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American Morning
Interview With Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell; Iraqi Adoption
Aired February 18, 2005 - 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 half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Coming up, the Syria dilemma. From its support of Hezbollah to its troops in Lebanon to its ties to Iraqi insurgents, Syria is a major component to any Middle East policy equation. This morning, we're going to talk about what can be done with a man who has been in some pretty tough diplomatic spots himself. Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell joins us just ahead.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also, a really great story, and very heartwarming, too, story about an army captain who went to Iraq and met a little boy with cerebral palsy. Ala Dean (ph) is his name. The boy was getting too old for his orphanage, did not have a family. He has one now, though. You'll meet them in a moment here. I love that story.
O'BRIEN: Before that, though, let's get a look at the headlines. Heidi Collins in for us this morning.
Good morning.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. And good morning to you, everybody, once again.
"Now in the News" this morning.
Two blocks -- blasts, that is, just into CNN this information. A third explosion now has gone off in Baghdad. The blast follows two other explosions, the first blast believed to have been a suicide bombing, killing at least 17 people. Moments later, a mortar round hit a mosque in the western part of the city. Dozens of people are injured. The attacks come during the Shiite holiday period of Ashura.
Authorities in California say a suspect charged in the deadly commuter train wreck may have set up the accident deliberately. Authorities first said Juan Manuel Alvarez had been trying to commit suicide when he left his SUV on the train tracks. But they now say Alvarez was planning a horrific explosion and poured gasoline in and around the car before running off. He's facing 11 counts of murder. If convicted, he could get the death penalty.
Drug maker Merck is considering putting its painkiller, Vioxx, back on the market. An FDA advisory panel has been meeting since Wednesday to decide if the drug's benefits outweigh the increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Vioxx is one of several popular painkillers up for debate. The FDA panel is set to make a recommendation today.
Bill -- back over to you.
HEMMER: Heidi, thanks for that. Thirty-three minutes now past the hour.
In his trip to Europe next week, starting on Sunday in fact, the president will try and convince allies to continue the pressure on Syria. The president is now demanding that Syria pull its troops out of Lebanon; 13,000, in fact. He also says he wants to see if evidence connects Syria to the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri, on Monday.
Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell is now my guest back here in New York to talk about this issue.
Good morning, Senator.
Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: It's nice to have you here. When Iran and Syria got together this past week and said they wanted to form a united front, how much concern does that raise for you?
GEORGE MITCHELL, FORMER SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Well, they have separate issues with the United States and the West. They both are obviously concerned. They carefully watch television and read the papers, and they're concerned about the potential of military action.
I think that's actually unlikely at the present time. Indeed, both the president and the secretary of state this week have gone out of their way to reduce expectations regarding military action. But I think there's likely to be some joint diplomatic, financial and other action by the United States and Europe as a result of the president...
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: Do you think Syria, now that it's in the headlines the way it has been in the past week, is it now demanding U.S. attention? Or is it becoming more of a distraction for the entire Middle East project?
MITCHELL: I think the Syrians are very concerned. They see themselves as being surrounded and increasingly isolated. And that's one reason for their action with respect to Iran.
Lebanon is a particularly difficult situation for them. The Syrians have never recognized the existence of a separate Lebanon. That was a western creation, primarily a French action, a French-led action. They've always regarded that as part of greater Syria. And so they've maintained forces there now for over 30 years, even though in 1992, they committed to withdrawing their forces from Lebanon. They still haven't done so. That may be one consequence of this latest series of action. So they have to act on that.
HEMMER: Let me try on this one, too, from a U.S. perspective. Is there a window of opportunity now? When you have this investigation that's ongoing and no one knows just yet whether or not Syria was responsible for the assassination on Monday, but it is possible. And the president yesterday said he's withholding opinion until the investigation turns up anything. Is it a window of opportunity to crank up the pressure right now on Syria?
MITCHELL: Definitely, even though the occupation by Syria of Lebanon is independent of the assassination of Prime Minister Hariri. I mean, we don't know who caused that. It focuses attention on the Syrian occupation of Lebanon, which ought not to continue. No one thinks it's a good idea except for the Syrians themselves.
And it would be a big movement for democracy in the region, which this administration has urged, if the Lebanese, who themselves have operated a democratic state for many years in the past, could return to that free of Syrian domination.
HEMMER: We will see elections sometime in the spring in Lebanon. And perhaps at that point, the people of Lebanon will make a decision as to the future for Syrian troops in their country. A different topic quickly, John Negroponte. What did you think of his selection yesterday?
MITCHELL: I know John. I think he's a good man. I think he'll do a good job.
HEMMER: Simply stated?
MITCHELL: Simply stated.
HEMMER: How tough is that job, Senator?
MITCHELL: Very difficult. The first question is, of course, how much real authority he'll have. He will have to make that authority. He's the first person in the job. I think that's his principal task.
HEMMER: What would be your expectations for him coming into this position?
MITCHELL: I think he's a good man for it. First, he's a conciliator. He's a consensus-builder. He's someone who I think can pull it together, can work cooperatively. You've got 15 different agencies. That's not easy to do.
Most of all, he needs the continuing support of the president. That's essentially what he has to do, use that as a vehicle for pulling everyone together, and basically enhancing American military intelligence and analytic ability. I want to stress that last point. Ninety percent of our intelligence resources goes to gathering intelligence, only 10 percent to analyzing it. We have mountains of data that nobody's looked at, translated used. We have to do better at collection, yes. But we have to do much, much better at analyzing in real time.
HEMMER: Thank you, Senator. Good to see you. George Mitchell here in New York. MITCHELL: Thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Most of the soldiers who serve in Iraq come home with vivid memories. But one National Guardsman brought home much more, an orphaned Iraqi child who has cerebral palsy. Doctors are giving the boy treatment, and the soldier is giving the boy a safe home.
CNN's Chris Lawrence has more from Wisconsin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAPT. SCOTT SOUTHWORTH, ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: Hey, buddy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, baba.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Why would a man...
SOUTHWORTH: Ready to go home?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
LAWRENCE: ... a 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 Ala Dean (ph) a year and a half ago at 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 about a year, Scott's tour was up, and the Army ordered him home. But he discovered Ala (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 Ala (ph) something called "humanitarian parole."
SOUTHWORTH: You do it. 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 you were still in Iraq today?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
LAWRENCE: 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. And 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: Local hospitals are helping with the boy's medical care. Scott says it is entirely possible that that little boy will one day learn to walk. Let's hope so.
HEMMER: A great story.
A check of the weather again on a Friday.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Well, millions of video game consoles are being recalled because their power cords can catch fire. Andy is "Minding Your Business" about that just ahead.
HEMMER: Also from TV to the newsstand, "American Idol" is still a huge hit. But has the "Idol" worship gone too far? Simon says, "90-Second Pop" in a moment when we continue.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back. And the "Question of the Day," here is Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Lose weight or lose your job is the deal down there in Atlantic City. The Borgata Hotel and Casino is telling its 200 cocktail waitresses -- they're known as the Borgata Babes, sexiest cocktail waitresses in Atlantic City. The joint's telling them that they've got to maintain their weight. They imposed weight restrictions after some of the servers began to ooze out of their costume. That's not good. Now, all servers will have to step on the scale if you want to keep the job. And if they don't lose the weight, they'll be fired. Women's rights advocates and the local cocktail servers union are furious. There will probably be a lawsuit, although we don't know that yet.
The casino says the sexy staff is part of their image and part of their marketing campaign.
The question is: Should employees be fired for gaining weight?
Jeff in Dyer, Indiana: "As a person of size, I must say no. Personnel should not be fired for gaining weight. So much is put on fat people already. If societal pressure doesn't make you lose weight, the threat of being fired won't work either. Now, please pass the Twinkies."
Pamela in Pinckney, Michigan. "Well, why not? You can be fired for smoking. Why not weight gain? Next thing you know, they're be able to fire you for chewing gum, talking on the phone, being pregnant, any other little thing they can find to discriminate against you. Where does it end?"
Bob in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: "The ladies are a marketing tool. If a commercial doesn't draw a crowd in, you take it off the air, and nobody says a thing about it. If the ladies gain weight, then have them waddle out the door."
Vince in Idabel, Oklahoma: "We should end all discrimination. I'm still pretty steamed that Hooters won't let me wait tables."
That's right, Vince. They won't.
And Greg in Westville, Nova Scotia: "Yes, but only if it was a condition of employment. The employer would be better off initiating such a policy now and waiting for the fat ones to die off or face some very expensive lawsuits. Does CNN have a policy that anchors must maintain a full crop of hair?"
Obviously not, Greg. Go back to bed.
HEMMER: We can go halfway on that.
CAFFERTY: Huh?
HEMMER: We can go halfway on that, right?
CAFFERTY: Yes, well...
HEMMER: I would say.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: You already did.
CAFFERTY: Probably more than halfway.
HEMMER: Yes, he did. SERWER: Yes.
HEMMER: I could do 50 percent.
CAFFERTY: It looks like a three-lane road up there.
HEMMER: Well, we were talking earlier, this is good publicity for the Borgata. If you haven't heard about it before, you're talking about it now, right?
SERWER: Yes, right.
HEMMER: That joint is always packed in Atlantic City.
SERWER: Well...
CAFFERTY: You've been down there, haven't you?
HEMMER: A couple of years ago.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
SERWER: Apparently he wants to go back.
O'BRIEN: And I guess if you don't mind supporting discriminatory practices against women, then sure.
HEMMER: Oh, yes.
SERWER: The jury's still out on this.
HEMMER: I know were Soledad...
O'BRIEN: What is the jury out on?
HEMMER: I know where Soledad will not be this weekend, Andy.
O'BRIEN: What, what?
SERWER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Yes, that's right. I won't be going.
SERWER: Or neither will she be applying for a job there, I suspect.
O'BRIEN: Exactly.
SERWER: A part-time, a weekend job.
O'BRIEN: Yes, that is so true times a million, absolutely.
SERWER: Yes, exactly for a lot of reasons. For a lot of reasons.
CAFFERTY: Let me ask you a semi-serious question. O'BRIEN: Sure, go ahead.
CAFFERTY: Should the Rockettes across the street at Radio City impose any kind of restrictions on how much the dancers in the line weigh?
O'BRIEN: You know what? In all seriousness, I would imagine that weight is not the issue. It's a matter of how the person looks. So I think -- I mean, those women are athletes. I've seen that show. That's hard to do.
CAFFERTY: So if a 300-pound woman who could do the dance steps wanted to be in the line, then it would be OK?
O'BRIEN: If they thought they were going to hire a 300-pound woman to do that that the time, I'd say sure.
SERWER: How does Jack look?
O'BRIEN: If she was hired to do that, sure.
SERWER: That (UNINTELLIGIBLE) is pretty good.
CAFFERTY: Do you know how many people would not go to Radio City Music Hall if that started happening?
O'BRIEN: My guess is that they wouldn't hire a 300-pound woman.
SERWER: Right.
CAFFERTY: I'm just being silly.
O'BRIEN: Well, you know these are one of my -- this is one of my issues, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Oh, yes. No, this is...
O'BRIEN: That's why you picked it.
CAFFERTY: I did this just to tee you up on a Friday, so we could have a little fun here.
SERWER: Yes.
HEMMER: She's very enlightened for the viewers, because this will be discussed during commercial break.
SERWER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Exactly. All right, moving on. Shall we talk about Vioxx?
SERWER: Yes, we shall.
O'BRIEN: Who knew Vioxx back on the market? SERWER: Yes, let's do that. Merck is announcing that it's possible that it may return its drug, Vioxx, the painkilling drug it removed in September, and put it back on the market. You may remember it removed it voluntarily. This is if the FDA discovers it's no more dangerous than similar medicines, those Cox-2 inhibitors like Celebrex and Bextra that Pfizer makes.
Why would Merck decide to do this? Well, one, it needs the money. I mean, this was a big money-maker. And, two, remember, again, it voluntarily removed the drug. It could actually help in litigation if it shows that the drug does help certain patients. Drugs are always trade-offs, and Merck is arguing that the trade-off works here.
Meanwhile, X-Box, Microsoft is announcing a recall because of power cords. Microsoft for the X-Box, 14.1 million X-Boxes sold around the world. Ad in 30 instances, there were problems, some burning associated, 23 carpet burns. And seven people got their hands a little singed, apparently. So, you can get yourself a free cord if you call up and send yours back.
O'BRIEN: Well, Andy, thank you very much.
SERWER: Not as fun as Jack's stuff.
O'BRIEN: I know, but I had less to weigh in on.
SERWER: No, I could tell.
O'BRIEN: I'm saving us tons of time.
SERWER: Come on, give me some better stories here.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: I'm not emotionally invested in the X-Box.
SERWER: I mean, you know, please.
CAFFERTY: How do you feel about cords?
O'BRIEN: I am so against power cords that ruin your carpets.
SERWER: Thank you very much, Jack. I appreciate that.
O'BRIEN: All right. Well, guess what? One of the biggest pop artists of the past 20 years says it is time to fade away. Shane (ph) says, is he still around? He thought he did fade away. Why is George Michael pulling a disappearing act? "90-Second Pop" is ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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.
Let's go back to Bill, please. Help!
HEMMER: You got it. I'm here to save you. Top stories in a moment here, including new developments out of Iraq. We're getting more information now. Three attacks near mosques in Baghdad today, a Muslim holy day. Live there in a moment after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
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Aired February 18, 2005 - 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 half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Coming up, the Syria dilemma. From its support of Hezbollah to its troops in Lebanon to its ties to Iraqi insurgents, Syria is a major component to any Middle East policy equation. This morning, we're going to talk about what can be done with a man who has been in some pretty tough diplomatic spots himself. Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell joins us just ahead.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also, a really great story, and very heartwarming, too, story about an army captain who went to Iraq and met a little boy with cerebral palsy. Ala Dean (ph) is his name. The boy was getting too old for his orphanage, did not have a family. He has one now, though. You'll meet them in a moment here. I love that story.
O'BRIEN: Before that, though, let's get a look at the headlines. Heidi Collins in for us this morning.
Good morning.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. And good morning to you, everybody, once again.
"Now in the News" this morning.
Two blocks -- blasts, that is, just into CNN this information. A third explosion now has gone off in Baghdad. The blast follows two other explosions, the first blast believed to have been a suicide bombing, killing at least 17 people. Moments later, a mortar round hit a mosque in the western part of the city. Dozens of people are injured. The attacks come during the Shiite holiday period of Ashura.
Authorities in California say a suspect charged in the deadly commuter train wreck may have set up the accident deliberately. Authorities first said Juan Manuel Alvarez had been trying to commit suicide when he left his SUV on the train tracks. But they now say Alvarez was planning a horrific explosion and poured gasoline in and around the car before running off. He's facing 11 counts of murder. If convicted, he could get the death penalty.
Drug maker Merck is considering putting its painkiller, Vioxx, back on the market. An FDA advisory panel has been meeting since Wednesday to decide if the drug's benefits outweigh the increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Vioxx is one of several popular painkillers up for debate. The FDA panel is set to make a recommendation today.
Bill -- back over to you.
HEMMER: Heidi, thanks for that. Thirty-three minutes now past the hour.
In his trip to Europe next week, starting on Sunday in fact, the president will try and convince allies to continue the pressure on Syria. The president is now demanding that Syria pull its troops out of Lebanon; 13,000, in fact. He also says he wants to see if evidence connects Syria to the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri, on Monday.
Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell is now my guest back here in New York to talk about this issue.
Good morning, Senator.
Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: It's nice to have you here. When Iran and Syria got together this past week and said they wanted to form a united front, how much concern does that raise for you?
GEORGE MITCHELL, FORMER SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Well, they have separate issues with the United States and the West. They both are obviously concerned. They carefully watch television and read the papers, and they're concerned about the potential of military action.
I think that's actually unlikely at the present time. Indeed, both the president and the secretary of state this week have gone out of their way to reduce expectations regarding military action. But I think there's likely to be some joint diplomatic, financial and other action by the United States and Europe as a result of the president...
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: Do you think Syria, now that it's in the headlines the way it has been in the past week, is it now demanding U.S. attention? Or is it becoming more of a distraction for the entire Middle East project?
MITCHELL: I think the Syrians are very concerned. They see themselves as being surrounded and increasingly isolated. And that's one reason for their action with respect to Iran.
Lebanon is a particularly difficult situation for them. The Syrians have never recognized the existence of a separate Lebanon. That was a western creation, primarily a French action, a French-led action. They've always regarded that as part of greater Syria. And so they've maintained forces there now for over 30 years, even though in 1992, they committed to withdrawing their forces from Lebanon. They still haven't done so. That may be one consequence of this latest series of action. So they have to act on that.
HEMMER: Let me try on this one, too, from a U.S. perspective. Is there a window of opportunity now? When you have this investigation that's ongoing and no one knows just yet whether or not Syria was responsible for the assassination on Monday, but it is possible. And the president yesterday said he's withholding opinion until the investigation turns up anything. Is it a window of opportunity to crank up the pressure right now on Syria?
MITCHELL: Definitely, even though the occupation by Syria of Lebanon is independent of the assassination of Prime Minister Hariri. I mean, we don't know who caused that. It focuses attention on the Syrian occupation of Lebanon, which ought not to continue. No one thinks it's a good idea except for the Syrians themselves.
And it would be a big movement for democracy in the region, which this administration has urged, if the Lebanese, who themselves have operated a democratic state for many years in the past, could return to that free of Syrian domination.
HEMMER: We will see elections sometime in the spring in Lebanon. And perhaps at that point, the people of Lebanon will make a decision as to the future for Syrian troops in their country. A different topic quickly, John Negroponte. What did you think of his selection yesterday?
MITCHELL: I know John. I think he's a good man. I think he'll do a good job.
HEMMER: Simply stated?
MITCHELL: Simply stated.
HEMMER: How tough is that job, Senator?
MITCHELL: Very difficult. The first question is, of course, how much real authority he'll have. He will have to make that authority. He's the first person in the job. I think that's his principal task.
HEMMER: What would be your expectations for him coming into this position?
MITCHELL: I think he's a good man for it. First, he's a conciliator. He's a consensus-builder. He's someone who I think can pull it together, can work cooperatively. You've got 15 different agencies. That's not easy to do.
Most of all, he needs the continuing support of the president. That's essentially what he has to do, use that as a vehicle for pulling everyone together, and basically enhancing American military intelligence and analytic ability. I want to stress that last point. Ninety percent of our intelligence resources goes to gathering intelligence, only 10 percent to analyzing it. We have mountains of data that nobody's looked at, translated used. We have to do better at collection, yes. But we have to do much, much better at analyzing in real time.
HEMMER: Thank you, Senator. Good to see you. George Mitchell here in New York. MITCHELL: Thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Most of the soldiers who serve in Iraq come home with vivid memories. But one National Guardsman brought home much more, an orphaned Iraqi child who has cerebral palsy. Doctors are giving the boy treatment, and the soldier is giving the boy a safe home.
CNN's Chris Lawrence has more from Wisconsin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAPT. SCOTT SOUTHWORTH, ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: Hey, buddy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, baba.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Why would a man...
SOUTHWORTH: Ready to go home?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
LAWRENCE: ... a 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 Ala Dean (ph) a year and a half ago at 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 about a year, Scott's tour was up, and the Army ordered him home. But he discovered Ala (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 Ala (ph) something called "humanitarian parole."
SOUTHWORTH: You do it. 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 you were still in Iraq today?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
LAWRENCE: 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. And 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: Local hospitals are helping with the boy's medical care. Scott says it is entirely possible that that little boy will one day learn to walk. Let's hope so.
HEMMER: A great story.
A check of the weather again on a Friday.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Well, millions of video game consoles are being recalled because their power cords can catch fire. Andy is "Minding Your Business" about that just ahead.
HEMMER: Also from TV to the newsstand, "American Idol" is still a huge hit. But has the "Idol" worship gone too far? Simon says, "90-Second Pop" in a moment when we continue.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back. And the "Question of the Day," here is Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Lose weight or lose your job is the deal down there in Atlantic City. The Borgata Hotel and Casino is telling its 200 cocktail waitresses -- they're known as the Borgata Babes, sexiest cocktail waitresses in Atlantic City. The joint's telling them that they've got to maintain their weight. They imposed weight restrictions after some of the servers began to ooze out of their costume. That's not good. Now, all servers will have to step on the scale if you want to keep the job. And if they don't lose the weight, they'll be fired. Women's rights advocates and the local cocktail servers union are furious. There will probably be a lawsuit, although we don't know that yet.
The casino says the sexy staff is part of their image and part of their marketing campaign.
The question is: Should employees be fired for gaining weight?
Jeff in Dyer, Indiana: "As a person of size, I must say no. Personnel should not be fired for gaining weight. So much is put on fat people already. If societal pressure doesn't make you lose weight, the threat of being fired won't work either. Now, please pass the Twinkies."
Pamela in Pinckney, Michigan. "Well, why not? You can be fired for smoking. Why not weight gain? Next thing you know, they're be able to fire you for chewing gum, talking on the phone, being pregnant, any other little thing they can find to discriminate against you. Where does it end?"
Bob in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: "The ladies are a marketing tool. If a commercial doesn't draw a crowd in, you take it off the air, and nobody says a thing about it. If the ladies gain weight, then have them waddle out the door."
Vince in Idabel, Oklahoma: "We should end all discrimination. I'm still pretty steamed that Hooters won't let me wait tables."
That's right, Vince. They won't.
And Greg in Westville, Nova Scotia: "Yes, but only if it was a condition of employment. The employer would be better off initiating such a policy now and waiting for the fat ones to die off or face some very expensive lawsuits. Does CNN have a policy that anchors must maintain a full crop of hair?"
Obviously not, Greg. Go back to bed.
HEMMER: We can go halfway on that.
CAFFERTY: Huh?
HEMMER: We can go halfway on that, right?
CAFFERTY: Yes, well...
HEMMER: I would say.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: You already did.
CAFFERTY: Probably more than halfway.
HEMMER: Yes, he did. SERWER: Yes.
HEMMER: I could do 50 percent.
CAFFERTY: It looks like a three-lane road up there.
HEMMER: Well, we were talking earlier, this is good publicity for the Borgata. If you haven't heard about it before, you're talking about it now, right?
SERWER: Yes, right.
HEMMER: That joint is always packed in Atlantic City.
SERWER: Well...
CAFFERTY: You've been down there, haven't you?
HEMMER: A couple of years ago.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
SERWER: Apparently he wants to go back.
O'BRIEN: And I guess if you don't mind supporting discriminatory practices against women, then sure.
HEMMER: Oh, yes.
SERWER: The jury's still out on this.
HEMMER: I know were Soledad...
O'BRIEN: What is the jury out on?
HEMMER: I know where Soledad will not be this weekend, Andy.
O'BRIEN: What, what?
SERWER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Yes, that's right. I won't be going.
SERWER: Or neither will she be applying for a job there, I suspect.
O'BRIEN: Exactly.
SERWER: A part-time, a weekend job.
O'BRIEN: Yes, that is so true times a million, absolutely.
SERWER: Yes, exactly for a lot of reasons. For a lot of reasons.
CAFFERTY: Let me ask you a semi-serious question. O'BRIEN: Sure, go ahead.
CAFFERTY: Should the Rockettes across the street at Radio City impose any kind of restrictions on how much the dancers in the line weigh?
O'BRIEN: You know what? In all seriousness, I would imagine that weight is not the issue. It's a matter of how the person looks. So I think -- I mean, those women are athletes. I've seen that show. That's hard to do.
CAFFERTY: So if a 300-pound woman who could do the dance steps wanted to be in the line, then it would be OK?
O'BRIEN: If they thought they were going to hire a 300-pound woman to do that that the time, I'd say sure.
SERWER: How does Jack look?
O'BRIEN: If she was hired to do that, sure.
SERWER: That (UNINTELLIGIBLE) is pretty good.
CAFFERTY: Do you know how many people would not go to Radio City Music Hall if that started happening?
O'BRIEN: My guess is that they wouldn't hire a 300-pound woman.
SERWER: Right.
CAFFERTY: I'm just being silly.
O'BRIEN: Well, you know these are one of my -- this is one of my issues, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Oh, yes. No, this is...
O'BRIEN: That's why you picked it.
CAFFERTY: I did this just to tee you up on a Friday, so we could have a little fun here.
SERWER: Yes.
HEMMER: She's very enlightened for the viewers, because this will be discussed during commercial break.
SERWER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Exactly. All right, moving on. Shall we talk about Vioxx?
SERWER: Yes, we shall.
O'BRIEN: Who knew Vioxx back on the market? SERWER: Yes, let's do that. Merck is announcing that it's possible that it may return its drug, Vioxx, the painkilling drug it removed in September, and put it back on the market. You may remember it removed it voluntarily. This is if the FDA discovers it's no more dangerous than similar medicines, those Cox-2 inhibitors like Celebrex and Bextra that Pfizer makes.
Why would Merck decide to do this? Well, one, it needs the money. I mean, this was a big money-maker. And, two, remember, again, it voluntarily removed the drug. It could actually help in litigation if it shows that the drug does help certain patients. Drugs are always trade-offs, and Merck is arguing that the trade-off works here.
Meanwhile, X-Box, Microsoft is announcing a recall because of power cords. Microsoft for the X-Box, 14.1 million X-Boxes sold around the world. Ad in 30 instances, there were problems, some burning associated, 23 carpet burns. And seven people got their hands a little singed, apparently. So, you can get yourself a free cord if you call up and send yours back.
O'BRIEN: Well, Andy, thank you very much.
SERWER: Not as fun as Jack's stuff.
O'BRIEN: I know, but I had less to weigh in on.
SERWER: No, I could tell.
O'BRIEN: I'm saving us tons of time.
SERWER: Come on, give me some better stories here.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: I'm not emotionally invested in the X-Box.
SERWER: I mean, you know, please.
CAFFERTY: How do you feel about cords?
O'BRIEN: I am so against power cords that ruin your carpets.
SERWER: Thank you very much, Jack. I appreciate that.
O'BRIEN: All right. Well, guess what? One of the biggest pop artists of the past 20 years says it is time to fade away. Shane (ph) says, is he still around? He thought he did fade away. Why is George Michael pulling a disappearing act? "90-Second Pop" is ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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.
Let's go back to Bill, please. Help!
HEMMER: You got it. I'm here to save you. Top stories in a moment here, including new developments out of Iraq. We're getting more information now. Three attacks near mosques in Baghdad today, a Muslim holy day. Live there in a moment after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
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