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American Morning

Al Qaeda Arrests?; '90-Second Pop'

Aired February 18, 2005 - 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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: 9:30 here in New York. Good morning, everybody, on this Friday morning. Good to have you along with us today. More deadly attacks were reported a while ago this in and around Baghdad today by insurgents. However, despite the attacks, there are signs of optimism. Mowaffak Al Rubaie is Iraq's national security adviser. He says his forces are getting closer and closer to breaking the backs of the Zarqawi terror network. My interview with him in a few moments here.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Also from Iraq, but a much happier story to tell you, the Army captain that went to Iraq and met a little boy who has cerebral palsy. Jaladeen (ph) is his name. The little boy was getting too old for his orphanage. He didn't have any family. Well, he's got a family now. It is a wonderful, wonderful story. We're going to show it to you. Heidi was, I think it's fair to say, bawling through that story.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: I was.

O'BRIEN: You were sobbing through that story.

COLLINS: The guy is amazing. I think we could all probably learn something from someone like him.

O'BRIEN: You are so right about that.

COLLINS: Yes, absolutely.

We do have some other news to tell you about, though. As Bill mentioned, a new series of attacks in Baghdad this morning taking place during a major Shiite holy period. These pictures from a mortar attack just two hours ago in northwestern Baghdad. Two other bombings also took place. Some mosques were targeted. Dozens of people are wounded. We'll watch this one for you.

We're also learning some new details about how Pope John Paul II coped after a shooting back in 1991. According to the Associated Press, the pope reveals for the first time he had a, quote "strange feeling of confidence he would survive." He also admits feeling afraid, but he says he believed the bullet was steered away from his vital organs by divine intervention. The revelations appear in his latest book, titled "Memories and Identity." It's expected to be released in the United States sometimes soon.

President Bush preparing for a trip to Europe now. The president is expected to meet with several major political leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Jacques Chirac. President Bush is set to relieve Sunday for the trip.

And a major recall from Microsoft's X-Box game. The software company says power cords for the X-Box can catch fire. Some 30 customers have reported fire damage. There have been even a few minor injuries. The recall affects about 14 million game units.

Bill, back over to you.

HEMMER: All right, Heidi, thanks.

Back to Iraq, too. The Iraqi government says two members of al Qaeda have now been arrested in Baghdad. The men said to be linked to Abu Musab Al Zarqawi's terror network. And Mowaffak Al Rubaie is Iraq's national security adviser. A bit earlier today, he explains how significant these arrests could be.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MOWAFFAK AL RUBAIE, IRAQ NATL. SECURITY ADVISER: We feel we're very, very close to the terror network of Zarqawi and Al Qaeda and Saddam loyalists. We're very, very close to these people now, and we may well be able in the next few weeks to break their back.

HEMMER: Well, that is one heck of a statement. Why do you say that, sir?

AL RUBAIE: We feel that we're having a very, very good intelligence information from our own sources, Iraqi sources, and we feel we've managed to come very close to these people now. And also the psychology in the Triangle, in the what is called the Sunni Triangle, is completely different now. People are coming forward with information, especially after the victory of the Iraqi people in the last election. People feel very, very confident, and people in the triangle are feeling that they have to help in eradicating this malignant cancer of terror and terrorism in Iraq.

HEMMER: But even then. the violence continues with these bombs going off at a mosque near Baghdad. Back to the issue of Zarqawi, though, do you believe he's a man on the run? And if so, do you still believe he's in your country?

AL RUBAIE: I believe he's still in the country, and I believe he is on the run. And I believe that we are chasing his, if you like -- we go to some places and we feel that he was there two, three days ago. So we feel we're very close to catching him.

AL RUBAIE: Porter Goss told Congress and the American people earlier this week that he believes Iraq now, your country, is the main recruiting ground for Al Qaeda. Do you know or have a good idea of how many members of al Qaeda right now are operating in Iraq?

AL RUBAIE: It's very difficult to give you a figure, but I believe the al Qaeda and the Zarqawi people are several hundreds. While those who have, if you like, native and Iraqi citizens are probably a couple of thousands working with them. I do agree that this is a full front of fighting the global terrorism, and this is -- we have to win. If we want to win the war against terror in the world and stem out some of the terrorism some of the terrorism all over the world, we have to win the fight in this country. And I believe we need to have concerted effort from the regional countries, and from the neighboring countries and from the international community to fight terrorism and defeat terrorism in this country.

HEMMER: But the headline that you're making in this interview deals with Zarqawi. And back to that point, you're saying today that you believe you could be only days away from capturing him?

AL RUBAIE: Well, I wouldn't like to say days, but I can tell you we are very, very close to Zarqawi and to his network, and all thanks to the very valuable and very important intelligence we are receiving from our own people in Iraq, and we feel that we are at -- very, very close to breaking the back of the -- of terrorism in this country.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: You may recall an audio tape released back in late December, believed to be from Osama bin Laden, praising Zarqawi for terrorist acts carried out in Iraq and attributed to his group -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: A National Guardsman returned from Iraq with much more than just memories. He brought home an orphaned Iraqi child who has cerebral palsy. Doctors are now giving the boy treatment, and the soldier is giving him a safe home.

CNN's Chris Lawrence has more from Wisconsin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAPT. SCOTT SOUTHWORTH, ARMY NATL. GUARD: Hey, buddy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, papa.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Why would a man...

SOUTHWORTH: Ready to go home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes?

LAWRENCE: ... single guy, just back from Baghdad, basically adopt an Iraqi orphan with cerebral palsy?

SOUTHWORTH: I didn't choose him. He chose me.

LAWRENCE: Captain Scott Southworth met Jaladeen a year and a half ago in a Baghdad orphanage.

SOUTHWORTH: And within a few short weeks began to call me "baba" or "daddy." LAWRENCE: Scott kept visiting every few days, even with his unit, under constant attack.

SOUTHWORTH: I didn't know if I was going to make it out alive, and I was afraid to promise him something, and then get killed and then him not understand that.

LAWRENCE: After a year, Scott's tour was up and the Army ordered him home. But he discovered Jala (ph) was getting too old for the orphanage.

SOUTHWORTH: This is one of our favorite events.

LAWRENCE: He'd be transferred to an adult facility where, with his cerebral palsy, he might not survive the lack of attention and medical care.

SOUTHWORTH: It was a devastating and frustrating moment for me.

LAWRENCE: Now, foreign adoption is illegal in Iraq right now. But after six months of work and mounds of red tape, he convinced Iraqi and American officials to grant Jala something called humanitarian parole.

SOUTHWORTH: You do it. Outstanding.

LAWRENCE: It's a special designation that allows him to get medical help here in America, with Scott acting as guardian.

(on camera): Do you ever think about what his life would be like if he was still in Iraq today?

SOUTHWORTH: Yes.

LAWRENCE (voice-over): It's a hard thing for Scott to explain, but the emotion makes it clear why he'd take this on.

SOUTHWORTH: People will sometimes say to me, you know, oh, what a great thing it is that you're doing it. I always tell them, you know, honestly, he teaches me and gives back to me far more than I will ever give to him.

LAWRENCE: Scott admits he went to Baghdad hoping to win Iraqis' hearts and minds; he just never expected a 10-year-old to win his.

Chris Lawrence, CNN, Wisconsin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: A wonderful story, and beautifully told, we should repeat, by CNN's Chris Lawrence.

Local hospitals are helping with the boy's medical care. Scott says it is entirely possible that the little boy will one day learn to walk.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: The Daytona 500 is this weekend, but in case you haven't heard, this isn't your daddy's NASCAR anymore. We're going to take a look at the changing face of America's fastest growing sport.

HEMMER: Also from TV to the newsstand, "American Idol" still a huge hit on TV, but has the "Idol" worship now gone too far? "90- Second Pop" in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: There are so few George Michael songs that I like. And this happens...

TOURE, CNN POP CULTURE CORRESPONDENT: Bite your tongue! How dare you!

O'BRIEN: And that happens to be one of them.

TOURE: It's already started this morning.

O'BRIEN: Oh, for god's sake, I didn't even finish my sentence. Wow! You guys have had a lot of coffee. Good morning. "90-Second Pop" for a Friday. Our all-star panel today, although, you know what? Maybe they're working my last nerve.

Toure, CNN's pop culture correspondent. Karyn Bryant, she's the host of "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT."

KARYN BRYANT, CNN HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Hi.

O'BRIEN: B.S. Sigesmund from "Us Weekly."

Good morning. Good morning. Good morning.

B.J. SIGESMUND, STAFF EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": Good morning.

O'BRIEN: Let's get right to it and talk about our friend, George Michael, who...

TOURE: It looks like we're already doing that.

O'BRIEN: I know. We're kind of halfway through here. He's got a new documentary of his life, and he also says he's sick of it. He's done.

TOURE: And I'm sad. I'm going to actually miss George Michael. He had the towering sexuality of Elvis, the flamboyance of Elton, the ego of Madonna, all wrapped up in this flamboyantly campy bow. And I'm going to miss him. He made hit after hit, and he was fun to have around.

BRYANT: He is very talented. In this documentary, he's confessing about a lot of things, the highs and the lows of his career. But basically I think he's just saying he wants to move into a new phase, not necessarily fade away completely.

O'BRIEN: Isn't it kind of...

SIGESMUND: What this is about, he says that he was burned by the spotlight.

O'BRIEN: Right.

SIGESMUND: He never really wanted the fame like Madonna did. But he is now, for the record, going to set the record straight, if you will, on so many things in his life, like a lover dying of AIDS in '93, his mother passing away, and then, of course, the incident in Beverly Hills in 1998. We don't need to go further than that.

O'BRIEN: That was a very tactful way to put that, by the way.

SIGESMUND: Yes, it is. But he wants to -- you know, he wants to get it all out there before he moves into the next phase of his career.

O'BRIEN: So what's next? I'm sorry...

BRYANT: Well...

TOURE: And this is the end, though, really of the '80s, right? Because he was such the big '80s symbol, right? So then if he's closing the door, the '80s are really truly over now.

O'BRIEN: OK...

SIGESMUND: Well, Madonna is still here.

BRYANT: He just thinks that the state of pop music right now is about product. It's not...

O'BRIEN: I don't even have to ask any questions. You guys keep going.

(CROSSTALK)

TOURE: We'll talk amongst ourselves.

BRYANT: That is the thing. But, you know, he thinks pop music has changed. It's not about guys with a lot of talent anymore. It's about, you know, pre-packaged, manufactured...

TOURE: Speaking of which, "American Idol." Let's go on to "American Idol."

O'BRIEN: Speaking off cues, my "American Idol" Barbie. Freedom. Freedom Oh, here's my karaoke. What is with all of the stuff?

BRYANT: Well, you know, Soledad, "American Idol" is still the No. 1 show. It's the fourth season. It's the No. 1 show. Come on, Toure, it's fun. It's beyond expectations again.

O'BRIEN: Boring.

BRYANT: I expect to see people who can't sing very well in tears every week. And I get to see that. The show still is great for multi generations. I watch it with my mom. It's a successful show. I'm telling you.

SIGESMUND: They're also -- they're really milking it. Not only is there a doll now, but there's a new "American Idol" magazine.

BRYANT: Yes.

SIGESMUND: You know, the show is more popular than ever.

O'BRIEN: Oh, B.J., all of them will be successful, the doll, the magazine and all the other stuff?

SIGESMUND: I think so. I mean, the show is so huge. Everything about it sells well. Yes.

TOURE: Can I just speak for the other side, though? I hate "American Idol" so much!

BRYANT: Why?

TOURE: Because, first of all, you cannot choose stars by committee.

BRYANT: I agree.

TOURE: That is completely against the whole nature of that. The whole idea of...

BRYANT: Well, America votes on it.

TOURE: I know, but you can't choose a star through democracy like that. And also, the whole idea of just -- it's a talent competition. They don't have to do original songs.

BRYANT: Right, right.

TOURE: They just sing these...

SIGESMUND: You're taking it way too seriously.

TOURE: That's not what choosing the next star is about.

O'BRIEN: OK.

BRYANT: I don't think...

O'BRIEN: "American Idol" is not a metaphor for America today.

BRYANT: Right, right.

O'BRIEN: It is a TV show, and you need to calm down. We're out of time! Because the two of you had so much drama today, I didn't get to all of my questions.

TOURE: You have lost your mind!

O'BRIEN: No, I haven't.

TOURE: With four little kids, she's lost it, people!

O'BRIEN: It's a long week. You guys, thank you very much.

TOURE: Let the doll do the tease. Thank you very much.

O'BRIEN: I don't need to have her give away my job to the doll, thanks. Oh, and, Karyn, we should also mention "Showbiz Tonight" premieres very soon. It's TV's only live nightly entertainment news show. It debuts Monday night at 7:00 Eastern Time on "CNN HEADLINE NEWS." I look forward to that.

BRYANT: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: And congratulations on that.

Thanks, you guys. Appreciate it. Bill, back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: All right, Soledad.

Forget about the pitchers and catchers, time to start your engines. NASCAR drivers putting the pedal to the medal this Sunday, the season opener, as the Daytona 500, a huge race down in Florida.

Carol Costello this morning on the need for speed.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bo and Luke Duke, hard charging, beer drinking and driving the General Lee.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you ever seen a race where there wasn't oil, or rain or sand on the track by lap eight?

COSTELLO: "The Dukes of Hazzard" were born of the NASCAR stereotype. But times are a-changin'. It ain't your daddy's NASCAR anymore. Bo and Luke, forget it. Thanks in part to Madison Avenue, you've got California dreaming Jimmy Johnson, book-smart Ryan Newman, and then, there's Junior.

(on camera): You are the rock star. Are you really a rock star?

DALE EARNHARDT JR., NASCAR DRIVER: Well, I act like one sometimes.

COSTELLO: And his star, along with NASCAR's, is spreading. NASCAR boasts 75 million fans, or one in three adults. That's up 20 percent from 2,000 to 2001. NASCAR knows how to sell itself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You will be able to see the whites on Michael Waltrip's eyes. How about that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: TV spots show a warm intimacy between fan and driver, and the ladies love it. Forty percent of NASCAR's audience is women. Add to that, NASCAR itself is spreading, even to the bluest of cities, New York.

EARNHARDT: Believe it or not, I mean, as far as the network television, New York's number two. This is our second biggest market.

COSTELLO (on camera): So it won't be long until the racetrack is like, right in the park?

EARNHARDT: I'm convinced that the fans here want it. So we need to build it.

COSTELLO: Don't stop. The International Speedway Corporation just bought this big chunk of land on Staten Island and wants to plunk down $600 million to put a racetrack right here.

GUY V. MOLINARI, MOLINARI GROUP: This is the Big Apple. There is nothing like this around, so to break into New York City with something like this has tremendous potential.

COSTELLO: The New York track won't be built until 2009, but heck, there are three tracks in California and one in Kansas. So get ready, America. If Nascar has its way, you may be saying, baseball? America's pastime? Nah. It's Nascar.

Carol Costello, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Sunday's race, by the way, the first of 36 in the 2005 season. Total purse for this year's Daytona 500, more than $17.5 million. It goes down this weekend -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: A painkiller linked to heart attacks and strokes could end up back in drug stores. How is Wall Street reacting to the news? We have "Minding Your Business" just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

HEMMER: Here's Soledad.

O'BRIEN: A final look at the "Question of the Day." Final.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: You're probably sorry to see this one go by, aren't you?

O'BRIEN: Devastated.

CAFFERTY: Should employees be fired for gaining weight? There's a casino in Atlantic City that's telling the cocktail waitresses that if they gain a certain amount of weight and refuse to lose it, they will lose their jobs.

Liz in New York writes: "Sorry, ladies, but if you're going to take a job where you know that men are going to pay to blatantly stare at your body for entertainment, you lose the right to complain about being objectified."

Leeanne in Belton, Missouri, writes: "All fat employees should be fired and all the ugly one and all the old ones. Don't you watch television? These people have gastric bypass and plastic surgery options available. There's no excuse for anything less than superficial perfection in the workplace. The American culture has standards, after all."

And Richard writes from Riverside, Connecticut: "Today's question is pathetic. There are serious issues in the country today and you ask about the weight of waitresses. You should be ashamed of yourself."

Well, I'm not, Richard. Hate to break your heart.

O'BRIEN: We did the serious ones yesterday, Richard. Lighten up.

HEMMER: Weren't we all week. Jack. We'll be right back. Break here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Hey, we got to run. You guys have a good weekend, OK?

O'BRIEN: Thank you. Likewise.

HEMMER: Jack, you included.

CAFFERTY: Thank you, Bill, you, too.

O'BRIEN: You have a nice long weekend.

HEMMER: Thank you very much. I'm going West. See you guys soon. Here is Daryn and who's with you, Daryn? Tony?

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 February 18, 2005 - 09:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: 9:30 here in New York. Good morning, everybody, on this Friday morning. Good to have you along with us today. More deadly attacks were reported a while ago this in and around Baghdad today by insurgents. However, despite the attacks, there are signs of optimism. Mowaffak Al Rubaie is Iraq's national security adviser. He says his forces are getting closer and closer to breaking the backs of the Zarqawi terror network. My interview with him in a few moments here.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Also from Iraq, but a much happier story to tell you, the Army captain that went to Iraq and met a little boy who has cerebral palsy. Jaladeen (ph) is his name. The little boy was getting too old for his orphanage. He didn't have any family. Well, he's got a family now. It is a wonderful, wonderful story. We're going to show it to you. Heidi was, I think it's fair to say, bawling through that story.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: I was.

O'BRIEN: You were sobbing through that story.

COLLINS: The guy is amazing. I think we could all probably learn something from someone like him.

O'BRIEN: You are so right about that.

COLLINS: Yes, absolutely.

We do have some other news to tell you about, though. As Bill mentioned, a new series of attacks in Baghdad this morning taking place during a major Shiite holy period. These pictures from a mortar attack just two hours ago in northwestern Baghdad. Two other bombings also took place. Some mosques were targeted. Dozens of people are wounded. We'll watch this one for you.

We're also learning some new details about how Pope John Paul II coped after a shooting back in 1991. According to the Associated Press, the pope reveals for the first time he had a, quote "strange feeling of confidence he would survive." He also admits feeling afraid, but he says he believed the bullet was steered away from his vital organs by divine intervention. The revelations appear in his latest book, titled "Memories and Identity." It's expected to be released in the United States sometimes soon.

President Bush preparing for a trip to Europe now. The president is expected to meet with several major political leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Jacques Chirac. President Bush is set to relieve Sunday for the trip.

And a major recall from Microsoft's X-Box game. The software company says power cords for the X-Box can catch fire. Some 30 customers have reported fire damage. There have been even a few minor injuries. The recall affects about 14 million game units.

Bill, back over to you.

HEMMER: All right, Heidi, thanks.

Back to Iraq, too. The Iraqi government says two members of al Qaeda have now been arrested in Baghdad. The men said to be linked to Abu Musab Al Zarqawi's terror network. And Mowaffak Al Rubaie is Iraq's national security adviser. A bit earlier today, he explains how significant these arrests could be.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MOWAFFAK AL RUBAIE, IRAQ NATL. SECURITY ADVISER: We feel we're very, very close to the terror network of Zarqawi and Al Qaeda and Saddam loyalists. We're very, very close to these people now, and we may well be able in the next few weeks to break their back.

HEMMER: Well, that is one heck of a statement. Why do you say that, sir?

AL RUBAIE: We feel that we're having a very, very good intelligence information from our own sources, Iraqi sources, and we feel we've managed to come very close to these people now. And also the psychology in the Triangle, in the what is called the Sunni Triangle, is completely different now. People are coming forward with information, especially after the victory of the Iraqi people in the last election. People feel very, very confident, and people in the triangle are feeling that they have to help in eradicating this malignant cancer of terror and terrorism in Iraq.

HEMMER: But even then. the violence continues with these bombs going off at a mosque near Baghdad. Back to the issue of Zarqawi, though, do you believe he's a man on the run? And if so, do you still believe he's in your country?

AL RUBAIE: I believe he's still in the country, and I believe he is on the run. And I believe that we are chasing his, if you like -- we go to some places and we feel that he was there two, three days ago. So we feel we're very close to catching him.

AL RUBAIE: Porter Goss told Congress and the American people earlier this week that he believes Iraq now, your country, is the main recruiting ground for Al Qaeda. Do you know or have a good idea of how many members of al Qaeda right now are operating in Iraq?

AL RUBAIE: It's very difficult to give you a figure, but I believe the al Qaeda and the Zarqawi people are several hundreds. While those who have, if you like, native and Iraqi citizens are probably a couple of thousands working with them. I do agree that this is a full front of fighting the global terrorism, and this is -- we have to win. If we want to win the war against terror in the world and stem out some of the terrorism some of the terrorism all over the world, we have to win the fight in this country. And I believe we need to have concerted effort from the regional countries, and from the neighboring countries and from the international community to fight terrorism and defeat terrorism in this country.

HEMMER: But the headline that you're making in this interview deals with Zarqawi. And back to that point, you're saying today that you believe you could be only days away from capturing him?

AL RUBAIE: Well, I wouldn't like to say days, but I can tell you we are very, very close to Zarqawi and to his network, and all thanks to the very valuable and very important intelligence we are receiving from our own people in Iraq, and we feel that we are at -- very, very close to breaking the back of the -- of terrorism in this country.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: You may recall an audio tape released back in late December, believed to be from Osama bin Laden, praising Zarqawi for terrorist acts carried out in Iraq and attributed to his group -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: A National Guardsman returned from Iraq with much more than just memories. He brought home an orphaned Iraqi child who has cerebral palsy. Doctors are now giving the boy treatment, and the soldier is giving him a safe home.

CNN's Chris Lawrence has more from Wisconsin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAPT. SCOTT SOUTHWORTH, ARMY NATL. GUARD: Hey, buddy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, papa.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Why would a man...

SOUTHWORTH: Ready to go home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes?

LAWRENCE: ... single guy, just back from Baghdad, basically adopt an Iraqi orphan with cerebral palsy?

SOUTHWORTH: I didn't choose him. He chose me.

LAWRENCE: Captain Scott Southworth met Jaladeen a year and a half ago in a Baghdad orphanage.

SOUTHWORTH: And within a few short weeks began to call me "baba" or "daddy." LAWRENCE: Scott kept visiting every few days, even with his unit, under constant attack.

SOUTHWORTH: I didn't know if I was going to make it out alive, and I was afraid to promise him something, and then get killed and then him not understand that.

LAWRENCE: After a year, Scott's tour was up and the Army ordered him home. But he discovered Jala (ph) was getting too old for the orphanage.

SOUTHWORTH: This is one of our favorite events.

LAWRENCE: He'd be transferred to an adult facility where, with his cerebral palsy, he might not survive the lack of attention and medical care.

SOUTHWORTH: It was a devastating and frustrating moment for me.

LAWRENCE: Now, foreign adoption is illegal in Iraq right now. But after six months of work and mounds of red tape, he convinced Iraqi and American officials to grant Jala something called humanitarian parole.

SOUTHWORTH: You do it. Outstanding.

LAWRENCE: It's a special designation that allows him to get medical help here in America, with Scott acting as guardian.

(on camera): Do you ever think about what his life would be like if he was still in Iraq today?

SOUTHWORTH: Yes.

LAWRENCE (voice-over): It's a hard thing for Scott to explain, but the emotion makes it clear why he'd take this on.

SOUTHWORTH: People will sometimes say to me, you know, oh, what a great thing it is that you're doing it. I always tell them, you know, honestly, he teaches me and gives back to me far more than I will ever give to him.

LAWRENCE: Scott admits he went to Baghdad hoping to win Iraqis' hearts and minds; he just never expected a 10-year-old to win his.

Chris Lawrence, CNN, Wisconsin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: A wonderful story, and beautifully told, we should repeat, by CNN's Chris Lawrence.

Local hospitals are helping with the boy's medical care. Scott says it is entirely possible that the little boy will one day learn to walk.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: The Daytona 500 is this weekend, but in case you haven't heard, this isn't your daddy's NASCAR anymore. We're going to take a look at the changing face of America's fastest growing sport.

HEMMER: Also from TV to the newsstand, "American Idol" still a huge hit on TV, but has the "Idol" worship now gone too far? "90- Second Pop" in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: There are so few George Michael songs that I like. And this happens...

TOURE, CNN POP CULTURE CORRESPONDENT: Bite your tongue! How dare you!

O'BRIEN: And that happens to be one of them.

TOURE: It's already started this morning.

O'BRIEN: Oh, for god's sake, I didn't even finish my sentence. Wow! You guys have had a lot of coffee. Good morning. "90-Second Pop" for a Friday. Our all-star panel today, although, you know what? Maybe they're working my last nerve.

Toure, CNN's pop culture correspondent. Karyn Bryant, she's the host of "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT."

KARYN BRYANT, CNN HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Hi.

O'BRIEN: B.S. Sigesmund from "Us Weekly."

Good morning. Good morning. Good morning.

B.J. SIGESMUND, STAFF EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": Good morning.

O'BRIEN: Let's get right to it and talk about our friend, George Michael, who...

TOURE: It looks like we're already doing that.

O'BRIEN: I know. We're kind of halfway through here. He's got a new documentary of his life, and he also says he's sick of it. He's done.

TOURE: And I'm sad. I'm going to actually miss George Michael. He had the towering sexuality of Elvis, the flamboyance of Elton, the ego of Madonna, all wrapped up in this flamboyantly campy bow. And I'm going to miss him. He made hit after hit, and he was fun to have around.

BRYANT: He is very talented. In this documentary, he's confessing about a lot of things, the highs and the lows of his career. But basically I think he's just saying he wants to move into a new phase, not necessarily fade away completely.

O'BRIEN: Isn't it kind of...

SIGESMUND: What this is about, he says that he was burned by the spotlight.

O'BRIEN: Right.

SIGESMUND: He never really wanted the fame like Madonna did. But he is now, for the record, going to set the record straight, if you will, on so many things in his life, like a lover dying of AIDS in '93, his mother passing away, and then, of course, the incident in Beverly Hills in 1998. We don't need to go further than that.

O'BRIEN: That was a very tactful way to put that, by the way.

SIGESMUND: Yes, it is. But he wants to -- you know, he wants to get it all out there before he moves into the next phase of his career.

O'BRIEN: So what's next? I'm sorry...

BRYANT: Well...

TOURE: And this is the end, though, really of the '80s, right? Because he was such the big '80s symbol, right? So then if he's closing the door, the '80s are really truly over now.

O'BRIEN: OK...

SIGESMUND: Well, Madonna is still here.

BRYANT: He just thinks that the state of pop music right now is about product. It's not...

O'BRIEN: I don't even have to ask any questions. You guys keep going.

(CROSSTALK)

TOURE: We'll talk amongst ourselves.

BRYANT: That is the thing. But, you know, he thinks pop music has changed. It's not about guys with a lot of talent anymore. It's about, you know, pre-packaged, manufactured...

TOURE: Speaking of which, "American Idol." Let's go on to "American Idol."

O'BRIEN: Speaking off cues, my "American Idol" Barbie. Freedom. Freedom Oh, here's my karaoke. What is with all of the stuff?

BRYANT: Well, you know, Soledad, "American Idol" is still the No. 1 show. It's the fourth season. It's the No. 1 show. Come on, Toure, it's fun. It's beyond expectations again.

O'BRIEN: Boring.

BRYANT: I expect to see people who can't sing very well in tears every week. And I get to see that. The show still is great for multi generations. I watch it with my mom. It's a successful show. I'm telling you.

SIGESMUND: They're also -- they're really milking it. Not only is there a doll now, but there's a new "American Idol" magazine.

BRYANT: Yes.

SIGESMUND: You know, the show is more popular than ever.

O'BRIEN: Oh, B.J., all of them will be successful, the doll, the magazine and all the other stuff?

SIGESMUND: I think so. I mean, the show is so huge. Everything about it sells well. Yes.

TOURE: Can I just speak for the other side, though? I hate "American Idol" so much!

BRYANT: Why?

TOURE: Because, first of all, you cannot choose stars by committee.

BRYANT: I agree.

TOURE: That is completely against the whole nature of that. The whole idea of...

BRYANT: Well, America votes on it.

TOURE: I know, but you can't choose a star through democracy like that. And also, the whole idea of just -- it's a talent competition. They don't have to do original songs.

BRYANT: Right, right.

TOURE: They just sing these...

SIGESMUND: You're taking it way too seriously.

TOURE: That's not what choosing the next star is about.

O'BRIEN: OK.

BRYANT: I don't think...

O'BRIEN: "American Idol" is not a metaphor for America today.

BRYANT: Right, right.

O'BRIEN: It is a TV show, and you need to calm down. We're out of time! Because the two of you had so much drama today, I didn't get to all of my questions.

TOURE: You have lost your mind!

O'BRIEN: No, I haven't.

TOURE: With four little kids, she's lost it, people!

O'BRIEN: It's a long week. You guys, thank you very much.

TOURE: Let the doll do the tease. Thank you very much.

O'BRIEN: I don't need to have her give away my job to the doll, thanks. Oh, and, Karyn, we should also mention "Showbiz Tonight" premieres very soon. It's TV's only live nightly entertainment news show. It debuts Monday night at 7:00 Eastern Time on "CNN HEADLINE NEWS." I look forward to that.

BRYANT: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: And congratulations on that.

Thanks, you guys. Appreciate it. Bill, back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: All right, Soledad.

Forget about the pitchers and catchers, time to start your engines. NASCAR drivers putting the pedal to the medal this Sunday, the season opener, as the Daytona 500, a huge race down in Florida.

Carol Costello this morning on the need for speed.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bo and Luke Duke, hard charging, beer drinking and driving the General Lee.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you ever seen a race where there wasn't oil, or rain or sand on the track by lap eight?

COSTELLO: "The Dukes of Hazzard" were born of the NASCAR stereotype. But times are a-changin'. It ain't your daddy's NASCAR anymore. Bo and Luke, forget it. Thanks in part to Madison Avenue, you've got California dreaming Jimmy Johnson, book-smart Ryan Newman, and then, there's Junior.

(on camera): You are the rock star. Are you really a rock star?

DALE EARNHARDT JR., NASCAR DRIVER: Well, I act like one sometimes.

COSTELLO: And his star, along with NASCAR's, is spreading. NASCAR boasts 75 million fans, or one in three adults. That's up 20 percent from 2,000 to 2001. NASCAR knows how to sell itself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You will be able to see the whites on Michael Waltrip's eyes. How about that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: TV spots show a warm intimacy between fan and driver, and the ladies love it. Forty percent of NASCAR's audience is women. Add to that, NASCAR itself is spreading, even to the bluest of cities, New York.

EARNHARDT: Believe it or not, I mean, as far as the network television, New York's number two. This is our second biggest market.

COSTELLO (on camera): So it won't be long until the racetrack is like, right in the park?

EARNHARDT: I'm convinced that the fans here want it. So we need to build it.

COSTELLO: Don't stop. The International Speedway Corporation just bought this big chunk of land on Staten Island and wants to plunk down $600 million to put a racetrack right here.

GUY V. MOLINARI, MOLINARI GROUP: This is the Big Apple. There is nothing like this around, so to break into New York City with something like this has tremendous potential.

COSTELLO: The New York track won't be built until 2009, but heck, there are three tracks in California and one in Kansas. So get ready, America. If Nascar has its way, you may be saying, baseball? America's pastime? Nah. It's Nascar.

Carol Costello, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Sunday's race, by the way, the first of 36 in the 2005 season. Total purse for this year's Daytona 500, more than $17.5 million. It goes down this weekend -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: A painkiller linked to heart attacks and strokes could end up back in drug stores. How is Wall Street reacting to the news? We have "Minding Your Business" just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

HEMMER: Here's Soledad.

O'BRIEN: A final look at the "Question of the Day." Final.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: You're probably sorry to see this one go by, aren't you?

O'BRIEN: Devastated.

CAFFERTY: Should employees be fired for gaining weight? There's a casino in Atlantic City that's telling the cocktail waitresses that if they gain a certain amount of weight and refuse to lose it, they will lose their jobs.

Liz in New York writes: "Sorry, ladies, but if you're going to take a job where you know that men are going to pay to blatantly stare at your body for entertainment, you lose the right to complain about being objectified."

Leeanne in Belton, Missouri, writes: "All fat employees should be fired and all the ugly one and all the old ones. Don't you watch television? These people have gastric bypass and plastic surgery options available. There's no excuse for anything less than superficial perfection in the workplace. The American culture has standards, after all."

And Richard writes from Riverside, Connecticut: "Today's question is pathetic. There are serious issues in the country today and you ask about the weight of waitresses. You should be ashamed of yourself."

Well, I'm not, Richard. Hate to break your heart.

O'BRIEN: We did the serious ones yesterday, Richard. Lighten up.

HEMMER: Weren't we all week. Jack. We'll be right back. Break here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Hey, we got to run. You guys have a good weekend, OK?

O'BRIEN: Thank you. Likewise.

HEMMER: Jack, you included.

CAFFERTY: Thank you, Bill, you, too.

O'BRIEN: You have a nice long weekend.

HEMMER: Thank you very much. I'm going West. See you guys soon. Here is Daryn and who's with you, Daryn? Tony?

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