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Grand Ayatollah Al Sistani Leads Tens of Thousands of Supporters to Najaf; Tragedy, Toll of U.S. Military Operations in Iraq Takes Bizarre Twist in Southern Florida
Aired August 26, 2004 - 10:00 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We'll get started here from CNN headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Daryn Kagan. Let us take a look at what is happening now in the news.
Iraq's leading Shiite cleric has returned to Najaf. Thousands of followers of the Grand Ayatollah Sistani accompanied his convoy from Kufa to Najaf. But the peace movement was rocked by violence. Snipers fired on demonstrators, and a mortar attack in Kufa killed 25 people.
Flags are at half-staff today, as Russians mourn 89 people killed when two airliners crashed within minutes of each other Tuesday night. Investigators in Moscow have been studying flight recorders from both planes. But an aide to President Putin says the tapes turned off before the crashes and do not provide any useful information. Terrorism has not been ruled out as a cause of the crashes.
A man shooting target practice is blamed for sparking a disastrous wildfire near Reno, Nevada. At least four homes have burned; some 350 more are in danger. Winds have swept the blaze across at least 2,600 acres and residents are beginning to evacuate.
Just a few hours from now, the Justice Department plans to announce details of an investigation into the largest crackdown ever on SPAM. Published reports say dozens of people have been arrested in the yearlong sweep. Operation Slam SPAM has targeted both junk and fraudulent e-mailers.
Live this hour, the U.S. Census Bureau is releasing its annual reports on poverty and health insurance. They are expected to be some grim numbers. Democrats say the Bush administration is releasing the data a month early to distance the bad news from the presidential election. We'll take a closer look at the figures and the finger pointing later this hour.
We're going to begin this hour in Iraq and the latest violence swirling around the uprising Najaf. Mortars today rained down on the main mosque in Kufa; that is where supporters of rebel cleric Muqtada al Sadr had gathered. At least 25 people were killed. About the same time, outside the mosque, snipers opened fire on a crowd that had answered the call of Iraq's top Shiite cleric to march to Najaf. Twenty-three of those marchers died. It's not clear who was behind either attack.
This morning, Grand Ayatollah al Sistani has led tens of thousands of supporters to the embattled city of Najaf. There he says he's going to unveil a peace plan ending the weeks of fighting between rebel forces and U.S.-backed Iraqi troops.
The situation is both tense and fluid. For the latest on the developing story let's check in with our John Vause, who is in Baghdad.
John, hello.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. Well, all eyes are now on the Grand Ayatollah al Sistani. We've heard this over and over again, the fact that he is the most senior Shiite figure in all of Iraq. He gets his power because of that. And 60 percent of Iraq is made up of Shiite Muslims. So that puts him in a very, very strong position. In fact, he could be the most powerful man in Iraq right now. Because it seems that the interim Iraqi prime minister is struggling for credibility, something which the Grand Ayatollah al Sistani has no problem with.
We saw these incredible scenes in Najaf when he arrived, thousands of people there to greet him. He brought thousands with him. They lined the road a lot from Basra to Najaf. He spent the night in Basra and heading off to Najaf early this morning. It was an incredible welcome home. Oddly the welcome to that a 73-year-old man who has just undergone heart surgery would have hoped for.
But still, he is held in this position, and many people here in Iraq believe that he is the man who could possibly bring this standoff in Najaf to an end. As we've said, incredible scenes when he arrived in Najaf. And CNN producer Kianne Sadeq was there when the grand ayatollah arrived.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIANNE SADEQ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Well, I'm standing right outside the house where the Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani arrived just a little while ago. And his spokesman, we spoke to his spokesman, Hamid al Kafa'i, who told us that the Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani had come to Najaf against the orders of the doctors because he wanted to hurry up and come over to end this crisis.
Well, we asked his spokesman regarding what is happening at this time, and they said that they have begun phone calls with al Sadr's people. And they have begun the negotiations process. But they said that this process was new, and that they have not yet reached any conclusions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Now, al Sistani was actually born in Iran. He has said throughout his life that foreigners and clerics should stay out of politics. And that's something, which he has stuck to for all of his time as one of the senior Shiite leaders. He managed to survive the regime of Saddam Hussein. He's survived regimes before Saddam Hussein. And in the 18 months that the United States has been here as an occupying power, he has walked a very fine line in not getting too involved in the day-to-day politics.
And Daryn, to put this in a bit of perspective, it was explained to me why there is such excitement about Sistani going to Najaf. It would be like the pope arriving in Waco to end the siege there. Assuming of course, that the pope came from Waco. But that gives you a bit of an idea -- Daryn.
KAGAN: As you point out, this is his hometown. This is where he lives. He has a big investment in the city.
VAUSE: Yes. He is from Najaf. Najaf is considered a holy city. Certainly the old city. The part around the Imam Ali Shrine is considered holy; the rest is kind of a collection of bazaars and hotels, and shops that sell a lot of trinkets. But this is Sistani's hometown. And it will be a very, very different place to the one, which he left three weeks ago. He went to London to seek treatment for the heart complaint, just as the fighting was erupted. He's returning now to an old city, which has been almost reduced to rubble-- Daryn.
KAGAN: John Vause in Baghdad. John, thank you. We will check back with you.
Also in southern Iraq, saboteurs have attacked oil pipelines and shut off as much as one-third of the country's exported crude. According to some reports, about 20 pipelines were hit. That's caused oil prices to climb slightly on the oil world market, which that had seen several days' of declines.
Back in the United States, Pentagon investigators have brought the Iraqi prisoner abuse cases into clearer focus. The Fay Report was released yesterday; it substantiates 44 instances of abuse at the now notorious Abu Ghraib prison. Some of the mistreatment includes constituted torture. And it echoed another Pentagon report that was issued a day earlier in citing failure in military leadership and oversight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. PAUL KERN, CHMN., ABU GHRAIB PANEL: We learned there were leaders in Abu Ghraib who knew about this conduct. Knew better. And did nothing. Some soldiers behaved improperly because they were confused by their experiences and direction. And we found that we violated our own regulations by allowing ghost detainees in our detention facilities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: The probe uncovered eight ghost detainees, prisoners not officially documented as required by military law. The report also says three more military police officers could face charges in addition to the seven already charged.
Now the story of one U.S. prisoner formally accused of war crimes by a U.S. military tribunal. David Hicks, yesterday, is a 29-year-old Australian cowboy accused of fighting alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan. He's being held at Guantanamo Navy Base as an enemy combatant. Yesterday, Hicks entered a not guilty plea before a U.S. military court.
Earlier on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," we spoke to his father.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TERRY HICKS, FATHER OF DAVID HICKS: David should have been back in Australia facing any charges back there, not being held here for nearly three years without any charges.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Lawyers for Hicks, a 29-year-old convert to Islam, argued that there are many reasons the charges should be dropped.
This hour at Guantanamo Navy Base, the arraignment hearing for another detainee is under way. He is a Yemeni man accused of serving as Osama bin Laden's bodyguard. Government prosecutors also claim that bin Laden enlisted him to take the videotaped attack on the USS Cole, and produce a tape to recruit and inspire al Qaeda operatives.
Meanwhile, an American captured on an Afghan battlefield, and held as an enemy combatant, has filed court arguments challenging the Bush administration's treatment of terror suspects. Yasser Esam Hamdi has been held for three years, first at Guantanamo, now in a military jail in South Carolina, but has not been charged. Hamdi says he never intended to fight against Americans, and therefore, retains the legal rights of a U.S. citizen. His case is expected to be heard in federal court on Monday.
The tragedy and toll of the U.S. military operations in Iraq takes a bizarre twist in Southern Florida. Police say just moments after three uniformed U.S. Marines told a Hollywood couple that their son was killed in combat in Iraq; the distraught father set himself and the military van on fire.
We get details now from reporter Sharron Melton. She is with our Miami affiliate WSVN.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHARRON MELTON, WSVN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sparks flying everywhere when this van is consumed by fire.
LINDA RAMOS, NEIGHBOR: And we heard a boom. And then a series of booms, which was probably the tires melting. And then a scream, and then just a tremendous cloud of smoke.
MELTON: According to police, it all happened when a father learned that his son was killed in Iraq. When 44-year-old Carlos Arredondo was informed by several Marines that his 20-year-old son Alexander had died Tuesday in Iraq, Carlos snapped.
CAPT. TONY RODE, HOLLYWOOD POLICE: The gentleman was extremely distraught, basically just broke down. At one point he actually goes into the garage, picks up a can of gasoline, and/or a propane tank, runs towards the vehicle, smashes the vehicle window and sets the U.S. governmental vehicle on fire.
MELTON: When he jumped out, the Marines on the scene tried to put the flames out on his body. The entire incident took Marines by surprise.
MAJ. SCOTT MACK, U.S. MARINE CORPS: And though we have not seen this type of reaction, every reaction is negative. It's a loss of a loved one. And I don't think any of us are qualified to go into the depths of the mind and truly anticipate how somebody's going to react.
MELTON: Arredondo was burned over 50 percent of his body, with burns on both his arms and legs and transported to Memorial Regional Hospital. Now, police, Marines and neighbors are all wondering if this distraught father will make it through.
RAMOS: He lost his child. His child passed away. His child died and I guess he became upset. This is the result of just him having a broken heart, I guess. It's sad. It's terrible.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And That story comes to us from Sharron Melton of our Miami affiliate WSVN.
Jury selection in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case is supposed to begin tomorrow, as the prosecution calls for an emergency hearing claiming contaminated evidence.
And, are you getting what you pay for? We're going to take a close look at dollars spent to keep the homeland secure.
And later, we are live from Athens as the U.S. women's soccer team goes for gold against Brazil.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Testimony resumes in two hours, right from now. In Scott Peterson's double murder trial, a prosecution investigator is due back on the witness stand. Under cross-examination yesterday, Stephen Jacobson said police once expected co-conspirators may have been involved in Laci Peterson's disappearance. Jacobson also testified, police at one time suspected Amber Frey was not cooperating with them.
Jury selection in the Kobe Bryant case is scheduled to begin tomorrow. Today though, there's an emergency hearing on an issue at the heart of the defense strategy.
Our Chris Lawrence is covering the hearing. He is in Eagle, Colorado.
Chris, good morning.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. Yes, this evidence, this DNA evidence really cuts to the heart of the defense argument. And to have this kind of hearing 24 hours before jury selection really caught a lot of people here by surprise. The attorneys should be arriving within the next couple hours. But Kobe Bryant will not be among them; he has waived his right to appear.
And what this all stems from are the results of a defense DNA expert. She concluded that the accuser had sex with another man after Kobe Bryant, but before her hospital exam. Now, the prosecution motion suggests that the DNA that was evidence that was obtained by the defense and the prosecutors don't match. And when you talk about the fact that they're both working with the same samples, you can see the problem there.
Specifically, DNA tests use what are called negative controls, a control group. Prosecutors are saying that samples that should show no DNA are showing DNA. What we can speculate is that what they will argue is this -- that DNA that the defense attributes to a second man is actually this contamination. And legal analysts say that whether or not this evidence actually gets admitted or thrown out could be one of the most important decisions made so far.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRAIG SILVERMAN, FMR. DEPUTY D.A., DENVER: If the defense can put on credible evidence through DNA that this young lady had sex with Mr. X after Kobe Bryant, but before she went to the cops, it's hard to see how the prosecution can possibly prevail. It destroys her credibility. And in a he said/she said case, that's everything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: Now, we're not sure if the prosecutors are saying that this possible contamination happened on purpose, or simply due to an accident. But we do know there could be several possible causes. It could have come from the analysts who handled the sample. It could have come from the original investigator. At times, it's even been proven that sometimes the chemicals actually used in the tests can actually cause contamination -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Chris Lawrence in Eagle, Colorado, thank you for that.
The cost of keeping homeland secure, we're going to take a look -- an extensive look at the numbers and why Wyoming is spending per capita four times as much as New York City.
And the president is expected to arrive in New Mexico shortly. We'll have a live report as he goes back out on the campaign trail.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: With the billions being spent on homeland security, you might think that states at highest risk for terrorist attacks get the lions' share per capita of funding. Well, it just isn't that way. For instance, Wyoming, home to the nation's smallest population, gets the most homeland security money per person.
Our Drew Griffin has that story. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It may seem unlikely, a remote chance in this remote town that sits on this plain, but Douglas, Wyoming's 15 sworn police officers are ready.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's four suits, two different types. The air cartridge pops out.
GRIFFIN: They are ready for a chemical, biological or even dirty bomb attack.
LORI EMMERT, POLICE CHIEF, DOUGLAS, WYOMING: We're very fortunate to be at the level we are.
GRIFFIN: Douglas Police Chief Lori Emmert says, don't laugh. Her city of 5,500 sits on a major interstate. Last week, Douglas hosted the state fair. And if anything happens here, 50 miles east of Casper...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have a nice day!
EMMERT: Thank you.
GRIFFIN: ... it's up to the chief and her officers to respond. (on camera): Why does Douglas, Wyoming need to protect itself from terrorists?
EMMERT: My feeling is that every emergency responder, fire, police, or medical should have the equipment they need to respond to an incident. And I don't know that state or boundaries negates that.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): Douglas is one of many small towns across America benefiting from the fight against terrorism. The Homeland Security Act sends money across the nation to help first responders prepare for the next attack. Douglas purchased this mobile command post; new air tanks for its firefighters, radios. And every single police officer in Wyoming received chemical and biological defense suits, thanks to federal dollars.
(on camera): Is this something you could afford with -- without Homeland Security?
EMMERT: No. No. We could not afford it.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): Kelly Ruiz is with Wyoming's Office of Homeland Security.
(on camera): Does the state of Wyoming really think there will be a terrorist related strike in this state?
KELLY RUIZ, HOMELAND SECURITY, WYOMING: All we know is you cannot second-guess a terrorist. Wyoming is strong in agriculture and energy. So you just can't second-guess them and say where they're going to strike or not strike. GRIFFIN: Yet even during the height of the busy state fair, it's hard to imagine any terrorist would strike Douglas, Wyoming. Yet this town, and the state of Wyoming, are spending more federal dollars per person defending themselves against terrorism than even New York.
(voice-over): In fact, according to the Department of Homeland Security, while California and New York will spend about $11 per person on homeland defense, Wyoming's per capita spending will be four times that amount, $45.22 for every man, woman and child in the state.
How did it happen? In the aftermath of 9/11, Congress was pressed to react, swiftly passing legislation to help the country defend itself. And nothing could be quicker than plugging in an existing federal funding formula.
REP. CHRISTOPHER COX (R-WY), SELECT CMTE. ON HOMELAND SECURITY: We used the same funding formulas for paving roads.
GRIFFIN: That's right, road paving. Based in part on population, but also on such details as the number of postal roads in a state. Congressman Christopher Cox heads the House Select Committee on Homeland Security. He's pushing a bill that would change the formula.
COX: Terrorism funding isn't like paving roads. Terrorism funding, counter terrorism funding has to be focused on actual threats, actual vulnerabilities.
GRIFFIN: Cox says the current system pays little attention to actual risk. All states get money no matter the need, and this has led to a counter terrorism-spending spree that in some cases has little to do with countering terrorism. In Lake County, Tennessee, counter terrorism money purchased a $30,000 defibrillator for a high school. The mayor said it would be good to have on hand for the district basketball tournament. Mason County, Washington bought a $63,000 decontamination unit the county sheriff's department says it cannot currently use. West Bloomfield, Michigan is waiting on a $213,000 check, Homeland Security money for fire prevention. And in Grand Isle, Vermont the sheriff's department bought a new four-wheel drive pickup truck for winter patrols, it also pulls the new command center.
COX: Moneys should be spent, according to the 9/11 Commission, according to risk, according to threat. And that's what the pending legislation in Congress will do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the north of Reno, contestant No. 208.
GRIFFIN: The bill is getting wide support in Congress. But that support is likely to wither in the Senate, where small states like Wyoming may not have an equal risk of terrorism, but they do have an equal vote.
Drew Griffin, CNN, Douglas, Wyoming.
(END VIDEOTAPE) KAGAN: The president hits the road. Straight ahead, a live report from Las Cruces, New Mexico and the run up to the Republican National Convention.
And the U.S. men's basketball team faced off against Spain in the quarterfinals. We'll tell you if you will see the U.S. moving towards the medal round.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Let's take a look at the headlines now in the news.
Iraq's most senior Shiite cleric is back home in Najaf following medical treatment in Britain. Representatives of the Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani are attempting to broker an end to the violent standoff with followers of cleric Muqtada al Sadr. Iraqi officials say 48 people have died in the latest violence, including a mortar attack in the nearby city of Kufa that killed 25.
The search for Lori Hacking's body is expected to resume tonight at a county landfill just outside of Salt Lake City. Authorities are pouring through nearly 5,000 tons of garbage and trash in an area where they believe the body was dumped. Hacking was reported missing about five weeks ago. Her husband, Mark, is accused of killing her while she slept.
President Bush is back on the campaign trail today. He left his Texas ranch this morning to attend a rally at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. The president also has campaign events today in Farmington and Albuquerque.
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Aired August 26, 2004 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We'll get started here from CNN headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Daryn Kagan. Let us take a look at what is happening now in the news.
Iraq's leading Shiite cleric has returned to Najaf. Thousands of followers of the Grand Ayatollah Sistani accompanied his convoy from Kufa to Najaf. But the peace movement was rocked by violence. Snipers fired on demonstrators, and a mortar attack in Kufa killed 25 people.
Flags are at half-staff today, as Russians mourn 89 people killed when two airliners crashed within minutes of each other Tuesday night. Investigators in Moscow have been studying flight recorders from both planes. But an aide to President Putin says the tapes turned off before the crashes and do not provide any useful information. Terrorism has not been ruled out as a cause of the crashes.
A man shooting target practice is blamed for sparking a disastrous wildfire near Reno, Nevada. At least four homes have burned; some 350 more are in danger. Winds have swept the blaze across at least 2,600 acres and residents are beginning to evacuate.
Just a few hours from now, the Justice Department plans to announce details of an investigation into the largest crackdown ever on SPAM. Published reports say dozens of people have been arrested in the yearlong sweep. Operation Slam SPAM has targeted both junk and fraudulent e-mailers.
Live this hour, the U.S. Census Bureau is releasing its annual reports on poverty and health insurance. They are expected to be some grim numbers. Democrats say the Bush administration is releasing the data a month early to distance the bad news from the presidential election. We'll take a closer look at the figures and the finger pointing later this hour.
We're going to begin this hour in Iraq and the latest violence swirling around the uprising Najaf. Mortars today rained down on the main mosque in Kufa; that is where supporters of rebel cleric Muqtada al Sadr had gathered. At least 25 people were killed. About the same time, outside the mosque, snipers opened fire on a crowd that had answered the call of Iraq's top Shiite cleric to march to Najaf. Twenty-three of those marchers died. It's not clear who was behind either attack.
This morning, Grand Ayatollah al Sistani has led tens of thousands of supporters to the embattled city of Najaf. There he says he's going to unveil a peace plan ending the weeks of fighting between rebel forces and U.S.-backed Iraqi troops.
The situation is both tense and fluid. For the latest on the developing story let's check in with our John Vause, who is in Baghdad.
John, hello.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. Well, all eyes are now on the Grand Ayatollah al Sistani. We've heard this over and over again, the fact that he is the most senior Shiite figure in all of Iraq. He gets his power because of that. And 60 percent of Iraq is made up of Shiite Muslims. So that puts him in a very, very strong position. In fact, he could be the most powerful man in Iraq right now. Because it seems that the interim Iraqi prime minister is struggling for credibility, something which the Grand Ayatollah al Sistani has no problem with.
We saw these incredible scenes in Najaf when he arrived, thousands of people there to greet him. He brought thousands with him. They lined the road a lot from Basra to Najaf. He spent the night in Basra and heading off to Najaf early this morning. It was an incredible welcome home. Oddly the welcome to that a 73-year-old man who has just undergone heart surgery would have hoped for.
But still, he is held in this position, and many people here in Iraq believe that he is the man who could possibly bring this standoff in Najaf to an end. As we've said, incredible scenes when he arrived in Najaf. And CNN producer Kianne Sadeq was there when the grand ayatollah arrived.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIANNE SADEQ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Well, I'm standing right outside the house where the Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani arrived just a little while ago. And his spokesman, we spoke to his spokesman, Hamid al Kafa'i, who told us that the Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani had come to Najaf against the orders of the doctors because he wanted to hurry up and come over to end this crisis.
Well, we asked his spokesman regarding what is happening at this time, and they said that they have begun phone calls with al Sadr's people. And they have begun the negotiations process. But they said that this process was new, and that they have not yet reached any conclusions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Now, al Sistani was actually born in Iran. He has said throughout his life that foreigners and clerics should stay out of politics. And that's something, which he has stuck to for all of his time as one of the senior Shiite leaders. He managed to survive the regime of Saddam Hussein. He's survived regimes before Saddam Hussein. And in the 18 months that the United States has been here as an occupying power, he has walked a very fine line in not getting too involved in the day-to-day politics.
And Daryn, to put this in a bit of perspective, it was explained to me why there is such excitement about Sistani going to Najaf. It would be like the pope arriving in Waco to end the siege there. Assuming of course, that the pope came from Waco. But that gives you a bit of an idea -- Daryn.
KAGAN: As you point out, this is his hometown. This is where he lives. He has a big investment in the city.
VAUSE: Yes. He is from Najaf. Najaf is considered a holy city. Certainly the old city. The part around the Imam Ali Shrine is considered holy; the rest is kind of a collection of bazaars and hotels, and shops that sell a lot of trinkets. But this is Sistani's hometown. And it will be a very, very different place to the one, which he left three weeks ago. He went to London to seek treatment for the heart complaint, just as the fighting was erupted. He's returning now to an old city, which has been almost reduced to rubble-- Daryn.
KAGAN: John Vause in Baghdad. John, thank you. We will check back with you.
Also in southern Iraq, saboteurs have attacked oil pipelines and shut off as much as one-third of the country's exported crude. According to some reports, about 20 pipelines were hit. That's caused oil prices to climb slightly on the oil world market, which that had seen several days' of declines.
Back in the United States, Pentagon investigators have brought the Iraqi prisoner abuse cases into clearer focus. The Fay Report was released yesterday; it substantiates 44 instances of abuse at the now notorious Abu Ghraib prison. Some of the mistreatment includes constituted torture. And it echoed another Pentagon report that was issued a day earlier in citing failure in military leadership and oversight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. PAUL KERN, CHMN., ABU GHRAIB PANEL: We learned there were leaders in Abu Ghraib who knew about this conduct. Knew better. And did nothing. Some soldiers behaved improperly because they were confused by their experiences and direction. And we found that we violated our own regulations by allowing ghost detainees in our detention facilities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: The probe uncovered eight ghost detainees, prisoners not officially documented as required by military law. The report also says three more military police officers could face charges in addition to the seven already charged.
Now the story of one U.S. prisoner formally accused of war crimes by a U.S. military tribunal. David Hicks, yesterday, is a 29-year-old Australian cowboy accused of fighting alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan. He's being held at Guantanamo Navy Base as an enemy combatant. Yesterday, Hicks entered a not guilty plea before a U.S. military court.
Earlier on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," we spoke to his father.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TERRY HICKS, FATHER OF DAVID HICKS: David should have been back in Australia facing any charges back there, not being held here for nearly three years without any charges.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Lawyers for Hicks, a 29-year-old convert to Islam, argued that there are many reasons the charges should be dropped.
This hour at Guantanamo Navy Base, the arraignment hearing for another detainee is under way. He is a Yemeni man accused of serving as Osama bin Laden's bodyguard. Government prosecutors also claim that bin Laden enlisted him to take the videotaped attack on the USS Cole, and produce a tape to recruit and inspire al Qaeda operatives.
Meanwhile, an American captured on an Afghan battlefield, and held as an enemy combatant, has filed court arguments challenging the Bush administration's treatment of terror suspects. Yasser Esam Hamdi has been held for three years, first at Guantanamo, now in a military jail in South Carolina, but has not been charged. Hamdi says he never intended to fight against Americans, and therefore, retains the legal rights of a U.S. citizen. His case is expected to be heard in federal court on Monday.
The tragedy and toll of the U.S. military operations in Iraq takes a bizarre twist in Southern Florida. Police say just moments after three uniformed U.S. Marines told a Hollywood couple that their son was killed in combat in Iraq; the distraught father set himself and the military van on fire.
We get details now from reporter Sharron Melton. She is with our Miami affiliate WSVN.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHARRON MELTON, WSVN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sparks flying everywhere when this van is consumed by fire.
LINDA RAMOS, NEIGHBOR: And we heard a boom. And then a series of booms, which was probably the tires melting. And then a scream, and then just a tremendous cloud of smoke.
MELTON: According to police, it all happened when a father learned that his son was killed in Iraq. When 44-year-old Carlos Arredondo was informed by several Marines that his 20-year-old son Alexander had died Tuesday in Iraq, Carlos snapped.
CAPT. TONY RODE, HOLLYWOOD POLICE: The gentleman was extremely distraught, basically just broke down. At one point he actually goes into the garage, picks up a can of gasoline, and/or a propane tank, runs towards the vehicle, smashes the vehicle window and sets the U.S. governmental vehicle on fire.
MELTON: When he jumped out, the Marines on the scene tried to put the flames out on his body. The entire incident took Marines by surprise.
MAJ. SCOTT MACK, U.S. MARINE CORPS: And though we have not seen this type of reaction, every reaction is negative. It's a loss of a loved one. And I don't think any of us are qualified to go into the depths of the mind and truly anticipate how somebody's going to react.
MELTON: Arredondo was burned over 50 percent of his body, with burns on both his arms and legs and transported to Memorial Regional Hospital. Now, police, Marines and neighbors are all wondering if this distraught father will make it through.
RAMOS: He lost his child. His child passed away. His child died and I guess he became upset. This is the result of just him having a broken heart, I guess. It's sad. It's terrible.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And That story comes to us from Sharron Melton of our Miami affiliate WSVN.
Jury selection in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case is supposed to begin tomorrow, as the prosecution calls for an emergency hearing claiming contaminated evidence.
And, are you getting what you pay for? We're going to take a close look at dollars spent to keep the homeland secure.
And later, we are live from Athens as the U.S. women's soccer team goes for gold against Brazil.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Testimony resumes in two hours, right from now. In Scott Peterson's double murder trial, a prosecution investigator is due back on the witness stand. Under cross-examination yesterday, Stephen Jacobson said police once expected co-conspirators may have been involved in Laci Peterson's disappearance. Jacobson also testified, police at one time suspected Amber Frey was not cooperating with them.
Jury selection in the Kobe Bryant case is scheduled to begin tomorrow. Today though, there's an emergency hearing on an issue at the heart of the defense strategy.
Our Chris Lawrence is covering the hearing. He is in Eagle, Colorado.
Chris, good morning.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. Yes, this evidence, this DNA evidence really cuts to the heart of the defense argument. And to have this kind of hearing 24 hours before jury selection really caught a lot of people here by surprise. The attorneys should be arriving within the next couple hours. But Kobe Bryant will not be among them; he has waived his right to appear.
And what this all stems from are the results of a defense DNA expert. She concluded that the accuser had sex with another man after Kobe Bryant, but before her hospital exam. Now, the prosecution motion suggests that the DNA that was evidence that was obtained by the defense and the prosecutors don't match. And when you talk about the fact that they're both working with the same samples, you can see the problem there.
Specifically, DNA tests use what are called negative controls, a control group. Prosecutors are saying that samples that should show no DNA are showing DNA. What we can speculate is that what they will argue is this -- that DNA that the defense attributes to a second man is actually this contamination. And legal analysts say that whether or not this evidence actually gets admitted or thrown out could be one of the most important decisions made so far.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRAIG SILVERMAN, FMR. DEPUTY D.A., DENVER: If the defense can put on credible evidence through DNA that this young lady had sex with Mr. X after Kobe Bryant, but before she went to the cops, it's hard to see how the prosecution can possibly prevail. It destroys her credibility. And in a he said/she said case, that's everything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: Now, we're not sure if the prosecutors are saying that this possible contamination happened on purpose, or simply due to an accident. But we do know there could be several possible causes. It could have come from the analysts who handled the sample. It could have come from the original investigator. At times, it's even been proven that sometimes the chemicals actually used in the tests can actually cause contamination -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Chris Lawrence in Eagle, Colorado, thank you for that.
The cost of keeping homeland secure, we're going to take a look -- an extensive look at the numbers and why Wyoming is spending per capita four times as much as New York City.
And the president is expected to arrive in New Mexico shortly. We'll have a live report as he goes back out on the campaign trail.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: With the billions being spent on homeland security, you might think that states at highest risk for terrorist attacks get the lions' share per capita of funding. Well, it just isn't that way. For instance, Wyoming, home to the nation's smallest population, gets the most homeland security money per person.
Our Drew Griffin has that story. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It may seem unlikely, a remote chance in this remote town that sits on this plain, but Douglas, Wyoming's 15 sworn police officers are ready.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's four suits, two different types. The air cartridge pops out.
GRIFFIN: They are ready for a chemical, biological or even dirty bomb attack.
LORI EMMERT, POLICE CHIEF, DOUGLAS, WYOMING: We're very fortunate to be at the level we are.
GRIFFIN: Douglas Police Chief Lori Emmert says, don't laugh. Her city of 5,500 sits on a major interstate. Last week, Douglas hosted the state fair. And if anything happens here, 50 miles east of Casper...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have a nice day!
EMMERT: Thank you.
GRIFFIN: ... it's up to the chief and her officers to respond. (on camera): Why does Douglas, Wyoming need to protect itself from terrorists?
EMMERT: My feeling is that every emergency responder, fire, police, or medical should have the equipment they need to respond to an incident. And I don't know that state or boundaries negates that.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): Douglas is one of many small towns across America benefiting from the fight against terrorism. The Homeland Security Act sends money across the nation to help first responders prepare for the next attack. Douglas purchased this mobile command post; new air tanks for its firefighters, radios. And every single police officer in Wyoming received chemical and biological defense suits, thanks to federal dollars.
(on camera): Is this something you could afford with -- without Homeland Security?
EMMERT: No. No. We could not afford it.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): Kelly Ruiz is with Wyoming's Office of Homeland Security.
(on camera): Does the state of Wyoming really think there will be a terrorist related strike in this state?
KELLY RUIZ, HOMELAND SECURITY, WYOMING: All we know is you cannot second-guess a terrorist. Wyoming is strong in agriculture and energy. So you just can't second-guess them and say where they're going to strike or not strike. GRIFFIN: Yet even during the height of the busy state fair, it's hard to imagine any terrorist would strike Douglas, Wyoming. Yet this town, and the state of Wyoming, are spending more federal dollars per person defending themselves against terrorism than even New York.
(voice-over): In fact, according to the Department of Homeland Security, while California and New York will spend about $11 per person on homeland defense, Wyoming's per capita spending will be four times that amount, $45.22 for every man, woman and child in the state.
How did it happen? In the aftermath of 9/11, Congress was pressed to react, swiftly passing legislation to help the country defend itself. And nothing could be quicker than plugging in an existing federal funding formula.
REP. CHRISTOPHER COX (R-WY), SELECT CMTE. ON HOMELAND SECURITY: We used the same funding formulas for paving roads.
GRIFFIN: That's right, road paving. Based in part on population, but also on such details as the number of postal roads in a state. Congressman Christopher Cox heads the House Select Committee on Homeland Security. He's pushing a bill that would change the formula.
COX: Terrorism funding isn't like paving roads. Terrorism funding, counter terrorism funding has to be focused on actual threats, actual vulnerabilities.
GRIFFIN: Cox says the current system pays little attention to actual risk. All states get money no matter the need, and this has led to a counter terrorism-spending spree that in some cases has little to do with countering terrorism. In Lake County, Tennessee, counter terrorism money purchased a $30,000 defibrillator for a high school. The mayor said it would be good to have on hand for the district basketball tournament. Mason County, Washington bought a $63,000 decontamination unit the county sheriff's department says it cannot currently use. West Bloomfield, Michigan is waiting on a $213,000 check, Homeland Security money for fire prevention. And in Grand Isle, Vermont the sheriff's department bought a new four-wheel drive pickup truck for winter patrols, it also pulls the new command center.
COX: Moneys should be spent, according to the 9/11 Commission, according to risk, according to threat. And that's what the pending legislation in Congress will do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the north of Reno, contestant No. 208.
GRIFFIN: The bill is getting wide support in Congress. But that support is likely to wither in the Senate, where small states like Wyoming may not have an equal risk of terrorism, but they do have an equal vote.
Drew Griffin, CNN, Douglas, Wyoming.
(END VIDEOTAPE) KAGAN: The president hits the road. Straight ahead, a live report from Las Cruces, New Mexico and the run up to the Republican National Convention.
And the U.S. men's basketball team faced off against Spain in the quarterfinals. We'll tell you if you will see the U.S. moving towards the medal round.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Let's take a look at the headlines now in the news.
Iraq's most senior Shiite cleric is back home in Najaf following medical treatment in Britain. Representatives of the Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani are attempting to broker an end to the violent standoff with followers of cleric Muqtada al Sadr. Iraqi officials say 48 people have died in the latest violence, including a mortar attack in the nearby city of Kufa that killed 25.
The search for Lori Hacking's body is expected to resume tonight at a county landfill just outside of Salt Lake City. Authorities are pouring through nearly 5,000 tons of garbage and trash in an area where they believe the body was dumped. Hacking was reported missing about five weeks ago. Her husband, Mark, is accused of killing her while she slept.
President Bush is back on the campaign trail today. He left his Texas ranch this morning to attend a rally at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. The president also has campaign events today in Farmington and Albuquerque.
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