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American Morning
Arafat's Interment; Tony Blair Visits Washington; Interview With Senator Arlen Specter
Aired November 12, 2004 - 9:00 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Amazing scene in the Middle East. Thousands of Palestinians flood the late Yasser Arafat's compound. It's a massive outpouring of emotion.
The battle of Falluja: the fighting still fierce. So how much progress are coalition forces really making?
And an "Extra Effort."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Talk to them. Give them some idea of what you can be. Be what you want to be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: A veteran from the Vietnam era makes it his mission to help the veterans of today on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
O'BRIEN: Good morning, everybody. Welcome. Bill Hemmer has the day off because his birthday is right around the corner. Rick Sanchez is filling in.
Nice to have you. Thanks for helping us out.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Happy to be here.
O'BRIEN: Thank you very much.
The big story of the day, of course, what's been happening in Ramallah. Thousands of Palestinians came out this morning to pay their final respects to Yasser Arafat. At times the scene was chaotic. It is, we are told, settling down now. We're going to take you live to Ramallah and Michael Holmes, who is there, for an update in just a moment.
SANCHEZ: Also, we're going to bring you something else later on this morning. President Bush is expected to meet with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. And the situation in the Middle East is likely to be part of this discussion, as you've heard. We will get a live report, as well, from the White House.
O'BRIEN: And one would imagine that's going to be on the top of the list of things they're talking about today.
SANCHEZ: Yes, they both talked about it.
O'BRIEN: Mr. Cafferty, hello.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: How are you doing, Ms. O'Brien?
Coming up in "The Cafferty File," CBS strikes again as the network struggles with the concept of reporting the news without getting into trouble. And a middle-aged orangutan -- she's 43 -- underwent an extreme makeover and she's now chasing the male orangutans all around the compound. She's a bit randy and we have pictures.
O'BRIEN: You go, girl.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: And what's wrong with that?
O'BRIEN: You know, you get into your 40s, things -- you know what? I'm not going to go there.
Thank you, Jack. We're looking forward to that.
CAFFERTY: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: Other stories this morning. Heidi Collins at our news desk.
Good morning to you.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you guys. Good morning, everyone.
"Now in the News" today, U.S. troops are facing small pockets of resistance as the battle rages on in Falluja. American soldiers going door-to-door and building-building-to-building to search for weapons and clear the area of insurgents. A Marine commander says at least 23 American and Iraqi forces have been killed. More than 200 have been wounded since the operation began Sunday night.
In the Philippines, investigators are looking into what caused a deadly train wreck. A passenger train was traveling to Manila when four of its rail cars derailed and tumbled down a 40-foot deep ravine. Look at this. At least 10 people were killed, dozens more injured.
Here in the U.S., jury deliberations begin all over again in the Scott Peterson double-murder trial. The head juror was dismissed earlier this week, prompting a new foreman to take over. That means the panel has to start deliberating from scratch. They are set to do just that in about two hours.
And finally, a state of emergency has been declared for parts of Colombia. Flooding and landslides have killed more than a dozen people in recent weeks. Some 200,000 people are now living in shelters, forced to leave their homes. Government officials say they are trying to get aid to the most needy areas. President Bush is expected to meet with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe later this month.
Back over to you guys.
SANCHEZ: Thanks a lot, Heidi.
O'BRIEN: Heidi, thanks.
The body of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has been interred at his West Bank compound. The plans for the ceremony had to be altered a little bit due to the tens of thousands of mourners who rushed the casket. CNN's Michael Holmes is in Ramallah for us, just a really short distance from the grave site this morning.
Michael, good morning again.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.
Yes, what a scene it was. The Muqata compound behind me was meant to be empty except for dignitaries and the casket of Yasser Arafat. Didn't work out that way.
You can still hear celebratory gunfire going on all around me. Actually quite close, in fact.
What happened was thousands of Palestinians, ordinary people, weren't going to be kept on the outside of the compound. They forced their way in through holes in the wall. They climbed over the wall. And they made sure that they were going to be part of this funeral.
The irony is, while it looked all say chaotic, Soledad, it was probably precisely the sort of funeral Yasser Arafat would have loved. It was chaotic, it was emotional. There was a real sense of occasion here, not in a necessarily dignified sense, but in an emotional sense.
And people here are milling around still behind me at the scene of the burial, the tomb, if you like. They're still over there. But a lot of other people are already leaving.
You hear the ambulances, too. There's been probably 20 ambulances leave here in the last, oh, I don't know, half an hour, 45 minutes or so. And I wouldn't be surprised if some of those are carrying people hit by bullets on their way down. I think in this part of the world -- I've been here a bit over the years -- they tend to forget when you shoot in the air the bullets come down -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Michael Holmes for us. We were hoping to bring you a picture of Yasser Arafat's gravesite for the first time. Let's see if we -- there it is, in fact. This is Yasser Arafat's grave site at that Ramallah compound.
Michael, you were really -- have been covering this and have been there while this grave site was being constructed essentially out of nothing over the last couple of days. What can you tell us about it? HOLMES: Yes, an extraordinary transformation of this compound. Three years ago, in April 2002, when the major Israeli incursions began here, this compound was pounded, bulldozers knocked down buildings. I saw tank shells go through buildings, 50-caliber machineguns raking across the walls.
This compound was full of cars crushed by tanks, rubble, everything. Within 48 hours they had cleaned it all up. It was a remarkable thing.
And then the tomb itself was constructed in probably a little bit over 24 hours. That's about six or seven feet deep. It has marble and stone. And Yasser Arafat's body lowered into it.
And important to note, in a symbolic sense, that buckets of sand from the Al Aqsa Mosque in east Jerusalem, that's where Yasser Arafat wanted to be buried. Israel said no, of course, citing security concerns, and also not wanting to give Palestinians another reason to call Jerusalem its capital.
They said no to that. But they brought the sand here and poured it into his coffin. Palestinians will tell you, both officials and people on the street, that one day, one day when there is a Palestinian state, and they say with east Jerusalem as its capital, that Yasser Arafat will be moved there -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Michael Holmes for us reporting from Ramallah this morning. Michael, thanks -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: Meanwhile, in just about an hour from now President Bush is expected to meet with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Washington. That's going to take place in Washington.
The two will most likely discuss the future of Mideast peace processes. And most likely both have been seeing some of these pictures that have been coming out of Ramallah this morning. Senior White House correspondent John King is standing by now with some of the details and a preview of this conversation between the two world leaders.
Over to you, John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Rick.
The end of an era we are watching in Ramallah this morning, the passing of Yasser Arafat and the dawn of new Palestinian leadership. And that is what they are focused on most here at the Bush White House.
As you noted, the British prime minister, Tony Blair, is here. Conversations to begin soon in the Oval Office with the president this morning.
The two also chatted over a casual dinner last night. Prime Minister Blair arriving at the White House. You see him here, greeted outside by the president.
He comes carrying his own concerns and complaints from other European leaders that, in their view, this president has not dedicated the time and energy they believe is necessary and urgently needed, focusing on diplomacy in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. What we are told President Bush will say today is that he is fully prepared to dedicate that time and energy and do anything the United States can to move the peace process forward, but that first he needs a partner in the Palestinians. So as Yasser Arafat passes from the scene, the White House is hoping, and President Bush is discussing with Prime Minister Blair, that a new pragmatic Palestinian leadership emerges, and that it is prepared to make the tough decisions on the path to peace.
Now, President Bush believes that there is such a leader in Mahmoud Abbas. He was for a short period of time the Palestinian prime minister. Mr. Bush met with him after isolating Yasser Arafat.
Mr. Bush refused to speak, refused to meet with Mr. Arafat, considered him to be a terrorist and an obstacle to peace. But you see former Prime Minister Abbas here in the Rose Garden with President Bush back in July 2003.
The White House is hoping that he emerges as the new Palestinian leader. But it is being carefully what it says publicly because the Palestinians have to have elections to pick their new leaders, and the White House knows full well that if the Americans are out there praising Mahmoud Abbas, that could, in fact, undermine his support among the Palestinian people.
So look for the two leaders at a news conference today to promise that both Great Britain and the United States are ready to engage in Middle East diplomacy. The big question from the Palestinian side, Rick, is will President Bush put pressure on the Sharon government of Israel to take some steps that the Palestinians think are necessary? But what the White House says is the first threshold that must be crossed is a new Palestinian leadership that raises its hand, says we want peace and we want help from Washington -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: You know, John, we know that even his own labor party has put pressure or the onus on the British prime minister to try and get the president of the United States to react accordingly. But does the prime minister have that type of political muster to get the president to do that which so many around the world seem to want him to do?
KING: Well, make no mistake, this president greatly appreciates the support and the loyalty of Tony Blair. Mostly, of course, on the issue of the Iraq war. And this president will do all he can to help Tony Blair.
But the president would also say that he has always said he is ready and willing to do this but that he needs a commitment from the Palestinian side and from the Israeli side. And the White House would argue what has been lacking is a Palestinian leadership committed to democratic reform, committed to peace. And look, the president notes his public esteem in the Arab world is quite low. They are hoping here that the Palestinians will have elections, that the Palestinians will pick new leaders, and that that new leadership will want economic development, will want peace, will want security, and will want to be embraced by the international community. So they view it as an opportunity here, but they say the first thing they need to see is how this Palestinian leadership transition plays out over the coming weeks.
SANCHEZ: That will be interesting to see develop. John King, thanks so much, bringing us the very latest from the White House now.
As you'd come to expect, CNN will bring you their news conference at 11:25 as it's scheduled right here Eastern Time.
O'BRIEN: Well, on his way to becoming the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Arlen Specter made some remarks. He spoke about the president's choices for judgeships, remarks that to some suggested that he would block anti-abortion judges. They have set off a right wing furor with the president's conservative supporters now going all-out to block Specter's ascent to committee leadership.
The Pennsylvania Republican senator joins us from Philadelphia this morning.
Nice to see you, Senator. Thanks for being with us.
SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (R), PENNSYLVANIA: Thank you for the invitation. Nice to talk to you. Thank you.
O'BRIEN: It is our pleasure. The controversy now over the remarks that were made have people wondering if what you seem to be in line for, the committee chairmanship, now to be in jeopardy. Is that the case? Where does it stand, do you think?
SPECTER: Well, the fact is that I have never opposed pro-life nominees on the basis of their position of being pro-life. I have never employed a litmus test. And my record is emphatic.
I voted for Chief Justice Rehnquist for confirmation after he voted against Roe versus Wade. I supported Justice Scalia and Justice O'Connor and Justice Kennedy. And I think many people will remember that I led the fight to confirm Justice Clarence Thomas, who was very strong pro-life. It almost cost me my Senate seat.
O'BRIEN: So does this then, this furor over what was said -- and we'll play your remarks in just a moment -- does it surprise you?
SPECTER: Well, the same people who are opposing my taking over as chairman came into Pennsylvania to fight me in the primary. I'm the only pro-choice Republican on the Judiciary Committee. But I've never imposed a litmus test.
And as the record shows, I've supported all of President Bush's nominees in committee and on the floor. And I've made 17 speeches opposing the filibuster tactics of the Democrats. So there's really no basis for the opposition, at least as I see it.
O'BRIEN: Here's what you said the Wednesday after the election. Let's just play it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPECTER: I don't want to prejudge what the president's going to do, but the president is well aware of what happened when a number of his nominees were sent up with the filibuster. And the president has said he's not going to impose a litmus test.
He faced that issue squarely in the third debate. And I would not expect the president to -- I would expect the president to be mindful of the considerations which I mentioned.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: You seem to be saying, sir, that the reaction you've gotten is an overreaction. So why do you think it's happening?
SPECTER: Well, the quotations you just ran were simply the recognition of a political fact of life. That the Democrats had filibusters last time, and you can expect it again this time.
What it really boils down to is that people, or one segment of the political party -- listen, no one group elected the president. Moderates contributed as much as anybody.
You have more than -- about half as the Republicans are pro- choice. But with other members who are pro-life -- and I'm the only pro-choice member of the Republican Judiciary Committee -- they're just opposed to me. But there's no basis for anybody to be concerned that I would block a pro-life nominee, because I voted for so many of them.
O'BRIEN: Senator Arlen Specter joining us this morning. Nice to see you, sir. Thanks for your time.
SPECTER: Good talking to you. Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Rick.
SANCHEZ: Meanwhile, the fight for Falluja continues. And moments ago we were able to talk to Jane Arraf. She said that some of the Marines there had just come upon a group of insurgents. We understand the firefight is now well under way there.
Jane Arraf joining us once again. She's embedded with the U.S. Army in Falluja.
Jane, are you there?
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: I am, Rick. We are here in the line of Bradley fighting vehicles, tanks and armored personnel carriers as they're moving south. They're moving forward in the southern sector of the city, which they took overnight. This is the first time that U.S. troops have reached this part of the city, and they're at the edge now, continuing to move forward. And as they move forward, Rick, they're encountering gunfire from some of these buildings.
It's a very eerie scene. Dusk is just about to fall. And what we have in front of us is an abandoned residential section.
Houses in front of us, some of them quite shot up now as firefights have been going on for 20 minutes. And a brief lull now, but they're firing 50-caliber machinegun rounds, all sorts of other weapons at them, trying to get at these small pockets of insurgents who are quite successfully hidden in these houses and in bunkers and tunnels between the buildings -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: No civilians, though, from what I hear you explaining, correct?
ARRAF: Not a single one. It's absolutely eerie. We have not seen a civilian in this five days of battle.
We were talking to Iraqi soldiers, as well. They're part of this effort. They were sent out to try and find what had been thought to be pockets of civilians, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) who are unwilling to leave.
Haven't seen any either in the industrial section or in the southern edge of town. There are definitely civilians elsewhere still in Falluja, but in these places where they thought they might find some they have all fled -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: Zarqawi's leadership also missing in these encounters?
ARRAF: Not clear whether some of them may have been killed. Some have been killed in previous airstrikes up to this battle. But the commander of the taskforce, the Army taskforce that we're with, believes that the insurgents have been driven from other parts of town as the Army and the Marines close in, to be cornered here in the south where we are, trapped like rats, he says.
And indeed, every we time we go forward, every time these troops go forward, they do come up fire from insurgents. But again, small groups, perhaps smaller than expected -- we're talking about cells of three to five. Although in some places there have been up to 20. But mostly they're small, very successfully hidden fighters here -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: Jane Arraf, embedded there with the 1st Infantry. Thanks again, Jane, for filing that report. And we'll be able to talk to you once again, well, when you become available. Thanks again -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, a band of brothers forms through three generations of wounded veterans, passing on the strength and the courage needed to pick up their lives. We'll explain.
SANCHEZ: Also producers of the "Bridget Jones" sequel think that they've got a formula for success. But critics wonder if they've misjudged the audience.
Stay with us. This is AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: The war in Iraq is sending home American men and women who are facing a whole new life when they get back. Many have to learn to cope with the loss of a limb. In this week's "Extra Effort," a group of Vietnam vets who use their experience with amputation to inspire other soldiers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the second time in his life, Sean Carroll is learning to walk.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You just walked 20 feet.
CHO: His grandmother is nearby. So is Don Sioss, Vietnam War veteran, fellow amputee.
DON SIOSS, VIETNAM WAR AMPUTEE: It's going to take awhile. But you're a Marine. You're up to it.
CHO: Sioss is part cheerleader...
SIOSS: It's progress every little day.
CHO: ... part counselor. Lending an empathetic ear, comparing notes with soldiers learning how to live again after losing a limb.
(on camera): So up and down, what's harder, up or down?
SIOSS: Probably down is a little harder.
CHO (voice-over): Sioss lost his leg 33 years ago. But remembers what he was feeling like it was yesterday.
SIOSS: I woke up and I didn't really know, and I was kind of afraid to open the sheet and really see what happened. They're lying in the hospital, they're saying, "Can I drive a car? Will I date? Will I be attractive to women? Will women date me because they feel sorry for me?"
CHO (on camera): And you tell them what?
SIOSS: I tell them listen, it's -- everything is going to be OK.
CHO (voice-over): Sioss, now a husband and father of four, is part of a group of war veterans, amputees who travel routinely to Walter Reid Medical Center. Sioss was inspired by the man who mentored him, Julius Wagman, World War II veteran, also an amputee.
JULIUS WAGMAN, WORLD WAR II AMPUTEE: They see a fellow like Don walking in and -- and having a job, and driven from New York, and, "Oh, if he can do it, I can do it." SIOSS: What happened?
LONNIE MOORE, IRAQI WAR AMPUTEE: RPG.
SIOSS: RPG?
MOORE: Yes, I was in my Bradley. And it's really refreshing to see their outtake on life and to see that they've been successful and no reason why we can't.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're just looking to give them some counsel, some advice.
CHO: At the hospital, the driving range, even over a meal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't go home. I mean, I don't know what to tell my wife, what -- to talk to her, how to -- how to hug my kids. You know, I don't know what to do.
CHO: Sioss says time is the greatest healer.
(on camera): Is it possible that you get as much out of this as they do?
SIOSS: I probably get more out of it than they do. I really think -- I really think that.
CHO (voice-over): Sean Carroll disputes that.
SEAN CARROLL, IRAQI WAR AMPUTEE: Just talking to him, you know, things do get better.
CHO: With the help of those who understand.
SIOSS: Good to see you, Sean.
CHO: Alina Cho, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, it's the time of the year when many employees make critical choices about their health care. Do you feel confident about the decisions you've made? An expert is going to walk us through in just a moment.
You're watching AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. Jack's talking crackdowns.
CAFFERTY: Yes. Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction changed the mood and the attitude in this country about what's appropriate fare for television.
Last night there were 18 ABC affiliates in the country who didn't carry the movie "Saving Private Ryan" because they said they were afraid of the FCC hitting them with fines for the violence and the profanity that's in that movie. ABC offered to pay those fines if they happen, but apparently there was some kind of a protest. Anyway, the question we're fiddling with this morning is whether or not the chilling effect of that reaction by the FCC to Janet Jackson represents them going too far.
"Yes, the FCC has gone bonkers," writes John in Tallahassee. "We show dead bodies on the news, along with amputated limbs. A little peek of Janet Jackson and Howard Stern's trash mouth has the feds acting like the colonial censors."
Since -- in Oklahoma, Debbie, in Weatherford, "My area of Oklahoma one of the areas that didn't get to see the classic. Instead, for the first 30 minutes we saw "Access Hollywood," five Victoria's Secrets models and Britney Spears on that show. We can't see the realities of war, but it's OK to show Tyra Banks wearing almost nothing."
Oh, yeah, that's fine with me.
Jim in North Carolina, "Since when is history indecent? Only socialist governments regulate what you see and hear. If you don't want to watch it, change the channel or turn it off."
And my favorite letter in a very long time comes from Kate in Florida, who writes, "This whole thing was a big misunderstanding, Jack. Those ABC affiliates actually thought the movie was Shaving Ryan's Privates, a lesser known though equally rousing film."
It's a little play on words there.
O'BRIEN: And fitting with the previous e-mail about...
CAFFERTY: Yes, about...
O'BRIEN: Victoria's Secret models.
CAFFERTY: I like that a lot, Kate. Thank you for your efforts.
O'BRIEN: That was very clever.
CAFFERTY: This weekend on "IN THE MONEY" we will focus on what may happen to the Supreme Court during President Bush's second term. And one of the wise old owls of the legal profession, Harvard University professor Alan Dershowitz will join us.
He's got a new book out, too. Always look forward to talking with Mr. Dershowitz about what direction the court may go. Saturday at 1:00, Sunday at 3:00. Invite you to join us for that. It's a tidy little business program.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Sure.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, an astonishing scene in Ramallah at the burial of Yasser Arafat to tell you about.
Also, critics say that if U.S. intelligence agencies are to reform they're going to have to come to grips with their real weak spot in fighting the war on terror. We'll tell you what it is ahead as we continue right here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired November 12, 2004 - 9:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Amazing scene in the Middle East. Thousands of Palestinians flood the late Yasser Arafat's compound. It's a massive outpouring of emotion.
The battle of Falluja: the fighting still fierce. So how much progress are coalition forces really making?
And an "Extra Effort."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Talk to them. Give them some idea of what you can be. Be what you want to be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: A veteran from the Vietnam era makes it his mission to help the veterans of today on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
O'BRIEN: Good morning, everybody. Welcome. Bill Hemmer has the day off because his birthday is right around the corner. Rick Sanchez is filling in.
Nice to have you. Thanks for helping us out.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Happy to be here.
O'BRIEN: Thank you very much.
The big story of the day, of course, what's been happening in Ramallah. Thousands of Palestinians came out this morning to pay their final respects to Yasser Arafat. At times the scene was chaotic. It is, we are told, settling down now. We're going to take you live to Ramallah and Michael Holmes, who is there, for an update in just a moment.
SANCHEZ: Also, we're going to bring you something else later on this morning. President Bush is expected to meet with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. And the situation in the Middle East is likely to be part of this discussion, as you've heard. We will get a live report, as well, from the White House.
O'BRIEN: And one would imagine that's going to be on the top of the list of things they're talking about today.
SANCHEZ: Yes, they both talked about it.
O'BRIEN: Mr. Cafferty, hello.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: How are you doing, Ms. O'Brien?
Coming up in "The Cafferty File," CBS strikes again as the network struggles with the concept of reporting the news without getting into trouble. And a middle-aged orangutan -- she's 43 -- underwent an extreme makeover and she's now chasing the male orangutans all around the compound. She's a bit randy and we have pictures.
O'BRIEN: You go, girl.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: And what's wrong with that?
O'BRIEN: You know, you get into your 40s, things -- you know what? I'm not going to go there.
Thank you, Jack. We're looking forward to that.
CAFFERTY: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: Other stories this morning. Heidi Collins at our news desk.
Good morning to you.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you guys. Good morning, everyone.
"Now in the News" today, U.S. troops are facing small pockets of resistance as the battle rages on in Falluja. American soldiers going door-to-door and building-building-to-building to search for weapons and clear the area of insurgents. A Marine commander says at least 23 American and Iraqi forces have been killed. More than 200 have been wounded since the operation began Sunday night.
In the Philippines, investigators are looking into what caused a deadly train wreck. A passenger train was traveling to Manila when four of its rail cars derailed and tumbled down a 40-foot deep ravine. Look at this. At least 10 people were killed, dozens more injured.
Here in the U.S., jury deliberations begin all over again in the Scott Peterson double-murder trial. The head juror was dismissed earlier this week, prompting a new foreman to take over. That means the panel has to start deliberating from scratch. They are set to do just that in about two hours.
And finally, a state of emergency has been declared for parts of Colombia. Flooding and landslides have killed more than a dozen people in recent weeks. Some 200,000 people are now living in shelters, forced to leave their homes. Government officials say they are trying to get aid to the most needy areas. President Bush is expected to meet with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe later this month.
Back over to you guys.
SANCHEZ: Thanks a lot, Heidi.
O'BRIEN: Heidi, thanks.
The body of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has been interred at his West Bank compound. The plans for the ceremony had to be altered a little bit due to the tens of thousands of mourners who rushed the casket. CNN's Michael Holmes is in Ramallah for us, just a really short distance from the grave site this morning.
Michael, good morning again.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.
Yes, what a scene it was. The Muqata compound behind me was meant to be empty except for dignitaries and the casket of Yasser Arafat. Didn't work out that way.
You can still hear celebratory gunfire going on all around me. Actually quite close, in fact.
What happened was thousands of Palestinians, ordinary people, weren't going to be kept on the outside of the compound. They forced their way in through holes in the wall. They climbed over the wall. And they made sure that they were going to be part of this funeral.
The irony is, while it looked all say chaotic, Soledad, it was probably precisely the sort of funeral Yasser Arafat would have loved. It was chaotic, it was emotional. There was a real sense of occasion here, not in a necessarily dignified sense, but in an emotional sense.
And people here are milling around still behind me at the scene of the burial, the tomb, if you like. They're still over there. But a lot of other people are already leaving.
You hear the ambulances, too. There's been probably 20 ambulances leave here in the last, oh, I don't know, half an hour, 45 minutes or so. And I wouldn't be surprised if some of those are carrying people hit by bullets on their way down. I think in this part of the world -- I've been here a bit over the years -- they tend to forget when you shoot in the air the bullets come down -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Michael Holmes for us. We were hoping to bring you a picture of Yasser Arafat's gravesite for the first time. Let's see if we -- there it is, in fact. This is Yasser Arafat's grave site at that Ramallah compound.
Michael, you were really -- have been covering this and have been there while this grave site was being constructed essentially out of nothing over the last couple of days. What can you tell us about it? HOLMES: Yes, an extraordinary transformation of this compound. Three years ago, in April 2002, when the major Israeli incursions began here, this compound was pounded, bulldozers knocked down buildings. I saw tank shells go through buildings, 50-caliber machineguns raking across the walls.
This compound was full of cars crushed by tanks, rubble, everything. Within 48 hours they had cleaned it all up. It was a remarkable thing.
And then the tomb itself was constructed in probably a little bit over 24 hours. That's about six or seven feet deep. It has marble and stone. And Yasser Arafat's body lowered into it.
And important to note, in a symbolic sense, that buckets of sand from the Al Aqsa Mosque in east Jerusalem, that's where Yasser Arafat wanted to be buried. Israel said no, of course, citing security concerns, and also not wanting to give Palestinians another reason to call Jerusalem its capital.
They said no to that. But they brought the sand here and poured it into his coffin. Palestinians will tell you, both officials and people on the street, that one day, one day when there is a Palestinian state, and they say with east Jerusalem as its capital, that Yasser Arafat will be moved there -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Michael Holmes for us reporting from Ramallah this morning. Michael, thanks -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: Meanwhile, in just about an hour from now President Bush is expected to meet with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Washington. That's going to take place in Washington.
The two will most likely discuss the future of Mideast peace processes. And most likely both have been seeing some of these pictures that have been coming out of Ramallah this morning. Senior White House correspondent John King is standing by now with some of the details and a preview of this conversation between the two world leaders.
Over to you, John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Rick.
The end of an era we are watching in Ramallah this morning, the passing of Yasser Arafat and the dawn of new Palestinian leadership. And that is what they are focused on most here at the Bush White House.
As you noted, the British prime minister, Tony Blair, is here. Conversations to begin soon in the Oval Office with the president this morning.
The two also chatted over a casual dinner last night. Prime Minister Blair arriving at the White House. You see him here, greeted outside by the president.
He comes carrying his own concerns and complaints from other European leaders that, in their view, this president has not dedicated the time and energy they believe is necessary and urgently needed, focusing on diplomacy in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. What we are told President Bush will say today is that he is fully prepared to dedicate that time and energy and do anything the United States can to move the peace process forward, but that first he needs a partner in the Palestinians. So as Yasser Arafat passes from the scene, the White House is hoping, and President Bush is discussing with Prime Minister Blair, that a new pragmatic Palestinian leadership emerges, and that it is prepared to make the tough decisions on the path to peace.
Now, President Bush believes that there is such a leader in Mahmoud Abbas. He was for a short period of time the Palestinian prime minister. Mr. Bush met with him after isolating Yasser Arafat.
Mr. Bush refused to speak, refused to meet with Mr. Arafat, considered him to be a terrorist and an obstacle to peace. But you see former Prime Minister Abbas here in the Rose Garden with President Bush back in July 2003.
The White House is hoping that he emerges as the new Palestinian leader. But it is being carefully what it says publicly because the Palestinians have to have elections to pick their new leaders, and the White House knows full well that if the Americans are out there praising Mahmoud Abbas, that could, in fact, undermine his support among the Palestinian people.
So look for the two leaders at a news conference today to promise that both Great Britain and the United States are ready to engage in Middle East diplomacy. The big question from the Palestinian side, Rick, is will President Bush put pressure on the Sharon government of Israel to take some steps that the Palestinians think are necessary? But what the White House says is the first threshold that must be crossed is a new Palestinian leadership that raises its hand, says we want peace and we want help from Washington -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: You know, John, we know that even his own labor party has put pressure or the onus on the British prime minister to try and get the president of the United States to react accordingly. But does the prime minister have that type of political muster to get the president to do that which so many around the world seem to want him to do?
KING: Well, make no mistake, this president greatly appreciates the support and the loyalty of Tony Blair. Mostly, of course, on the issue of the Iraq war. And this president will do all he can to help Tony Blair.
But the president would also say that he has always said he is ready and willing to do this but that he needs a commitment from the Palestinian side and from the Israeli side. And the White House would argue what has been lacking is a Palestinian leadership committed to democratic reform, committed to peace. And look, the president notes his public esteem in the Arab world is quite low. They are hoping here that the Palestinians will have elections, that the Palestinians will pick new leaders, and that that new leadership will want economic development, will want peace, will want security, and will want to be embraced by the international community. So they view it as an opportunity here, but they say the first thing they need to see is how this Palestinian leadership transition plays out over the coming weeks.
SANCHEZ: That will be interesting to see develop. John King, thanks so much, bringing us the very latest from the White House now.
As you'd come to expect, CNN will bring you their news conference at 11:25 as it's scheduled right here Eastern Time.
O'BRIEN: Well, on his way to becoming the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Arlen Specter made some remarks. He spoke about the president's choices for judgeships, remarks that to some suggested that he would block anti-abortion judges. They have set off a right wing furor with the president's conservative supporters now going all-out to block Specter's ascent to committee leadership.
The Pennsylvania Republican senator joins us from Philadelphia this morning.
Nice to see you, Senator. Thanks for being with us.
SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (R), PENNSYLVANIA: Thank you for the invitation. Nice to talk to you. Thank you.
O'BRIEN: It is our pleasure. The controversy now over the remarks that were made have people wondering if what you seem to be in line for, the committee chairmanship, now to be in jeopardy. Is that the case? Where does it stand, do you think?
SPECTER: Well, the fact is that I have never opposed pro-life nominees on the basis of their position of being pro-life. I have never employed a litmus test. And my record is emphatic.
I voted for Chief Justice Rehnquist for confirmation after he voted against Roe versus Wade. I supported Justice Scalia and Justice O'Connor and Justice Kennedy. And I think many people will remember that I led the fight to confirm Justice Clarence Thomas, who was very strong pro-life. It almost cost me my Senate seat.
O'BRIEN: So does this then, this furor over what was said -- and we'll play your remarks in just a moment -- does it surprise you?
SPECTER: Well, the same people who are opposing my taking over as chairman came into Pennsylvania to fight me in the primary. I'm the only pro-choice Republican on the Judiciary Committee. But I've never imposed a litmus test.
And as the record shows, I've supported all of President Bush's nominees in committee and on the floor. And I've made 17 speeches opposing the filibuster tactics of the Democrats. So there's really no basis for the opposition, at least as I see it.
O'BRIEN: Here's what you said the Wednesday after the election. Let's just play it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPECTER: I don't want to prejudge what the president's going to do, but the president is well aware of what happened when a number of his nominees were sent up with the filibuster. And the president has said he's not going to impose a litmus test.
He faced that issue squarely in the third debate. And I would not expect the president to -- I would expect the president to be mindful of the considerations which I mentioned.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: You seem to be saying, sir, that the reaction you've gotten is an overreaction. So why do you think it's happening?
SPECTER: Well, the quotations you just ran were simply the recognition of a political fact of life. That the Democrats had filibusters last time, and you can expect it again this time.
What it really boils down to is that people, or one segment of the political party -- listen, no one group elected the president. Moderates contributed as much as anybody.
You have more than -- about half as the Republicans are pro- choice. But with other members who are pro-life -- and I'm the only pro-choice member of the Republican Judiciary Committee -- they're just opposed to me. But there's no basis for anybody to be concerned that I would block a pro-life nominee, because I voted for so many of them.
O'BRIEN: Senator Arlen Specter joining us this morning. Nice to see you, sir. Thanks for your time.
SPECTER: Good talking to you. Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Rick.
SANCHEZ: Meanwhile, the fight for Falluja continues. And moments ago we were able to talk to Jane Arraf. She said that some of the Marines there had just come upon a group of insurgents. We understand the firefight is now well under way there.
Jane Arraf joining us once again. She's embedded with the U.S. Army in Falluja.
Jane, are you there?
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: I am, Rick. We are here in the line of Bradley fighting vehicles, tanks and armored personnel carriers as they're moving south. They're moving forward in the southern sector of the city, which they took overnight. This is the first time that U.S. troops have reached this part of the city, and they're at the edge now, continuing to move forward. And as they move forward, Rick, they're encountering gunfire from some of these buildings.
It's a very eerie scene. Dusk is just about to fall. And what we have in front of us is an abandoned residential section.
Houses in front of us, some of them quite shot up now as firefights have been going on for 20 minutes. And a brief lull now, but they're firing 50-caliber machinegun rounds, all sorts of other weapons at them, trying to get at these small pockets of insurgents who are quite successfully hidden in these houses and in bunkers and tunnels between the buildings -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: No civilians, though, from what I hear you explaining, correct?
ARRAF: Not a single one. It's absolutely eerie. We have not seen a civilian in this five days of battle.
We were talking to Iraqi soldiers, as well. They're part of this effort. They were sent out to try and find what had been thought to be pockets of civilians, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) who are unwilling to leave.
Haven't seen any either in the industrial section or in the southern edge of town. There are definitely civilians elsewhere still in Falluja, but in these places where they thought they might find some they have all fled -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: Zarqawi's leadership also missing in these encounters?
ARRAF: Not clear whether some of them may have been killed. Some have been killed in previous airstrikes up to this battle. But the commander of the taskforce, the Army taskforce that we're with, believes that the insurgents have been driven from other parts of town as the Army and the Marines close in, to be cornered here in the south where we are, trapped like rats, he says.
And indeed, every we time we go forward, every time these troops go forward, they do come up fire from insurgents. But again, small groups, perhaps smaller than expected -- we're talking about cells of three to five. Although in some places there have been up to 20. But mostly they're small, very successfully hidden fighters here -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: Jane Arraf, embedded there with the 1st Infantry. Thanks again, Jane, for filing that report. And we'll be able to talk to you once again, well, when you become available. Thanks again -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, a band of brothers forms through three generations of wounded veterans, passing on the strength and the courage needed to pick up their lives. We'll explain.
SANCHEZ: Also producers of the "Bridget Jones" sequel think that they've got a formula for success. But critics wonder if they've misjudged the audience.
Stay with us. This is AMERICAN MORNING.
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O'BRIEN: The war in Iraq is sending home American men and women who are facing a whole new life when they get back. Many have to learn to cope with the loss of a limb. In this week's "Extra Effort," a group of Vietnam vets who use their experience with amputation to inspire other soldiers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the second time in his life, Sean Carroll is learning to walk.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You just walked 20 feet.
CHO: His grandmother is nearby. So is Don Sioss, Vietnam War veteran, fellow amputee.
DON SIOSS, VIETNAM WAR AMPUTEE: It's going to take awhile. But you're a Marine. You're up to it.
CHO: Sioss is part cheerleader...
SIOSS: It's progress every little day.
CHO: ... part counselor. Lending an empathetic ear, comparing notes with soldiers learning how to live again after losing a limb.
(on camera): So up and down, what's harder, up or down?
SIOSS: Probably down is a little harder.
CHO (voice-over): Sioss lost his leg 33 years ago. But remembers what he was feeling like it was yesterday.
SIOSS: I woke up and I didn't really know, and I was kind of afraid to open the sheet and really see what happened. They're lying in the hospital, they're saying, "Can I drive a car? Will I date? Will I be attractive to women? Will women date me because they feel sorry for me?"
CHO (on camera): And you tell them what?
SIOSS: I tell them listen, it's -- everything is going to be OK.
CHO (voice-over): Sioss, now a husband and father of four, is part of a group of war veterans, amputees who travel routinely to Walter Reid Medical Center. Sioss was inspired by the man who mentored him, Julius Wagman, World War II veteran, also an amputee.
JULIUS WAGMAN, WORLD WAR II AMPUTEE: They see a fellow like Don walking in and -- and having a job, and driven from New York, and, "Oh, if he can do it, I can do it." SIOSS: What happened?
LONNIE MOORE, IRAQI WAR AMPUTEE: RPG.
SIOSS: RPG?
MOORE: Yes, I was in my Bradley. And it's really refreshing to see their outtake on life and to see that they've been successful and no reason why we can't.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're just looking to give them some counsel, some advice.
CHO: At the hospital, the driving range, even over a meal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't go home. I mean, I don't know what to tell my wife, what -- to talk to her, how to -- how to hug my kids. You know, I don't know what to do.
CHO: Sioss says time is the greatest healer.
(on camera): Is it possible that you get as much out of this as they do?
SIOSS: I probably get more out of it than they do. I really think -- I really think that.
CHO (voice-over): Sean Carroll disputes that.
SEAN CARROLL, IRAQI WAR AMPUTEE: Just talking to him, you know, things do get better.
CHO: With the help of those who understand.
SIOSS: Good to see you, Sean.
CHO: Alina Cho, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, it's the time of the year when many employees make critical choices about their health care. Do you feel confident about the decisions you've made? An expert is going to walk us through in just a moment.
You're watching AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. Jack's talking crackdowns.
CAFFERTY: Yes. Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction changed the mood and the attitude in this country about what's appropriate fare for television.
Last night there were 18 ABC affiliates in the country who didn't carry the movie "Saving Private Ryan" because they said they were afraid of the FCC hitting them with fines for the violence and the profanity that's in that movie. ABC offered to pay those fines if they happen, but apparently there was some kind of a protest. Anyway, the question we're fiddling with this morning is whether or not the chilling effect of that reaction by the FCC to Janet Jackson represents them going too far.
"Yes, the FCC has gone bonkers," writes John in Tallahassee. "We show dead bodies on the news, along with amputated limbs. A little peek of Janet Jackson and Howard Stern's trash mouth has the feds acting like the colonial censors."
Since -- in Oklahoma, Debbie, in Weatherford, "My area of Oklahoma one of the areas that didn't get to see the classic. Instead, for the first 30 minutes we saw "Access Hollywood," five Victoria's Secrets models and Britney Spears on that show. We can't see the realities of war, but it's OK to show Tyra Banks wearing almost nothing."
Oh, yeah, that's fine with me.
Jim in North Carolina, "Since when is history indecent? Only socialist governments regulate what you see and hear. If you don't want to watch it, change the channel or turn it off."
And my favorite letter in a very long time comes from Kate in Florida, who writes, "This whole thing was a big misunderstanding, Jack. Those ABC affiliates actually thought the movie was Shaving Ryan's Privates, a lesser known though equally rousing film."
It's a little play on words there.
O'BRIEN: And fitting with the previous e-mail about...
CAFFERTY: Yes, about...
O'BRIEN: Victoria's Secret models.
CAFFERTY: I like that a lot, Kate. Thank you for your efforts.
O'BRIEN: That was very clever.
CAFFERTY: This weekend on "IN THE MONEY" we will focus on what may happen to the Supreme Court during President Bush's second term. And one of the wise old owls of the legal profession, Harvard University professor Alan Dershowitz will join us.
He's got a new book out, too. Always look forward to talking with Mr. Dershowitz about what direction the court may go. Saturday at 1:00, Sunday at 3:00. Invite you to join us for that. It's a tidy little business program.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Sure.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, an astonishing scene in Ramallah at the burial of Yasser Arafat to tell you about.
Also, critics say that if U.S. intelligence agencies are to reform they're going to have to come to grips with their real weak spot in fighting the war on terror. We'll tell you what it is ahead as we continue right here on AMERICAN MORNING.
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