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American Morning

What to Expect on Nation's Highways This Weekend; Michael Jackson Case; World War II Memorial Dedication

Aired May 28, 2004 - 9:00   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The unofficial start of summer: Americans hit the road today with concerns about terrorism, delays, and the high price of gas.
Appealing to the judge today, Michael Jackson's lawyers say they're being stonewalled.

And ouch! A Kansas City pitcher takes a line drive to the head. Look at this. Not stitches. That is the mark left from the ball.

Those stories all ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.

O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome, everybody. Bill Hemmer has the day off. Anderson Cooper filling in for him. Some of the stories that are making headlines this morning...

Two days after the FBI warned of a terror attack, Americans set out for their holiday destinations. This morning, we're going to hear how to prepare ourselves from a AAA official who used to be a police officer.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Also one of the destinations people are heading to this weekend is the brand new World War II Memorial. The war, of course, ended nearly 60 years ago, but the monument may be worth the wait. We'll get a look at the high-tech features that help make it a personal experience for veterans and their families.

O'BRIEN: Also this morning, as Americans remember their war dead this weekend, we're going to hear the story of a soldier killed in Iraq. How his family pushed the Pentagon to learn that he wasn't necessarily killed in action, he was murdered.

COOPER: Also this morning, Jack has a few days of vacation, but AMERICAN MORNING regular contributor, Toure, will be along later to help us.

O'BRIEN: He's got kind of a spin on Jack's usual...

COOPER: Yes. It's not the usually Cafferty thing.

O'BRIEN: No, it's a little different than the usual Cafferty thing. But if you are hitting the road this holiday weekend, you won't be alone, believe it or not. Despite high gas prices, Americans are expected to take to the highways in big numbers. In fact, AAA is predicting that some 31 million Americans will take trips of 50 miles or more this weekend. That would represent an increase of a million drivers over last year.

So what can we expect on the nation's highways this weekend? Justin McNaull is a spokesman for AAA.

Nice to see you, Justin. Thanks for being with us.

JUSTIN MCNAULL, AAA: Well, good morning.

O'BRIEN: We heard the numbers of the increase over last year. How will this year, do you expect, compare to past years overall?

MCNAULL: We're expecting actually an extra million drivers this holiday compared to a year ago. So it's about a 3.5 percent increase. And in a word, we're undaunted by these latest terror concerns, by the high gas prices. We're getting out and traveling this year.

O'BRIEN: Have you heard from drivers? Have they said anything about these new terror warnings coming really just before the Memorial Day holiday begins?

MCNAULL: Well, the reality of Memorial Day is it really is about the drive for most of us. Eighty-four percent of us drive to our holiday destination, and most of us are going to places like the beach, or to family reunions, or to cookouts, or to visit other folks. So we're not heading to places that we perceive as high-threat locations. And you look at the warnings that we had two days ago. The specific locations that were put out there, the two national conventions for the political parties, those really aren't surprises to most people who have been following it.

O'BRIEN: Thirty-one million Americans, we're told, as in the beginning we said, are expected to be hitting the road this holiday weekend. Does that surprise you when you consider all we've been talking about for the last month, month and a half? It's been the rising cost of gasoline.

MCNAULL: Well, you'll recall, a year ago, as we headed into Memorial Day, we were really still in the throws of the Iraq work, and we also had some significant concern about the economy. So consumer confidence has improved since then, traveler confidence has improved. And if you do the math and you look at the typical 500-mile trip in a minivan, you're talking an extra $14 for gas, which really isn't a deal breaker for most people.

I mean, 57 cents a gallon more than last year is a huge increase. It really impacts commuters. But if it's just you're looking at it as a single trip for the holiday, it's not a deal breaker.

O'BRIEN: It's not so bad. Give me some advice. I know you guys have tips for travelers to make things a little more efficient, a little easier, a little less stressful.

MCNAULL: Leave early. If you can, leave now. You're going to find if you're on the road certainly heading into -- combined with evening rush hour, traffic could be a real mess. It could be real busy.

Remember to wear your seat belt. Last Memorial Day, about 500 people were killed in car crashes. This year, as part of the national Click It or Ticket (ph) campaign, there's going to be a lot of police enforcement. So even if you're not wearing the seat belt for your own sake, wear it so that you don't get a ticket. Give yourself plenty of breaks where you're traveling, so that you stay fresh, because drowsy drivers can be as dangerous as drunk drivers.

O'BRIEN: Justin McNaull, joining us with some great advice. Justin, thanks. Happy Memorial Day Weekend.

MCNAULL: You bet.

O'BRIEN: Thanks for being with us.

MCNAULL: You too.

O'BRIEN: Thanks.

Anderson?

COOPER: Michael Jackson's attorneys return to court today in California for another pretrial hearing in the child molestation case. The pop star is not expected to attend. Michael Jackson has pleaded not guilty to 10 felony counts. CNN's Miguel Marquez joins us now from the courthouse in Santa Maria, California, with more on today's hearing.

Good morning, Miguel.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

What a difference it makes when Mr. Jackson does not show up. There are no fans here, there's just a few media folks here. It's actually a pleasant day here in Santa Maria, a little room to work. Even though he will not be here, some of the heaviest legal lifting (ph) that we've probably seen so far in court will occur in just a couple of hours.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Another hearing, another step closer to the trial of pop star Michael Joe Jackson. The venue, a Santa Maria courthouse, the place where conspiracy and child molestation charges against Jackson are likely to be heard. Charges Jackson says are false.

MICHAEL JACKSON, DEFENDANT: I love the community of Santa Maria very much. It's my community. I love the people. MARQUEZ: And just when a jury of Jackson's peers could be hearing the case may become clearer in today's hearing. A court official says the judge will try to set a trial date.

Also on the agenda, Jackson wants his bail, set at $3 million, reduced to $135,000. The prosecution argues significant bail is necessary because Jackson is a flight risk. The judge is also likely to hear argument from Jackson's lawyer, Thomas Mesereau, that the prosecution is dragging its feet obtaining search warrants and interviews with dozens of witness. What lawyers call discovery. In court documents, Jackson's defense argues the grand jury indictment substantially broadens the scope and complexity of the case, with at least five alleged co-conspirators. CNN's legal analyst says defending Jackson is more difficult.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ: Now, a lawyer for media organizations, including CNN, will also argue in court that they want the grand jury transcripts. They may run to about a thousand pages. All of the evidence and testimony the grand jury released to the public. They also want the indictment by the grand jury, which would include the 28 overt acts of conspiracy logged against Mr. Jackson and several unindicted co- conspirators -- Anderson.

COOPER: Miguel, thanks very much.

CNN senior legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin, joins us now to talk about this case, as well as stuff in the Scott Peterson case. First, Michael Jackson.

The defense is saying they're not getting all the stuff they need in discovery.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: A very common argument, especially in high-profile, complex cases. It almost invariably gets worked out well before the trial.

Interesting today, will they set a trial date? The judge has said he wants a trial by the end of the year. Given the way California works, that will be a challenge.

COOPER: Let's talk about the Scott Peterson trial. The jury has been set. I'm looking at some of the descriptions of the jurors, and it is fascinating. Let's take a look.

Peterson juror number 4741, middle aged man, former police officer. Once arrested for assault and battery of a police officer. What do you make of this?

TOOBIN: So he's both a former police officer and a former defendant. Very unusual for a defense to accept a former police officer on a jury. But compared to some of these other jurors, he's normal.

COOPER: It just gets more and more unusual. Juror number 18106, a male, late 40s or 50s, former Teamster who says he didn't follow the case. Accused of violating a restraining order during a divorce.

TOOBIN: Here you have a case about a husband accused of killing a wife and a guy who was accused of domestic violence against his wife. Again, hard-pressed to understand how someone like this could get on this jury.

COOPER: And as we said, it just gets more interesting. Peterson juror number 8659, a white woman, late 30s or early 40s. Fiance was convicted of murdering a stranger in the 1980s. She married the man after his trial. The man was then killed in prison. She's been married to another man since 1990.

TOOBIN: Married a guy after he was convicted of murdering a stranger. I mean, who are these people? This is just -- you know, for a while it looked like Florida was going to be the craziest state in the union. But I think California is going to get the title back.

COOPER: One more. Alternate number 9997, retired white man in his 50s or 60s. He's the future son-in-law -- or his future son-in- law owns the restaurant The Shack , and The Shack was once owned by Laci and Scott Peterson.

TOOBIN: Before Scott went on to his career as a fertilizer salesman, yes, he did own this restaurant with Laci. Again, that one is simply odd. I don't know what...

COOPER: He also says he's an avid boater, apparently.

TOOBIN: He's also an avid boater. But he does not know much about the Berkeley Marina, where Scott supposedly disposed of the body.

COOPER: I mean, you know, there has been this long jury selection process. How did these people get picked?

TOOBIN: Well, these are the people who were sufficiently without feelings about the case, that both sides thought they could live with them. But it is certainly odd that after more than a thousand people came in to begin jury selection, you gave these people who, under normal circumstances, you could think both sides would have reasons to get rid of them.

COOPER: It is fascinating. Jeffrey Toobin, thanks very much.

TOOBIN: OK.

O'BRIEN: Organizers of tomorrow's dedication of the World War II Memorial say the security around the event will be unprecedented. Some 1,000 law enforcement officers will be backed up by several special support and response teams. Well over 100,000 people are expected to attend. Sean Callebs joins us this morning from Washington with more.

Good morning to you, Sean.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad. We're pretty far away from the memorial, but doing a sound check behind us. You may be able to hear some of that.

Walking through the plaza of the memorial, it really doesn't invoke the same sobering feelings, say, as walking near the wall of the Vietnam Memorial that lists all of the war dead. But here, at this memorial, there is a very hands-on area, an interactive site designed to recognize not only those who lost their lives in battle, but everyone who served.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CALLEBS (voice-over): Granite, bronze, water all characterize the World War II Memorial. But the new addition to Washington has another feature...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it doesn't have any pictures. It just has the names.

CALLEBS: ... an interactive kiosk designed to make the experience more personal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The reaction has been pretty good so far because a lot of people can look up their names. If they were in World War II, or if they have a loved one that died or didn't die that was in World War II, they can look them up and see sometimes a photograph.

CALLEBS: The wall of 4,000 bronze stars at the site are there to honor the 400,000 U.S. troops who died during the war. All of their names are in the interactive directory. The National Park Service says it has the lofty goal of identifying and listing all 16 million veterans who served.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think it's realistic to have every single name ever on there, but that's our goal. We're going to keep doing this, you know, forever, really, you know? If any people remember somebody or they know of a loved one, they can add it at any point.

CALLEBS: Sadly, park rangers say, time is of the essence. The memorial is being dedicated nearly 60 years after the end of fighting. Studies show an estimated 1,000 World War II vets die each day.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CALLEBS: It has been 11 years since construction of this memorial was approved, and it actually opened about a month early. The National Park Service said it wanted to do everything possible to welcome the World War II vets -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Sean Callebs for us. Sean, thanks.

CNN is going to have live coverage of that dedication of the World War II Memorial. Coverage with Paula Zahn, live from Washington, begins tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. (WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: And it is just about quarter after the hour. Time to take a look at some of the other stories making news today with Heidi Collins.

Hey, Heidi. Good morning again.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello once again to you and everybody out there. I want to let you know about this now.

A scheduled prisoner release from the notorious Abu Ghraib facility interrupted by gunfire today. U.S. soldiers and inmates ducked for cover as shots were fired from nearby buildings. The U.S. soldiers were in the middle of escorting busloads of detainees from the Baghdad area prison. No injuries reported.

Residents in Baltimore, Maryland, are reeling after a triple murder there. Yesterday, a mother came home and found her three children dead. Police say one of them was decapitated, the other two partially decapitated. Authorities say a man described as a person of interest is being questioned.

The worst may not be over for thousands of people affected by massive floods in the Caribbean. The Red Cross says at least 900 people have been killed by the violent weather in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. More than 15,000 have been left homeless.

Today, residents Dominican Republic are observing a day of mourning for the flood victims. And forecasters say more rain could be on the way.

In Colorado, defense attorneys for Kobe Bryant are pursuing details of his accuser's sexual history. Bryant's attorneys asked a judge yesterday to order DNA samples from a coworker and a former boyfriend of the accuser. Bryant's legal team claims his accuser had consensual sex within hours after her encounter with Bryant. The woman's attorneys deny that claim. Kobe Bryant pleaded not guilty to one charge of sexual assault.

And a Utah attorney loses a lawsuit over this year's Super Bowl half-time show. He sued CBS owner Viacom for $5,000, claiming false advertising. He said he expected a family-oriented, patriotic celebration. Instead, he complained he was subjected to watch Janet Jackson bare her breasts.

Thought we were done talking about that, didn't you?

O'BRIEN: We're not.

COOPER: It's never going away.

O'BRIEN: And there are so few guys, I think, who would sue because they were forced to watch Janet Jackson...

TOURE, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Forced? Who was forced?

O'BRIEN: You know, I'm just -- that was the contention in this lawsuit, expected family fare.

TOURE: I know.

COOPER: The nipple ripple continues.

O'BRIEN: Exactly.

TOURE: Puff Daddy said that he thinks that he was lucky to get to see a little of Janet.

COOPER: All right. Anyway...

COLLINS: Does he have kids, Puff Daddy?

TOURE: He's got three.

COLLINS: Who were watching?

TOURE: Yes. And he's like, good, watch some more.

COOPER: All right. Let's...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: I believe this is the circle in the drain part. Heidi, thank you.

Toure.

COOPER: You've got the Question of the Day.

TOURE: The Question of the Day: Is there pop life after 40? Are Madonna and Prince still hot? The correct answer is yes. Let's see how the people did.

Rick from Philadelphia: "When comparing fluff like Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson to Madonna and Prince, the material girl and single man seem like Albert Einstein."

Dee from Cary North Carolina, says, "There are two words that I don't generally think of together: Madonna and mature." Ooh. "Great to see you at the table this morning, but shouldn't there be someone over 40 asking a question like this?"

I don't know. Maybe.

Jay from San Francisco says, "Kudos to Madonna and Prince for continuing to put on entertaining shows. However, as a longtime Bruce Springsteen fan, the Boss at age 56 showed on his last tour the rising that there is rock 'n roll life well after 50."

Definitely, the Boss still rocks.

And K.G. from Toronto says, "Madonna and Prince? No thanks. I'd rather see Anderson Cooper sing and dance."

COOPER: Ah, yeah.

TOURE: But if do "90-Second Pop," you know that nobody can dance like Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Yes, that would be tap dancing. Sometimes. Or when we lose our entire...

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: And you're going to see Madonna in concert?

TOURE: I'm hoping for tickets. I have Prince tickets, but I'm still like negotiating, can I get some Madonna tickets? It's not that easy.

O'BRIEN: I've got a connection. I can hook you up.

TOURE: Could you please?

O'BRIEN: Yes. The last concert I was 10 feet away from Madonna.

TOURE: Really?

O'BRIEN: Yes.

COOPER: Did you reach out?

O'BRIEN: No, I didn't. I think there are security people for that. That's when you get hauled out by a bunch of big, beefy guys.

COOPER: All right.

Toure, thanks very much.

TOURE: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Thanks, Toure.

COOPER: The Question of the Day.

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, John Kerry says America is less safe because of President Bush. What is the Kerry plan for national security then? We'll talk about that just ahead.

COOPER: And a change in status for a U.S. soldier believed killed in combat in Iraq. We'll have the full story on that.

O'BRIEN: Plus, the Question of the Day, life after 40. Is Madonna proof that there is hope, or should she be hanging it up? That's ahead in just a little bit.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) O'BRIEN: The Pentagon says a soldier believed killed in combat was actually murdered by his Iraqi captors. A criminal military investigation found that Sergeant Donald Walters was killed by his captors in March of 2003. Barbara Starr is live for us at the Pentagon this morning with more on this story.

Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.

Well, Sergeant Donald Walters was riding in that doomed convoy, the 507th Maintenance Company, the convoy that Jessica Lynch was in when the war was on last year. Now, originally, his death was listed as killed in action in the ambush of that convoy. Now it is listed as a homicide, part of a war crimes investigation by the military into that entire incident.

The Army notified the family of Sergeant Walters this week. What they told them was, based on forensics and eyewitness statements by Iraqis in the area, what they believe now happened to Sergeant Walters is he was captured, taken to another location, and executed by the Iraqis. The family of Sergeant Walters spoke last night in Oregon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NORM WALTERS, FATHER OF SERGEANT DONALD WALTERS: According to two Iraqi ambulance drivers that witnessed some of the events of his capture, he was held separately from other prisoners and kept under guard by six enemy combatants. The same Iraqi ambulance driver then witnessed as his body was brought out of the building and into his ambulance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: And, of course, execution of a soldier while held in captivity is a war crime. The military investigating now possible war crimes involving the deaths of 10 other soldiers in that convoy ambush. The widow of Sergeant Walters was awarded posthumously his Silver Star with gallantry, with marked distinction, a very high honor, and his Purple Heart -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Does he get more medals than that now that more information is known about what happened to him? Do you know?

STARR: Indeed, Soledad. Now that this man is listed as a prisoner of war and killed, it is very likely his family, his widow will posthumously be awarded that POW medal. Again, a very high honor that the Pentagon bestows -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: What a tragedy for his family. Barbara Starr for us at the Pentagon. Barbara, thanks.

COOPER: On the compare trail, in the Pacific Northwest, Senator John Kerry yesterday criticized President Bush's management of the Iraq war. He says it has been mishandled and has made America less safe. Senator Kerry had a message for terrorists.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is my message to the terrorists: As commander in chief, I will bring the full force of our nation's power to bear on finding and crushing your networks. We'll use every resource of our power to destroy you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: For Senator Kerry, it was the first day of an 11-day campaign focus on national security.

Still to come, a radical Muslim cleric in London is set to fight extradition to the U.S. We'll talk to our terrorism analyst who has interviewed Abu Hamza.

Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. Coming up on half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING, Bill Hemmer has the day off with a nice holiday weekend. Anderson Cooper is filling in for him.

Nice to have you. Thank you very much.

COOPER: It is good to be here.

O'BRIEN: Thank you.

An al Qaeda suspect wanted in the U.S. has been arrested in Britain. He's suspected of involvement in everything from recruitment to kidnapping, to an attempt to build a terrorist training camp in Oregon. CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen has interviewed Abu Hamza. We're going to get his insights coming up in just a moment.

COOPER: Also, a very different perspective on the war. We'll see how Iraqis living in America feel about what they are seeing in Iraq and compare it to how they felt when the war began.

O'BRIEN: Also this morning, we're going to meet a woman who is bringing comfort to children who have a parent serving overseas. She helps them make these unique quilts that the kids can hang on to as their little blankies.

COOPER: Ah. It reminds me of nap time.

O'BRIEN: The pictures of their parents serving overseas. Very sweet.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Back to our top story this morning, the war on terror. Exactly eight weeks from today, a radical British Muslim cleric will face an extradition hearing in London. Abu Hamza Al-Masri was arrested there yesterday. He is accused here in the U.S. of supporting al Qaeda, plotting to build an Islamic militant training camp in Oregon, and aiding a deadly 1998 kidnapping in Yemen. He is expected to fight extradition to the U.S.

Our terrorism analyst, Peter Bergen, interviewed Abu Hamza at his London mosque in 2000. And Peter Bergen joins us.

Nice to see you, Peter. Thanks for being with us.

Let's talk a little bit about that interview you did back in 2000 with Abu Hamza. Did he give you any specifics that you would interpret as him saying that he had some kind of role in terrorism?

PETER BERGEN, TERRORISM ANALYST: Well, one of the things -- well, he told me a little bit about his life experience, which is he was born in Egypt in 1958, he attended an English university. He met Sheik Abdul Rahman (ph), who's an Egyptian terrorist leader, in the mid '80s, described himself as an admirer of his, fought in the Afghan war as a de-mining engineer between 1989 and 1993, which is where he had his accident that blew off his arms.

I asked him what was his involvement with an Islamic terrorist group in Yemen, the Islamic Army of Aden. He said that he was the group's media advisor. Now, the Yemini government is saying really that this guy, Abu Hamza, was more than a media advisor, that he was sort of the brains of the group.

And certainly, it is a fact that Abu Hamza's sons and son-in-law went to Yemen in an effort to blow up a British consulate, in an effort to attack a Christian church, were arrested by the Yemeni government in '98, and were forced to serve several years prison sentences. Also, a group of the Islamic Army of Aden also kidnapped 18 Western tourists roughly at the same time in late 1988k four of whom died in a botched rescue attempt.

And it is the government's case that Abu Hamza was in some way coordinating that kidnapping attempt. Abu Hamza was certainly in contact with the leader of that terrorist group, and apparently supplied him with a satellite phone.

So there seems to be a reasonable case, particularly with this Yemini terrorist group, that Abu Hamza was directly involved in the group. And you told me that he -- in fact, we know for a fact he was also going on satellite channels, calling for attacks on "unbelievers in Yemen," i.e. Westerners. So I think that par of that case may be reasonably strong.

The mystery to me is that case has been out there since '98. It's now 2004. Why that case wasn't brought sooner -- and maybe it's because of the Oregon component of the case recently in February. Somebody was now cooperating with the U.S. government who is, I guess, a witness to the fact that Abu Hamza may have been trying to set up a terrorist training camp in Oregon.

O'BRIEN: A question also about a Web site that you've talked about, supporters of Sharia (ph). Tell me a little bit about it. It's now defunct, I understand?

BERGEN: Yes. Abu Hamza set up the supporters of Sharia (ph) group, and they had a Web site at the time in 2000. I was able to go on it.

I found people talking about "How do I get to Afghanistan to train with the Taliban" and directions how to do that. I also found even very interestingly postings for a bank account in Pakistan where you could donate money to (UNINTELLIGIBLE), which is a Pakistani terrorist group associated with al Qaeda that's involved in hijackings, involved in a number of attacks against Westerners.

So this was not whether Abu Hamza was directing involved in that or not. The fact is his Web site was a place where jihadists could find out how to go to Afghanistan and also could find out how to donate money to Pakistani terrorist groups.

O'BRIEN: Abu Hamza is expected to be extradited. He has a hearing on July 23rd. We'll see exactly how long it takes before -- and if he does come to the U.S.

Peter Bergen for us this morning. Nice to see you, Peter, as always. Thanks.

BERGEN: Thanks, Soledad.

COOPER: Dearborn, Michigan, is a city with a large Arab population. About one-third of the population, some, in fact, call it the unofficial capital of Arab America. And many are very carefully watching events in Iraq. We get more now from CNN's Chris Lawrence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dearborn, Michigan, is a long way from Baghdad or Basra. But only if you're talking miles, not the hearts and minds of those who live here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Iraqi people here in Dearborn, Michigan, they are really disappointed.

LAWRENCE: Which is a huge change from just a year ago, when Iraqi Americans celebrated as American troops invaded Baghdad. The imam of a powerful mosque, Hasham al Husseini (ph), says many have lost faith in President Bush's rebuilding plan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No jobs, no economy, no life. It's a disaster.

LAWRENCE: But in a community this big, some are more optimistic than others.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not going to be like that forever.

LAWRENCE: Mahir al-Rahim (ph) went to college in Iraq and earned his engineering masters in Michigan. Now a family man in your average American suburb, Mahir (ph) still has a home and business in Mosul, where he hoped it would be safe enough to be working by now.

(on camera): Do you wish you could go back to help?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wish every day. And I was planning to go to Iraq this June. Unfortunately, I've been told by friends from Baghdad, from Mosul, do not stop by, do not come over. It's not secure.

LAWRENCE (voice-over): Most want their fellow Iraqis to enjoy the same security they have here. But they're divided on whether the transfer of power will mean anything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a joke. June 30 is just no more than a number.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will be OK. Everything will be fine.

LAWRENCE: They both hope Iraq will be better one day. What they can't agree on is how it will get there and how long it will take.

Chris Lawrence, CNN, Dearborn.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: In Iraq itself today, just this morning, the Iraqi Governing Council endorsed Iraqi National Accord founder, Iyad Allawi, to serve as prime minister of an interim government.

Soledad?

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, some extra effort to provide comfort for children who have a parent serving overseas.

COOPER: And is there pop life for Madonna after 40? Your e-mail answers. Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: It is 45 minutes past the hour. Time for look at some of today's other news with Heidi Collins.

Good morning, Heidi.

COLLINS: Good morning, Anderson.

There is word this morning of an earthquake in northern Iran. It is said to have registered at 6.2 and was centered about 40 miles north of the capital, Tehran. You see the map there. The last big quake, as I'm sure you remember, hit in Bam in December and measured 6.8. So almost as strong. We, of course, will keep our eye on this for you and give you any details just as soon as we get them.

With just more than a month away now until the handover in Iraq, a new name floating around as a potential prime minister in the transitional government. Iyad Allawi was nominated by the Iraqi Governing Council. He is a Shiite Muslim and medical doctor who held the post of the IGC's rotating presidency last October. It's not yet clear whether U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has accepted this latest endorsement.

It looks like the truce to end a violent standoff in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf is already in trouble. Military officials say gunmen attacked U.S. forces and a U.S. military base just outside Najaf today. The violence coming one day after radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr made a pledge to withdraw his fighters. And the U.S. coalition agreed to halt its offensive.

In California now, the jury in the Scott Peterson murder trial has been selected. Six men and six women were chosen yesterday. Opening statements are set for Tuesday.

And soaring gas prices are not expected to put the brakes on travel plans for motorists this holiday weekend. An estimated 37 million drivers are expected to travel more than 50 miles on our nation's highways over the weekend. That's up 3.5 percent from last year, according to AAA.

So lots of folks are going to be out there. And I bet you in Indianapolis, where the Indy 500 is taking place, even more traffic there. Maybe a little faster, too. I don't know.

O'BRIEN: All right. Heidi, thanks.

COOPER: So does any one company have a patent on love? With that, and a check of the markets, here is Andy Serwer, "Minding Your Business.".

ANDY SERWER, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, FORTUNE MAGAZINE: Companies trying to do that, you guys. And we'll talk about that in a second. Let's check in on the markets, though, first.

Kind of a slow day. Everyone is going to be heading out for the weekend on Wall Street and across the country as well, of course. Dow is just down one point. I mean, we really don't have a whole lot going on.

Markets closed, of course on Monday. One stock moving southward, Pilgrims Pride down $1, to $26. What's going on there? An outbreak of a Avian Flu.

This is a chicken producer; 24,000 chickens destroyed in Sulphur Springs, Texas. We'll be watching that and see if it develops into a bigger story. They do say it is contained and it's not the same strain as the one in China that was so fatal there.

Let's talk about the online love situation.

COOPER: Yes, talk about it. Patenting love?

SERWER: Patenting love.

O'BRIEN: It's about time. SERWER: Yes, I'd say, exactly. So eHarmony.com is one of these online matchmaking businesses, like match.com. And they have an extensive questionnaire process that they are trying to patent. Competitors say it's ludicrous -- 430 questions.

O'BRIEN: Like?

SERWER: And I decided that, yes, it might be a good idea. We went online and tried to set this up. And we've got some of the questions here. Maybe I'll ask you guys. These are some true or false, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: OK.

SERWER: I sometimes drive faster than the speed limit.

O'BRIEN: True.

COOPER: False.

SERWER: Yes, yes. How about this one, Anderson? I dislike some people.

COOPER: Oh.

SERWER: I mean, you know, come on. How about this one, Soledad? At times I have raised my voice in anger.

O'BRIEN: Never, not me.

SERWER: Yes. Here's a good one. Now, this on a scale from 1 to 7. How much would you describe yourself on a scale from 1 to 7 as dominant?

O'BRIEN: Seven.

SERWER: Interesting. How about this one? From a scale of 1 to 7, aloof?

COOPER: Ten.

SERWER: You know -- so you can see here -- you can see why people think this is silly.

O'BRIEN: I can see why they want to patent that. Those are very smart questions.

SERWER: Yes. You know, some of these other online companies like Amazon have patented their processes online. I don't know if this one is going to work. Can I read this thing up here?

O'BRIEN: Please. Because, you know, Jack is out. And he usually promos "IN THE MONEY."

SERWER: The honors.

COOPER: Plug away.

SERWER: Somewhere on a golf course in New Jersey, Jack Cafferty is running wild across this land. So you need to join me this weekend for "IN THE MONEY." We'll take a look at a Pentagon report on what could happen if the greenhouse effect turns much of the world into a vast wasteland. That's "IN THE MONEY," Saturday at 1:00 Eastern, and Sunday at 3:00 Eastern. Sort of like a popular movie just out, isn't it?

O'BRIEN: All right. Andy, thanks a lot.

SERWER: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: And we've been covering this story this morning. Just moments ago, brought it to you. There has been an earthquake in northern Iraq -- northern Iran, rather. The magnitude, we are told, of 6.2. That coming from the U.S. Geological Survey. We're going to bring you details in a live report coming up in just a moment. A short break first.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Our weekly "Extra Effort" series is a tribute to those who go the extra mile to help others. And this morning, it is the woman behind Operation Kid Comfort. The program provides a security blanket for children when military parent is deployed overseas. Just recently, I spoke to the founder, Ann Flaherty, and I asked her where this truly wonderful idea came from.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANN FLAHERTY, FOUNDER, OPERATION KID COMFORT: Operation Kid Comfort is just one great program. And it was derived from my grandson and his need for comfort while his dad was deployed to Iraq.

O'BRIEN: He's 18 months old. And I know he was struggling, you say, dealing with his dad being gone. What gave you the idea, though, to make him a quilt?

FLAHERTY: I'm a quilt artist, and I've incorporated imagery in my quilts in the past. So it was just a natural step for me to take that process of photo transfer and create a photo transfer quilt for my grandson, Christian. And I'm happy to say it worked, and it worked for other children.

O'BRIEN: When you say it worked, you handed him the quilt. What was his reaction and what did he do?

FLAHERTY: He had the same reaction all our kids have. They immediately take possession of these quilts. They all dubbed them their "daddy quilts."

They will not let anyone else touch them. And they sleep with them, they drag them around. It's just a perfect item for them to use to cope with the long deployment that their parents face right now.

O'BRIEN: I've read your goal is to make 1,500 of these quilts. Do you have enough time and enough people with enough time to do this?

FLAHERTY: Soledad, we have been so fortunate to have volunteers coming to us asking to help. And not just from Ft. Bragg, which is where we serve through the armed services YMCA right now, but from across the country. They're e-mailing me and calling us, asking how they can help make quilts for these kids. And with the help of the National Armed Services YMCA, they can set up Operation Kid Comfort in their area. And we're just so happy to have them on board.

O'BRIEN: I also read that you can't take the quilt and frame it and put it in the living room as sort of a shrine to the person who is overseas. These are quilts that are made for the kids to touch and feel and take to bed, right?

FLAHERTY: Exactly. These are not keepsakes, not to hang on the wall. These are for the kids. They drag them around, they can get them dirty, throw them in the washing machine. They're just perfect for the kids.

O'BRIEN: Just like the perfect little blankie. Ann Flaherty, what a wonderful idea. Good for you. Thanks for being with us this morning. Appreciate it.

FLAHERTY: Thank you, Soledad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: There is some good news for Ann Flaherty's grandson. His dad has returned home from overseas.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: A final look at the Question of the Day with Toure.

Hello.

TOURE: Hi. How are you?

O'BRIEN: Great.

TOURE: So, still, the Question of the Day: Is there pop life after 40? Madonna and Prince, are they still hot? Three answers.

Gene from Japan says, "Remember, age is just a number. I'd rather see these two artists in concert rather than these young, wet- behind-the-ear, lip-syncing Britneys. If I'm going to pay to see someone in concert, they'd better sing live."

COOPER: I agree with that.

TOURE: Hallelujah. Bob from Tacoma, Washington, who is up really, really early, says, "Yes they're mature, but I also think they just want to see if they've still got it. Like Air Supply and a few others, they want to see if they still have fans."

Now, I'm only 33. Never heard of Air Supply.

O'BRIEN: You've never heard of Air Supply?

TOURE: Help me out here, guys.

COOPER: Oh, come on.

TOURE: Please.

O'BRIEN: I'm all out of love, I can't live without you.

TOURE: Wow.

SERWER: You didn't miss much.

O'BRIEN: That's all we have time for. Toure, a big thank you to you for filling in for Jack. We certainly appreciate it. A fabulous job.

TOURE: Thank you for having me. Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Poor Jack, he's home now quaking in his boots.

SERWER: No. He's running wild across the land on a golf course.

O'BRIEN: Have a great holiday weekend, everybody.

Let's head right to Daryn Kagan, who's at the CNN Center. She's going to bring you through the next few hours.

Good morning again, Daryn.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. You guys have a great day, a great weekend in New York City.

We'll get started here at CNN headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Daryn Kagan. As always, we start with the headlines.

The Iraqi Governing Council is endorsing one of its members to be prime minister after the June 30th handover of power.


Aired May 28, 2004 - 9:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The unofficial start of summer: Americans hit the road today with concerns about terrorism, delays, and the high price of gas.
Appealing to the judge today, Michael Jackson's lawyers say they're being stonewalled.

And ouch! A Kansas City pitcher takes a line drive to the head. Look at this. Not stitches. That is the mark left from the ball.

Those stories all ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.

O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome, everybody. Bill Hemmer has the day off. Anderson Cooper filling in for him. Some of the stories that are making headlines this morning...

Two days after the FBI warned of a terror attack, Americans set out for their holiday destinations. This morning, we're going to hear how to prepare ourselves from a AAA official who used to be a police officer.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Also one of the destinations people are heading to this weekend is the brand new World War II Memorial. The war, of course, ended nearly 60 years ago, but the monument may be worth the wait. We'll get a look at the high-tech features that help make it a personal experience for veterans and their families.

O'BRIEN: Also this morning, as Americans remember their war dead this weekend, we're going to hear the story of a soldier killed in Iraq. How his family pushed the Pentagon to learn that he wasn't necessarily killed in action, he was murdered.

COOPER: Also this morning, Jack has a few days of vacation, but AMERICAN MORNING regular contributor, Toure, will be along later to help us.

O'BRIEN: He's got kind of a spin on Jack's usual...

COOPER: Yes. It's not the usually Cafferty thing.

O'BRIEN: No, it's a little different than the usual Cafferty thing. But if you are hitting the road this holiday weekend, you won't be alone, believe it or not. Despite high gas prices, Americans are expected to take to the highways in big numbers. In fact, AAA is predicting that some 31 million Americans will take trips of 50 miles or more this weekend. That would represent an increase of a million drivers over last year.

So what can we expect on the nation's highways this weekend? Justin McNaull is a spokesman for AAA.

Nice to see you, Justin. Thanks for being with us.

JUSTIN MCNAULL, AAA: Well, good morning.

O'BRIEN: We heard the numbers of the increase over last year. How will this year, do you expect, compare to past years overall?

MCNAULL: We're expecting actually an extra million drivers this holiday compared to a year ago. So it's about a 3.5 percent increase. And in a word, we're undaunted by these latest terror concerns, by the high gas prices. We're getting out and traveling this year.

O'BRIEN: Have you heard from drivers? Have they said anything about these new terror warnings coming really just before the Memorial Day holiday begins?

MCNAULL: Well, the reality of Memorial Day is it really is about the drive for most of us. Eighty-four percent of us drive to our holiday destination, and most of us are going to places like the beach, or to family reunions, or to cookouts, or to visit other folks. So we're not heading to places that we perceive as high-threat locations. And you look at the warnings that we had two days ago. The specific locations that were put out there, the two national conventions for the political parties, those really aren't surprises to most people who have been following it.

O'BRIEN: Thirty-one million Americans, we're told, as in the beginning we said, are expected to be hitting the road this holiday weekend. Does that surprise you when you consider all we've been talking about for the last month, month and a half? It's been the rising cost of gasoline.

MCNAULL: Well, you'll recall, a year ago, as we headed into Memorial Day, we were really still in the throws of the Iraq work, and we also had some significant concern about the economy. So consumer confidence has improved since then, traveler confidence has improved. And if you do the math and you look at the typical 500-mile trip in a minivan, you're talking an extra $14 for gas, which really isn't a deal breaker for most people.

I mean, 57 cents a gallon more than last year is a huge increase. It really impacts commuters. But if it's just you're looking at it as a single trip for the holiday, it's not a deal breaker.

O'BRIEN: It's not so bad. Give me some advice. I know you guys have tips for travelers to make things a little more efficient, a little easier, a little less stressful.

MCNAULL: Leave early. If you can, leave now. You're going to find if you're on the road certainly heading into -- combined with evening rush hour, traffic could be a real mess. It could be real busy.

Remember to wear your seat belt. Last Memorial Day, about 500 people were killed in car crashes. This year, as part of the national Click It or Ticket (ph) campaign, there's going to be a lot of police enforcement. So even if you're not wearing the seat belt for your own sake, wear it so that you don't get a ticket. Give yourself plenty of breaks where you're traveling, so that you stay fresh, because drowsy drivers can be as dangerous as drunk drivers.

O'BRIEN: Justin McNaull, joining us with some great advice. Justin, thanks. Happy Memorial Day Weekend.

MCNAULL: You bet.

O'BRIEN: Thanks for being with us.

MCNAULL: You too.

O'BRIEN: Thanks.

Anderson?

COOPER: Michael Jackson's attorneys return to court today in California for another pretrial hearing in the child molestation case. The pop star is not expected to attend. Michael Jackson has pleaded not guilty to 10 felony counts. CNN's Miguel Marquez joins us now from the courthouse in Santa Maria, California, with more on today's hearing.

Good morning, Miguel.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

What a difference it makes when Mr. Jackson does not show up. There are no fans here, there's just a few media folks here. It's actually a pleasant day here in Santa Maria, a little room to work. Even though he will not be here, some of the heaviest legal lifting (ph) that we've probably seen so far in court will occur in just a couple of hours.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Another hearing, another step closer to the trial of pop star Michael Joe Jackson. The venue, a Santa Maria courthouse, the place where conspiracy and child molestation charges against Jackson are likely to be heard. Charges Jackson says are false.

MICHAEL JACKSON, DEFENDANT: I love the community of Santa Maria very much. It's my community. I love the people. MARQUEZ: And just when a jury of Jackson's peers could be hearing the case may become clearer in today's hearing. A court official says the judge will try to set a trial date.

Also on the agenda, Jackson wants his bail, set at $3 million, reduced to $135,000. The prosecution argues significant bail is necessary because Jackson is a flight risk. The judge is also likely to hear argument from Jackson's lawyer, Thomas Mesereau, that the prosecution is dragging its feet obtaining search warrants and interviews with dozens of witness. What lawyers call discovery. In court documents, Jackson's defense argues the grand jury indictment substantially broadens the scope and complexity of the case, with at least five alleged co-conspirators. CNN's legal analyst says defending Jackson is more difficult.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ: Now, a lawyer for media organizations, including CNN, will also argue in court that they want the grand jury transcripts. They may run to about a thousand pages. All of the evidence and testimony the grand jury released to the public. They also want the indictment by the grand jury, which would include the 28 overt acts of conspiracy logged against Mr. Jackson and several unindicted co- conspirators -- Anderson.

COOPER: Miguel, thanks very much.

CNN senior legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin, joins us now to talk about this case, as well as stuff in the Scott Peterson case. First, Michael Jackson.

The defense is saying they're not getting all the stuff they need in discovery.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: A very common argument, especially in high-profile, complex cases. It almost invariably gets worked out well before the trial.

Interesting today, will they set a trial date? The judge has said he wants a trial by the end of the year. Given the way California works, that will be a challenge.

COOPER: Let's talk about the Scott Peterson trial. The jury has been set. I'm looking at some of the descriptions of the jurors, and it is fascinating. Let's take a look.

Peterson juror number 4741, middle aged man, former police officer. Once arrested for assault and battery of a police officer. What do you make of this?

TOOBIN: So he's both a former police officer and a former defendant. Very unusual for a defense to accept a former police officer on a jury. But compared to some of these other jurors, he's normal.

COOPER: It just gets more and more unusual. Juror number 18106, a male, late 40s or 50s, former Teamster who says he didn't follow the case. Accused of violating a restraining order during a divorce.

TOOBIN: Here you have a case about a husband accused of killing a wife and a guy who was accused of domestic violence against his wife. Again, hard-pressed to understand how someone like this could get on this jury.

COOPER: And as we said, it just gets more interesting. Peterson juror number 8659, a white woman, late 30s or early 40s. Fiance was convicted of murdering a stranger in the 1980s. She married the man after his trial. The man was then killed in prison. She's been married to another man since 1990.

TOOBIN: Married a guy after he was convicted of murdering a stranger. I mean, who are these people? This is just -- you know, for a while it looked like Florida was going to be the craziest state in the union. But I think California is going to get the title back.

COOPER: One more. Alternate number 9997, retired white man in his 50s or 60s. He's the future son-in-law -- or his future son-in- law owns the restaurant The Shack , and The Shack was once owned by Laci and Scott Peterson.

TOOBIN: Before Scott went on to his career as a fertilizer salesman, yes, he did own this restaurant with Laci. Again, that one is simply odd. I don't know what...

COOPER: He also says he's an avid boater, apparently.

TOOBIN: He's also an avid boater. But he does not know much about the Berkeley Marina, where Scott supposedly disposed of the body.

COOPER: I mean, you know, there has been this long jury selection process. How did these people get picked?

TOOBIN: Well, these are the people who were sufficiently without feelings about the case, that both sides thought they could live with them. But it is certainly odd that after more than a thousand people came in to begin jury selection, you gave these people who, under normal circumstances, you could think both sides would have reasons to get rid of them.

COOPER: It is fascinating. Jeffrey Toobin, thanks very much.

TOOBIN: OK.

O'BRIEN: Organizers of tomorrow's dedication of the World War II Memorial say the security around the event will be unprecedented. Some 1,000 law enforcement officers will be backed up by several special support and response teams. Well over 100,000 people are expected to attend. Sean Callebs joins us this morning from Washington with more.

Good morning to you, Sean.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad. We're pretty far away from the memorial, but doing a sound check behind us. You may be able to hear some of that.

Walking through the plaza of the memorial, it really doesn't invoke the same sobering feelings, say, as walking near the wall of the Vietnam Memorial that lists all of the war dead. But here, at this memorial, there is a very hands-on area, an interactive site designed to recognize not only those who lost their lives in battle, but everyone who served.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CALLEBS (voice-over): Granite, bronze, water all characterize the World War II Memorial. But the new addition to Washington has another feature...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it doesn't have any pictures. It just has the names.

CALLEBS: ... an interactive kiosk designed to make the experience more personal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The reaction has been pretty good so far because a lot of people can look up their names. If they were in World War II, or if they have a loved one that died or didn't die that was in World War II, they can look them up and see sometimes a photograph.

CALLEBS: The wall of 4,000 bronze stars at the site are there to honor the 400,000 U.S. troops who died during the war. All of their names are in the interactive directory. The National Park Service says it has the lofty goal of identifying and listing all 16 million veterans who served.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think it's realistic to have every single name ever on there, but that's our goal. We're going to keep doing this, you know, forever, really, you know? If any people remember somebody or they know of a loved one, they can add it at any point.

CALLEBS: Sadly, park rangers say, time is of the essence. The memorial is being dedicated nearly 60 years after the end of fighting. Studies show an estimated 1,000 World War II vets die each day.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CALLEBS: It has been 11 years since construction of this memorial was approved, and it actually opened about a month early. The National Park Service said it wanted to do everything possible to welcome the World War II vets -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Sean Callebs for us. Sean, thanks.

CNN is going to have live coverage of that dedication of the World War II Memorial. Coverage with Paula Zahn, live from Washington, begins tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. (WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: And it is just about quarter after the hour. Time to take a look at some of the other stories making news today with Heidi Collins.

Hey, Heidi. Good morning again.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello once again to you and everybody out there. I want to let you know about this now.

A scheduled prisoner release from the notorious Abu Ghraib facility interrupted by gunfire today. U.S. soldiers and inmates ducked for cover as shots were fired from nearby buildings. The U.S. soldiers were in the middle of escorting busloads of detainees from the Baghdad area prison. No injuries reported.

Residents in Baltimore, Maryland, are reeling after a triple murder there. Yesterday, a mother came home and found her three children dead. Police say one of them was decapitated, the other two partially decapitated. Authorities say a man described as a person of interest is being questioned.

The worst may not be over for thousands of people affected by massive floods in the Caribbean. The Red Cross says at least 900 people have been killed by the violent weather in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. More than 15,000 have been left homeless.

Today, residents Dominican Republic are observing a day of mourning for the flood victims. And forecasters say more rain could be on the way.

In Colorado, defense attorneys for Kobe Bryant are pursuing details of his accuser's sexual history. Bryant's attorneys asked a judge yesterday to order DNA samples from a coworker and a former boyfriend of the accuser. Bryant's legal team claims his accuser had consensual sex within hours after her encounter with Bryant. The woman's attorneys deny that claim. Kobe Bryant pleaded not guilty to one charge of sexual assault.

And a Utah attorney loses a lawsuit over this year's Super Bowl half-time show. He sued CBS owner Viacom for $5,000, claiming false advertising. He said he expected a family-oriented, patriotic celebration. Instead, he complained he was subjected to watch Janet Jackson bare her breasts.

Thought we were done talking about that, didn't you?

O'BRIEN: We're not.

COOPER: It's never going away.

O'BRIEN: And there are so few guys, I think, who would sue because they were forced to watch Janet Jackson...

TOURE, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Forced? Who was forced?

O'BRIEN: You know, I'm just -- that was the contention in this lawsuit, expected family fare.

TOURE: I know.

COOPER: The nipple ripple continues.

O'BRIEN: Exactly.

TOURE: Puff Daddy said that he thinks that he was lucky to get to see a little of Janet.

COOPER: All right. Anyway...

COLLINS: Does he have kids, Puff Daddy?

TOURE: He's got three.

COLLINS: Who were watching?

TOURE: Yes. And he's like, good, watch some more.

COOPER: All right. Let's...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: I believe this is the circle in the drain part. Heidi, thank you.

Toure.

COOPER: You've got the Question of the Day.

TOURE: The Question of the Day: Is there pop life after 40? Are Madonna and Prince still hot? The correct answer is yes. Let's see how the people did.

Rick from Philadelphia: "When comparing fluff like Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson to Madonna and Prince, the material girl and single man seem like Albert Einstein."

Dee from Cary North Carolina, says, "There are two words that I don't generally think of together: Madonna and mature." Ooh. "Great to see you at the table this morning, but shouldn't there be someone over 40 asking a question like this?"

I don't know. Maybe.

Jay from San Francisco says, "Kudos to Madonna and Prince for continuing to put on entertaining shows. However, as a longtime Bruce Springsteen fan, the Boss at age 56 showed on his last tour the rising that there is rock 'n roll life well after 50."

Definitely, the Boss still rocks.

And K.G. from Toronto says, "Madonna and Prince? No thanks. I'd rather see Anderson Cooper sing and dance."

COOPER: Ah, yeah.

TOURE: But if do "90-Second Pop," you know that nobody can dance like Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Yes, that would be tap dancing. Sometimes. Or when we lose our entire...

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: And you're going to see Madonna in concert?

TOURE: I'm hoping for tickets. I have Prince tickets, but I'm still like negotiating, can I get some Madonna tickets? It's not that easy.

O'BRIEN: I've got a connection. I can hook you up.

TOURE: Could you please?

O'BRIEN: Yes. The last concert I was 10 feet away from Madonna.

TOURE: Really?

O'BRIEN: Yes.

COOPER: Did you reach out?

O'BRIEN: No, I didn't. I think there are security people for that. That's when you get hauled out by a bunch of big, beefy guys.

COOPER: All right.

Toure, thanks very much.

TOURE: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Thanks, Toure.

COOPER: The Question of the Day.

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, John Kerry says America is less safe because of President Bush. What is the Kerry plan for national security then? We'll talk about that just ahead.

COOPER: And a change in status for a U.S. soldier believed killed in combat in Iraq. We'll have the full story on that.

O'BRIEN: Plus, the Question of the Day, life after 40. Is Madonna proof that there is hope, or should she be hanging it up? That's ahead in just a little bit.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) O'BRIEN: The Pentagon says a soldier believed killed in combat was actually murdered by his Iraqi captors. A criminal military investigation found that Sergeant Donald Walters was killed by his captors in March of 2003. Barbara Starr is live for us at the Pentagon this morning with more on this story.

Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.

Well, Sergeant Donald Walters was riding in that doomed convoy, the 507th Maintenance Company, the convoy that Jessica Lynch was in when the war was on last year. Now, originally, his death was listed as killed in action in the ambush of that convoy. Now it is listed as a homicide, part of a war crimes investigation by the military into that entire incident.

The Army notified the family of Sergeant Walters this week. What they told them was, based on forensics and eyewitness statements by Iraqis in the area, what they believe now happened to Sergeant Walters is he was captured, taken to another location, and executed by the Iraqis. The family of Sergeant Walters spoke last night in Oregon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NORM WALTERS, FATHER OF SERGEANT DONALD WALTERS: According to two Iraqi ambulance drivers that witnessed some of the events of his capture, he was held separately from other prisoners and kept under guard by six enemy combatants. The same Iraqi ambulance driver then witnessed as his body was brought out of the building and into his ambulance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: And, of course, execution of a soldier while held in captivity is a war crime. The military investigating now possible war crimes involving the deaths of 10 other soldiers in that convoy ambush. The widow of Sergeant Walters was awarded posthumously his Silver Star with gallantry, with marked distinction, a very high honor, and his Purple Heart -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Does he get more medals than that now that more information is known about what happened to him? Do you know?

STARR: Indeed, Soledad. Now that this man is listed as a prisoner of war and killed, it is very likely his family, his widow will posthumously be awarded that POW medal. Again, a very high honor that the Pentagon bestows -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: What a tragedy for his family. Barbara Starr for us at the Pentagon. Barbara, thanks.

COOPER: On the compare trail, in the Pacific Northwest, Senator John Kerry yesterday criticized President Bush's management of the Iraq war. He says it has been mishandled and has made America less safe. Senator Kerry had a message for terrorists.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is my message to the terrorists: As commander in chief, I will bring the full force of our nation's power to bear on finding and crushing your networks. We'll use every resource of our power to destroy you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: For Senator Kerry, it was the first day of an 11-day campaign focus on national security.

Still to come, a radical Muslim cleric in London is set to fight extradition to the U.S. We'll talk to our terrorism analyst who has interviewed Abu Hamza.

Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. Coming up on half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING, Bill Hemmer has the day off with a nice holiday weekend. Anderson Cooper is filling in for him.

Nice to have you. Thank you very much.

COOPER: It is good to be here.

O'BRIEN: Thank you.

An al Qaeda suspect wanted in the U.S. has been arrested in Britain. He's suspected of involvement in everything from recruitment to kidnapping, to an attempt to build a terrorist training camp in Oregon. CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen has interviewed Abu Hamza. We're going to get his insights coming up in just a moment.

COOPER: Also, a very different perspective on the war. We'll see how Iraqis living in America feel about what they are seeing in Iraq and compare it to how they felt when the war began.

O'BRIEN: Also this morning, we're going to meet a woman who is bringing comfort to children who have a parent serving overseas. She helps them make these unique quilts that the kids can hang on to as their little blankies.

COOPER: Ah. It reminds me of nap time.

O'BRIEN: The pictures of their parents serving overseas. Very sweet.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Back to our top story this morning, the war on terror. Exactly eight weeks from today, a radical British Muslim cleric will face an extradition hearing in London. Abu Hamza Al-Masri was arrested there yesterday. He is accused here in the U.S. of supporting al Qaeda, plotting to build an Islamic militant training camp in Oregon, and aiding a deadly 1998 kidnapping in Yemen. He is expected to fight extradition to the U.S.

Our terrorism analyst, Peter Bergen, interviewed Abu Hamza at his London mosque in 2000. And Peter Bergen joins us.

Nice to see you, Peter. Thanks for being with us.

Let's talk a little bit about that interview you did back in 2000 with Abu Hamza. Did he give you any specifics that you would interpret as him saying that he had some kind of role in terrorism?

PETER BERGEN, TERRORISM ANALYST: Well, one of the things -- well, he told me a little bit about his life experience, which is he was born in Egypt in 1958, he attended an English university. He met Sheik Abdul Rahman (ph), who's an Egyptian terrorist leader, in the mid '80s, described himself as an admirer of his, fought in the Afghan war as a de-mining engineer between 1989 and 1993, which is where he had his accident that blew off his arms.

I asked him what was his involvement with an Islamic terrorist group in Yemen, the Islamic Army of Aden. He said that he was the group's media advisor. Now, the Yemini government is saying really that this guy, Abu Hamza, was more than a media advisor, that he was sort of the brains of the group.

And certainly, it is a fact that Abu Hamza's sons and son-in-law went to Yemen in an effort to blow up a British consulate, in an effort to attack a Christian church, were arrested by the Yemeni government in '98, and were forced to serve several years prison sentences. Also, a group of the Islamic Army of Aden also kidnapped 18 Western tourists roughly at the same time in late 1988k four of whom died in a botched rescue attempt.

And it is the government's case that Abu Hamza was in some way coordinating that kidnapping attempt. Abu Hamza was certainly in contact with the leader of that terrorist group, and apparently supplied him with a satellite phone.

So there seems to be a reasonable case, particularly with this Yemini terrorist group, that Abu Hamza was directly involved in the group. And you told me that he -- in fact, we know for a fact he was also going on satellite channels, calling for attacks on "unbelievers in Yemen," i.e. Westerners. So I think that par of that case may be reasonably strong.

The mystery to me is that case has been out there since '98. It's now 2004. Why that case wasn't brought sooner -- and maybe it's because of the Oregon component of the case recently in February. Somebody was now cooperating with the U.S. government who is, I guess, a witness to the fact that Abu Hamza may have been trying to set up a terrorist training camp in Oregon.

O'BRIEN: A question also about a Web site that you've talked about, supporters of Sharia (ph). Tell me a little bit about it. It's now defunct, I understand?

BERGEN: Yes. Abu Hamza set up the supporters of Sharia (ph) group, and they had a Web site at the time in 2000. I was able to go on it.

I found people talking about "How do I get to Afghanistan to train with the Taliban" and directions how to do that. I also found even very interestingly postings for a bank account in Pakistan where you could donate money to (UNINTELLIGIBLE), which is a Pakistani terrorist group associated with al Qaeda that's involved in hijackings, involved in a number of attacks against Westerners.

So this was not whether Abu Hamza was directing involved in that or not. The fact is his Web site was a place where jihadists could find out how to go to Afghanistan and also could find out how to donate money to Pakistani terrorist groups.

O'BRIEN: Abu Hamza is expected to be extradited. He has a hearing on July 23rd. We'll see exactly how long it takes before -- and if he does come to the U.S.

Peter Bergen for us this morning. Nice to see you, Peter, as always. Thanks.

BERGEN: Thanks, Soledad.

COOPER: Dearborn, Michigan, is a city with a large Arab population. About one-third of the population, some, in fact, call it the unofficial capital of Arab America. And many are very carefully watching events in Iraq. We get more now from CNN's Chris Lawrence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dearborn, Michigan, is a long way from Baghdad or Basra. But only if you're talking miles, not the hearts and minds of those who live here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Iraqi people here in Dearborn, Michigan, they are really disappointed.

LAWRENCE: Which is a huge change from just a year ago, when Iraqi Americans celebrated as American troops invaded Baghdad. The imam of a powerful mosque, Hasham al Husseini (ph), says many have lost faith in President Bush's rebuilding plan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No jobs, no economy, no life. It's a disaster.

LAWRENCE: But in a community this big, some are more optimistic than others.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not going to be like that forever.

LAWRENCE: Mahir al-Rahim (ph) went to college in Iraq and earned his engineering masters in Michigan. Now a family man in your average American suburb, Mahir (ph) still has a home and business in Mosul, where he hoped it would be safe enough to be working by now.

(on camera): Do you wish you could go back to help?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wish every day. And I was planning to go to Iraq this June. Unfortunately, I've been told by friends from Baghdad, from Mosul, do not stop by, do not come over. It's not secure.

LAWRENCE (voice-over): Most want their fellow Iraqis to enjoy the same security they have here. But they're divided on whether the transfer of power will mean anything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a joke. June 30 is just no more than a number.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will be OK. Everything will be fine.

LAWRENCE: They both hope Iraq will be better one day. What they can't agree on is how it will get there and how long it will take.

Chris Lawrence, CNN, Dearborn.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: In Iraq itself today, just this morning, the Iraqi Governing Council endorsed Iraqi National Accord founder, Iyad Allawi, to serve as prime minister of an interim government.

Soledad?

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, some extra effort to provide comfort for children who have a parent serving overseas.

COOPER: And is there pop life for Madonna after 40? Your e-mail answers. Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: It is 45 minutes past the hour. Time for look at some of today's other news with Heidi Collins.

Good morning, Heidi.

COLLINS: Good morning, Anderson.

There is word this morning of an earthquake in northern Iran. It is said to have registered at 6.2 and was centered about 40 miles north of the capital, Tehran. You see the map there. The last big quake, as I'm sure you remember, hit in Bam in December and measured 6.8. So almost as strong. We, of course, will keep our eye on this for you and give you any details just as soon as we get them.

With just more than a month away now until the handover in Iraq, a new name floating around as a potential prime minister in the transitional government. Iyad Allawi was nominated by the Iraqi Governing Council. He is a Shiite Muslim and medical doctor who held the post of the IGC's rotating presidency last October. It's not yet clear whether U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has accepted this latest endorsement.

It looks like the truce to end a violent standoff in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf is already in trouble. Military officials say gunmen attacked U.S. forces and a U.S. military base just outside Najaf today. The violence coming one day after radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr made a pledge to withdraw his fighters. And the U.S. coalition agreed to halt its offensive.

In California now, the jury in the Scott Peterson murder trial has been selected. Six men and six women were chosen yesterday. Opening statements are set for Tuesday.

And soaring gas prices are not expected to put the brakes on travel plans for motorists this holiday weekend. An estimated 37 million drivers are expected to travel more than 50 miles on our nation's highways over the weekend. That's up 3.5 percent from last year, according to AAA.

So lots of folks are going to be out there. And I bet you in Indianapolis, where the Indy 500 is taking place, even more traffic there. Maybe a little faster, too. I don't know.

O'BRIEN: All right. Heidi, thanks.

COOPER: So does any one company have a patent on love? With that, and a check of the markets, here is Andy Serwer, "Minding Your Business.".

ANDY SERWER, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, FORTUNE MAGAZINE: Companies trying to do that, you guys. And we'll talk about that in a second. Let's check in on the markets, though, first.

Kind of a slow day. Everyone is going to be heading out for the weekend on Wall Street and across the country as well, of course. Dow is just down one point. I mean, we really don't have a whole lot going on.

Markets closed, of course on Monday. One stock moving southward, Pilgrims Pride down $1, to $26. What's going on there? An outbreak of a Avian Flu.

This is a chicken producer; 24,000 chickens destroyed in Sulphur Springs, Texas. We'll be watching that and see if it develops into a bigger story. They do say it is contained and it's not the same strain as the one in China that was so fatal there.

Let's talk about the online love situation.

COOPER: Yes, talk about it. Patenting love?

SERWER: Patenting love.

O'BRIEN: It's about time. SERWER: Yes, I'd say, exactly. So eHarmony.com is one of these online matchmaking businesses, like match.com. And they have an extensive questionnaire process that they are trying to patent. Competitors say it's ludicrous -- 430 questions.

O'BRIEN: Like?

SERWER: And I decided that, yes, it might be a good idea. We went online and tried to set this up. And we've got some of the questions here. Maybe I'll ask you guys. These are some true or false, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: OK.

SERWER: I sometimes drive faster than the speed limit.

O'BRIEN: True.

COOPER: False.

SERWER: Yes, yes. How about this one, Anderson? I dislike some people.

COOPER: Oh.

SERWER: I mean, you know, come on. How about this one, Soledad? At times I have raised my voice in anger.

O'BRIEN: Never, not me.

SERWER: Yes. Here's a good one. Now, this on a scale from 1 to 7. How much would you describe yourself on a scale from 1 to 7 as dominant?

O'BRIEN: Seven.

SERWER: Interesting. How about this one? From a scale of 1 to 7, aloof?

COOPER: Ten.

SERWER: You know -- so you can see here -- you can see why people think this is silly.

O'BRIEN: I can see why they want to patent that. Those are very smart questions.

SERWER: Yes. You know, some of these other online companies like Amazon have patented their processes online. I don't know if this one is going to work. Can I read this thing up here?

O'BRIEN: Please. Because, you know, Jack is out. And he usually promos "IN THE MONEY."

SERWER: The honors.

COOPER: Plug away.

SERWER: Somewhere on a golf course in New Jersey, Jack Cafferty is running wild across this land. So you need to join me this weekend for "IN THE MONEY." We'll take a look at a Pentagon report on what could happen if the greenhouse effect turns much of the world into a vast wasteland. That's "IN THE MONEY," Saturday at 1:00 Eastern, and Sunday at 3:00 Eastern. Sort of like a popular movie just out, isn't it?

O'BRIEN: All right. Andy, thanks a lot.

SERWER: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: And we've been covering this story this morning. Just moments ago, brought it to you. There has been an earthquake in northern Iraq -- northern Iran, rather. The magnitude, we are told, of 6.2. That coming from the U.S. Geological Survey. We're going to bring you details in a live report coming up in just a moment. A short break first.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Our weekly "Extra Effort" series is a tribute to those who go the extra mile to help others. And this morning, it is the woman behind Operation Kid Comfort. The program provides a security blanket for children when military parent is deployed overseas. Just recently, I spoke to the founder, Ann Flaherty, and I asked her where this truly wonderful idea came from.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANN FLAHERTY, FOUNDER, OPERATION KID COMFORT: Operation Kid Comfort is just one great program. And it was derived from my grandson and his need for comfort while his dad was deployed to Iraq.

O'BRIEN: He's 18 months old. And I know he was struggling, you say, dealing with his dad being gone. What gave you the idea, though, to make him a quilt?

FLAHERTY: I'm a quilt artist, and I've incorporated imagery in my quilts in the past. So it was just a natural step for me to take that process of photo transfer and create a photo transfer quilt for my grandson, Christian. And I'm happy to say it worked, and it worked for other children.

O'BRIEN: When you say it worked, you handed him the quilt. What was his reaction and what did he do?

FLAHERTY: He had the same reaction all our kids have. They immediately take possession of these quilts. They all dubbed them their "daddy quilts."

They will not let anyone else touch them. And they sleep with them, they drag them around. It's just a perfect item for them to use to cope with the long deployment that their parents face right now.

O'BRIEN: I've read your goal is to make 1,500 of these quilts. Do you have enough time and enough people with enough time to do this?

FLAHERTY: Soledad, we have been so fortunate to have volunteers coming to us asking to help. And not just from Ft. Bragg, which is where we serve through the armed services YMCA right now, but from across the country. They're e-mailing me and calling us, asking how they can help make quilts for these kids. And with the help of the National Armed Services YMCA, they can set up Operation Kid Comfort in their area. And we're just so happy to have them on board.

O'BRIEN: I also read that you can't take the quilt and frame it and put it in the living room as sort of a shrine to the person who is overseas. These are quilts that are made for the kids to touch and feel and take to bed, right?

FLAHERTY: Exactly. These are not keepsakes, not to hang on the wall. These are for the kids. They drag them around, they can get them dirty, throw them in the washing machine. They're just perfect for the kids.

O'BRIEN: Just like the perfect little blankie. Ann Flaherty, what a wonderful idea. Good for you. Thanks for being with us this morning. Appreciate it.

FLAHERTY: Thank you, Soledad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: There is some good news for Ann Flaherty's grandson. His dad has returned home from overseas.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: A final look at the Question of the Day with Toure.

Hello.

TOURE: Hi. How are you?

O'BRIEN: Great.

TOURE: So, still, the Question of the Day: Is there pop life after 40? Madonna and Prince, are they still hot? Three answers.

Gene from Japan says, "Remember, age is just a number. I'd rather see these two artists in concert rather than these young, wet- behind-the-ear, lip-syncing Britneys. If I'm going to pay to see someone in concert, they'd better sing live."

COOPER: I agree with that.

TOURE: Hallelujah. Bob from Tacoma, Washington, who is up really, really early, says, "Yes they're mature, but I also think they just want to see if they've still got it. Like Air Supply and a few others, they want to see if they still have fans."

Now, I'm only 33. Never heard of Air Supply.

O'BRIEN: You've never heard of Air Supply?

TOURE: Help me out here, guys.

COOPER: Oh, come on.

TOURE: Please.

O'BRIEN: I'm all out of love, I can't live without you.

TOURE: Wow.

SERWER: You didn't miss much.

O'BRIEN: That's all we have time for. Toure, a big thank you to you for filling in for Jack. We certainly appreciate it. A fabulous job.

TOURE: Thank you for having me. Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Poor Jack, he's home now quaking in his boots.

SERWER: No. He's running wild across the land on a golf course.

O'BRIEN: Have a great holiday weekend, everybody.

Let's head right to Daryn Kagan, who's at the CNN Center. She's going to bring you through the next few hours.

Good morning again, Daryn.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. You guys have a great day, a great weekend in New York City.

We'll get started here at CNN headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Daryn Kagan. As always, we start with the headlines.

The Iraqi Governing Council is endorsing one of its members to be prime minister after the June 30th handover of power.