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American Morning
Americans Say Good-Bye to Ronald Reagan
Aired June 08, 2004 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Waiting for hours, standing in line for miles and then the silence, as Americans say good-bye to Ronald Reagan.
Another deadly day in Iraq -- suicide bombers hit in two different cities. Americans and Iraqis are dead today as a result.
And a view that has not been seen in more than 120 years -- Venus rolling along through space right past the sun, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
HEMMER: A live picture inside the lobby of the Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
Good morning again, everyone.
I'm Bill Hemmer live here in southern California.
We've been watching now ordinary Americans taking part in an extraordinary moment, a personal moment they will remember for the rest of their lives, filing past the casket of Ronald Reagan. People willing to wait as long as necessary. We're going to try to bring you the sense of what's happening here at the Reagan Library again today. Also, the image, no doubt, you will see on the front page of every newspaper in this country -- Nancy Reagan, when she was in the room yesterday, leaning against the flag that cloaked the casket of her late husband.
Much more coverage here live in California in a moment. We'll get to all of the images from yesterday and today, live here in California -- Soledad, good morning to you in New York City.
SOLEDAD S. O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you, Bill.
Thanks.
Also this morning, we're going to take you off the coast of Georgia, where President Bush is preparing to welcome the leaders of the world's richest countries to the G8 summit.
Dana Bash is standing by for us this morning to tell us about an important international victory that could be coming for the president. But first, Jack Cafferty is with us this morning with a look at the Cafferty File -- hello.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
Coming up in the Cafferty File in less than an hour, we'll tell you how you can make a quick buck. London book makers are quoting odds on Jennifer Lopez's latest marriage. What are you laughing at?
And the mayor of New York City has decided that the next great social crusade in this city of ours is to clamp down on those annoying little bells that come on the ice cream trucks. There are no other problems to be dealt with here in New York.
S. O'BRIEN: It's good to have (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
CAFFERTY: Michael Bloomberg said by god, those ice cream truck bells have got to go.
S. O'BRIEN: In the list of things that are noisy in New York City, that is so low on my list.
CAFFERTY: Yes, including us. Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: All right, Jack, thanks.
CAFFERTY: You bet.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's head it back out to Bill in Simi Valley -- Bill.
HEMMER: Soledad, no question today, throughout the day, another day of images. And for many of the people, the thousands, actually, making their way past the casket of the former president here in Simi Valley, it has been a very long trip, from downtown Los Angeles, from parts way beyond there, and out of the State of California, as well.
David Mattingly is a few miles away from our location here in Moore Park, California. Thousands of mourners there board the buses and then eventually make their way here -- David, good morning to you.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
This point where I'm standing is the end of the line. And calling it a line is something of an understatement.
Take a look at the people behind me. If they look a little weary, a little bleary-eyed, it's because they have been in line now for seven hours. The traffic is almost as bad to get here. We have some pictures taken just a short time ago. A five mile backup on Highway 118. That's the Ronald Reagan Freeway. More like the Ronald Reagan parking lot this morning. A drive that should take minutes is now lasting hours.
All of it because of the thousands of people determined to express their respect for the former president. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We came out because we wanted to pay our respects to him and because we wanted to just remember the significance of his leadership in America.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was just an inspirational man and I think you hearken back to those times and reflect on those times and think about what it was like. You know, for me growing up, it was a time when people didn't really have pride in America and he brought that back. And that's the main reason I'm here today.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He put faith back in our nation and made us believe in ourselves again. So I think, to me, he was a hero.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MATTINGLY: And through all of the enthusiasm that we've seen here overnight, there has been something of an endurance contest that has evolved here. The Red Cross is here, medical personnel are here. About 20 to 30 people had to step out of line in need of blankets because they weren't prepared for the overnight chill that was in the air. A lot of people, by the time they get to this point in line, have not eaten for at least eight hours. They have not had anything to drink. So they're hungry, they're thirsty, but they're more than ready to take that trip up to the library for what could be just a five minute experience to view the casket of Ronald Reagan -- Bill, back to you.
HEMMER: David, if you look at the schedule that was laid out many days ago, another 12 or 13 hours, about sundown here, is when this should conclude.
Is there any thought given right now to extending the hours of viewing, given the outpouring we've seen so far?
MATTINGLY: Well, I can tell you that just about everybody here would like to see those hours extended. The fact that they've had to be in traffic for so long and in line for so long, they know of so many other people who would like to be out here. They hope that perhaps later today a decision is made to extend those hours. But at this point, anything about extending hours is just wishful thinking, at least out here at this location.
HEMMER: David, thanks for that, David Mattingly.
We'll try and get some firm numbers on how many people have come so far. Late last night, that number was put at 17,000. But clearly, based on David's reporting and based on the stream of buses here that have come by one after the other here in Simi Valley, that number is much greater than 17,000 -- Soledad, literally on every bus that comes by every seat is filled and in many cases it is standing room only.
We'll continue to watch this stream.
Back in a moment here live in Simi Valley -- back to you now. S. O'BRIEN: All right, Bill, thanks.
Yes, no surprise there.
Let's turn to our other top story this morning, though. Before it's over later this week in Sea Island, Georgia, leaders from the world's eight largest industrialized nations will discuss numerous issues, among them AIDS and famine in Africa, polio and poverty. But it is Iraq and a pending vote on a new U.S.-backed resolution that will get the most attention.
White House correspondent Dana Bash is in Georgia this morning for us -- Dana, good morning to you.
Along with the summit, of course, is the vote on the U.N. Iraq resolution.
How important is the vote to the summit?
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Well, certainly getting the U.N. Security Council, which did not vote to back the U.S.-led war more than a year ago, now to vote to bless the blueprint for peace and a new Iraqi government, is exactly what the White House wanted to kick off this summit here. It is really the ultimate fence mending symbol for the White House, they say, as they are greeting more than 20 world leaders here.
And just take a look at who the president is meeting with today. He's got a working lunch first with the prime minister of Japan, Koizumi. Then he's got a one-on-one with the prime minister of Canada, then the chancellor of Germany and finally the president of Russia.
Out of those countries, three out of four did not support the war in Iraq. So to talk to these leaders, to have photo-ops with them and claim victory for what the White House is calling a new chapter in their relationship is certainly what the White House wanted and it will certainly help them, they hope, to move on and talk about what is officially on the schedule here, which is an initiative that they are pushing to spark some reforms in the Middle East, some economic and social reforms.
That is something that is not going to be easy in a lot of Arab countries and they are hoping that now that Iraq is at least symbolically behind them, they can push that with more success -- soldier.
S. O'BRIEN: Obviously, Dana, this summit is of such critical importance that President Bush did not come back to the United States when he got word of Ronald Reagan's passing.
What are the president's plans for the former president's funeral?
BASH: Well, Soledad, at this point the president is planning to stay here in Georgia through the end of the summit on Thursday. And he's going to leave it to the vice president to be involved in all of the ceremonies surrounding the state Capitol funeral. He will -- the state funeral, I should say. He will be at the Capitol to agree President Reagan's casket. He will be making remarks there and lay a wreath at the Capitol.
As for President Bush, he will be giving a eulogy on Friday at President Reagan's memorial service at National Cathedral.
And at this point, President Bush is not going to attend the burial in California. He is going to go to Crawford and go to some celebrations for his father's 80th birthday celebration -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Dana Bash in Georgia for us this morning.
Dana, thanks for that update.
BASH: Right.
S. O'BRIEN: Suicide car bombs exploded in two Iraqi cities this morning, killing at least 11 people. A bomb that exploded outside a U.S. base in Ba'qubah killed an American soldier and an Iraqi civilian and injured 10 other soldiers. And just over an hour later, a taxi exploded near the city hall in Mosul, killing nine Iraqi civilians, injuring at least 25.
In Iraq yesterday, Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi announced a deal that may get rid of several of Iraq's militias. But the question now, of course, can it work? Can it help prevent civil war?
Military analyst, Brigadier General David Grange, joins us from Oakbrook, Illinois this morning.
Nice to see you, General.
Thanks for being with us.
BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE, U.S. ARMY (RETIRED), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Thank you.
Good morning.
S. O'BRIEN: When you look at this long list of some of the militias that have agreed now to disband, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the Iraqi National Congress, the militias that go with these groups -- and the list goes on and on, you can see it right there -- 100,000 fighters actually covered under these various militias.
Give me a sense of the significance of who made this list, and maybe more significantly, who is not on this list.
GRANGE: Well, the people on the list right now, these groups support right now, but they're not fighting the government of Iraq, the interim government of Iraq or the coalition forces. And this is, I think, a significant sign. Many are downplaying it, but the idea that they'll be integrated into security forces in regions, civil defense forces, police and the Iraqi military is quite significant.
It's not easy to get these type of diverse peoples together to agree on something like this. And though it'll take almost a year to actually execute this plan, it shows a very positive sign and it then -- and it also isolates those that are not cooperating with the interim government, like al-Sadr.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, but...
GRANGE: So I think this is very significant.
S. O'BRIEN: That is kind of the notable exception, obviously, the Mahdi Army, Muqtada al-Sadr's militia is not on that list.
Does that mean that they're going to be more targeted? Does that mean that they are going to be the focus of a bigger crackdown now? And does that mean that somehow they've been isolated? Or have they been made stronger?
GRANGE: Well, it's going to appear in the immediate term that they're going be stronger because they're going to feel -- they're going to start rallying together and take at least comfort in themselves. But they are going to be isolated from the rest of the Iraqi factions. And that gives it some legitimacy, much beyond just not cooperating with the coalition forces. This is their fellow Iraqis.
So that's why I think this is very powerful and it will be the downfall of, for instance, Sadr's -- his insurgents.
S. O'BRIEN: If you look at the list of what sort of is required under this plan for disbanding, most of the militias will be phased out by 2005, the militias who signed up will be treated as army veterans and they'll be eligible, eventually, for government benefits.
You sort of raised the issue just moments ago. They're very disparate groups.
How realistic is that within a year they can actually bring them together? They come from very different ideologies, in some cases. They don't agree in many cases.
How is that really going to work?
GRANGE: Well, it's not going to be easy. I just look back at the Balkans and trying to get factions of, for instance, Croatians and Serbs and Muslims to work together. But any time you get a little bit of cooperation for the benefit of the whole, in this case Iraq, that's a positive sign. And so I think it's a great first step.
And I think the idea that they're going to treat them as veterans and give them some benefits, some of the same things, for instance, our nation, you know, is challenged with with our military, that's a -- that's terrific. I really like that part.
They're going to remain loyal to the factions more than they are Iraq. But eventually this transition will happen, just like the early states in the United States.
And so I'm very positive about the whole movement.
S. O'BRIEN: What makes you positive this time around? Because, as you well know, this is not the first time something like this has been attempted.
Why this time do you think it's going to work, as opposed to the last several times?
GRANGE: Even though the interim government doesn't have total power yet, the perception with the Iraqi people that the order came from the prime minister of the interim Iraqi government, one of their own -- and that is a very powerful message on the streets throughout the towns in Iraq. And so that's why I think doing it this way, the information, the power of information coming from those leaders, makes a difference in this situation.
S. O'BRIEN: Brigadier General David Grange joining us this morning.
Nice to see you, General.
Thanks for being with us.
GRANGE: My pleasure.
S. O'BRIEN: It's now 12 minutes past the hour and time to take a look at some of the other stories that are making headlines today.
Daryn Kagan is at the CNN Center for us -- hey, Daryn, good morning.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, once again, Soledad.
The U.N. Security Council is one step closer to approving a new draft resolution on Iraq. The document authorizes U.S.-led multinational forces to stay in Iraq after the June 30 handover. France says it would back the resolution and, according to the Associated Press, Germany has signaled its support, as well. The Security Council vote on the resolution is expected later today.
It could be a major focus of debate for Campaign 2004. We are talking about stem cell research. A bipartisan group of senators made public a letter which called on President Bush to expand the number of stem cell lines available for research. The letter was sent on Friday, before Mr. Reagan died. Former First Lady Nancy Reagan has also promoted stem cell research, which could help find cures for illnesses like Alzheimer's Disease.
Drivers are finding some more relief at the gas pumps. Prices fell for a second straight week. The national average for gas is down $0.03 from its all time high two weeks ago. But it still is up $0.54 higher than this time last year. And rapper Eminem will not be bearing his backside for this year's MTV Movie Awards. Eminem mooned the audience when the awards show was being taped this weekend, but MTV says that it is editing out the shot completely. The cleaned up version of the broadcast is set to air on Thursday -- Soledad, don't forget, it was MTV who produced the Super Bowl halftime show where Janet Jackson, you know, did her thing.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, the whole boob thing.
KAGAN: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: You don't want to repeat that.
KAGAN: Exactly.
S. O'BRIEN: That was just...
KAGAN: Boob and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) exactly.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, exactly.
All right, Daryn, thanks.
KAGAN: Sure.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, 13 years after a series of sexual assaults began in Columbus, Ohio, police say they finally have their man. The suspect, a 40-year-old truck driver named Robert Patton, was arrested on Monday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEP. CHIEF ANTONE LANATA, COLUMBUS POLICE DEPARTMENT: So what we had were 11 rapes that we knew the same person did. We didn't know who they were. This morning we were notified that the same DNA was matched to a prisoner who had been released from an Ohio prison in November of '01, 2001.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: Columbus police believe the suspect may have committed as many as 20 rapes.
Sherry Mercurio is the department's public information officer.
She joins us from Columbus this morning.
Nice to see you, Ms. Mercurio.
Thanks for being with us.
SHERRY MERCURIO, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, COLUMBUS POLICE DEPARTMENT: Thanks for having me.
S. O'BRIEN: Explain the time delay for me, because the suspect, right before he left prison in 2001, gave a sample of his DNA. Only the other day were you able to match that DNA to some of these rape cases.
So why that massive delay?
MERCURIO: What happens is we have what we call a codus system. It's a federal system where DNA from various criminals is entered. Unfortunately, like most things in our country, there's a funding issue. So what happened was DNA was collected. Unfortunately because of funding, there was a backlog in when it could actually be entered. We were not notified until yesterday morning that this codus match actually occurred. So we were not able to actually find out who our suspect was until yesterday.
So it was just basically an issue of funding.
S. O'BRIEN: So within that three years that the suspect gave his DNA and you -- someone called you to say oh, yes, there's a match, are there allegations that he raped other women in that time period?
MERCURIO: Absolutely. In fact, we right now are looking at 20 cases and believe that it could be more than that.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's talk about the number of cases. Eleven DNA matches, 20 cases is what you suspect, and only one count now filed against Robert Patton. Why the disparity in those numbers?
MERCURIO: What we basically did was we knew who he was, we wanted to make sure we could get him into custody as soon as possible. So we filed the one rape charge, which is customary. As we interview him, we'll gather more evidence and then hopefully be able to charge him with further counts of rape.
S. O'BRIEN: A moment ago on the screen we had a list of phases. And I guess you've broken down the rapes into these four phases. Explain to me the gaps in these phases. And is it fairly unusual to break these down into phases like this?
MERCURIO: Absolutely. Obviously, with a serial rapist they generally occur with a lot of incidents in a small period of time. His was over a 13 year period. We had a lot of assumptions. One, he probably joined the military, or, two, that he was in incarcerated. As it turns out, it was that he was incarcerated a number of times in between, which probably accounts for the large gaps in between the number of incidents we had.
I think we had -- the largest gap was about five years between '95 and 2001.
S. O'BRIEN: What's been the reaction now in the community with -- for people who don't know, who haven't followed this story closely, after such a long time, to be able to say you have your man?
MERCURIO: They're ecstatic. We had a number of community leaders with us last night, very happy. Obviously, the residents in that area are very happy. This is somebody who preyed on a small area of town for over 13 years. They're ecstatic.
S. O'BRIEN: He's been arrested now, as we mentioned. Just one case, though, is what he's been charged with.
What happens to him now?
MERCURIO: At this point we're continuing to interview him, gather more evidence, see if there are other cases that he's responsible for. We are going back and showing photo arrays to various victims. At this point, he'll be taken to jail. He will arraign. His trial date -- we're just continuing to gather -- this is the part where we actually have the hardest part of our investigation. We now have to follow up on everything all over again and make sure that our case is solid.
S. O'BRIEN: Sherry Mercurio is the public information officer for the Columbus Police Department, joining us this morning on this story.
Thanks for being with us.
MERCURIO: Thanks for having me.
S. O'BRIEN: Time to check in with Jack, the Question of the Day -- hi.
CAFFERTY: Hi, Soledad.
Thanks.
The United States is apparently thinking about pulling one third of its 37,000 troops out of South Korea by the end of next year. If the U.S. plan is finalized, South Korea says it would beef up its own forces. If there is some concern, it's about North Korea, which has that reconstituted nuclear weapons program and might be seen as a threat if the Americans pull out. They could perceive that as a sign of weakness on our part.
The question is how dangerous is it for the United States to pull a third of its troops out of South Korea?
Adam writes: "I spent two years on the DMZ. South Korea has twice the manpower as the North. So it has the manpower to fight. North Korea spends 26 percent of its GDP on its defense. South Korea spends six percent. South Koreans can assume more of the weight in their own defense. I think the one third reduction is reasonable."
Natalie writes from Mt. Lookout, West Virginia: "Let me see, North Korea has a crazy madman running it. We have satellite photos of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons facilities in that country. Oh, yes, the government of that country hates us. A good plan, President Bush."
Louis in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina: "The U.S. taxpayers should not be the provider of security for the sovereign nation of South Korea. We've been the Brinks Security Service for this country for 53 years and now we've added to this burden by replicating this worn out scenario in Iraq. The linchpin of making claim to sovereignty is a willingness to accept responsibility for national security. South Korea is a an economic success story, with a flourishing GDP. Let them take care of their own security needs."
And Jeffrey in Jamesville, North Carolina: "An exodus from Korea to Iraq could be a mistake. It sends the wrong message to North Korea that in some way we trust them. And South Korea may think we are abandoning them. I have a son that is serving with the 503rd Infantry Air Assault at Camp Casey, Korea, and it appears to be his perception, as well. However, he is prepared to do his duty in Iraq."
S. O'BRIEN: Hmmm, interesting.
All right, Jack, thank you.
CAFFERTY: You're welcome.
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, your teenager having a hard time waking up this morning? A new culprit could be to blame. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has a look at that just ahead.
Also this morning, a look at why some U.S. troops wounded in Iraq may not be getting the same quality of care as others.
And a grim warning believed to be from al Qaeda. We'll talk to a terrorism expert who says there's something unusual about it.
Those stories all ahead, as AMERICAN MORNING continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Venus this morning passed across the face of the sun. It had star gazers out in force and it's quite likely none of them were around the last time this celestial event could be seen.
Space correspondent Miles O'Brien at the CNN Center for us this morning -- Miles, did you get any sleep last night?
MILES S. O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, not much. But this has been fun, nevertheless, and you're right, quite likely. It's been 122 years since there was a little black spot on the sun quite like this. Venus took about six hours, Soledad, to stroll across the sun.
There you see it as it began. It took a little bite out of the beginning of the sun. This is obviously very filtered down. It kind of almost looks like the Moon or Mars or something. And on this shot you can see that little black spot right in there. That's Venus there, as it went across.
This astronomical event, as we say, is rare. It'll happen again eight years from now. These Venus transits, as they're called, happen in pairs. And as it went across, star gazers all across the world took a look, put on special glasses and then look, Planet Boeing came through doing its transit. That's quite a spectacular shot down from Australia.
Take a look at some of these images. When you look at the sun, you want to use these funny looking glasses or else you really will regret it later. These are folks in Japan who stepped outside to take a look at Venus.
What do we know about Venus? Well, the truth is we know a lot more about Mars. Venus is our neighbor next door toward the sun. These are some images taken by the Magellan spacecraft back in 1990. Average temperature on the surface there, a toasty 850 degrees. Venus has active volcanoes and Venus quakes -- I guess you can't call them earthquakes there -- and is the victim of a runaway greenhouse effect. It's shrouded by clouds made of carbon dioxide and sulfur, sulfuric acid. And, believe it or not, Soledad, there are some scientists who believe certain rather exotic microbes could live in those clouds.
So, you will have another opportunity, if you missed it this morning, eight years from now. Put it in your Palm Pilot. We'll see you then -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: And why do you get to see it eight years from now, because it's making its way back?
M. O'BRIEN: Well, yes. Basically what happens is here -- if I can show you on the model here -- basically that's the Earth and that's Venus there. And what happens is it kind of rotates around and as it comes back around on the second go round, you get another view of it. And then after that, it moves out of the line of sight with the sun. So you get two passes on the race track effect and then it's gone for 122 years.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, that's good news for everybody like me, who slept through or missed a large part of it this morning. I didn't get a chance to see it.
M. O'BRIEN: Well, we'll make sure -- I'll wake you up next time it comes.
S. O'BRIEN: You know, Miles, I would so appreciate that.
M. O'BRIEN: OK.
S. O'BRIEN: Thanks, Miles.
Appreciate it.
M. O'BRIEN: All right.
S. O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, Washington gets ready for the biggest funeral it's seen in decades. We've got a live report from the capital. We'll tell you how officials there are preparing.
Plus, there may be some progress in the Madrid train bombings investigation. We'll tell you what authorities in Italy are now saying.
We're back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired June 8, 2004 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Waiting for hours, standing in line for miles and then the silence, as Americans say good-bye to Ronald Reagan.
Another deadly day in Iraq -- suicide bombers hit in two different cities. Americans and Iraqis are dead today as a result.
And a view that has not been seen in more than 120 years -- Venus rolling along through space right past the sun, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
HEMMER: A live picture inside the lobby of the Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
Good morning again, everyone.
I'm Bill Hemmer live here in southern California.
We've been watching now ordinary Americans taking part in an extraordinary moment, a personal moment they will remember for the rest of their lives, filing past the casket of Ronald Reagan. People willing to wait as long as necessary. We're going to try to bring you the sense of what's happening here at the Reagan Library again today. Also, the image, no doubt, you will see on the front page of every newspaper in this country -- Nancy Reagan, when she was in the room yesterday, leaning against the flag that cloaked the casket of her late husband.
Much more coverage here live in California in a moment. We'll get to all of the images from yesterday and today, live here in California -- Soledad, good morning to you in New York City.
SOLEDAD S. O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you, Bill.
Thanks.
Also this morning, we're going to take you off the coast of Georgia, where President Bush is preparing to welcome the leaders of the world's richest countries to the G8 summit.
Dana Bash is standing by for us this morning to tell us about an important international victory that could be coming for the president. But first, Jack Cafferty is with us this morning with a look at the Cafferty File -- hello.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
Coming up in the Cafferty File in less than an hour, we'll tell you how you can make a quick buck. London book makers are quoting odds on Jennifer Lopez's latest marriage. What are you laughing at?
And the mayor of New York City has decided that the next great social crusade in this city of ours is to clamp down on those annoying little bells that come on the ice cream trucks. There are no other problems to be dealt with here in New York.
S. O'BRIEN: It's good to have (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
CAFFERTY: Michael Bloomberg said by god, those ice cream truck bells have got to go.
S. O'BRIEN: In the list of things that are noisy in New York City, that is so low on my list.
CAFFERTY: Yes, including us. Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: All right, Jack, thanks.
CAFFERTY: You bet.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's head it back out to Bill in Simi Valley -- Bill.
HEMMER: Soledad, no question today, throughout the day, another day of images. And for many of the people, the thousands, actually, making their way past the casket of the former president here in Simi Valley, it has been a very long trip, from downtown Los Angeles, from parts way beyond there, and out of the State of California, as well.
David Mattingly is a few miles away from our location here in Moore Park, California. Thousands of mourners there board the buses and then eventually make their way here -- David, good morning to you.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
This point where I'm standing is the end of the line. And calling it a line is something of an understatement.
Take a look at the people behind me. If they look a little weary, a little bleary-eyed, it's because they have been in line now for seven hours. The traffic is almost as bad to get here. We have some pictures taken just a short time ago. A five mile backup on Highway 118. That's the Ronald Reagan Freeway. More like the Ronald Reagan parking lot this morning. A drive that should take minutes is now lasting hours.
All of it because of the thousands of people determined to express their respect for the former president. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We came out because we wanted to pay our respects to him and because we wanted to just remember the significance of his leadership in America.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was just an inspirational man and I think you hearken back to those times and reflect on those times and think about what it was like. You know, for me growing up, it was a time when people didn't really have pride in America and he brought that back. And that's the main reason I'm here today.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He put faith back in our nation and made us believe in ourselves again. So I think, to me, he was a hero.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MATTINGLY: And through all of the enthusiasm that we've seen here overnight, there has been something of an endurance contest that has evolved here. The Red Cross is here, medical personnel are here. About 20 to 30 people had to step out of line in need of blankets because they weren't prepared for the overnight chill that was in the air. A lot of people, by the time they get to this point in line, have not eaten for at least eight hours. They have not had anything to drink. So they're hungry, they're thirsty, but they're more than ready to take that trip up to the library for what could be just a five minute experience to view the casket of Ronald Reagan -- Bill, back to you.
HEMMER: David, if you look at the schedule that was laid out many days ago, another 12 or 13 hours, about sundown here, is when this should conclude.
Is there any thought given right now to extending the hours of viewing, given the outpouring we've seen so far?
MATTINGLY: Well, I can tell you that just about everybody here would like to see those hours extended. The fact that they've had to be in traffic for so long and in line for so long, they know of so many other people who would like to be out here. They hope that perhaps later today a decision is made to extend those hours. But at this point, anything about extending hours is just wishful thinking, at least out here at this location.
HEMMER: David, thanks for that, David Mattingly.
We'll try and get some firm numbers on how many people have come so far. Late last night, that number was put at 17,000. But clearly, based on David's reporting and based on the stream of buses here that have come by one after the other here in Simi Valley, that number is much greater than 17,000 -- Soledad, literally on every bus that comes by every seat is filled and in many cases it is standing room only.
We'll continue to watch this stream.
Back in a moment here live in Simi Valley -- back to you now. S. O'BRIEN: All right, Bill, thanks.
Yes, no surprise there.
Let's turn to our other top story this morning, though. Before it's over later this week in Sea Island, Georgia, leaders from the world's eight largest industrialized nations will discuss numerous issues, among them AIDS and famine in Africa, polio and poverty. But it is Iraq and a pending vote on a new U.S.-backed resolution that will get the most attention.
White House correspondent Dana Bash is in Georgia this morning for us -- Dana, good morning to you.
Along with the summit, of course, is the vote on the U.N. Iraq resolution.
How important is the vote to the summit?
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Well, certainly getting the U.N. Security Council, which did not vote to back the U.S.-led war more than a year ago, now to vote to bless the blueprint for peace and a new Iraqi government, is exactly what the White House wanted to kick off this summit here. It is really the ultimate fence mending symbol for the White House, they say, as they are greeting more than 20 world leaders here.
And just take a look at who the president is meeting with today. He's got a working lunch first with the prime minister of Japan, Koizumi. Then he's got a one-on-one with the prime minister of Canada, then the chancellor of Germany and finally the president of Russia.
Out of those countries, three out of four did not support the war in Iraq. So to talk to these leaders, to have photo-ops with them and claim victory for what the White House is calling a new chapter in their relationship is certainly what the White House wanted and it will certainly help them, they hope, to move on and talk about what is officially on the schedule here, which is an initiative that they are pushing to spark some reforms in the Middle East, some economic and social reforms.
That is something that is not going to be easy in a lot of Arab countries and they are hoping that now that Iraq is at least symbolically behind them, they can push that with more success -- soldier.
S. O'BRIEN: Obviously, Dana, this summit is of such critical importance that President Bush did not come back to the United States when he got word of Ronald Reagan's passing.
What are the president's plans for the former president's funeral?
BASH: Well, Soledad, at this point the president is planning to stay here in Georgia through the end of the summit on Thursday. And he's going to leave it to the vice president to be involved in all of the ceremonies surrounding the state Capitol funeral. He will -- the state funeral, I should say. He will be at the Capitol to agree President Reagan's casket. He will be making remarks there and lay a wreath at the Capitol.
As for President Bush, he will be giving a eulogy on Friday at President Reagan's memorial service at National Cathedral.
And at this point, President Bush is not going to attend the burial in California. He is going to go to Crawford and go to some celebrations for his father's 80th birthday celebration -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Dana Bash in Georgia for us this morning.
Dana, thanks for that update.
BASH: Right.
S. O'BRIEN: Suicide car bombs exploded in two Iraqi cities this morning, killing at least 11 people. A bomb that exploded outside a U.S. base in Ba'qubah killed an American soldier and an Iraqi civilian and injured 10 other soldiers. And just over an hour later, a taxi exploded near the city hall in Mosul, killing nine Iraqi civilians, injuring at least 25.
In Iraq yesterday, Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi announced a deal that may get rid of several of Iraq's militias. But the question now, of course, can it work? Can it help prevent civil war?
Military analyst, Brigadier General David Grange, joins us from Oakbrook, Illinois this morning.
Nice to see you, General.
Thanks for being with us.
BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE, U.S. ARMY (RETIRED), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Thank you.
Good morning.
S. O'BRIEN: When you look at this long list of some of the militias that have agreed now to disband, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the Iraqi National Congress, the militias that go with these groups -- and the list goes on and on, you can see it right there -- 100,000 fighters actually covered under these various militias.
Give me a sense of the significance of who made this list, and maybe more significantly, who is not on this list.
GRANGE: Well, the people on the list right now, these groups support right now, but they're not fighting the government of Iraq, the interim government of Iraq or the coalition forces. And this is, I think, a significant sign. Many are downplaying it, but the idea that they'll be integrated into security forces in regions, civil defense forces, police and the Iraqi military is quite significant.
It's not easy to get these type of diverse peoples together to agree on something like this. And though it'll take almost a year to actually execute this plan, it shows a very positive sign and it then -- and it also isolates those that are not cooperating with the interim government, like al-Sadr.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, but...
GRANGE: So I think this is very significant.
S. O'BRIEN: That is kind of the notable exception, obviously, the Mahdi Army, Muqtada al-Sadr's militia is not on that list.
Does that mean that they're going to be more targeted? Does that mean that they are going to be the focus of a bigger crackdown now? And does that mean that somehow they've been isolated? Or have they been made stronger?
GRANGE: Well, it's going to appear in the immediate term that they're going be stronger because they're going to feel -- they're going to start rallying together and take at least comfort in themselves. But they are going to be isolated from the rest of the Iraqi factions. And that gives it some legitimacy, much beyond just not cooperating with the coalition forces. This is their fellow Iraqis.
So that's why I think this is very powerful and it will be the downfall of, for instance, Sadr's -- his insurgents.
S. O'BRIEN: If you look at the list of what sort of is required under this plan for disbanding, most of the militias will be phased out by 2005, the militias who signed up will be treated as army veterans and they'll be eligible, eventually, for government benefits.
You sort of raised the issue just moments ago. They're very disparate groups.
How realistic is that within a year they can actually bring them together? They come from very different ideologies, in some cases. They don't agree in many cases.
How is that really going to work?
GRANGE: Well, it's not going to be easy. I just look back at the Balkans and trying to get factions of, for instance, Croatians and Serbs and Muslims to work together. But any time you get a little bit of cooperation for the benefit of the whole, in this case Iraq, that's a positive sign. And so I think it's a great first step.
And I think the idea that they're going to treat them as veterans and give them some benefits, some of the same things, for instance, our nation, you know, is challenged with with our military, that's a -- that's terrific. I really like that part.
They're going to remain loyal to the factions more than they are Iraq. But eventually this transition will happen, just like the early states in the United States.
And so I'm very positive about the whole movement.
S. O'BRIEN: What makes you positive this time around? Because, as you well know, this is not the first time something like this has been attempted.
Why this time do you think it's going to work, as opposed to the last several times?
GRANGE: Even though the interim government doesn't have total power yet, the perception with the Iraqi people that the order came from the prime minister of the interim Iraqi government, one of their own -- and that is a very powerful message on the streets throughout the towns in Iraq. And so that's why I think doing it this way, the information, the power of information coming from those leaders, makes a difference in this situation.
S. O'BRIEN: Brigadier General David Grange joining us this morning.
Nice to see you, General.
Thanks for being with us.
GRANGE: My pleasure.
S. O'BRIEN: It's now 12 minutes past the hour and time to take a look at some of the other stories that are making headlines today.
Daryn Kagan is at the CNN Center for us -- hey, Daryn, good morning.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, once again, Soledad.
The U.N. Security Council is one step closer to approving a new draft resolution on Iraq. The document authorizes U.S.-led multinational forces to stay in Iraq after the June 30 handover. France says it would back the resolution and, according to the Associated Press, Germany has signaled its support, as well. The Security Council vote on the resolution is expected later today.
It could be a major focus of debate for Campaign 2004. We are talking about stem cell research. A bipartisan group of senators made public a letter which called on President Bush to expand the number of stem cell lines available for research. The letter was sent on Friday, before Mr. Reagan died. Former First Lady Nancy Reagan has also promoted stem cell research, which could help find cures for illnesses like Alzheimer's Disease.
Drivers are finding some more relief at the gas pumps. Prices fell for a second straight week. The national average for gas is down $0.03 from its all time high two weeks ago. But it still is up $0.54 higher than this time last year. And rapper Eminem will not be bearing his backside for this year's MTV Movie Awards. Eminem mooned the audience when the awards show was being taped this weekend, but MTV says that it is editing out the shot completely. The cleaned up version of the broadcast is set to air on Thursday -- Soledad, don't forget, it was MTV who produced the Super Bowl halftime show where Janet Jackson, you know, did her thing.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, the whole boob thing.
KAGAN: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: You don't want to repeat that.
KAGAN: Exactly.
S. O'BRIEN: That was just...
KAGAN: Boob and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) exactly.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, exactly.
All right, Daryn, thanks.
KAGAN: Sure.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, 13 years after a series of sexual assaults began in Columbus, Ohio, police say they finally have their man. The suspect, a 40-year-old truck driver named Robert Patton, was arrested on Monday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEP. CHIEF ANTONE LANATA, COLUMBUS POLICE DEPARTMENT: So what we had were 11 rapes that we knew the same person did. We didn't know who they were. This morning we were notified that the same DNA was matched to a prisoner who had been released from an Ohio prison in November of '01, 2001.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: Columbus police believe the suspect may have committed as many as 20 rapes.
Sherry Mercurio is the department's public information officer.
She joins us from Columbus this morning.
Nice to see you, Ms. Mercurio.
Thanks for being with us.
SHERRY MERCURIO, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, COLUMBUS POLICE DEPARTMENT: Thanks for having me.
S. O'BRIEN: Explain the time delay for me, because the suspect, right before he left prison in 2001, gave a sample of his DNA. Only the other day were you able to match that DNA to some of these rape cases.
So why that massive delay?
MERCURIO: What happens is we have what we call a codus system. It's a federal system where DNA from various criminals is entered. Unfortunately, like most things in our country, there's a funding issue. So what happened was DNA was collected. Unfortunately because of funding, there was a backlog in when it could actually be entered. We were not notified until yesterday morning that this codus match actually occurred. So we were not able to actually find out who our suspect was until yesterday.
So it was just basically an issue of funding.
S. O'BRIEN: So within that three years that the suspect gave his DNA and you -- someone called you to say oh, yes, there's a match, are there allegations that he raped other women in that time period?
MERCURIO: Absolutely. In fact, we right now are looking at 20 cases and believe that it could be more than that.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's talk about the number of cases. Eleven DNA matches, 20 cases is what you suspect, and only one count now filed against Robert Patton. Why the disparity in those numbers?
MERCURIO: What we basically did was we knew who he was, we wanted to make sure we could get him into custody as soon as possible. So we filed the one rape charge, which is customary. As we interview him, we'll gather more evidence and then hopefully be able to charge him with further counts of rape.
S. O'BRIEN: A moment ago on the screen we had a list of phases. And I guess you've broken down the rapes into these four phases. Explain to me the gaps in these phases. And is it fairly unusual to break these down into phases like this?
MERCURIO: Absolutely. Obviously, with a serial rapist they generally occur with a lot of incidents in a small period of time. His was over a 13 year period. We had a lot of assumptions. One, he probably joined the military, or, two, that he was in incarcerated. As it turns out, it was that he was incarcerated a number of times in between, which probably accounts for the large gaps in between the number of incidents we had.
I think we had -- the largest gap was about five years between '95 and 2001.
S. O'BRIEN: What's been the reaction now in the community with -- for people who don't know, who haven't followed this story closely, after such a long time, to be able to say you have your man?
MERCURIO: They're ecstatic. We had a number of community leaders with us last night, very happy. Obviously, the residents in that area are very happy. This is somebody who preyed on a small area of town for over 13 years. They're ecstatic.
S. O'BRIEN: He's been arrested now, as we mentioned. Just one case, though, is what he's been charged with.
What happens to him now?
MERCURIO: At this point we're continuing to interview him, gather more evidence, see if there are other cases that he's responsible for. We are going back and showing photo arrays to various victims. At this point, he'll be taken to jail. He will arraign. His trial date -- we're just continuing to gather -- this is the part where we actually have the hardest part of our investigation. We now have to follow up on everything all over again and make sure that our case is solid.
S. O'BRIEN: Sherry Mercurio is the public information officer for the Columbus Police Department, joining us this morning on this story.
Thanks for being with us.
MERCURIO: Thanks for having me.
S. O'BRIEN: Time to check in with Jack, the Question of the Day -- hi.
CAFFERTY: Hi, Soledad.
Thanks.
The United States is apparently thinking about pulling one third of its 37,000 troops out of South Korea by the end of next year. If the U.S. plan is finalized, South Korea says it would beef up its own forces. If there is some concern, it's about North Korea, which has that reconstituted nuclear weapons program and might be seen as a threat if the Americans pull out. They could perceive that as a sign of weakness on our part.
The question is how dangerous is it for the United States to pull a third of its troops out of South Korea?
Adam writes: "I spent two years on the DMZ. South Korea has twice the manpower as the North. So it has the manpower to fight. North Korea spends 26 percent of its GDP on its defense. South Korea spends six percent. South Koreans can assume more of the weight in their own defense. I think the one third reduction is reasonable."
Natalie writes from Mt. Lookout, West Virginia: "Let me see, North Korea has a crazy madman running it. We have satellite photos of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons facilities in that country. Oh, yes, the government of that country hates us. A good plan, President Bush."
Louis in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina: "The U.S. taxpayers should not be the provider of security for the sovereign nation of South Korea. We've been the Brinks Security Service for this country for 53 years and now we've added to this burden by replicating this worn out scenario in Iraq. The linchpin of making claim to sovereignty is a willingness to accept responsibility for national security. South Korea is a an economic success story, with a flourishing GDP. Let them take care of their own security needs."
And Jeffrey in Jamesville, North Carolina: "An exodus from Korea to Iraq could be a mistake. It sends the wrong message to North Korea that in some way we trust them. And South Korea may think we are abandoning them. I have a son that is serving with the 503rd Infantry Air Assault at Camp Casey, Korea, and it appears to be his perception, as well. However, he is prepared to do his duty in Iraq."
S. O'BRIEN: Hmmm, interesting.
All right, Jack, thank you.
CAFFERTY: You're welcome.
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, your teenager having a hard time waking up this morning? A new culprit could be to blame. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has a look at that just ahead.
Also this morning, a look at why some U.S. troops wounded in Iraq may not be getting the same quality of care as others.
And a grim warning believed to be from al Qaeda. We'll talk to a terrorism expert who says there's something unusual about it.
Those stories all ahead, as AMERICAN MORNING continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Venus this morning passed across the face of the sun. It had star gazers out in force and it's quite likely none of them were around the last time this celestial event could be seen.
Space correspondent Miles O'Brien at the CNN Center for us this morning -- Miles, did you get any sleep last night?
MILES S. O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, not much. But this has been fun, nevertheless, and you're right, quite likely. It's been 122 years since there was a little black spot on the sun quite like this. Venus took about six hours, Soledad, to stroll across the sun.
There you see it as it began. It took a little bite out of the beginning of the sun. This is obviously very filtered down. It kind of almost looks like the Moon or Mars or something. And on this shot you can see that little black spot right in there. That's Venus there, as it went across.
This astronomical event, as we say, is rare. It'll happen again eight years from now. These Venus transits, as they're called, happen in pairs. And as it went across, star gazers all across the world took a look, put on special glasses and then look, Planet Boeing came through doing its transit. That's quite a spectacular shot down from Australia.
Take a look at some of these images. When you look at the sun, you want to use these funny looking glasses or else you really will regret it later. These are folks in Japan who stepped outside to take a look at Venus.
What do we know about Venus? Well, the truth is we know a lot more about Mars. Venus is our neighbor next door toward the sun. These are some images taken by the Magellan spacecraft back in 1990. Average temperature on the surface there, a toasty 850 degrees. Venus has active volcanoes and Venus quakes -- I guess you can't call them earthquakes there -- and is the victim of a runaway greenhouse effect. It's shrouded by clouds made of carbon dioxide and sulfur, sulfuric acid. And, believe it or not, Soledad, there are some scientists who believe certain rather exotic microbes could live in those clouds.
So, you will have another opportunity, if you missed it this morning, eight years from now. Put it in your Palm Pilot. We'll see you then -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: And why do you get to see it eight years from now, because it's making its way back?
M. O'BRIEN: Well, yes. Basically what happens is here -- if I can show you on the model here -- basically that's the Earth and that's Venus there. And what happens is it kind of rotates around and as it comes back around on the second go round, you get another view of it. And then after that, it moves out of the line of sight with the sun. So you get two passes on the race track effect and then it's gone for 122 years.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, that's good news for everybody like me, who slept through or missed a large part of it this morning. I didn't get a chance to see it.
M. O'BRIEN: Well, we'll make sure -- I'll wake you up next time it comes.
S. O'BRIEN: You know, Miles, I would so appreciate that.
M. O'BRIEN: OK.
S. O'BRIEN: Thanks, Miles.
Appreciate it.
M. O'BRIEN: All right.
S. O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, Washington gets ready for the biggest funeral it's seen in decades. We've got a live report from the capital. We'll tell you how officials there are preparing.
Plus, there may be some progress in the Madrid train bombings investigation. We'll tell you what authorities in Italy are now saying.
We're back in just a moment.
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