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Scott Peterson Sentencing; U.S. Troops in Japan; Mazda's Zoom- Zoom

Aired December 14, 2004 - 07:31   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. It's just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Coming up this morning, two members of the Scott Peterson jury will tell us about the trial and what happened in their deliberations. We're going to ask them why they found Peterson guilty and why they recommended a death sentence for him.

Also, we'll get back to Bill Hemmer in Tokyo this morning. He's taking a look at how Mazda is now making significant inroads among the big three Japanese automakers, talking to the design director of the company about Mazda's new mission and just how it's paying off.

Before any of that, though, let's first get right to the headlines with Kelly Wallace.

Good morning.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Soledad. Good morning again, everyone.

"Now in the News."

Afghan forces have reportedly nabbed two key Taliban leaders. The arrests happened near the southern city of Kandahar. According to wire reports, one of the men held is a former security chief for Taliban leader Mullah Omar, seen here. Omar's Taliban militia have been waging war against U.S. and government forces in southern Afghanistan for the last three years.

In India now and word of a deadly train wreck. Two passenger trains collided about six hours ago, killing nearly 30 people. Dozens more were injured. The accident took place some 240 miles outside New Delhi. Authorities say at least three train cars had derailed.

A special visit for the troops in Iraq. Joint Chiefs Chairman General Richard Myers arriving in Baghdad today for meetings with military officials. But he will also play master of ceremonies at a show for the troops. Traveling with Myers is an all-star lineup, including actor and comedian, Robin Williams.

And NASA's Mars rover, Spirit, has found what could be more evidence water once flowed on the surface of the Red Planet. Spirit has found a mineral called Gertite (ph). Scientists are saying the evidence is the most compelling yet that they have seen as the mineral only forms in the presence of water. I wish Miles O'Brien was here. We could talk about that fascinating stuff.

O'BRIEN: Yes, he could talk about it forever.

WALLACE: He could. He could.

O'BRIEN: All right, Kelly, thanks.

WALLACE: Sure.

O'BRIEN: Nearly two years after Laci Peterson was first reported missing, the jury in her husband's murder case is recommending Scott Peterson be put to death by lethal injection.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The People of the State of California versus Scott Peterson. We, the jury, in the above-entitled cause fix the penalty at death, dated December 13, 2004, foreperson No. 6.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Stephen Cardosi was Peterson jury foreman. Also joining us this morning, Gregory Beratlis. He is a juror as well.

Nice to see you,, gentlemen. Thanks for being with us.

Give me a sense, if you will, Stephen, of what you thought was the most compelling piece of evidence in this case that made you not only find Scott Peterson guilty, but also vote for death in this.

STEPHEN CARDOSI, PETERSON JURY FOREMAN: Well, as I've said, there were many pieces of the puzzle. They all tended to come together and make one picture. And that picture pointed out Scott Peterson. I think one of the most significant things is that Laci and Conner's bodies both washed up where he went fishing. If they had washed up, you know, in the desert or somewhere other than that, we probably wouldn't be here.

O'BRIEN: There were certainly lots of analysts who pointed to Amber Frey's testimony as potentially being, watching from the outside, most damning and most damaging among the jurors. Greg, was that the case for you?

GREGORY BERATLIS, PETERSON JUROR: It was information that was part of all the rest of the information, but it wasn't the -- as everybody's been asking me, is that the one that put me over the edge. That wasn't the one issue. It was a multitude of things that came out as evidence that I wasn't aware of until I went into that courtroom and listened for those six months. It was -- that was just part of it. And we keep saying this piece of the puzzle, it just it fits. It was all of the information, and that's how we came to that decision.

O'BRIEN: Did it affect your decision-making at all, gentlemen -- and I'd like you both to answer this -- that Scott Peterson never took the stand? Did you wanted to hear from him?

BERATLIS: Personally, I would have liked to have heard him in any part of this. Any of it. If it had been in the mitigation part, it would have been something. I think you alluded to earlier that if -- you know, even if he had turned around and when I looked at him in the guilt phase, and just said, disbelief, but he didn't do anything. He just -- he stayed Scott Peterson, the same way throughout the whole trial.

O'BRIEN: Did that have an impact on you?

CARDOSI: I think...

O'BRIEN: Go ahead, Stephen.

BERATLIS: Steve.

CARDOSI: I think -- do you want me to answer the same question?

O'BRIEN: Yes, please, I would.

CARDOSI: I think that, you know, I understand why he didn't testify. And I think, really looking back and thinking about the question -- I was asked the same question yesterday -- you know, given his past and his level of honesty, it probably would have done him more harm than good to talk to us, because I don't believe we would have believed him even if he was being honest. And if he wasn't being honest, obviously, that would be bad, too.

O'BRIEN: There were reports that said that the jurors seemed charmed by Mark Geragos early on in the case. Was that true? And was there a point when you no longer were charmed by the defense attorney?

BERATLIS: You're asking us both or...

O'BRIEN: Yes. Why don't you take that one, Greg? Sorry.

BERATLIS: I think, at the beginning, yes, he was more personable. I think, though, that in my mind I just kept playing over in my mind the magnitude of this. This was an important case. The evidence was more important, not the show. We didn't need to get into that. And I believe Mark Geragos did a very good job. I don't think he did anything that took away from it. Like I said, I just went by the evidence. I had to go with my gut feeling, my heart on all of this.

O'BRIEN: Stephen, I'm curious to know. Many analysts in the penalty phase, when the friends of Scott Peterson come to the stand and say essentially he didn't do it, some analysts would say comments like that insult the jurors who had just found Scott Peterson guilty. Did you feel insulted by comments like that?

CARDOSI: Actually, I didn't feel insulted at all. I mean, these are his friends, his family members and everything else. And, you know, they're there to protect him. And it's OK for them to disagree with our decision. We came to these decisions as a group, as 12 individuals producing one unanimous verdict. And if they don't necessarily agree, they also have a very biased opinion. They know the defendant personally. And, you know, it didn't affect me very much at all.

O'BRIEN: I felt as if the jurors look -- all of you, frankly, look kind of shell-shocked after this. How have your lives changed, Greg, in the six months that you've lived with this trial?

BERATLIS: Well, I've been out of contact, really. I mean, I can't watch television or news reports, can't read papers. Somebody starts to say something, their opinion, you know, you have to walk away. The situation, people don't even know what's going on and they'll say something to somebody else. And you walk off, and they're looking at you, like, what's his problem? And then somebody goes, oh, you didn't hear.

And people have been respectful in the most part. But it will be good to get back to my life. But then, again, this was so important. I wasn't going to do something to jeopardize this. This is probably the most important decision I had to make in my life.

O'BRIEN: Greg Beratlis joining us this morning, also Stephen Cardosi. Gentlemen, thank you for talking to us this morning and giving us a little more insight into this trial. We appreciate it.

CARDOSI: Certainly.

BERATLIS: You're welcome.

O'BRIEN: Let's go back to Tokyo and Bill Hemmer.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Soledad. We're going to bring this story of the U.S. military a bit closer to home now. A constant presence here in Japan. Almost 60,000 American troops are stationed throughout the country here. Many of them taking tours of duty in Iraq and then coming back here.

One of those is with us now, Tech Sergeant Damian Cone, a convoy driver who was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in Iraq, and now back in your home of Japan for the time.

TECH SGT. DAMIAN CONE, U.S. AIR FORCE: Yes.

HEMMER: Welcome back to you. I know you came back in August and you've been back about four months.

CONE: Yes.

HEMMER: Your tour of duty in Iraq, how long were you there?

CONE: I was there for eight months.

HEMMER: And how did you get the Bronze Star, Sergeant.

CONE: Basically, I went with 256 soldiers, and I brought 256 home. No injuries, no casualties. We had no significant injuries in our convoys, and we just basically did our job, and we did it...

HEMMER: Now, is there a possibility that you could go back to Iraq for a second tour?

CONE: Yes, sir. It's looking like we might be deployed back there in August.

HEMMER: And how many of your fellow troops have been sent to Iraq that are stationed here in Japan.

CONE: As of right now, there's been 10 from my shop alone, and we have apparently 10 deployed there as we speak.

HEMMER: And what is the attitude, would you say, for yourself and others that are getting this assignment, and then luckily coming back alive?

CONE: Most of the people that I know are glad to go. They're glad to go try to teach the Iraqi population the values of freedom and the value of being able to walk down the street without having to be worried about being prosecuted for political crimes or anything like that.

HEMMER: And will you go back willingly?

CONE: Yes, sir.

HEMMER: You will?

CONE: Yes, sir.

HEMMER: And that may happen...

CONE: Possibly in August, that's right.

HEMMER: If you go back, good luck to you.

CONE: Thank you.

HEMMER: How's life in Japan, by the way?

CONE: I love this country.

HEMMER: Oh, yes?

CONE: With the exception...

HEMMER: Tell me why.

CONE: I've been here most of my adult life. And my father was stationed here. But other than being here, I couldn't think of any other place I would rather be than the United States.

HEMMER: Well, it's a fascinating country here in Japan.

CONE: Yes. HEMMER: The people aren't bad either, are they?

CONE: Yes, they're great.

HEMMER: Great to see you, sir.

CONE: Thank you.

HEMMER: Thanks for spending time and coming by to see us.

CONE: Thank you for having us.

HEMMER: Good luck to you.

CONE: Thank you.

HEMMER: All right. Have a good holiday with your family.

CONE: Thank you.

HEMMER: I bet you're looking forward to that.

CONE: I sure am.

HEMMER: OK. Back to New York again. Here's Soledad again -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: All right, Bill, thanks. Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, top Taliban officials arrested. Is the U.S. getting closer to fugitive leader Mullah Omar?

Also, Mazda is changing direction to sell its cars in the U.S. and at home in Japan. We're going to meet the man who's putting the zoom into Mazda. And Andy will explain why American governors are trying to attract Japanese carmakers. Stay with us. Those stories are ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Japanese cars get lots of love from the American public. Well, now, somebody else is wooing them as well. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business" this morning.

Hello. Good morning.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Soledad. We're talking about governors of U.S. states are trying to woo Japanese automakers and put their plants in states across this country. And we'll get to that in one second.

I want to give a little bit of background about the Japanese auto industry. Of course, names that everyone knows: Honda, Mitsubishi, Mazda. We'll talk about them in a second with Bill.

Nissan and Toyota, the juggernauts, the No. 2 company in the world after GM, and they are a huge presence in the United States. Can you believe 11 Japanese plants now in the United States, 56,000 employees? Seven of those 11 plants are Toyota plants, mostly in southern states; 334,000 employees work for the dealers. They manufactured 2.9 million cars here last year. I mean, it's a huge presence.

Now, Toyota has announced they're going to open up another plant somewhere in the United States, and this is setting off a mad scramble by officials. And at least 10 states have contacted Toyota, saying, please, put your plants in our state.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has contacted Toyota executives and asked them to put a Prius plant there. And you can understand why, because it's 5,000 jobs, people making about $24 an hour. So, it's just a huge business opportunity for those states.

O'BRIEN: Big boon. All right, Andy, thank you very much.

SERWER: You're welcome.

O'BRIEN: Bill.

HEMMER: Let's talk about another car then, the car, Mazda. Mixed results in recent years, but lately making somewhat of a comeback back in the U.S. Let's talk about that, a bit of turnaround, with Muray Callum, who is the design director for Mazda here in Tokyo.

Good evening to you.

MURAY CALLUM, MAZDA DESIGN DIRECTOR: Good evening. Welcome to Japan.

HEMMER: Well, thank you very much. Wonderful to be here. You have a motto for your company.

CALLUM: Yes.

HEMMER: It's "zoom-zoom." How does zoom-zoom as a theme sell cars now for you?

CALLUM: Zoom-zoom to us is really trying to translate what it was like as a kid playing with toy cars, and adults still want to play with their cars and have fun with their vehicles. And that's really what zoom-zoom is about.

HEMMER: So you hope people are getting that feeling again.

CALLUM: Yes.

HEMMER: What accounts for the turnaround for Mazda stateside?

CALLUM: Well, I think it's not just stateside; it's globally, really. I think there's been great alignment from design, which I obviously this is very important. But also engineering and marketing in terms of what type of product we're going to build, and actually a product that's fun to drive.

HEMMER: What's the product behind us? What's this vehicle?

CALLUM: This is a Mazda Vareza (ph). This is actually a Japanese-only product. And a couple of interesting things about this is we produce this car in 12 months from design, which is really a record time, especially for Mazda.

HEMMER: That is quick.

CALLUM: And it's a quite low investment as well. But it's also -- it shows also that compact cars don't need to be cheap and basic. And this is quite a high-volume car.

HEMMER: So, it's keyless entry, right?

CALLUM: Keyless entry, yes. So...

HEMMER: And what else about the ignition is special?

CALLUM: Well, actually, it's keyless entry and keyless ignition. You know, you just need to have this little item in your pocket, and the car will start off without a key. So, as long as you have the smart card in your pocket, you can unlock the car and then start it. It also has a built-in GPS navigation system, and it also has a hard disc drive, which means you can store 300 CDs on your car.

HEMMER: Tell me quickly, is there a substantial difference between the type of car you build for a Japanese customer as opposed to an American?

CALLUM: People all want the same thing. I think they all want good quality and they want good design as well. But I think there are slightly different aspects in terms of scale, I think, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) come from Japan and the U.S.

HEMMER: Well, "Automobile" magazine talked about another car called the Mazda 5.

CALLUM: Yes.

HEMMER: They said if you introduced it in the U.S., you're either brave or you're foolish. Which one is it? What do they mean by that?

CALLUM: Well, I think you'd have to be very foolish, first of all. No, I actually think it's not a foolish car. I think it's a very practical car, and I think it's probably a new segment for the U.S. and it is quite a compact vehicle. But it's three rows, it seats six, but at the same time it's a very exciting design.

HEMMER: Quickly, why did you bring this photo along?

CALLUM: Well, this is actually a present for you. And this is actually a show car we're going to show in Detroit, and hopefully you can come along and see it. And, again, this is a product which we feel will be very applicable for the American market. This is an AMX Cross Sport (ph), which is a crossover SUV with a very sporty flavor to it.

HEMMER: Well, good luck to you. Maybe we'll see you in Detroit in January.

CALLUM: OK. You're welcome.

HEMMER: Thank you very much.

CALLUM: OK, no problem. Thanks very much.

HEMMER: Great to see you from Mazda.

CALLUM: Thank you.

HEMMER: Back to New York now and more there.

O'BRIEN: All right, Bill, thanks. Still to come this morning, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has shaken off a lot of critics before, but now he's hearing it from powerful members of his own party. A look at that's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Jack is back with the "Question of the Day."

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Soledad.

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is catching heat from some pretty powerful people for his handling of the war on Iraq. Republican Senator John McCain told the Associated Press Monday he has -- quote "no confidence in Rumsfeld's leadership."

In an MSNBC interview, retired General Norman Schwarzkopf expressed disappointment with Rumsfeld's response last week to a soldier complaining of insufficient armored protection in Iraq. Schwarzkopf pointed out that Rumsfeld acted as if he, as the secretary of defense, had nothing do with the state of the Army.

With resignations already from more than half of President Bush's cabinet, here is the question: Should Donald Rumsfeld consider resigning as secretary of defense?

Javier in Rio Rico, Arizona: "Secretary Rumsfeld's career has run its course, from failing to capture Osama bin Laden, to poor planning of the Iraq conflict after the fall of Saddam, to Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. His total lack of consideration in answering the soldier's concerns about their faulty equipment shows how ignorant he is about armed forces."

David in Ames, Iowa, writes: "He should be reassigned convoy duty on the road between the Green Zone and the Baghdad airport. He can drive an unarmed fuel truck. Maybe then he'd realize that in a war of choice you can wait to commit your forces until you have the army you want, instead of rushing to war with the army you have."

Tom in Alma, West Virginia: "Jack, the American people had a chance to change the secretary of war in November. The president has the right to appoint those that he thinks will best carry out his policies. And by now he knows the process. The only two who get to vote on this issue are President Bush and Secretary Rumsfeld."

And Reg from Thunder Bay, Ontario, says: "If you lost your job for caustic remarks, Jack would be selling newspapers on a corner right now."

Thank you, Reg. Happy Tuesday to you, kid.

O'BRIEN: You're not the secretary of defense. All right, Jack, thank you very much.

CAFFERTY: You're welcome.

O'BRIEN: Let's go back to Bill in Tokyo.

HEMMER: Hey, Soledad, I've got a special prize for you here. Among the many hundreds who have turned out tonight, these three gentlemen -- I'll call them gentlemen. They're from Alabama.

What is going on here, guys?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we decided to have fun and paint our bodies.

HEMMER: Can you see this, Soledad?

O'BRIEN: I can see it.

HEMMER: They have CNN all over their bodies there, trying to get a spot on TV. Well done, guys.

O'BRIEN: Why doesn't he take the whole shirt off? I mean, is it chilly out there or what?

HEMMER: Sorry, say that again a little louder.

O'BRIEN: I said, you know, tell them, they need to take the whole shirt off, right? I mean, if they're really brave and they're really tough guys.

HEMMER: It's not going to happen. But, listen, no, no, no. It's cable, but it's not that much. More in a moment from Tokyo, Soledad. See you in a couple of minutes.

O'BRIEN: All right, Bill, thanks.

And just ahead this morning, a look at today's top stories, including the death recommendation for Scott Peterson, anger, sadness and satisfaction in Scott and Laci Peterson's hometown. A look at that this morning on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: In a moment here, 9/11 was American's wake-up call to terrorism at home. In Japan, it was the sarin gas subway attack of nine years ago. In a moment, we'll see the lessons learned in Japan and the lasting damage to the peace of mind in this country. Back in a moment live in Tokyo on this AMERICAN MORNING.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.


Aired December 14, 2004 - 07:31   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. It's just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Coming up this morning, two members of the Scott Peterson jury will tell us about the trial and what happened in their deliberations. We're going to ask them why they found Peterson guilty and why they recommended a death sentence for him.

Also, we'll get back to Bill Hemmer in Tokyo this morning. He's taking a look at how Mazda is now making significant inroads among the big three Japanese automakers, talking to the design director of the company about Mazda's new mission and just how it's paying off.

Before any of that, though, let's first get right to the headlines with Kelly Wallace.

Good morning.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Soledad. Good morning again, everyone.

"Now in the News."

Afghan forces have reportedly nabbed two key Taliban leaders. The arrests happened near the southern city of Kandahar. According to wire reports, one of the men held is a former security chief for Taliban leader Mullah Omar, seen here. Omar's Taliban militia have been waging war against U.S. and government forces in southern Afghanistan for the last three years.

In India now and word of a deadly train wreck. Two passenger trains collided about six hours ago, killing nearly 30 people. Dozens more were injured. The accident took place some 240 miles outside New Delhi. Authorities say at least three train cars had derailed.

A special visit for the troops in Iraq. Joint Chiefs Chairman General Richard Myers arriving in Baghdad today for meetings with military officials. But he will also play master of ceremonies at a show for the troops. Traveling with Myers is an all-star lineup, including actor and comedian, Robin Williams.

And NASA's Mars rover, Spirit, has found what could be more evidence water once flowed on the surface of the Red Planet. Spirit has found a mineral called Gertite (ph). Scientists are saying the evidence is the most compelling yet that they have seen as the mineral only forms in the presence of water. I wish Miles O'Brien was here. We could talk about that fascinating stuff.

O'BRIEN: Yes, he could talk about it forever.

WALLACE: He could. He could.

O'BRIEN: All right, Kelly, thanks.

WALLACE: Sure.

O'BRIEN: Nearly two years after Laci Peterson was first reported missing, the jury in her husband's murder case is recommending Scott Peterson be put to death by lethal injection.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The People of the State of California versus Scott Peterson. We, the jury, in the above-entitled cause fix the penalty at death, dated December 13, 2004, foreperson No. 6.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Stephen Cardosi was Peterson jury foreman. Also joining us this morning, Gregory Beratlis. He is a juror as well.

Nice to see you,, gentlemen. Thanks for being with us.

Give me a sense, if you will, Stephen, of what you thought was the most compelling piece of evidence in this case that made you not only find Scott Peterson guilty, but also vote for death in this.

STEPHEN CARDOSI, PETERSON JURY FOREMAN: Well, as I've said, there were many pieces of the puzzle. They all tended to come together and make one picture. And that picture pointed out Scott Peterson. I think one of the most significant things is that Laci and Conner's bodies both washed up where he went fishing. If they had washed up, you know, in the desert or somewhere other than that, we probably wouldn't be here.

O'BRIEN: There were certainly lots of analysts who pointed to Amber Frey's testimony as potentially being, watching from the outside, most damning and most damaging among the jurors. Greg, was that the case for you?

GREGORY BERATLIS, PETERSON JUROR: It was information that was part of all the rest of the information, but it wasn't the -- as everybody's been asking me, is that the one that put me over the edge. That wasn't the one issue. It was a multitude of things that came out as evidence that I wasn't aware of until I went into that courtroom and listened for those six months. It was -- that was just part of it. And we keep saying this piece of the puzzle, it just it fits. It was all of the information, and that's how we came to that decision.

O'BRIEN: Did it affect your decision-making at all, gentlemen -- and I'd like you both to answer this -- that Scott Peterson never took the stand? Did you wanted to hear from him?

BERATLIS: Personally, I would have liked to have heard him in any part of this. Any of it. If it had been in the mitigation part, it would have been something. I think you alluded to earlier that if -- you know, even if he had turned around and when I looked at him in the guilt phase, and just said, disbelief, but he didn't do anything. He just -- he stayed Scott Peterson, the same way throughout the whole trial.

O'BRIEN: Did that have an impact on you?

CARDOSI: I think...

O'BRIEN: Go ahead, Stephen.

BERATLIS: Steve.

CARDOSI: I think -- do you want me to answer the same question?

O'BRIEN: Yes, please, I would.

CARDOSI: I think that, you know, I understand why he didn't testify. And I think, really looking back and thinking about the question -- I was asked the same question yesterday -- you know, given his past and his level of honesty, it probably would have done him more harm than good to talk to us, because I don't believe we would have believed him even if he was being honest. And if he wasn't being honest, obviously, that would be bad, too.

O'BRIEN: There were reports that said that the jurors seemed charmed by Mark Geragos early on in the case. Was that true? And was there a point when you no longer were charmed by the defense attorney?

BERATLIS: You're asking us both or...

O'BRIEN: Yes. Why don't you take that one, Greg? Sorry.

BERATLIS: I think, at the beginning, yes, he was more personable. I think, though, that in my mind I just kept playing over in my mind the magnitude of this. This was an important case. The evidence was more important, not the show. We didn't need to get into that. And I believe Mark Geragos did a very good job. I don't think he did anything that took away from it. Like I said, I just went by the evidence. I had to go with my gut feeling, my heart on all of this.

O'BRIEN: Stephen, I'm curious to know. Many analysts in the penalty phase, when the friends of Scott Peterson come to the stand and say essentially he didn't do it, some analysts would say comments like that insult the jurors who had just found Scott Peterson guilty. Did you feel insulted by comments like that?

CARDOSI: Actually, I didn't feel insulted at all. I mean, these are his friends, his family members and everything else. And, you know, they're there to protect him. And it's OK for them to disagree with our decision. We came to these decisions as a group, as 12 individuals producing one unanimous verdict. And if they don't necessarily agree, they also have a very biased opinion. They know the defendant personally. And, you know, it didn't affect me very much at all.

O'BRIEN: I felt as if the jurors look -- all of you, frankly, look kind of shell-shocked after this. How have your lives changed, Greg, in the six months that you've lived with this trial?

BERATLIS: Well, I've been out of contact, really. I mean, I can't watch television or news reports, can't read papers. Somebody starts to say something, their opinion, you know, you have to walk away. The situation, people don't even know what's going on and they'll say something to somebody else. And you walk off, and they're looking at you, like, what's his problem? And then somebody goes, oh, you didn't hear.

And people have been respectful in the most part. But it will be good to get back to my life. But then, again, this was so important. I wasn't going to do something to jeopardize this. This is probably the most important decision I had to make in my life.

O'BRIEN: Greg Beratlis joining us this morning, also Stephen Cardosi. Gentlemen, thank you for talking to us this morning and giving us a little more insight into this trial. We appreciate it.

CARDOSI: Certainly.

BERATLIS: You're welcome.

O'BRIEN: Let's go back to Tokyo and Bill Hemmer.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Soledad. We're going to bring this story of the U.S. military a bit closer to home now. A constant presence here in Japan. Almost 60,000 American troops are stationed throughout the country here. Many of them taking tours of duty in Iraq and then coming back here.

One of those is with us now, Tech Sergeant Damian Cone, a convoy driver who was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in Iraq, and now back in your home of Japan for the time.

TECH SGT. DAMIAN CONE, U.S. AIR FORCE: Yes.

HEMMER: Welcome back to you. I know you came back in August and you've been back about four months.

CONE: Yes.

HEMMER: Your tour of duty in Iraq, how long were you there?

CONE: I was there for eight months.

HEMMER: And how did you get the Bronze Star, Sergeant.

CONE: Basically, I went with 256 soldiers, and I brought 256 home. No injuries, no casualties. We had no significant injuries in our convoys, and we just basically did our job, and we did it...

HEMMER: Now, is there a possibility that you could go back to Iraq for a second tour?

CONE: Yes, sir. It's looking like we might be deployed back there in August.

HEMMER: And how many of your fellow troops have been sent to Iraq that are stationed here in Japan.

CONE: As of right now, there's been 10 from my shop alone, and we have apparently 10 deployed there as we speak.

HEMMER: And what is the attitude, would you say, for yourself and others that are getting this assignment, and then luckily coming back alive?

CONE: Most of the people that I know are glad to go. They're glad to go try to teach the Iraqi population the values of freedom and the value of being able to walk down the street without having to be worried about being prosecuted for political crimes or anything like that.

HEMMER: And will you go back willingly?

CONE: Yes, sir.

HEMMER: You will?

CONE: Yes, sir.

HEMMER: And that may happen...

CONE: Possibly in August, that's right.

HEMMER: If you go back, good luck to you.

CONE: Thank you.

HEMMER: How's life in Japan, by the way?

CONE: I love this country.

HEMMER: Oh, yes?

CONE: With the exception...

HEMMER: Tell me why.

CONE: I've been here most of my adult life. And my father was stationed here. But other than being here, I couldn't think of any other place I would rather be than the United States.

HEMMER: Well, it's a fascinating country here in Japan.

CONE: Yes. HEMMER: The people aren't bad either, are they?

CONE: Yes, they're great.

HEMMER: Great to see you, sir.

CONE: Thank you.

HEMMER: Thanks for spending time and coming by to see us.

CONE: Thank you for having us.

HEMMER: Good luck to you.

CONE: Thank you.

HEMMER: All right. Have a good holiday with your family.

CONE: Thank you.

HEMMER: I bet you're looking forward to that.

CONE: I sure am.

HEMMER: OK. Back to New York again. Here's Soledad again -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: All right, Bill, thanks. Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, top Taliban officials arrested. Is the U.S. getting closer to fugitive leader Mullah Omar?

Also, Mazda is changing direction to sell its cars in the U.S. and at home in Japan. We're going to meet the man who's putting the zoom into Mazda. And Andy will explain why American governors are trying to attract Japanese carmakers. Stay with us. Those stories are ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Japanese cars get lots of love from the American public. Well, now, somebody else is wooing them as well. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business" this morning.

Hello. Good morning.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Soledad. We're talking about governors of U.S. states are trying to woo Japanese automakers and put their plants in states across this country. And we'll get to that in one second.

I want to give a little bit of background about the Japanese auto industry. Of course, names that everyone knows: Honda, Mitsubishi, Mazda. We'll talk about them in a second with Bill.

Nissan and Toyota, the juggernauts, the No. 2 company in the world after GM, and they are a huge presence in the United States. Can you believe 11 Japanese plants now in the United States, 56,000 employees? Seven of those 11 plants are Toyota plants, mostly in southern states; 334,000 employees work for the dealers. They manufactured 2.9 million cars here last year. I mean, it's a huge presence.

Now, Toyota has announced they're going to open up another plant somewhere in the United States, and this is setting off a mad scramble by officials. And at least 10 states have contacted Toyota, saying, please, put your plants in our state.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has contacted Toyota executives and asked them to put a Prius plant there. And you can understand why, because it's 5,000 jobs, people making about $24 an hour. So, it's just a huge business opportunity for those states.

O'BRIEN: Big boon. All right, Andy, thank you very much.

SERWER: You're welcome.

O'BRIEN: Bill.

HEMMER: Let's talk about another car then, the car, Mazda. Mixed results in recent years, but lately making somewhat of a comeback back in the U.S. Let's talk about that, a bit of turnaround, with Muray Callum, who is the design director for Mazda here in Tokyo.

Good evening to you.

MURAY CALLUM, MAZDA DESIGN DIRECTOR: Good evening. Welcome to Japan.

HEMMER: Well, thank you very much. Wonderful to be here. You have a motto for your company.

CALLUM: Yes.

HEMMER: It's "zoom-zoom." How does zoom-zoom as a theme sell cars now for you?

CALLUM: Zoom-zoom to us is really trying to translate what it was like as a kid playing with toy cars, and adults still want to play with their cars and have fun with their vehicles. And that's really what zoom-zoom is about.

HEMMER: So you hope people are getting that feeling again.

CALLUM: Yes.

HEMMER: What accounts for the turnaround for Mazda stateside?

CALLUM: Well, I think it's not just stateside; it's globally, really. I think there's been great alignment from design, which I obviously this is very important. But also engineering and marketing in terms of what type of product we're going to build, and actually a product that's fun to drive.

HEMMER: What's the product behind us? What's this vehicle?

CALLUM: This is a Mazda Vareza (ph). This is actually a Japanese-only product. And a couple of interesting things about this is we produce this car in 12 months from design, which is really a record time, especially for Mazda.

HEMMER: That is quick.

CALLUM: And it's a quite low investment as well. But it's also -- it shows also that compact cars don't need to be cheap and basic. And this is quite a high-volume car.

HEMMER: So, it's keyless entry, right?

CALLUM: Keyless entry, yes. So...

HEMMER: And what else about the ignition is special?

CALLUM: Well, actually, it's keyless entry and keyless ignition. You know, you just need to have this little item in your pocket, and the car will start off without a key. So, as long as you have the smart card in your pocket, you can unlock the car and then start it. It also has a built-in GPS navigation system, and it also has a hard disc drive, which means you can store 300 CDs on your car.

HEMMER: Tell me quickly, is there a substantial difference between the type of car you build for a Japanese customer as opposed to an American?

CALLUM: People all want the same thing. I think they all want good quality and they want good design as well. But I think there are slightly different aspects in terms of scale, I think, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) come from Japan and the U.S.

HEMMER: Well, "Automobile" magazine talked about another car called the Mazda 5.

CALLUM: Yes.

HEMMER: They said if you introduced it in the U.S., you're either brave or you're foolish. Which one is it? What do they mean by that?

CALLUM: Well, I think you'd have to be very foolish, first of all. No, I actually think it's not a foolish car. I think it's a very practical car, and I think it's probably a new segment for the U.S. and it is quite a compact vehicle. But it's three rows, it seats six, but at the same time it's a very exciting design.

HEMMER: Quickly, why did you bring this photo along?

CALLUM: Well, this is actually a present for you. And this is actually a show car we're going to show in Detroit, and hopefully you can come along and see it. And, again, this is a product which we feel will be very applicable for the American market. This is an AMX Cross Sport (ph), which is a crossover SUV with a very sporty flavor to it.

HEMMER: Well, good luck to you. Maybe we'll see you in Detroit in January.

CALLUM: OK. You're welcome.

HEMMER: Thank you very much.

CALLUM: OK, no problem. Thanks very much.

HEMMER: Great to see you from Mazda.

CALLUM: Thank you.

HEMMER: Back to New York now and more there.

O'BRIEN: All right, Bill, thanks. Still to come this morning, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has shaken off a lot of critics before, but now he's hearing it from powerful members of his own party. A look at that's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Jack is back with the "Question of the Day."

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Soledad.

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is catching heat from some pretty powerful people for his handling of the war on Iraq. Republican Senator John McCain told the Associated Press Monday he has -- quote "no confidence in Rumsfeld's leadership."

In an MSNBC interview, retired General Norman Schwarzkopf expressed disappointment with Rumsfeld's response last week to a soldier complaining of insufficient armored protection in Iraq. Schwarzkopf pointed out that Rumsfeld acted as if he, as the secretary of defense, had nothing do with the state of the Army.

With resignations already from more than half of President Bush's cabinet, here is the question: Should Donald Rumsfeld consider resigning as secretary of defense?

Javier in Rio Rico, Arizona: "Secretary Rumsfeld's career has run its course, from failing to capture Osama bin Laden, to poor planning of the Iraq conflict after the fall of Saddam, to Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. His total lack of consideration in answering the soldier's concerns about their faulty equipment shows how ignorant he is about armed forces."

David in Ames, Iowa, writes: "He should be reassigned convoy duty on the road between the Green Zone and the Baghdad airport. He can drive an unarmed fuel truck. Maybe then he'd realize that in a war of choice you can wait to commit your forces until you have the army you want, instead of rushing to war with the army you have."

Tom in Alma, West Virginia: "Jack, the American people had a chance to change the secretary of war in November. The president has the right to appoint those that he thinks will best carry out his policies. And by now he knows the process. The only two who get to vote on this issue are President Bush and Secretary Rumsfeld."

And Reg from Thunder Bay, Ontario, says: "If you lost your job for caustic remarks, Jack would be selling newspapers on a corner right now."

Thank you, Reg. Happy Tuesday to you, kid.

O'BRIEN: You're not the secretary of defense. All right, Jack, thank you very much.

CAFFERTY: You're welcome.

O'BRIEN: Let's go back to Bill in Tokyo.

HEMMER: Hey, Soledad, I've got a special prize for you here. Among the many hundreds who have turned out tonight, these three gentlemen -- I'll call them gentlemen. They're from Alabama.

What is going on here, guys?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we decided to have fun and paint our bodies.

HEMMER: Can you see this, Soledad?

O'BRIEN: I can see it.

HEMMER: They have CNN all over their bodies there, trying to get a spot on TV. Well done, guys.

O'BRIEN: Why doesn't he take the whole shirt off? I mean, is it chilly out there or what?

HEMMER: Sorry, say that again a little louder.

O'BRIEN: I said, you know, tell them, they need to take the whole shirt off, right? I mean, if they're really brave and they're really tough guys.

HEMMER: It's not going to happen. But, listen, no, no, no. It's cable, but it's not that much. More in a moment from Tokyo, Soledad. See you in a couple of minutes.

O'BRIEN: All right, Bill, thanks.

And just ahead this morning, a look at today's top stories, including the death recommendation for Scott Peterson, anger, sadness and satisfaction in Scott and Laci Peterson's hometown. A look at that this morning on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: In a moment here, 9/11 was American's wake-up call to terrorism at home. In Japan, it was the sarin gas subway attack of nine years ago. In a moment, we'll see the lessons learned in Japan and the lasting damage to the peace of mind in this country. Back in a moment live in Tokyo on this AMERICAN MORNING.

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