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CNN Live Today
Iranian Guards Ejected from U.N.; Baghdad Airport to Return to Civilian Use; Iraq to Take Legal Custody of Saddam; Weight Loss Pacemaker Makes Patients Feel Full
Aired June 29, 2004 - 11:30 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.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Of course, we are also following some other developments. The U.S. expelled two Iranian security guards at the U.N. today. We want to get more on this by going to CNN's Richard Roth, who is outside the U.N. with the latest -- Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Betty, the United States announcing that it has expelled two Iranian security guards who were working at Iran's mission to the United Nations here in New York City.
The reason, activities incompatible with their status, a diplomatic code word and jargon for espionage.
The Iranians, according to U.S. officials, three times now in the last two years were seen photographing and videotaping New York City landmarks such as buses, subways and tunnels.
According to a U.S. official, the Iranians just gave them a slap on the wrist, made excuses. They were warned if it happened again, they'd be kicked out. And that's what happened.
They were expelled a few days ago, over the weekend or on Monday. The officials would not immediately disclose what landmarks they were seen videotaping. We don't have any official reaction from Iran's mission here at the United Nations.
Betty, back to you.
NGUYEN: Richard, any idea if these pictures or videotapes were confiscated?
ROTH: We asked that, and one official said that's a good question. So we don't know yet the answer to that.
I believe the story a few months ago was that they were seen on a New York City subway platform late on a weekend night. But we don't have any exact knowledge of what they were photographing at this time.
NGUYEN: OK. Richard Roth at the U.N., thank you.
There's much more to come. You're watching CNN LIVE TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: The first deadly attack on U.S. troops since the handover of power in Iraq. The military says three Marines were killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad today. Two others were wounded in that attack on their convoy.
Militants have freed three Turkish citizens held hostage in Iraq. The kidnappers had threatened to behead the men unless Turkish companies stop doing business with U.S. military in Iraq.
The new Iraqi government says it will assume legal custody of Saddam Hussein tomorrow. He will physically remain in coalition military custody for now. Prime Minister Ayad Allawi says the former dictator will face trials for crimes against humanity.
Now for more on the latest developments from Iraq and the government's plans for Saddam Hussein. We want to go live to CNN's Anderson Cooper in Baghdad.
Hi, Anderson.
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER 360": (NO AUDIO)
NGUYEN: Anderson, can you hear us? Can you hear us, Anderson?
OK, obviously we're having some audio difficulties. We'll try to get back to Anderson.
Sovereignty means the U.S. will stop using Baghdad International Airport as an airfield. Now the facility will be turn over to the Iraqi Transportation Ministry this August. It will work to restart passenger service at an airport heavily damaged by war.
Runways and equipment sat idle for most of the last dozen years because of the Gulf War sanctions. But the job of rebuilding Baghdad International fell to Captain John Welsh. The Army reservist joins us at the Time Warner Center in New York this morning to talk about this.
Thanks for being with us.
CPT. JOHN WELSH, U.S. ARMY RESERVE: Thank you very much. Pleasure to be here.
NGUYEN: Baghdad International is the country's largest. How bad of a shape was it in when you got there?
WELSH: Well, immediately following wartime operations it was in pretty difficult shape, but I think the majority of the damage or problems we had were a result of years of neglect and non-use of some areas of the airport.
Either way, we were able to get together with the Iraqi locals, the former workers of the airport and formed a great team environment. And we got a lot done. We got a lot of things repaired, and basically returned it to a pretty functional modern airport.
NGUYEN: We're taking a look at some of the pictures right now. Was it difficult to get this back up and running?
WELSH: Yes. It was a really big challenge, but you know, Army Reserve soldiers bring a unique skill set to the job. We were able to call upon prior service experience. We were able to call upon our civilian skills. And that really helps us relate to the local workers.
You know, we're more than just a soldier. We have civilian skills. And that gives us credibility and respect just like, you know, we give them for their work knowledge. Once they realize we have some civilian skills we bring to the job, they're going to respect us better, and we work great together.
NGUYEN: And this will be used for commercial flights. What kind of flight load can it handle?
WELSH: Well, the airport was originally designed for, like, 18 full-sized aircraft at a time, but thousands and thousands of flights have gone through the airport since the end of the war. So I'm -- I'm very confident in the Iraqi workers and the management staff there that they're going to be able to handle whatever the world has to throw at them.
I think it's a good airport, and the Iraqi people are just a tremendous people. And in the future, I'm sure they're looking forward to a lot of visitors from foreign countries.
NGUYEN: Captain, I have to ask you this. In a country where the Iraqis want the Americans to leave as soon as possible and American troops want to leave as well, you say it was one of the most rewarding experiences for you. How so?
WELSH: Absolutely. And I don't know if the -- all the Iraqis want us to leave. I personally think the majority of the ones that I worked with realize that we have a place there right now.
And you know, obviously, you know, eventually we'll be backing out of there a little bit. We've turned over sovereignty and that's wonderful.
But we have to realize that a lot of the -- the majority of the Iraqis, 25 million people are benefiting from a lot of the work that the soldiers are doing there. And I think that's the positive point that's all too often missed on the news.
NGUYEN: It's very nice to hear a positive story, yes, indeed. Captain John Welsh, we thank you for your time.
WELSH: Thank you very much. I appreciate being here.
NGUYEN: Now we want to go back to Baghdad with CNN's Anderson Cooper to talk about Saddam Hussein and what's next for him.
Hi, Anderson.
COOPER: Hey, Betty.
Well, we are going to see Saddam Hussein for the first time since he was captured. That is going to happen on Thursday when he is brought, transferred to an Iraqi court, to a special Iraqi tribunal, where he will appear before a judge, hear the charges against him: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, all incredibly serious charges.
Saddam Hussein will have the rights also to have a lawyer present. He will have the rights to have a lawyer provided free if he doesn't have the money for an attorney. He will also be able to represent himself, this according to the Prime Minister Allawi.
We heard this earlier in a press conference today as Prime Minister Allawi basically set out exactly what is going to happen over the course of the next two days.
Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AYAD ALLAWI, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): This government has formally requested the transfer of the most notorious and high profile detainees to Iraqi legal custody. Saddam Hussein, along with up to 11 other high-value detainees, will be transferred to the legal custody of the -- of Iraq tomorrow and will be charged before an Iraqi investigative judge on the following day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: You heard that term "Iraqi legal custody." Legal custody transferred to the Iraqi government. That happens tomorrow. Actual physical custody will remain with the coalition forces in particular, with the U.S. military.
So U.S. military will continue to hold Saddam Hussein, even after Thursday's court appearance. And that is based on security reasons. They do not feel at this time, the Iraqi government is ready to have physical control of Saddam Hussein. Their security is simply not up to the job at this point. That may change down the road.
Prime Minister Allawi today saying that Iraqis must have patience. Saddam will be brought to trial, but it will not happen for several more months -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Anderson Cooper in Baghdad, thank you.
LIVE TODAY continues in just a moment. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: In health news, fertility experts are casting doubt on a study linking cell phones to reduced sperm count. Hungarian scientists say men who carry cell phones on their waist or in hip pockets could reduce sperm count by almost 30 percent.
But experts say the study did not consider other factors that may have skewed the results. They called the study interesting, but not conclusive.
Think of it as a weight loss pacemaker. An implantable device that zaps the stomach to make you feel full could offer a new strategy in the fight against obesity.
CNN senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has more in our "Daily Dose" of health news.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You've seen the ads, promising dramatic weight loss. No surprise, though, that most of those fancy gadgets don't work.
But Candy Bradshaw says she's lost her cynicism and several dress sizes by shocking her appetite. She dropped from a size 28 to a size 14, something she attributes to controlling her appetite with the weight loss pacemaker.
CANDY BRADSHAW, USING WEIGHT LOSS PACEMAKER: I actually stay full for a longer period of time.
GUPTA: It's called the implantable gastric stimulator or IGS. It doesn't actually change the size of your stomach, the way invasive procedures like gastric bypass do, and it doesn't stop you from eating, but...
DR. SCOTT SHEKORA, TUFTS NEW ENGLAND MEDICAL: It's telling your brain that you've eaten more than you have and you're full.
GUPTA: A device the size of a pager is implanted into the abdomen through a small incision. Two wires send electrical pulses to the stomach at a regular pace. These pulses stimulate appetite hormones and create a feeling of fullness.
BRADSHAW: I like to refer to it as my Thanksgiving full feeling, the feeling you get when you just have completely stuffed yourself and can't move.
GUPTA: Candy lost more than 100 pounds, but doctors caution that shocking the appetite isn't for everyone.
SHEKORA: Somebody who probably would not do well with this would be someone with a history of binge eating or other eating disorders, because those folks generally don't listen to the signals of fullness.
GUPTA: IGS is currently in Stage III clinical trials and could be on the market as early as 2006 as a mechanism to treat the morbidly obese. So far, no side effects have been reported.
And Candy recognizes that the IGS was just one part of her weight loss.
BRADSHAW: It's going not going to motivate you to exercise, and it's not going to prevent you from eating the wrong forwards. So I think of this as my conscience. It's just a tool to tell me, "OK, you've had enough."
GUPTA: Or just a little help with your will power.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Your "Daily Dose" of health news is just a click away, as always. Logon to CNN.com/health for the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness.
We want to get a check of the business buzz with Susan Lisovicz.
Good morning.
(STOCK REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Rob Marciano joins us now with a look at what Mother Nature is up to today.
Hi, Rob.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: Well, that does it for LIVE TODAY. I'm Betty Nguyen. Now it's on to Wolf Blitzer in Washington.
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 29, 2004 - 11:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Of course, we are also following some other developments. The U.S. expelled two Iranian security guards at the U.N. today. We want to get more on this by going to CNN's Richard Roth, who is outside the U.N. with the latest -- Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Betty, the United States announcing that it has expelled two Iranian security guards who were working at Iran's mission to the United Nations here in New York City.
The reason, activities incompatible with their status, a diplomatic code word and jargon for espionage.
The Iranians, according to U.S. officials, three times now in the last two years were seen photographing and videotaping New York City landmarks such as buses, subways and tunnels.
According to a U.S. official, the Iranians just gave them a slap on the wrist, made excuses. They were warned if it happened again, they'd be kicked out. And that's what happened.
They were expelled a few days ago, over the weekend or on Monday. The officials would not immediately disclose what landmarks they were seen videotaping. We don't have any official reaction from Iran's mission here at the United Nations.
Betty, back to you.
NGUYEN: Richard, any idea if these pictures or videotapes were confiscated?
ROTH: We asked that, and one official said that's a good question. So we don't know yet the answer to that.
I believe the story a few months ago was that they were seen on a New York City subway platform late on a weekend night. But we don't have any exact knowledge of what they were photographing at this time.
NGUYEN: OK. Richard Roth at the U.N., thank you.
There's much more to come. You're watching CNN LIVE TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: The first deadly attack on U.S. troops since the handover of power in Iraq. The military says three Marines were killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad today. Two others were wounded in that attack on their convoy.
Militants have freed three Turkish citizens held hostage in Iraq. The kidnappers had threatened to behead the men unless Turkish companies stop doing business with U.S. military in Iraq.
The new Iraqi government says it will assume legal custody of Saddam Hussein tomorrow. He will physically remain in coalition military custody for now. Prime Minister Ayad Allawi says the former dictator will face trials for crimes against humanity.
Now for more on the latest developments from Iraq and the government's plans for Saddam Hussein. We want to go live to CNN's Anderson Cooper in Baghdad.
Hi, Anderson.
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER 360": (NO AUDIO)
NGUYEN: Anderson, can you hear us? Can you hear us, Anderson?
OK, obviously we're having some audio difficulties. We'll try to get back to Anderson.
Sovereignty means the U.S. will stop using Baghdad International Airport as an airfield. Now the facility will be turn over to the Iraqi Transportation Ministry this August. It will work to restart passenger service at an airport heavily damaged by war.
Runways and equipment sat idle for most of the last dozen years because of the Gulf War sanctions. But the job of rebuilding Baghdad International fell to Captain John Welsh. The Army reservist joins us at the Time Warner Center in New York this morning to talk about this.
Thanks for being with us.
CPT. JOHN WELSH, U.S. ARMY RESERVE: Thank you very much. Pleasure to be here.
NGUYEN: Baghdad International is the country's largest. How bad of a shape was it in when you got there?
WELSH: Well, immediately following wartime operations it was in pretty difficult shape, but I think the majority of the damage or problems we had were a result of years of neglect and non-use of some areas of the airport.
Either way, we were able to get together with the Iraqi locals, the former workers of the airport and formed a great team environment. And we got a lot done. We got a lot of things repaired, and basically returned it to a pretty functional modern airport.
NGUYEN: We're taking a look at some of the pictures right now. Was it difficult to get this back up and running?
WELSH: Yes. It was a really big challenge, but you know, Army Reserve soldiers bring a unique skill set to the job. We were able to call upon prior service experience. We were able to call upon our civilian skills. And that really helps us relate to the local workers.
You know, we're more than just a soldier. We have civilian skills. And that gives us credibility and respect just like, you know, we give them for their work knowledge. Once they realize we have some civilian skills we bring to the job, they're going to respect us better, and we work great together.
NGUYEN: And this will be used for commercial flights. What kind of flight load can it handle?
WELSH: Well, the airport was originally designed for, like, 18 full-sized aircraft at a time, but thousands and thousands of flights have gone through the airport since the end of the war. So I'm -- I'm very confident in the Iraqi workers and the management staff there that they're going to be able to handle whatever the world has to throw at them.
I think it's a good airport, and the Iraqi people are just a tremendous people. And in the future, I'm sure they're looking forward to a lot of visitors from foreign countries.
NGUYEN: Captain, I have to ask you this. In a country where the Iraqis want the Americans to leave as soon as possible and American troops want to leave as well, you say it was one of the most rewarding experiences for you. How so?
WELSH: Absolutely. And I don't know if the -- all the Iraqis want us to leave. I personally think the majority of the ones that I worked with realize that we have a place there right now.
And you know, obviously, you know, eventually we'll be backing out of there a little bit. We've turned over sovereignty and that's wonderful.
But we have to realize that a lot of the -- the majority of the Iraqis, 25 million people are benefiting from a lot of the work that the soldiers are doing there. And I think that's the positive point that's all too often missed on the news.
NGUYEN: It's very nice to hear a positive story, yes, indeed. Captain John Welsh, we thank you for your time.
WELSH: Thank you very much. I appreciate being here.
NGUYEN: Now we want to go back to Baghdad with CNN's Anderson Cooper to talk about Saddam Hussein and what's next for him.
Hi, Anderson.
COOPER: Hey, Betty.
Well, we are going to see Saddam Hussein for the first time since he was captured. That is going to happen on Thursday when he is brought, transferred to an Iraqi court, to a special Iraqi tribunal, where he will appear before a judge, hear the charges against him: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, all incredibly serious charges.
Saddam Hussein will have the rights also to have a lawyer present. He will have the rights to have a lawyer provided free if he doesn't have the money for an attorney. He will also be able to represent himself, this according to the Prime Minister Allawi.
We heard this earlier in a press conference today as Prime Minister Allawi basically set out exactly what is going to happen over the course of the next two days.
Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AYAD ALLAWI, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): This government has formally requested the transfer of the most notorious and high profile detainees to Iraqi legal custody. Saddam Hussein, along with up to 11 other high-value detainees, will be transferred to the legal custody of the -- of Iraq tomorrow and will be charged before an Iraqi investigative judge on the following day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: You heard that term "Iraqi legal custody." Legal custody transferred to the Iraqi government. That happens tomorrow. Actual physical custody will remain with the coalition forces in particular, with the U.S. military.
So U.S. military will continue to hold Saddam Hussein, even after Thursday's court appearance. And that is based on security reasons. They do not feel at this time, the Iraqi government is ready to have physical control of Saddam Hussein. Their security is simply not up to the job at this point. That may change down the road.
Prime Minister Allawi today saying that Iraqis must have patience. Saddam will be brought to trial, but it will not happen for several more months -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Anderson Cooper in Baghdad, thank you.
LIVE TODAY continues in just a moment. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: In health news, fertility experts are casting doubt on a study linking cell phones to reduced sperm count. Hungarian scientists say men who carry cell phones on their waist or in hip pockets could reduce sperm count by almost 30 percent.
But experts say the study did not consider other factors that may have skewed the results. They called the study interesting, but not conclusive.
Think of it as a weight loss pacemaker. An implantable device that zaps the stomach to make you feel full could offer a new strategy in the fight against obesity.
CNN senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has more in our "Daily Dose" of health news.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You've seen the ads, promising dramatic weight loss. No surprise, though, that most of those fancy gadgets don't work.
But Candy Bradshaw says she's lost her cynicism and several dress sizes by shocking her appetite. She dropped from a size 28 to a size 14, something she attributes to controlling her appetite with the weight loss pacemaker.
CANDY BRADSHAW, USING WEIGHT LOSS PACEMAKER: I actually stay full for a longer period of time.
GUPTA: It's called the implantable gastric stimulator or IGS. It doesn't actually change the size of your stomach, the way invasive procedures like gastric bypass do, and it doesn't stop you from eating, but...
DR. SCOTT SHEKORA, TUFTS NEW ENGLAND MEDICAL: It's telling your brain that you've eaten more than you have and you're full.
GUPTA: A device the size of a pager is implanted into the abdomen through a small incision. Two wires send electrical pulses to the stomach at a regular pace. These pulses stimulate appetite hormones and create a feeling of fullness.
BRADSHAW: I like to refer to it as my Thanksgiving full feeling, the feeling you get when you just have completely stuffed yourself and can't move.
GUPTA: Candy lost more than 100 pounds, but doctors caution that shocking the appetite isn't for everyone.
SHEKORA: Somebody who probably would not do well with this would be someone with a history of binge eating or other eating disorders, because those folks generally don't listen to the signals of fullness.
GUPTA: IGS is currently in Stage III clinical trials and could be on the market as early as 2006 as a mechanism to treat the morbidly obese. So far, no side effects have been reported.
And Candy recognizes that the IGS was just one part of her weight loss.
BRADSHAW: It's going not going to motivate you to exercise, and it's not going to prevent you from eating the wrong forwards. So I think of this as my conscience. It's just a tool to tell me, "OK, you've had enough."
GUPTA: Or just a little help with your will power.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Your "Daily Dose" of health news is just a click away, as always. Logon to CNN.com/health for the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness.
We want to get a check of the business buzz with Susan Lisovicz.
Good morning.
(STOCK REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Rob Marciano joins us now with a look at what Mother Nature is up to today.
Hi, Rob.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: Well, that does it for LIVE TODAY. I'm Betty Nguyen. Now it's on to Wolf Blitzer in Washington.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
