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American Morning

Lay Claims Innocence in First Post-Indictment Interview

Aired July 13, 2004 - 08:30   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.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Just about half past the hour now on this AMERICAN MORNING. That's the 8:00 hour. I'm Heidi Collins. Bill and Soledad are off today.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Anderson Cooper. Thanks for joining us this morning.

Some of the stories we're following right now. An escaped tiger in south Florida has given sheriffs and game officials the slip this morning. The tiger got away from his owner, an actor who played Tarzan in several movies. He's actually Jeffrey Toobin's favorite Tarzan of all the movies.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: That's true.

COOPER: And we're going to bring you more on that.

How many -- you know, a lot of people in America have tigers in their homes. It never ceases to amaze me.

TOOBIN: Remember the guy up in Harlem...

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: Literally, I remember -- I don't have the figure with me, but there were like more than 1,000 people. I mean there were like thousands of people who have tigers.

COLLINS: But this one is special because how many of them are Tarzan?

COOPER: Well that's true. Not many former Tarzans have tigers. So that's what makes this story particularly unique.

COLLINS: Also this morning, we're going to be talking about how long it took, many months, indeed, for prosecutors to indict former Enron chief Ken Lay. Apparently, he thought of a lot of things he wanted to say during that time. And as you have already seen, Jeffrey Toobin is with us this morning. Going to talk about whether or not this is a smart legal strategy.

And you and I have spoken about this before. It was pretty amazing, at least in your mind, that he came out, spoke to the press, was on Larry King last night. Is this strategy going to work?

TOOBIN: Well, we will only know when he goes to trial, whether this is smart or not.

You know, if prosecutors -- you know -- play clips of Larry King, or of his press conference last week in their -- in their statement -- in their presentation of the evidence.

And if they cross-examine him with evidence, you know, when -- when he testifies with the things he said on Larry King, then it will be a dumb strategy.

But, you know, it doesn't seem that dumb to me. I actually think, you know, Ken Lay has answers to all the obvious, basic questions about the scandal. Whether they're believable or not, we don't know at this point, but he does have answers.

COLLINS: But shouldn't he save them for the courtroom?

TOOBIN: Well, you know, he is a public figure and he's acknowledging that. And he is someone who has been ridiculed, he's been criticized, he's been vilified.

And, you know, he has a very straightforward explanation. Whether it's true or not, I can't tell you.

But you know his explanation is, look, Andrew Fastow, the CFO who has since pleaded guilty, was engaged in criminal activity. I didn't know it; I had no way of knowing it. As far as I knew, the company was operating on the up and up. That's his story.

If there is a document that contradicts that, if there is a witness that contradicts it, we haven't seen it yet.

COLLINS: OK, in fact, that's exactly what he spoke about in detail on LARRY KING last night. Let's go ahead and listen in to a little clip of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEN LAY, FORMER ENRON CHAIRMAN: From everything we know, he at least was the -- at least orchestrated it and lead it. He was the one that went to Jeff Skilling and then from Jeff Skilling -- Jeff -- and he came to me to recommend that we do what we ended up doing on those related party transactions. With board approval, of course.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Well, as you know, Andrew Fastow already plead guilty, and has been said -- he's been very cooperative.

Are they still going to be using Fastow now to get more of Lay? I mean, he's already been indicted. We've already seen him in handcuffs.

TOOBIN: Well, he will be -- he will be one of the star witnesses against him, but what we don't know is if Fastow said I told Lay...

COLLINS: Right. TOOBIN: ... that I was involved in these transactions -- I told Lay that the company was falling apart.

Because basically what Lay is accused of is of lying about the condition of the company. He says you know everything -- he, when he was CEO in late 2001, he says oh, everything is fine, the government says that was a lie to prop up the stock prices.

COLLINS: So, do you think in the end that we will see Lay getting up there and testifying?

TOOBIN: I think at this point it is almost certain that he will testify, because in his defense -- is so public that, you know -- and he doesn't have a prior criminal record that he could be cross- examined about. I think actually he is -- he is likely to be a witness at his trial.

He more or less said it on LARRY KING last night that he -- that he expects to testify. And I think he will.

COLLINS: You think it's going to resonate with the jury? He spoke a little bit more about, you know, maintaining his innocence last night on LARRY KING. I think we have one more clip they want to roll here and listen in to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAY: I've said I take responsibility for what happened at Enron, both good and bad, but I cannot take responsibility for criminal conduct that I was unaware of.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TOOBIN: I don't know what that means. You know, I take responsibility, but I had no idea that anything bad was happening.

I mean, it is -- sort of sounds like a politician talking there. But you know it -- what the government needs is specific evidence that he knew of criminal activity.

That hasn't been produced so far. There's been no reason for the government to produce it so far, but in the absence of that, Ken Lay really might have a very good defense.

COLLINS: All right so -- quickly, Jeff he also said that he really wanted a speedy trial. Any idea when this thing will go to trial?

TOOBIN: Also, a big surprise because usually defendants try to delay things. He says he wants a trial in September.

I think that's very unlikely, given all the legal issues to be resolved, but it could be a trial by the end of the year, which by the standards of complex white-collar cases is pretty fast.

COLLINS: All right, Jeffrey Toobin, we will be watching. TOOBIN: I will.

COLLINS: Thanks so much -- Anderson.

COOPER: Marine Corporal Wassef Hassoun could leave Germany for the U.S. as early as today. Now much of his story is still a mystery, but Hassoun has been telling counselors in Germany that he was abducted.

Chris Burns reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: U.S. military officials say that since his arrival Friday, Corporal Wassef Hassoun has explained he was abducted.

But Hassoun's disappearance remains a mystery to many. The military investigation is continuing.

While those who spoke with Corporal Hassoun aren't allowed to divulge specifics, they at least provided character references.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, USAF CHAPLAIN: He served diligently, and he served with honor, and continues to.

BURNS: Air Force Captain Hamza Al-Mubarak (ph) is Hassoun's Muslim chaplain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is well, you know. Looks forward to that time, the appropriate time, after -- you know -- the debrief and any impending investigation.

Afterwards, to -- for everyone to hear the story. And, they'll understand completely, you know, his situation.

BURNS: Do you think he'll fully recover?

LT. SALLY HARVEY, ARMY PSYCHOLOGIST: Absolutely.

BURNS: Why?

HARVEY: He's a strong young man, he has his head on straight, he has his feet on the ground, he has a good sense of perspective.

I think all of -- he is very much like all of our other sailors, airmen, Marines that we've seen here. They've gone through a very traumatic experience. Done very well in that event.

BURNS: Part of that experience, a video during his disappearance showing a sword held over Corporal Hassoun's head.

One Web site claimed he had been beheaded; then another claimed he was spared for agreeing not to return to his unit.

Why he was released, how he ended up in Lebanon, among many questions military investigators will have back in the United States.

Corporal Hassoun has been speaking here under protection of immunity, what officials say is a routine ground rule in a soldier's repatriation, but he won't have that luxury in an investigation. That will be the test of whether his story stands up to the evidence.

Chris Burns, CNN, Landstuhl, Germany.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Still to come this morning, if you thought your cholesterol levels were healthy, you might want to think again. There's a new warning out there -- yet another warning.

COLLINS: Another warning. Also ahead, a legal change in one state means thousands more people will be able to vote in the next election. That's just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, Sanjay Gupta is on assignment in this morning's medical segment, new guidelines for cholesterol.

Now when doctors tell heart patients to lower their bad cholesterol, they mean way, way down. More than previously thought.

Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now from the CNN Center with details. Good morning, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Anderson.

Anderson, these are new guidelines from the National Institutes of Health and what the doctors on this panel are saying is that if you can get your cholesterol way down, really get it to plummet, it's going to decrease your chance of having a heart attack.

So that means that many more people will probably be put on cholesterol-lowering drugs than have been in the past. Let's take a look at the recommendations for people at a very high risk of having a heart attack.

If their bad cholesterol, that's the LDL cholesterol, is above 70, these new guidelines say consider drugs that diet and exercise may not be enough.

Now what does it mean to be at a very high risk for a heart attack? That means someone who already has cardiovascular disease. Plus, has some other type of problem such as diabetes and hypertension.

Now what about folks who are not at very high risk for heart attack, for example, maybe they just have a medium risk of having a heart attack? Well, the numbers have been changed there, too.

And those people may also be put on drugs sooner than have previously been thought -- Anderson.

COOPER: Let's talk about bad cholesterol in relation to total cholesterol, because we've really only been focusing on the bad stuff.

COHEN: That's right and many people, unfortunately, just know their total number. They just know the number that's like 200 or 210. That number sort of in that range.

And when you're talking about when to go on drugs, the number to really look at is the bad, the LDL number. Less than 100 is optimal, 130 is borderline high. And 160 is officially, absolutely high.

Now that's the folks who are not at any particular risk for having a heart attack. If you already have heart disease, then those numbers change. Those are for people who are already healthy.

COOPER: Now, if the NIH is lowering this level, lowering these standards, it means a lot more people are going to go on these "statin" drugs, like Lipitor, or other drugs like that. What kind of side effects do they have?

COHEN: That's right. These drugs are generally well tolerated by most people. Most people take them just fine. But there are some side effects that people need to look out for.

For example, you need to look out for liver problems. That's the big one and so doctors are always checking for that when they put someone on the statin drugs.

Some people also have GI problems. Other people also have muscle aches. Now these drugs can really be a godsend for many people but you do have to look out for those side effects.

COOPER: I've been taking one of these statin drugs for a while now, and I mean, I haven't had any side effects, but it is important to do it under a doctor's supervision.

COHEN: That's right. That's right. You do. Especially for those liver problems. Doctors are always checking to checking the liver enzymes to make sure that everything's OK.

COOPER: All right, Elizabeth Cohen, thanks very much.

COHEN: Thanks.

COLLINS: Still to come this morning, a decision by the Bush administration has environmentalists up in arms. That story ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Just about 45 minutes past the hour now. Time for a look at some of today's other news with Daryn Kagan. Hi, Daryn.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Heidi, good morning to you. Let's start with U.S. politics. President Bush kicking off a two-day campaign straight through the Midwest. The president rallying in Michigan and Minnesota today and then riding with his campaign bus through Wisconsin tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Senator John Kerry is in Boston today. The presumptive Democratic nominee is wrapping up a four-state campaign tour. His running mate, Senator John Edwards heads to the Midwest tomorrow.

To Florida. Officials are saying that a missing mentally retarded teenager has been found. An Amber Alert was issued for the girl after a video surveillance camera showed her leaving a shopping center with four young men.

Details of the girl's discovery have not been released, but local media reports say she is OK.

Also in Florida, thousands of additional people will be able to vote in the November elections. Florida officials deciding not to use a list that was intended to keep more than 47,000 suspected felons out of the voting booths.

Florida is one of seven states that bars felons from voting unless they have been granted clemency.

Check out this video. A tiger that escaped from the home of an actor who once played Tarzan has alluded capture this morning. Florida wildlife officials have been after the tiger since it escaped yesterday from the home of actor Steve Sipek.

Residents have been asked to stay indoors as wildlife officers armed with tranquilizer guns search for the big cat.

Some environmentalists are outraged this morning. Clinton-era regulations against logging in America's national forests are set for a major change.

The guidelines have been set aside by the Bush administration. Now governors will not be able to block a road building needed for logging unless they first petition the federal government. A new plan opens up more logging opportunities for companies. Environmentalists are calling this a case of rape and pillage. The Bush administration says this is better for states and that it will stop a backlog of lawsuits that is hurting progress. You pick your take.

COOPER: Very good. Daryn, thanks. Yes, we were trying to figure out here, Daryn, just how many former Tarzans there are? Because I was trying to come up with a list.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: There's a lot.

COOPER: Yes, Johnny Weissmuller passed away.

CAFFERTY: Have they investigated the possibility that that guy might have eaten that tiger? I mean taking a look at that shot of him...

COOPER: Oh, hey, hey.

KAGAN: Let me say this, Anderson. I bet that that is a warning that has been heeded in Florida, to stay indoors to residents.

COOPER: Yes, absolutely. I would -- that is good advice, stay indoors when there is a tiger on the loose.

CAFFERTY: Have they investigated the possibility that he may have eaten the tiger? No.

(LAUGHTER)

The "Question of the Day" is why do men make more money than women? And it was prompted by that Morgan Stanley settlement yesterday, $54 million they had to pay out, one of the charges they had to make go away was that they discriminate against women when it came to salary.

Sheryl (ph) in New York writes: "Someone once said, 'You can change the law, but you can't legislate men's hearts.' As long as people still insist on taking me for the receptionist when I answer the phone in our Mom and Pop business rather than as an equal partner, women will probably continue to make less money than men."

Gene (ph) in Pass Christian, Mississippi: "The question is not why are women making less money than men, the question is why, after 40 years, they still haven't gotten the message it ain't going to happen. I was one of a few of my generation that realized it was a hell of a lot better to be a doctor's wife than a doctor."

Shirley in Dunedin, Florida: "Men still have a testosterone- driven pack mentality in groups. It's left over from the Stone Age. They sacrifice individual intelligence for the rock-throwing bond and just cannot see women as credible peers."

Peter writes: "Wrong question. The real question is one of social justice, namely who has the burden of raising a family and then paying him or her accordingly, because there is our future, not the stupidity of gender equality."

And one more.

Shannon (ph) in Charlottesville, Virginia: "Our culture is still burdened by the Victorian idea of the man being the primary breadwinner. Somehow the corporate culture is still playing by the antiquated rules of that past century and has yet to awaken to the fact that more and more women are in the position of primary breadwinner."

AM@cnn.com if you're so inclined.

COOPER: Good e-mails this morning.

CAFFERTY: Yes, not bad. COOPER: Very good. A nice mix.

COLLINS: All right, Jack, thanks so much.

Still to come this morning. If you're like a lot of other Americans, you learn absolutely nothing from the Enron fiasco and that's a huge mistake. We're "Minding Your Business" ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Retirement is moving further away for the average person, plus are the lessons of Enron already being lost?

Christine Romans is here now this morning "Minding Your Business" -- so -- nobody's really ready to retire at 65.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. How's this for we don't even think about being ready to retire at 65.

Data Computer Associates show Americans are not planning very well for their retirement. In fact, you're going to need to work another couple of years past 65 just to make up for not saving enough early enough and because of skyrocketing medical and drug costs.

As Hewitt (ph) says, believe it or not, mistakes of Enron and WorldCom and Tyco have not been learned either.

If you have company stock in your 401(k) plan, you're probably -- you've probably got way too much in there. Hewitt says on average company stock is 41 percent of your portfolio. That is a no-no. And do not wait until you're 30 to start saving and investing.

Less than half of workers ages 20 to 29 are contributing to their company's retirement programs, another no-no.

And, if you are investing, you have got to rebalance your portfolio every now and then. Every year is optimal but certainly you can't go years without tinkering in there.

Hewitt found that people 60 years old had 401(k)'s stuffed with their own company stock probably because they just let it accumulate over the years so close to retirement. This is very dangerous and what if something happens to your company? Like Enron, like Tyco. Lot of people very close to retirement got stuck with worthless stock and then they couldn't retire.

COLLINS: God, it's so scary, isn't it?

ROMANS: It is and you know you feel like if you work for your company you know what's happening there you believe in the product but you don't know if there's some renegade in the finance department who is going to bring the company down. I mean, it's just much better to start, you know, moving back from your own company stock as you get close to retirement.

COOPER: You know I was an idiot when I worked at ABC I never even entered the 401(k)?

ROMANS: You didn't?

COOPER: I was like an idiot, and yet I was talking to people in my office, and there are a lot of people in my office -- especially young people who haven't even done it.

ROMANS: It's true but you know you look at the studies a dollar started at 22 years old versus investing that same dollar at 30 you get so much more money by the time you retire you know it's compounded interest.

You got to start early. You know, they call it dollar cost averaging. You know you got to be putting money in, putting money in, and paying attention. You know paying attention and rebalancing. It's so hard.

COOPER: It seemed complicated to like fill out the forms but it just proved I was a complete idiot.

ROMANS: No, you're not a complete idiot. You are the example today we will use of what not to do. Anderson Cooper, do not do what he does.

COOPER: Everything you see? Don't do this.

COLLINS: What about the markets real quickly.

ROMANS: Markets, intel after the bell I told you after the close they're going to have an earnings report there and yesterday we had a mixed market overall essentially flat yesterday. The markets essentially flat for the year. I wish I could be more exciting but a lot of people will be talking about what happens for intel after the closing bell.

COLLINS: All right, very good. Thanks so much. Christine Romans.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COOPER: Still to come this morning, John Edwards is supposed to shore up Southern support for John Kerry but what if he can't even deliver his own state?

We're going to look at some poll numbers. Our political guru, Bill Schneider, is going to do that after the break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired July 13, 2004 - 08:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Just about half past the hour now on this AMERICAN MORNING. That's the 8:00 hour. I'm Heidi Collins. Bill and Soledad are off today.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Anderson Cooper. Thanks for joining us this morning.

Some of the stories we're following right now. An escaped tiger in south Florida has given sheriffs and game officials the slip this morning. The tiger got away from his owner, an actor who played Tarzan in several movies. He's actually Jeffrey Toobin's favorite Tarzan of all the movies.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: That's true.

COOPER: And we're going to bring you more on that.

How many -- you know, a lot of people in America have tigers in their homes. It never ceases to amaze me.

TOOBIN: Remember the guy up in Harlem...

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: Literally, I remember -- I don't have the figure with me, but there were like more than 1,000 people. I mean there were like thousands of people who have tigers.

COLLINS: But this one is special because how many of them are Tarzan?

COOPER: Well that's true. Not many former Tarzans have tigers. So that's what makes this story particularly unique.

COLLINS: Also this morning, we're going to be talking about how long it took, many months, indeed, for prosecutors to indict former Enron chief Ken Lay. Apparently, he thought of a lot of things he wanted to say during that time. And as you have already seen, Jeffrey Toobin is with us this morning. Going to talk about whether or not this is a smart legal strategy.

And you and I have spoken about this before. It was pretty amazing, at least in your mind, that he came out, spoke to the press, was on Larry King last night. Is this strategy going to work?

TOOBIN: Well, we will only know when he goes to trial, whether this is smart or not.

You know, if prosecutors -- you know -- play clips of Larry King, or of his press conference last week in their -- in their statement -- in their presentation of the evidence.

And if they cross-examine him with evidence, you know, when -- when he testifies with the things he said on Larry King, then it will be a dumb strategy.

But, you know, it doesn't seem that dumb to me. I actually think, you know, Ken Lay has answers to all the obvious, basic questions about the scandal. Whether they're believable or not, we don't know at this point, but he does have answers.

COLLINS: But shouldn't he save them for the courtroom?

TOOBIN: Well, you know, he is a public figure and he's acknowledging that. And he is someone who has been ridiculed, he's been criticized, he's been vilified.

And, you know, he has a very straightforward explanation. Whether it's true or not, I can't tell you.

But you know his explanation is, look, Andrew Fastow, the CFO who has since pleaded guilty, was engaged in criminal activity. I didn't know it; I had no way of knowing it. As far as I knew, the company was operating on the up and up. That's his story.

If there is a document that contradicts that, if there is a witness that contradicts it, we haven't seen it yet.

COLLINS: OK, in fact, that's exactly what he spoke about in detail on LARRY KING last night. Let's go ahead and listen in to a little clip of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEN LAY, FORMER ENRON CHAIRMAN: From everything we know, he at least was the -- at least orchestrated it and lead it. He was the one that went to Jeff Skilling and then from Jeff Skilling -- Jeff -- and he came to me to recommend that we do what we ended up doing on those related party transactions. With board approval, of course.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Well, as you know, Andrew Fastow already plead guilty, and has been said -- he's been very cooperative.

Are they still going to be using Fastow now to get more of Lay? I mean, he's already been indicted. We've already seen him in handcuffs.

TOOBIN: Well, he will be -- he will be one of the star witnesses against him, but what we don't know is if Fastow said I told Lay...

COLLINS: Right. TOOBIN: ... that I was involved in these transactions -- I told Lay that the company was falling apart.

Because basically what Lay is accused of is of lying about the condition of the company. He says you know everything -- he, when he was CEO in late 2001, he says oh, everything is fine, the government says that was a lie to prop up the stock prices.

COLLINS: So, do you think in the end that we will see Lay getting up there and testifying?

TOOBIN: I think at this point it is almost certain that he will testify, because in his defense -- is so public that, you know -- and he doesn't have a prior criminal record that he could be cross- examined about. I think actually he is -- he is likely to be a witness at his trial.

He more or less said it on LARRY KING last night that he -- that he expects to testify. And I think he will.

COLLINS: You think it's going to resonate with the jury? He spoke a little bit more about, you know, maintaining his innocence last night on LARRY KING. I think we have one more clip they want to roll here and listen in to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAY: I've said I take responsibility for what happened at Enron, both good and bad, but I cannot take responsibility for criminal conduct that I was unaware of.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TOOBIN: I don't know what that means. You know, I take responsibility, but I had no idea that anything bad was happening.

I mean, it is -- sort of sounds like a politician talking there. But you know it -- what the government needs is specific evidence that he knew of criminal activity.

That hasn't been produced so far. There's been no reason for the government to produce it so far, but in the absence of that, Ken Lay really might have a very good defense.

COLLINS: All right so -- quickly, Jeff he also said that he really wanted a speedy trial. Any idea when this thing will go to trial?

TOOBIN: Also, a big surprise because usually defendants try to delay things. He says he wants a trial in September.

I think that's very unlikely, given all the legal issues to be resolved, but it could be a trial by the end of the year, which by the standards of complex white-collar cases is pretty fast.

COLLINS: All right, Jeffrey Toobin, we will be watching. TOOBIN: I will.

COLLINS: Thanks so much -- Anderson.

COOPER: Marine Corporal Wassef Hassoun could leave Germany for the U.S. as early as today. Now much of his story is still a mystery, but Hassoun has been telling counselors in Germany that he was abducted.

Chris Burns reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: U.S. military officials say that since his arrival Friday, Corporal Wassef Hassoun has explained he was abducted.

But Hassoun's disappearance remains a mystery to many. The military investigation is continuing.

While those who spoke with Corporal Hassoun aren't allowed to divulge specifics, they at least provided character references.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, USAF CHAPLAIN: He served diligently, and he served with honor, and continues to.

BURNS: Air Force Captain Hamza Al-Mubarak (ph) is Hassoun's Muslim chaplain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is well, you know. Looks forward to that time, the appropriate time, after -- you know -- the debrief and any impending investigation.

Afterwards, to -- for everyone to hear the story. And, they'll understand completely, you know, his situation.

BURNS: Do you think he'll fully recover?

LT. SALLY HARVEY, ARMY PSYCHOLOGIST: Absolutely.

BURNS: Why?

HARVEY: He's a strong young man, he has his head on straight, he has his feet on the ground, he has a good sense of perspective.

I think all of -- he is very much like all of our other sailors, airmen, Marines that we've seen here. They've gone through a very traumatic experience. Done very well in that event.

BURNS: Part of that experience, a video during his disappearance showing a sword held over Corporal Hassoun's head.

One Web site claimed he had been beheaded; then another claimed he was spared for agreeing not to return to his unit.

Why he was released, how he ended up in Lebanon, among many questions military investigators will have back in the United States.

Corporal Hassoun has been speaking here under protection of immunity, what officials say is a routine ground rule in a soldier's repatriation, but he won't have that luxury in an investigation. That will be the test of whether his story stands up to the evidence.

Chris Burns, CNN, Landstuhl, Germany.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Still to come this morning, if you thought your cholesterol levels were healthy, you might want to think again. There's a new warning out there -- yet another warning.

COLLINS: Another warning. Also ahead, a legal change in one state means thousands more people will be able to vote in the next election. That's just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, Sanjay Gupta is on assignment in this morning's medical segment, new guidelines for cholesterol.

Now when doctors tell heart patients to lower their bad cholesterol, they mean way, way down. More than previously thought.

Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now from the CNN Center with details. Good morning, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Anderson.

Anderson, these are new guidelines from the National Institutes of Health and what the doctors on this panel are saying is that if you can get your cholesterol way down, really get it to plummet, it's going to decrease your chance of having a heart attack.

So that means that many more people will probably be put on cholesterol-lowering drugs than have been in the past. Let's take a look at the recommendations for people at a very high risk of having a heart attack.

If their bad cholesterol, that's the LDL cholesterol, is above 70, these new guidelines say consider drugs that diet and exercise may not be enough.

Now what does it mean to be at a very high risk for a heart attack? That means someone who already has cardiovascular disease. Plus, has some other type of problem such as diabetes and hypertension.

Now what about folks who are not at very high risk for heart attack, for example, maybe they just have a medium risk of having a heart attack? Well, the numbers have been changed there, too.

And those people may also be put on drugs sooner than have previously been thought -- Anderson.

COOPER: Let's talk about bad cholesterol in relation to total cholesterol, because we've really only been focusing on the bad stuff.

COHEN: That's right and many people, unfortunately, just know their total number. They just know the number that's like 200 or 210. That number sort of in that range.

And when you're talking about when to go on drugs, the number to really look at is the bad, the LDL number. Less than 100 is optimal, 130 is borderline high. And 160 is officially, absolutely high.

Now that's the folks who are not at any particular risk for having a heart attack. If you already have heart disease, then those numbers change. Those are for people who are already healthy.

COOPER: Now, if the NIH is lowering this level, lowering these standards, it means a lot more people are going to go on these "statin" drugs, like Lipitor, or other drugs like that. What kind of side effects do they have?

COHEN: That's right. These drugs are generally well tolerated by most people. Most people take them just fine. But there are some side effects that people need to look out for.

For example, you need to look out for liver problems. That's the big one and so doctors are always checking for that when they put someone on the statin drugs.

Some people also have GI problems. Other people also have muscle aches. Now these drugs can really be a godsend for many people but you do have to look out for those side effects.

COOPER: I've been taking one of these statin drugs for a while now, and I mean, I haven't had any side effects, but it is important to do it under a doctor's supervision.

COHEN: That's right. That's right. You do. Especially for those liver problems. Doctors are always checking to checking the liver enzymes to make sure that everything's OK.

COOPER: All right, Elizabeth Cohen, thanks very much.

COHEN: Thanks.

COLLINS: Still to come this morning, a decision by the Bush administration has environmentalists up in arms. That story ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Just about 45 minutes past the hour now. Time for a look at some of today's other news with Daryn Kagan. Hi, Daryn.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Heidi, good morning to you. Let's start with U.S. politics. President Bush kicking off a two-day campaign straight through the Midwest. The president rallying in Michigan and Minnesota today and then riding with his campaign bus through Wisconsin tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Senator John Kerry is in Boston today. The presumptive Democratic nominee is wrapping up a four-state campaign tour. His running mate, Senator John Edwards heads to the Midwest tomorrow.

To Florida. Officials are saying that a missing mentally retarded teenager has been found. An Amber Alert was issued for the girl after a video surveillance camera showed her leaving a shopping center with four young men.

Details of the girl's discovery have not been released, but local media reports say she is OK.

Also in Florida, thousands of additional people will be able to vote in the November elections. Florida officials deciding not to use a list that was intended to keep more than 47,000 suspected felons out of the voting booths.

Florida is one of seven states that bars felons from voting unless they have been granted clemency.

Check out this video. A tiger that escaped from the home of an actor who once played Tarzan has alluded capture this morning. Florida wildlife officials have been after the tiger since it escaped yesterday from the home of actor Steve Sipek.

Residents have been asked to stay indoors as wildlife officers armed with tranquilizer guns search for the big cat.

Some environmentalists are outraged this morning. Clinton-era regulations against logging in America's national forests are set for a major change.

The guidelines have been set aside by the Bush administration. Now governors will not be able to block a road building needed for logging unless they first petition the federal government. A new plan opens up more logging opportunities for companies. Environmentalists are calling this a case of rape and pillage. The Bush administration says this is better for states and that it will stop a backlog of lawsuits that is hurting progress. You pick your take.

COOPER: Very good. Daryn, thanks. Yes, we were trying to figure out here, Daryn, just how many former Tarzans there are? Because I was trying to come up with a list.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: There's a lot.

COOPER: Yes, Johnny Weissmuller passed away.

CAFFERTY: Have they investigated the possibility that that guy might have eaten that tiger? I mean taking a look at that shot of him...

COOPER: Oh, hey, hey.

KAGAN: Let me say this, Anderson. I bet that that is a warning that has been heeded in Florida, to stay indoors to residents.

COOPER: Yes, absolutely. I would -- that is good advice, stay indoors when there is a tiger on the loose.

CAFFERTY: Have they investigated the possibility that he may have eaten the tiger? No.

(LAUGHTER)

The "Question of the Day" is why do men make more money than women? And it was prompted by that Morgan Stanley settlement yesterday, $54 million they had to pay out, one of the charges they had to make go away was that they discriminate against women when it came to salary.

Sheryl (ph) in New York writes: "Someone once said, 'You can change the law, but you can't legislate men's hearts.' As long as people still insist on taking me for the receptionist when I answer the phone in our Mom and Pop business rather than as an equal partner, women will probably continue to make less money than men."

Gene (ph) in Pass Christian, Mississippi: "The question is not why are women making less money than men, the question is why, after 40 years, they still haven't gotten the message it ain't going to happen. I was one of a few of my generation that realized it was a hell of a lot better to be a doctor's wife than a doctor."

Shirley in Dunedin, Florida: "Men still have a testosterone- driven pack mentality in groups. It's left over from the Stone Age. They sacrifice individual intelligence for the rock-throwing bond and just cannot see women as credible peers."

Peter writes: "Wrong question. The real question is one of social justice, namely who has the burden of raising a family and then paying him or her accordingly, because there is our future, not the stupidity of gender equality."

And one more.

Shannon (ph) in Charlottesville, Virginia: "Our culture is still burdened by the Victorian idea of the man being the primary breadwinner. Somehow the corporate culture is still playing by the antiquated rules of that past century and has yet to awaken to the fact that more and more women are in the position of primary breadwinner."

AM@cnn.com if you're so inclined.

COOPER: Good e-mails this morning.

CAFFERTY: Yes, not bad. COOPER: Very good. A nice mix.

COLLINS: All right, Jack, thanks so much.

Still to come this morning. If you're like a lot of other Americans, you learn absolutely nothing from the Enron fiasco and that's a huge mistake. We're "Minding Your Business" ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

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COLLINS: Retirement is moving further away for the average person, plus are the lessons of Enron already being lost?

Christine Romans is here now this morning "Minding Your Business" -- so -- nobody's really ready to retire at 65.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. How's this for we don't even think about being ready to retire at 65.

Data Computer Associates show Americans are not planning very well for their retirement. In fact, you're going to need to work another couple of years past 65 just to make up for not saving enough early enough and because of skyrocketing medical and drug costs.

As Hewitt (ph) says, believe it or not, mistakes of Enron and WorldCom and Tyco have not been learned either.

If you have company stock in your 401(k) plan, you're probably -- you've probably got way too much in there. Hewitt says on average company stock is 41 percent of your portfolio. That is a no-no. And do not wait until you're 30 to start saving and investing.

Less than half of workers ages 20 to 29 are contributing to their company's retirement programs, another no-no.

And, if you are investing, you have got to rebalance your portfolio every now and then. Every year is optimal but certainly you can't go years without tinkering in there.

Hewitt found that people 60 years old had 401(k)'s stuffed with their own company stock probably because they just let it accumulate over the years so close to retirement. This is very dangerous and what if something happens to your company? Like Enron, like Tyco. Lot of people very close to retirement got stuck with worthless stock and then they couldn't retire.

COLLINS: God, it's so scary, isn't it?

ROMANS: It is and you know you feel like if you work for your company you know what's happening there you believe in the product but you don't know if there's some renegade in the finance department who is going to bring the company down. I mean, it's just much better to start, you know, moving back from your own company stock as you get close to retirement.

COOPER: You know I was an idiot when I worked at ABC I never even entered the 401(k)?

ROMANS: You didn't?

COOPER: I was like an idiot, and yet I was talking to people in my office, and there are a lot of people in my office -- especially young people who haven't even done it.

ROMANS: It's true but you know you look at the studies a dollar started at 22 years old versus investing that same dollar at 30 you get so much more money by the time you retire you know it's compounded interest.

You got to start early. You know, they call it dollar cost averaging. You know you got to be putting money in, putting money in, and paying attention. You know paying attention and rebalancing. It's so hard.

COOPER: It seemed complicated to like fill out the forms but it just proved I was a complete idiot.

ROMANS: No, you're not a complete idiot. You are the example today we will use of what not to do. Anderson Cooper, do not do what he does.

COOPER: Everything you see? Don't do this.

COLLINS: What about the markets real quickly.

ROMANS: Markets, intel after the bell I told you after the close they're going to have an earnings report there and yesterday we had a mixed market overall essentially flat yesterday. The markets essentially flat for the year. I wish I could be more exciting but a lot of people will be talking about what happens for intel after the closing bell.

COLLINS: All right, very good. Thanks so much. Christine Romans.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COOPER: Still to come this morning, John Edwards is supposed to shore up Southern support for John Kerry but what if he can't even deliver his own state?

We're going to look at some poll numbers. Our political guru, Bill Schneider, is going to do that after the break. Stay with us.

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