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American Morning
Iraqi Insurgency; Bill Clinton Library
Aired November 17, 2004 - 07:29 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Just about 7:30 here in New York. Good morning, everybody. We'll get back to the situation in Mosul in a few moments there. The U.S. commander on the ground, Brigadier General Carter Ham, is our guest in a moment, talking about the intensity of that mission, what's happening today, and also how much progress has been made so far. So we'll get to that in Mosul.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Also this morning, the Clinton presidential library opening tomorrow in Little Rock, Arkansas. It's an innovative design, a huge economic boost to the area. This morning, we get a sneak peek at it from Kelly Wallace. She's in Little Rock this morning.
Before that, though, let's get right to the top stories this morning. Heidi Collins is at our news desk.
Good morning -- Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, guys. And good morning to you, everybody.
"Now in the News."
There's a new claim Iran is producing enriched uranium at a secret facility in Tehran. An Iranian opposition groups has come forward with the information, but Iran's government insists its nuclear facilities are limited to generating electricity, and says the group's claims are politically motivated. Within the last two hours, the opposition group disclosed the location of the site. The U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency says it is investigating.
Congressional investigators say a former Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, funneled money to families of Palestinian suicide bombers. It's part of a probe into possible wrongdoing linked to the U.N.'s oil-for-food program in Iraq. Earlier this week, investigators at a Senate hearing said Saddam made more than $21 billion in illegal revenue from oil sales.
In Colorado, a new round of hearings begin today against Kobe Bryant. Attorneys are back in court for a civil lawsuit against the NBA star. Bryant's accuser is seeking unspecified damages for pain and ridicule she says she suffered since her encounter with Bryant in June of last year. Bryant and his accuser are not expected to attend today's proceedings.
And in baseball, the American League has a new MVP, Angels right fielder, Vladimir Guerrero receiving the honor. Guerrero signed a $70 million five-year contract with the Angels last January after eight seasons with the Montreal Expos. He's only the third player to switch leagues and earn the award in his first season with the new team. That is a good first showing.
HEMMER: I would say.
COLLINS: Yes.
HEMMER: Any player that sticks with his team for more than two seasons...
(CROSSTALK)
COLLINS: In this day and age.
O'BRIEN: To be getting an award for that.
COLLINS: You've got that right.
HEMMER: Thank you, Heidi.
Let's get back to Iraq again. The military is saying Mosul calm today, the second day of an operation aimed at stopping insurgents there. A number of police stations and government buildings attacked last week while U.S. forces were engaged in heavy fighting in Falluja.
Brigadier General Carter Ham is the U.S. commander in Mosul, the northern part of Iraq, and he is my guest now.
And, sir, thank you for your time today. I'm curious to know how much of that town you have under control now in Mosul.
BRIG. GEN. CARTER HAM, U.S. COMMANDER IN MOSUL: Well, good morning, Bill. It's good to be here with you. Even on the 11th of November, which was the toughest day of fighting, when several police stations were, in fact, taken control of by insurgent forces for a brief period of time.
The Iraqi government maintained control throughout the city. There were certainly pockets where we had to reestablish that control, but there were never any police stations or other government facilities that were controlled for long periods of time. Even after the tough fighting of the 11th, on that evening that came along, the city was relatively calm and under control of Iraqi government officials.
HEMMER: So then, General, back to the question. Is it calm now, (a)? And, (b), do you have the entire city back under your control or Iraqi control?
HAM: It is relatively calm today. We've had a little bit of fighting, but very small and isolated compared to what it was about a week ago. And that's the trend we've seen, Bill. We had one big day of fighting that was pretty tough, frankly. And I would categorize that as a sustained level of combat throughout the day. Over the next couple of days, the levels of attack decreased a bit in intensity and frequency. I would call those sporadic incidents. And over the past few days, we've had isolated contact.
Today, the city is pretty calm and clearly under control of the provincial governor and Iraqi security forces. Our job is to help them be successful.
HEMMER: Is there a fair comparison between Mosul and Falluja, sir?
HAM: I lost it.
HEMMER: If you can hear me, again, stick with me, General. The question was, is there a fair comparison between the town of Mosul and Falluja to the south?
HAM: Bill, I could hear you then. No. I don't think there is a good comparison between Mosul and Falluja. A couple of different things that make them very different. First, just in terms of scale. There's about 2 million people in Mosul. So it's a very large city. It's also a very ethnically-diverse city. Sunni Arabs, a small Shia population, Kurdish, Turkmen, Yazedi (ph), Assyrians, Christians, a very diverse population. And from that diversity there comes some strength.
There is very little tolerance by the Iraqi people here for the insurgents. There are some neighborhoods where the insurgent are supported. And we work very hard in those neighborhoods to change that way of thinking and not give the insurgents a safe haven.
HEMMER: If I could, I want to get to two more points quickly here in the minute we have left. There is a report that says the local governor of Mosul called in thousands of militia members from the Kurdish militia to come into that town. How is the U.S. dealing with that variable?
HAM: Well, first, that's not a true report. The Iraqi National Guard, there's a division commander, a two-star general who is here. He has forces throughout northern Iraq. He did, in fact, bring reinforcements of the Iraqi National Guard. Some of those units were stationed in the Kurdish areas, and they have come in to assist into Mosul.
So that, again, the reports are a little bit misleading. Yes, forces came from the Kurdish region but they are Iraqi National Guard forces.
HEMMER: All right. The second point I want to get to, this approach taken by the U.S. taking some forces out of Falluja, directing them toward Mosul. Is this considered a more aggressive stance by the U.S. military, taking on the insurgents before they can fester essentially?
HAM: Well, that's what we always try to do, Bill. We want to disrupt them, keep them from getting organized wherever they may be, try to keep them from accomplishing their goals. A battalion from our brigade was operating in Falluja. Its mission was complete there. So it's now rejoined our brigade here to continue operations. HEMMER: Thank you, General. Good luck to you. Brigadier General Carter Ham there live in Mosul with us on what's happening in that town.
HAM: Thanks, Bill.
HEMMER: Soledad.
O'BRIEN: The Clinton presidential library officially opens tomorrow in Little Rock, Arkansas. The library is on the banks of the Arkansas River on the site of a once-rundown warehouse. President Clinton says it is a gift to the people of Arkansas, and it's sure to be a boon to the region's economy.
National correspondent Kelly Wallace got an early look today inside the library. That's where we find her live this morning.
Hey, Kelly, good morning.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
I was talking to one of the architects this morning, who said the former president's goal was an open, transparent building, a place where people could have access to the daily work of a president. This building, though, Soledad, is also about former President Bill Clinton's legacy, because it really captures the highs and the lows of his eight momentous years in the White House.
When you walk inside the museum, the first thing you'll find is the presidential limo. That is the limo that the president used during his 1993 inaugural parade. Towards the end of the tour, you will find, what we are told, is the only full-scale, exact replica of the Oval Office, the only one in any presidential museum, or anywhere in the world for that matter.
We are told there are 79,000 artifacts inside this museum, including those sunglasses the former president wore when he played the saxophone on "The Arsenal Hall Show." You'll then find a timeline of exhibits capturing the eight years of the former president in the White House, talking about international affairs, domestic affairs. Also, we are told, more than two million photographs inside this museum.
A lot of attention on how the former president would deal with the whole impeachment matter. And you will find discussion of that inside an exhibit titled "The Fight For Power." There is mention of the impeachment battle, and even Monica Lewinsky's name is mentioned there.
But what is most interesting is it's captured in an exhibit where there is discussion about the Whitewater investigation, where there is criticism, very tough criticism, of independent counsel Kenneth Starr. And you get the sense the former president trying to make the message that he believes these were politically-motivated efforts to hurt him during his presidency. The former president saying yesterday he wanted a building that would capture the imagination of people today and for decades to come. And that is clearly the mission. New York-based architect James Polshek and his partners had in mind when they created this 165 million glass and steel structure overlooking the Arkansas River. It is a bridge-like structure, very much to symbolize former President Clinton's mantra, building a bridge to the 21st century.
And as you were mentioned, Soledad, the former president said he wanted to bring this to Arkansas to contribute to the state that helped him become president. We are told that since the former president decided to build his museum and research center here in 1997, nearly $1 billion invested in this area, totally transforming the whole riverfront area here in Little Rock -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, Kelly Wallace for us this morning. Kelly, thanks -- Bill.
HEMMER: More politics now. Today marks one year since Arnold Schwarzenegger moved from the Terminator to become California's Republican governor; that, after California voters ousted the Democratic governor, Gray Davis, in a special recall vote.
Last night, Governor Schwarzenegger sat down with Larry King live for one hour to talk about his first year in office.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: I cannot imagine how you can get bored with a job like that. Every single day you're dealing with different problems. Every single day you're learning. Every single day you're meeting the most interesting people, and you're having an impact on the state if you're doing a good job. And you're learning about reaching out and bringing people together and all of this.
So it is the most exciting thing. I mean, every morning I am so excited about getting up and going up to Sacramento or going to my Los Angeles office or my Santa Monica office and working there for the people. It's really the most exciting thing that I've ever done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: And only with the king of talk last night here on CNN. Schwarzenegger also says he supports the idea of amending the Constitution to allow foreign-born Americans to run for the White House, but he is not considering a run for the White House himself. Approval of him is still high in the Golden State.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: In a moment here, it looks like Sears found a blue light special it could not resist. Andy has got the latest on a huge merger that just happened. In fact, about 90 minutes ago the news broke. We'll tell you about it. O'BRIEN: Plus, Tom Hanks plays six roles in his movie, "The Polar Express." None of them, though, as big as the one he could take next. We'll explain in "90-Second Pop." It's coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everybody. Back to Jack now on the "Question of the Day."
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Bill.
The NBC footage yesterday of that Marine in Falluja got a huge reaction. This guy went into a mosque two days after he was shot in the face by insurgents and days after a close friend of his had been killed by a booby-trapped body.
The problem with pictures like these is that we see them here out of context. Missing are the violent and bloody actions often leading up to this moment. Commanders defended the Marine, saying the tactics used by the insurgent violate rules of engagement. They booby-trap corpses, feign surrender and hide behind civilians.
The Pentagon says it's concerned about how the tape of our Marine will play in the Arab world. Spare me.
Here's the question: Should TV cameras follow combat troops during war? We are getting a ton, and I mean a ton, of responses.
Lynn in Laurel, Maryland: "I think the filming of war is a necessary part of history in-the-making. The question isn't, should it be filmed? But to me, rather when or if it should be aired. There's a fine line between the current need to know and what is filmed for documentary purposes for later use."
Teresa in Michigan: "Yes, cameras should be there. It shows Kerry was right about what goes on in war. The government hides too much as it is. We have the right to know as it helps our decision- making."
Rob in Syracuse, New York: "Frankly, I was much more appalled at the U.S. contractors hanging from a bridge. This was an active battlefield. And to hold the U.S. to the rules of war as they battle ignorant, uneducated, religious zealots is utterly absurd."
Jim in Pine City, Minnesota: "No cameras allowed. Combat isn't "Cops," the television show.
And Doug in Bloomfield, New Jersey: "Following troops into live combat with TV cameras is a tactical liability for our military. Commanders have enough to deal with on a battlefield. Let the TV cameras follow the insurgents around for a while just to keep it fair."
HEMMER: I'm a big believer in the embedded system. But, you know, the Pentagon went through a lot of decision-making to allow this to happen.
Did you see the original part on NBC the other night, Kevin Sites (ph)?
CAFFERTY: No.
HEMMER: NBC gave it a lot of context, and they did not show the actual firing of the weapon. But there was a lot of the same points that you made in your lead into the e-mail segment today just to give it that context that I think is appropriate or necessary.
Thank you, Jack -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: We've got much more now on that major merger between Sears and Kmart, and a preview of the action on Wall Street today. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business."
What more do we know?
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Well, it's an unfolding story, Soledad. In case you're just joining us, Sears and Kmart are merging in an $11 billion deal. Actually, the way it will work is Kmart will be buying Sears but they'll be taking the Sears name. It will be called Sears Holding -- Sears Holdings.
Here's how it works. An $11 billion deal. The company had $55 billion in sales. That pales in comparison to Wal-Mart, which has 250 billion in sales. It will create the No. 3 retailer, after Wal-Mart and Target.
This company will have stores than Target, 3,500 stores, Target has 1,300. But sales will be bigger at Target still.
The names say intact, Soledad. What that means is that the Sears stores will keep the Sears names. Kmart for the most part will still be Kmart stores, although some Kmart stores will change to Sears stores.
Basically, this whole thing has been orchestrated by a Wall Street financier named Eddie Lampert (ph), who controlled Kmart and had a stake in Sears. Sears stock, by the way, in pre-market is up 12 percent, Kmart stock is up 3 percent.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk a little bit about the market.
SERWER: Yes. Well, we wanted to just talk about this other story about the flight attendants first, because this is another big news story. The flight attendants union -- the largest flight attendants union is threatening to go on strike, which would obviously be a huge event for the nation's infrastructure.
The president of the nation's largest union says 4,600 members will go on strike if U.S. Air and United Airlines nullify the contract. Those two airlines are in bankruptcy and they're looking obviously to reduce the amount of money they're paying the flight attendants. The flight attendants said, you know, we're tired of being kicked around.
The strike may be illegal. I mean, this is a very big deal, and we'll be following the story over the next few days.
O'BRIEN: All right. We don't have time to check the markets. We'll check back in with you on that.
SERWER: Good, OK.
O'BRIEN: All right, Andy, thank you.
SERWER: Thanks, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Coming up in just a moment, the Who are thinking about getting back together. The big question, though: Who is going to care? "90-Second Pop" is just ahead. Stay with us. You're watching AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Well, isn't that music appropriate for what we're talking about this morning? Good morning. It is time for our Wednesday edition of"90-Second Pop." It's time to round up the usual suspects.
Andy Borowitz, he is the king of comedy over at BorowitzReport.com.
Good morning to you.
ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: Good morning.
O'BRIEN: Sara Bernard, contributing editor for "New York" magazine.
Hello.
SARAH BERNARD, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: Hell.
O'BRIEN: B.J. Sigesmund, staff editor for "US Weekly."
Good morning.
B.J. SIGESMUND, STAFF EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": Good morning.
O'BRIEN: Well, that was the Who. Guess what?
BERNARD: It's the first time classic rock has ever been on "90- Second Pop."
O'BRIEN: You know, because our producers have missed classic rock by about 20 years. You know, they're getting back together.
BERNARD: I know! We just heard on the Web site that Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, for the first time in 20 years are going to go back to the recording studio and make some original songs together.
O'BRIEN: Yes, they've actually played together. I mean, they've done little get-together concerts, right?
BERNARD: They have.
O'BRIEN: So is this a big deal or not such a big deal?
BERNARD: Well, what they've never done before is actually get into the room, and Pete is the writer, and come up with something entirely new. And the reason why this is interesting is the question: Are they still relevant? Are they still going to have an audience when this mysterious album comes out, which is not supposed to be in the "Tommy" vein? It's going to be, like, individual songs that are unrelated.
And I think that what's interesting is look at Rod Stewart. I mean, this guy is still on the charts. And record companies are so glad that there are people of his generation still making music, because those fans are the ones...
O'BRIEN: That's a nice way to say old people, by the way. We noticed that and we appreciate that.
BERNARD: But those are that people that actually buy CDs. I mean, the younger people, you know, it's iTunes. That's it. And so you don't even have to sell that many records to be on the charts. So I think it's going to be great.
BOROWITZ: I think they're capitalizing on the fact that their audience do not know how to download music for free.
BERNARD: Exactly.
O'BRIEN: They actually have to go to the store...
BERNARD: And buy it, right.
O'BRIEN: ... and buy it.
BERNARD: And buy a CD player.
BOROWITZ: Can I have one of those CD contraptions? You know, I've got to vote. I'm a huge Who fan. But I've got to vote for not a big deal, because actually they have been in the studio. I hate to break that. But they did two new songs this year. They did a greatest hits package and they put out two new songs.
O'BRIEN: Then God bless their PR machine...
BOROWITZ: I know.
O'BRIEN: ... making them relevant all over again.
BOROWITZ: I know. I mean, it's always my big question, is like to have a comeback, don't you really have to go away first? I mean, because...
O'BRIEN: Cher proved not necessary.
BOROWITZ: I guess not. I mean, I'm just...
BERNARD: It's just saying you're going to go away.
O'BRIEN: Threaten to go away.
BOROWITZ: I'm just saying this is like my big comeback to "90- Second Pop," because I was not here Monday.
O'BRIEN: I was out Monday and Tuesday.
BERNARD: Welcome back!
O'BRIEN: I'm having a comeback today.
BOROWITZ: There's a lot (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And you know what? I'm still relevant. I still count.
O'BRIEN: Yes, you are. Let's move on and talk a little bit about "The Da Vinci Code." Tom Hanks, it looks like, will be tapped to play the lead character, Robert Langdon.
SIGESMUND: Right.
O'BRIEN: Good choice, do you think?
SIGESMUND: A great choice. When this movie comes out in late 2005 or 2006, there is going to be a lot of expectations on it, both box office-wise and with Oscar nominations. After all, when was the last time a book hit it this big with adults? You know, they've -- it's been on the best-seller list for 86 weeks, eight million people have bought it. And Tom...
BOROWITZ: It's like "The Godfather." You have to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) "The Godfather."
SIGESMUND: Yes, exactly. But Tom Hanks has two things going for him. No. 1, he's an audience...
O'BRIEN: He can act?
SIGESMUND: Yes, he can act.
O'BRIEN: A big plus.
SIGESMUND: He's an audience favorite. And he also has the clout in Hollywood to be able to handle all of the serious expectations on this film, which is -- although technically a thriller, it's not exactly Harrison Ford, run-down-the-street sort of thriller. It's much smarter.
BERNARD: But I sort of disagree. I really...
SIGESMUND: OK.
O'BRIEN: Tell us.
BERNARD: I really think that Robert Langdon, he is supposed to have this kind of sophisticated sexiness that Harrison Ford had. You know, he was in -- what's that movie when he was the...
O'BRIEN: We know which one you mean.
SIGESMUND: Yes, yes.
(CROSSTALK)
BERNARD: He was a professor. He was an archaeological professor.
SIGESMUND: Yes.
BOROWITZ: "Indiana Jones."
O'BRIEN: "Indiana Jones."
BERNARD: The one with the digs.
SIGESMUND: Yes.
BERNARD: And that's the Robert Landon figure. You know, he is supposed to be this kind of older, sexy art historian. I don't think Tom Hanks can do that.
BOROWITZ: I'm with B.J. I just think anything to keep Tom Hanks from explaining how "The Polar Express" was made.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
BOROWITZ: I don't want to see him in that little cap.
O'BRIEN: I second that. I second that.
Let's talk for just a moment about Gregory House, which is played by Hugh Laurie. It's on Fox. It's supposed to be huge.
BOROWITZ: Yes.
O'BRIEN: And it's supposed to be great. It's getting great reviews.
BOROWITZ: Yes. He's one of my favorite actors, I've got to say. And we haven't really seen him that much in this country, Hugh Laurie.
BERNARD: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) who he was.
BOROWITZ: You know, the only people who have seen him in this country, he was the dad in "Stewart Little"...
BERNARD: Exactly. BOROWITZ: ... which is not exactly a great thing. But he did in Britain this great production of "Jeeves and Wooster," where he played Bertie Wooster...
O'BRIEN: He plays a doctor who is completely obnoxious but brilliant.
BOROWITZ: Right. He is acerbic and he's brusque and he's gruff. It's really like the target audience for this show is like Jack Cafferty.
O'BRIEN: Exactly. It's like Jack Cafferty like a doctor.
BOROWITZ: Yes, exactly. Yes, this is not "Paging Dr. Gupta."
BERNARD: That's right.
BOROWITZ: This is -- but, you know, I think it's a really interesting choice for Fox, because they usually don't go for that kind of casting. And they've been doing so much reality stuff it's kind of nice. And the only question I have is, like, there are so many medical shows on.
BERNARD: Right. How can we fit it in?
BOROWITZ: Right. We have more medical shows in this country than flu shots. I just think maybe...
O'BRIEN: But that's not that hard to do.
BOROWITZ: It isn't hard to do.
(CROSSTALK)
So we need one more? But I don't know.
O'BRIEN: We will how successful it is. You guys, as always, thank you very much.
Bill -- back to you.
HEMMER: All right, Soledad. Top stories in a moment, here, including a look at whether or not Condoleezza Rice can expect tough confirmation hearings. Live to the White House with the latest on that story as we continue at the top of the hour right after this.
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Aired November 17, 2004 - 07:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Just about 7:30 here in New York. Good morning, everybody. We'll get back to the situation in Mosul in a few moments there. The U.S. commander on the ground, Brigadier General Carter Ham, is our guest in a moment, talking about the intensity of that mission, what's happening today, and also how much progress has been made so far. So we'll get to that in Mosul.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Also this morning, the Clinton presidential library opening tomorrow in Little Rock, Arkansas. It's an innovative design, a huge economic boost to the area. This morning, we get a sneak peek at it from Kelly Wallace. She's in Little Rock this morning.
Before that, though, let's get right to the top stories this morning. Heidi Collins is at our news desk.
Good morning -- Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, guys. And good morning to you, everybody.
"Now in the News."
There's a new claim Iran is producing enriched uranium at a secret facility in Tehran. An Iranian opposition groups has come forward with the information, but Iran's government insists its nuclear facilities are limited to generating electricity, and says the group's claims are politically motivated. Within the last two hours, the opposition group disclosed the location of the site. The U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency says it is investigating.
Congressional investigators say a former Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, funneled money to families of Palestinian suicide bombers. It's part of a probe into possible wrongdoing linked to the U.N.'s oil-for-food program in Iraq. Earlier this week, investigators at a Senate hearing said Saddam made more than $21 billion in illegal revenue from oil sales.
In Colorado, a new round of hearings begin today against Kobe Bryant. Attorneys are back in court for a civil lawsuit against the NBA star. Bryant's accuser is seeking unspecified damages for pain and ridicule she says she suffered since her encounter with Bryant in June of last year. Bryant and his accuser are not expected to attend today's proceedings.
And in baseball, the American League has a new MVP, Angels right fielder, Vladimir Guerrero receiving the honor. Guerrero signed a $70 million five-year contract with the Angels last January after eight seasons with the Montreal Expos. He's only the third player to switch leagues and earn the award in his first season with the new team. That is a good first showing.
HEMMER: I would say.
COLLINS: Yes.
HEMMER: Any player that sticks with his team for more than two seasons...
(CROSSTALK)
COLLINS: In this day and age.
O'BRIEN: To be getting an award for that.
COLLINS: You've got that right.
HEMMER: Thank you, Heidi.
Let's get back to Iraq again. The military is saying Mosul calm today, the second day of an operation aimed at stopping insurgents there. A number of police stations and government buildings attacked last week while U.S. forces were engaged in heavy fighting in Falluja.
Brigadier General Carter Ham is the U.S. commander in Mosul, the northern part of Iraq, and he is my guest now.
And, sir, thank you for your time today. I'm curious to know how much of that town you have under control now in Mosul.
BRIG. GEN. CARTER HAM, U.S. COMMANDER IN MOSUL: Well, good morning, Bill. It's good to be here with you. Even on the 11th of November, which was the toughest day of fighting, when several police stations were, in fact, taken control of by insurgent forces for a brief period of time.
The Iraqi government maintained control throughout the city. There were certainly pockets where we had to reestablish that control, but there were never any police stations or other government facilities that were controlled for long periods of time. Even after the tough fighting of the 11th, on that evening that came along, the city was relatively calm and under control of Iraqi government officials.
HEMMER: So then, General, back to the question. Is it calm now, (a)? And, (b), do you have the entire city back under your control or Iraqi control?
HAM: It is relatively calm today. We've had a little bit of fighting, but very small and isolated compared to what it was about a week ago. And that's the trend we've seen, Bill. We had one big day of fighting that was pretty tough, frankly. And I would categorize that as a sustained level of combat throughout the day. Over the next couple of days, the levels of attack decreased a bit in intensity and frequency. I would call those sporadic incidents. And over the past few days, we've had isolated contact.
Today, the city is pretty calm and clearly under control of the provincial governor and Iraqi security forces. Our job is to help them be successful.
HEMMER: Is there a fair comparison between Mosul and Falluja, sir?
HAM: I lost it.
HEMMER: If you can hear me, again, stick with me, General. The question was, is there a fair comparison between the town of Mosul and Falluja to the south?
HAM: Bill, I could hear you then. No. I don't think there is a good comparison between Mosul and Falluja. A couple of different things that make them very different. First, just in terms of scale. There's about 2 million people in Mosul. So it's a very large city. It's also a very ethnically-diverse city. Sunni Arabs, a small Shia population, Kurdish, Turkmen, Yazedi (ph), Assyrians, Christians, a very diverse population. And from that diversity there comes some strength.
There is very little tolerance by the Iraqi people here for the insurgents. There are some neighborhoods where the insurgent are supported. And we work very hard in those neighborhoods to change that way of thinking and not give the insurgents a safe haven.
HEMMER: If I could, I want to get to two more points quickly here in the minute we have left. There is a report that says the local governor of Mosul called in thousands of militia members from the Kurdish militia to come into that town. How is the U.S. dealing with that variable?
HAM: Well, first, that's not a true report. The Iraqi National Guard, there's a division commander, a two-star general who is here. He has forces throughout northern Iraq. He did, in fact, bring reinforcements of the Iraqi National Guard. Some of those units were stationed in the Kurdish areas, and they have come in to assist into Mosul.
So that, again, the reports are a little bit misleading. Yes, forces came from the Kurdish region but they are Iraqi National Guard forces.
HEMMER: All right. The second point I want to get to, this approach taken by the U.S. taking some forces out of Falluja, directing them toward Mosul. Is this considered a more aggressive stance by the U.S. military, taking on the insurgents before they can fester essentially?
HAM: Well, that's what we always try to do, Bill. We want to disrupt them, keep them from getting organized wherever they may be, try to keep them from accomplishing their goals. A battalion from our brigade was operating in Falluja. Its mission was complete there. So it's now rejoined our brigade here to continue operations. HEMMER: Thank you, General. Good luck to you. Brigadier General Carter Ham there live in Mosul with us on what's happening in that town.
HAM: Thanks, Bill.
HEMMER: Soledad.
O'BRIEN: The Clinton presidential library officially opens tomorrow in Little Rock, Arkansas. The library is on the banks of the Arkansas River on the site of a once-rundown warehouse. President Clinton says it is a gift to the people of Arkansas, and it's sure to be a boon to the region's economy.
National correspondent Kelly Wallace got an early look today inside the library. That's where we find her live this morning.
Hey, Kelly, good morning.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
I was talking to one of the architects this morning, who said the former president's goal was an open, transparent building, a place where people could have access to the daily work of a president. This building, though, Soledad, is also about former President Bill Clinton's legacy, because it really captures the highs and the lows of his eight momentous years in the White House.
When you walk inside the museum, the first thing you'll find is the presidential limo. That is the limo that the president used during his 1993 inaugural parade. Towards the end of the tour, you will find, what we are told, is the only full-scale, exact replica of the Oval Office, the only one in any presidential museum, or anywhere in the world for that matter.
We are told there are 79,000 artifacts inside this museum, including those sunglasses the former president wore when he played the saxophone on "The Arsenal Hall Show." You'll then find a timeline of exhibits capturing the eight years of the former president in the White House, talking about international affairs, domestic affairs. Also, we are told, more than two million photographs inside this museum.
A lot of attention on how the former president would deal with the whole impeachment matter. And you will find discussion of that inside an exhibit titled "The Fight For Power." There is mention of the impeachment battle, and even Monica Lewinsky's name is mentioned there.
But what is most interesting is it's captured in an exhibit where there is discussion about the Whitewater investigation, where there is criticism, very tough criticism, of independent counsel Kenneth Starr. And you get the sense the former president trying to make the message that he believes these were politically-motivated efforts to hurt him during his presidency. The former president saying yesterday he wanted a building that would capture the imagination of people today and for decades to come. And that is clearly the mission. New York-based architect James Polshek and his partners had in mind when they created this 165 million glass and steel structure overlooking the Arkansas River. It is a bridge-like structure, very much to symbolize former President Clinton's mantra, building a bridge to the 21st century.
And as you were mentioned, Soledad, the former president said he wanted to bring this to Arkansas to contribute to the state that helped him become president. We are told that since the former president decided to build his museum and research center here in 1997, nearly $1 billion invested in this area, totally transforming the whole riverfront area here in Little Rock -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, Kelly Wallace for us this morning. Kelly, thanks -- Bill.
HEMMER: More politics now. Today marks one year since Arnold Schwarzenegger moved from the Terminator to become California's Republican governor; that, after California voters ousted the Democratic governor, Gray Davis, in a special recall vote.
Last night, Governor Schwarzenegger sat down with Larry King live for one hour to talk about his first year in office.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: I cannot imagine how you can get bored with a job like that. Every single day you're dealing with different problems. Every single day you're learning. Every single day you're meeting the most interesting people, and you're having an impact on the state if you're doing a good job. And you're learning about reaching out and bringing people together and all of this.
So it is the most exciting thing. I mean, every morning I am so excited about getting up and going up to Sacramento or going to my Los Angeles office or my Santa Monica office and working there for the people. It's really the most exciting thing that I've ever done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: And only with the king of talk last night here on CNN. Schwarzenegger also says he supports the idea of amending the Constitution to allow foreign-born Americans to run for the White House, but he is not considering a run for the White House himself. Approval of him is still high in the Golden State.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: In a moment here, it looks like Sears found a blue light special it could not resist. Andy has got the latest on a huge merger that just happened. In fact, about 90 minutes ago the news broke. We'll tell you about it. O'BRIEN: Plus, Tom Hanks plays six roles in his movie, "The Polar Express." None of them, though, as big as the one he could take next. We'll explain in "90-Second Pop." It's coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everybody. Back to Jack now on the "Question of the Day."
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Bill.
The NBC footage yesterday of that Marine in Falluja got a huge reaction. This guy went into a mosque two days after he was shot in the face by insurgents and days after a close friend of his had been killed by a booby-trapped body.
The problem with pictures like these is that we see them here out of context. Missing are the violent and bloody actions often leading up to this moment. Commanders defended the Marine, saying the tactics used by the insurgent violate rules of engagement. They booby-trap corpses, feign surrender and hide behind civilians.
The Pentagon says it's concerned about how the tape of our Marine will play in the Arab world. Spare me.
Here's the question: Should TV cameras follow combat troops during war? We are getting a ton, and I mean a ton, of responses.
Lynn in Laurel, Maryland: "I think the filming of war is a necessary part of history in-the-making. The question isn't, should it be filmed? But to me, rather when or if it should be aired. There's a fine line between the current need to know and what is filmed for documentary purposes for later use."
Teresa in Michigan: "Yes, cameras should be there. It shows Kerry was right about what goes on in war. The government hides too much as it is. We have the right to know as it helps our decision- making."
Rob in Syracuse, New York: "Frankly, I was much more appalled at the U.S. contractors hanging from a bridge. This was an active battlefield. And to hold the U.S. to the rules of war as they battle ignorant, uneducated, religious zealots is utterly absurd."
Jim in Pine City, Minnesota: "No cameras allowed. Combat isn't "Cops," the television show.
And Doug in Bloomfield, New Jersey: "Following troops into live combat with TV cameras is a tactical liability for our military. Commanders have enough to deal with on a battlefield. Let the TV cameras follow the insurgents around for a while just to keep it fair."
HEMMER: I'm a big believer in the embedded system. But, you know, the Pentagon went through a lot of decision-making to allow this to happen.
Did you see the original part on NBC the other night, Kevin Sites (ph)?
CAFFERTY: No.
HEMMER: NBC gave it a lot of context, and they did not show the actual firing of the weapon. But there was a lot of the same points that you made in your lead into the e-mail segment today just to give it that context that I think is appropriate or necessary.
Thank you, Jack -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: We've got much more now on that major merger between Sears and Kmart, and a preview of the action on Wall Street today. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business."
What more do we know?
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Well, it's an unfolding story, Soledad. In case you're just joining us, Sears and Kmart are merging in an $11 billion deal. Actually, the way it will work is Kmart will be buying Sears but they'll be taking the Sears name. It will be called Sears Holding -- Sears Holdings.
Here's how it works. An $11 billion deal. The company had $55 billion in sales. That pales in comparison to Wal-Mart, which has 250 billion in sales. It will create the No. 3 retailer, after Wal-Mart and Target.
This company will have stores than Target, 3,500 stores, Target has 1,300. But sales will be bigger at Target still.
The names say intact, Soledad. What that means is that the Sears stores will keep the Sears names. Kmart for the most part will still be Kmart stores, although some Kmart stores will change to Sears stores.
Basically, this whole thing has been orchestrated by a Wall Street financier named Eddie Lampert (ph), who controlled Kmart and had a stake in Sears. Sears stock, by the way, in pre-market is up 12 percent, Kmart stock is up 3 percent.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk a little bit about the market.
SERWER: Yes. Well, we wanted to just talk about this other story about the flight attendants first, because this is another big news story. The flight attendants union -- the largest flight attendants union is threatening to go on strike, which would obviously be a huge event for the nation's infrastructure.
The president of the nation's largest union says 4,600 members will go on strike if U.S. Air and United Airlines nullify the contract. Those two airlines are in bankruptcy and they're looking obviously to reduce the amount of money they're paying the flight attendants. The flight attendants said, you know, we're tired of being kicked around.
The strike may be illegal. I mean, this is a very big deal, and we'll be following the story over the next few days.
O'BRIEN: All right. We don't have time to check the markets. We'll check back in with you on that.
SERWER: Good, OK.
O'BRIEN: All right, Andy, thank you.
SERWER: Thanks, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Coming up in just a moment, the Who are thinking about getting back together. The big question, though: Who is going to care? "90-Second Pop" is just ahead. Stay with us. You're watching AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Well, isn't that music appropriate for what we're talking about this morning? Good morning. It is time for our Wednesday edition of"90-Second Pop." It's time to round up the usual suspects.
Andy Borowitz, he is the king of comedy over at BorowitzReport.com.
Good morning to you.
ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: Good morning.
O'BRIEN: Sara Bernard, contributing editor for "New York" magazine.
Hello.
SARAH BERNARD, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: Hell.
O'BRIEN: B.J. Sigesmund, staff editor for "US Weekly."
Good morning.
B.J. SIGESMUND, STAFF EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": Good morning.
O'BRIEN: Well, that was the Who. Guess what?
BERNARD: It's the first time classic rock has ever been on "90- Second Pop."
O'BRIEN: You know, because our producers have missed classic rock by about 20 years. You know, they're getting back together.
BERNARD: I know! We just heard on the Web site that Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, for the first time in 20 years are going to go back to the recording studio and make some original songs together.
O'BRIEN: Yes, they've actually played together. I mean, they've done little get-together concerts, right?
BERNARD: They have.
O'BRIEN: So is this a big deal or not such a big deal?
BERNARD: Well, what they've never done before is actually get into the room, and Pete is the writer, and come up with something entirely new. And the reason why this is interesting is the question: Are they still relevant? Are they still going to have an audience when this mysterious album comes out, which is not supposed to be in the "Tommy" vein? It's going to be, like, individual songs that are unrelated.
And I think that what's interesting is look at Rod Stewart. I mean, this guy is still on the charts. And record companies are so glad that there are people of his generation still making music, because those fans are the ones...
O'BRIEN: That's a nice way to say old people, by the way. We noticed that and we appreciate that.
BERNARD: But those are that people that actually buy CDs. I mean, the younger people, you know, it's iTunes. That's it. And so you don't even have to sell that many records to be on the charts. So I think it's going to be great.
BOROWITZ: I think they're capitalizing on the fact that their audience do not know how to download music for free.
BERNARD: Exactly.
O'BRIEN: They actually have to go to the store...
BERNARD: And buy it, right.
O'BRIEN: ... and buy it.
BERNARD: And buy a CD player.
BOROWITZ: Can I have one of those CD contraptions? You know, I've got to vote. I'm a huge Who fan. But I've got to vote for not a big deal, because actually they have been in the studio. I hate to break that. But they did two new songs this year. They did a greatest hits package and they put out two new songs.
O'BRIEN: Then God bless their PR machine...
BOROWITZ: I know.
O'BRIEN: ... making them relevant all over again.
BOROWITZ: I know. I mean, it's always my big question, is like to have a comeback, don't you really have to go away first? I mean, because...
O'BRIEN: Cher proved not necessary.
BOROWITZ: I guess not. I mean, I'm just...
BERNARD: It's just saying you're going to go away.
O'BRIEN: Threaten to go away.
BOROWITZ: I'm just saying this is like my big comeback to "90- Second Pop," because I was not here Monday.
O'BRIEN: I was out Monday and Tuesday.
BERNARD: Welcome back!
O'BRIEN: I'm having a comeback today.
BOROWITZ: There's a lot (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And you know what? I'm still relevant. I still count.
O'BRIEN: Yes, you are. Let's move on and talk a little bit about "The Da Vinci Code." Tom Hanks, it looks like, will be tapped to play the lead character, Robert Langdon.
SIGESMUND: Right.
O'BRIEN: Good choice, do you think?
SIGESMUND: A great choice. When this movie comes out in late 2005 or 2006, there is going to be a lot of expectations on it, both box office-wise and with Oscar nominations. After all, when was the last time a book hit it this big with adults? You know, they've -- it's been on the best-seller list for 86 weeks, eight million people have bought it. And Tom...
BOROWITZ: It's like "The Godfather." You have to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) "The Godfather."
SIGESMUND: Yes, exactly. But Tom Hanks has two things going for him. No. 1, he's an audience...
O'BRIEN: He can act?
SIGESMUND: Yes, he can act.
O'BRIEN: A big plus.
SIGESMUND: He's an audience favorite. And he also has the clout in Hollywood to be able to handle all of the serious expectations on this film, which is -- although technically a thriller, it's not exactly Harrison Ford, run-down-the-street sort of thriller. It's much smarter.
BERNARD: But I sort of disagree. I really...
SIGESMUND: OK.
O'BRIEN: Tell us.
BERNARD: I really think that Robert Langdon, he is supposed to have this kind of sophisticated sexiness that Harrison Ford had. You know, he was in -- what's that movie when he was the...
O'BRIEN: We know which one you mean.
SIGESMUND: Yes, yes.
(CROSSTALK)
BERNARD: He was a professor. He was an archaeological professor.
SIGESMUND: Yes.
BOROWITZ: "Indiana Jones."
O'BRIEN: "Indiana Jones."
BERNARD: The one with the digs.
SIGESMUND: Yes.
BERNARD: And that's the Robert Landon figure. You know, he is supposed to be this kind of older, sexy art historian. I don't think Tom Hanks can do that.
BOROWITZ: I'm with B.J. I just think anything to keep Tom Hanks from explaining how "The Polar Express" was made.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
BOROWITZ: I don't want to see him in that little cap.
O'BRIEN: I second that. I second that.
Let's talk for just a moment about Gregory House, which is played by Hugh Laurie. It's on Fox. It's supposed to be huge.
BOROWITZ: Yes.
O'BRIEN: And it's supposed to be great. It's getting great reviews.
BOROWITZ: Yes. He's one of my favorite actors, I've got to say. And we haven't really seen him that much in this country, Hugh Laurie.
BERNARD: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) who he was.
BOROWITZ: You know, the only people who have seen him in this country, he was the dad in "Stewart Little"...
BERNARD: Exactly. BOROWITZ: ... which is not exactly a great thing. But he did in Britain this great production of "Jeeves and Wooster," where he played Bertie Wooster...
O'BRIEN: He plays a doctor who is completely obnoxious but brilliant.
BOROWITZ: Right. He is acerbic and he's brusque and he's gruff. It's really like the target audience for this show is like Jack Cafferty.
O'BRIEN: Exactly. It's like Jack Cafferty like a doctor.
BOROWITZ: Yes, exactly. Yes, this is not "Paging Dr. Gupta."
BERNARD: That's right.
BOROWITZ: This is -- but, you know, I think it's a really interesting choice for Fox, because they usually don't go for that kind of casting. And they've been doing so much reality stuff it's kind of nice. And the only question I have is, like, there are so many medical shows on.
BERNARD: Right. How can we fit it in?
BOROWITZ: Right. We have more medical shows in this country than flu shots. I just think maybe...
O'BRIEN: But that's not that hard to do.
BOROWITZ: It isn't hard to do.
(CROSSTALK)
So we need one more? But I don't know.
O'BRIEN: We will how successful it is. You guys, as always, thank you very much.
Bill -- back to you.
HEMMER: All right, Soledad. Top stories in a moment, here, including a look at whether or not Condoleezza Rice can expect tough confirmation hearings. Live to the White House with the latest on that story as we continue at the top of the hour right after this.
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