Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
California Pummeled by Storms Again This Weekend; Five Marines Suspended After Drowning Death of Marine Recruit at Parris Island
Aired February 21, 2005 - 07:00 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: California pummeled by storms again this weekend. Hillsides shaky, roads washed out and the worst may be yet to come.
President Bush on an important mission to Europe, speaking to allies in Brussels. His words secretly recorded years ago, still a distraction today.
And the great outlaw writer and journalist Hunter S. Thompson is dead. Police investigating his apparent suicide on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING, with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome, everybody. Bill Hemmer has the day off. He's doing skiing. Miles O'Brien is kind enough to fill in.
Hello. Good morning.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: He's having more fun this morning than we are, I think.
S. O'BRIEN: What's that? you're not having fun.
M. O'BRIEN: He's boarding. I'm having a blast already.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, yes, right.
M. O'BRIEN: Kind of a sloppy morning in New York.
S. O'BRIEN: Weather here not so great. Probably, though the worst weather is in Southern California, where the deluge continues. They have had a very wet weekend. They're going to get more rain again and again. We're going to take a look at the forecast again and again. Also, we'll talk to a member of the Laguna Beach Police Department about the threat of mudslides and what that is expected to do communities there.
M. O'BRIEN: Also, we're going to get the latest on the investigation of a Marine recruit who drowned in a training pool in South Carolina. He was mistreated, perhaps, by other Marines, caught on tape. Five of them suspended in this case. We'll talk to a Marine official about that investigation.
S. O'BRIEN: Mr. Cafferty, you dressed up for us this morning. JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: I had to trudge through the snow.
S. O'BRIEN: You have jeans and sneakers on today.
CAFFERTY: They've seen jeans and sneakers. It's just like the jeans and sneakers -- I had to walk through the snow to meet my ride to work this morning.
S. O'BRIEN: Ten miles?
CAFFERTY: No, not 10 miles, but a half mile, because I live on a hill, and the car couldn't get up the hill, so I on some jeans and a pair of sneakers. Would you like me to go home and change? I'd be really happy to leave and do that. I'll see you at about 9:45.
M. O'BRIEN: So you're not having fun either.
CAFFERTY: Oh, no I am. I wouldn't miss this for the world. I'd walk miles barefoot through the snow to get here in the morning.
M. O'BRIEN: Uphill both ways.
S. O'BRIEN: OK, go ahead.
CAFFERTY: Russia is -- Vladimir Putin is going to have a little sit-down with President Bush later this week. Mr. Bush insist he's can see into Mr. Putin's soul, which is like looking into the black hole of the universe, I have a suspicion.
And at the time of this summit, there's a movement underway in the United States to kick Russia out of the G-8 group of industrialized democracies because Russia is behaving these days in very un-democratic ways. So we're going to take a look at the controversy and the pressure that's mounting on the old Soviet Union, Russia, to start acting more like a democracy.
Remember when the wall came down it was supposed to be a free country? Well, they're not so free. A lot of things are moving backwards over there now. We'll take a look at that.
S. O'BRIEN: All right, thanks, Jack.
M. O'BRIEN: The G-8, which was the G-7 at a time, is supposed to be an economic criteria, right? And they don't pass muster on that.
CAFFERTY: No, not on that. They nationalize a big oil company over there under some phony tax pretense. And it's just, you know, they're behaving like they used to, you know, along with the rest of the ought autocracies in the globe.
All right, let's check some other stories. Heidi Collins is here.
Good morning, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, you guys, I'm with Jack. I wore flat shoes as well today. No tenneys, but no heels for sure.
Nice to see, you guys, and good morning to you, everybody.
Now in the news, two kidnapped journalists have been freed today in Iraq. Indonesian officials confirming the release of the pair just two hours ago. The Indonesian journalists were last seen in the city of Ramadi almost a week ago. Officials now saying their priority is to put plans in motion for the journalists' immediate departure from Iraq.
The reason behind maverick journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson's apparent suicide remains a mystery. Police and family members say Thompson fatally shot himself yesterday at his home near Aspen, Colorado. Thompson wrote the 1972 classic "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." He also helped pioneer the first person writing style, known as "gonzo journalism." His other books include "Hell's Angels," "Generation of Swine" and "The Rum Diaries." Hunter S. Thompson was 67 years old.
A federal advisory group is calling for new testing of newborns. The panel wants all babies screened for 29 rare medical conditions like sickle-cell anemia. Critics say this will force some children to undergo harsh treatment unnecessarily. An official recommendation is expected in the next few weeks.
And race car driver Jeff Gordon still celebrating this morning after his third Daytona 500 win. An exciting race that saw four lead changes in the last nine laps. Gordon held off several late challenges, though, to win. Curt Busch came in second, Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished third. Gordon becoming the fifth driver to win at least three Daytona 500 championships. It was kind of dull actually until the end. Caution flag with three laps to go.
M. O'BRIEN: It's like most NBA games, you know, you only have to watch the last two minutes.
S. O'BRIEN: Thanks, Heidi.
Well, people of Southern California are bracing for an intense storm this morning. Rain drenched the region over the weekend, triggering flash flooding, power outages and deadly mudslides.
Miguel Marquez is in Laguna Beach California this morning. He joins us with the latest from there.
Miguel, good morning.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you.
The breaking news is, is that intense storm seems to be here. We're in Laguna Beach, which is normally a gorgeous area here, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I want to show you what's happened to four homes in this area. They -- the backyards have almost come down on to the roadway where we are. You can they see enormous sheets of plastic up in order to keep the rest of the hillside from falling. You can see these trees and all this mud, that's what's left of someone's home, and there is more rain on the way.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARQUEZ (voice-over): A water spout just south of Los Angeles, a tornado north of San Diego.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I heard thunder, and then the house started shaking.
MARQUEZ: A weekend of severe California weather. East of Los Angeles, hillsides poured into backyards as heavy rain turned streets into rivers.
In Long Beach, south of L.A., several homes were evacuated. Homeowners slept while the water rose around them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stepped out of my bed into water.
MARQUEZ: In true California style, rescuers paddled out on surf boards to saved a woman who disregarded a barricade and found herself in the deep end.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When a swift water rescue team got here, the water level was up above her, right about her neckline.
MARQUEZ: North of Los Angeles, a creek, normally dry, turned into a raging torrent, cutting off a trailer park from all but the determined.
Whether from rain or a broken sewer pipe north of L.A., a huge section of road gave way after the earth below it washed out. In Cerritos (ph), a warehouse became a waterfall after its roof collapsed. This followed the collapse of a roof of a Virgin record store in Burbank.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARQUEZ: So just across Southern California, a massive, massive storm, and causing problems for everybody. There's also been two deaths reported. One not too far from here, another near that sinkhole that you saw up north of Los Angeles County. And the forecast is for rain, rain and more rain -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: All bad. All right, Miles, thanks. Miles, sorry. Miguel, thanks a lot. Appreciate it.
MARQUEZ: You got it.
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: Five Marines have been suspended in the drowning death of a Marine recruit at Parris Island, South Carolina earlier this month. Jason Tharp died one day after a local affiliate shot this videotape. You can see here Jason Tharp being grabbed by the collar, and then he's struck by a drill instructor. Investigations are now underway. Colonel John Valentin is the chief of staff of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island. He's joining us this morning. We also asked Jason Tharp's parents to appear. They declined, we should note.
Nice to see you, colonel. Thank you very much for talking to us. We certainly appreciate your time.
Let's start with this videotape. I'd like to roll it once again, and we've highlighted the area so you can sort of see exactly what happened here. The Pentagon spokesman says it appears to violate regulations. What exactly sticks out to you when you see this tape?
COL. JOHN VALENTIN, MARINES' RECRUIT DEPOT, PARRIS ISLAND: Well, Soledad, before I get into any of my impression, let me first express our most sincere condolences to the Tharp family. They're going through a very, very tough time in trying to cope with this irreplaceable loss. All of us here at Parris Island are very saddened by the entire situation.
Let me just tell you that what we've got going on now, Soledad, are three separate and distinct investigations. And for me to characterize what is on the video there, what you're showing on the screen, would be not only premature, but it would also be irresponsible. What we don't want to do is in any way, shape or form jeopardize the integrity of the ongoing investigations.
S. O'BRIEN: OK, i understand that, but let me ask you a question. Is it appropriate for a trainer to grab or strike a recruit, ever?
VALENTIN: There are eight prescribed reasons why any drill instructor would put his hands, or her hands, on a recruit. At no time would we support, tolerate any striking or abuse of a recruit.
So to answer your question, no, we simply do not tolerate, and it is not part of the training here. Although it's challenging, striking a recruit in any way, shape or form is simply not part of the S.O.P. It's inconsistent with our training methodologies here at Parris Island.
S. O'BRIEN: The videotape, as we mentioned, was shot by an affiliate a day before the young man died. He died, in what Marines describe as complications in the water. What exactly does that mean? What would fall under that description? What we're trying to establish how this anomaly happened.
What I can tell you, Soledad, is that Jason Tharp did in fact enter the water on his own accord. That's part of our methodologies here. He was doing fine, then something went wrong. What we're trying to do is establish from three different perspectives, Soledad, what did, in fact, happen.
This is very, very unusual. Please understand that, we haven't had a death at that pool, a training death in that pool since 1991. And when you think about the 20,000 recruits that we train annually since that time, it is an absolute anomaly. We simply don't know what went wrong, and that's why we have this battery of investigations.
S. O'BRIEN: The parents, obviously, are devastated. They claim that their son was miserable, utterly miserable, in boot camp and that he had a very tough time there. People were making it hard on him, and that to some degree he was targeted as well.
Let's listen to a little bit of what Johnny Tharp, Jason Tharp's father, had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN THARP, FATHER: What we saw on the video, he never hurt nobody. He'd do anything anybody asked him. It's just not right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: You're listening to the father's description of his son. Do you think there's any indication -- I know it's early in the investigation -- that Jason Tharp was targeted in some way?
VALENTIN: We have absolutely no information to that effect whatsoever.
But again, we will unearth every single detail leading up to and surrounding the particular incident, and we will establish his state of mind. All of those things will be researched and well established as a result of any -- of the three investigations that are ongoing, Soledad. I personally do not have any information to that effect.
S. O'BRIEN: When do those three investigations, when will they be complete?
VALENTIN: Well, we don't have a timeline. Understand that two of those investigations, Soledad, are independent of the command here. We only have one investigation that was ordered by our commanding general. And even with that one, the officer that's in charge with that particular investigation, what we call a J.A.G. manual investigation, judge advocate general investigation, even that investigation, we won't receive any progress reports, we won't get updates on that information gathering process until the very end. But I certainly would not look for any results within the next four weeks, I would say.
S. O'BRIEN: Colonel John Valentin joining us this morning. Thank you, colonel. Appreciate it.
VALENTIN: Thank you so very, very much. We appreciate it.
M. O'BRIEN: They're supposed to be safer than guns, but now tasers are coming under fire. Are they taking lives instead of saving them? We'll take a look.
S. O'BRIEN: Also, a new development involving the Israelis and Palestinians. Will the latest so-called goodwill gesture bring the region closer to peace? O'BRIEN: And secretly taped conversations with President Bush before he entered the White House. From drug use to gay rights, what do they reveal? We'll tell you about that, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Today, President Bush is in Europe, intent on ushering in a new era of trans-Atlantic unity. The president is set to deliver a speech in the Belgian capital of Brussels, aimed at mending fences, while urging support for Iraq.
Suzanne Malveaux live now in Brussels with more.
Suzanne, good morning.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.
President Bush and the first lady of course kicking off what is being called a reconciliation toward the big question whether or not President Bush will be able to win the hearts and mind of the European people. But certainly the European leadership seems to want to give him a second chance. President Bush earlier this morning being greeted by the host, of course, King Albert II and Queen Paula, as well as Belgium's prime minister, and as well sitting side by side with NATO secretary general. Of course, a big part of this trip is to meet with the European Union and NATO officials, to ask for more support when it comes to Iraqi reconstruction.
But also, of course, to set a different tone for the second administration. The president will be delivering a major speech to the European people in less than an hour. He will talk about the U.S. shared values, core values. He will also talk and call for tangible political and economic assistance to Iraq, using the case of Iraq's elections as a success, to make his case. He will say, specifically that all nations now have an interest in the success of a free and Democratic Iraq, which will fight terror, be a beacon for freedom, and be a source of true stability in the region.
Now, is the time for established democracies to give tangible political, economic and security assistance to the world's newest democracy.
Miles, as well, President Bush of course will be meeting, have a dinner meeting with one of his harshest critics when it comes to U.S. policy in the Iraq war, French President Jacques Chirac. It's expected that of course he'll talk about the shared values, working together when it comes to issues like Syria, Afghanistan. But he will also have to deal with some of the more difficult issues, one in particular, how to deal with Iran, the European Union offering economic and diplomatic incentives to try to get Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions. The United States does not believe that's the appropriate approach and perhaps is looking for economic sanctions -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Suzanne, lot of criticism here in the U.S. over President Putin of Russia, Senators Lieberman and McCain offering up some proposals to perhaps exclude Russia from the G-8. When the president meets with Mr. Putin, who he has called a person he can deal with, a person who he has a friendship with, will he share that criticism with him?
MALVEAUX: Well, certainly, as you know, Miles, this is a person he said he looked into the eyes of his soul, was able to see the true man. This is something that's going to be very important for the president. He's said he'll raise those issues privately, will talk about the slide-back when it comes to Democratic reforms, the concern that Russia is cooperating with Iran in what the U.S. is believes is a nuclear weapons program, as well as the sale of missiles to Syria. I've also been told by a senior administration official to expect some new words when it comes to Russia in his speech to the European people. Certainly, perhaps giving Putin a warning, if you will, of what is to come in their private meeting in just two days.
M. O'BRIEN: All right, Suzanne Malveaux in Brussels, thank you very much -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Some secretly taped interview interviews are offering a candid glimpse of President Bush as he was planning for his first run for the White House. The interviews were recorded by author Doug Wead in the two years leading up to the 2000 election. Excerpts were released on Sunday by ABC News and "The New York Times." In the tapes, President Bush talks about his religious faith, abortion and past marijuana use. Here's how he responded to a conservative supporter who talked about his views on gays in the government.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUGLAS WEAD: He's saying that you promised you would not appoint gays to office.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No, what I said was I wouldn't fire gays. I'm not going to discriminate against people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: CNN did not independently authenticate the tapes. The man who released them, Doug Wead, is going to join us coming up in the next hour.
M. O'BRIEN: Just hours ago, Israel released nearly 500 Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture toward Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Palestinians say the release may help Abbas persuade militant groups to formalize the February 8th cease-fire agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The prisoners are the first of 900 to be released in the coming weeks. None of the released prisoners had been found guilty of attacks that killed or injured Israelis. It is the biggest release of Palestinian prisoners since 1996, when 800 were freed.
S. O'BRIEN: Controversy is growing over what was supposed to be a safer alternative to guns. After several deaths, is it time to take tasers away from the police. We're going to take a closer look, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: It's time now for "The Cafferty File," Question of the Day.
CAFFERTY: Thank you, Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: President Bush getting ready for a summit sit-down with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week. Pressure is mounting to do something about Russia's increasingly un-Democratic behavior these days. Mr. Putin has moved to eliminate the popular election of Russia's 89 regional governors. He's cracked down on independent media. He continues to repress business executive who oppose his government. He also backed the original winner in that first discredited, crooked, phony Ukrainian election. They did it again and got it right.
And just this past week, Putin announced he doesn't think Iran presents a nuclear threat, and he's selling missiles to Syria. Other than that, he's a great guy.
U.S. Senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman, two of the brighter bulbs in the august (ph) body down there in this humble reporters opinion, have introduced legislation calling for Russia to be kicked out of the group of industrialized democracies. That's the question, should President Bush suspend Russia's membership in the G-8? Am@CNN.com is the e-mail address. Knock yourselves out.
S. O'BRIEN: Do you know how the process works? I mean, do they have to vote, all the members vote on ousting somebody, or would the president decide?
CAFFERTY: I would think that if Mr. Bush decides that they want Russia to leave this body, my sense is the United States has enough clout to get it done.
M. O'BRIEN: Well, when they were voted in, it was because they exhibited progress in their economy and democracy. I think they're 0 for 2.
CAFFERTY: Exactly.
M. O'BRIEN: It will be interesting to see if they can undo it.
CAFFERTY: Or whether they have the will to even try. My sense is this will go quietly by the bye and nothing will come of it. But we'll see.
S. O'BRIEN: All right, Jack, thank you very much.
Will Smith's biggest box office competition is a comic book hero named "Constantine." Now there comes word the star of "Hitch" is ready to put on a superhero's cape himself. "90-Second Pop" is ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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 21, 2005 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: California pummeled by storms again this weekend. Hillsides shaky, roads washed out and the worst may be yet to come.
President Bush on an important mission to Europe, speaking to allies in Brussels. His words secretly recorded years ago, still a distraction today.
And the great outlaw writer and journalist Hunter S. Thompson is dead. Police investigating his apparent suicide on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING, with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome, everybody. Bill Hemmer has the day off. He's doing skiing. Miles O'Brien is kind enough to fill in.
Hello. Good morning.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: He's having more fun this morning than we are, I think.
S. O'BRIEN: What's that? you're not having fun.
M. O'BRIEN: He's boarding. I'm having a blast already.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, yes, right.
M. O'BRIEN: Kind of a sloppy morning in New York.
S. O'BRIEN: Weather here not so great. Probably, though the worst weather is in Southern California, where the deluge continues. They have had a very wet weekend. They're going to get more rain again and again. We're going to take a look at the forecast again and again. Also, we'll talk to a member of the Laguna Beach Police Department about the threat of mudslides and what that is expected to do communities there.
M. O'BRIEN: Also, we're going to get the latest on the investigation of a Marine recruit who drowned in a training pool in South Carolina. He was mistreated, perhaps, by other Marines, caught on tape. Five of them suspended in this case. We'll talk to a Marine official about that investigation.
S. O'BRIEN: Mr. Cafferty, you dressed up for us this morning. JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: I had to trudge through the snow.
S. O'BRIEN: You have jeans and sneakers on today.
CAFFERTY: They've seen jeans and sneakers. It's just like the jeans and sneakers -- I had to walk through the snow to meet my ride to work this morning.
S. O'BRIEN: Ten miles?
CAFFERTY: No, not 10 miles, but a half mile, because I live on a hill, and the car couldn't get up the hill, so I on some jeans and a pair of sneakers. Would you like me to go home and change? I'd be really happy to leave and do that. I'll see you at about 9:45.
M. O'BRIEN: So you're not having fun either.
CAFFERTY: Oh, no I am. I wouldn't miss this for the world. I'd walk miles barefoot through the snow to get here in the morning.
M. O'BRIEN: Uphill both ways.
S. O'BRIEN: OK, go ahead.
CAFFERTY: Russia is -- Vladimir Putin is going to have a little sit-down with President Bush later this week. Mr. Bush insist he's can see into Mr. Putin's soul, which is like looking into the black hole of the universe, I have a suspicion.
And at the time of this summit, there's a movement underway in the United States to kick Russia out of the G-8 group of industrialized democracies because Russia is behaving these days in very un-democratic ways. So we're going to take a look at the controversy and the pressure that's mounting on the old Soviet Union, Russia, to start acting more like a democracy.
Remember when the wall came down it was supposed to be a free country? Well, they're not so free. A lot of things are moving backwards over there now. We'll take a look at that.
S. O'BRIEN: All right, thanks, Jack.
M. O'BRIEN: The G-8, which was the G-7 at a time, is supposed to be an economic criteria, right? And they don't pass muster on that.
CAFFERTY: No, not on that. They nationalize a big oil company over there under some phony tax pretense. And it's just, you know, they're behaving like they used to, you know, along with the rest of the ought autocracies in the globe.
All right, let's check some other stories. Heidi Collins is here.
Good morning, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, you guys, I'm with Jack. I wore flat shoes as well today. No tenneys, but no heels for sure.
Nice to see, you guys, and good morning to you, everybody.
Now in the news, two kidnapped journalists have been freed today in Iraq. Indonesian officials confirming the release of the pair just two hours ago. The Indonesian journalists were last seen in the city of Ramadi almost a week ago. Officials now saying their priority is to put plans in motion for the journalists' immediate departure from Iraq.
The reason behind maverick journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson's apparent suicide remains a mystery. Police and family members say Thompson fatally shot himself yesterday at his home near Aspen, Colorado. Thompson wrote the 1972 classic "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." He also helped pioneer the first person writing style, known as "gonzo journalism." His other books include "Hell's Angels," "Generation of Swine" and "The Rum Diaries." Hunter S. Thompson was 67 years old.
A federal advisory group is calling for new testing of newborns. The panel wants all babies screened for 29 rare medical conditions like sickle-cell anemia. Critics say this will force some children to undergo harsh treatment unnecessarily. An official recommendation is expected in the next few weeks.
And race car driver Jeff Gordon still celebrating this morning after his third Daytona 500 win. An exciting race that saw four lead changes in the last nine laps. Gordon held off several late challenges, though, to win. Curt Busch came in second, Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished third. Gordon becoming the fifth driver to win at least three Daytona 500 championships. It was kind of dull actually until the end. Caution flag with three laps to go.
M. O'BRIEN: It's like most NBA games, you know, you only have to watch the last two minutes.
S. O'BRIEN: Thanks, Heidi.
Well, people of Southern California are bracing for an intense storm this morning. Rain drenched the region over the weekend, triggering flash flooding, power outages and deadly mudslides.
Miguel Marquez is in Laguna Beach California this morning. He joins us with the latest from there.
Miguel, good morning.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you.
The breaking news is, is that intense storm seems to be here. We're in Laguna Beach, which is normally a gorgeous area here, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I want to show you what's happened to four homes in this area. They -- the backyards have almost come down on to the roadway where we are. You can they see enormous sheets of plastic up in order to keep the rest of the hillside from falling. You can see these trees and all this mud, that's what's left of someone's home, and there is more rain on the way.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARQUEZ (voice-over): A water spout just south of Los Angeles, a tornado north of San Diego.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I heard thunder, and then the house started shaking.
MARQUEZ: A weekend of severe California weather. East of Los Angeles, hillsides poured into backyards as heavy rain turned streets into rivers.
In Long Beach, south of L.A., several homes were evacuated. Homeowners slept while the water rose around them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stepped out of my bed into water.
MARQUEZ: In true California style, rescuers paddled out on surf boards to saved a woman who disregarded a barricade and found herself in the deep end.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When a swift water rescue team got here, the water level was up above her, right about her neckline.
MARQUEZ: North of Los Angeles, a creek, normally dry, turned into a raging torrent, cutting off a trailer park from all but the determined.
Whether from rain or a broken sewer pipe north of L.A., a huge section of road gave way after the earth below it washed out. In Cerritos (ph), a warehouse became a waterfall after its roof collapsed. This followed the collapse of a roof of a Virgin record store in Burbank.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARQUEZ: So just across Southern California, a massive, massive storm, and causing problems for everybody. There's also been two deaths reported. One not too far from here, another near that sinkhole that you saw up north of Los Angeles County. And the forecast is for rain, rain and more rain -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: All bad. All right, Miles, thanks. Miles, sorry. Miguel, thanks a lot. Appreciate it.
MARQUEZ: You got it.
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: Five Marines have been suspended in the drowning death of a Marine recruit at Parris Island, South Carolina earlier this month. Jason Tharp died one day after a local affiliate shot this videotape. You can see here Jason Tharp being grabbed by the collar, and then he's struck by a drill instructor. Investigations are now underway. Colonel John Valentin is the chief of staff of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island. He's joining us this morning. We also asked Jason Tharp's parents to appear. They declined, we should note.
Nice to see you, colonel. Thank you very much for talking to us. We certainly appreciate your time.
Let's start with this videotape. I'd like to roll it once again, and we've highlighted the area so you can sort of see exactly what happened here. The Pentagon spokesman says it appears to violate regulations. What exactly sticks out to you when you see this tape?
COL. JOHN VALENTIN, MARINES' RECRUIT DEPOT, PARRIS ISLAND: Well, Soledad, before I get into any of my impression, let me first express our most sincere condolences to the Tharp family. They're going through a very, very tough time in trying to cope with this irreplaceable loss. All of us here at Parris Island are very saddened by the entire situation.
Let me just tell you that what we've got going on now, Soledad, are three separate and distinct investigations. And for me to characterize what is on the video there, what you're showing on the screen, would be not only premature, but it would also be irresponsible. What we don't want to do is in any way, shape or form jeopardize the integrity of the ongoing investigations.
S. O'BRIEN: OK, i understand that, but let me ask you a question. Is it appropriate for a trainer to grab or strike a recruit, ever?
VALENTIN: There are eight prescribed reasons why any drill instructor would put his hands, or her hands, on a recruit. At no time would we support, tolerate any striking or abuse of a recruit.
So to answer your question, no, we simply do not tolerate, and it is not part of the training here. Although it's challenging, striking a recruit in any way, shape or form is simply not part of the S.O.P. It's inconsistent with our training methodologies here at Parris Island.
S. O'BRIEN: The videotape, as we mentioned, was shot by an affiliate a day before the young man died. He died, in what Marines describe as complications in the water. What exactly does that mean? What would fall under that description? What we're trying to establish how this anomaly happened.
What I can tell you, Soledad, is that Jason Tharp did in fact enter the water on his own accord. That's part of our methodologies here. He was doing fine, then something went wrong. What we're trying to do is establish from three different perspectives, Soledad, what did, in fact, happen.
This is very, very unusual. Please understand that, we haven't had a death at that pool, a training death in that pool since 1991. And when you think about the 20,000 recruits that we train annually since that time, it is an absolute anomaly. We simply don't know what went wrong, and that's why we have this battery of investigations.
S. O'BRIEN: The parents, obviously, are devastated. They claim that their son was miserable, utterly miserable, in boot camp and that he had a very tough time there. People were making it hard on him, and that to some degree he was targeted as well.
Let's listen to a little bit of what Johnny Tharp, Jason Tharp's father, had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN THARP, FATHER: What we saw on the video, he never hurt nobody. He'd do anything anybody asked him. It's just not right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: You're listening to the father's description of his son. Do you think there's any indication -- I know it's early in the investigation -- that Jason Tharp was targeted in some way?
VALENTIN: We have absolutely no information to that effect whatsoever.
But again, we will unearth every single detail leading up to and surrounding the particular incident, and we will establish his state of mind. All of those things will be researched and well established as a result of any -- of the three investigations that are ongoing, Soledad. I personally do not have any information to that effect.
S. O'BRIEN: When do those three investigations, when will they be complete?
VALENTIN: Well, we don't have a timeline. Understand that two of those investigations, Soledad, are independent of the command here. We only have one investigation that was ordered by our commanding general. And even with that one, the officer that's in charge with that particular investigation, what we call a J.A.G. manual investigation, judge advocate general investigation, even that investigation, we won't receive any progress reports, we won't get updates on that information gathering process until the very end. But I certainly would not look for any results within the next four weeks, I would say.
S. O'BRIEN: Colonel John Valentin joining us this morning. Thank you, colonel. Appreciate it.
VALENTIN: Thank you so very, very much. We appreciate it.
M. O'BRIEN: They're supposed to be safer than guns, but now tasers are coming under fire. Are they taking lives instead of saving them? We'll take a look.
S. O'BRIEN: Also, a new development involving the Israelis and Palestinians. Will the latest so-called goodwill gesture bring the region closer to peace? O'BRIEN: And secretly taped conversations with President Bush before he entered the White House. From drug use to gay rights, what do they reveal? We'll tell you about that, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Today, President Bush is in Europe, intent on ushering in a new era of trans-Atlantic unity. The president is set to deliver a speech in the Belgian capital of Brussels, aimed at mending fences, while urging support for Iraq.
Suzanne Malveaux live now in Brussels with more.
Suzanne, good morning.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.
President Bush and the first lady of course kicking off what is being called a reconciliation toward the big question whether or not President Bush will be able to win the hearts and mind of the European people. But certainly the European leadership seems to want to give him a second chance. President Bush earlier this morning being greeted by the host, of course, King Albert II and Queen Paula, as well as Belgium's prime minister, and as well sitting side by side with NATO secretary general. Of course, a big part of this trip is to meet with the European Union and NATO officials, to ask for more support when it comes to Iraqi reconstruction.
But also, of course, to set a different tone for the second administration. The president will be delivering a major speech to the European people in less than an hour. He will talk about the U.S. shared values, core values. He will also talk and call for tangible political and economic assistance to Iraq, using the case of Iraq's elections as a success, to make his case. He will say, specifically that all nations now have an interest in the success of a free and Democratic Iraq, which will fight terror, be a beacon for freedom, and be a source of true stability in the region.
Now, is the time for established democracies to give tangible political, economic and security assistance to the world's newest democracy.
Miles, as well, President Bush of course will be meeting, have a dinner meeting with one of his harshest critics when it comes to U.S. policy in the Iraq war, French President Jacques Chirac. It's expected that of course he'll talk about the shared values, working together when it comes to issues like Syria, Afghanistan. But he will also have to deal with some of the more difficult issues, one in particular, how to deal with Iran, the European Union offering economic and diplomatic incentives to try to get Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions. The United States does not believe that's the appropriate approach and perhaps is looking for economic sanctions -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Suzanne, lot of criticism here in the U.S. over President Putin of Russia, Senators Lieberman and McCain offering up some proposals to perhaps exclude Russia from the G-8. When the president meets with Mr. Putin, who he has called a person he can deal with, a person who he has a friendship with, will he share that criticism with him?
MALVEAUX: Well, certainly, as you know, Miles, this is a person he said he looked into the eyes of his soul, was able to see the true man. This is something that's going to be very important for the president. He's said he'll raise those issues privately, will talk about the slide-back when it comes to Democratic reforms, the concern that Russia is cooperating with Iran in what the U.S. is believes is a nuclear weapons program, as well as the sale of missiles to Syria. I've also been told by a senior administration official to expect some new words when it comes to Russia in his speech to the European people. Certainly, perhaps giving Putin a warning, if you will, of what is to come in their private meeting in just two days.
M. O'BRIEN: All right, Suzanne Malveaux in Brussels, thank you very much -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Some secretly taped interview interviews are offering a candid glimpse of President Bush as he was planning for his first run for the White House. The interviews were recorded by author Doug Wead in the two years leading up to the 2000 election. Excerpts were released on Sunday by ABC News and "The New York Times." In the tapes, President Bush talks about his religious faith, abortion and past marijuana use. Here's how he responded to a conservative supporter who talked about his views on gays in the government.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUGLAS WEAD: He's saying that you promised you would not appoint gays to office.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No, what I said was I wouldn't fire gays. I'm not going to discriminate against people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: CNN did not independently authenticate the tapes. The man who released them, Doug Wead, is going to join us coming up in the next hour.
M. O'BRIEN: Just hours ago, Israel released nearly 500 Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture toward Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Palestinians say the release may help Abbas persuade militant groups to formalize the February 8th cease-fire agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The prisoners are the first of 900 to be released in the coming weeks. None of the released prisoners had been found guilty of attacks that killed or injured Israelis. It is the biggest release of Palestinian prisoners since 1996, when 800 were freed.
S. O'BRIEN: Controversy is growing over what was supposed to be a safer alternative to guns. After several deaths, is it time to take tasers away from the police. We're going to take a closer look, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: It's time now for "The Cafferty File," Question of the Day.
CAFFERTY: Thank you, Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: President Bush getting ready for a summit sit-down with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week. Pressure is mounting to do something about Russia's increasingly un-Democratic behavior these days. Mr. Putin has moved to eliminate the popular election of Russia's 89 regional governors. He's cracked down on independent media. He continues to repress business executive who oppose his government. He also backed the original winner in that first discredited, crooked, phony Ukrainian election. They did it again and got it right.
And just this past week, Putin announced he doesn't think Iran presents a nuclear threat, and he's selling missiles to Syria. Other than that, he's a great guy.
U.S. Senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman, two of the brighter bulbs in the august (ph) body down there in this humble reporters opinion, have introduced legislation calling for Russia to be kicked out of the group of industrialized democracies. That's the question, should President Bush suspend Russia's membership in the G-8? Am@CNN.com is the e-mail address. Knock yourselves out.
S. O'BRIEN: Do you know how the process works? I mean, do they have to vote, all the members vote on ousting somebody, or would the president decide?
CAFFERTY: I would think that if Mr. Bush decides that they want Russia to leave this body, my sense is the United States has enough clout to get it done.
M. O'BRIEN: Well, when they were voted in, it was because they exhibited progress in their economy and democracy. I think they're 0 for 2.
CAFFERTY: Exactly.
M. O'BRIEN: It will be interesting to see if they can undo it.
CAFFERTY: Or whether they have the will to even try. My sense is this will go quietly by the bye and nothing will come of it. But we'll see.
S. O'BRIEN: All right, Jack, thank you very much.
Will Smith's biggest box office competition is a comic book hero named "Constantine." Now there comes word the star of "Hitch" is ready to put on a superhero's cape himself. "90-Second Pop" is ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
