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American Morning
Demonstrators Have DNC Protesting Area Issues; Security At Upcoming Afghanistan Elections; Prescription Cream For Common Skin Cancer Greenlighted; U.S. Soldier Wins Massachusetts Lottery
Aired July 22, 2004 - 08:28 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: Welcome back, everyone. Just about 8:30 here in New York. Good morning again. Heidi Collins, Bill Hemmer -- Soledad O'Brien is resting, hopefully she's not watching.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: OK.
HEMMER: Well, I mean, just, you know, chilling out and taking it easy.
COLLINS: Yes, away from work.
HEMMER: We wish her the best.
COLLINS: Got it. I thought you meant because this was just terrible -- OK.
HEMMER: Never!
Back to Boston in a moment, where police could be forced to change their plans for dealing with convention protesters. Some say extreme measures are being used to contain them. They say they're being treated lie prisoners. We'll look at what both sides have to say about that in Boston in a moment.
COLLINS: Also, Afghanistan heading into uncharted and dangerous territory as it gets closer to national elections there. We'll talk to the country's first deputy minister of defense to find out what it will take to keep local warlords from derailing that process.
HEMMER: Also a bit later, one of the best stories of the day, frankly. What could possibly make coming home from the war any better for a U.S. soldier? How about a couple million dollars...
COLLINS: How about it?
HEMMER: ... in the lottery? Great story there. We'll talk to him in a moment.
COLLINS: Meanwhile, John Kerry is in Detroit today speaking to the Democratic base in one of the important swing states. And Frank Buckley is live in Detroit now with more on that.
Good morning to you, Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Heidi. John Kerry here in Detroit to talk to the National Urban League conference about what he describes as an opportunity agenda.
He'll be talking about a number of subjects during his speech. He'll talk about jobs and education, housing -- also talk about making communities safer, specifically hitting the issue of gang violence and what he would do to address gang violence in urban areas.
Also here in Detroit today, we're expecting Senator Kerry to pick up an endorsement from the last of the Democratic candidates who hasn't endorsed John Kerry -- Dennis Kucinich, the former mayor of Cleveland.
The Congressman from Ohio is expected to formally endorse John Kerry here today in Detroit.
The campaign for John Kerry hoping that that will help in their efforts in the battleground state of Ohio.
Tomorrow, meanwhile, is the day one of the pre-convention tour of Senator John Kerry. He's going to be leaving Detroit and headed to Aurora, Colorado, later today. In Aurora, Colorado -- that's his birthplace -- he'll be appearing with John Edwards and their families.
From there, they'll be going to Sioux City, Iowa -- Iowa one of the major battleground states. Then to Columbus, Ohio, where much of the talk will center on jobs and the economy.
Then it's off to Cape Canaveral, Florida. Florida, of course, a hotly-contested state. Then it's Norfolk, Virginia, where John Kerry will talk about his Navy experience. Then Pennsylvania -- and, finally, John Kerry will arrive at the convention on Wednesday and accept his party's nomination on Thursday -- Heidi.
COLLINS: OK, Frank Buckley, live from Detroit for us this morning. Thanks, Frank.
With the Democratic Convention just days away, the controversy about where demonstrators may gather persists. And as Jeanne Meserve reports, it's a dispute that has tempers rising in Boston.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jersey barricades, the double layers of chain-link fence, a roof of heavy netting under an abandoned overpass topped with razor wire.
It has been compared to a prison, but this is the designated protest area outside the FleetCenter.
STEVE KIRSHBAUM, ANSWER COALITION: That's a debris and refuse pit. That's what it was before they turned it into this -- this incarceration zone.
MESERVE: There was a tour at the site Wednesday by the judge who was hearing lawsuits from protest groups: one, to allow marchers directly in front of the FleetCenter; a second to expand and alter the protest area. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And over and over again in discussions, the -- the City of Boston, the police emphasized to us that they were not going to put demonstrators in a pen. Overhead wire, tracks overhead, double row of fencing -- this is the definition of a pen.
MESERVE: Lawyers for the Boston police won't talk on camera, but have argued that the zone is necessary to keep evacuation routes clear and provide effective security for the convention.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The reason for the wire is if someone climbs up, we wanted to -- we wanted to limit the use of force by officers.
MESERVE: But protest groups say the highly fortified zone is an overreaction by authorities and an infringement of constitutional rights.
JONATHAN SHAPIRO, NATIONAL LAWYERS GUILD: This is, after all, the United States of America where every place is supposed to be a First Amendment zone and the idea that the government would say yes you can say anything you want, you just have to do it here -- it's a contradiction in terms.
MESERVE (on camera): The judge is considering all he has seen. He will hear even more -- a court hearing is scheduled for today.
Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Boston.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: AMERICAN MORNING will be live from the Democratic Convention in Boston next week. It will all begin Monday at 7:00 a.m. Eastern.
HEMMER: About 26 minutes before the hour now. There's a report out of Afghanistan this morning saying that 11 government militiamen were killed by Taliban insurgents overnight.
Security has become a major concern as that country gets ready for its first ever election in October. Still, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Richard Myers points out the fledgling election effort there is still making progress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. RICHARD MYERS, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: To date, over 75 percent of the eligible Afghan population has registered to vote. And they continue to register at the rate of about 125,000 Afghan citizens each day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: With that, General Abdul Rahim Wardak is Afghanistan's first deputy minister of defense. He's live in our Washington bureau and general, good morning to you and a welcome here to our program, AMERICAN MORNING.
GEN. ABDUL RAHIM WARDAK, AFGHAN DEP. MIN. OF DEFENSE: Good morning.
HEMMER: We are told voter registration, according to the Pentagon and in Afghanistan, say it's going very well. But yet election workers still are targeted, in some cases they are have been killed. How concerned are you about turnout come October?
WARDAK: I -- the rate of the voter registration is a clear indication that the people have chosen the path of political solution for their future.
So, I really doubted that these minor incidents in here, and there is going to prevent them from coming and also to exercise their right of self-determinations.
HEMMER: Also General, in your country though, you still have more than 10,000 U.S. troops on patrol. What is their role in this election?
WARDAK: At the moment actually, the -- providing the security for the election is a combined effort of the Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police and other Afghan security agencies together with the NATO and other forces and whether we will be supported by the coalition forces.
So, the plan has been made, and we are quite hopeful that we will be to provide a safe environment for people to exercise their right of voting in a safe environment.
HEMMER: Well, General, the reports we're getting out of your home country is that the Taliban is no longer the threat. Actually the militias have gained more strength. Why is that, and how can you fight it?
WARDAK: Actually, I mean, the problem which we has for demobilizing and disarming the Afghan militia forces as continuing, and we do have the intention to disarm and demobilize the -- before the election between 40 to 60 percent of the AMF (ph) forces and also to continue almost up to 100 percent of their heavy weapons.
So I -- I'm quite confident by -- that by the time of the election I mean these forces will not be able -- I mean to -- to create a problem for the election and more -- I mean some of the elements have also chosen to be a part of the reform and to be a part of the democratic process, so we do hope that we will not be facing a major trip.
HEMMER: Good luck to you. Thanks for your time.
WARDAK: Thank you very much. Thank you.
HEMMER: All right. Sure. Heidi.
COLLINS: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING: The final 9/11 report will be released later this morning. And in the next hour or so, we are expecting to hear President Bush's remarks about it from the Rose Garden. We'll have that live for you. HEMMER: Also in a moment: Some people say Chicago's Soldier Field lost a little bit of something when it was modernized. It may soon lose an important distinction as well. We'll talk about that.
COLLINS: And how's this for a happy homecoming? We'll talk to a soldier who came back from Iraq and had his life changed forever with that little piece of paper. Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: A prescription cream is getting the government green light for treating a common form of skin cancer.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us this morning from Boston with details on this. Good morning, Dr. Gupta.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning Heidi. Yes that FDA approval coming just recently -- Aldara -- that's the name of the product, one of the first skin creams ever that contains a little bit of a chemotherapy agent to try and treat a form of skin cancer.
One of the most common forms of skin cancer, a superficial basal cell carcinoma. Typically, this is going to be a benign form of cancer. It's not going to be a real problem, but if it is untreated it can grow and sometimes develop into a malignancy. That's why it needs to be treated.
Before now, surgery was really the only option. Now the first time after a phase III clinical trial, one of the most advanced clinical trials actually being done on this cream, they find that it's probably good to go to market.
Three hundred sixty-four patients were evaluated five times a week for six weeks, they received this medication. Here's what they found at the end of that period.
They found that 75 percent had no evidence of the cancer returning. On a visual exam. When they actually did a biopsy the numbers got better -- 82 percent of the time the cancer was gone.
Now a couple of things to point out, Heidi. This cream, they're already saying not for everyone. Really, this is reserved for people who cannot tolerate an operation. An operation is still going to be the better alternative to try and treat this form of skin cancer. Also if you have existing immune problems this also is not going to be a good option for you.
But still, Heidi, people pretty excited about the fact that you might be able to treat a form of cancer with a skin cream -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes, very exciting. So, when is surgery not appropriate, and then why only use the cream then?
GUPTA: Well, you know, operation or surgery is not appropriate for everybody for a couple of reasons. One is that there might be some other existing medical problems that may make it difficult or dangerous even for a patient to have an operation.
Other times since this sort of skin cancer can occur anywhere, anyplace on the body, there are some places that are harder to reach surgically and a skin cream might be appropriate in those cases as well, Heidi.
COLLINS: Well, how do you recognize and let me see if I can get this right -- superficial basal cell carcinoma? And then of course what can you do to prevent it?
GUPTA: Yes, I mean this is actually one of the more common forms of skin cancer. A lot of people can recognize it -- sort of the scaly, red patches that people sometimes see. You can see a picture of it there, and sometimes it's confused with just a normal skin growth or something that comes and goes.
That's a typical picture of a basal cell superficial basal cell carcinoma. Now again these are people that typically are exposed to sun as the most common cause of it. The UV light is going to be the biggest sort of indicator and predictor of people who are going to develop this sort of thing, but it can occur in people who don't get that much sunlight, as well.
Now, if you're concerned about something that you see at home, there are things to sort of look for on your own skin -- a new growth. A non-healing sore. That's an important one. People get a sore for some reason and it just doesn't heal.
That can be a concern. Spots that are changing size, shape, or color. Or, the nodule is actually starting to grow. Those are all good reasons to go see your doctor about it and if you're eligible maybe use this cream that's just been approved -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, very good. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, some good news to look forward to. That's for sure.
Still to come this morning: The 9/11 Commission will release its final report just a few hours from now. We are expecting President Bush to make some remarks in the next hour. We're going to have that for you live of course.
Some of the reports details have already gotten out including whether the Bush or Clinton administrations should take any blame. We're going to look at that ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: It's our understanding for the White House, the chairmen of the 9/11 Commission have arrived. They're delivering that report, almost 600 pages in length to the president.
We should hear from the president within the hour. Hamilton and Kean there at the White House a few moments ago. We'll follow it for you.
Back to Jack now here and "Question of the Day." JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, couple of stories in the papers that just ought to fry your eggs this Thursday morning. One of them in "The Washington Post" reports that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are now $12.5 billion over budget.
Remember that $65 billion appropriations? It's all gone. Because of this, "The Washington Post" reports that they are delaying the refurbishing of military equipment, grounding Air Force and Navy pilots, canceling training exercises, and one paragraph in that story says they're even buying bullets from Israel and England.
In "The New York Times," the other story, that just ought to really get you going, there aren't enough soldiers. And now that we've shipped the National Guard and the Reserves and everybody over there, the Army is being forced to call up recruits who were not scheduled for duty until next year to call them up this year.
So: What should be done about the military's manpower and money shortages?
It's unbelievable.
Grayce in Pennsylvania: "Unfortunately, I don't know the answer. But it's funny they've got money to pay Halliburton but not to keep our troops safe."
It's a pretty blunt assessment as to where this administration's priorities lie.
Gary in Nacogdoches Texas: "Add 50 cents to the gas tax to fund the war. I think we can gut it up and make that small sacrifice to keep our soldiers equipped and alive."
And D.W. in Crescent City, California: "It all comes down to intelligence. The intelligence about Afghanistan was correct and we needed to go in there. The intelligence about Iraq was not correct, and throwing money and soldiers at it will not make it so. I wonder if what we're hearing about homeland security, Iran and North Korea, is right or wrong."
Am@cnn.com
HEMMER: Remember two days ago we had that soldier on here, aged 67...
CAFFERTY: Yes, he's going back -- going back into uniform.
HEMMER: He may go back. You know he went back, he was called up, he went for his physical. What impressed me about him was that he said if he's needed to go, he'll do it. He's going to be 68 in February.
CAFFERTY: There's nobody in this country that will probably want to make the sacrifice necessary to do what the country needs to do if they're asked but the fact that they're having to call up 67-year-old guys to go back into the Army is a damned crime. HEMMER: I agree.
CAFFERTY: It just is.
HEMMER: Forty-eight minutes past the hour. To Fredricka Whitfield now the rest of the news today. Fred, good morning, again.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, again.
Well in just about three hours as you mentioned, Bill, the 9/11 Commission will release it's long-awaited report. According to sources familiar with the 575-page document, the Commission does not place blame on the Clinton or Bush administrations.
Instead, it calls for a major overhaul of U.S. anti-terrorism efforts including the creation of a national director of intelligence.
President Bush is receiving his briefing right now and he'll speak in the Rose Garden and we'll carry that live. CNN will also have live coverage of the 9/11 Commission's briefing today scheduled at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time.
On the presidential campaign trail today, President Bush is signing legislation this morning to allow off-duty and retired officers to carry concealed weapons. The president will then travel to Illinois where he'll speak on homeland security.
His rival, Senator John Kerry, is focusing on urban youth crime in an address to the Urban League. Later today, Kerry will be picking up the endorsement of fellow Democrat Dennis Kucinich.
A House panel has launched an investigation into Sandy Berger's removal of classified documents from the national archives. Berger says he inadvertently took the documents during preparations for the 9/11 hearings.
President Bush yesterday called the incident a serious matter that will be investigated by the Justice Department. The Democratic National Committee has requested all correspondence between the Justice Department and the White House regarding the probe.
A possible step toward peace in the Middle East. Officials from the U.S., Israel and Egypt are working to organize a peace conference.
At issue, an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the advancement of an internationally backed peace plan. It's not clear where the conference would be held, but it's tentatively set for October.
And one of the nation's most well known stadiums may be about to lose its status as a national historic landmark. Chicago's Soldier Field recently had a $660 million face lift. That's the reason federal officials now say it shouldn't be considered a national landmark and it should lose its place in the national register of historic places.
A final decision on the matter is a few months away -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, Fred. Thanks so much for that. Bill thinks it's beautiful there. He just wants the whole place to know.
HEMMER: Well, a lot of people in Chicago didn't like it because Soldier Field is such a landmark and then they put this very modern appeal to it. I think they did a great job. Yes, and if you're inside for a stadium for football -- you are right there near the field. So.
COLLINS: Which is the important thing.
HEMMER: I'm telling you.
COLLINS: Still to come this morning: He's a soldier who just was happy to be home until he found $4 million more reasons to get excited. He's standing by in Boston, and we'll talk to him live. You can wave if you'd like. Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Just back from a 13-month tour of duty in Iraq with his National Guard unit, Jack Morrissey of Norwood, Massachusetts, is a newly minted millionaire.
He struck it rich with a scratch off lottery ticket that will pay him, after taxes, $140,000 a year for life. Jack Morrissey joins us from Boston to share his fatigues to riches story. Boy that's a great way to put it, huh?
How are you doing today?
JACK MORRISSEY, ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: Good, how you doing, Heidi?
COLLINS: I'm doing great, but, obviously the bigger question is this was a life-changing event for you. You -- it's been five weeks that you've been back in this country. You were bankrupt.
You decided that with $10 in your pocket you could go to the store; buy a lottery ticket, not usually a regular event for you. And you just so happened to get the winning ticket. How in the heck do you feel?
MORRISSEY: Well, I feel great. I just -- I always hoped that I'd hit it big and well I guess I just have been blessed. I've been lucky. You know it's been -- like I say it's been a rough go of it and you know I can't be happier.
COLLINS: How did you feel when you got that ticket, though? When you learned that you had won? Did you believe it?
MORRISSEY: Oh, no. I'm still in a state of shock. I still can't believe it.
COLLINS: What did you do? MORRISSEY: It's -- I -- I -- well I ran up to somebody, showed them the ticket and I says is this real? And they said yes it's very real and I showed the agent and he says yes this is real. So, I ran out of the store and ran down to my mother's house.
COLLINS: And she confirmed it for you? She said yes, son, you really did win?
MORRISSEY: Yes, yes, I was shaking like a leaf.
COLLINS: I know this has been a really hard time. You mentioned already. The five weeks that you've been spending, really very uncertain for your life. Not knowing what to do about the money situation. You have a family. How hard has it been?
MORRISSEY: It's -- well I'm hoping to just take care of everybody in the family you know and we'll just go from there with it.
COLLINS: All right, so what are you going to do? With that money?
MORRISSEY: I plan on hopefully buying a house and maybe taking a few trips to Hawaii or some of the islands and just enjoy life.
COLLINS: You know, Jack, I have to say you are incredibly calm about this. Very reserved about it.
MORRISSEY: Well, it's not an easy thing. I guess you have to be level-headed. You know you can't just go out and spend the whole thing.
COLLINS: Well, it's very exciting for you I'm sure. We were talking about your family. You have a daughter who's getting ready to go to college?
MORRISSEY: Yes, she is, yes. And my dream is, yes, to put her through college and, you know -- you know, hopefully she gets a good education and she wants to be a journalist.
COLLINS: Yes, I heard about that. All right. Well, good for her. We like to hear that. Congratulations to you, Sergeant Morrissey. Great job, well done, good picking of the numbers, too.
MORRISSEY: Thank you very much, Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, Bill.
HEMMER: A great ending there, Heidi, you're right.
In a moment here, President Bush expected to make some remarks after his briefing for the report on the 9/11 Commission. We'll get that live to you from the White House in a moment.
Also talk with one of the lawmakers briefed on that report -- Republican Senator Mitch McConnell out of Kentucky. He's our guest in a moment. Much more top of the hour after this. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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 July 22, 2004 - 08:28 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everyone. Just about 8:30 here in New York. Good morning again. Heidi Collins, Bill Hemmer -- Soledad O'Brien is resting, hopefully she's not watching.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: OK.
HEMMER: Well, I mean, just, you know, chilling out and taking it easy.
COLLINS: Yes, away from work.
HEMMER: We wish her the best.
COLLINS: Got it. I thought you meant because this was just terrible -- OK.
HEMMER: Never!
Back to Boston in a moment, where police could be forced to change their plans for dealing with convention protesters. Some say extreme measures are being used to contain them. They say they're being treated lie prisoners. We'll look at what both sides have to say about that in Boston in a moment.
COLLINS: Also, Afghanistan heading into uncharted and dangerous territory as it gets closer to national elections there. We'll talk to the country's first deputy minister of defense to find out what it will take to keep local warlords from derailing that process.
HEMMER: Also a bit later, one of the best stories of the day, frankly. What could possibly make coming home from the war any better for a U.S. soldier? How about a couple million dollars...
COLLINS: How about it?
HEMMER: ... in the lottery? Great story there. We'll talk to him in a moment.
COLLINS: Meanwhile, John Kerry is in Detroit today speaking to the Democratic base in one of the important swing states. And Frank Buckley is live in Detroit now with more on that.
Good morning to you, Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Heidi. John Kerry here in Detroit to talk to the National Urban League conference about what he describes as an opportunity agenda.
He'll be talking about a number of subjects during his speech. He'll talk about jobs and education, housing -- also talk about making communities safer, specifically hitting the issue of gang violence and what he would do to address gang violence in urban areas.
Also here in Detroit today, we're expecting Senator Kerry to pick up an endorsement from the last of the Democratic candidates who hasn't endorsed John Kerry -- Dennis Kucinich, the former mayor of Cleveland.
The Congressman from Ohio is expected to formally endorse John Kerry here today in Detroit.
The campaign for John Kerry hoping that that will help in their efforts in the battleground state of Ohio.
Tomorrow, meanwhile, is the day one of the pre-convention tour of Senator John Kerry. He's going to be leaving Detroit and headed to Aurora, Colorado, later today. In Aurora, Colorado -- that's his birthplace -- he'll be appearing with John Edwards and their families.
From there, they'll be going to Sioux City, Iowa -- Iowa one of the major battleground states. Then to Columbus, Ohio, where much of the talk will center on jobs and the economy.
Then it's off to Cape Canaveral, Florida. Florida, of course, a hotly-contested state. Then it's Norfolk, Virginia, where John Kerry will talk about his Navy experience. Then Pennsylvania -- and, finally, John Kerry will arrive at the convention on Wednesday and accept his party's nomination on Thursday -- Heidi.
COLLINS: OK, Frank Buckley, live from Detroit for us this morning. Thanks, Frank.
With the Democratic Convention just days away, the controversy about where demonstrators may gather persists. And as Jeanne Meserve reports, it's a dispute that has tempers rising in Boston.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jersey barricades, the double layers of chain-link fence, a roof of heavy netting under an abandoned overpass topped with razor wire.
It has been compared to a prison, but this is the designated protest area outside the FleetCenter.
STEVE KIRSHBAUM, ANSWER COALITION: That's a debris and refuse pit. That's what it was before they turned it into this -- this incarceration zone.
MESERVE: There was a tour at the site Wednesday by the judge who was hearing lawsuits from protest groups: one, to allow marchers directly in front of the FleetCenter; a second to expand and alter the protest area. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And over and over again in discussions, the -- the City of Boston, the police emphasized to us that they were not going to put demonstrators in a pen. Overhead wire, tracks overhead, double row of fencing -- this is the definition of a pen.
MESERVE: Lawyers for the Boston police won't talk on camera, but have argued that the zone is necessary to keep evacuation routes clear and provide effective security for the convention.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The reason for the wire is if someone climbs up, we wanted to -- we wanted to limit the use of force by officers.
MESERVE: But protest groups say the highly fortified zone is an overreaction by authorities and an infringement of constitutional rights.
JONATHAN SHAPIRO, NATIONAL LAWYERS GUILD: This is, after all, the United States of America where every place is supposed to be a First Amendment zone and the idea that the government would say yes you can say anything you want, you just have to do it here -- it's a contradiction in terms.
MESERVE (on camera): The judge is considering all he has seen. He will hear even more -- a court hearing is scheduled for today.
Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Boston.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: AMERICAN MORNING will be live from the Democratic Convention in Boston next week. It will all begin Monday at 7:00 a.m. Eastern.
HEMMER: About 26 minutes before the hour now. There's a report out of Afghanistan this morning saying that 11 government militiamen were killed by Taliban insurgents overnight.
Security has become a major concern as that country gets ready for its first ever election in October. Still, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Richard Myers points out the fledgling election effort there is still making progress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. RICHARD MYERS, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: To date, over 75 percent of the eligible Afghan population has registered to vote. And they continue to register at the rate of about 125,000 Afghan citizens each day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: With that, General Abdul Rahim Wardak is Afghanistan's first deputy minister of defense. He's live in our Washington bureau and general, good morning to you and a welcome here to our program, AMERICAN MORNING.
GEN. ABDUL RAHIM WARDAK, AFGHAN DEP. MIN. OF DEFENSE: Good morning.
HEMMER: We are told voter registration, according to the Pentagon and in Afghanistan, say it's going very well. But yet election workers still are targeted, in some cases they are have been killed. How concerned are you about turnout come October?
WARDAK: I -- the rate of the voter registration is a clear indication that the people have chosen the path of political solution for their future.
So, I really doubted that these minor incidents in here, and there is going to prevent them from coming and also to exercise their right of self-determinations.
HEMMER: Also General, in your country though, you still have more than 10,000 U.S. troops on patrol. What is their role in this election?
WARDAK: At the moment actually, the -- providing the security for the election is a combined effort of the Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police and other Afghan security agencies together with the NATO and other forces and whether we will be supported by the coalition forces.
So, the plan has been made, and we are quite hopeful that we will be to provide a safe environment for people to exercise their right of voting in a safe environment.
HEMMER: Well, General, the reports we're getting out of your home country is that the Taliban is no longer the threat. Actually the militias have gained more strength. Why is that, and how can you fight it?
WARDAK: Actually, I mean, the problem which we has for demobilizing and disarming the Afghan militia forces as continuing, and we do have the intention to disarm and demobilize the -- before the election between 40 to 60 percent of the AMF (ph) forces and also to continue almost up to 100 percent of their heavy weapons.
So I -- I'm quite confident by -- that by the time of the election I mean these forces will not be able -- I mean to -- to create a problem for the election and more -- I mean some of the elements have also chosen to be a part of the reform and to be a part of the democratic process, so we do hope that we will not be facing a major trip.
HEMMER: Good luck to you. Thanks for your time.
WARDAK: Thank you very much. Thank you.
HEMMER: All right. Sure. Heidi.
COLLINS: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING: The final 9/11 report will be released later this morning. And in the next hour or so, we are expecting to hear President Bush's remarks about it from the Rose Garden. We'll have that live for you. HEMMER: Also in a moment: Some people say Chicago's Soldier Field lost a little bit of something when it was modernized. It may soon lose an important distinction as well. We'll talk about that.
COLLINS: And how's this for a happy homecoming? We'll talk to a soldier who came back from Iraq and had his life changed forever with that little piece of paper. Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: A prescription cream is getting the government green light for treating a common form of skin cancer.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us this morning from Boston with details on this. Good morning, Dr. Gupta.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning Heidi. Yes that FDA approval coming just recently -- Aldara -- that's the name of the product, one of the first skin creams ever that contains a little bit of a chemotherapy agent to try and treat a form of skin cancer.
One of the most common forms of skin cancer, a superficial basal cell carcinoma. Typically, this is going to be a benign form of cancer. It's not going to be a real problem, but if it is untreated it can grow and sometimes develop into a malignancy. That's why it needs to be treated.
Before now, surgery was really the only option. Now the first time after a phase III clinical trial, one of the most advanced clinical trials actually being done on this cream, they find that it's probably good to go to market.
Three hundred sixty-four patients were evaluated five times a week for six weeks, they received this medication. Here's what they found at the end of that period.
They found that 75 percent had no evidence of the cancer returning. On a visual exam. When they actually did a biopsy the numbers got better -- 82 percent of the time the cancer was gone.
Now a couple of things to point out, Heidi. This cream, they're already saying not for everyone. Really, this is reserved for people who cannot tolerate an operation. An operation is still going to be the better alternative to try and treat this form of skin cancer. Also if you have existing immune problems this also is not going to be a good option for you.
But still, Heidi, people pretty excited about the fact that you might be able to treat a form of cancer with a skin cream -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes, very exciting. So, when is surgery not appropriate, and then why only use the cream then?
GUPTA: Well, you know, operation or surgery is not appropriate for everybody for a couple of reasons. One is that there might be some other existing medical problems that may make it difficult or dangerous even for a patient to have an operation.
Other times since this sort of skin cancer can occur anywhere, anyplace on the body, there are some places that are harder to reach surgically and a skin cream might be appropriate in those cases as well, Heidi.
COLLINS: Well, how do you recognize and let me see if I can get this right -- superficial basal cell carcinoma? And then of course what can you do to prevent it?
GUPTA: Yes, I mean this is actually one of the more common forms of skin cancer. A lot of people can recognize it -- sort of the scaly, red patches that people sometimes see. You can see a picture of it there, and sometimes it's confused with just a normal skin growth or something that comes and goes.
That's a typical picture of a basal cell superficial basal cell carcinoma. Now again these are people that typically are exposed to sun as the most common cause of it. The UV light is going to be the biggest sort of indicator and predictor of people who are going to develop this sort of thing, but it can occur in people who don't get that much sunlight, as well.
Now, if you're concerned about something that you see at home, there are things to sort of look for on your own skin -- a new growth. A non-healing sore. That's an important one. People get a sore for some reason and it just doesn't heal.
That can be a concern. Spots that are changing size, shape, or color. Or, the nodule is actually starting to grow. Those are all good reasons to go see your doctor about it and if you're eligible maybe use this cream that's just been approved -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, very good. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, some good news to look forward to. That's for sure.
Still to come this morning: The 9/11 Commission will release its final report just a few hours from now. We are expecting President Bush to make some remarks in the next hour. We're going to have that for you live of course.
Some of the reports details have already gotten out including whether the Bush or Clinton administrations should take any blame. We're going to look at that ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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HEMMER: It's our understanding for the White House, the chairmen of the 9/11 Commission have arrived. They're delivering that report, almost 600 pages in length to the president.
We should hear from the president within the hour. Hamilton and Kean there at the White House a few moments ago. We'll follow it for you.
Back to Jack now here and "Question of the Day." JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, couple of stories in the papers that just ought to fry your eggs this Thursday morning. One of them in "The Washington Post" reports that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are now $12.5 billion over budget.
Remember that $65 billion appropriations? It's all gone. Because of this, "The Washington Post" reports that they are delaying the refurbishing of military equipment, grounding Air Force and Navy pilots, canceling training exercises, and one paragraph in that story says they're even buying bullets from Israel and England.
In "The New York Times," the other story, that just ought to really get you going, there aren't enough soldiers. And now that we've shipped the National Guard and the Reserves and everybody over there, the Army is being forced to call up recruits who were not scheduled for duty until next year to call them up this year.
So: What should be done about the military's manpower and money shortages?
It's unbelievable.
Grayce in Pennsylvania: "Unfortunately, I don't know the answer. But it's funny they've got money to pay Halliburton but not to keep our troops safe."
It's a pretty blunt assessment as to where this administration's priorities lie.
Gary in Nacogdoches Texas: "Add 50 cents to the gas tax to fund the war. I think we can gut it up and make that small sacrifice to keep our soldiers equipped and alive."
And D.W. in Crescent City, California: "It all comes down to intelligence. The intelligence about Afghanistan was correct and we needed to go in there. The intelligence about Iraq was not correct, and throwing money and soldiers at it will not make it so. I wonder if what we're hearing about homeland security, Iran and North Korea, is right or wrong."
Am@cnn.com
HEMMER: Remember two days ago we had that soldier on here, aged 67...
CAFFERTY: Yes, he's going back -- going back into uniform.
HEMMER: He may go back. You know he went back, he was called up, he went for his physical. What impressed me about him was that he said if he's needed to go, he'll do it. He's going to be 68 in February.
CAFFERTY: There's nobody in this country that will probably want to make the sacrifice necessary to do what the country needs to do if they're asked but the fact that they're having to call up 67-year-old guys to go back into the Army is a damned crime. HEMMER: I agree.
CAFFERTY: It just is.
HEMMER: Forty-eight minutes past the hour. To Fredricka Whitfield now the rest of the news today. Fred, good morning, again.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, again.
Well in just about three hours as you mentioned, Bill, the 9/11 Commission will release it's long-awaited report. According to sources familiar with the 575-page document, the Commission does not place blame on the Clinton or Bush administrations.
Instead, it calls for a major overhaul of U.S. anti-terrorism efforts including the creation of a national director of intelligence.
President Bush is receiving his briefing right now and he'll speak in the Rose Garden and we'll carry that live. CNN will also have live coverage of the 9/11 Commission's briefing today scheduled at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time.
On the presidential campaign trail today, President Bush is signing legislation this morning to allow off-duty and retired officers to carry concealed weapons. The president will then travel to Illinois where he'll speak on homeland security.
His rival, Senator John Kerry, is focusing on urban youth crime in an address to the Urban League. Later today, Kerry will be picking up the endorsement of fellow Democrat Dennis Kucinich.
A House panel has launched an investigation into Sandy Berger's removal of classified documents from the national archives. Berger says he inadvertently took the documents during preparations for the 9/11 hearings.
President Bush yesterday called the incident a serious matter that will be investigated by the Justice Department. The Democratic National Committee has requested all correspondence between the Justice Department and the White House regarding the probe.
A possible step toward peace in the Middle East. Officials from the U.S., Israel and Egypt are working to organize a peace conference.
At issue, an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the advancement of an internationally backed peace plan. It's not clear where the conference would be held, but it's tentatively set for October.
And one of the nation's most well known stadiums may be about to lose its status as a national historic landmark. Chicago's Soldier Field recently had a $660 million face lift. That's the reason federal officials now say it shouldn't be considered a national landmark and it should lose its place in the national register of historic places.
A final decision on the matter is a few months away -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, Fred. Thanks so much for that. Bill thinks it's beautiful there. He just wants the whole place to know.
HEMMER: Well, a lot of people in Chicago didn't like it because Soldier Field is such a landmark and then they put this very modern appeal to it. I think they did a great job. Yes, and if you're inside for a stadium for football -- you are right there near the field. So.
COLLINS: Which is the important thing.
HEMMER: I'm telling you.
COLLINS: Still to come this morning: He's a soldier who just was happy to be home until he found $4 million more reasons to get excited. He's standing by in Boston, and we'll talk to him live. You can wave if you'd like. Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
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COLLINS: Just back from a 13-month tour of duty in Iraq with his National Guard unit, Jack Morrissey of Norwood, Massachusetts, is a newly minted millionaire.
He struck it rich with a scratch off lottery ticket that will pay him, after taxes, $140,000 a year for life. Jack Morrissey joins us from Boston to share his fatigues to riches story. Boy that's a great way to put it, huh?
How are you doing today?
JACK MORRISSEY, ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: Good, how you doing, Heidi?
COLLINS: I'm doing great, but, obviously the bigger question is this was a life-changing event for you. You -- it's been five weeks that you've been back in this country. You were bankrupt.
You decided that with $10 in your pocket you could go to the store; buy a lottery ticket, not usually a regular event for you. And you just so happened to get the winning ticket. How in the heck do you feel?
MORRISSEY: Well, I feel great. I just -- I always hoped that I'd hit it big and well I guess I just have been blessed. I've been lucky. You know it's been -- like I say it's been a rough go of it and you know I can't be happier.
COLLINS: How did you feel when you got that ticket, though? When you learned that you had won? Did you believe it?
MORRISSEY: Oh, no. I'm still in a state of shock. I still can't believe it.
COLLINS: What did you do? MORRISSEY: It's -- I -- I -- well I ran up to somebody, showed them the ticket and I says is this real? And they said yes it's very real and I showed the agent and he says yes this is real. So, I ran out of the store and ran down to my mother's house.
COLLINS: And she confirmed it for you? She said yes, son, you really did win?
MORRISSEY: Yes, yes, I was shaking like a leaf.
COLLINS: I know this has been a really hard time. You mentioned already. The five weeks that you've been spending, really very uncertain for your life. Not knowing what to do about the money situation. You have a family. How hard has it been?
MORRISSEY: It's -- well I'm hoping to just take care of everybody in the family you know and we'll just go from there with it.
COLLINS: All right, so what are you going to do? With that money?
MORRISSEY: I plan on hopefully buying a house and maybe taking a few trips to Hawaii or some of the islands and just enjoy life.
COLLINS: You know, Jack, I have to say you are incredibly calm about this. Very reserved about it.
MORRISSEY: Well, it's not an easy thing. I guess you have to be level-headed. You know you can't just go out and spend the whole thing.
COLLINS: Well, it's very exciting for you I'm sure. We were talking about your family. You have a daughter who's getting ready to go to college?
MORRISSEY: Yes, she is, yes. And my dream is, yes, to put her through college and, you know -- you know, hopefully she gets a good education and she wants to be a journalist.
COLLINS: Yes, I heard about that. All right. Well, good for her. We like to hear that. Congratulations to you, Sergeant Morrissey. Great job, well done, good picking of the numbers, too.
MORRISSEY: Thank you very much, Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, Bill.
HEMMER: A great ending there, Heidi, you're right.
In a moment here, President Bush expected to make some remarks after his briefing for the report on the 9/11 Commission. We'll get that live to you from the White House in a moment.
Also talk with one of the lawmakers briefed on that report -- Republican Senator Mitch McConnell out of Kentucky. He's our guest in a moment. Much more top of the hour after this. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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