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Concerns Over Health of Pope John Paul II; Tom Ridge's Departure; Iraqi Ballots Being Counted

Aired February 01, 2005 - 9:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL, HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. The final count begins. Votes pouring into Baghdad.
Meanwhile, an ominous message, reportedly from Iraq's terrorist mastermind.

A glimpse of the most famous defendant in the world today. How is Michael Jackson's celebrity affecting jury selection?

And a learning adventure turns into a near disaster at sea. Why hundreds of college students are thankful to be back on dry land on this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.

HEMMER: Good morning, everybody. Just a tick past 9:00 here in New York. Good morning.

Other headlines this hour, there are new concerns this morning involving the health of Pope John Paul II. He has canceled meetings for the next few days because of the flu. His age and other health problems have a lot of people worried. Live to Vatican City for an update on that story.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Also this morning, first lady Laura Bush sitting down with Candy Crowley of CNN a day ahead of the State of the Union Address. Mrs. Bush shares some of her own plans for her husband's second term.

HEMMER: All right. Back to Jack.

What you working on? Good morning.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Some of the Democrats want President Bush to announce a detailed timetable for withdrawal of American troops from Iraq during his State of the Union Address tomorrow night. Should there be a schedule, and is it time to make one now that the Iraqi elections are past?

AM@CNN.com. We'll read some e-mail in a few minutes.

O'BRIEN: All right, Jack. Thank you very much.

Let's go right to Carol Costello. She's reading her headlines this morning. Good morning.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. Good morning to all of you.

As ballots from Sunday's historic election in Iraq are being counted right now, there is a new audiotape purportedly from terror leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. It surfaced yesterday with a message about the election.

The voice on the tape says "Democracy separates god from life, and that is forbidden. Democracy allows the establishment of all parties, no matter what they represent, and it gives them the right to exist and spread their heathenism and corruption." A quote from that audiotape.

In the next half-hour, a Pentagon official is set to unveil a new $200 million plan for military families who've lost loved ones in combat. The proposal would raise the amount paid to families from around $12,000 to $100,000 tax free. Supporters say the existing amount is not enough to cover funeral expenses and living costs for families down the road.

An update on that pipeline fire we told you about just moments ago. An underground pipeline exploded in Allentown, Pennsylvania, prompting some evacuations just as a precaution. The explosion happened less than three hours ago. So far no reports of injuries.

In California, Michael Jackson fans now gathering outside of a Santa Maria courthouse. The pop star expected to be there about four hours from now for a second day of jury selection. The best excuse to get off the jury from a potential juror so far, "I'm under House arrest. See my ankle bracelet?" And if that doesn't work, nothing will.

HEMMER: I think that will work.

COSTELLO: I think so.

O'BRIEN: On the other hand, he's around for six months.

COSTELLO: That's true. Doing nothing.

(LAUGHTER)

HEMMER: We're going to have a daily outfit watch, too, for Michael Jackson coming into court based on yesterday.

COSTELLO: Oh, yes.

HEMMER: Thank you, Carol.

Want to get to Rome right now. Pope John Paul II has canceled all public appearances and private meetings for the next several days. The 84-year-old pontiff suffering from the flu. And our Rome bureau chief, Alessio Vinci, now joins us from Rome with the latest there. Alessio, what is the Vatican saying about his condition?

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Bill.

Well, Vatican officials are not releasing much information about the pope's health. They never really do when it comes down to the pope's health.

All we know what was written in two separate statements, one issued yesterday, one this morning, basically saying that the pope suffers from "symptoms of the flu, mild symptoms of the flu." And a Vatican official telling us that the pope had also a mild fever.

Not serious, perhaps, but serious enough to force the pope to, as I said, cancel all his meetings, including his general audience scheduled for tomorrow. Wednesday, as you know, the pope meets twice with the general public on Wednesdays and on Sundays. He had to cancel that event for -- for Sunday. No word yet on what will happen for next Sunday.

Vatican officials insist there is no real reason to be concerned about the pope's health. And the reason why they wanted to cancel so early on tomorrow's general audience is because they wanted to give the thousands of pilgrims who flock each Wednesday and each Sunday to St. Peter's Square to get a glimpse of the ailing pope, they wanted to give them enough warning to tell them that the pope tomorrow will not show up as he does every Wednesday when he is here in Rome from the balcony of his private study.

Now, the last time we saw the pope was on Sunday, when at around 12:00 local time, as he does every Sunday, he appeared in the window of his private study to recite the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- it's a prayer. He also joked with two kids there.

He released a dove as a sign of peace. The dove didn't want to leave the office and actually came back -- did a small round and came back into his office. The pope, who spoke with a hoarse voice, did appear, however, in good spirits.

I must say that he has been looking quite healthier, if you want. He is an ailing pope, he is old. He does suffer from a series of ailments. But he did look in very good spirits, although his voice was hoarse last Sunday.

Bill, back to you.

HEMMER: Alessio, thanks for the update there. Thanks, in Rome, Alessio Vinci -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Well, he made history as the first ever secretary of homeland security, but today Tom Ridge officially steps down. And even he is expressing some surprise that America has not been hit again.

Jeanne Meserve has more on the Ridge legacy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM RIDGE, FMR. SECY. OF HOMELAND SECURITY: The heroes of flight 93 could not know...

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Among the many lives that changed on 9/11, that of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge.

RIDGE: I will support and defend...

MESERVE: He took a job to try to ensure nothing like 9/11 happened again.

RIDGE: I must tell you that from October 8th, 2001, when I got sworn in, until the present date, I thought -- I've always anticipated that in that three-year break, there would be at least another strike, another attempt.

MESERVE: There wasn't. Ridge credits the disruption of al Qaeda's leadership overseas and hardened security here.

RIDGE: You throw in a little divine intervention, maybe a little good luck.

MESERVE: With suicide and truck bombs, al Qaeda has delivered death and havoc in other parts of the world. Ridge is frankly surprised it hasn't happened here.

RIDGE: Right now, the only plausible explanation that I can offer you is that there their intent and design directed to the United States, at least at this time, is to try to operate around a much more catastrophic event.

MESERVE: As a young man, Ridge fought the Viet Cong. He sees similarities and dissimilarities with his current foe, al Qaeda.

RIDGE: They have the same kind of tenacity, the same kind of persistence. I think those are the characteristics of this enemy that I think we found in the Vietnamese -- patience.

Today, the United States government is raising the threat level.

MESERVE: Though praised for his public performance, critics say Ridge failed to secure critical infrastructure, like chemical plants, and did not give cohesion to his vast new department.

CLARK KENT ERVIN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: I think it's fair to say that the department, under his leadership, has not lived up to its promise.

MESERVE: If he's confirmed as expected, Michael Chertoff will step into Ridge's job. Ridge is heading to the private sector, though doesn't rule out a presidential run down the road.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE) O'BRIEN: Michael Chertoff's Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. We're going to have live coverage right here on CNN.

Also tomorrow, be sure to stay with CNN as President Bush delivers his State of the Union Address. Primetime coverage begins with Paula Zahn at 8:00 p.m. Eastern -- Bill.

HEMMER: We want to get to Iraq now at nine minutes passed the hour. All the ballots from Sunday's historic election in Iraq have now been transported to Baghdad, where they're being counted at this time. Jeff Koinange is live in Baghdad with more from there.

First, when will we know, Jeff, the results, or at least early indications from the vote on Sunday?

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, everyone's keeping mum right now. They don't want to tell us anything right now. All they're telling us is "Be patient. Within seven to 10 days you will have overall results."

As you can well imagine, everybody here is wondering, you know, who is going to win, what's the outcome, what are the early returns? The officials here saying they want to do this right.

They're using a computer system that's elaborated. They want to make sure, because this is the first time in decades that they're actually tallying votes like this. They want to make sure they do it right, Bill.

At the same time, counting continues in Baghdad. As you know, the largest province, the most people. That will continue on into the coming days. They tell us, "Be patient. Seven to 10 days you will get that."

Having said that, Bill, the outgoing president of Iraq, Ghazi al- Yawar, he held his first post-election press conference today. And he basically congratulated all Iraqis, saying, "You turned out in numbers. This was your election." Saying, "There were no losers in this election; everyone was a winner."

He also was asked a question that's probably on everyone's list right now, just when will U.S. troops withdraw? He says, "Right now it will be nonsense to ask U.S. troops in all this chaos" and what he called a "power vacuum."

But he did say there was a timetable being talked about. It wasn't on paper right now. But he says maybe somewhere down the line.

We asked an official of the U.S. Embassy to comment on it. He says, in his words, "The subject has not been approached through the official channels" -- Bill.

HEMMER: With regard to the insurgents, take us back 36 hours. When and where have they struck, Jeff? KOINANGE: Since the elections, Bill, it has been very quiet, other than this morning in the northern town of Erbil in Kurdistan, where in the house of one of the top Kurdish officials, two guards noticed a bomb right outside his house. They went to try to defuse it. The bomb went off, killing them both.

Other than that, all we hear here in Baghdad is the occasional mortar shell going off. Nothing substantive.

As you know, this is the first time when people are being allowed back into the streets. They are trickling in. Few in number, if anything.

But also, the first time vehicles are being allowed into the streets. So there is some sort of a traffic flow going on. Other than that, Bill, it's going to take a while for this country to slowly get back on its feet.

HEMMER: Quite. If only it would stay that way, too. Jeff, thanks. Jeff Koinange there in the Iraqi capital with more.

Soledad now.

O'BRIEN: Weather now, in fact, with Chad Myers at the CNN Center with the latest for us.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Question now. What are Laura Bush's plans for her husband's second term in the White House? CNN's Candy Crowley spoke with first lady just a little while back to find out.

HEMMER: Also, the king of pop is in the -- well, he's the king of cool in court yesterday. Child molestation charges against him. That trial and jury selection now under way. We'll get back to that.

O'BRIEN: And early dismissal. Rough waters force an abrupt end to studies at sea. We're going to talk to some students about what it was like onboard that ship.

That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: It's day number two of jury selection in the child molestation case against pop king Michael Jackson. Yesterday, Jackson appeared upbeat as his trial got under way in California.

Linda Fairstein is a former prosecutor, also best-selling author of the crime novel called "Entombed." She joins us this morning to talk a little bit more about this case.

Good morning. Nice to see you.

LINDA FAIRSTEIN, AUTHOR, "ENTOMBED": Always good to see you. O'BRIEN: Thank you very much. Seven hundred fifty potential jurors is the number that we're hearing. How does that number sound to you, like a lot of people, more than they need, or maybe not enough for a case that's obviously going to be this well known?

FAIRSTEIN: Certainly as many as they're going to need. It's a huge number, but in a case like this, the celebrity factor is an enormous difficulty to overcome. And they'll be going through people who have very fixed biases and opinions about Jackson and about the charges.

O'BRIEN: All right. Let's walk through, as we always do. What's the prosecution looking for in a juror? What's the defense looking for in a juror?

FAIRSTEIN: They will both be saying they're looking for people who can be fair and impartial.

O'BRIEN: Yeah, yeah, yeah. But come on.

FAIRSTEIN: The prosecution is looking for very stable people. They're looking for people who, when you say your child is going to somebody's house for an overnight, not to get in bed with a 46-year- old man, but to be with other kids. So they're looking for people for whom parenting, good parenting is an issue.

They're looking for people who can get past the celebrity factor. Who may have enjoyed Michael Jackson's music at some point, but who are not going to be star struck, are not going to be gawking at him as many were yesterday when he appeared in his resplendent white outfit and the chains.

The defense is going to be looking for what I call alternate lifestyle jurors, people who are a little looser. People who are perhaps more taken with Michael Jackson and who aren't going to be as critical of his -- his personal lifestyle.

O'BRIEN: You have to imagine that the parents of these boys are going to be surely the focus of the defense team, with the idea being if they can shred the parents' credibility, they can shred this case. What's the defense's strategy going to be with the parents? It is kind of a thin line to walk.

FAIRSTEIN: It is a thin line to walk, and you're exactly right. That's -- that's a prime part of this case. And it's a little bit dangerous because the young man who is the accuser is now old enough to stand on his own two feet in court.

I mean, the judge has made a ruling that this courtroom is going to be open, that this is not a young enough trial to be sequestered, to be secluded without the public forum. And so if the child is corroborated, if he is saying things about Michael Jackson's home and things in the bedroom that he could only have seen by being there, pornographic material, which may, we are told, have his fingerprints on it, that's going to set him apart. That's going to stand him on his own two legs. You can disapprove, I would say, as the prosecutor, to the jury, you can disapprove of his parents and what they exposed him to, perhaps knowingly in light of Jackson's history in the earlier case. But I think he's going to stand on his own two feet in court.

O'BRIEN: Could Michael Jackson's celebrity work for him? Not just people who are fans who'd say, "Oh, I'm his fan, he couldn't have done anything wrong," but doesn't he already go into this with people thinking, all right, he's a little strange and everybody knows it? He was having sleepovers at his house.

I mean, these are givens that if this were a regular 46-year-old man who was being put on trial and was known to have sleepovers, I mean, the jury would think that's -- maybe they would convict him immediately. In this case, you say, well, you know, Michael Jackson, we've all known that he's had kids stay over at Neverland. Can't that work in his favor?

FAIRSTEIN: I think with some people it will certainly work in his favor. But I think there's -- there are an awful lot of people who think that it's completely inappropriate, who think that he had a warning signal, he had a wake-up call 10 years earlier when a civil suit was filed for pretty much the same thing. And if the prosecution has mounted a pattern of conduct, which you can do now under California law, and present that to the jury on the people's case, it could affect very much whatever celebrity cloud he's bathed in.

O'BRIEN: Interesting. All right. Well, you know, we've got a long time to talk about this case, don't we?

FAIRSTEIN: Many months.

O'BRIEN: Linda Fairstein, nice to see you, as always.

FAIRSTEIN: Thanks, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Bill.

HEMMER: There's a ship with about 700 relieved college students now docked safely in Honolulu. Quite an adventure they had at sea.

Last week, the Semester at Sea ship hit some rough water. A videotape on board shows the students getting tossed about.

A 50-foot wave helped deal some damaging blows, breaking windows, damaging three of the four engines on that ship. Some of the students on board were with us earlier today. David Welch is one of them. And he talked about his experience on board.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID WELCH, SEMESTER AT SEA: It was very freaky in the morning when we were woken up and told to put our life jackets on, and then make our way to the fifth deck, women and children first, and then men. You don't know what to think. You could be dying in a half hour. There was really no way to know what was going to happen. HEMMER: This wasn't just one wave. It was a series of waves, is that right?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was rough the whole time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a series of waves, some of these were over 60 feet tall. And the winds were going over 116 miles per hour.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: They are safe now, though. A spokesman for the explorer says the ship will spend the next several days in Hawaii for repairs. And then it will head across the Pacific, heading for China -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: The death toll in the tsunami crisis continues to rise. This morning, new videotape of the struggle to survive the aftermath in Indonesia.

A look at that's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: More than a month after the tsunami hit in southeast Asia, Indonesia now raising its death toll again to more than 108,000. That brings the overall count across southeast Asia to more than 154,000 dead.

And again today, never before seen amateur videotape. This is from Sumatra, Indonesia, near Banda Aceh. People on the ground waiting out the tremors with no idea about what is to come next.

Buildings sustained major damage in the area closest to the epicenter of that quake. Entire villages turned to rubble from the impact of the magnitude 9.0 quake.

And with the remains of the homes, efforts to rescue people trapped in the heavy debris there, as you can see from this videotape. More amateur tape, though. And this is really dramatic tape here.

Waters rushing into the streets, carrying away just about everything. Debris in flooding rivers in Banda Ache. And the pictures, too, of people floating on top of that debris as it moves down to the river across town, fighting to avoid a bridge and get to shore.

And you can watch these people on top of the piles of debris waiting for their moment to get off that rushing water. It's the first time we've seen it. And it comes to you this morning out of northern Sumatra -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Wow. Amazing, isn't it?

CAFFERTY: Just a nightmare.

O'BRIEN: Just -- you know, you almost can't see too many pictures of it. It's just remarkable.

Jack's got the "Question of the Day."

Good morning again.

CAFFERTY: Good morning.

Yes, is it time now that the elections are over in Iraq to set a timetable for U.S. troop withdrawal from that country? The Democrats would like to see the president announce a timetable during the State of the Union Address tomorrow night. That probably won't happen, but we wanted to know what you thought.

Dave in Fort Meade, Maryland, writes: "I don't see any reason not to announce when we'll leave Iraq. We're training the Iraqis to take care of their own internal security. We should set a realistic timetable to complete the training and then turn it over to Iraqi security forces."

J.B. in New York writes: "Conventional wisdom is bound in regard to announce troop withdrawals. But it's not a holy one-sided proposition. If we announce no withdrawal plan, even a loose one, then those who wish to us stay have no need whatsoever to accede to anything we might want or request. In that case, we can be taken for granted. It ain't as simple as some would like us to think."

Ed in Fort Payne, Alabama, writes: "Withdraw? When did we stop building 14 permanent military bases and the world's largest embassy?"

And finally, this from Pamela in Mann, Michigan: "That would depend on what the Bush administration's true intentions really are. If it's just to bring freedom to the Iraqi people, then withdraw the troops ASAP. But if their true intentions lie with Iran, the troops will be there for a while. Because at the moment, Iran is surrounded."

O'BRIEN: That last one's an interesting one.

CAFFERTY: A little ominous, isn't it?

O'BRIEN: Yes, it is.

CAFFERTY: Yes.

O'BRIEN: All right, Jack. Thank you very much.

CAFFERTY: Sure.

O'BRIEN: February is Heart Awareness Month. And first lady Laura Bush wants women to pay more attention to their heart health. We're going to hear from her just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired February 1, 2005 - 9:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL, HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. The final count begins. Votes pouring into Baghdad.
Meanwhile, an ominous message, reportedly from Iraq's terrorist mastermind.

A glimpse of the most famous defendant in the world today. How is Michael Jackson's celebrity affecting jury selection?

And a learning adventure turns into a near disaster at sea. Why hundreds of college students are thankful to be back on dry land on this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.

HEMMER: Good morning, everybody. Just a tick past 9:00 here in New York. Good morning.

Other headlines this hour, there are new concerns this morning involving the health of Pope John Paul II. He has canceled meetings for the next few days because of the flu. His age and other health problems have a lot of people worried. Live to Vatican City for an update on that story.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Also this morning, first lady Laura Bush sitting down with Candy Crowley of CNN a day ahead of the State of the Union Address. Mrs. Bush shares some of her own plans for her husband's second term.

HEMMER: All right. Back to Jack.

What you working on? Good morning.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Some of the Democrats want President Bush to announce a detailed timetable for withdrawal of American troops from Iraq during his State of the Union Address tomorrow night. Should there be a schedule, and is it time to make one now that the Iraqi elections are past?

AM@CNN.com. We'll read some e-mail in a few minutes.

O'BRIEN: All right, Jack. Thank you very much.

Let's go right to Carol Costello. She's reading her headlines this morning. Good morning.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. Good morning to all of you.

As ballots from Sunday's historic election in Iraq are being counted right now, there is a new audiotape purportedly from terror leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. It surfaced yesterday with a message about the election.

The voice on the tape says "Democracy separates god from life, and that is forbidden. Democracy allows the establishment of all parties, no matter what they represent, and it gives them the right to exist and spread their heathenism and corruption." A quote from that audiotape.

In the next half-hour, a Pentagon official is set to unveil a new $200 million plan for military families who've lost loved ones in combat. The proposal would raise the amount paid to families from around $12,000 to $100,000 tax free. Supporters say the existing amount is not enough to cover funeral expenses and living costs for families down the road.

An update on that pipeline fire we told you about just moments ago. An underground pipeline exploded in Allentown, Pennsylvania, prompting some evacuations just as a precaution. The explosion happened less than three hours ago. So far no reports of injuries.

In California, Michael Jackson fans now gathering outside of a Santa Maria courthouse. The pop star expected to be there about four hours from now for a second day of jury selection. The best excuse to get off the jury from a potential juror so far, "I'm under House arrest. See my ankle bracelet?" And if that doesn't work, nothing will.

HEMMER: I think that will work.

COSTELLO: I think so.

O'BRIEN: On the other hand, he's around for six months.

COSTELLO: That's true. Doing nothing.

(LAUGHTER)

HEMMER: We're going to have a daily outfit watch, too, for Michael Jackson coming into court based on yesterday.

COSTELLO: Oh, yes.

HEMMER: Thank you, Carol.

Want to get to Rome right now. Pope John Paul II has canceled all public appearances and private meetings for the next several days. The 84-year-old pontiff suffering from the flu. And our Rome bureau chief, Alessio Vinci, now joins us from Rome with the latest there. Alessio, what is the Vatican saying about his condition?

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Bill.

Well, Vatican officials are not releasing much information about the pope's health. They never really do when it comes down to the pope's health.

All we know what was written in two separate statements, one issued yesterday, one this morning, basically saying that the pope suffers from "symptoms of the flu, mild symptoms of the flu." And a Vatican official telling us that the pope had also a mild fever.

Not serious, perhaps, but serious enough to force the pope to, as I said, cancel all his meetings, including his general audience scheduled for tomorrow. Wednesday, as you know, the pope meets twice with the general public on Wednesdays and on Sundays. He had to cancel that event for -- for Sunday. No word yet on what will happen for next Sunday.

Vatican officials insist there is no real reason to be concerned about the pope's health. And the reason why they wanted to cancel so early on tomorrow's general audience is because they wanted to give the thousands of pilgrims who flock each Wednesday and each Sunday to St. Peter's Square to get a glimpse of the ailing pope, they wanted to give them enough warning to tell them that the pope tomorrow will not show up as he does every Wednesday when he is here in Rome from the balcony of his private study.

Now, the last time we saw the pope was on Sunday, when at around 12:00 local time, as he does every Sunday, he appeared in the window of his private study to recite the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- it's a prayer. He also joked with two kids there.

He released a dove as a sign of peace. The dove didn't want to leave the office and actually came back -- did a small round and came back into his office. The pope, who spoke with a hoarse voice, did appear, however, in good spirits.

I must say that he has been looking quite healthier, if you want. He is an ailing pope, he is old. He does suffer from a series of ailments. But he did look in very good spirits, although his voice was hoarse last Sunday.

Bill, back to you.

HEMMER: Alessio, thanks for the update there. Thanks, in Rome, Alessio Vinci -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Well, he made history as the first ever secretary of homeland security, but today Tom Ridge officially steps down. And even he is expressing some surprise that America has not been hit again.

Jeanne Meserve has more on the Ridge legacy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM RIDGE, FMR. SECY. OF HOMELAND SECURITY: The heroes of flight 93 could not know...

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Among the many lives that changed on 9/11, that of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge.

RIDGE: I will support and defend...

MESERVE: He took a job to try to ensure nothing like 9/11 happened again.

RIDGE: I must tell you that from October 8th, 2001, when I got sworn in, until the present date, I thought -- I've always anticipated that in that three-year break, there would be at least another strike, another attempt.

MESERVE: There wasn't. Ridge credits the disruption of al Qaeda's leadership overseas and hardened security here.

RIDGE: You throw in a little divine intervention, maybe a little good luck.

MESERVE: With suicide and truck bombs, al Qaeda has delivered death and havoc in other parts of the world. Ridge is frankly surprised it hasn't happened here.

RIDGE: Right now, the only plausible explanation that I can offer you is that there their intent and design directed to the United States, at least at this time, is to try to operate around a much more catastrophic event.

MESERVE: As a young man, Ridge fought the Viet Cong. He sees similarities and dissimilarities with his current foe, al Qaeda.

RIDGE: They have the same kind of tenacity, the same kind of persistence. I think those are the characteristics of this enemy that I think we found in the Vietnamese -- patience.

Today, the United States government is raising the threat level.

MESERVE: Though praised for his public performance, critics say Ridge failed to secure critical infrastructure, like chemical plants, and did not give cohesion to his vast new department.

CLARK KENT ERVIN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: I think it's fair to say that the department, under his leadership, has not lived up to its promise.

MESERVE: If he's confirmed as expected, Michael Chertoff will step into Ridge's job. Ridge is heading to the private sector, though doesn't rule out a presidential run down the road.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE) O'BRIEN: Michael Chertoff's Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. We're going to have live coverage right here on CNN.

Also tomorrow, be sure to stay with CNN as President Bush delivers his State of the Union Address. Primetime coverage begins with Paula Zahn at 8:00 p.m. Eastern -- Bill.

HEMMER: We want to get to Iraq now at nine minutes passed the hour. All the ballots from Sunday's historic election in Iraq have now been transported to Baghdad, where they're being counted at this time. Jeff Koinange is live in Baghdad with more from there.

First, when will we know, Jeff, the results, or at least early indications from the vote on Sunday?

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, everyone's keeping mum right now. They don't want to tell us anything right now. All they're telling us is "Be patient. Within seven to 10 days you will have overall results."

As you can well imagine, everybody here is wondering, you know, who is going to win, what's the outcome, what are the early returns? The officials here saying they want to do this right.

They're using a computer system that's elaborated. They want to make sure, because this is the first time in decades that they're actually tallying votes like this. They want to make sure they do it right, Bill.

At the same time, counting continues in Baghdad. As you know, the largest province, the most people. That will continue on into the coming days. They tell us, "Be patient. Seven to 10 days you will get that."

Having said that, Bill, the outgoing president of Iraq, Ghazi al- Yawar, he held his first post-election press conference today. And he basically congratulated all Iraqis, saying, "You turned out in numbers. This was your election." Saying, "There were no losers in this election; everyone was a winner."

He also was asked a question that's probably on everyone's list right now, just when will U.S. troops withdraw? He says, "Right now it will be nonsense to ask U.S. troops in all this chaos" and what he called a "power vacuum."

But he did say there was a timetable being talked about. It wasn't on paper right now. But he says maybe somewhere down the line.

We asked an official of the U.S. Embassy to comment on it. He says, in his words, "The subject has not been approached through the official channels" -- Bill.

HEMMER: With regard to the insurgents, take us back 36 hours. When and where have they struck, Jeff? KOINANGE: Since the elections, Bill, it has been very quiet, other than this morning in the northern town of Erbil in Kurdistan, where in the house of one of the top Kurdish officials, two guards noticed a bomb right outside his house. They went to try to defuse it. The bomb went off, killing them both.

Other than that, all we hear here in Baghdad is the occasional mortar shell going off. Nothing substantive.

As you know, this is the first time when people are being allowed back into the streets. They are trickling in. Few in number, if anything.

But also, the first time vehicles are being allowed into the streets. So there is some sort of a traffic flow going on. Other than that, Bill, it's going to take a while for this country to slowly get back on its feet.

HEMMER: Quite. If only it would stay that way, too. Jeff, thanks. Jeff Koinange there in the Iraqi capital with more.

Soledad now.

O'BRIEN: Weather now, in fact, with Chad Myers at the CNN Center with the latest for us.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Question now. What are Laura Bush's plans for her husband's second term in the White House? CNN's Candy Crowley spoke with first lady just a little while back to find out.

HEMMER: Also, the king of pop is in the -- well, he's the king of cool in court yesterday. Child molestation charges against him. That trial and jury selection now under way. We'll get back to that.

O'BRIEN: And early dismissal. Rough waters force an abrupt end to studies at sea. We're going to talk to some students about what it was like onboard that ship.

That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: It's day number two of jury selection in the child molestation case against pop king Michael Jackson. Yesterday, Jackson appeared upbeat as his trial got under way in California.

Linda Fairstein is a former prosecutor, also best-selling author of the crime novel called "Entombed." She joins us this morning to talk a little bit more about this case.

Good morning. Nice to see you.

LINDA FAIRSTEIN, AUTHOR, "ENTOMBED": Always good to see you. O'BRIEN: Thank you very much. Seven hundred fifty potential jurors is the number that we're hearing. How does that number sound to you, like a lot of people, more than they need, or maybe not enough for a case that's obviously going to be this well known?

FAIRSTEIN: Certainly as many as they're going to need. It's a huge number, but in a case like this, the celebrity factor is an enormous difficulty to overcome. And they'll be going through people who have very fixed biases and opinions about Jackson and about the charges.

O'BRIEN: All right. Let's walk through, as we always do. What's the prosecution looking for in a juror? What's the defense looking for in a juror?

FAIRSTEIN: They will both be saying they're looking for people who can be fair and impartial.

O'BRIEN: Yeah, yeah, yeah. But come on.

FAIRSTEIN: The prosecution is looking for very stable people. They're looking for people who, when you say your child is going to somebody's house for an overnight, not to get in bed with a 46-year- old man, but to be with other kids. So they're looking for people for whom parenting, good parenting is an issue.

They're looking for people who can get past the celebrity factor. Who may have enjoyed Michael Jackson's music at some point, but who are not going to be star struck, are not going to be gawking at him as many were yesterday when he appeared in his resplendent white outfit and the chains.

The defense is going to be looking for what I call alternate lifestyle jurors, people who are a little looser. People who are perhaps more taken with Michael Jackson and who aren't going to be as critical of his -- his personal lifestyle.

O'BRIEN: You have to imagine that the parents of these boys are going to be surely the focus of the defense team, with the idea being if they can shred the parents' credibility, they can shred this case. What's the defense's strategy going to be with the parents? It is kind of a thin line to walk.

FAIRSTEIN: It is a thin line to walk, and you're exactly right. That's -- that's a prime part of this case. And it's a little bit dangerous because the young man who is the accuser is now old enough to stand on his own two feet in court.

I mean, the judge has made a ruling that this courtroom is going to be open, that this is not a young enough trial to be sequestered, to be secluded without the public forum. And so if the child is corroborated, if he is saying things about Michael Jackson's home and things in the bedroom that he could only have seen by being there, pornographic material, which may, we are told, have his fingerprints on it, that's going to set him apart. That's going to stand him on his own two legs. You can disapprove, I would say, as the prosecutor, to the jury, you can disapprove of his parents and what they exposed him to, perhaps knowingly in light of Jackson's history in the earlier case. But I think he's going to stand on his own two feet in court.

O'BRIEN: Could Michael Jackson's celebrity work for him? Not just people who are fans who'd say, "Oh, I'm his fan, he couldn't have done anything wrong," but doesn't he already go into this with people thinking, all right, he's a little strange and everybody knows it? He was having sleepovers at his house.

I mean, these are givens that if this were a regular 46-year-old man who was being put on trial and was known to have sleepovers, I mean, the jury would think that's -- maybe they would convict him immediately. In this case, you say, well, you know, Michael Jackson, we've all known that he's had kids stay over at Neverland. Can't that work in his favor?

FAIRSTEIN: I think with some people it will certainly work in his favor. But I think there's -- there are an awful lot of people who think that it's completely inappropriate, who think that he had a warning signal, he had a wake-up call 10 years earlier when a civil suit was filed for pretty much the same thing. And if the prosecution has mounted a pattern of conduct, which you can do now under California law, and present that to the jury on the people's case, it could affect very much whatever celebrity cloud he's bathed in.

O'BRIEN: Interesting. All right. Well, you know, we've got a long time to talk about this case, don't we?

FAIRSTEIN: Many months.

O'BRIEN: Linda Fairstein, nice to see you, as always.

FAIRSTEIN: Thanks, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Bill.

HEMMER: There's a ship with about 700 relieved college students now docked safely in Honolulu. Quite an adventure they had at sea.

Last week, the Semester at Sea ship hit some rough water. A videotape on board shows the students getting tossed about.

A 50-foot wave helped deal some damaging blows, breaking windows, damaging three of the four engines on that ship. Some of the students on board were with us earlier today. David Welch is one of them. And he talked about his experience on board.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID WELCH, SEMESTER AT SEA: It was very freaky in the morning when we were woken up and told to put our life jackets on, and then make our way to the fifth deck, women and children first, and then men. You don't know what to think. You could be dying in a half hour. There was really no way to know what was going to happen. HEMMER: This wasn't just one wave. It was a series of waves, is that right?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was rough the whole time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a series of waves, some of these were over 60 feet tall. And the winds were going over 116 miles per hour.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: They are safe now, though. A spokesman for the explorer says the ship will spend the next several days in Hawaii for repairs. And then it will head across the Pacific, heading for China -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: The death toll in the tsunami crisis continues to rise. This morning, new videotape of the struggle to survive the aftermath in Indonesia.

A look at that's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: More than a month after the tsunami hit in southeast Asia, Indonesia now raising its death toll again to more than 108,000. That brings the overall count across southeast Asia to more than 154,000 dead.

And again today, never before seen amateur videotape. This is from Sumatra, Indonesia, near Banda Aceh. People on the ground waiting out the tremors with no idea about what is to come next.

Buildings sustained major damage in the area closest to the epicenter of that quake. Entire villages turned to rubble from the impact of the magnitude 9.0 quake.

And with the remains of the homes, efforts to rescue people trapped in the heavy debris there, as you can see from this videotape. More amateur tape, though. And this is really dramatic tape here.

Waters rushing into the streets, carrying away just about everything. Debris in flooding rivers in Banda Ache. And the pictures, too, of people floating on top of that debris as it moves down to the river across town, fighting to avoid a bridge and get to shore.

And you can watch these people on top of the piles of debris waiting for their moment to get off that rushing water. It's the first time we've seen it. And it comes to you this morning out of northern Sumatra -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Wow. Amazing, isn't it?

CAFFERTY: Just a nightmare.

O'BRIEN: Just -- you know, you almost can't see too many pictures of it. It's just remarkable.

Jack's got the "Question of the Day."

Good morning again.

CAFFERTY: Good morning.

Yes, is it time now that the elections are over in Iraq to set a timetable for U.S. troop withdrawal from that country? The Democrats would like to see the president announce a timetable during the State of the Union Address tomorrow night. That probably won't happen, but we wanted to know what you thought.

Dave in Fort Meade, Maryland, writes: "I don't see any reason not to announce when we'll leave Iraq. We're training the Iraqis to take care of their own internal security. We should set a realistic timetable to complete the training and then turn it over to Iraqi security forces."

J.B. in New York writes: "Conventional wisdom is bound in regard to announce troop withdrawals. But it's not a holy one-sided proposition. If we announce no withdrawal plan, even a loose one, then those who wish to us stay have no need whatsoever to accede to anything we might want or request. In that case, we can be taken for granted. It ain't as simple as some would like us to think."

Ed in Fort Payne, Alabama, writes: "Withdraw? When did we stop building 14 permanent military bases and the world's largest embassy?"

And finally, this from Pamela in Mann, Michigan: "That would depend on what the Bush administration's true intentions really are. If it's just to bring freedom to the Iraqi people, then withdraw the troops ASAP. But if their true intentions lie with Iran, the troops will be there for a while. Because at the moment, Iran is surrounded."

O'BRIEN: That last one's an interesting one.

CAFFERTY: A little ominous, isn't it?

O'BRIEN: Yes, it is.

CAFFERTY: Yes.

O'BRIEN: All right, Jack. Thank you very much.

CAFFERTY: Sure.

O'BRIEN: February is Heart Awareness Month. And first lady Laura Bush wants women to pay more attention to their heart health. We're going to hear from her just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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