist grants and education.

O'BRIEN: So the pandas joining the...

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: OK, enough already.

CAFFERTY: And Anna Nicole Smith in Hollywood.

HEMMER: How is your PPI?

O'BRIEN: Excellent, thanks. And you?

SERWER: Don't get her going on it. You really don't want to do that.

O'BRIEN: Don't make me laugh. It hurts.

Still to come this morning, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says he is not trying to pour water on the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal. We're going to get some reaction this morning from one of the Bush administration's harshest critics. That's ahead, as AMERICAN MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired May 13, 2004 - 08:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody. Just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Much more this morning on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's sudden trip to Iraq. That's coming up in just a few minutes. Also, what psychological tricks are considered acceptable for the interrogation of prisoners of war? This morning, we talk to a psy-ops expert with 26 years of experience in the military about what can be done and what cannot be done.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also this half hour, A few suggestions going around Washington that Senator John Kerry might boost his campaign with an early VP pick. Talked about this earlier with Carol Costello and other. Carlos Watson joins us in a moment, looks at who's on the list and the different strategies that campaign could take, depending on which selection is made.

O'BRIEN: First, let's talk about the defense secretary. Donald Rumsfeld says he'd like to release all the unreleased photos, depicting abuse of Iraqi prisoners. He'd like them made public. But today on his way to an unannounced visit to Iraq, he said no one in the government legally is recommending that kind of release because of the concerns about the ongoing legal proceedings.

For more about the secretary's visit, let's check in with Barbara Starr, who's at the Pentagon for us this morning.

Hey, Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you again, Soledad. Well, yes, Secretary Rumsfeld, accompanied by General Richard Myers, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. Both of them are in Iraq at this hour. They are meeting with top officials to discuss the prisoner abuse crisis. Also expected to meet with troops, give them a pat on the back, tell them they're doing a good job and try to boost morale in the face of this abuse scandal.

Now on his way to Iraq, that 15-hour flight from Washington to Baghdad, the secretary spoke with reporters traveling with him, answered a few questions about the scandal, and one of the things he was asked was, what about the public release of those very disturbing photographs that were shown to Congress yesterday? Here's what the secretary had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECY.: My first choice would be to release them. But it's my understanding that at the present time the people who have an obligation to take into account privacy issues, legal requirements under privacy laws, and Geneva Convention, are advising against it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: So this trip part of an effort, again, to publicly demonstrate both here in the United States in Iraq and to the troops that top administration officials are getting a handle on the crisis. But here in Washington, every indication that it still goes on. Secretary Rumsfeld also warning that he fully expects there will be even more photographs, more images possibly emerging in the days and weeks ahead. He said there's no way to tell if they've seen everything yet -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon for us this morning. Barbara, thanks.

And in fact, it is still not clear whether that new batch of photos that show what appear to be abuses at the prison will be released. The Pentagon, as Barbara mentioned, allowed members of Congress to take a look at hundreds of those digital images yesterday, and the lawmakers responded with mixed reactions. No clear census on whether the materials should in fact be made public or not.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN WARNER (R), CHAIRMAN, ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: These pictures at this time by the executive branch should not be released into the public domain, and they await release until the course of the trials.

SEN. BILL NELSON (D), FLORIDA: I think eventually they are going to leak out and the best thing to do would just get them out and get this thing behind us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: So far, three U.S. soldiers face courts martial in connection with the abuse.

In India, the prime minister there, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is expected to offer his resignation today. Official results from the country's parliamentary elections show millions of voters supporting Sonia Gandi and her opposition congress party to lead India's government. The upset apparently surprising the prime minister who had called for parliamentary elections six months early.

It's further proof that the Internet has infiltrated nearly every aspect of our culture, and not always in a good way. Gang members battled it out in the streets of a Dallas suburb. Look at these pictures. This is a rumble organized apparently over the Internet. In fact, this is police videotape of that fight. Nearly three dozen people, including 27 high school students, were arrested this week in connection with that brawl that took place on March 3rd.

Pretty incredible pictures, and pretty incredible to think that it was organized online.

Heavy rains pelted an already saturated New Orleans yesterday. The thunderstorms caused flash flooding and street closures, trapping drivers in the high waters. High winds, in fact, knocked down power lines throughout the city's suburbs; 8,000 people without power last night. I fact, this morning, some schools are closed still due to that flooding.

HEMMER: Talk about that weather there in New Orleans all week.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: While congressional leaders say the unreleased pictures of prisoner abuse are much worse than what's been seen to date, our next guest says the abuse also is way beyond what any legitimate interrogator or psy-op would entail. Lynndie England, one of the soldiers at the center of this scandal says this photo, and others like it, were used for just that reason, psy-ops.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PFC LYNNDIE ENGLAND: I was instructed by persons in higher rank to stand there, hold this leash and look at the camera, and they took a picture for psy-op, and that's all I know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Psy-op in her answer. And retired Army Major John Glassford spent 26 years in military psy-ops and special ops. He's with us live in D.C. Good to have you here on AMERICAN MORNING.

Good morning to you.

Take the last part of her answer, psy-ops. Is this what is used or called for?

MAJ. JOHN GLASSFORD (RET.), U.S. ARMY: This shows a total ignorance of what psychological operations psy-ops is. Psy-op is designed to persuade a target group or audience to support American goals and objectives, not to inflame it. This has the total opposite effect.

HEMMER: Psy-ops is short for psychological operations. What is the difference between that and interrogation?

GLASSFORD: There is a big difference. Interrogation is focused on the individual. Psychological operations is focused on influencing large groups of people -- military officers, military enlisted, the local population. The foundations of both interrogation and psychological operations are the same, and it's persuasion, understanding the beliefs, hopes and values and the attitudes of a particular group of people or individual.

HEMMER: In this case, if you're able to transplant yourself in Baghdad in that prison west of the capital city, what's appropriate when it comes to interrogation? GLASSFORD: Interrogation -- interrogators at all levels are train from the very beginning about the rights and privileges of detainees, whether they're prisoners of war or detainees or whatever. They are to be treated humanely and within the code of military justice and Geneva Convention, and all military personnel and all military police receive this training. They may be ill trained. It may not have taken, but they have received the training.

HEMMER: I don't know if you've seen the "USA Today" so far this morning. Front page, right below the fold there, and I'll quote from it, "One of the most surprising things about the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. soldiers is that so many Americans are surprised by it. It goes on to say that throughout history of war, this takes place. How do we then put this into proper context, based on what we've been talking about for the past eight days running? Is it the fact the pictures and evidence are out there for the public to see?"

GLASSFORD: This is an isolated case, believe me. We did not teach this in any way shape or form. It's not even field expedient, to borrow a slang term in the military. Interrogation, yes, has a bad connotation, as well as does propaganda, which is psychological warfare as well. American prisoners have been subject to torture for decades in Vietnam and other wars. We have been tortured. That doesn't mean that we torture people. We want to maintain the moral high ground. There is a double standard. We put that standard on ourselves. To descend to this level of techniques, if you will, is so way beyond the pale that -- and it's counterproductive. One, it's morally wrong. Two, it's against uniform code of military justice and Geneva Convention, and three, if it should get out, look at the effect it's having, totally devastating.

HEMMER: Thank you, major, John Glassford, retired from the U.S. Army in Washington.

GLASSFORD: My pleasure.

HEMMER: Soledad.

O'BRIEN: We continue talking politics this morning. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry on the campaign trail in the Deep South. He arrived in Arkansas yesterday, and we'll talk about health care issues today in Little Rock. The Kerry team, in fact, is conducting background checks on several potential vice presidential running mates.

And joining us today to talk about the search is our political analyst Carlos Watson.

Hey, Carlos, good morning to you. Nice to see you.

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POL. ANALYST: Hi, Soledad. Good to see you.

O'BRIEN: Thank you very much.

You have said there are sort of four basic categories, big categories, that Senator Kerry is considering when he thinks about who he needs to pick to be his vice president. Give me a sense of what those categories are.

WATSON: I think the first is regional, so he can think about regionally balancing his ticket. The second is thematic, the third is what I call a hail Mary choice, and the fourth is what I call a comfort choice.

O'BRIEN: All right then, let's walk through these. When you say regional, what regions does Senator Kerry need to pick to support his presidential bid?

WATSON: Long ago, you would have said the South, and that's obviously what John F. Kennedy did in picking LBJ. But nowadays, he would think about the Midwest or maybe the Southwest. So if he thought about the Midwest, thought about winning states like Ohio, Michigan and Iowa, he might think about a Dick Gephardt, who's from Missouri, or he might think about Tom Vilsack, the governor of Iowa.

But if he turned his attention to the Southwest, which some Democrat strategist are saying he should do, he might think about Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, or even think about Janet Napolitano, more of a longshot, but the governor of Arizona, two critical states that Democrats ultimately want to put together 270 electoral votes.

O'BRIEN: You say a longshot. In fact, I was going to ask you that. How likely do you think it is any woman is going to be on the ticket with Senator Kerry?

WATSON: You know, I'm always surprised. I'm hearing Louisiana. I continue to do focus groups, Soledad, all around the country, and I will tell you, not just from Democrats, but from Republicans, the single most popular name that I always hear in these groups is Hillary Clinton. Now, Hillary Clinton has said I'm not going to do it, I'm not interested. But I tell you what, that's a name you keep hearing. Will she or any other woman end up on the ticket? I think it's a longshot. But make no mistake about it, if she did end up on the ticket, it would energize the base.

O'BRIEN: You talk about thematic choices as well. And I know that for you the themes are national security and the economy. So national security-wise, who potentially could be a pick?

WATSON: You could think about a couple people, certainly Wesley Clark, the former general, who also ran is someone who people would certainly consider. Bob Kerrey, who's gotten a larger profile as a part of the 9/11 Commission, is certainly someone else people would think about, or Bob Graham from the state of Florida, former chairman of the Intelligence Committee, but also comes from a prize and pivotal state in Florida, as someone else you might consider, if you wanted to emphasize the national security as a strength on the Democratic side.

O'BRIEN: If you want to emphasize the economy then, who do you think is the pick?

WATSON: Couple interesting, maybe unconventional choices here, former Treasury Secretary Bob Rubin might be someone you'd look at. Former director of the Office of Management and Budget, and he would end up being the first African-American on a major party ticket. Franklin Raines would be another long-shot choice.

But maybe the most likely choice if you wanted to emphasize the economy, is John Edwards, who emphasized the two Americas theme, kind of an economic populism, if you will, when he ran for president earlier this year. And he might be someone who might be picked in order to emphasize a growing and strong economy.

O'BRIEN: Carlos, we're almost out of time, but I want to -- quick question for you -- you said Hail Mary category, Hillary Clinton falls into that, and certainly the comfort zone category, you've mentioned Senator Dianne Feinstein. So at the end of the day, who do you pick to be his running mate, just to put you on the spot?

WATSON: You know, if you asked me today, I would say that John Edwards has the best choice, but I would not rule out Dick Gephardt, although a lot of people think that that's a choice that would seem a little old and a little antiquated. He does give you a great shot at choosing Missouri. And Missouri has gone through 24 of the last 25 people who have been elected president. If Dick Gephardt could help you win his home state, that might be worth it in choosing him.

O'BRIEN: We'll see if you're right, Carlos. Thanks.

WATSON: Take care.

HEMMER: In a moment here, the potentially deadly dangers of food allergies. Sanjay's back to explain how to guard against them in a moment, and we continue right after this, on AMERICAN MORNING.

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HEMMER: Welcome back, everybody. Twelve minutes before the hour now. One in every 25 Americans has one or more food allergy. And as Dr. Sanjay Explains this morning, for many, certain foods can trigger a life-threatening reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: When 11-year-old Sam Gilman reach for a snack, he knows what to do.

SAM GILMAN, FOOD ALLERGY SUFFERER: Basically you have to read it from bottom to top and backwards, because that way you concentrate word for word.

GUPTA: And not miss even a trace amount of anything, because that could be deadly. You see, Sam has food allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, sesame and poppy seeds and shellfish.

GILMAN: I go into Anaphylaxis shock, and worst-case scenario, I could die.

GUPTA: Like others with life-threaten allergies, Sam has lots of an antibody called IEG. If he is even remotely exposed to an allergen, chemicals are released in the body that cause a frightening reaction.

ANNE MUOOZ-FURLONG, FOOD ALLERGY AND ANAPHYLAXIS NETWORK: Difficulty breathing, swelling of the lips or the tongue, the throat. You can hit the gastrointestinal system with vomiting, cramping, diarrhea. You can have hives on your arm or all over your body. In severe reactions, it can cause a drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness and death.

GUPTA: Sam is not alone. According to the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, five million Americans suffered from food allergies five years ago. Today it exceeds 11 million. It's unclear why.

MUOOZ-FURLONG: One of the theories is that perhaps we've changed the way we live, our homes are cleaner, our immune system doesn't have anything to do. And for some people, it's developing allergies.

GUPTA: For those with food allergies, avoidance is currently the only option.

GILMAN: This is OK.

GUPTA: But avoiding allergens is not always easy. Sometimes it also involves learning a new language.

For example, lactoglobulin encasen (ph) equals milk. Spout ensaten (ph), that equals wheat.

REP. NITA LOWEY (D), NEW YORK, CO-SPONSOR OF BILL: A language they use, instead of talking English, they talk this fancy science talk.

GUPTA: So confusing that in March, legislation passed the Senate to force food manufacturers to more clearly label their products. The bill goes to the House next.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you just tell me what's in the artichoke salad?

GUPTA: Like many people, Sam and his family first learned about his allergies when he almost died as an infant. Today they take no chances.

ANDY GILMAN, FATHER OF FOOD ALLERGY SUFFERER: We've been lucky that we haven't had another incident like the first one where we've had to. But that doesn't mean you can relax your guard.

GUPTA: Good advice, because although researchers are working on an immunization, no cure exists as of yet.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Also told through Sanjay, some 6.5 million Americans have seafood allergies. That's double the number of people who have to avoid peanuts. In a moment, a market update. A wild ride yesterday. We'll see what's in store today with Andy Serwer. Back in a moment with that.

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O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: A lot of economic news out to drive the markets this morning. Andy Serwer is here "Minding Your Business."

What do you got?

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Yes, some unhappy news, I would have to say. First of all, let's start with your PPI, Jack. How is your PPI? That's your producer price index? This is actually relevant, OK?

HEMMER: Look at his face. Look at his face, Andy.

SERWER: I won't look at it. When I talk about wholesale prices, I do not look Jack in the face in the eye, anywhere. Here's the story, in April, wholesale prices rose unexpectedly more than anticipated, .7 percent. Economists looking for about half that. That means the Fed is really going to be taking a sharp look at raising interest rates in June, I think. We're going to get the consumer prices tomorrow and people are saying, you put those two together. If they are both higher, and we've got one of them higher, the Fed may move in June, Jack. Also retail sales weaker than expected. Jobless claims coming in a little bit higher than expected.

But the big news is that wholesale price showing that inflation is, in fact, kicking around here, I think.

CAFFERTY: Futures then, I would guess, are lower this morning. We had a big bounceback yesterday afternoon. Somebody say it was because the S&P 500 touched its 200-day moving average, and that triggered some buying.

SERWER: Just touched it right, yes.

Computers had a lot to do with that, and we had the 200-point swing in the afternoon. Futures are down. Here you're talking about up 25 when the Dow was down 167 at one point. But futures are lower on that wholesale price, the PPI news, Jack.

CAFFERTY: Thank you, Andy.

SERWER: You're welcome, Jack.

CAFFERTY: You are trying and I'm not going there. I'm not going there.

Time for The Cafferty File. Here's a safe combination, firearms and nightclubs. The Arizona statehouse -- you've got to love the folks out West. These are my people. The Arizona statehouse added nightclubs and bars to a bill that will let people take guns into restaurants that serve alcohol. There's a good idea. The catch is the gun carriers will not be allowed to drink alcohol.

Now, of course if you're the bartender, you search everybody that comes into the bar and see if they have a gun or not.

One of the NRA card-toters who supports this bill said -- this is a quote -- "I find the best safety we have in society is good citizens who are armed."

SERWER: And have had a couple of cocktails.

CAFFERTY: Yes, And a taste. That's true.

One other quick note here. Pandas apparently the new sex symbol in the nation's capital for this summer. Meet "Pandala Anderson." Look like Anna Nicole Smith. This is a buxom Baywatch panda that will be decorating the streets of Washington during something called Panda Mania, which starts this week. You may want to make a note of this. The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities provided artists with 150 blank pandas and paints and said, go to it. The exhibition will wrap up with an auction in which the pandas will be sold to raise money for artist grants and education.

O'BRIEN: So the pandas joining the...

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: OK, enough already.

CAFFERTY: And Anna Nicole Smith in Hollywood.

HEMMER: How is your PPI?

O'BRIEN: Excellent, thanks. And you?

SERWER: Don't get her going on it. You really don't want to do that.

O'BRIEN: Don't make me laugh. It hurts.

Still to come this morning, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says he is not trying to pour water on the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal. We're going to get some reaction this morning from one of the Bush administration's harshest critics. That's ahead, as AMERICAN MORNING continues.

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