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Troop Movements; Interview with Deputy National Security Advisor Jim Wilkinson; 'Live Rich Today'

Aired August 19, 2004 - 07:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Also, summer is almost over, and if you've got kids, you know how expensive it can be when you go out shopping for school supplies. We've got some special tips for you. A little bit later on we'll talk to our personal finance coach, David Bach, about that.
But first, we want to take you directly to Texas, where we're learning about a fire. Take a look at these pictures now. Apparently an explosion at an underground storage facility. This is in Liberty County, Texas. These pictures coming to us from KTRK, affiliate coverage there. That station is saying that apparently one person was in the facility at the time but was able to get out. Crews are still looking for other people who may be inside.

Once again, an explosion at an underground storage facility, Liberty County, Texas. Apparently some homes are being evacuated about a one-mile radius from that facility. We'll get more and get it to you if we can.

HEMMER: All right, in the meantime, back to this whole issue about troop redeployment. While President Bush defends his plan to bring troops home from Asia and Europe, his Democratic rival is opposing that plan.

Here's Dan Lothian in Cincinnati.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): As Senator John Kerry addressed thousands of veterans of foreign wars in Cincinnati, Ohio, one sign of this crowd's partisan divide. These two men turned their backs on his speech to protest his actions after returning from Vietnam, an issue he often seeks to explain on the campaign trial.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I volunteered for the duty that we had. I didn't make it controversial; the war and the times were. And as too many of us know, it was a time when the war and the warriors became confused.

LOTHIAN: Kerry did have his supporters here as he promised to fight for veterans if elected president, and lashed out at the Bush redeployment proposal, saying withdrawing 70,000 troops from Asia and Europe is the wrong signal to send at the wrong time.

KERRY: The president's vaguely-stated plan does not strengthen our hand in the war on terror. It in no way relieves the strain on our overextended military personnel.

LOTHIAN: For these veterans, health care issues top their agenda, but military might and the war in Iraq are prominent on their radar. The Kerry campaign aims to show the senator can be strong on defense and be an effective commander-in-chief, touting a plan to add some 40,000 active-duty troops and double the number of special forces personnel.

Kerry says for 35 years he has stood up for veterans. Now he hopes they'll stand up for him.

Dan Lothian, CNN, with the Kerry campaign in Cincinnati.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Again, that was yesterday.

The White House wasting no time answering Senator Kerry's charge. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice with CNN yesterday said this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: This has been a textbook example of coordination and consultation with our allies on plans that were drawn up by our combatant commanders to try and move the American force posture from what clearly was a Cold War force posture to one that is appropriate now to the challenges that we have in the 21st century.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Jim Wilkinson is deputy national security adviser, works with Dr. Rice. He is our guest now from the White House.

Good morning and thanks for your time today.

JIM WILKINSON, DEP. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: Good morning, Bill.

HEMMER: Senator Kerry essentially said yesterday it's a bad idea, it confuses allies. How does the White House defend itself on that front?

WILKINSON: Well, Senator Kerry, I think, is actually debating with himself, because on August 1 he did support the redeployments of troops on the Korean peninsula and in Europe.

Let me give you a real-world example. Take Germany. We have a lot of heavy forces in Germany that were put there to defend an internal border which is no longer there anymore as Germany has been unified. They were put there to fight against the Warsaw Pact, and the Warsaw Pact is no more. And many of those nations are now in NATO.

They were put there to protect against a Soviet army that would come rumbling across that plain into Germany. That's not a threat anymore.

This president has worked with his allies and his combatant commanders and military professionals over a number of years now to develop a plan to help make America safer. And the way you help make America safer is to make our troops more agile and more.

HEMMER: Yes.

WILKINSON: Bill, I'll remind you when we went to war in Afghanistan, the issue wasn't our basing in Germany. The issue was that we didn't have over-flight and basing rights in Uzbekistan. We don't face a large Soviet army threat anymore. What we face is an enemy that hides in the shadows, lives in caves. And if September 11 taught us anything, it taught us that the threat has changed, and we must adapt as a military.

HEMMER: You talked a lot about Germany in your answer there. Senator John McCain also talking about this redeployment plan and speaking specifically about Korea. Here is what he said: "I'm particularly concerned about moving troops out of South Korea when North Korea has probably never been more dangerous than anytime since the end of the Korean War."

Is Senator McCain wrong on this?

WILKINSON: I think we want to look at those most affected. That would be the South Koreans. As you've seen in the last two to three days, they've issued statements of support.

One of the thorns in the side of South Korea has been the fact that our military headquarters has been in Seoul. That will be moved outside of Seoul.

If Operation Iraqi Freedom taught us anything, it taught us that technology and redeployment of forces allow us to do thing that we've never been able to do.

Kim Jong-il, the leader of North Korea, knows the difference between capacity and numbers.

HEMMER: Let's talk about Iraq, if we could quickly then. Muqtada al-Sadr, that situation continues to be very tense at this point. What's the strategy for dealing with Muqtada al-Sadr?

WILKINSON: Well, first and foremost, this is an Iraqi government issue, and they're going a good job of dealing with it.

I will say from Muqtada al-Sadr that we've heard his words before. And we're not really listening to his words. We want to see his deeds. The Iraqis want him out of that Imam Ali Mosque. They want him to turn his weapons over to the Iraqi force. They want him to disarm this Mehdi militia.

And as you saw at the conference the other day when one of the female delegates stood up, the Iraqis know that Muqtada al-Sadr doesn't stand for them or their future. He has got to get out of that mosque and give up his weapons and give up this fight.

HEMMER: Do you believe, then, Mr. Wilkinson, that if Muqtada al- Sadr is dead as a result of this, killed in this fighting, that it could actually bring more than you have now?

WILKINSON: Who knows? I don't get into hypotheticals. What I know is that Iraqi government has made very clear that the situation as it stands cannot stand.

I also will note that the Shia community, the clerics in that country are very upset at Muqtada al-Sadr, because he's taking one of their most revered shrines, the Imam Ali Mosque, and using it with explosives and these sorts of weapons and activities.

So, you know, this is an Iraqi issue. But our forces are out there. They're fighting bravely. They're watching closely. And we want to see his deeds, not hear his words.

HEMMER: One final comment about Senator Kerry breaking with tradition. When the RNC convenes here in two weeks in New York, Senator Kerry actually will campaign at least one day during that week when the Republicans have their convention. Any White House reaction to that?

WILKINSON: You know, I don't do politics. I work at the National Security Council. We're worried about killing and capturing terrorists and trying to make America safer. So, I don't know what he's up to and what he's doing. I assume he's trying to figure out what position he has on North Korea and Germany forces. I just don't know.

HEMMER: Jim Wilkinson, thanks for your time, Front Lawn of the White House this morning.

WILKINSON: You bet.

HEMMER: Also next hour here, in fact, we'll talk with General Daniel Chrisman (ph). He's with the Kerry campaign, the senior military adviser. We'll see what he has to say about these issues then. Stay tuned for that.

Now -- Heidi.

COLLINS: U.S. Senator Jon Corzine of New Jersey will not run for governor of the state if there is a special election. Some Democrats and Republicans hoped he would. That may have forced Governor James McGreevey to resign earlier than planned. He will resign, though, November 15.

Last week McGreevey shocked the nation after revealing he had a gay extramarital affair.

Thirty-seven minutes past the hour now. Time for a look at some of today's other news with Carol Costello.

Hi -- Carol. CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Heidi.

We have a little more information for you about the explosion in Texas we told you about just 10 minutes ago. There has been an explosion at an underground storage facility near the Liberty County border line. Officials say at least one person may have been in the facility at the time. Crews are now searching for others that may have been inside the building.

The United Nations is remembering its colleagues killed one year ago today in a suicide bombing in Iraq. Twenty-two people died in an attack the U.N. calls its September 11. Simultaneous ceremonies will be held about a half-hour from now in Geneva, Jordan and in New York.

The federal government and the airlines have agreed to cut flights in an effort to ease congestion at O'Hare International Airport. Thirty-seven daily peak hour arrivals will be cut from November 1 through the end of April. The measure is expected to cut delays by 20 percent at O'Hare and 5 percent nationwide.

And a suspicious liquid that led authorities to shut down the Fort Wayne International Airport yesterday turned out to be a chemical used to make perfume. Officials say the liquid spilled from a broken bottle in an unclaimed piece of luggage, prompting authorities to investigate. The airport resumed normal operations yesterday afternoon.

Back to you -- Bill.

HEMMER: A sign of the times yet again, huh, Carol? Thanks.

COSTELLO: It made one employee sick actually, so it must have been not very great perfume.

HEMMER: Yes, point well taken. Thank you, Carol.

Here's something that caught our eye this morning. Take a look at the world's lightest flying micro-robot. It's controlled by remote control, and it has an onboard camera that can beam wireless images. One day it could provide surveillance or help search the debris in a disaster. That's the good news. The bad news, right now it only flies for three minutes at a time. Baby steps, though, with technology.

(WEATHER BREAK)

COLLINS: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, it's back-to-school time. And we're going to learn how to shop for it the smart way. All of the supplies can get pretty darn expensive.

HEMMER: Smart way and the cheap way, too, right?

COLLINS: Yes.

HEMMER: Also, is John Kerry now taking the lead in a must-win state for the White House in Campaign 2004? We'll have the numbers for you ahead.

COLLINS: And, an Army National Guard soldier who doesn't want his service extended is challenging the military in court.

Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: It's time now to check in with Jack and our "Question of the Day."

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Two hours is all it took, Heidi, yesterday for a Chicago to find a man guilty of murder. It's a case that nobody would have any paid attention to except for the fact that Oprah Winfrey was a member of the jury that convicted this guy.

Billionaire TV talk show host was definitely a distraction, leading some to wonder why the lawyers agreed have such a high-profile person on the jury. That's the question of the day, Virginia: Should celebrities serve on juries?

John in Madison writes: "Jack, I'm not sure about the jury, but there are a lot of celebrities I'd like to see as defendants. If we can try and convict a murderer in Chicago in less than a week" -- three days is all it took -- "I think we move all murder trials to Cook County."

That's a good idea.

Brendon -- Brenna, rather, in Dardanelle, Arkansas: "Yes, they should. Why should wealthy celebrities be denied the same experience or inconvenience, depending on your point of view, that every other American gets?"

Jay in Birmingham: "I'm sure the only thing that could be heard during jury deliberations was the sound of everybody sucking up to Oprah. How could it be fair to ask a jury to objectively agree or disagree with a celebrity that they either admire or despite? It totally changes the focus of the trial."

Mike in Las Vegas, Nevada: "I retired after spending 20 years as a prosecutor. I'm convinced that no one should serve on juries. They don't work. A celebrity can be just as stupid as a Mensa member."

And Paul writes: "Oprah serving on the jury was a breath of fresh air. She is the first celebrity in recent memory who was able to leave the court using the front door."

I like that.

HEMMER: That issue of not sucking up, though, she had said afterwards that she tried to lay low in terms of deliberations and did not want to be the jury forewoman, which she had not served, to make sure that she would...

COLLINS: There was security and there were all of these people around.

HEMMER: I think it's a great point. Have you ever served jury duty, by the way?

CAFFERTY: Yes, I have. It sucks. It's an awful experience, but you have to do it. But, I mean, how can Oprah Winfrey lay low? She's Oprah Winfrey!

HEMMER: I agree with you 100 percent.

CAFFERTY: I mean, you go into that deliberation room. It's a little, tiny room, and there are 12 people sitting around a little, tiny table. I mean...

HEMMER: To be honest, I was surprised she was still on that jury. I mean, maybe the fact that it only lasted three days helped her stay there. A lot of times journalists are dismissed, by the way.

CAFFERTY: Not anymore, at least in New Jersey. Everybody, everybody has to serve, whether you're a cop, a fireman, even lawyers have to serve on juries. Now, there's a way to screw up the justice system.

HEMMER: They let me go after day one, by the way. They took one look at me and said, Hemmer, you're out.

CAFFERTY: Well, that might not have had anything to do with your celebrity.

HEMMER: Correct.

COLLINS: I knew you were going to say that.

HEMMER: I'm moving to New Jersey, Jack.

CAFFERTY: There you go.

HEMMER: Last night on "The Daily Show" Jon Stewart poking some at the whole issue of Muqtada al-Sadr, whether or not he'll be part of the political process in Iraq at some point.

Here's Stewart from last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON STEWART, "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART": He's decided to throw away the militia and join the political process, which I think is so nice. What an interesting way to join the political process. At the parliamentary, I guess, orientation that they'll probably have, everybody will be like, oh, how did you get here? And he'll be like, well, I -- it was funny. I holed up in the holiest place in Iraq and threatened to turn the streets into blood rivers. One thing leads to another, and I'm on the committee chairing appropriations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Who would have thunk? Oh, boy.

CAFFERTY: Funny guy.

COLLINS: Yes, he is funny.

Still to come, though, this morning, don't buy another pencil case or notebook until you hear the best places to go and the strategies for back-to-school shopping. Stay with us right here on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: After an anxiety-free summer, back to school can hit kids like a ton of bricks; parents, too, for that matter. That's why the aftershock, back-to-school shopping. They're expected to spend an average of $483 this year. That's up about 7 percent from 2003. In fact, that's some $15 billion nationally to outfit students K through 12.

David Bach is our personal finance contributor and author of "The Automatic Millionaire." In this week's edition of "Live Rich Today," he schools us on back-to-school shopping.

OK, so this is an incredibly expensive time of the year, more expensive than Christmas?

DAVID BACH, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, this is the thing that breaks the family budget for the year, because parents go shopping for back-to-school with no plans. It's not like the holidays where people know, yes, we should get a budget. They take the kids to the mall, and they don't have an attack plan. They break out the credit cards, and they spend two to three times more than they expected.

COLLINS: So, all right, that's your first tip. Stick to your budget, for sure. The next one, you say parents should involve their kids in the process. That doesn't get more difficult?

BACH: You want to be sitting down the kids now and saying, listen -- and, of course, it depends on the age -- what do you think we need to spend the next season? Between now and the end of the year what do you think we'll spend on clothes? Come up with a specific budget. You know what? We're going to spend $500. You can get one pair of shoes, two pairs of pants, a shirt...

COLLINS: One pair of shoes for 500 bucks? Let's hope not.

BACH: Come up with a total amount of money that you're going to spend. Tell them this is what we're bringing. This is what you're getting. This is what you're able to use. Nothing more than that.

COLLINS: All right. What about divide and conquer? Is that the game plan?

BACH: Don't bring the family shopping together. Dad, take the son. Mom, take the daughter. Take the teenagers separate from the young kids. Sibling rivalry costs money. When you bring them all together, you always spend more money.

COLLINS: OK. You say shop before you shop. What does that mean? Check things out and then decide and then go on?

BACH: Yes. Mom and dad, whoever is going to take the kids to the store, actually look for the deals beforehand. Whether that means going online, pulling the ads from the newspaper or actually going to the mall a week in advance, find out where the deals are. And then bring the kids and direct them to where the deals are. A lot of good opportunities right now because the big malls are hurting because of all the specialty stores, so you can find some really good deals right now.

COLLINS: OK. Buy in bulk, you're talking about the warehouse stores, right?

BACH: Yes, specifically we're talking about Wal-Mart, Costco, Office Max, Office Depot. This is where you should go buy the pens, the pencils, the computers, the backpacks, all of those things. Buy it once. Don't go and shop at the grocery store or the local place on the corner. Get it all at once and get it all done. Get in and get out.

COLLINS: You mentioned computers. I mean, it's a little bit different these days when you talk about supplies. There are some big-ticket items.

BACH: That's right. It's not just pencils and pens anymore. We're looking at laptops and we're looking at people bringing the cell phones again and the pagers. All of these things cost a lot of money, which again is why you need a specific budget and really a very specific plan on, this is what we're spending in August. Don't blow the whole budget for the year in August.

Remember, you've got to get all the way through June of next year. So figure you want to spend 25 percent of maybe what the plans for the year in August and then leave money left over for the rest of the year.

COLLINS: And that's how procrastination pays, right?

BACH: No procrastinating. You're going to need to get out now in the next few weeks and do this planning. So spend five minutes with the family. Talk about this that you've got to get an attack plan for the money.

COLLINS: All right, David Bach, great advice. Thanks so much for it. We appreciate it.

BACH: Thank you.

COLLINS: And David is here every Thursday morning right here on AMERICAN MORNING with tips on how to "Live Rich Today."

Bill -- back over to you. HEMMER: All right, Heidi, in a moment here, a shift in a key battleground state. Will that shift stick? And will it be enough to tip the election in November?

Back in a moment here, new poll numbers are out. We'll look at them in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Well, the jury is out on the latest New York restaurant, this one is especially for felines.

And Jeanne Moos has the story today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Oh, waiter! There's a cat on my table!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, Calvin. This is "What's the Catch?"

MOOS: The catch is that you can open a cat cafe, but you can't force them to eat.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mommy brought you all of the way here and you don't want to eat?

MOOS: You'd be annoyed, too, if you couldn't read the menu, which featured items like Filet Meow for cats and its counterpart, Beef on Baguette for humans.

There were cats on the red carpet, cats in chi-chi bags and cat paraphernalia for sale all over the place.

RICHARD THOMPSON, CEO, MEOW MIX: There's 83 million cats in America, and they have nowhere to go.

MOOS (on camera): Cats don't want to go out of the house.

THOMPSON: I disagree with that.

MOOS (voice-over): So the CEO of Meow Mix set up a temporary cat cafe on New York's Fifth Avenue.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's the dumbest thing I've ever seen. I really do.

MOOS: Meow Mix calls it experimental. The company hopes to franchise the cafes in cities around the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nice big smile.

MOOS: Forget the smile, we want to hear Eartha Kitt growl.

EARTHA KITT, ACTRESS: Growl!

MOOS (on camera): Do you ever get sick of making the cat noise?

KITT: No. Everybody knows it's Eartha Kitt when they hear "growl."

MOOS: Give me a good one.

KITT: Growl! It keeps me alive.

MOOS (voice-over): The cats all survive the cafe experience, though one kitty was injured when he poked his eye on a menu.

Humans passed the time playing hair ball toss.

(on camera): You know, there already is a Meow Mix.

THOMPSON: Yes, but that's the wrong Meow Mix, and they are in violation of my trademark, but we love those people, too.

MOOS (voice-over): Those people at Meow Mix, one of New York's best-known lesbian bars.

THOMPSON: Well, I go down there and I go to the bar from time to time. I have a few drinks.

MOOS (on camera): Cool cat!

(voice-over): But recently, the lesbian Meow Mix closed down, a bad omen perhaps for the feline Meow Mix?

KITT: Growl! See? It was...

MOOS (on camera): Maybe you're too realistic.

(voice-over): From the looks of it, you might need a doggy bag at the cat cafe.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: See? Now that you live here, Heidi, you've got another place to go.

COLLINS: I don't have cats.

HEMMER: Take your mom and dad, take your husband, little son.

COLLINS: I've got to get a cat first, right? I don't know.

All right, still to come, one U.S. soldier says enough is enough. He's taken the Pentagon to court over U.S. policy. We'll talk about it coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.

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 19, 2004 - 07:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Also, summer is almost over, and if you've got kids, you know how expensive it can be when you go out shopping for school supplies. We've got some special tips for you. A little bit later on we'll talk to our personal finance coach, David Bach, about that.
But first, we want to take you directly to Texas, where we're learning about a fire. Take a look at these pictures now. Apparently an explosion at an underground storage facility. This is in Liberty County, Texas. These pictures coming to us from KTRK, affiliate coverage there. That station is saying that apparently one person was in the facility at the time but was able to get out. Crews are still looking for other people who may be inside.

Once again, an explosion at an underground storage facility, Liberty County, Texas. Apparently some homes are being evacuated about a one-mile radius from that facility. We'll get more and get it to you if we can.

HEMMER: All right, in the meantime, back to this whole issue about troop redeployment. While President Bush defends his plan to bring troops home from Asia and Europe, his Democratic rival is opposing that plan.

Here's Dan Lothian in Cincinnati.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): As Senator John Kerry addressed thousands of veterans of foreign wars in Cincinnati, Ohio, one sign of this crowd's partisan divide. These two men turned their backs on his speech to protest his actions after returning from Vietnam, an issue he often seeks to explain on the campaign trial.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I volunteered for the duty that we had. I didn't make it controversial; the war and the times were. And as too many of us know, it was a time when the war and the warriors became confused.

LOTHIAN: Kerry did have his supporters here as he promised to fight for veterans if elected president, and lashed out at the Bush redeployment proposal, saying withdrawing 70,000 troops from Asia and Europe is the wrong signal to send at the wrong time.

KERRY: The president's vaguely-stated plan does not strengthen our hand in the war on terror. It in no way relieves the strain on our overextended military personnel.

LOTHIAN: For these veterans, health care issues top their agenda, but military might and the war in Iraq are prominent on their radar. The Kerry campaign aims to show the senator can be strong on defense and be an effective commander-in-chief, touting a plan to add some 40,000 active-duty troops and double the number of special forces personnel.

Kerry says for 35 years he has stood up for veterans. Now he hopes they'll stand up for him.

Dan Lothian, CNN, with the Kerry campaign in Cincinnati.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Again, that was yesterday.

The White House wasting no time answering Senator Kerry's charge. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice with CNN yesterday said this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: This has been a textbook example of coordination and consultation with our allies on plans that were drawn up by our combatant commanders to try and move the American force posture from what clearly was a Cold War force posture to one that is appropriate now to the challenges that we have in the 21st century.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Jim Wilkinson is deputy national security adviser, works with Dr. Rice. He is our guest now from the White House.

Good morning and thanks for your time today.

JIM WILKINSON, DEP. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: Good morning, Bill.

HEMMER: Senator Kerry essentially said yesterday it's a bad idea, it confuses allies. How does the White House defend itself on that front?

WILKINSON: Well, Senator Kerry, I think, is actually debating with himself, because on August 1 he did support the redeployments of troops on the Korean peninsula and in Europe.

Let me give you a real-world example. Take Germany. We have a lot of heavy forces in Germany that were put there to defend an internal border which is no longer there anymore as Germany has been unified. They were put there to fight against the Warsaw Pact, and the Warsaw Pact is no more. And many of those nations are now in NATO.

They were put there to protect against a Soviet army that would come rumbling across that plain into Germany. That's not a threat anymore.

This president has worked with his allies and his combatant commanders and military professionals over a number of years now to develop a plan to help make America safer. And the way you help make America safer is to make our troops more agile and more.

HEMMER: Yes.

WILKINSON: Bill, I'll remind you when we went to war in Afghanistan, the issue wasn't our basing in Germany. The issue was that we didn't have over-flight and basing rights in Uzbekistan. We don't face a large Soviet army threat anymore. What we face is an enemy that hides in the shadows, lives in caves. And if September 11 taught us anything, it taught us that the threat has changed, and we must adapt as a military.

HEMMER: You talked a lot about Germany in your answer there. Senator John McCain also talking about this redeployment plan and speaking specifically about Korea. Here is what he said: "I'm particularly concerned about moving troops out of South Korea when North Korea has probably never been more dangerous than anytime since the end of the Korean War."

Is Senator McCain wrong on this?

WILKINSON: I think we want to look at those most affected. That would be the South Koreans. As you've seen in the last two to three days, they've issued statements of support.

One of the thorns in the side of South Korea has been the fact that our military headquarters has been in Seoul. That will be moved outside of Seoul.

If Operation Iraqi Freedom taught us anything, it taught us that technology and redeployment of forces allow us to do thing that we've never been able to do.

Kim Jong-il, the leader of North Korea, knows the difference between capacity and numbers.

HEMMER: Let's talk about Iraq, if we could quickly then. Muqtada al-Sadr, that situation continues to be very tense at this point. What's the strategy for dealing with Muqtada al-Sadr?

WILKINSON: Well, first and foremost, this is an Iraqi government issue, and they're going a good job of dealing with it.

I will say from Muqtada al-Sadr that we've heard his words before. And we're not really listening to his words. We want to see his deeds. The Iraqis want him out of that Imam Ali Mosque. They want him to turn his weapons over to the Iraqi force. They want him to disarm this Mehdi militia.

And as you saw at the conference the other day when one of the female delegates stood up, the Iraqis know that Muqtada al-Sadr doesn't stand for them or their future. He has got to get out of that mosque and give up his weapons and give up this fight.

HEMMER: Do you believe, then, Mr. Wilkinson, that if Muqtada al- Sadr is dead as a result of this, killed in this fighting, that it could actually bring more than you have now?

WILKINSON: Who knows? I don't get into hypotheticals. What I know is that Iraqi government has made very clear that the situation as it stands cannot stand.

I also will note that the Shia community, the clerics in that country are very upset at Muqtada al-Sadr, because he's taking one of their most revered shrines, the Imam Ali Mosque, and using it with explosives and these sorts of weapons and activities.

So, you know, this is an Iraqi issue. But our forces are out there. They're fighting bravely. They're watching closely. And we want to see his deeds, not hear his words.

HEMMER: One final comment about Senator Kerry breaking with tradition. When the RNC convenes here in two weeks in New York, Senator Kerry actually will campaign at least one day during that week when the Republicans have their convention. Any White House reaction to that?

WILKINSON: You know, I don't do politics. I work at the National Security Council. We're worried about killing and capturing terrorists and trying to make America safer. So, I don't know what he's up to and what he's doing. I assume he's trying to figure out what position he has on North Korea and Germany forces. I just don't know.

HEMMER: Jim Wilkinson, thanks for your time, Front Lawn of the White House this morning.

WILKINSON: You bet.

HEMMER: Also next hour here, in fact, we'll talk with General Daniel Chrisman (ph). He's with the Kerry campaign, the senior military adviser. We'll see what he has to say about these issues then. Stay tuned for that.

Now -- Heidi.

COLLINS: U.S. Senator Jon Corzine of New Jersey will not run for governor of the state if there is a special election. Some Democrats and Republicans hoped he would. That may have forced Governor James McGreevey to resign earlier than planned. He will resign, though, November 15.

Last week McGreevey shocked the nation after revealing he had a gay extramarital affair.

Thirty-seven minutes past the hour now. Time for a look at some of today's other news with Carol Costello.

Hi -- Carol. CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Heidi.

We have a little more information for you about the explosion in Texas we told you about just 10 minutes ago. There has been an explosion at an underground storage facility near the Liberty County border line. Officials say at least one person may have been in the facility at the time. Crews are now searching for others that may have been inside the building.

The United Nations is remembering its colleagues killed one year ago today in a suicide bombing in Iraq. Twenty-two people died in an attack the U.N. calls its September 11. Simultaneous ceremonies will be held about a half-hour from now in Geneva, Jordan and in New York.

The federal government and the airlines have agreed to cut flights in an effort to ease congestion at O'Hare International Airport. Thirty-seven daily peak hour arrivals will be cut from November 1 through the end of April. The measure is expected to cut delays by 20 percent at O'Hare and 5 percent nationwide.

And a suspicious liquid that led authorities to shut down the Fort Wayne International Airport yesterday turned out to be a chemical used to make perfume. Officials say the liquid spilled from a broken bottle in an unclaimed piece of luggage, prompting authorities to investigate. The airport resumed normal operations yesterday afternoon.

Back to you -- Bill.

HEMMER: A sign of the times yet again, huh, Carol? Thanks.

COSTELLO: It made one employee sick actually, so it must have been not very great perfume.

HEMMER: Yes, point well taken. Thank you, Carol.

Here's something that caught our eye this morning. Take a look at the world's lightest flying micro-robot. It's controlled by remote control, and it has an onboard camera that can beam wireless images. One day it could provide surveillance or help search the debris in a disaster. That's the good news. The bad news, right now it only flies for three minutes at a time. Baby steps, though, with technology.

(WEATHER BREAK)

COLLINS: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, it's back-to-school time. And we're going to learn how to shop for it the smart way. All of the supplies can get pretty darn expensive.

HEMMER: Smart way and the cheap way, too, right?

COLLINS: Yes.

HEMMER: Also, is John Kerry now taking the lead in a must-win state for the White House in Campaign 2004? We'll have the numbers for you ahead.

COLLINS: And, an Army National Guard soldier who doesn't want his service extended is challenging the military in court.

Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: It's time now to check in with Jack and our "Question of the Day."

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Two hours is all it took, Heidi, yesterday for a Chicago to find a man guilty of murder. It's a case that nobody would have any paid attention to except for the fact that Oprah Winfrey was a member of the jury that convicted this guy.

Billionaire TV talk show host was definitely a distraction, leading some to wonder why the lawyers agreed have such a high-profile person on the jury. That's the question of the day, Virginia: Should celebrities serve on juries?

John in Madison writes: "Jack, I'm not sure about the jury, but there are a lot of celebrities I'd like to see as defendants. If we can try and convict a murderer in Chicago in less than a week" -- three days is all it took -- "I think we move all murder trials to Cook County."

That's a good idea.

Brendon -- Brenna, rather, in Dardanelle, Arkansas: "Yes, they should. Why should wealthy celebrities be denied the same experience or inconvenience, depending on your point of view, that every other American gets?"

Jay in Birmingham: "I'm sure the only thing that could be heard during jury deliberations was the sound of everybody sucking up to Oprah. How could it be fair to ask a jury to objectively agree or disagree with a celebrity that they either admire or despite? It totally changes the focus of the trial."

Mike in Las Vegas, Nevada: "I retired after spending 20 years as a prosecutor. I'm convinced that no one should serve on juries. They don't work. A celebrity can be just as stupid as a Mensa member."

And Paul writes: "Oprah serving on the jury was a breath of fresh air. She is the first celebrity in recent memory who was able to leave the court using the front door."

I like that.

HEMMER: That issue of not sucking up, though, she had said afterwards that she tried to lay low in terms of deliberations and did not want to be the jury forewoman, which she had not served, to make sure that she would...

COLLINS: There was security and there were all of these people around.

HEMMER: I think it's a great point. Have you ever served jury duty, by the way?

CAFFERTY: Yes, I have. It sucks. It's an awful experience, but you have to do it. But, I mean, how can Oprah Winfrey lay low? She's Oprah Winfrey!

HEMMER: I agree with you 100 percent.

CAFFERTY: I mean, you go into that deliberation room. It's a little, tiny room, and there are 12 people sitting around a little, tiny table. I mean...

HEMMER: To be honest, I was surprised she was still on that jury. I mean, maybe the fact that it only lasted three days helped her stay there. A lot of times journalists are dismissed, by the way.

CAFFERTY: Not anymore, at least in New Jersey. Everybody, everybody has to serve, whether you're a cop, a fireman, even lawyers have to serve on juries. Now, there's a way to screw up the justice system.

HEMMER: They let me go after day one, by the way. They took one look at me and said, Hemmer, you're out.

CAFFERTY: Well, that might not have had anything to do with your celebrity.

HEMMER: Correct.

COLLINS: I knew you were going to say that.

HEMMER: I'm moving to New Jersey, Jack.

CAFFERTY: There you go.

HEMMER: Last night on "The Daily Show" Jon Stewart poking some at the whole issue of Muqtada al-Sadr, whether or not he'll be part of the political process in Iraq at some point.

Here's Stewart from last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON STEWART, "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART": He's decided to throw away the militia and join the political process, which I think is so nice. What an interesting way to join the political process. At the parliamentary, I guess, orientation that they'll probably have, everybody will be like, oh, how did you get here? And he'll be like, well, I -- it was funny. I holed up in the holiest place in Iraq and threatened to turn the streets into blood rivers. One thing leads to another, and I'm on the committee chairing appropriations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Who would have thunk? Oh, boy.

CAFFERTY: Funny guy.

COLLINS: Yes, he is funny.

Still to come, though, this morning, don't buy another pencil case or notebook until you hear the best places to go and the strategies for back-to-school shopping. Stay with us right here on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: After an anxiety-free summer, back to school can hit kids like a ton of bricks; parents, too, for that matter. That's why the aftershock, back-to-school shopping. They're expected to spend an average of $483 this year. That's up about 7 percent from 2003. In fact, that's some $15 billion nationally to outfit students K through 12.

David Bach is our personal finance contributor and author of "The Automatic Millionaire." In this week's edition of "Live Rich Today," he schools us on back-to-school shopping.

OK, so this is an incredibly expensive time of the year, more expensive than Christmas?

DAVID BACH, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, this is the thing that breaks the family budget for the year, because parents go shopping for back-to-school with no plans. It's not like the holidays where people know, yes, we should get a budget. They take the kids to the mall, and they don't have an attack plan. They break out the credit cards, and they spend two to three times more than they expected.

COLLINS: So, all right, that's your first tip. Stick to your budget, for sure. The next one, you say parents should involve their kids in the process. That doesn't get more difficult?

BACH: You want to be sitting down the kids now and saying, listen -- and, of course, it depends on the age -- what do you think we need to spend the next season? Between now and the end of the year what do you think we'll spend on clothes? Come up with a specific budget. You know what? We're going to spend $500. You can get one pair of shoes, two pairs of pants, a shirt...

COLLINS: One pair of shoes for 500 bucks? Let's hope not.

BACH: Come up with a total amount of money that you're going to spend. Tell them this is what we're bringing. This is what you're getting. This is what you're able to use. Nothing more than that.

COLLINS: All right. What about divide and conquer? Is that the game plan?

BACH: Don't bring the family shopping together. Dad, take the son. Mom, take the daughter. Take the teenagers separate from the young kids. Sibling rivalry costs money. When you bring them all together, you always spend more money.

COLLINS: OK. You say shop before you shop. What does that mean? Check things out and then decide and then go on?

BACH: Yes. Mom and dad, whoever is going to take the kids to the store, actually look for the deals beforehand. Whether that means going online, pulling the ads from the newspaper or actually going to the mall a week in advance, find out where the deals are. And then bring the kids and direct them to where the deals are. A lot of good opportunities right now because the big malls are hurting because of all the specialty stores, so you can find some really good deals right now.

COLLINS: OK. Buy in bulk, you're talking about the warehouse stores, right?

BACH: Yes, specifically we're talking about Wal-Mart, Costco, Office Max, Office Depot. This is where you should go buy the pens, the pencils, the computers, the backpacks, all of those things. Buy it once. Don't go and shop at the grocery store or the local place on the corner. Get it all at once and get it all done. Get in and get out.

COLLINS: You mentioned computers. I mean, it's a little bit different these days when you talk about supplies. There are some big-ticket items.

BACH: That's right. It's not just pencils and pens anymore. We're looking at laptops and we're looking at people bringing the cell phones again and the pagers. All of these things cost a lot of money, which again is why you need a specific budget and really a very specific plan on, this is what we're spending in August. Don't blow the whole budget for the year in August.

Remember, you've got to get all the way through June of next year. So figure you want to spend 25 percent of maybe what the plans for the year in August and then leave money left over for the rest of the year.

COLLINS: And that's how procrastination pays, right?

BACH: No procrastinating. You're going to need to get out now in the next few weeks and do this planning. So spend five minutes with the family. Talk about this that you've got to get an attack plan for the money.

COLLINS: All right, David Bach, great advice. Thanks so much for it. We appreciate it.

BACH: Thank you.

COLLINS: And David is here every Thursday morning right here on AMERICAN MORNING with tips on how to "Live Rich Today."

Bill -- back over to you. HEMMER: All right, Heidi, in a moment here, a shift in a key battleground state. Will that shift stick? And will it be enough to tip the election in November?

Back in a moment here, new poll numbers are out. We'll look at them in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Well, the jury is out on the latest New York restaurant, this one is especially for felines.

And Jeanne Moos has the story today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Oh, waiter! There's a cat on my table!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, Calvin. This is "What's the Catch?"

MOOS: The catch is that you can open a cat cafe, but you can't force them to eat.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mommy brought you all of the way here and you don't want to eat?

MOOS: You'd be annoyed, too, if you couldn't read the menu, which featured items like Filet Meow for cats and its counterpart, Beef on Baguette for humans.

There were cats on the red carpet, cats in chi-chi bags and cat paraphernalia for sale all over the place.

RICHARD THOMPSON, CEO, MEOW MIX: There's 83 million cats in America, and they have nowhere to go.

MOOS (on camera): Cats don't want to go out of the house.

THOMPSON: I disagree with that.

MOOS (voice-over): So the CEO of Meow Mix set up a temporary cat cafe on New York's Fifth Avenue.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's the dumbest thing I've ever seen. I really do.

MOOS: Meow Mix calls it experimental. The company hopes to franchise the cafes in cities around the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nice big smile.

MOOS: Forget the smile, we want to hear Eartha Kitt growl.

EARTHA KITT, ACTRESS: Growl!

MOOS (on camera): Do you ever get sick of making the cat noise?

KITT: No. Everybody knows it's Eartha Kitt when they hear "growl."

MOOS: Give me a good one.

KITT: Growl! It keeps me alive.

MOOS (voice-over): The cats all survive the cafe experience, though one kitty was injured when he poked his eye on a menu.

Humans passed the time playing hair ball toss.

(on camera): You know, there already is a Meow Mix.

THOMPSON: Yes, but that's the wrong Meow Mix, and they are in violation of my trademark, but we love those people, too.

MOOS (voice-over): Those people at Meow Mix, one of New York's best-known lesbian bars.

THOMPSON: Well, I go down there and I go to the bar from time to time. I have a few drinks.

MOOS (on camera): Cool cat!

(voice-over): But recently, the lesbian Meow Mix closed down, a bad omen perhaps for the feline Meow Mix?

KITT: Growl! See? It was...

MOOS (on camera): Maybe you're too realistic.

(voice-over): From the looks of it, you might need a doggy bag at the cat cafe.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: See? Now that you live here, Heidi, you've got another place to go.

COLLINS: I don't have cats.

HEMMER: Take your mom and dad, take your husband, little son.

COLLINS: I've got to get a cat first, right? I don't know.

All right, still to come, one U.S. soldier says enough is enough. He's taken the Pentagon to court over U.S. policy. We'll talk about it coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.

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