Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Florida Police Attacked Punta Gorda Resident Trying to Get Back to His Home in Area Hit by Charley; Discussing Scandal Involving New Jersey Governor James McGreevey
Aired August 18, 2004 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on! Come on man, he's frustrated! He's frustrated, man. What the hell are you doing?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Tempers flare in the aftermath of Charley. Did police go too far when they stopped one family from going home?
Muqtada al-Sadr is a no show in negotiations to end the stand-off in Najaf. Now, one official signals the time for talk may be over.
And Scott Peterson's defense team gets its first crack at Amber Frey. But can it undo any damage done by the latest tape heard by jurors, on this AMERICAN MORNING?
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone.
8:00 here in New York.
Heidi Collins is along us again today.
Soledad at home resting and waiting.
COLLINS: Yes.
HEMMER: We saw her yesterday.
COLLINS: Yes.
HEMMER: She looks terrific.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, she doesn't.
HEMMER: Yes, she does.
COLLINS: Oh, come on.
HEMMER: I thought she looked terrific.
CAFFERTY: She's eight months and three weeks pregnant with twins.
HEMMER: I understand that.
CAFFERTY: How can you look terrific? She's out like...
COLLINS: For being eight months and pregnant with twins, she looks terrific.
HEMMER: Soledad, you look great, by the way.
Some of the other news coming up this hour for you, the victims of hurricane Charley trying yet again to cope with the disruption in Florida. No drinkable water. No power for thousands, still. In a moment, the mayor of Sanibel Island, one of the hardest hit areas of Charley, will talk to us about what's being done to try and help the residents there. Slowly they're being allowed to go back into the outer islands there in southwest Florida. And it is a scene of devastation.
COLLINS: Also, the fallout from the scandal surrounding New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey. McGreevey wants to step down in November. Republicans and some Democrats want him out now. We're going to talk with one man who's trying to force him out through legal means.
HEMMER: Also this hour, Saudi Arabia's reputation taking a beating since the attacks of 9/11. Now the kingdom aiming to fix that problem, taking its case straight to the American people. We'll explain a bit later this hour.
What's on your mind?
CAFFERTY: Not nearly enough, apparently.
It's Wednesday, though, and we do talk about in the "File" things that people said in the last week that got our attention, including Denzel Washington talking about being brainwashed in Times Square, which can be a lot of fun if you do it right.
And Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recruiting other walking barbells for the Republican Party. The "Cafferty File" is along in a little less than an hour.
HEMMER: All right, thank you, Jack.
COLLINS: Thanks, Jack.
In Florida now, hurricane ravaged residents are trying to cope without some basic necessities. Hundreds of thousands of people still without power. Tens of thousands still without homes. And the frustration following Charley has led to some tense moments between hurricane survivors and police.
Here's Bob Franken.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE) BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lee County sheriff said his deputies had no choice but to temporarily incapacitate this man with a high-voltage taser gun after police say he tried to run over officers who were preventing them from crossing their blockades in this Fort Meyers Beach neighborhood.
UNIDENTIFIED SHERIFF'S DEPUTY: That violence can escalate, and it can escalate not just from there, but to other people. Once you get 20, 30, 40 people, now you've really have a problem.
FRANKEN: Attempts by CNN to locate the man for his comments have been unsuccessful. He was briefly jailed, and is now charged with failure to obey a lawful command and resisting arrest without violence.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Leave him alone, man! He's frustrated.
FRANKEN: It was a case of frustration exploding into anger. Witnesses the man, with his three children in his minivan, simply wanted to get back to his house. When he tried to move his van past police, they tasered him and pulled him from the car. He was one of so many prevented from returning to their homes for safety reasons.
Structures that aren't destroyed are often unlivable, with no electric power for hundreds of thousands to refrigerate food and provide air conditioning in the intense summer heat.
It all adds up to more and more heated tempers. Supplies are often short, lines long for everyone. Patience is thin.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COLLINS: And residents of Sanibel Island, Florida will see the damage to their homes for the first time today. The city has been locked down since Charley hit on Friday.
Mayor Marty Harrity joins us now from Sanibel Island to give us more information on what's happening there.
Mr. Mayor, hello to you.
Thanks for being with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
Tell us a little bit about what you're seeing now that you're able to get into Sanibel Island? MAYOR MARTY HARRITY, SANIBEL ISLAND: Well, I'll tell you, we're seeing a lot of happy faces. People are just delighted to be back and having an opportunity to come back and see their homes and make sure that everything is standing and they can eventually get back to some sense of normalcy.
COLLINS: Well, residents of the island, as we mentioned, are still very much without power and living in shelters there.
What is the situation as far as the attitude of people? We saw just moments ago some serious tensions in Punta Gorda. What is the feeling there? HARRITY: Well, I think the feeling here is one of relief, because we've had such a well-planned hurricane evacuation and the effort of all of the agencies, from the federal government to the state and local governments in getting this recovery effort put together. I mean, a little over 100 hours ago, you couldn't walk in Sanibel with all the debris. And now we're opening the island up and getting back to normal. The sun is shining and there's lots of happy faces. There was lots of anxiety, but I think preparation for the hurricane, having an early evacuation, making sure that nobody was on the island during the recovery, has made this such a successful recovery process. And we're just happy to be having smiling faces back in sunny Sanibel.
COLLINS: Yes, it certainly does look sunny where you are now. That's for sure.
But what is the plan for people whose homes were completely destroyed by this?
HARRITY: Well, I'll tell you, we were pretty fortunate because I don't believe that there was anything on Sanibel that was completely destroyed. There was some heavy, heavy damage done on the beach front with the condominiums and flat roofs. But I think we've had some, over the years, some pretty stringent building codes enforced and we really weathered this thing, from a structural standpoint.
I had an opportunity about two days ago to survey the island from the ground and aside from a lot of trees and debris and some roofs and things like that, and pool cages, we fared fairly well from the devastation. It was just a lot of debris, a lot of trees down and things like that. And the recovery, the effort from the volunteers and from all the different agencies has been absolutely phenomenal.
COLLINS: That's great news.
We're looking at a little bit of the tape right now from this morning, I believe people coming back into Sanibel Island. Certainly excited, I'm sure, about that, to see their homes.
What, though, do you think is the time frame, Mr. Mayor, for rebuilding Sanibel Island?
HARRITY: Well, I will tell you, the way it's been going right now, I think the organization and just all the efforts of all the city staff and so forth and, you know, we're waiting for utilities to come up, electricity and our sewer plant and our water. And I don't know that I can give you a definitive date, but I will tell you, it'll be a record breaking time. That I do know, based on what I saw and the fact that we're going back on that island in a little over 100 hours.
I'm hoping that, you know, in the next couple of weeks or even less than that, we'll have all of our utilities and functions going, and we'll be getting back to some sense of normalcy here on the island.
COLLINS: I certainly hope you'll be able to spread those good thoughts and positive attitude to everybody there in Sanibel Island.
Thanks so much, Mayor Marty Harrity.
Appreciate your time this morning.
HARRITY: Thank you so much.
COLLINS: Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Heidi.
Seven minutes past the hour now.
With pressure mounting for New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey to resign now -- in fact, we had the former governor, Republican Christie Todd Whitman, with us last hour here live. She insists the same thing. Two lawyers also suing to force a special state election in November to replace McGreevey. That would fly in the face of McGreevey's exit strategy for the 15th of November.
One of the plaintiffs, Attorney Bruce Afran, with us here to talk about his lawsuit.
Good morning to you.
BRUCE AFRAN, CIVIL RIGHTS LAWYER: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Why are you bringing this lawsuit?
AFRAN: We're bringing this lawsuit to make the point that it's the voters who decide who leads their state. Governor McGreevey has already abused his trust by placing his lover in a high position in state government. Now he wants to continue that process by trying to stay in office long enough so that his political crony in the state Senate can be an acting governor without facing an election.
HEMMER: Now, you were a Green Party candidate back in the year 2000, right? You aligned yourself with what you consider liberal Republicans in the State of New Jersey, just to be accurate?
AFRAN: Oh, yes. I mean I'm clearly identified on the liberal side in New Jersey.
HEMMER: If that's the case, what do you stand to gain with McGreevey stepping down, if that's the case?
AFRAN: I stand to gain nothing except standing for the right of people to control their government. And when politicians manipulate our system and violate the state constitution, they're breaching their trust. We've seen enough breach of trust with Governor McGreevey. He needs to do the decent thing and give people the chance to vote for his replacement.
HEMMER: Yesterday in "USA Today," here's an op-ed piece from Jim McGreevey, in part, on the screen, for our viewers: "Our constitution prescribes a nominating period next spring and a general election in the fall of 2005 so that voters are exposed to a full and unfettered debate on the critical issues affecting their future and quality of life. We should allow that process to work."
Do you agree with that process and that statement?
AFRAN: No. Governor McGreevey is concealing what the law says. If there's a vacancy more than 60 days before the next election, his replacement is supposed to be voted on by the people. That spring election will still take place. But we're supposed to have an election today so someone who fills out the last 14 months of his term is elected by the people
You know, what we need to understand, New Jersey politicians have treated state government as a private plantation. Really, with the type of corruption the governor and many of his cronies are involved in, we'd have to say that New Jersey's government is really an organized crime syndicate masquerading as public service.
HEMMER: I mean, that's pretty strong words.
AFRAN: Well, they are strong words.
HEMMER: If you look in court today in your home state, there's a fundraiser. Charles Kushner will appear in court today. The reports we get here at CNN are that he will plead guilty today to things like conspiracy, obstruction of justice, interstate promotion of prostitution.
Does this in any way lead to James McGreevey at this point?
AFRAN: Well, Charles Kushner was one of his principal fundraiser. McGreevey has also been named in a federal indictment as having given a code word to an individual who was seeking a state buyout of his property in exchange for campaign contributions.
So Governor McGreevey is directly tied in with federal indictments tied to his fundraiser.
And that's why I say we have a vast problem with corruption in New Jersey. Governor McGreevey's latest actions in promoting his lover to a state job is the tip of the iceberg. And that's why we need to have an election for his replacement. We can't have political manipulation.
HEMMER: If you look at the calendar, you're getting down to crunch time. The next date for you that is critical is what?
AFRAN: Actually, September 20 is the final deadline. September 3 is the date by which, if there's a vacancy, there must be a special election. September 20 is the date the ballots are printed. So there's plenty of time for a campaign to start and to get going.
HEMMER: Bruce Afran, thanks for coming in and talking with us today.
AFRAN: Bill, thank you. HEMMER: All right -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Ten minutes past the hour now.
Time for a look at some of the other news.
And Carol Costello -- Carol, hello.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, Heidi.
Thank you.
Eight men linked to this month's terror alert here in the United States have appeared in British court. The suspects are accused with terrorism related offenses, including preparing an act of terror that could include the use of radioactive or toxic materials. None of the men have entered a plea. They will remain in custody pending a court appearance next week.
Iraq's interim defense minister says preparations now under way for liberation of the Iman Ali Mosque in Najaf. Delegations from the Iraqi National Conference had hoped to secure a truce in Najaf, but members were rebuffed by radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Top officials now say the time to talk is over and they're ready to slug it out with al-Sadr's supporters.
Amber Frey will face cross-examination today in the Scott Peterson double murder case. A judge ruled yesterday that evidence about any relationships Frey had before she dated Peterson would not be admitted. But anything mentioned in the phone conversations is "fair game." We'll have a live update from the Redwood City courtroom in the next hour.
And an attorney for pop star Michael Jackson has been fined $1,000. The fine was imposed after Jackson's attorney refused to abandon questions deemed off limits by the judge. The defense team also failed to get search evidence barred from the case. The pretrial hearing is scheduled to resume tomorrow morning.
Back to New York now.
COLLINS: All right, Carol, thanks for that.
We're going to take a moment to check on the weather now.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: In a moment here, tragedy strikes a family after their 3- year-old dies choking on popcorn. Sanjay has the story. Also, important advice on keeping your child safe from the food hazards, in a moment.
COLLINS: And what the 9/11 report says about the Saudis and why the royal kingdom wants you to know about it, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: To hear the Saudi government tell it, the royal kingdom is getting a bad rap here in the U.S. And now it's launching a radio ad campaign in 19 American cities, trying to put the enemy or ally debate to rest.
Here is a listen for one of those ads now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM SAUDI RADIO AD, FROM THE ROYAL EMBASSY OF SAUDI ARABIA IN WASHINGTON)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fear, uncertainty, prejudice. Americans have been skeptical of Saudi Arabia since the 9/11 attacks. Finally, the impartial conclusions of the 9/11 Commission answer lingering questions.
Does the Saudi government fund al Qaeda?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have found no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution, or senior Saudi officials individually, funded the organization.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Well, Nail Al-Jubeir is the Saudi embassy spokesman, with us now from Washington to talk about this.
And good morning.
Welcome back here to AMERICAN MORNING.
NAIL AL-JUBEIR, SAUDI EMBASSY SPOKESMAN: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Why do you feel it necessary to play these ads across the country?
AL-JUBEIR: We want to put to rest the charges that have been lingering around since 9/11 that the Saudi government or Saudi officials have funded terrorism or extremism. I think the 9/11 report from the commission vindicated us on this and we want to make sure that people in this country are aware of it.
HEMMER: Well, we just played one clip.
Here's another one now for our viewers to listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM SAUDI RADIO AD, FROM THE ROYAL EMBASSY OF SAUDI ARABIA IN WASHINGTON)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did the Saudis curry favors to flee on clandestine flights post-9/11?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We found no evidence that any flights of Saudi nationals took place before the reopening of national air space. We found no evidence of political intervention. No one with known links to terrorism departed on these flights.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: That goes directly to a claim that's made in Michael Moore's documentary, "Fahrenheit 911," that grossed well over $150 million.
Is that the reason why you're responding specifically to that charge?
AL-JUBEIR: Well, let's be careful with the term documentary here. A documentary is based on facts, not fiction. And Michael Moore's book, when it refers to Saudi Arabia, is based on Greg Unger's book, which has been debunked and they're not willing to accept that.
I was on your show earlier on when he first reported it and we challenged him on that.
But it has nothing to do with Michael Moore's book. It has to do with the report. Our view is this is what the report says, this is what I've been saying for the last two years on a number of shows, that nothing illegal has happened. And we just want to make sure people are aware of it.
In the last few weeks, there's a lot of debate on, about the 9/11 Commission report. But most of it was focusing on domestic issues here, about the intelligence czar, about the failures. But little focus on the Saudi role. And we want to make sure that people are fully aware of that, that this is what the report also says about Saudi Arabia.
HEMMER: Yes, the tag line on these spots say this. "A message from the people of Saudi Arabia, strong allies, committed friends."
Ultimately, you're out to change minds here, aren't you?
AL-JUBEIR: Well, what we want to do is set the facts straight, and this is what happens. We have been allies for over 70 years. We worked together in, through the thick and thin. We were allies in the fight against extremism, against communism, against socialism, whether it's in Africa, Central America, our part of the world, and also in Afghanistan, to fight the Soviet occupation. So it goes longer.
What distracters have been saying is they're trying to define U.S.-Saudi relations based on 9/11 and as if the Saudi government has -- was fully complicit in that attack. And those ads are saying no, there's more to it. This -- we have nothing to do with it and this is what your own commission is saying.
HEMMER: Well, there's also a little more to it, based on what the commission found, too, talking about the problems with Saudi Arabia and fighting terrorism and being an ally. Concluding and quoting now, "Saudi Arabia" -- from the 9/11 report -- "Saudi Arabia has been a problematic ally in combating Islamic extremism." You couple that with the fact that 15 of the 19 hijackers from almost three years ago are from your kingdom. This is going to take an awful long time to live down.
What is being done now in your kingdom to change that impression?
AL-JUBEIR: Well, for starters, we have been cracking down on extremism in Saudi Arabia long before the Riyadh bombings and we continue to associate. There is not a day that passes by when we don't report attacks or killings of extremists. This is an all out war against extremism. And let's remember, al Qaeda was after us before it came after the United States. And this is a struggle. And the 9/11 report even mentions that we have uncovered and stopped possible attacks against U.S. interests.
But it went unnoticed in Saudi Arabia because we don't publicize what we do. Now we're doing it. I think that people need to know what Saudi Arabia is doing, what our relationship is, and we welcome any change in that relationship to make it more -- much more transparent. The more people know about Saudi Arabia, the less ammunition it gives to the enemies of the relationship.
HEMMER: Help us gain an understanding here in the short time we have left now. And I think this is very critical. How much more progress needs to be made in your kingdom before you can officially claim victory there?
AL-JUBEIR: Well, I think we have made -- there is major progress made. The al Qaeda is on the run. We have seen that those spectacular attacks that happened in Riyadh back in May and November of last year aren't there. What we have seen is random killings, no longer of high target, but random killing and sort of walking into an office building and killing people. That's more of a criminal element.
They're on the run. We have disrupted their communication. I don't think we are out of the woods now, but I think we see the light at the end of the tunnel.
HEMMER: All right, Nail Al-Jubeir, come on back and talk again when we have more to discuss, OK?
AL-JUBEIR: OK.
HEMMER: Appreciate it -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Still to come this morning, the Iraqi government may be issuing threats to rebels in Najaf and American troops will be in the middle of the fight. What's their plan?
And at the Olympics, can the struggling U.S. basketball team survive?
And answer this question in our Olympics quiz now. The Olympics motto is, are you ready, "Citius, Altius, Fortius." What does it mean? Is it obvious? Stay with us right here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Before the break, we asked you what the Olympics motto, this one, "Citius, Altius, Fortius," means.
Bill knows.
Apparently it's Latin for "Swifter, Higher, Stronger." It kind of sounds a little bit like the (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
Finally, score one for the U.S. men's basketball team in Athens. Still licking their wounds after Sunday's defeat by Puerto Rico, the U.S. Olympic team just barely edged out Greece, 77-71. Despite their victory, "The Daily Show" host, Jon Stewart, poked a little bit of fun at the team.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART," COURTESY COMEDY CENTRAL)
JON STEWART, HOST: I believe they're called the Dream Team. They got beat by one of our territories recently. They beat Greece today by six points. Now, I want to make something very clear. It wasn't even the Greek Olympic basketball team, it was a consortium of diner owners. Literally old men who, whenever they scored, would go, "Spenne coco pita! (ph)"
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Excellent.
COLLINS: Just say, you know, the men's team takes on Australia tomorrow.
HEMMER: Yes, Alan Iverson playing with a broken thumb. COLLINS: I know. What's going on?
HEMMER: Just pulled it out.
What's up, Jack?
CAFFERTY: We're talking about Muqtada al-Sadr, that rebel cleric in the city of Najaf, holed up inside that Shiite Muslim shrine. The Iraqi government sent a delegation to try and make a deal with him yesterday. He didn't even show up for the meeting. They've been fighting with him, then they stopped fighting with him. They have cease-fires. They try to do a truce. Nothing's working.
So we figured the viewers of this fine program could sort this international debacle out. What should be done about the radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr?
Wistar in Flowery Branch, Georgia writes: "He should disappear along with the supporters found with him when the special forces enter the room. No need for a funeral. The official story should be we gave him the money he asked for and he fled."
Rob in Tacoma: "They had better do what they should have done to Saddam in 1991 -- kill the creep, hang him in front of the rest of the people and yell real loud, 'who's next?'" Rob in Stratford, Connecticut: "I think the Russians had a solution for handling a terrorist situation without damaging the building. Remember that theater situation that happened there? Only this time no one will be upset if everyone in the building is killed. Al-Sadr has had more than enough chances. His time is up."
Reg writes: "Sadr wants to install a strict Taliban type regime to oppress women again. I suggest we send Janet Reno and Madeleine Albright over to negotiate."
And Bob writes -- some of you people are very tough.
HEMMER: Yes, they are.
CAFFERTY: Bob writes: "Send a bunch more of us Canadians in tutus in to flush them all out peacefully."
What Bob is referring to is this picture here...
HEMMER: Lovely.
CAFFERTY: ... of the guy at the Olympics in Athens making a surprise appearance. Perhaps he was on his way to Najaf and simply lost his way.
COLLINS: Perhaps.
HEMMER: You know, there's a school of thought here that if you -- if he dies during this confrontation, that you invite more problems on behalf of the Shiite population, not just in Iraq, but also in Iran.
CAFFERTY: How many more problems can there be than the ones we have now?
HEMMER: Yes, we have a lot today. That's right. That's why they're going careful.
Thank you, Jack.
Maybe a little bit later today we'll see.
As Jack mentioned, U.S. forces there already in that firefight in Najaf. But soon, they could be at the center of a political firestorm.
And the calls for Governor McGreevey to step down -- are they getting rid of corruption or are they just about getting rid of him and wanting his job? We'll get back to that in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING 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 August 18, 2004 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on! Come on man, he's frustrated! He's frustrated, man. What the hell are you doing?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Tempers flare in the aftermath of Charley. Did police go too far when they stopped one family from going home?
Muqtada al-Sadr is a no show in negotiations to end the stand-off in Najaf. Now, one official signals the time for talk may be over.
And Scott Peterson's defense team gets its first crack at Amber Frey. But can it undo any damage done by the latest tape heard by jurors, on this AMERICAN MORNING?
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone.
8:00 here in New York.
Heidi Collins is along us again today.
Soledad at home resting and waiting.
COLLINS: Yes.
HEMMER: We saw her yesterday.
COLLINS: Yes.
HEMMER: She looks terrific.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, she doesn't.
HEMMER: Yes, she does.
COLLINS: Oh, come on.
HEMMER: I thought she looked terrific.
CAFFERTY: She's eight months and three weeks pregnant with twins.
HEMMER: I understand that.
CAFFERTY: How can you look terrific? She's out like...
COLLINS: For being eight months and pregnant with twins, she looks terrific.
HEMMER: Soledad, you look great, by the way.
Some of the other news coming up this hour for you, the victims of hurricane Charley trying yet again to cope with the disruption in Florida. No drinkable water. No power for thousands, still. In a moment, the mayor of Sanibel Island, one of the hardest hit areas of Charley, will talk to us about what's being done to try and help the residents there. Slowly they're being allowed to go back into the outer islands there in southwest Florida. And it is a scene of devastation.
COLLINS: Also, the fallout from the scandal surrounding New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey. McGreevey wants to step down in November. Republicans and some Democrats want him out now. We're going to talk with one man who's trying to force him out through legal means.
HEMMER: Also this hour, Saudi Arabia's reputation taking a beating since the attacks of 9/11. Now the kingdom aiming to fix that problem, taking its case straight to the American people. We'll explain a bit later this hour.
What's on your mind?
CAFFERTY: Not nearly enough, apparently.
It's Wednesday, though, and we do talk about in the "File" things that people said in the last week that got our attention, including Denzel Washington talking about being brainwashed in Times Square, which can be a lot of fun if you do it right.
And Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recruiting other walking barbells for the Republican Party. The "Cafferty File" is along in a little less than an hour.
HEMMER: All right, thank you, Jack.
COLLINS: Thanks, Jack.
In Florida now, hurricane ravaged residents are trying to cope without some basic necessities. Hundreds of thousands of people still without power. Tens of thousands still without homes. And the frustration following Charley has led to some tense moments between hurricane survivors and police.
Here's Bob Franken.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE) BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lee County sheriff said his deputies had no choice but to temporarily incapacitate this man with a high-voltage taser gun after police say he tried to run over officers who were preventing them from crossing their blockades in this Fort Meyers Beach neighborhood.
UNIDENTIFIED SHERIFF'S DEPUTY: That violence can escalate, and it can escalate not just from there, but to other people. Once you get 20, 30, 40 people, now you've really have a problem.
FRANKEN: Attempts by CNN to locate the man for his comments have been unsuccessful. He was briefly jailed, and is now charged with failure to obey a lawful command and resisting arrest without violence.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Leave him alone, man! He's frustrated.
FRANKEN: It was a case of frustration exploding into anger. Witnesses the man, with his three children in his minivan, simply wanted to get back to his house. When he tried to move his van past police, they tasered him and pulled him from the car. He was one of so many prevented from returning to their homes for safety reasons.
Structures that aren't destroyed are often unlivable, with no electric power for hundreds of thousands to refrigerate food and provide air conditioning in the intense summer heat.
It all adds up to more and more heated tempers. Supplies are often short, lines long for everyone. Patience is thin.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COLLINS: And residents of Sanibel Island, Florida will see the damage to their homes for the first time today. The city has been locked down since Charley hit on Friday.
Mayor Marty Harrity joins us now from Sanibel Island to give us more information on what's happening there.
Mr. Mayor, hello to you.
Thanks for being with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
Tell us a little bit about what you're seeing now that you're able to get into Sanibel Island? MAYOR MARTY HARRITY, SANIBEL ISLAND: Well, I'll tell you, we're seeing a lot of happy faces. People are just delighted to be back and having an opportunity to come back and see their homes and make sure that everything is standing and they can eventually get back to some sense of normalcy.
COLLINS: Well, residents of the island, as we mentioned, are still very much without power and living in shelters there.
What is the situation as far as the attitude of people? We saw just moments ago some serious tensions in Punta Gorda. What is the feeling there? HARRITY: Well, I think the feeling here is one of relief, because we've had such a well-planned hurricane evacuation and the effort of all of the agencies, from the federal government to the state and local governments in getting this recovery effort put together. I mean, a little over 100 hours ago, you couldn't walk in Sanibel with all the debris. And now we're opening the island up and getting back to normal. The sun is shining and there's lots of happy faces. There was lots of anxiety, but I think preparation for the hurricane, having an early evacuation, making sure that nobody was on the island during the recovery, has made this such a successful recovery process. And we're just happy to be having smiling faces back in sunny Sanibel.
COLLINS: Yes, it certainly does look sunny where you are now. That's for sure.
But what is the plan for people whose homes were completely destroyed by this?
HARRITY: Well, I'll tell you, we were pretty fortunate because I don't believe that there was anything on Sanibel that was completely destroyed. There was some heavy, heavy damage done on the beach front with the condominiums and flat roofs. But I think we've had some, over the years, some pretty stringent building codes enforced and we really weathered this thing, from a structural standpoint.
I had an opportunity about two days ago to survey the island from the ground and aside from a lot of trees and debris and some roofs and things like that, and pool cages, we fared fairly well from the devastation. It was just a lot of debris, a lot of trees down and things like that. And the recovery, the effort from the volunteers and from all the different agencies has been absolutely phenomenal.
COLLINS: That's great news.
We're looking at a little bit of the tape right now from this morning, I believe people coming back into Sanibel Island. Certainly excited, I'm sure, about that, to see their homes.
What, though, do you think is the time frame, Mr. Mayor, for rebuilding Sanibel Island?
HARRITY: Well, I will tell you, the way it's been going right now, I think the organization and just all the efforts of all the city staff and so forth and, you know, we're waiting for utilities to come up, electricity and our sewer plant and our water. And I don't know that I can give you a definitive date, but I will tell you, it'll be a record breaking time. That I do know, based on what I saw and the fact that we're going back on that island in a little over 100 hours.
I'm hoping that, you know, in the next couple of weeks or even less than that, we'll have all of our utilities and functions going, and we'll be getting back to some sense of normalcy here on the island.
COLLINS: I certainly hope you'll be able to spread those good thoughts and positive attitude to everybody there in Sanibel Island.
Thanks so much, Mayor Marty Harrity.
Appreciate your time this morning.
HARRITY: Thank you so much.
COLLINS: Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Heidi.
Seven minutes past the hour now.
With pressure mounting for New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey to resign now -- in fact, we had the former governor, Republican Christie Todd Whitman, with us last hour here live. She insists the same thing. Two lawyers also suing to force a special state election in November to replace McGreevey. That would fly in the face of McGreevey's exit strategy for the 15th of November.
One of the plaintiffs, Attorney Bruce Afran, with us here to talk about his lawsuit.
Good morning to you.
BRUCE AFRAN, CIVIL RIGHTS LAWYER: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Why are you bringing this lawsuit?
AFRAN: We're bringing this lawsuit to make the point that it's the voters who decide who leads their state. Governor McGreevey has already abused his trust by placing his lover in a high position in state government. Now he wants to continue that process by trying to stay in office long enough so that his political crony in the state Senate can be an acting governor without facing an election.
HEMMER: Now, you were a Green Party candidate back in the year 2000, right? You aligned yourself with what you consider liberal Republicans in the State of New Jersey, just to be accurate?
AFRAN: Oh, yes. I mean I'm clearly identified on the liberal side in New Jersey.
HEMMER: If that's the case, what do you stand to gain with McGreevey stepping down, if that's the case?
AFRAN: I stand to gain nothing except standing for the right of people to control their government. And when politicians manipulate our system and violate the state constitution, they're breaching their trust. We've seen enough breach of trust with Governor McGreevey. He needs to do the decent thing and give people the chance to vote for his replacement.
HEMMER: Yesterday in "USA Today," here's an op-ed piece from Jim McGreevey, in part, on the screen, for our viewers: "Our constitution prescribes a nominating period next spring and a general election in the fall of 2005 so that voters are exposed to a full and unfettered debate on the critical issues affecting their future and quality of life. We should allow that process to work."
Do you agree with that process and that statement?
AFRAN: No. Governor McGreevey is concealing what the law says. If there's a vacancy more than 60 days before the next election, his replacement is supposed to be voted on by the people. That spring election will still take place. But we're supposed to have an election today so someone who fills out the last 14 months of his term is elected by the people
You know, what we need to understand, New Jersey politicians have treated state government as a private plantation. Really, with the type of corruption the governor and many of his cronies are involved in, we'd have to say that New Jersey's government is really an organized crime syndicate masquerading as public service.
HEMMER: I mean, that's pretty strong words.
AFRAN: Well, they are strong words.
HEMMER: If you look in court today in your home state, there's a fundraiser. Charles Kushner will appear in court today. The reports we get here at CNN are that he will plead guilty today to things like conspiracy, obstruction of justice, interstate promotion of prostitution.
Does this in any way lead to James McGreevey at this point?
AFRAN: Well, Charles Kushner was one of his principal fundraiser. McGreevey has also been named in a federal indictment as having given a code word to an individual who was seeking a state buyout of his property in exchange for campaign contributions.
So Governor McGreevey is directly tied in with federal indictments tied to his fundraiser.
And that's why I say we have a vast problem with corruption in New Jersey. Governor McGreevey's latest actions in promoting his lover to a state job is the tip of the iceberg. And that's why we need to have an election for his replacement. We can't have political manipulation.
HEMMER: If you look at the calendar, you're getting down to crunch time. The next date for you that is critical is what?
AFRAN: Actually, September 20 is the final deadline. September 3 is the date by which, if there's a vacancy, there must be a special election. September 20 is the date the ballots are printed. So there's plenty of time for a campaign to start and to get going.
HEMMER: Bruce Afran, thanks for coming in and talking with us today.
AFRAN: Bill, thank you. HEMMER: All right -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Ten minutes past the hour now.
Time for a look at some of the other news.
And Carol Costello -- Carol, hello.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, Heidi.
Thank you.
Eight men linked to this month's terror alert here in the United States have appeared in British court. The suspects are accused with terrorism related offenses, including preparing an act of terror that could include the use of radioactive or toxic materials. None of the men have entered a plea. They will remain in custody pending a court appearance next week.
Iraq's interim defense minister says preparations now under way for liberation of the Iman Ali Mosque in Najaf. Delegations from the Iraqi National Conference had hoped to secure a truce in Najaf, but members were rebuffed by radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Top officials now say the time to talk is over and they're ready to slug it out with al-Sadr's supporters.
Amber Frey will face cross-examination today in the Scott Peterson double murder case. A judge ruled yesterday that evidence about any relationships Frey had before she dated Peterson would not be admitted. But anything mentioned in the phone conversations is "fair game." We'll have a live update from the Redwood City courtroom in the next hour.
And an attorney for pop star Michael Jackson has been fined $1,000. The fine was imposed after Jackson's attorney refused to abandon questions deemed off limits by the judge. The defense team also failed to get search evidence barred from the case. The pretrial hearing is scheduled to resume tomorrow morning.
Back to New York now.
COLLINS: All right, Carol, thanks for that.
We're going to take a moment to check on the weather now.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: In a moment here, tragedy strikes a family after their 3- year-old dies choking on popcorn. Sanjay has the story. Also, important advice on keeping your child safe from the food hazards, in a moment.
COLLINS: And what the 9/11 report says about the Saudis and why the royal kingdom wants you to know about it, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: To hear the Saudi government tell it, the royal kingdom is getting a bad rap here in the U.S. And now it's launching a radio ad campaign in 19 American cities, trying to put the enemy or ally debate to rest.
Here is a listen for one of those ads now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM SAUDI RADIO AD, FROM THE ROYAL EMBASSY OF SAUDI ARABIA IN WASHINGTON)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fear, uncertainty, prejudice. Americans have been skeptical of Saudi Arabia since the 9/11 attacks. Finally, the impartial conclusions of the 9/11 Commission answer lingering questions.
Does the Saudi government fund al Qaeda?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have found no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution, or senior Saudi officials individually, funded the organization.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Well, Nail Al-Jubeir is the Saudi embassy spokesman, with us now from Washington to talk about this.
And good morning.
Welcome back here to AMERICAN MORNING.
NAIL AL-JUBEIR, SAUDI EMBASSY SPOKESMAN: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Why do you feel it necessary to play these ads across the country?
AL-JUBEIR: We want to put to rest the charges that have been lingering around since 9/11 that the Saudi government or Saudi officials have funded terrorism or extremism. I think the 9/11 report from the commission vindicated us on this and we want to make sure that people in this country are aware of it.
HEMMER: Well, we just played one clip.
Here's another one now for our viewers to listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM SAUDI RADIO AD, FROM THE ROYAL EMBASSY OF SAUDI ARABIA IN WASHINGTON)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did the Saudis curry favors to flee on clandestine flights post-9/11?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We found no evidence that any flights of Saudi nationals took place before the reopening of national air space. We found no evidence of political intervention. No one with known links to terrorism departed on these flights.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: That goes directly to a claim that's made in Michael Moore's documentary, "Fahrenheit 911," that grossed well over $150 million.
Is that the reason why you're responding specifically to that charge?
AL-JUBEIR: Well, let's be careful with the term documentary here. A documentary is based on facts, not fiction. And Michael Moore's book, when it refers to Saudi Arabia, is based on Greg Unger's book, which has been debunked and they're not willing to accept that.
I was on your show earlier on when he first reported it and we challenged him on that.
But it has nothing to do with Michael Moore's book. It has to do with the report. Our view is this is what the report says, this is what I've been saying for the last two years on a number of shows, that nothing illegal has happened. And we just want to make sure people are aware of it.
In the last few weeks, there's a lot of debate on, about the 9/11 Commission report. But most of it was focusing on domestic issues here, about the intelligence czar, about the failures. But little focus on the Saudi role. And we want to make sure that people are fully aware of that, that this is what the report also says about Saudi Arabia.
HEMMER: Yes, the tag line on these spots say this. "A message from the people of Saudi Arabia, strong allies, committed friends."
Ultimately, you're out to change minds here, aren't you?
AL-JUBEIR: Well, what we want to do is set the facts straight, and this is what happens. We have been allies for over 70 years. We worked together in, through the thick and thin. We were allies in the fight against extremism, against communism, against socialism, whether it's in Africa, Central America, our part of the world, and also in Afghanistan, to fight the Soviet occupation. So it goes longer.
What distracters have been saying is they're trying to define U.S.-Saudi relations based on 9/11 and as if the Saudi government has -- was fully complicit in that attack. And those ads are saying no, there's more to it. This -- we have nothing to do with it and this is what your own commission is saying.
HEMMER: Well, there's also a little more to it, based on what the commission found, too, talking about the problems with Saudi Arabia and fighting terrorism and being an ally. Concluding and quoting now, "Saudi Arabia" -- from the 9/11 report -- "Saudi Arabia has been a problematic ally in combating Islamic extremism." You couple that with the fact that 15 of the 19 hijackers from almost three years ago are from your kingdom. This is going to take an awful long time to live down.
What is being done now in your kingdom to change that impression?
AL-JUBEIR: Well, for starters, we have been cracking down on extremism in Saudi Arabia long before the Riyadh bombings and we continue to associate. There is not a day that passes by when we don't report attacks or killings of extremists. This is an all out war against extremism. And let's remember, al Qaeda was after us before it came after the United States. And this is a struggle. And the 9/11 report even mentions that we have uncovered and stopped possible attacks against U.S. interests.
But it went unnoticed in Saudi Arabia because we don't publicize what we do. Now we're doing it. I think that people need to know what Saudi Arabia is doing, what our relationship is, and we welcome any change in that relationship to make it more -- much more transparent. The more people know about Saudi Arabia, the less ammunition it gives to the enemies of the relationship.
HEMMER: Help us gain an understanding here in the short time we have left now. And I think this is very critical. How much more progress needs to be made in your kingdom before you can officially claim victory there?
AL-JUBEIR: Well, I think we have made -- there is major progress made. The al Qaeda is on the run. We have seen that those spectacular attacks that happened in Riyadh back in May and November of last year aren't there. What we have seen is random killings, no longer of high target, but random killing and sort of walking into an office building and killing people. That's more of a criminal element.
They're on the run. We have disrupted their communication. I don't think we are out of the woods now, but I think we see the light at the end of the tunnel.
HEMMER: All right, Nail Al-Jubeir, come on back and talk again when we have more to discuss, OK?
AL-JUBEIR: OK.
HEMMER: Appreciate it -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Still to come this morning, the Iraqi government may be issuing threats to rebels in Najaf and American troops will be in the middle of the fight. What's their plan?
And at the Olympics, can the struggling U.S. basketball team survive?
And answer this question in our Olympics quiz now. The Olympics motto is, are you ready, "Citius, Altius, Fortius." What does it mean? Is it obvious? Stay with us right here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Before the break, we asked you what the Olympics motto, this one, "Citius, Altius, Fortius," means.
Bill knows.
Apparently it's Latin for "Swifter, Higher, Stronger." It kind of sounds a little bit like the (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
Finally, score one for the U.S. men's basketball team in Athens. Still licking their wounds after Sunday's defeat by Puerto Rico, the U.S. Olympic team just barely edged out Greece, 77-71. Despite their victory, "The Daily Show" host, Jon Stewart, poked a little bit of fun at the team.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART," COURTESY COMEDY CENTRAL)
JON STEWART, HOST: I believe they're called the Dream Team. They got beat by one of our territories recently. They beat Greece today by six points. Now, I want to make something very clear. It wasn't even the Greek Olympic basketball team, it was a consortium of diner owners. Literally old men who, whenever they scored, would go, "Spenne coco pita! (ph)"
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Excellent.
COLLINS: Just say, you know, the men's team takes on Australia tomorrow.
HEMMER: Yes, Alan Iverson playing with a broken thumb. COLLINS: I know. What's going on?
HEMMER: Just pulled it out.
What's up, Jack?
CAFFERTY: We're talking about Muqtada al-Sadr, that rebel cleric in the city of Najaf, holed up inside that Shiite Muslim shrine. The Iraqi government sent a delegation to try and make a deal with him yesterday. He didn't even show up for the meeting. They've been fighting with him, then they stopped fighting with him. They have cease-fires. They try to do a truce. Nothing's working.
So we figured the viewers of this fine program could sort this international debacle out. What should be done about the radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr?
Wistar in Flowery Branch, Georgia writes: "He should disappear along with the supporters found with him when the special forces enter the room. No need for a funeral. The official story should be we gave him the money he asked for and he fled."
Rob in Tacoma: "They had better do what they should have done to Saddam in 1991 -- kill the creep, hang him in front of the rest of the people and yell real loud, 'who's next?'" Rob in Stratford, Connecticut: "I think the Russians had a solution for handling a terrorist situation without damaging the building. Remember that theater situation that happened there? Only this time no one will be upset if everyone in the building is killed. Al-Sadr has had more than enough chances. His time is up."
Reg writes: "Sadr wants to install a strict Taliban type regime to oppress women again. I suggest we send Janet Reno and Madeleine Albright over to negotiate."
And Bob writes -- some of you people are very tough.
HEMMER: Yes, they are.
CAFFERTY: Bob writes: "Send a bunch more of us Canadians in tutus in to flush them all out peacefully."
What Bob is referring to is this picture here...
HEMMER: Lovely.
CAFFERTY: ... of the guy at the Olympics in Athens making a surprise appearance. Perhaps he was on his way to Najaf and simply lost his way.
COLLINS: Perhaps.
HEMMER: You know, there's a school of thought here that if you -- if he dies during this confrontation, that you invite more problems on behalf of the Shiite population, not just in Iraq, but also in Iran.
CAFFERTY: How many more problems can there be than the ones we have now?
HEMMER: Yes, we have a lot today. That's right. That's why they're going careful.
Thank you, Jack.
Maybe a little bit later today we'll see.
As Jack mentioned, U.S. forces there already in that firefight in Najaf. But soon, they could be at the center of a political firestorm.
And the calls for Governor McGreevey to step down -- are they getting rid of corruption or are they just about getting rid of him and wanting his job? We'll get back to that in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING 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
