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American Morning
Bremer Leaves Iraq After Signing Over Sovereignty
Aired June 28, 2004 - 09:30 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: Let's go to Wall Street right now. Opening bell on a Monday morning about to go off, 10,371 is your opening mark, off about 71 points on Friday.
The bell has just gone, so let's go up to the NASDAQ markets out around Time Square -- 20,25 is your opening mark, up about 10 points at the close of business on Friday.
Welcome back, everyone, 9:30 here in New York.
The story of the day, without question -- a surprise move in Baghdad. The U.S.-led coalition authority officially transferring sovereignty to an interim Iraqi government just a few hours ago.
The new leaders now have been sworn into office officially, and former coalition administrator, Paul Bremer, has left Iraq.
Back to Anderson Cooper, live in Baghdad with more there -- Anderson.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Bill. It is actually afternoon here in Baghdad. And it has been a relatively quiet day, all in all.
That, of course, was the whole point. We have not had any major incidents involving insurgents, involving bombs or any sorts or attacks.
That, again, the whole point behind having this sort of stealth handover ceremony, if you will, at about 10:26 a.m. this morning. The official handover of power from ex-U.S. administrator Paul Bremer to the new Iraqi prime minister, as well as the new president.
A very quiet, dignified ceremony. Very low key, as we said, just a few journalists present, one camera present.
Then there was the swearing in ceremony several hours later after Paul Bremer had already left the country. The new government taking shape.
The interim prime minister, the interim deputy prime minister, the president and the deputy president, as well as the chief judge -- all swearing in, all making short statements, in particular, Prime Minister Allawi.
A lot of Iraqis were listening to hear what he had to say about what he was going to do to crack down on the ongoing insurgency, on the influx of foreign fighters in here.
He talked about security, yes -- not in any great particular detail. But he also sent a message to Iraqis, that he wanted to form a government of national union, of national unity for all Iraqis. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AYAD ALLAWI, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Dear free people, our dear Iraq is now at a setback, but it is a very temporary setback, and we will rise up after that with the -- like mountains standing up very firm.
And we will protect all the people, regardless of religion, color or any other consideration. So this -- every Iraqi will have the right to their unified, united Iraq, where brotherhood and justice prevail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: A small statement, a quiet statement, but a revolutionary statement here in Iraq. Obviously, that has not been the case of the government here for many, many generations.
But Prime Minister Allawi again focusing very heavily on security, asking all Iraqis to, in effect, get off the fence, to be the eyes and the ears of the government, to be on the lookout for foreign fighters, for foreign terrorists, to turn them in to local police.
That is the only way, he said, at this point that Iraq is going to be able to move forward, because, as you know, Bill and Soledad, the security services here are at a very primitive state. They do not have the supplies. They do not have the heavy weaponry.
And they certainly do not have the training nor the morale to stand up to the insurgency, as we saw back in April when the uprising really exploded. A lot of Iraqi police officers simply giving up their weapons, returning home or even going over to the side of the insurgents or to militias like Muqtada al-Sadr's.
So, security the number one issue here today. And thankfully, it has been a quiet day, indeed -- Bill and Soledad.
HEMMER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) for that, that's right. Anderson Cooper, thanks, live in Baghdad -- Soledad.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: With the handover of power in Iraq over, the process is reportedly underway to transfer legal custody of Saddam Hussein to the Iraqi government.
Kathleen Koch live at the Pentagon with more on this story for us this morning. Kathleen, good morning again.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad. An announcement came just recently by Salem Chalabi, who is the executive director of the Iraqi special tribunal, saying that not only Saddam Hussein, but also 12 senior members of his regime would, quote, over the next few days be transferred into the custody of the new Iraqi government.
Now, plans had been in the works for several weeks, discussions on the handover of Saddam Hussein. And what we were told by both the White House and by Pentagon officials was that the plan that was under discussion was that the new Iraqi government would assume legal custody of Saddam Hussein. However, his physical custody, his security, would remain in the hands of the U.S.-led coalition.
Now, we don't know if that's also the same arrangement for these other senior officials under the Saddam Hussein regime.
What basically this does, then, is it clears the path for the Iraqi judicial system to kick in. Charges eventually would be brought against Saddam Hussein, and then he would become no longer a prisoner of war, but a criminal with certain rights.
He'd have a right to access to his lawyer, access to his family, access to preparing his defense case and some fear, though, access to a bit of a platform to relaunch a campaign -- not that it would be successful -- to rewin the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people.
O'BRIEN: Kathleen, let's turn -- I want to ask you a little bit about this Marine who was missing out of Baghdad, and now reportedly taken hostage in Iraq.
The hostage-takers have threatened to kill him. What more do we know about this from the Pentagon this morning?
KOCH: At this point, Soledad, the Pentagon is still not confirming that this young man is the missing Marine, Wassef Ali Hassoun, a 24-year-old member of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, who went missing back on June 21.
The Pentagon saying they have been in touch with his family, have notified them of, obviously, this tape of this development. But they're not confirming it. They only say that they do have evidence that he disappeared on June 21.
And one official telling me last night that they had some evidence that he may have left willingly, that he may have even deserted, but so far we've seen no proof of that.
O'BRIEN: Boy, lots of questions to be answered yet in that case, as well.
Kathleen Koch for us at the Pentagon. Thanks -- Bill.
HEMMER: Let's move to the Supreme Court now. The court's current term nearing an end. Some highly anticipated cases still to be determined.
Some of those cases involve the war on terror. Bob Franken outside the high court in D.C. with more. Bob, good morning.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
And the cases have such constitutional implications that, among the most important in a long time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN (voice-over): The justices have saved the most fundamental issue for last. How much power does the president have in war time? How little do the courts have in guaranteeing individual rights?
THOMAS GOLDSTEIN, SUPREME COURT LEGAL ANALYST: The Supreme Court is going to tell us whether or not the president can hold someone out away from public view and away from the protection of the courts, because he believes he needs to interrogate them or keep them isolated.
FRANKEN: The case of Jose Padilla involves an American, arrested on American soil at O'Hare Airport in Chicago, held for two years without charge, with almost no access to a lawyer.
Padilla is a presidentially designated enemy combatant, accused of planning domestic terrorist attacks.
JAMES COMEY, DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: We now know much of what Jose Padilla knows. And what we have learned confirms that the president of the United States made the right call.
FRANKEN: Yaser Hamdi is also a U.S. citizen, but he was taken prisoner by U.S. allies on the battlefield in Afghanistan. He, too, is being held in a military brig in the United States, unlike the detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
The administration insists that as part of Cuba, Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is beyond the reach of U.S. courts.
NEAL KATYAL, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY LAW CENTER: We can't have an effective debate in this country about what the limits are of civil liberties in time of war, when the government ships these people abroad intentionally to evade not just review by the courts, but review by the public.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN: It's as basic as this. The justices will be deciding whether in times of war they must give up much of their checks and balances power to the president -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Bob. Thanks for that. Bob Franken outside the Supreme Court -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is going to stop by for a "House Call." If you've ever had the hiccups, I mean, really, really bad hiccups, just couldn't kick them, well, you're going to want to wait around for this report, because this is a remarkable medical story.
HEMMER: Also, what are you planning for your 90th birthday? How about a flying leap? Ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Anybody who's had the hiccups for more than just a little while knows just how annoying they can be. Well, imagine having them for nine months straight.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta is at the CNN Center with one man's story and his unique cure.
Hey, Sanjay, good morning.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Yes, usually you get hiccups because you swallow too much air or you eat too much too fast. But in this man's case, his brain was actually sending a signal to hiccup over and over again.
Here's his tale.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA (voice-over): Shane Shafer had the hiccups for nine months straight. He hiccupped every four seconds whether he was awake or asleep.
He tried everything. The regular cures and then the drugs normally prescribed for chronic hiccups. Nothing worked. Shane was reduced to gagging himself to vomit which brought him about an hour and a half of relief.
He would also give himself injections of a narcotic called Stadol. But the drug would wear off in about an hour so he had to inject himself again up to 10 to 12 times a day at a cost of $10 an injection. At 100-plus dollars a day and with insurance not covering it, he had to find a better answer.
Finally, he went to see Dr. Brian Paine, a neurosurgeon at the LSU Health Science Center. He brainstormed with other doctors and they decided to try attaching a stimulator to the Vegas nerve, which is the nerve that carries the impulse that tells the diaphragm to spasm.
The battery for the stimulator is implanted in the chest and a stimulator wire is wrapped around the Vegas nerve in the neck. The stimulator sends an impulse to break the hiccup signal from the brain and the spasms stop.
This is the first time the stimulator has ever been used to treat chronic hiccups. But in his case it seemed to do the trick. After surgery, Shane is feeling great. No hiccups. SHANE SHAFER, CHRONIC HICCUP PATIENT: A hundred percent different. The hiccups are gone. A little raspy in the throat, but I can deal with that.
GUPTA: He went home Friday. Doctors will leave the implant in until the battery wears out. It will take five or six years. If the hiccups come back, it will be easy to fix. Just get the battery replaced.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: A little modern technology for an old sort of problem. In Shane's case, it was actually a stroke that caused his hiccups, and that's why he had them over and over again.
But it looks like this Vegas nerve stimulator may have solved the problem, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Wow. That's a pretty remarkable story. That poor man, I mean, seriously, nine months. That's got to be incredibly rare.
GUPTA: Yes, it is. You know, most people, they have hiccups for a little while and then they go away. But they can be chronic. And chronic usually, as defined by medical standards, is over a month long. And that's a long time in and of itself.
Just for a frame of reference, the longest a person had the hiccups, the longest, actually -- Charles Osborne out of Iowa. He had hiccups from 1922 to 1990 -- 68 years ...
O'BRIEN: Oh!
GUPTA: ... he had hiccups. That's the world's record.
O'BRIEN: That is shocking.
GUPTA: He wishes he had seen this story, probably, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Yes, no question. All right, Sanjay, thanks.
GUPTA: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, Christina Aguilera rides into London like a princess. Believe it or not, this is a business story, and Andy Serwer's got it, right after the short break.
Stay with us. You're watching AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: It's now 45 minutes past the hour, time to take a look at some of the other stories that are making news today, with Betty Nguyen.
Good morning to you, Betty.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, good morning, Soledad.
The Bush administration expressing optimism that the early handover of power in Iraq will strengthen the new interim government's ability to handle terror threats.
President Bush in Turkey today for the opening of the two-day NATO summit. He's expected to deliver a joint statement this morning with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
So far, leaders there have agreed to help train Iraqi troops and expand Afghanistan's peacekeeping force.
In Colorado, about 1,000 people will be summoned to be potential jurors in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case. The trial date has been set for the end of August. Jury selection is expected to last nearly a week.
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry canceling a campaign stop because of picket lines. Senator Kerry was scheduled to appear at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Boston today, but canceled because of a police union protest. Now, in a statement, the mayors say they are disappointed by Kerry's decision.
And planet Saturn is ready for its close-up. The spacecraft Cassini nearing the planet, equipped with cameras and a probe. That spacecraft will slip through Saturn's rings this week.
And when it arrives, Cassini will have been traveling almost seven years -- and get this -- some 2.2 billion miles. I can't wait to see the pictures when they come back -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, Betty, thanks a lot. Appreciate it. Let's turn to Jack and ask the "Question of the Day." Good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: You're just patting me down looking for weapons? Or what was the deal?
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE": Just friendly, Jack.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: It's the hormones, Jack. What can I say?
CAFFERTY: And you almost found one.
SERWER: Whoa, easy.
O'BRIEN: Sorry.
CAFFERTY: The question of the day is as follows. How will the handover change things in Iraq?
It's great to be back from vacation here on AMERICAN MORNING. I miss this.
(LAUGHTER) CAFFERTY: The actual benefit -- the greatest benefit of this surprise handover they did this morning is to save us all from the mind-numbing, repetitive media countdown to the handover, which would have had us all reaching for pain medication by Wednesday morning.
So, thank you for the administration, for doing this under cover of darkness on a Sunday, and now we can avoid that countdown situation.
Tom in Alma, West Virginia, the major benefit from the transition is that "the Iraqi government will be in a position to seek help from the United Nations, and will be more likely to achieve positive results."
Kathy in Chicago. Have we already forgotten Afghanistan? "We liberated them, installed an interim government and handed over power to free Afghans." Sixteen people were killed over the weekend for registering to vote. The president has little authority outside the capital, and we still have troops getting wounded or killed there.
And Rich from Kenduskeag, Maine, here's one for the conspiracy freaks out there. The real reason for the early turnover of power in Iraq is "to take attention away from the fact that 'Fahrenheit 9/11' was the top movie at the box office" this past weekend.
Thank you for your ...
SERWER: Yes, that, too.
O'BRIEN: Yes, keep coming back.
CAFFERTY: I had a more -- a less thorough check than that going through security at the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) airport.
O'BRIEN: Sorry. Sorry, but you ...
HEMMER: But you liked it.
O'BRIEN: You all were chatting. I was trying to get your attention.
HEMMER: And you did.
O'BRIEN: You don't get groped by a lot of pregnant women?
CAFFERTY: You got mine.
HEMMER: Welcome back.
(LAUGHTER)
CAFFERTY: Soledad's reaching over going like this, and it's where her hands landed that mattered.
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: Let's see what kind of response we're getting on the heels of this news out of Baghdad. Good morning.
SERWER: Good morning. And, Bill, a positive one, as to be expected, because the futures were up.
Let's check out the Big Board. We're up ...
HEMMER: Wow.
SERWER: ... 73 points. A nice rally. NASDAQ up nicely, as well. Even Wal-Mart is moving up, after they said that sales in June disappointed. Good news for Wal-Mart shareholders.
From the department of what part of no don't you understand, the federal government has rejected again a request from United Airlines, asking for loan guarantees.
You may remember, on June 17, it asked for $1.6 billion. They came back and asked for $1.1 billion. The feds said no. And they said, and by the way, this is the third time you asked. Don't ask again.
United Airlines now has to go it alone.
Let's talk about Christina Aguilera. As Soledad mentioned, this is a business story. Harrods, the high-end department store in London has an annual summer sale. It's a big deal.
They hired Christina Aguilera, seen there looking like Marilyn Monroe, to cut the ribbon. There she is with Mohamed Al Fayed, who is the owner of the store, as you may know.
This is what she gets -- $360,000, a private jet back and forth from California, a penthouse, 10 bottles of water. Everything's brand is fine, except for Evian, a couple of bottles of vodka, a plate of fruit, a full -- a plate of cheese, full fat soy milk and cheese must not contain canola oil, barley, oats or malt of any kind. And no M&Ms with a green one in there.
HEMMER: Malt, definitely the malt.
SERWER: Right. Yes. So, nice work if you can get it. It's about two hours of work she gets, and she goes over and does that. The rich are different from you and I, right? You and me, as they say, right?
HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: All right. Thanks, Andy. Still to come this morning, looking for the perfect gift for your grandma? How about pushing her out of a plane?
We'll explain just ahead, as AMERICAN MORNING continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (WEATHER UPDATE)
O'BRIEN: Here's a story for you. A 90-year-old grandmother leapt from an airplane yesterday in Minnesota, skydiving to celebrate her birthday.
Aileen Fritsch was inspired, she says, after watching former president George Bush skydive on his 80th birthday. She is a lifelong Democrat, and she says she didn't want a Republican president to get the better of her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AILEEN FRITSCH, 90-YEAR-OLD SKYDIVER: Now I have something to look forward to.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four more?
FRITSCH: Getting my silver wings. Won't that be nice?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Mrs. Fritsch made a smooth landing, on her feet. She says she wasn't scared and she would do it again. Which means that actually, she made the smooth landing on her feet. She did better than the former president, who I believe slid in and landed on his (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) should have been a guide that day.
HEMMER: Good for her, 90 years young.
Coming up on CNN, more coverage of today's handover in Iraq. CNN is live back in Baghdad for the latest there.
Betty Nguyen has that working for Daryn Kagan today. We are back in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING, after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Moments ago in Istanbul, Turkey, there is a press conference now underway with U.S. President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. There's no camera in the room just yet, but there is a microphone and audio. Here is what was spoken during the commercial break here with the British prime minister.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And this is no coincidence.
Through the centuries, Istanbul has been a real bridge, not just between continents, but also between cultures, religions and civilizations.
Throughout its 55 year history, NATO performed the bridging role as well. And we will reaffirm that role and enhance it at our meeting here today.
We will reinforce the vital trans-Atlantic link that our alliance embodies. We will enhance our partnership with countries across Europe and NATO has become, to ensuring our common ...
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HEMMER: Clearly, that was not Tony Blair. Our apologies as we close out this three-hour show, but there is history being made in Baghdad. What the next chapter holds is something we'll all wait to see what happens.
The big news out of Istanbul and Turkey is that NATO has agreed to train Iraqi forces to help defend themselves against the insurgents and protect the 25 million living in that country.
It's been a big day today. What happens tomorrow, though, is why we'll all be back tomorrow, on the Tuesday edition here.
O'BRIEN: And we're going to hear more of those comments from Istanbul in just a little bit when they come in.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired June 28, 2004 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go to Wall Street right now. Opening bell on a Monday morning about to go off, 10,371 is your opening mark, off about 71 points on Friday.
The bell has just gone, so let's go up to the NASDAQ markets out around Time Square -- 20,25 is your opening mark, up about 10 points at the close of business on Friday.
Welcome back, everyone, 9:30 here in New York.
The story of the day, without question -- a surprise move in Baghdad. The U.S.-led coalition authority officially transferring sovereignty to an interim Iraqi government just a few hours ago.
The new leaders now have been sworn into office officially, and former coalition administrator, Paul Bremer, has left Iraq.
Back to Anderson Cooper, live in Baghdad with more there -- Anderson.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Bill. It is actually afternoon here in Baghdad. And it has been a relatively quiet day, all in all.
That, of course, was the whole point. We have not had any major incidents involving insurgents, involving bombs or any sorts or attacks.
That, again, the whole point behind having this sort of stealth handover ceremony, if you will, at about 10:26 a.m. this morning. The official handover of power from ex-U.S. administrator Paul Bremer to the new Iraqi prime minister, as well as the new president.
A very quiet, dignified ceremony. Very low key, as we said, just a few journalists present, one camera present.
Then there was the swearing in ceremony several hours later after Paul Bremer had already left the country. The new government taking shape.
The interim prime minister, the interim deputy prime minister, the president and the deputy president, as well as the chief judge -- all swearing in, all making short statements, in particular, Prime Minister Allawi.
A lot of Iraqis were listening to hear what he had to say about what he was going to do to crack down on the ongoing insurgency, on the influx of foreign fighters in here.
He talked about security, yes -- not in any great particular detail. But he also sent a message to Iraqis, that he wanted to form a government of national union, of national unity for all Iraqis. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AYAD ALLAWI, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Dear free people, our dear Iraq is now at a setback, but it is a very temporary setback, and we will rise up after that with the -- like mountains standing up very firm.
And we will protect all the people, regardless of religion, color or any other consideration. So this -- every Iraqi will have the right to their unified, united Iraq, where brotherhood and justice prevail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: A small statement, a quiet statement, but a revolutionary statement here in Iraq. Obviously, that has not been the case of the government here for many, many generations.
But Prime Minister Allawi again focusing very heavily on security, asking all Iraqis to, in effect, get off the fence, to be the eyes and the ears of the government, to be on the lookout for foreign fighters, for foreign terrorists, to turn them in to local police.
That is the only way, he said, at this point that Iraq is going to be able to move forward, because, as you know, Bill and Soledad, the security services here are at a very primitive state. They do not have the supplies. They do not have the heavy weaponry.
And they certainly do not have the training nor the morale to stand up to the insurgency, as we saw back in April when the uprising really exploded. A lot of Iraqi police officers simply giving up their weapons, returning home or even going over to the side of the insurgents or to militias like Muqtada al-Sadr's.
So, security the number one issue here today. And thankfully, it has been a quiet day, indeed -- Bill and Soledad.
HEMMER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) for that, that's right. Anderson Cooper, thanks, live in Baghdad -- Soledad.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: With the handover of power in Iraq over, the process is reportedly underway to transfer legal custody of Saddam Hussein to the Iraqi government.
Kathleen Koch live at the Pentagon with more on this story for us this morning. Kathleen, good morning again.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad. An announcement came just recently by Salem Chalabi, who is the executive director of the Iraqi special tribunal, saying that not only Saddam Hussein, but also 12 senior members of his regime would, quote, over the next few days be transferred into the custody of the new Iraqi government.
Now, plans had been in the works for several weeks, discussions on the handover of Saddam Hussein. And what we were told by both the White House and by Pentagon officials was that the plan that was under discussion was that the new Iraqi government would assume legal custody of Saddam Hussein. However, his physical custody, his security, would remain in the hands of the U.S.-led coalition.
Now, we don't know if that's also the same arrangement for these other senior officials under the Saddam Hussein regime.
What basically this does, then, is it clears the path for the Iraqi judicial system to kick in. Charges eventually would be brought against Saddam Hussein, and then he would become no longer a prisoner of war, but a criminal with certain rights.
He'd have a right to access to his lawyer, access to his family, access to preparing his defense case and some fear, though, access to a bit of a platform to relaunch a campaign -- not that it would be successful -- to rewin the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people.
O'BRIEN: Kathleen, let's turn -- I want to ask you a little bit about this Marine who was missing out of Baghdad, and now reportedly taken hostage in Iraq.
The hostage-takers have threatened to kill him. What more do we know about this from the Pentagon this morning?
KOCH: At this point, Soledad, the Pentagon is still not confirming that this young man is the missing Marine, Wassef Ali Hassoun, a 24-year-old member of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, who went missing back on June 21.
The Pentagon saying they have been in touch with his family, have notified them of, obviously, this tape of this development. But they're not confirming it. They only say that they do have evidence that he disappeared on June 21.
And one official telling me last night that they had some evidence that he may have left willingly, that he may have even deserted, but so far we've seen no proof of that.
O'BRIEN: Boy, lots of questions to be answered yet in that case, as well.
Kathleen Koch for us at the Pentagon. Thanks -- Bill.
HEMMER: Let's move to the Supreme Court now. The court's current term nearing an end. Some highly anticipated cases still to be determined.
Some of those cases involve the war on terror. Bob Franken outside the high court in D.C. with more. Bob, good morning.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
And the cases have such constitutional implications that, among the most important in a long time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN (voice-over): The justices have saved the most fundamental issue for last. How much power does the president have in war time? How little do the courts have in guaranteeing individual rights?
THOMAS GOLDSTEIN, SUPREME COURT LEGAL ANALYST: The Supreme Court is going to tell us whether or not the president can hold someone out away from public view and away from the protection of the courts, because he believes he needs to interrogate them or keep them isolated.
FRANKEN: The case of Jose Padilla involves an American, arrested on American soil at O'Hare Airport in Chicago, held for two years without charge, with almost no access to a lawyer.
Padilla is a presidentially designated enemy combatant, accused of planning domestic terrorist attacks.
JAMES COMEY, DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: We now know much of what Jose Padilla knows. And what we have learned confirms that the president of the United States made the right call.
FRANKEN: Yaser Hamdi is also a U.S. citizen, but he was taken prisoner by U.S. allies on the battlefield in Afghanistan. He, too, is being held in a military brig in the United States, unlike the detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
The administration insists that as part of Cuba, Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is beyond the reach of U.S. courts.
NEAL KATYAL, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY LAW CENTER: We can't have an effective debate in this country about what the limits are of civil liberties in time of war, when the government ships these people abroad intentionally to evade not just review by the courts, but review by the public.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN: It's as basic as this. The justices will be deciding whether in times of war they must give up much of their checks and balances power to the president -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Bob. Thanks for that. Bob Franken outside the Supreme Court -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is going to stop by for a "House Call." If you've ever had the hiccups, I mean, really, really bad hiccups, just couldn't kick them, well, you're going to want to wait around for this report, because this is a remarkable medical story.
HEMMER: Also, what are you planning for your 90th birthday? How about a flying leap? Ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Anybody who's had the hiccups for more than just a little while knows just how annoying they can be. Well, imagine having them for nine months straight.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta is at the CNN Center with one man's story and his unique cure.
Hey, Sanjay, good morning.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Yes, usually you get hiccups because you swallow too much air or you eat too much too fast. But in this man's case, his brain was actually sending a signal to hiccup over and over again.
Here's his tale.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA (voice-over): Shane Shafer had the hiccups for nine months straight. He hiccupped every four seconds whether he was awake or asleep.
He tried everything. The regular cures and then the drugs normally prescribed for chronic hiccups. Nothing worked. Shane was reduced to gagging himself to vomit which brought him about an hour and a half of relief.
He would also give himself injections of a narcotic called Stadol. But the drug would wear off in about an hour so he had to inject himself again up to 10 to 12 times a day at a cost of $10 an injection. At 100-plus dollars a day and with insurance not covering it, he had to find a better answer.
Finally, he went to see Dr. Brian Paine, a neurosurgeon at the LSU Health Science Center. He brainstormed with other doctors and they decided to try attaching a stimulator to the Vegas nerve, which is the nerve that carries the impulse that tells the diaphragm to spasm.
The battery for the stimulator is implanted in the chest and a stimulator wire is wrapped around the Vegas nerve in the neck. The stimulator sends an impulse to break the hiccup signal from the brain and the spasms stop.
This is the first time the stimulator has ever been used to treat chronic hiccups. But in his case it seemed to do the trick. After surgery, Shane is feeling great. No hiccups. SHANE SHAFER, CHRONIC HICCUP PATIENT: A hundred percent different. The hiccups are gone. A little raspy in the throat, but I can deal with that.
GUPTA: He went home Friday. Doctors will leave the implant in until the battery wears out. It will take five or six years. If the hiccups come back, it will be easy to fix. Just get the battery replaced.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: A little modern technology for an old sort of problem. In Shane's case, it was actually a stroke that caused his hiccups, and that's why he had them over and over again.
But it looks like this Vegas nerve stimulator may have solved the problem, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Wow. That's a pretty remarkable story. That poor man, I mean, seriously, nine months. That's got to be incredibly rare.
GUPTA: Yes, it is. You know, most people, they have hiccups for a little while and then they go away. But they can be chronic. And chronic usually, as defined by medical standards, is over a month long. And that's a long time in and of itself.
Just for a frame of reference, the longest a person had the hiccups, the longest, actually -- Charles Osborne out of Iowa. He had hiccups from 1922 to 1990 -- 68 years ...
O'BRIEN: Oh!
GUPTA: ... he had hiccups. That's the world's record.
O'BRIEN: That is shocking.
GUPTA: He wishes he had seen this story, probably, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Yes, no question. All right, Sanjay, thanks.
GUPTA: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, Christina Aguilera rides into London like a princess. Believe it or not, this is a business story, and Andy Serwer's got it, right after the short break.
Stay with us. You're watching AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: It's now 45 minutes past the hour, time to take a look at some of the other stories that are making news today, with Betty Nguyen.
Good morning to you, Betty.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, good morning, Soledad.
The Bush administration expressing optimism that the early handover of power in Iraq will strengthen the new interim government's ability to handle terror threats.
President Bush in Turkey today for the opening of the two-day NATO summit. He's expected to deliver a joint statement this morning with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
So far, leaders there have agreed to help train Iraqi troops and expand Afghanistan's peacekeeping force.
In Colorado, about 1,000 people will be summoned to be potential jurors in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case. The trial date has been set for the end of August. Jury selection is expected to last nearly a week.
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry canceling a campaign stop because of picket lines. Senator Kerry was scheduled to appear at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Boston today, but canceled because of a police union protest. Now, in a statement, the mayors say they are disappointed by Kerry's decision.
And planet Saturn is ready for its close-up. The spacecraft Cassini nearing the planet, equipped with cameras and a probe. That spacecraft will slip through Saturn's rings this week.
And when it arrives, Cassini will have been traveling almost seven years -- and get this -- some 2.2 billion miles. I can't wait to see the pictures when they come back -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, Betty, thanks a lot. Appreciate it. Let's turn to Jack and ask the "Question of the Day." Good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: You're just patting me down looking for weapons? Or what was the deal?
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE": Just friendly, Jack.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: It's the hormones, Jack. What can I say?
CAFFERTY: And you almost found one.
SERWER: Whoa, easy.
O'BRIEN: Sorry.
CAFFERTY: The question of the day is as follows. How will the handover change things in Iraq?
It's great to be back from vacation here on AMERICAN MORNING. I miss this.
(LAUGHTER) CAFFERTY: The actual benefit -- the greatest benefit of this surprise handover they did this morning is to save us all from the mind-numbing, repetitive media countdown to the handover, which would have had us all reaching for pain medication by Wednesday morning.
So, thank you for the administration, for doing this under cover of darkness on a Sunday, and now we can avoid that countdown situation.
Tom in Alma, West Virginia, the major benefit from the transition is that "the Iraqi government will be in a position to seek help from the United Nations, and will be more likely to achieve positive results."
Kathy in Chicago. Have we already forgotten Afghanistan? "We liberated them, installed an interim government and handed over power to free Afghans." Sixteen people were killed over the weekend for registering to vote. The president has little authority outside the capital, and we still have troops getting wounded or killed there.
And Rich from Kenduskeag, Maine, here's one for the conspiracy freaks out there. The real reason for the early turnover of power in Iraq is "to take attention away from the fact that 'Fahrenheit 9/11' was the top movie at the box office" this past weekend.
Thank you for your ...
SERWER: Yes, that, too.
O'BRIEN: Yes, keep coming back.
CAFFERTY: I had a more -- a less thorough check than that going through security at the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) airport.
O'BRIEN: Sorry. Sorry, but you ...
HEMMER: But you liked it.
O'BRIEN: You all were chatting. I was trying to get your attention.
HEMMER: And you did.
O'BRIEN: You don't get groped by a lot of pregnant women?
CAFFERTY: You got mine.
HEMMER: Welcome back.
(LAUGHTER)
CAFFERTY: Soledad's reaching over going like this, and it's where her hands landed that mattered.
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: Let's see what kind of response we're getting on the heels of this news out of Baghdad. Good morning.
SERWER: Good morning. And, Bill, a positive one, as to be expected, because the futures were up.
Let's check out the Big Board. We're up ...
HEMMER: Wow.
SERWER: ... 73 points. A nice rally. NASDAQ up nicely, as well. Even Wal-Mart is moving up, after they said that sales in June disappointed. Good news for Wal-Mart shareholders.
From the department of what part of no don't you understand, the federal government has rejected again a request from United Airlines, asking for loan guarantees.
You may remember, on June 17, it asked for $1.6 billion. They came back and asked for $1.1 billion. The feds said no. And they said, and by the way, this is the third time you asked. Don't ask again.
United Airlines now has to go it alone.
Let's talk about Christina Aguilera. As Soledad mentioned, this is a business story. Harrods, the high-end department store in London has an annual summer sale. It's a big deal.
They hired Christina Aguilera, seen there looking like Marilyn Monroe, to cut the ribbon. There she is with Mohamed Al Fayed, who is the owner of the store, as you may know.
This is what she gets -- $360,000, a private jet back and forth from California, a penthouse, 10 bottles of water. Everything's brand is fine, except for Evian, a couple of bottles of vodka, a plate of fruit, a full -- a plate of cheese, full fat soy milk and cheese must not contain canola oil, barley, oats or malt of any kind. And no M&Ms with a green one in there.
HEMMER: Malt, definitely the malt.
SERWER: Right. Yes. So, nice work if you can get it. It's about two hours of work she gets, and she goes over and does that. The rich are different from you and I, right? You and me, as they say, right?
HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: All right. Thanks, Andy. Still to come this morning, looking for the perfect gift for your grandma? How about pushing her out of a plane?
We'll explain just ahead, as AMERICAN MORNING continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (WEATHER UPDATE)
O'BRIEN: Here's a story for you. A 90-year-old grandmother leapt from an airplane yesterday in Minnesota, skydiving to celebrate her birthday.
Aileen Fritsch was inspired, she says, after watching former president George Bush skydive on his 80th birthday. She is a lifelong Democrat, and she says she didn't want a Republican president to get the better of her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AILEEN FRITSCH, 90-YEAR-OLD SKYDIVER: Now I have something to look forward to.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four more?
FRITSCH: Getting my silver wings. Won't that be nice?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Mrs. Fritsch made a smooth landing, on her feet. She says she wasn't scared and she would do it again. Which means that actually, she made the smooth landing on her feet. She did better than the former president, who I believe slid in and landed on his (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) should have been a guide that day.
HEMMER: Good for her, 90 years young.
Coming up on CNN, more coverage of today's handover in Iraq. CNN is live back in Baghdad for the latest there.
Betty Nguyen has that working for Daryn Kagan today. We are back in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING, after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Moments ago in Istanbul, Turkey, there is a press conference now underway with U.S. President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. There's no camera in the room just yet, but there is a microphone and audio. Here is what was spoken during the commercial break here with the British prime minister.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And this is no coincidence.
Through the centuries, Istanbul has been a real bridge, not just between continents, but also between cultures, religions and civilizations.
Throughout its 55 year history, NATO performed the bridging role as well. And we will reaffirm that role and enhance it at our meeting here today.
We will reinforce the vital trans-Atlantic link that our alliance embodies. We will enhance our partnership with countries across Europe and NATO has become, to ensuring our common ...
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HEMMER: Clearly, that was not Tony Blair. Our apologies as we close out this three-hour show, but there is history being made in Baghdad. What the next chapter holds is something we'll all wait to see what happens.
The big news out of Istanbul and Turkey is that NATO has agreed to train Iraqi forces to help defend themselves against the insurgents and protect the 25 million living in that country.
It's been a big day today. What happens tomorrow, though, is why we'll all be back tomorrow, on the Tuesday edition here.
O'BRIEN: And we're going to hear more of those comments from Istanbul in just a little bit when they come in.
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