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Hearts & Minds; U.S. Army Reservists Launching Largest Ever Training Program for Iraqi Forces

Aired October 20, 2004 - 10:30   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.


RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Just as the military landscape has changed since the start of the war, so has the mission. The battle now is for goals that are different from the once-coveted hearts and minds of Iraqis that we heard so much at the outset.
CNN's Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): A year and a half after the end of the war there are few Americans talking about winning the hearts and minds of Iraqis. Now they're just trying to earn their trust. Soldiers still throw candy to children, even from helicopters, and they value friendly waves from townspeople.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now somebody sees someone throwing rocks at us. They usually try to drop two bags of toys or candy. They won't do it the next time.

ARRAF: But the U.S. military's mission here is more complex than anyone bargained for in an environment more hostile than anyone expected. Increasingly, they're aiming at more tangible goals.

LT. COL. STEVE BULLMORE, U.S. ARMY: Can we have trust and confidence in each other Iraqis and us and us and Iraqis? I would think that that's far easier than being of the same heart and of the same mind.

ARRAF: Walid Farid Abdul-Salam, chief of police in Diyala in the Sunni Triangle, says trust between military commanders here and the police has built slowly. Now, he says, that has to trickle down to the level of ordinary Iraqis.

WALID FARID ABDUL-SALAM, DIYALA CHIEF OF POLICE (through translator): We need time to convince our people of the intentions of the Americans, the intentions behind their presence and efforts for Iraq.

ARRAF: After the war, Iraqis expected peace and prosperity in this oil rich country. Most have neither and they blame the United States.

"The Americans have brought us nothing concrete, only words," Ixner (ph) tells us, reeling off a list of complaints.

American psychological operations teams still broadcast their messages in towns and cities, but many of those messages are asking for help in defeating the insurgency.

To build the trust they need, savvy military leaders devote a lot of time to talking with local leaders. At the 1st Infantry Division's 3rd Brigade, they use lessons they learned in the ethnic cauldron of Kosovo, primarily patience.

COL. DANA PITTARD, U.S. ARMY: What we learned there is for meetings success is, is that you wait everybody out. You listen to everybody's issues.

ARRAF: Success, he says, won't be making Iraqis like the American presence here. They probably won't ever do that. It will be to gain their confidence and cooperation in building a new Iraq.

Jane Arraf, CNN, Baquba, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now we're going to take a closer look at another evolution of the U.S. mission in Iraq, the training of Iraqi personnel. More than 700 U.S. Army Reservists are launching the largest ever training program for Iraqi forces.

Major General Bruce Robinson commands the Army Reserve's 90th Division that specializes in training U.S. Army soldiers and is overseeing a similar mission among Iraqis.

General, good morning. Thanks for being here with us.

MAJ. GEN. BRUCE ROBINSON, U.S. ARMY: Good morning, Daryn, Thanks for having me.

KAGAN: what is going to be the biggest challenge in this mission, sir?

ROBINSON: The challenge of this mission, this is an Army Reserve mission which normally takes place in the United States. We're going to export it to Iraq. The Army Reserve has the capability to provide this type of training, that is for the individual soldiers. The goal here is to train the Iraqi leadership and noncommissioned officers, as well as the officers, and to assist in expediting the training of the forces which are being built in Iraq, so those forces can take over Iraqi security and defense.

KAGAN: General, I want to ask you about the numbers and the timing here. Why so many and why now? Why send an entire division over to tackle this job at this time?

ROBINSON: This is a portion of the 98th Division. We still have missions concurrent in the United States. We will provide part of the command and control and significant number of the trainers. There will be additional trainers which will come from other sources.

But primarily the goal is to expedite the building of Iraqi forces. This is how the overall goal of allowing the Iraqi sovereignty to take place on a faster scale and will allow the U.S. and coalition forces to then be able to make a more smooth redeployment.

KAGAN: And does that ultimately mean more soldiers coming home sooner?

ROBINSON: That is the goal, is to speed up the point whereby the Iraqi forces will be able to provide for their own security, their own sovereignty. The army will have to be grown. The army will have to mature. And once the army is able to provide combat readiness, then that means there will be a lessening need for U.S. and coalition forces.

KAGAN: General, Army Reserve made some news in Iraq over the last week. An Army Reserve unit, the 343rd Quartermaster. About 18 or 19 of the soldiers refused to go on a mission to deliver some fuel. They said it wasn't safe. They said they didn't have the right kind of vehicles, and that they weren't being escorted properly, and that now is under investigation. Any concern about when you get your soldiers over there about them not agreeing to do what they are ordered to do?

ROBINSON: Our soldiers, American soldiers, are focused on the mission. That would be an isolated case that you refer to, which is under investigation. Our soldier's goal is to focus on that mission and to put mission first. The soldiers sending which we're sending over as trainers our senior noncommissioned officers, they are junior officers, as well as field-grade officers. So those officers are focused on doing their mission, and that is to ensure that the training is meeting the proper standards, to ensure that the Iraqi forces are trained, so they'll be able to takeover and to be operational as quickly as possible.

KAGAN: And you leave today?

ROBINSON: I will not leave until our final portions of the 98th Division go over. Currently we have people in training in Indiana, as well as in Texas. And our soldiers are receiving special training to be better prepared for this particular mission and theater.

KAGAN: Well as you go, to you and your soldiers, good luck to you.

ROBINSON: Thank you. Thanks for having me.

KAGAN: General, thank you for your time.

ROBINSON: Thank you, Daryn.

SANCHEZ: There is big news for all those believers in the religion of iPod. We are going to go live to the New York Stock Exchange for the latest word on the little white music player.

KAGAN: People love these things.

SANCHEZ: Plus, why Ohio officials are worried about making sure every vote counts on Election Day.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The election is just two weeks away and not a vote to spare. Polls show the presidential race is still very tight, and a new poll out of Ohio, a battleground state, shows Senator John Kerry with a slight edge, getting 48 percent from likely voters to President Bush's 46 percent.

SANCHEZ: Ohio's 20 electoral college votes has both candidates keeping their eyes on the proverbial prize. Some in the Buckeye State are eyeing some potential voting problems, as well, in an effort to avoid any controversy on Election Day.

Here's CNN's Kelli Arena.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good afternoon, Board of Elections.

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Columbus, Ohio, County Board of Election staffers are working six days a week, 24 hours a day to process voter registrations. The state is likely to break records for turnout in November, but voter rights activist Bill Faith calls it a sad situation.

BILL FAITH, COALITION ON HOMELESSNESS & HOUSING: We are on the brink of this historic opportunity to have so many people more engaged in our Democratic process this year than we've ever seen. And yet, we're going to show them that the first experience they get at trying to vote is they are turned away.

ARENA: For the first time under federal law, all states have to offer a back-up or provisional ballot to voters whose names do not appear on the rolls when they show up to vote. And given the sheer volume of new registrations, election officials believe that such cases will arise.

If people vote with those back-up ballots at the wrong polling place, Ohio's secretary of state says their vote shouldn't count.

KEN BLACKWELL, OHIO SECRETARY OF STATE: The law is very explicit in saying that a provisional ballot cannot be cast in the precinct where a person does not live.

ARENA: A federal judge disagreed, and the state is appealing. So, for now, the outcome is still unclear. Blackwell says Ohio has used provisional ballots before without controversy, but local election officials say the rules were not as strictly enforced in the past.

MATTHEW DAMSCHRODER, FRANKLIN CITY ELECTION BOARD: What we have to do as elections officials is not only uphold the law and prevent fraud, but we also have to efficiently manage Election Day and allow every voter -- that's legally allowed to -- to vote in an efficient manner. And that's sometimes -- sometimes a difficult thing to keep both of those in balance.

ARENA: The debate on provisional ballots is just one of several issues that have charged the political atmosphere in Ohio.

(on camera): For example, on the new voter registration forms, voters are asked to provide either the last four digits of their Social Security Number or their driver's license number. Well, let's just say they forgot to do that. Ohio election officials say if the form was mailed in, then all the voter needs to do is show up at the polls with the proper ID and vote.

But if the form wasn't mailed in but was walked in instead, then the form will be sent back to the voter, the voter needs to fill out the information, get it back to election officials before Election Day, and if they don't do that, they are not registered and they won't be allowed to vote.

(voice-over): And there's other confusion, as well, including over whether ex-felons are allowed to vote. Some are told they could not, but they can. And it's not clear whether new voters know when they need to bring ID along -- and if so, what kind?

MICHAEL VU, CUYAHOGA CITY ELECTION BOARD: That's one of the reasons why the Board of Elections has taken a proactive approach in sending out a countywide mailer that will discuss when ID will be asked.

ARENA: New rules, first-time voters, and over-burdened poll workers -- it all adds up to a possible disaster.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Columbus, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Of course, the outcome in Ohio and in another states might not be decided by voters. It might be determined by lawyers. Watch CNN's "PAULA ZAHN NOW" to see how legal teams on both sides are preparing for any possible battles over the 2004 vote. The program airs tonight. It's at 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

KAGAN: Now let's talk about a real battle -- game seven of the ALCS. What a game, what a series -- you staying up?

SANCHEZ: Unbelievable. I have never seen a game with so many strange things. So many -- talk about attorneys. They needed attorneys last night with all those...

KAGAN: They needed instant replays is what they needed.

SANCHEZ: Umpires huddling. We'll be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAGAN: All right. Let's take a look at other stories making news coast to coast.

The Georgia Supreme Court has heard arguments on both sides of a Constitutional Amendment that would ban gay marriage in the state. The court is expected to issue its ruling before the November 2nd election when voters are expected to pass the referendum.

Dave Barry fans, the writing is on the wall. The Pulitzer Prize- winning humor columnist says he's going to take an indefinite leave of absence beginning in January. Barry's weekly column runs in 500 newspapers. He says he might come back sometime in 2006. In the meantime, he will continue writing books and turning one of those books into a film.

In Washington State, marine experts say they are not sure what has killed more than a thousand jumbo flying squids. The bodies have been washing up on shore. One possible explanation: The water has simply been too cold. The squid are typically found off the coast of Mexico.

SANCHEZ: Maybe somebody should tell them that they're not supposed to fly.

Boston Red Sox fans have long considered themselves slaves to a cruel history, not a team accustomed to crushing October disappointments will try to break those shackles with some history to celebrate. The Red Sox -- who, by the way, call themselves the "Idiots" -- beat their archrival Yankees last night to force a decisive game seven. That will send one team to the World Series and the other home.

By the way, they call themselves the "Idiots" because, the way they explain it, they are the only ones who believe they can still win. So, actually it's a compliment of sorts.

KAGAN: Right. And when you call yourself that, it's different than somebody else calling you that.

SANCHEZ: Correct.

KAGAN: Just to be clear.

SANCHEZ: But since I said it, I wanted to clarify that.

KAGAN: Very smart.

We also want to take a closer look at the ALCS series through the eyes of someone who has seen it all, and yet like the rest of us, he has never seen anyone like this.

Mel Antonin of "USA Today" joining us by telephone from New York.

Mel, good morning.

MEL ANTONIN, "USA TODAY": Good morning to the two of you. What a series. What a series.

SANCHEZ: I'm wondering, Mel, in fact, what do you think, the fact that the officials, the umpires got together and reversed not one but two calls? This is something we wouldn't have seen in baseball a couple decades ago.

ANTONIN: No, I think so; it's a new trend. Umpires are admitting that sometimes they're not always in perfect position, they don't always see the play as they should, so they're checking around the diamond. They have six umpires on the field. One usually sees the plate clearly. And in the eighth-inning last night, with Alex Rodriguez slapping the ball, the first base umpire got blocked by the Boston first baseman, so he asked the home plate umpire, who had a perfect view of it. It's really a refreshing course, a refreshing trend in umpiring.

KAGAN: Bottom line, Mel, do you think the umps made the right call ultimately? And what was Alex Rodriguez thinking. It's not football or baseball?

ANTONIN: I think Alex Rodriguez was just -- I think it shows just what happens when a team gets behind and needs to win. It was just a little act of desperation -- let's see if I can try this and get away with it; if I can, so much the better. But the umpires made the exact right call on the Rodriguez play in the eighth inning, when they overturned -- when they gave Mark Bellhorn the home run in the fourth inning, they made that call right. So it may have taken a little bit longer, but they did it right, and I don't think, though, Daryn, that this is a case where you say, OK, we need instant replay in baseball. The umpires can handle it just fine, and they called both plays to the letter perfectly according to the rulebook.

KAGAN: There's our baseball purist getting his true comments in there.

SANCHEZ: Let's stay with the slap if we can for just a bit, because I've heard a lot of commentary on this today, and some people are saying, baseball purists or not, you know what, you've got to do whatever you can to win. I understand that every once in a while, if you can steal a sign from the catcher here and there, OK, but this is a little different wasn't it? I mean, some people would just call this downright cheating.

ANTONIN: I don't think it's cheating. I think it's just a matter of, you know -- it's almost a reaction. You're trying to get to first base so quickly and you see the ball there. Maybe if I just slap it, it will be fine. I don't think it was predetermined. I don't think you can think those things out. I think it's just a reaction in the heat of the moment.

KAGAN: All right, Mel, let's look forward to tonight, and let's not forget about our friends in the National League. First to game 7, which will be at Yankee Stadium, but also if we can hear what you think about Astros and Cardinals this afternoon.

ANTONIN: Well, the Astros-Cardinals is every bit as dramatic as the Red Sox-Yankees, it's just that the Red Sox and Yankees is just so emotional draining, it's so much drama that it kind of tends to overshadow the Astros, but the Astros have had an incredible September, and now they're Pete Monroe pitch game six.

KAGAN: Not Roger Clemens, saving him for game seven.

ANTONIN: Not Roger Clemens. No, I mean, he's pitched -- Roger Clemens has pitched twice in the postseason on three days rest. So the Astros know that they can probably get a good game out of Pete Monroe, and if they don't, they'll have a rested Roger Clemens for seven, which what an ironic story. How about Roger Clemens retiring, going back home to Houston, signing with the Astros, and then winding up pitching for them, you know, he can end up pitching the game that sends them to the World Series. It's -- you can't script this stuff. It's incredible, and it only happens in baseball.

KAGAN: And just real quickly, who do you think is going to win it all, World Series?

ANTONIN: I think, oh, boy -- I'm picking the Yankees all the way.

KAGAN: All right.

SANCHEZ: I'm flipping a coin myself. This is too close.

ANTONIN: I picked against the Yankees twice in the first round, and they showed me up. So now, I think I've learned my lesson, never pick against the Yankees.

KAGAN: Don't pick against the Yankees.

Mel, thank you. Always good to talk to you.

ANTONIN: Thank you.

KAGAN: Mel Antonin, from "USA Today."

SANCHEZ: It's been a rough 24 hours for the southeast. We're going to show you what a tornado did to one Alabama town, and We'll talk about the forecast for the rest of the country.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: I want to show you some live pictures we're getting in from Baghdad as early evening sets down on the capital city, getting word of a large explosion taking place in central Baghdad. Reuters also reporting that some thick black smoke was seen just rising above the skyline, as you can see somewhat as we look at our live picture. The blast appears to come from the Haifa Street area. Now that has been the scene of a lot of violence in recent weeks, a lot of previous clashes with insurgents. We are working on getting more details in on that blast in central Baghdad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

SANCHEZ: Iowa has room for two today. Both presidential contenders are making speeches there in the next hour, and we're going to explore the importance of Iowa next.

KAGAN: Also, grumpy, irritable, anxiety-ridden? If these words are making you think of a man in your life -- and no, Rick, I did not write that -- you won't want to miss our next hour. We'll look at what might be behind his behavior as the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

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 October 20, 2004 - 10:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Just as the military landscape has changed since the start of the war, so has the mission. The battle now is for goals that are different from the once-coveted hearts and minds of Iraqis that we heard so much at the outset.
CNN's Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): A year and a half after the end of the war there are few Americans talking about winning the hearts and minds of Iraqis. Now they're just trying to earn their trust. Soldiers still throw candy to children, even from helicopters, and they value friendly waves from townspeople.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now somebody sees someone throwing rocks at us. They usually try to drop two bags of toys or candy. They won't do it the next time.

ARRAF: But the U.S. military's mission here is more complex than anyone bargained for in an environment more hostile than anyone expected. Increasingly, they're aiming at more tangible goals.

LT. COL. STEVE BULLMORE, U.S. ARMY: Can we have trust and confidence in each other Iraqis and us and us and Iraqis? I would think that that's far easier than being of the same heart and of the same mind.

ARRAF: Walid Farid Abdul-Salam, chief of police in Diyala in the Sunni Triangle, says trust between military commanders here and the police has built slowly. Now, he says, that has to trickle down to the level of ordinary Iraqis.

WALID FARID ABDUL-SALAM, DIYALA CHIEF OF POLICE (through translator): We need time to convince our people of the intentions of the Americans, the intentions behind their presence and efforts for Iraq.

ARRAF: After the war, Iraqis expected peace and prosperity in this oil rich country. Most have neither and they blame the United States.

"The Americans have brought us nothing concrete, only words," Ixner (ph) tells us, reeling off a list of complaints.

American psychological operations teams still broadcast their messages in towns and cities, but many of those messages are asking for help in defeating the insurgency.

To build the trust they need, savvy military leaders devote a lot of time to talking with local leaders. At the 1st Infantry Division's 3rd Brigade, they use lessons they learned in the ethnic cauldron of Kosovo, primarily patience.

COL. DANA PITTARD, U.S. ARMY: What we learned there is for meetings success is, is that you wait everybody out. You listen to everybody's issues.

ARRAF: Success, he says, won't be making Iraqis like the American presence here. They probably won't ever do that. It will be to gain their confidence and cooperation in building a new Iraq.

Jane Arraf, CNN, Baquba, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now we're going to take a closer look at another evolution of the U.S. mission in Iraq, the training of Iraqi personnel. More than 700 U.S. Army Reservists are launching the largest ever training program for Iraqi forces.

Major General Bruce Robinson commands the Army Reserve's 90th Division that specializes in training U.S. Army soldiers and is overseeing a similar mission among Iraqis.

General, good morning. Thanks for being here with us.

MAJ. GEN. BRUCE ROBINSON, U.S. ARMY: Good morning, Daryn, Thanks for having me.

KAGAN: what is going to be the biggest challenge in this mission, sir?

ROBINSON: The challenge of this mission, this is an Army Reserve mission which normally takes place in the United States. We're going to export it to Iraq. The Army Reserve has the capability to provide this type of training, that is for the individual soldiers. The goal here is to train the Iraqi leadership and noncommissioned officers, as well as the officers, and to assist in expediting the training of the forces which are being built in Iraq, so those forces can take over Iraqi security and defense.

KAGAN: General, I want to ask you about the numbers and the timing here. Why so many and why now? Why send an entire division over to tackle this job at this time?

ROBINSON: This is a portion of the 98th Division. We still have missions concurrent in the United States. We will provide part of the command and control and significant number of the trainers. There will be additional trainers which will come from other sources.

But primarily the goal is to expedite the building of Iraqi forces. This is how the overall goal of allowing the Iraqi sovereignty to take place on a faster scale and will allow the U.S. and coalition forces to then be able to make a more smooth redeployment.

KAGAN: And does that ultimately mean more soldiers coming home sooner?

ROBINSON: That is the goal, is to speed up the point whereby the Iraqi forces will be able to provide for their own security, their own sovereignty. The army will have to be grown. The army will have to mature. And once the army is able to provide combat readiness, then that means there will be a lessening need for U.S. and coalition forces.

KAGAN: General, Army Reserve made some news in Iraq over the last week. An Army Reserve unit, the 343rd Quartermaster. About 18 or 19 of the soldiers refused to go on a mission to deliver some fuel. They said it wasn't safe. They said they didn't have the right kind of vehicles, and that they weren't being escorted properly, and that now is under investigation. Any concern about when you get your soldiers over there about them not agreeing to do what they are ordered to do?

ROBINSON: Our soldiers, American soldiers, are focused on the mission. That would be an isolated case that you refer to, which is under investigation. Our soldier's goal is to focus on that mission and to put mission first. The soldiers sending which we're sending over as trainers our senior noncommissioned officers, they are junior officers, as well as field-grade officers. So those officers are focused on doing their mission, and that is to ensure that the training is meeting the proper standards, to ensure that the Iraqi forces are trained, so they'll be able to takeover and to be operational as quickly as possible.

KAGAN: And you leave today?

ROBINSON: I will not leave until our final portions of the 98th Division go over. Currently we have people in training in Indiana, as well as in Texas. And our soldiers are receiving special training to be better prepared for this particular mission and theater.

KAGAN: Well as you go, to you and your soldiers, good luck to you.

ROBINSON: Thank you. Thanks for having me.

KAGAN: General, thank you for your time.

ROBINSON: Thank you, Daryn.

SANCHEZ: There is big news for all those believers in the religion of iPod. We are going to go live to the New York Stock Exchange for the latest word on the little white music player.

KAGAN: People love these things.

SANCHEZ: Plus, why Ohio officials are worried about making sure every vote counts on Election Day.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The election is just two weeks away and not a vote to spare. Polls show the presidential race is still very tight, and a new poll out of Ohio, a battleground state, shows Senator John Kerry with a slight edge, getting 48 percent from likely voters to President Bush's 46 percent.

SANCHEZ: Ohio's 20 electoral college votes has both candidates keeping their eyes on the proverbial prize. Some in the Buckeye State are eyeing some potential voting problems, as well, in an effort to avoid any controversy on Election Day.

Here's CNN's Kelli Arena.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good afternoon, Board of Elections.

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Columbus, Ohio, County Board of Election staffers are working six days a week, 24 hours a day to process voter registrations. The state is likely to break records for turnout in November, but voter rights activist Bill Faith calls it a sad situation.

BILL FAITH, COALITION ON HOMELESSNESS & HOUSING: We are on the brink of this historic opportunity to have so many people more engaged in our Democratic process this year than we've ever seen. And yet, we're going to show them that the first experience they get at trying to vote is they are turned away.

ARENA: For the first time under federal law, all states have to offer a back-up or provisional ballot to voters whose names do not appear on the rolls when they show up to vote. And given the sheer volume of new registrations, election officials believe that such cases will arise.

If people vote with those back-up ballots at the wrong polling place, Ohio's secretary of state says their vote shouldn't count.

KEN BLACKWELL, OHIO SECRETARY OF STATE: The law is very explicit in saying that a provisional ballot cannot be cast in the precinct where a person does not live.

ARENA: A federal judge disagreed, and the state is appealing. So, for now, the outcome is still unclear. Blackwell says Ohio has used provisional ballots before without controversy, but local election officials say the rules were not as strictly enforced in the past.

MATTHEW DAMSCHRODER, FRANKLIN CITY ELECTION BOARD: What we have to do as elections officials is not only uphold the law and prevent fraud, but we also have to efficiently manage Election Day and allow every voter -- that's legally allowed to -- to vote in an efficient manner. And that's sometimes -- sometimes a difficult thing to keep both of those in balance.

ARENA: The debate on provisional ballots is just one of several issues that have charged the political atmosphere in Ohio.

(on camera): For example, on the new voter registration forms, voters are asked to provide either the last four digits of their Social Security Number or their driver's license number. Well, let's just say they forgot to do that. Ohio election officials say if the form was mailed in, then all the voter needs to do is show up at the polls with the proper ID and vote.

But if the form wasn't mailed in but was walked in instead, then the form will be sent back to the voter, the voter needs to fill out the information, get it back to election officials before Election Day, and if they don't do that, they are not registered and they won't be allowed to vote.

(voice-over): And there's other confusion, as well, including over whether ex-felons are allowed to vote. Some are told they could not, but they can. And it's not clear whether new voters know when they need to bring ID along -- and if so, what kind?

MICHAEL VU, CUYAHOGA CITY ELECTION BOARD: That's one of the reasons why the Board of Elections has taken a proactive approach in sending out a countywide mailer that will discuss when ID will be asked.

ARENA: New rules, first-time voters, and over-burdened poll workers -- it all adds up to a possible disaster.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Columbus, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Of course, the outcome in Ohio and in another states might not be decided by voters. It might be determined by lawyers. Watch CNN's "PAULA ZAHN NOW" to see how legal teams on both sides are preparing for any possible battles over the 2004 vote. The program airs tonight. It's at 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

KAGAN: Now let's talk about a real battle -- game seven of the ALCS. What a game, what a series -- you staying up?

SANCHEZ: Unbelievable. I have never seen a game with so many strange things. So many -- talk about attorneys. They needed attorneys last night with all those...

KAGAN: They needed instant replays is what they needed.

SANCHEZ: Umpires huddling. We'll be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAGAN: All right. Let's take a look at other stories making news coast to coast.

The Georgia Supreme Court has heard arguments on both sides of a Constitutional Amendment that would ban gay marriage in the state. The court is expected to issue its ruling before the November 2nd election when voters are expected to pass the referendum.

Dave Barry fans, the writing is on the wall. The Pulitzer Prize- winning humor columnist says he's going to take an indefinite leave of absence beginning in January. Barry's weekly column runs in 500 newspapers. He says he might come back sometime in 2006. In the meantime, he will continue writing books and turning one of those books into a film.

In Washington State, marine experts say they are not sure what has killed more than a thousand jumbo flying squids. The bodies have been washing up on shore. One possible explanation: The water has simply been too cold. The squid are typically found off the coast of Mexico.

SANCHEZ: Maybe somebody should tell them that they're not supposed to fly.

Boston Red Sox fans have long considered themselves slaves to a cruel history, not a team accustomed to crushing October disappointments will try to break those shackles with some history to celebrate. The Red Sox -- who, by the way, call themselves the "Idiots" -- beat their archrival Yankees last night to force a decisive game seven. That will send one team to the World Series and the other home.

By the way, they call themselves the "Idiots" because, the way they explain it, they are the only ones who believe they can still win. So, actually it's a compliment of sorts.

KAGAN: Right. And when you call yourself that, it's different than somebody else calling you that.

SANCHEZ: Correct.

KAGAN: Just to be clear.

SANCHEZ: But since I said it, I wanted to clarify that.

KAGAN: Very smart.

We also want to take a closer look at the ALCS series through the eyes of someone who has seen it all, and yet like the rest of us, he has never seen anyone like this.

Mel Antonin of "USA Today" joining us by telephone from New York.

Mel, good morning.

MEL ANTONIN, "USA TODAY": Good morning to the two of you. What a series. What a series.

SANCHEZ: I'm wondering, Mel, in fact, what do you think, the fact that the officials, the umpires got together and reversed not one but two calls? This is something we wouldn't have seen in baseball a couple decades ago.

ANTONIN: No, I think so; it's a new trend. Umpires are admitting that sometimes they're not always in perfect position, they don't always see the play as they should, so they're checking around the diamond. They have six umpires on the field. One usually sees the plate clearly. And in the eighth-inning last night, with Alex Rodriguez slapping the ball, the first base umpire got blocked by the Boston first baseman, so he asked the home plate umpire, who had a perfect view of it. It's really a refreshing course, a refreshing trend in umpiring.

KAGAN: Bottom line, Mel, do you think the umps made the right call ultimately? And what was Alex Rodriguez thinking. It's not football or baseball?

ANTONIN: I think Alex Rodriguez was just -- I think it shows just what happens when a team gets behind and needs to win. It was just a little act of desperation -- let's see if I can try this and get away with it; if I can, so much the better. But the umpires made the exact right call on the Rodriguez play in the eighth inning, when they overturned -- when they gave Mark Bellhorn the home run in the fourth inning, they made that call right. So it may have taken a little bit longer, but they did it right, and I don't think, though, Daryn, that this is a case where you say, OK, we need instant replay in baseball. The umpires can handle it just fine, and they called both plays to the letter perfectly according to the rulebook.

KAGAN: There's our baseball purist getting his true comments in there.

SANCHEZ: Let's stay with the slap if we can for just a bit, because I've heard a lot of commentary on this today, and some people are saying, baseball purists or not, you know what, you've got to do whatever you can to win. I understand that every once in a while, if you can steal a sign from the catcher here and there, OK, but this is a little different wasn't it? I mean, some people would just call this downright cheating.

ANTONIN: I don't think it's cheating. I think it's just a matter of, you know -- it's almost a reaction. You're trying to get to first base so quickly and you see the ball there. Maybe if I just slap it, it will be fine. I don't think it was predetermined. I don't think you can think those things out. I think it's just a reaction in the heat of the moment.

KAGAN: All right, Mel, let's look forward to tonight, and let's not forget about our friends in the National League. First to game 7, which will be at Yankee Stadium, but also if we can hear what you think about Astros and Cardinals this afternoon.

ANTONIN: Well, the Astros-Cardinals is every bit as dramatic as the Red Sox-Yankees, it's just that the Red Sox and Yankees is just so emotional draining, it's so much drama that it kind of tends to overshadow the Astros, but the Astros have had an incredible September, and now they're Pete Monroe pitch game six.

KAGAN: Not Roger Clemens, saving him for game seven.

ANTONIN: Not Roger Clemens. No, I mean, he's pitched -- Roger Clemens has pitched twice in the postseason on three days rest. So the Astros know that they can probably get a good game out of Pete Monroe, and if they don't, they'll have a rested Roger Clemens for seven, which what an ironic story. How about Roger Clemens retiring, going back home to Houston, signing with the Astros, and then winding up pitching for them, you know, he can end up pitching the game that sends them to the World Series. It's -- you can't script this stuff. It's incredible, and it only happens in baseball.

KAGAN: And just real quickly, who do you think is going to win it all, World Series?

ANTONIN: I think, oh, boy -- I'm picking the Yankees all the way.

KAGAN: All right.

SANCHEZ: I'm flipping a coin myself. This is too close.

ANTONIN: I picked against the Yankees twice in the first round, and they showed me up. So now, I think I've learned my lesson, never pick against the Yankees.

KAGAN: Don't pick against the Yankees.

Mel, thank you. Always good to talk to you.

ANTONIN: Thank you.

KAGAN: Mel Antonin, from "USA Today."

SANCHEZ: It's been a rough 24 hours for the southeast. We're going to show you what a tornado did to one Alabama town, and We'll talk about the forecast for the rest of the country.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: I want to show you some live pictures we're getting in from Baghdad as early evening sets down on the capital city, getting word of a large explosion taking place in central Baghdad. Reuters also reporting that some thick black smoke was seen just rising above the skyline, as you can see somewhat as we look at our live picture. The blast appears to come from the Haifa Street area. Now that has been the scene of a lot of violence in recent weeks, a lot of previous clashes with insurgents. We are working on getting more details in on that blast in central Baghdad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

SANCHEZ: Iowa has room for two today. Both presidential contenders are making speeches there in the next hour, and we're going to explore the importance of Iowa next.

KAGAN: Also, grumpy, irritable, anxiety-ridden? If these words are making you think of a man in your life -- and no, Rick, I did not write that -- you won't want to miss our next hour. We'll look at what might be behind his behavior as the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

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