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American Morning
Sheriffs Take DNA Sample from Michael Jackson; New Weight-Loss Drug?; Bush Holds Press Briefing with Iraqi President
Aired December 06, 2004 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everybody, just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING. Sheriff's deputies taking a DNA swab from inside of Michael Jackson's mouth this weekend, as authorities try to gather more evidence in the child molestation case against him. We're going to talk with Jeff Toobin about that and also a look at where this case might be going.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Also, as Americans battle to keep off those pounds, no victories there, there's a new potential wonder drug to talk about. If the hype holds true, it could help people beat the desire for fatty foods, melt away the fat already on the body, make you smarter, faster and better. No, not that part, too. But we should be a little skeptical. Sanjay Gupta will explain why.
S. O'BRIEN: All right. Before we get to that, let's get right to the headlines. Heidi, good morning.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Sounds like the bionic man or woman.
S. O'BRIEN: Possibly.
M. O'BRIEN: It'd be nice if we could solve all our problems with pills.
COLLINS: Just like that. All right, we'll hear more about that later, I guess. But for now, in the news, within the past two hours, seven bombs went off in several cities in Spain -- and these are some new pictures now, in from the scene in the city of Ciudad Real. Spain's interior ministry is saying at least five people were injured. The Basque, a separatist group ETA, had called in threats about the bombings.
A final push to get the 9/11 bill passed. Senator Bill Frist is predicting Congress will have a compromise bill by mid-week. That's despite some Republican objections to provisions they say will strip the Pentagon of some authority.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas facing some sharp criticism. Incoming Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid saying he would never support Thomas' nomination for chief justice, should that take place.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HARRY REID, [D] INCOMING MINORITY LEADER: I think that he has been an embarrassment to the Supreme Court. I think that his opinions are poorly written. I just -- I just don't think that he's done a good job as a supreme court justice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: But the Nevada Democrat did say he could support conservative justice Scalia for the top post if he were nominated.
And we'll find out within the next few hours whether opening statements get under way today in actor Robert Blake's murder trial. The case took a strange twist last week when someone reportedly broke into the office of Blake's lawyer. A computer containing what a court spokesman called the heart and soul of the defense case was apparently stolen. Police are investigating, and the judge put off making a decision until today.
Those are some of the headlines.
S. O'BRIEN: Heidi, thanks.
M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Heidi.
A United States consulate was attacked today, and the administration suspects al Qaeda. Saudi Arabia says five gunmen tossed explosives at the consulate. Three of them were killed in a gun battle which ensued. U.S. officials say no Americans were injured. Terrorism expert Sajjan Gohel is in our London bureau to give us some more insights on this. Mr. Gohel, good to have you with us.
SAJJAN GOHEL, TERRORISM EXPERT: Good to be with you.
M. O'BRIEN: Let's first of all just talk about this particular attack. Does it have all the hallmarks of al Qaeda?
GOHEL: Well, if we look at past terrorist attacks inside Saudi Arabia, they've involved suicide car bombs, storming of compounds, and in this particular incident in Jeddah, it was very brazen. The terrorists wanted to cause as much damage as possible and of course try and inflict U.S. casualties. Fortunately, none there. But what I'm most worried about is this is just the start of what could be a very bloody onslaught in the kingdom, as we've witnessed in the past 18 months.
M. O'BRIEN: Well, but why the timing of this particular attack? Because the Saudis have been cracking down on al Qaeda in the wake of some of these attacks you've been referring to.
GOHEL: Well, the Saudis have cracked down to an extent. But what they've been doing is just simply rounding up suspected terrorists and militants. And what they've not been bothering to focus on is obtaining more intelligence as to where other terrorists are operating. And simply what happened is that terrorists that are killed or captured are merely replaced. For every terrorist, there are another five waiting on the assembly line.
And what we need to remember is that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which operates in Saudi Arabia, has already named its new leader, Al Atibe (ph), who declared war against the U.S. and western interests in the kingdom last month. So, the fact of the matter is, whatever the Saudis wish to claim, the job is still not done.
M. O'BRIEN: So what should the Saudis -- what should the kingdom be doing that it is not doing now?
GOHEL: One of the biggest problems inside Saudi Arabia is that the unemployment rate has increased drastically. The youth, which are the growing population in the kingdom, have no jobs, have no future. They're simply being indoctrinated into becoming terrorists. The educational system is still not being developed properly. People are exploiting the situation.
And the biggest challenge is the fact that the terrorists have now infiltrated the security services. We don't know whether they are totally loyal in helping and assisting foreigners or not. Let's not forget, 15 out of the 19 terrorists on September the 11th were Saudis, some of whom used to be with the security forces.
The problem is still very large. And as we've witnessed within the last 18 months, over 180 people have died because of terrorist attacks in the kingdom. And that's simply shows that the problems there still remain. And unfortunately, one has to fear the worst over the next few days.
M. O'BRIEN: Meaning what? More attacks in the next few days, you think?
GOHEL: Let's look at the fact that in Saudi Arabia, things happen in cycles. Within every six months, there are whole spate of attacks. The terrorists come out of the woodwork, they have their blood letting and then they simply just go back and disappear. They become the invisible enemy that can't be identified by uniform. And yes, one does fear that unless the Saudi security forces get a proper grip on the situation, more terrorists attacks will be in the offing and they could be far worse. They could be mass-casualty ones.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. On that ominous note, Sarjjan Gohel, thank you for your time. He's a terrorism expert. We appreciate it.
GOHEL: My pleasure.
M. O'BRIEN: Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Michael Jackson's trial on child molestation charges begins at the end of January and prosecutors apparently still building their case against him. After a surprise raid on Friday at Jackson's Neverland ranch, investigators returned on Saturday to get a DNA sample from the pop star. Senior legal analyst Jeff Toobin weighs in on the case. Good morning.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Howdy.
S. O'BRIEN: What do you make of the timing? And maybe we should just start with the overall swabbing of his mouth in the first place. Weird? TOOBIN: Well, it's very unusual to be gathering evidence this close to a trial, this long after someone's been arrested. Usually when you have a year between the indictment and a trial, the prosecutors have all their evidence, you know, six weeks before trial, which is where we are now. So the fact that they are still gathering evidence is just very odd.
S. O'BRIEN: Besides being very odd, does it mean this is a weak case and they're running up to the finish line trying to piece it together as they go?
TOOBIN: Well, that's what the defense is suggesting and the judge, in court last week, seemed to say words to that effect. Like, what's up with you guys, why aren't you done? This case should be ready for trial now. Now it is possible that they may be thinking about adding new charges, even new victims. That would justify an additional search, because all the documents are under seal and the participants are under a gag order, we can't know for sure. But the indications seem to be, particularly from the judge, that maybe it's a weak case.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, the judge saying enough already with the gathering of evidence, prosecutors, especially, let's get our act together here. Is that unusual to have that kind of guidance, if you will, from a judge? What could the impact be?
TOOBIN: Not really. As a former prosecutor, I know that judges frequently get irritated with prosecutors and those kind of statements are far from uncommon. But they tend to mean something. If the judge is saying, you don't look ready, it's often because you're not ready. And if he's saying it to the prosecution here, that may be a sign that there is some trouble in the prosecution case.
S. O'BRIEN: The two days back-to-back, is that an indication that the -- I mean, why not just swab him when you're doing the Saturday raid anyway, why go back a second time?
TOOBIN: I don't know. I mean, think about how many times Neverland has been searched already. Just as a matter of common sense, you know, why would a criminal, an accused criminal keep incriminating stuff around for months and months after a search has already taken place? Some magistrate found probable cause, so there must have been some evidence to justify the search, but it is certainly unusual to search at this stage.
S. O'BRIEN: And, you know, unusual kind of defines how this has gone and probably will go.
TOOBIN: Everything about M.J., including his prosecution.
S. O'BRIEN: Including the prosecution. Poor guy, now he's getting flak for the prosecution team, right?
TOOBIN: That's right. Get it together, Mike.
S. O'BRIEN: Get those prosecutors in line. Thanks, Jeff, appreciate it -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Speaking of unusual. Unusually heavy rains causing some serious problems in Southern California. Two reported killed in some road accidents. A news camera caught quite a few crashes involving the same car on an L.A. highway. Drivers couldn't avoid the disabled car in the dark and slippery conditions. Photographers dilemma, though, do you flag people down or just roll tape? Anyway, 1,500 homes last power. You can see what he did. Another storm is on the way.
(WEATHER REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: A new weight loss pill sounds more like a wonder drug. Dr. Sanjay Gupta at the CNN Center to tell us what the buzz is all about. My mother always said, if it sounds too good to be true, young man, it is. So?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm not ready to call this a wonder drug yet, Miles...
M. O'BRIEN: OK, good.
GUPTA: ... and I don't think I'm alone. I think a lot of people are starting to look at this drug, trying to figure out. But here's a couple of facts. Americans spend billions of dollars on ways to lose weight and medications are included in that, as well.
A new drug now called Rimonobant, the trade name is going to be called Acomplia, is made by the makers Sanofi-Aventis. They're seeking approval for this drug with all sorts of claims. And this is where it gets its wonder drug cult status. Dramatic weight loss, especially tummy fat, good cholesterol actually goes up, and it decreases cravings not only for fatty food but also things like smoking, as well. So obviously a lot of buzz around this particular drug.
It's still in clinical trials. We wanted to give you some of the facts regarding some of those studies. First of all, all these studies done -- or eighty percent of the participants were women weighing in about 220 pounds on average. Here's what they found over a year. Lost an average of 19 pounds. They did lose inches off the waist, the most important area to lose inches. Raised HDL, good cholesterol, but also, there's significant dropout rate. They gained the weight back after they stopped. And there were some side effects as well, from these medications, including nausea, upper respiratory infections, and they obviously don't know the long-term effects, as well.
Miles, I want to point out one thing about these studies. They say there's a significant dropout rate. A lot of the data that you see, in terms of how effective these drugs are, only count the people that actually stayed in the study the whole way through. It doesn't count for those people who dropped out, which could be a significant number of people if you market and open this drug up nationally or internationally, Miles. M. O'BRIEN: All right. So you're a skeptic. And that's good because you want to be very careful in these kinds of things. There are a couple of other drugs out there, as well. What about those?
GUPTA: Well, you know, there's been a lot of obesity drugs over the years. There's been Meridia and Xenical, most recently, working in very different ways. Also, remember Fen-Phen? There was tons of rage about Fen-Phen. Ultimately, it was taken off the market because of heart problems.
One thing I want to point out about this, though, people still wanted drug, even after they knew about the heart problems. Xenical, another drug out there -- that's how much they want these medications -- possible gastrointestinal problems. Meridia...
M. O'BRIEN: At least -- at least they'll die skinny?
GUPTA: I tell you how important this is...
M. O'BRIEN: I mean, really.
GUPTA: Let me point out one thing about this drug, this new drug, because it works slightly different than the other drugs out there, which again is part of its buzz. Actually, what it does, it blocks the same receptors that marijuana actually triggers. You know how marijuana gives you the munchies? Well, this drug actually blocks...
M. O'BRIEN: I've heard about that.
GUPTA: Yes. You wouldn't know from firsthand experience, I'm sure.
M. O'BRIEN: I didn't inhale.
GUPTA: ... blocks those receptors in the brain. And that's actually where it's getting its mechanism. That's why you see the decreasing cravings not only for the fatty foods, Miles, but also smoking and other things, as well.
M. O'BRIEN: Those are great graphics, by the way.
GUPTA: Thank you. Taking away the munchies.
M. O'BRIEN: What would you expect from a brain surgeon, great graphics, right?
GUPTA: That's right. Great brain graphics.
M. O'BRIEN: There's one other prescription you could offer your patients. Just shut the piehole, right?
GUPTA: Wow.
M. O'BRIEN: Wouldn't that work? I mean, just a thought.
S. O'BRIEN: Clearly Miles is a guy who's never struggled -- it's a big problem for lots of Americans.
M. O'BRIEN: I could stand to lose a few pounds myself, you know. I'm not going to just take a pill.
S. O'BRIEN: Some people are seriously overweight and it threatens their health and they're trying to do something about it.
M. O'BRIEN: You know, when you're Irish...
S. O'BRIEN: Wow, you're a little harsh today, Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Something in the coffee here. I don't know what it is.
S. O'BRIEN: From hello, you were going at it.
M. O'BRIEN: All right.
S. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Sanjay. Still to come this morning, word about another cabinet member who could be headed out the door. We're going to tell you who, just ahead.
M. O'BRIEN: Plus, "National Treasure" tops the box office three weeks in a row. A lot of good word of mouth in this one. Does America have Nicolas Cage fever? "90 Second Pop" is ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
S. O'BRIEN: I kind of like that song, huh? Welcome back, everybody. It's time for another edition of "90-Second Pop." It's time to round up the usual suspects. Andy Borowitz, commissioner of comedy over at BorowitzReport.com.
SARAH BERNARD, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: That's a good one.
S. O'BRIEN: Sarah, thank you. I can't take credit, but I read it. Sarah Bernard is a contributing editor for "New York" magazine. B.J. Sigesmund is staff editor for "US Weekly".
Good morning.
B.J. SIGESMUND, STAFF EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": Good morning.
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome, welcome, welcome. Let's get right to the VH1 Awards. Anna Nicole Smith, I mean, she's sort of a walking tragedy here.
BERNARD: She is. Absolutely. Well, this was all supposed to be about what was big in '04. And what was certainly not big was that show. I've got to say, it was one of the most boring award shows. And I think we all just might be sick of the format. So, the highlight, of course, is what was the most egregious performance. And that was Anna Nicole Smith once again. But really only because Brigitte Nielsen and Flava Flav were on the stage giving her an award. So the combination of all three of them together is just unbelievable.
As you can see, she flung out some gigantic red bra, saying that used to be her size. And then, as you can also see, she seemed to start taking off her dress. And, you know, a well-timed page, I guess, came out and dragged her off the stage.
SIGESMUND: That just looked totally planned.
S. O'BRIEN: That wasn't planned.
SIGESMUND: That had to be totally planned.
BERNARD: It looked like she might do it. I really thought...
S. O'BRIEN: No, I think it was...
BERNARD: She's so out of control, you don't know.
S. O'BRIEN: Right. I think it was sort of, like, planned, but then that the joke would be to hustle her off. But then, of course, because she's a little out there, that maybe...
BERNARD: Right.
(CROSSTALK)
S. O'BRIEN: ... you know, a little boob action first before they were able to get her hustled off. It didn't happen.
All right. What's the next thing we're talking about? Oh, what did you like about it?
SIGESMUND: I thought the show was...
S. O'BRIEN: Because the show was really (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
SIGESMUND: The show was really witless. I mean, it was not funny at all.
S. O'BRIEN: You liked nothing?
SIGESMUND: But there was something I liked toward the very end. They had Eric McCormick come out very solemnly to talk about the in memoriam section, the people, the things that we've lost this year, you know. And you went in thinking it was going to be those who had passed away. And then it cuts to clips of Bennifer, clips of Penelope Cruz and Tom Cruise, clips of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, like all of these couples who had crashed.
BERNARD: I think the best was a clip of John Edwards and John Kerry, 2004-2004. SIGESMUND: That was great.
BERNARD: All right. So that was one funny moment.
SIGESMUND: Yes. And Andy had a new catch phrase.
ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: Well, no, I mean, I just thought that it was too bad that Paris Hilton won the best catch phrase for "that's hot," because I thought Usher with "yeah"...
(CROSSTALK)
S. O'BRIEN: Maybe next year a little more creativity.
BERNARD: Yes.
BOROWITZ: I'm saying, yeah.
S. O'BRIEN: "National Treasure," it's such a bad movie, but it's doing well.
SIGESMUND: Yes. And no...
S. O'BRIEN: It's shocking!
BERNARD: That never happens.
SIGESMUND: No one thought this movie was going to be the No. 1 movie for even one weekend, let alone three weekends. But two things have happened. First of all, the movie has much better word-of-mouth than its reviews. But the far more important thing is the other four movies in the top five are all kids' movies: "Christmas With the Kranks", "SpongeBob," "The Incredibles" and one more I'm forgetting, all kids' movies.
(CROSSTALK)
BOROWITZ: I saw "National Treasure," and it is so full of, like, historical inaccuracies. At one point, it says the first president the United States was Jerry Bruckheimer. It's not true.
S. O'BRIEN: In their little world it's true.
BERNARD: He was like No. 5.
BOROWITZ: Yes, I think so.
SIGESMUND: Yes.
BERNARD: I think it's just also because "Closer" was the other big movie of the weekend, and I really feel like people just aren't in a mood to see such a depressing movie.
S. O'BRIEN: So...
BOROWITZ: Yes. S. O'BRIEN: That's exactly right. You know, it' s just kind of a bummer.
BERNARD: So "National Treasure" is at least escapist.
S. O'BRIEN: You guys, as always, thank you.
Miles -- back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: All right. Reaction from the president of the United States to that attack on the consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as well as some words on the Iraqi elections. This as the president meets with the interim president of Iraq. That happened in the Oval Office just a little while ago. We expect to see some pictures and hear from that in just a moment. Stay with us for more AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. We want to take you right now to the White House where President Bush is meeting with the interim Iraqi President, his name is Ghazi al-Yawer, covering a range of issues this morning at a news conference. Let's listen in to a little bit of what they have to say.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Mr. President, welcome to the Oval Office.
Last time we met was in Georgia, and now you're here in Washington, D.C. I'm really honored you're here. First, I want to thank you for your courage and your vision for a united and free Iraq.
The president and I just had a great conversation about the future of Iraq. He can speak for himself, but I came away that I'm talking to a man who has got great confidence in the Iraqi people's capacity to self-govern and a great belief in the fact that it's going to happen.
We talked about a variety of issues. We talked about how the United States can continue to stand with those who believe in democracy. We talked about the security situation. We talked about the election process. And I assured the president that my comments about the need to have elections was real and genuine.
I believe it's necessary for the Iraqi people to vote on January the 30th, because it provides an opportunity for people to participate in democracy. It'll send a clear message to the few people in Iraq that are trying to stop the march to a democracy that they cannot stop elections.
It will give the Iraqi people a chance to become invested in the future of that vital country.
And the president can speak for himself on the subject, but he was very reassuring to me, as he was yesterday in his comments to the American people.
All in all, Mr. President, I'm really proud you're here. I look forward to working with you. And I look forward to achieving a common objective, which is an Iraq that is free and peaceful.
GHAZI AL-YAWER, IRAQI INTERIM PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, sir.
I've been honored this morning to meet the president of the United States. After all, we in Iraq are in debt for the United States, for -- and the courageous leadership of President Bush -- of liberating Iraq from a dynasty of villains.
Right now, we're faced with the armies of darkness, who have no objective but to undermine the political process and incite civil war in Iraq.
But I want to assure the whole world that this will never, ever happen; that we in Iraq are committed to move along.
After all these sacrifices, there's no way on Earth that we will let it go in vain.
This is very important. Victory is not only possible, it's a fact. We can see it. It's there.
We are committed. We see that we have all the reasons to prevail. We see that our enemy is an enemy that has only a short time because they have no roots in the Iraqi society. They have no ideology that they can sell to Iraq or the whole world.
There is unfairness by calling them Sunni insurgents. These are not Sunnis.
These are a mix of people who have one thing in common: hatred to the Iraqi society and hatred to democracy. People who are trying to stop us from having our first elections.
We in Iraq, the whole Iraqi society, are willing to participate in the elections. Nobody in Iraq wants to boycott elections, except for some politicians.
But the -- I'm talking about the mass public of Iraq. They all are very anxious to go and cast their votes and practice, for the first time in 45 years, their right and duty of voting for whoever they feel confidence in. This is very important.
I just came here to tell the president of the United States, and the American public, that we in Iraq are very appreciative for all the sacrifices; that this is a job that we see has honor and even a duty that we have to make everybody free.
In Iraq, these people are trying to kidnap people in streets and sell them from one gang to another. This is slavery. And shame on anybody who can condone slavery. We are going to face them. We are determined. And God bless you, sir.
BUSH: Thank you very much. Good job.
We'll answer a couple of questions in the spirit of democracy.
QUESTION: Mr. President, who do you think was behind today's attacks in Saudi Arabia? And what do you think was their motive?
And on Iraq, if I could ask a little bit more, how can Iraqis feel secure about going to the polls on January 30th when there's so much violence and bloodshed?
BUSH: First, on the incident in Saudi Arabia, I want to thank the Saudi government for responding as quickly as they did.
We sent our heartfelt condolences to the Saudi national guard that died in the defense of our consulate.
I want to thank the Marines for doing their jobs so splendidly.
And we will find out more about who caused the attacks. As I understand it, several of the attackers died, but several were captured by the Saudi government. And I'm confident they will share information with us.
The attacks in Saudi Arabia remind us that the terrorists are still on the move. They're interested in affecting the will of free countries. They want us to leave Saudi Arabia. They want us to leave Iraq. They want us to grow timid and weary in the face of their willingness to kill randomly and kill innocent people. And that's why these elections in Iraq are very important.
And you remember all the dire threats prior to the elections in Afghanistan? People said, "If you vote in Afghanistan, you'll be killed." But the desire of people to vote overwhelmed the capacity of the terrorists.
And this is the same message we're getting in Iraq, that people are willing to blow up people by the use of car bombs, will do anything they can to stop democracy. And there is a reason why: because a free society in Iraq will be a major defeat for the terrorists.
And I think that the capacity of these killers to stop an election would send a wrong signal to the world and send a wrong signal to the Iraqi people themselves.
And as the president has said, the people want to vote. And I believe they ought to have a chance to vote. And we'll do everything we can, working with the Iraqis, to make the election sites as secure as possible.
That's why the commanders on the ground have asked for additional troops to help with the election process.
And I granted that request, Mr. President.
And our commanders, working with Ambassador Negroponte and the Iraqi security forces -- I believe they can do a lot to make these polling places secure.
You can never guarantee 100 percent security. But the Iraqi people have a chance to say to the world, "We choose democracy over terrorism." And it's going to be a defining moment in that country.
Are you Al Jazeera?
QUESTION: Al Arabiya.
BUSH: I mean, Al Arabiya. Welcome.
QUESTION: I know that democracy is your major concern in Iraq and in the Middle East.
Despite all security difficulties you see in Iraq, are you confident that this election will produce a true democracy in Iraq and then will help your project in the Middle East?
BUSH: I appreciate that question.
I am confident that when peoples are allowed to vote and express their will, peaceful societies emerge. And I'm confident that the process that has been set up by the international community to allow the people of Iraq to express their will is a major step in democracy in the greater Middle East.
I believe the Iraqi people have got the capacity and the desire to self-govern. And these elections will be a very important moment in the advance of democracy.
The American people must understand that democracy just doesn't happen overnight. It is a process. It is an evolution. After all, look at our own history. You know, we had great principles enunciated in our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution, yet we had slavery for a hundred years.
It takes a while for democracy to take hold. And this is a major first step in a society which enables people to express their beliefs and their opinions.
I also believe that success in Iraq will breed success elsewhere. I believe it is very possible for there to be a Palestinian state with the institutions of democracy in place that will allow for leadership to emerge that listens to the demands of the Palestinian people. And when such a state takes place, it'll make peace much more possible with the Israelis.
And so in a second term not only will I work with our Iraqi friends to help them achieve democracy -- what the president has just said is the overwhelming desire of most people -- but I'll also spend time and efforts to help the Palestinian people grow their own state and own democracy so we can achieve peace. QUESTION: Senator Warner raised some concerns about the chain- of-command issue in the intelligence reform bill. Is this bill going to have to wait until next year?
BUSH: I certainly hope the bill gets to my desk soon. I believe we've addressed the concerns of by far the majority of members of both the House and the Senate. As we speak we're working with the key members to address concerns.
I call upon the Congress to pass the intelligence bill. It is a good piece of legislation. It is a necessary piece of legislation. It's a piece of legislation that is important for the security of our country.
S. O'BRIEN: That's President Bush meeting at the White House this morning with Iraq's interim president al-Yawer. The two talking about security, talking also about Iraq's election process ahead at the end of January. And also this morning the president taking a question about the attacks at the U.S. consulate in Saudi Arabia at Jeddah.
We're going to see all of these topics, of course, as we say good bye to you this morning on AMERICAN MORNING and pass it down to the folks at the CNN Center, CNN live for the next couple of hours.
Daryn and Rick, good morning, guys.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. Get through a great day in New York City.
SANCHEZ: We thank you both.
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Aired December 6, 2004 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everybody, just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING. Sheriff's deputies taking a DNA swab from inside of Michael Jackson's mouth this weekend, as authorities try to gather more evidence in the child molestation case against him. We're going to talk with Jeff Toobin about that and also a look at where this case might be going.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Also, as Americans battle to keep off those pounds, no victories there, there's a new potential wonder drug to talk about. If the hype holds true, it could help people beat the desire for fatty foods, melt away the fat already on the body, make you smarter, faster and better. No, not that part, too. But we should be a little skeptical. Sanjay Gupta will explain why.
S. O'BRIEN: All right. Before we get to that, let's get right to the headlines. Heidi, good morning.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Sounds like the bionic man or woman.
S. O'BRIEN: Possibly.
M. O'BRIEN: It'd be nice if we could solve all our problems with pills.
COLLINS: Just like that. All right, we'll hear more about that later, I guess. But for now, in the news, within the past two hours, seven bombs went off in several cities in Spain -- and these are some new pictures now, in from the scene in the city of Ciudad Real. Spain's interior ministry is saying at least five people were injured. The Basque, a separatist group ETA, had called in threats about the bombings.
A final push to get the 9/11 bill passed. Senator Bill Frist is predicting Congress will have a compromise bill by mid-week. That's despite some Republican objections to provisions they say will strip the Pentagon of some authority.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas facing some sharp criticism. Incoming Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid saying he would never support Thomas' nomination for chief justice, should that take place.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HARRY REID, [D] INCOMING MINORITY LEADER: I think that he has been an embarrassment to the Supreme Court. I think that his opinions are poorly written. I just -- I just don't think that he's done a good job as a supreme court justice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: But the Nevada Democrat did say he could support conservative justice Scalia for the top post if he were nominated.
And we'll find out within the next few hours whether opening statements get under way today in actor Robert Blake's murder trial. The case took a strange twist last week when someone reportedly broke into the office of Blake's lawyer. A computer containing what a court spokesman called the heart and soul of the defense case was apparently stolen. Police are investigating, and the judge put off making a decision until today.
Those are some of the headlines.
S. O'BRIEN: Heidi, thanks.
M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Heidi.
A United States consulate was attacked today, and the administration suspects al Qaeda. Saudi Arabia says five gunmen tossed explosives at the consulate. Three of them were killed in a gun battle which ensued. U.S. officials say no Americans were injured. Terrorism expert Sajjan Gohel is in our London bureau to give us some more insights on this. Mr. Gohel, good to have you with us.
SAJJAN GOHEL, TERRORISM EXPERT: Good to be with you.
M. O'BRIEN: Let's first of all just talk about this particular attack. Does it have all the hallmarks of al Qaeda?
GOHEL: Well, if we look at past terrorist attacks inside Saudi Arabia, they've involved suicide car bombs, storming of compounds, and in this particular incident in Jeddah, it was very brazen. The terrorists wanted to cause as much damage as possible and of course try and inflict U.S. casualties. Fortunately, none there. But what I'm most worried about is this is just the start of what could be a very bloody onslaught in the kingdom, as we've witnessed in the past 18 months.
M. O'BRIEN: Well, but why the timing of this particular attack? Because the Saudis have been cracking down on al Qaeda in the wake of some of these attacks you've been referring to.
GOHEL: Well, the Saudis have cracked down to an extent. But what they've been doing is just simply rounding up suspected terrorists and militants. And what they've not been bothering to focus on is obtaining more intelligence as to where other terrorists are operating. And simply what happened is that terrorists that are killed or captured are merely replaced. For every terrorist, there are another five waiting on the assembly line.
And what we need to remember is that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which operates in Saudi Arabia, has already named its new leader, Al Atibe (ph), who declared war against the U.S. and western interests in the kingdom last month. So, the fact of the matter is, whatever the Saudis wish to claim, the job is still not done.
M. O'BRIEN: So what should the Saudis -- what should the kingdom be doing that it is not doing now?
GOHEL: One of the biggest problems inside Saudi Arabia is that the unemployment rate has increased drastically. The youth, which are the growing population in the kingdom, have no jobs, have no future. They're simply being indoctrinated into becoming terrorists. The educational system is still not being developed properly. People are exploiting the situation.
And the biggest challenge is the fact that the terrorists have now infiltrated the security services. We don't know whether they are totally loyal in helping and assisting foreigners or not. Let's not forget, 15 out of the 19 terrorists on September the 11th were Saudis, some of whom used to be with the security forces.
The problem is still very large. And as we've witnessed within the last 18 months, over 180 people have died because of terrorist attacks in the kingdom. And that's simply shows that the problems there still remain. And unfortunately, one has to fear the worst over the next few days.
M. O'BRIEN: Meaning what? More attacks in the next few days, you think?
GOHEL: Let's look at the fact that in Saudi Arabia, things happen in cycles. Within every six months, there are whole spate of attacks. The terrorists come out of the woodwork, they have their blood letting and then they simply just go back and disappear. They become the invisible enemy that can't be identified by uniform. And yes, one does fear that unless the Saudi security forces get a proper grip on the situation, more terrorists attacks will be in the offing and they could be far worse. They could be mass-casualty ones.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. On that ominous note, Sarjjan Gohel, thank you for your time. He's a terrorism expert. We appreciate it.
GOHEL: My pleasure.
M. O'BRIEN: Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Michael Jackson's trial on child molestation charges begins at the end of January and prosecutors apparently still building their case against him. After a surprise raid on Friday at Jackson's Neverland ranch, investigators returned on Saturday to get a DNA sample from the pop star. Senior legal analyst Jeff Toobin weighs in on the case. Good morning.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Howdy.
S. O'BRIEN: What do you make of the timing? And maybe we should just start with the overall swabbing of his mouth in the first place. Weird? TOOBIN: Well, it's very unusual to be gathering evidence this close to a trial, this long after someone's been arrested. Usually when you have a year between the indictment and a trial, the prosecutors have all their evidence, you know, six weeks before trial, which is where we are now. So the fact that they are still gathering evidence is just very odd.
S. O'BRIEN: Besides being very odd, does it mean this is a weak case and they're running up to the finish line trying to piece it together as they go?
TOOBIN: Well, that's what the defense is suggesting and the judge, in court last week, seemed to say words to that effect. Like, what's up with you guys, why aren't you done? This case should be ready for trial now. Now it is possible that they may be thinking about adding new charges, even new victims. That would justify an additional search, because all the documents are under seal and the participants are under a gag order, we can't know for sure. But the indications seem to be, particularly from the judge, that maybe it's a weak case.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, the judge saying enough already with the gathering of evidence, prosecutors, especially, let's get our act together here. Is that unusual to have that kind of guidance, if you will, from a judge? What could the impact be?
TOOBIN: Not really. As a former prosecutor, I know that judges frequently get irritated with prosecutors and those kind of statements are far from uncommon. But they tend to mean something. If the judge is saying, you don't look ready, it's often because you're not ready. And if he's saying it to the prosecution here, that may be a sign that there is some trouble in the prosecution case.
S. O'BRIEN: The two days back-to-back, is that an indication that the -- I mean, why not just swab him when you're doing the Saturday raid anyway, why go back a second time?
TOOBIN: I don't know. I mean, think about how many times Neverland has been searched already. Just as a matter of common sense, you know, why would a criminal, an accused criminal keep incriminating stuff around for months and months after a search has already taken place? Some magistrate found probable cause, so there must have been some evidence to justify the search, but it is certainly unusual to search at this stage.
S. O'BRIEN: And, you know, unusual kind of defines how this has gone and probably will go.
TOOBIN: Everything about M.J., including his prosecution.
S. O'BRIEN: Including the prosecution. Poor guy, now he's getting flak for the prosecution team, right?
TOOBIN: That's right. Get it together, Mike.
S. O'BRIEN: Get those prosecutors in line. Thanks, Jeff, appreciate it -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Speaking of unusual. Unusually heavy rains causing some serious problems in Southern California. Two reported killed in some road accidents. A news camera caught quite a few crashes involving the same car on an L.A. highway. Drivers couldn't avoid the disabled car in the dark and slippery conditions. Photographers dilemma, though, do you flag people down or just roll tape? Anyway, 1,500 homes last power. You can see what he did. Another storm is on the way.
(WEATHER REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: A new weight loss pill sounds more like a wonder drug. Dr. Sanjay Gupta at the CNN Center to tell us what the buzz is all about. My mother always said, if it sounds too good to be true, young man, it is. So?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm not ready to call this a wonder drug yet, Miles...
M. O'BRIEN: OK, good.
GUPTA: ... and I don't think I'm alone. I think a lot of people are starting to look at this drug, trying to figure out. But here's a couple of facts. Americans spend billions of dollars on ways to lose weight and medications are included in that, as well.
A new drug now called Rimonobant, the trade name is going to be called Acomplia, is made by the makers Sanofi-Aventis. They're seeking approval for this drug with all sorts of claims. And this is where it gets its wonder drug cult status. Dramatic weight loss, especially tummy fat, good cholesterol actually goes up, and it decreases cravings not only for fatty food but also things like smoking, as well. So obviously a lot of buzz around this particular drug.
It's still in clinical trials. We wanted to give you some of the facts regarding some of those studies. First of all, all these studies done -- or eighty percent of the participants were women weighing in about 220 pounds on average. Here's what they found over a year. Lost an average of 19 pounds. They did lose inches off the waist, the most important area to lose inches. Raised HDL, good cholesterol, but also, there's significant dropout rate. They gained the weight back after they stopped. And there were some side effects as well, from these medications, including nausea, upper respiratory infections, and they obviously don't know the long-term effects, as well.
Miles, I want to point out one thing about these studies. They say there's a significant dropout rate. A lot of the data that you see, in terms of how effective these drugs are, only count the people that actually stayed in the study the whole way through. It doesn't count for those people who dropped out, which could be a significant number of people if you market and open this drug up nationally or internationally, Miles. M. O'BRIEN: All right. So you're a skeptic. And that's good because you want to be very careful in these kinds of things. There are a couple of other drugs out there, as well. What about those?
GUPTA: Well, you know, there's been a lot of obesity drugs over the years. There's been Meridia and Xenical, most recently, working in very different ways. Also, remember Fen-Phen? There was tons of rage about Fen-Phen. Ultimately, it was taken off the market because of heart problems.
One thing I want to point out about this, though, people still wanted drug, even after they knew about the heart problems. Xenical, another drug out there -- that's how much they want these medications -- possible gastrointestinal problems. Meridia...
M. O'BRIEN: At least -- at least they'll die skinny?
GUPTA: I tell you how important this is...
M. O'BRIEN: I mean, really.
GUPTA: Let me point out one thing about this drug, this new drug, because it works slightly different than the other drugs out there, which again is part of its buzz. Actually, what it does, it blocks the same receptors that marijuana actually triggers. You know how marijuana gives you the munchies? Well, this drug actually blocks...
M. O'BRIEN: I've heard about that.
GUPTA: Yes. You wouldn't know from firsthand experience, I'm sure.
M. O'BRIEN: I didn't inhale.
GUPTA: ... blocks those receptors in the brain. And that's actually where it's getting its mechanism. That's why you see the decreasing cravings not only for the fatty foods, Miles, but also smoking and other things, as well.
M. O'BRIEN: Those are great graphics, by the way.
GUPTA: Thank you. Taking away the munchies.
M. O'BRIEN: What would you expect from a brain surgeon, great graphics, right?
GUPTA: That's right. Great brain graphics.
M. O'BRIEN: There's one other prescription you could offer your patients. Just shut the piehole, right?
GUPTA: Wow.
M. O'BRIEN: Wouldn't that work? I mean, just a thought.
S. O'BRIEN: Clearly Miles is a guy who's never struggled -- it's a big problem for lots of Americans.
M. O'BRIEN: I could stand to lose a few pounds myself, you know. I'm not going to just take a pill.
S. O'BRIEN: Some people are seriously overweight and it threatens their health and they're trying to do something about it.
M. O'BRIEN: You know, when you're Irish...
S. O'BRIEN: Wow, you're a little harsh today, Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Something in the coffee here. I don't know what it is.
S. O'BRIEN: From hello, you were going at it.
M. O'BRIEN: All right.
S. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Sanjay. Still to come this morning, word about another cabinet member who could be headed out the door. We're going to tell you who, just ahead.
M. O'BRIEN: Plus, "National Treasure" tops the box office three weeks in a row. A lot of good word of mouth in this one. Does America have Nicolas Cage fever? "90 Second Pop" is ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
S. O'BRIEN: I kind of like that song, huh? Welcome back, everybody. It's time for another edition of "90-Second Pop." It's time to round up the usual suspects. Andy Borowitz, commissioner of comedy over at BorowitzReport.com.
SARAH BERNARD, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: That's a good one.
S. O'BRIEN: Sarah, thank you. I can't take credit, but I read it. Sarah Bernard is a contributing editor for "New York" magazine. B.J. Sigesmund is staff editor for "US Weekly".
Good morning.
B.J. SIGESMUND, STAFF EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": Good morning.
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome, welcome, welcome. Let's get right to the VH1 Awards. Anna Nicole Smith, I mean, she's sort of a walking tragedy here.
BERNARD: She is. Absolutely. Well, this was all supposed to be about what was big in '04. And what was certainly not big was that show. I've got to say, it was one of the most boring award shows. And I think we all just might be sick of the format. So, the highlight, of course, is what was the most egregious performance. And that was Anna Nicole Smith once again. But really only because Brigitte Nielsen and Flava Flav were on the stage giving her an award. So the combination of all three of them together is just unbelievable.
As you can see, she flung out some gigantic red bra, saying that used to be her size. And then, as you can also see, she seemed to start taking off her dress. And, you know, a well-timed page, I guess, came out and dragged her off the stage.
SIGESMUND: That just looked totally planned.
S. O'BRIEN: That wasn't planned.
SIGESMUND: That had to be totally planned.
BERNARD: It looked like she might do it. I really thought...
S. O'BRIEN: No, I think it was...
BERNARD: She's so out of control, you don't know.
S. O'BRIEN: Right. I think it was sort of, like, planned, but then that the joke would be to hustle her off. But then, of course, because she's a little out there, that maybe...
BERNARD: Right.
(CROSSTALK)
S. O'BRIEN: ... you know, a little boob action first before they were able to get her hustled off. It didn't happen.
All right. What's the next thing we're talking about? Oh, what did you like about it?
SIGESMUND: I thought the show was...
S. O'BRIEN: Because the show was really (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
SIGESMUND: The show was really witless. I mean, it was not funny at all.
S. O'BRIEN: You liked nothing?
SIGESMUND: But there was something I liked toward the very end. They had Eric McCormick come out very solemnly to talk about the in memoriam section, the people, the things that we've lost this year, you know. And you went in thinking it was going to be those who had passed away. And then it cuts to clips of Bennifer, clips of Penelope Cruz and Tom Cruise, clips of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, like all of these couples who had crashed.
BERNARD: I think the best was a clip of John Edwards and John Kerry, 2004-2004. SIGESMUND: That was great.
BERNARD: All right. So that was one funny moment.
SIGESMUND: Yes. And Andy had a new catch phrase.
ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: Well, no, I mean, I just thought that it was too bad that Paris Hilton won the best catch phrase for "that's hot," because I thought Usher with "yeah"...
(CROSSTALK)
S. O'BRIEN: Maybe next year a little more creativity.
BERNARD: Yes.
BOROWITZ: I'm saying, yeah.
S. O'BRIEN: "National Treasure," it's such a bad movie, but it's doing well.
SIGESMUND: Yes. And no...
S. O'BRIEN: It's shocking!
BERNARD: That never happens.
SIGESMUND: No one thought this movie was going to be the No. 1 movie for even one weekend, let alone three weekends. But two things have happened. First of all, the movie has much better word-of-mouth than its reviews. But the far more important thing is the other four movies in the top five are all kids' movies: "Christmas With the Kranks", "SpongeBob," "The Incredibles" and one more I'm forgetting, all kids' movies.
(CROSSTALK)
BOROWITZ: I saw "National Treasure," and it is so full of, like, historical inaccuracies. At one point, it says the first president the United States was Jerry Bruckheimer. It's not true.
S. O'BRIEN: In their little world it's true.
BERNARD: He was like No. 5.
BOROWITZ: Yes, I think so.
SIGESMUND: Yes.
BERNARD: I think it's just also because "Closer" was the other big movie of the weekend, and I really feel like people just aren't in a mood to see such a depressing movie.
S. O'BRIEN: So...
BOROWITZ: Yes. S. O'BRIEN: That's exactly right. You know, it' s just kind of a bummer.
BERNARD: So "National Treasure" is at least escapist.
S. O'BRIEN: You guys, as always, thank you.
Miles -- back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: All right. Reaction from the president of the United States to that attack on the consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as well as some words on the Iraqi elections. This as the president meets with the interim president of Iraq. That happened in the Oval Office just a little while ago. We expect to see some pictures and hear from that in just a moment. Stay with us for more AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. We want to take you right now to the White House where President Bush is meeting with the interim Iraqi President, his name is Ghazi al-Yawer, covering a range of issues this morning at a news conference. Let's listen in to a little bit of what they have to say.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Mr. President, welcome to the Oval Office.
Last time we met was in Georgia, and now you're here in Washington, D.C. I'm really honored you're here. First, I want to thank you for your courage and your vision for a united and free Iraq.
The president and I just had a great conversation about the future of Iraq. He can speak for himself, but I came away that I'm talking to a man who has got great confidence in the Iraqi people's capacity to self-govern and a great belief in the fact that it's going to happen.
We talked about a variety of issues. We talked about how the United States can continue to stand with those who believe in democracy. We talked about the security situation. We talked about the election process. And I assured the president that my comments about the need to have elections was real and genuine.
I believe it's necessary for the Iraqi people to vote on January the 30th, because it provides an opportunity for people to participate in democracy. It'll send a clear message to the few people in Iraq that are trying to stop the march to a democracy that they cannot stop elections.
It will give the Iraqi people a chance to become invested in the future of that vital country.
And the president can speak for himself on the subject, but he was very reassuring to me, as he was yesterday in his comments to the American people.
All in all, Mr. President, I'm really proud you're here. I look forward to working with you. And I look forward to achieving a common objective, which is an Iraq that is free and peaceful.
GHAZI AL-YAWER, IRAQI INTERIM PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, sir.
I've been honored this morning to meet the president of the United States. After all, we in Iraq are in debt for the United States, for -- and the courageous leadership of President Bush -- of liberating Iraq from a dynasty of villains.
Right now, we're faced with the armies of darkness, who have no objective but to undermine the political process and incite civil war in Iraq.
But I want to assure the whole world that this will never, ever happen; that we in Iraq are committed to move along.
After all these sacrifices, there's no way on Earth that we will let it go in vain.
This is very important. Victory is not only possible, it's a fact. We can see it. It's there.
We are committed. We see that we have all the reasons to prevail. We see that our enemy is an enemy that has only a short time because they have no roots in the Iraqi society. They have no ideology that they can sell to Iraq or the whole world.
There is unfairness by calling them Sunni insurgents. These are not Sunnis.
These are a mix of people who have one thing in common: hatred to the Iraqi society and hatred to democracy. People who are trying to stop us from having our first elections.
We in Iraq, the whole Iraqi society, are willing to participate in the elections. Nobody in Iraq wants to boycott elections, except for some politicians.
But the -- I'm talking about the mass public of Iraq. They all are very anxious to go and cast their votes and practice, for the first time in 45 years, their right and duty of voting for whoever they feel confidence in. This is very important.
I just came here to tell the president of the United States, and the American public, that we in Iraq are very appreciative for all the sacrifices; that this is a job that we see has honor and even a duty that we have to make everybody free.
In Iraq, these people are trying to kidnap people in streets and sell them from one gang to another. This is slavery. And shame on anybody who can condone slavery. We are going to face them. We are determined. And God bless you, sir.
BUSH: Thank you very much. Good job.
We'll answer a couple of questions in the spirit of democracy.
QUESTION: Mr. President, who do you think was behind today's attacks in Saudi Arabia? And what do you think was their motive?
And on Iraq, if I could ask a little bit more, how can Iraqis feel secure about going to the polls on January 30th when there's so much violence and bloodshed?
BUSH: First, on the incident in Saudi Arabia, I want to thank the Saudi government for responding as quickly as they did.
We sent our heartfelt condolences to the Saudi national guard that died in the defense of our consulate.
I want to thank the Marines for doing their jobs so splendidly.
And we will find out more about who caused the attacks. As I understand it, several of the attackers died, but several were captured by the Saudi government. And I'm confident they will share information with us.
The attacks in Saudi Arabia remind us that the terrorists are still on the move. They're interested in affecting the will of free countries. They want us to leave Saudi Arabia. They want us to leave Iraq. They want us to grow timid and weary in the face of their willingness to kill randomly and kill innocent people. And that's why these elections in Iraq are very important.
And you remember all the dire threats prior to the elections in Afghanistan? People said, "If you vote in Afghanistan, you'll be killed." But the desire of people to vote overwhelmed the capacity of the terrorists.
And this is the same message we're getting in Iraq, that people are willing to blow up people by the use of car bombs, will do anything they can to stop democracy. And there is a reason why: because a free society in Iraq will be a major defeat for the terrorists.
And I think that the capacity of these killers to stop an election would send a wrong signal to the world and send a wrong signal to the Iraqi people themselves.
And as the president has said, the people want to vote. And I believe they ought to have a chance to vote. And we'll do everything we can, working with the Iraqis, to make the election sites as secure as possible.
That's why the commanders on the ground have asked for additional troops to help with the election process.
And I granted that request, Mr. President.
And our commanders, working with Ambassador Negroponte and the Iraqi security forces -- I believe they can do a lot to make these polling places secure.
You can never guarantee 100 percent security. But the Iraqi people have a chance to say to the world, "We choose democracy over terrorism." And it's going to be a defining moment in that country.
Are you Al Jazeera?
QUESTION: Al Arabiya.
BUSH: I mean, Al Arabiya. Welcome.
QUESTION: I know that democracy is your major concern in Iraq and in the Middle East.
Despite all security difficulties you see in Iraq, are you confident that this election will produce a true democracy in Iraq and then will help your project in the Middle East?
BUSH: I appreciate that question.
I am confident that when peoples are allowed to vote and express their will, peaceful societies emerge. And I'm confident that the process that has been set up by the international community to allow the people of Iraq to express their will is a major step in democracy in the greater Middle East.
I believe the Iraqi people have got the capacity and the desire to self-govern. And these elections will be a very important moment in the advance of democracy.
The American people must understand that democracy just doesn't happen overnight. It is a process. It is an evolution. After all, look at our own history. You know, we had great principles enunciated in our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution, yet we had slavery for a hundred years.
It takes a while for democracy to take hold. And this is a major first step in a society which enables people to express their beliefs and their opinions.
I also believe that success in Iraq will breed success elsewhere. I believe it is very possible for there to be a Palestinian state with the institutions of democracy in place that will allow for leadership to emerge that listens to the demands of the Palestinian people. And when such a state takes place, it'll make peace much more possible with the Israelis.
And so in a second term not only will I work with our Iraqi friends to help them achieve democracy -- what the president has just said is the overwhelming desire of most people -- but I'll also spend time and efforts to help the Palestinian people grow their own state and own democracy so we can achieve peace. QUESTION: Senator Warner raised some concerns about the chain- of-command issue in the intelligence reform bill. Is this bill going to have to wait until next year?
BUSH: I certainly hope the bill gets to my desk soon. I believe we've addressed the concerns of by far the majority of members of both the House and the Senate. As we speak we're working with the key members to address concerns.
I call upon the Congress to pass the intelligence bill. It is a good piece of legislation. It is a necessary piece of legislation. It's a piece of legislation that is important for the security of our country.
S. O'BRIEN: That's President Bush meeting at the White House this morning with Iraq's interim president al-Yawer. The two talking about security, talking also about Iraq's election process ahead at the end of January. And also this morning the president taking a question about the attacks at the U.S. consulate in Saudi Arabia at Jeddah.
We're going to see all of these topics, of course, as we say good bye to you this morning on AMERICAN MORNING and pass it down to the folks at the CNN Center, CNN live for the next couple of hours.
Daryn and Rick, good morning, guys.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. Get through a great day in New York City.
SANCHEZ: We thank you both.
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