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CNN Live Today
Explosives Detonate Outside British Consulate in New York; Britain Votes for Prime Minister; England's Case Declared a Mistrial
Aired May 05, 2005 - 10:00 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: It's not known who set the bombs or what the intended target was. Some speculation tied the bombs to England's general election today.
At least 23 people are dead in a series of attacks targeting Iraq's security forces. In the deadliest attack, a suicide bombing outside an army recruitment center in Baghdad, at least 13 Iraqi soldiers were wounded and 20 others were wounded. Elsewhere in the capital, ambushes killed 9 police officers and a suicide bomber killed a policeman.
President Bush again stresses matters of faith and leadership at the White House. Last hour, he delivered remarks on the National Day of Prayer, and issued a proclamation asking all Americans to give thanks based on his or her faith. Observances are also being held on Capitol Hill and events around the country.
Good morning. I'm Daryn Kagan.
We begin in New York City where two small explosions rattle a Midtown, Manhattan address. The early morning blast shattered windows at a building that houses the British Consulate and other offices. It's not known if the consulate was the actual target.
Our Jason Carroll is following the investigation and joins us from New York City.
Jason, good morning.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And good morning to you Daryn. And we're just being told that some of the workers are now being allowed to re-enter that building. But as you said, at this point, investigators don't know why this happened. They don't know who is responsible for it.
Here is what they do know. Investigators found two improvised explosive devices in front of the building, which happens to house the British Consulate, among other businesses, early this morning. They described them as looking like novelty grenades or toy grenades stuffed with black powder and a fuse. And these two devices were hidden inside one of the 12 concrete planters that are located in front of the building.
New York city's mayor says that no one at this point has claimed any responsibility.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, MAYOR, NEW YORK CITY: We, at this point, have absolutely no knowledge of what the motive was. We did not receive any phone calls. It is true the British Consulate is in that building, but I don't think anybody should jump to conclusions. That's what the purpose of an investigation is. And when we learn something, we'll be happy to share it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: There are several businesses that operate out of that building; the consulate is on the ninth and tenth floor. Caterpillar, for instance, has an office there. The Weather Channel has offices there as well. The British consul general, however, says despite the elections taking place in the U.K., he sees no link between this morning's explosion and at the consulate. And he says once his office reopens it will be business as usual.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIR PHILIP THOMAS, BRITISH CONSUL GENERAL: Clearly this is Election Day in Britain, so they are keen to get on with their work. We have a party here this evening to follow the results of the election, and we'll want to carry on with that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Also that we can tell you that investigators will be reviewing some of the security video cameras from this particular building, and other buildings in the area, hoping to get some clues from there. They also did a sweep of various diplomatic buildings throughout the area and found nothing. At this point, New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg simply telling people, go about your business, while we conduct the investigation -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And it sounds like the party goes on at the consulate tonight. Jason Carroll in Midtown, Manhattan, thank you.
Well, when there was word of that explosion in New York, a two- block area around the British Consulate in Chicago was closed briefly as a precautionary measure. The streets reopened in time for the morning rush hour.
As you heard, this is Election Day. British voters are going to the polls right now to elect a new House of Commons. And when the results are in, Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to win a third term.
Our senior international correspondent Walter Rodgers covering the election from London.
Walter, hello. A very different election for Tony Blair than it was in 2001.
WALTER ROGERS, CNN SR. INT'L CORRESPONDENT: In more ways than one. But Tony Blair supporters and friends in the United States can take heart, at least if the latest polls are true. Look at this headline in the Tory newspaper, "The Telegraph." "The Telegraph" has all but thrown in the towel and said labor is going to twin. "The Guardian" had a poll today that said Blair will probably win by 38 percent in an unprecedented -- well, actually it isn't unprecedented except for labor. But it is a very unusual and historic third term for Tony Blair.
The opposition leader, Michael Howard, just never seemed to catch fire. He has been leading the Tories, the conservatives. He never seemed to have an issue in this campaign. And he's not a particularly exciting man in the sense that he projects any charisma. Indeed, he has the liability of having had less than a popular reputation when he served in Margaret Thatcher's government.
And then the man who perhaps had as much excitement -- added as much excitement to the campaign with one particular issue is of course, Charles Kennedy, the liberal Democrat. His party is polling down around 22 percent. It's a strong third for him. Very good showing for the liberal Democrats, if, indeed, they manage that many votes. And the reason they've done it is Tony Blair is nagged by one issue, which won't go away. That's a very unpopular war in Iraq. And that's what's helping the liberal Democrats and Mr. Kennedy -- Daryn.
KAGAN: What about your impressions, though, about watching the man himself, about watching Tony Blair this last round -- Walter?
ROGERS: You know, Tony Blair is a man who looks like he's been badly beaten up, and he was in this campaign. There two are things. People who shouted at him threw the campaign, "liar, liar!" They challenged his integrity. Of course, they're calling him a liar because there were never any weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq. And that was Mr. Blair's original excuse for going to war there.
Another thing, which is interesting in the campaign, is that Mr. Blair really sagged through much of the campaign. And in the end, he more or less had to be rescued by the No. 2 man in the labor party, Gordon Brown, the popular Chancellor of the Exchequer, who is like the heir apparent. That is, if Mr. Blair were to stumble somewhere along the line, Mr. Brown would jump in and he would be the next labor champion.
And indeed, there's almost an unwritten deal here if build Blair had another heart murmur, and you recall he had one of those before, and if the extreme left of the labor party decided to abandon Mr. Blair in his final round, as he said, this would be his last bid for election, then Gordon Brown is standing there. And Tony Blair has actually run this election as if he and Brown are running together, because Brown's more popular than Mr. Blair these days -- Daryn.
KAGAN: You find your friends where you have to in the world of politics, I guess. Walter Rodgers from London, thank you.
Other news on this morning. An intelligence official in Pakistan is telling CNN that prize prisoner Abu Faraj al Libbi is cooperating. But cautions it's difficult to know how much to trust the reputed No. 3 man in the al Qaeda organization. Al Libbi was captured Monday in Pakistan's northwest tribal area. That is, by the way, where also Osama bin Laden is also believed to be hiding.
So could he reveal his leaders whereabouts?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, FMR. CIA ACTING DIRECTOR: If anyone would know, he would know. On the other hand, it's important to say, and inevitably capturing someone like this will help us understand something more about bin Laden's patterns, what he's done, where he's been and so forth. But at the same time, once do you a capture like this, the word filters out quickly into the extremist network and everyone runs to ground. Which of course, is a benefit in a sense because it disrupts terrorist activities. But it may make it also harder to stay on bin Laden's trail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: McLaughlin also said al Libbi was central in al Qaeda's plans, and was in effect, the group's chief operating officer.
Remember to stay tuned to CNN for the most reliable news about your security.
For the second straight day, a suicide bomber targeted an Iraqi army recruitment center. Today's attack was in front of an airfield in west central Baghdad. Police say at least 13 Iraqi soldiers were killed. Twenty other people are wounded, 10 others killed in separate attacks across Baghdad.
Today's bombing is the latest in a string of attacks on to Iraqi security forces. More from CNN's Ryan Chilcote in Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): All in all, at least 23 Iraqis killed in the violence in the capital this morning. All of them victims of another wave of attacks targeting Iraq's security forces and its recruits.
We start with a suicide bomber attack on an army recruitment center in Baghdad. Somehow the suicide bomber was able to get in line with these army recruits, blowing himself up, killing at least 13, wounding another 20, according to Iraqi police. And another suicide bomber attack, this time targeting a senior member of Iraq's security forces, an unsuccessful assassination attempt. He survived. However, one of his guards was killed, another six wounded. And finally, two insurgent ambushes, killing a total of nine Iraqi policemen.
All in all, at least 23 killed. All of this coming just one day after a horrific attack in the Kurdish city of Erbil killed about 60 Iraqi police recruits.
Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: More money for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan may be in the pipelines soon. The House could vote on an $82 billion spending package today. The Senate is expected to take up the measure next week. The legislation would raise the Combat Zone Death Benefit from $12,000 to $100,000. The bill includes funding to put more armor on vehicles. Besides the military spending, the measure contains more than $4 billion in foreign aid.
Was Lynndie England trying to have it both ways? That's what the judge says. Still to come, the latest twist in the case of the woman at the center of the Iraq prison abuse scandal.
Plus, dropping salami over Iraq? We're going to look at the purpose of this special mission.
And later, teachers and parents would agree getting boys to read sometimes not the easiest thing to do. Still, one man is trying.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Well, boy, has there ever been a surprising twist in the prisoner abuse case of a former Abu Ghraib guard? A military judge has thrown out Lynndie England's guilty plea and declared a mistrial.
Our Susan Candiotti is in Ft. Hood, Texas with the latest developments.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In the beginning, Lynndie England told Army investigators what happened at Abu Ghraib was done just for fun. In the end, it was her court- martial that turned into a carnival. England arrived in court with a secret deal already set; a shorter sentenced promised for her guilty pleas. Her mother came, too, holding England's new baby boy in her arms.
Then convicted guard Charles Graner, reported to be the father of her son and the man who made her the poster child of the prison scandal, got her in trouble again. Testifying to try to help England, Graner said she was following his orders when she posed with a prisoner on a leash. He called this "a training picture." The judge erupted. He reminded England she had admitted she knew what she did was wrong. He told her lawyers, "You cannot have it both ways." The judge threw out her guilty plea on that count. Threw out her deal with the government. Threw out the promise of a limit on her sentence, and declared a mistrial.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think you made the mistake or the government made the mistake, Sir?
CANDIOTTI: Military law experts say it won't be long England is back in court.
EUGENE FIDELL, MILITARY LAW EXPERT: The charges are serious charges. The country is not about to walk away. The United States government is not about to walk away from these charges.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is ridiculous. Get out of the way.
CANDIOTTI: England left her legal team bristling at reporters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will you stop, please?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get away!
CANDIOTTI: A woman once again very much in the eye of a storm.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI: While Army prosecutors now have a range of options, including dropping the case all together, military law experts say that's not likely. If charges are re-filed against Lynndie England, her attorneys would have to attempt another plea deal.
Daryn, back now.
KAGAN: So meanwhile, she's free? Or what happens with her?
CANDIOTTI: Yes, and she has been. She has been free. It's likely she would remain here at Ft. Hood assigned to light duty with her baby, who is now 7 months old, while she waits to find out what will happen next.
KAGAN: Susan Candiotti, an interesting day there yesterday from Ft. Hood, Texas. Thank you.
A U.S. Marine has been cleared in the shooting deaths of three Iraqi enemy combatants. You might remember this video of the incident from last November opinion. An embedded television reporter followed the Marines as they went to clear a mosque complex near the Siege of Fallujah. Military investigators found the corporal shot in self- defense, and the action was consistent with the rules of engagement.
Some drivers in Southern California have even more to worry about than just traffic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE RIGGS, SO. CALIFORNIA COMMUTER: Each time I get in the car, I just have to pray that I'll make it to my destination. And make it back home safely to my family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Still to come, defensive driving on Southern California freeways.
Plus, Gerri Willis on some tips on living well in your later years.
Hi, Ger. GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, Daryn, good to see you. If you want your golden years to be truly 14k, we have some tips when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Does the dream of your golden years glisten most at the beach? Or maybe it's the back roads of a nice, quiet community? Where you retire is sometimes is as important as why.
With some of those factors to consider, here's CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis with her "Top 5 Tips."
Good morning.
WILLIS: Hey, good morning, Daryn. Good to see you. Tip No. 1, disrespect tradition. If you're thinking south Florida, Arizona, the typical hotspots for retirement, think again. They're overcrowded. The public services are taxed. And well, housing is really expensive. So think out of the box, places with four seasons, maybe Ashville, North Carolina, Chico, California. Another great spot, Portland, Oregon.
KAGAN: What if you want to be close to where your kids and grandkids are?
WILLIS: well, everybody wants to do that. But I've got to tell you, if you're following the kids, you could find yourself left alone. People tend to move about once every seven years; particularly when they're on a career track. So if you're following the kids, you can find yourself with the grandchildren far, far away.
KAGAN: A lot of people think being out in the country away from it all. But you say that might not be the best choice.
WILLIS: Now, you know, more and more people are thinking downtown. Seventy-six million baby boomers, they are thinking out of the box. You might want to move where there's a lot of public transportation, lots of services, cultural opportunities, will give you more options as you age.
KAGAN: Health care you have to be thinking about as well.
WILLIS: Yes. And you know, this seems obvious but a lot of people don't think about it. You've got to be in a place where your insurance can actually take care of you. Where there are in-network doctors and health care facilities that you will have access to. Seems obvious, isn't always. You might want to think of one of those university towns where they have teaching hospitals, like Durham- Raleigh, University of North Carolina, Duke University. Those are great places to get care and lots of really great care.
KAGAN: And then, of course, the topic you bring up time and time again, retirement these days doesn't necessarily mean not working.
WILLIS: That's right, Daryn. I think we're all going to be working past 65 for sure. You know, you want to make sure that any place you retire to has an active workforce, and that you can find work if you really, really want it. It's easy enough to do that. Just scan the local newspapers, see what that economy is like.
Daryn, also this Saturday on "OPEN HOUSE," if you like the housing stories, we do them every weekend, 9:30 a.m. This weekend we're looking at being a home detective. We'll show you how to snoop out any hidden problems when you're looking to buy a home. And our weekend project we're going to rescue your lawn just in time for summer -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Oh, OK. I'll look forward to that. I was trying to think about my lawn. Don't really have much of a lawn, but we'll be tuning in anyway.
WILLIS: Maybe a couple flowers, you know?
KAGAN: Ivy, a lot of ivy out there.
(LAUGHTER)
KAGAN: Gerri, thank you.
WILLIS: Thank you.
KAGAN: Danger on a California highway.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Another freeway shooting is creating fear...
MICHELLE TUZEE, ANCHOR, ABC 7 EYEWITNESS NEWS: A driver escaped unhurt this time...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Instead of dodging traffic some motorists are faced with dodging bullets. Still to come, we ride along one Los Angeles freeway.
And later, blatant cheating in schools. And we're not talking about the students. That's coming up straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: We are coming up on the half hour. Good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan. Here's a look at what's happening now in the news.
New Yorkers are being told to go about their business today. Police are investigating two small explosions in Midtown, Manhattan. The blast happened earlier this morning in front of a building that houses the British Consulate there. It's not known whether the consulate was being targeted. There were no injuries or significant damage. Police have no suspects at this time. Four years after her decapitated body was found, a little girl has been identified. Kansas City police say the girl who has been called Precious Doe was actually Erica Michelle Maria Green. She was 3-years-old when she died. Now, charges are being filed in the case. Police will have more details in the news conference at the top of the hour. You can watch it right here on CNN.
Prosecutors plan to ask the grand jury today to indict Brian Nichols on murder charges. Nichols is accused in the Atlanta courthouse shootings in March. Victims included two people inside the courthouse, one person just outside, and a fourth person elsewhere.
Michael Jackson's attorneys are scheduled to begin presenting their cases today. Their case, sources say, the defense will start by attacking a key prosecution argument that Jackson had a history of grooming boys for sexual abuse. The defense is also asking that a conspiracy charge be dismissed. Prosecutors rested their case on Wednesday.
We go to Southern California where there has been yet another shooting on a Southern California freeway. A big rig was shot with a single bullet in the area's 12 such incident of the year. No one was injured in yesterday's shooting on the Long Beach Freeway. But it adds to the rattled nerves already haunting commuters.
CNN's Kareen Wynter explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is just after 5:00 a.m. and this mother of two is already behind schedule. A quick goodbye for her six-month-old daughter, then into the next room and a kiss for her 2-year-old son. Then she's off. Until recently, the most grueling part of her day was dodging traffic on the 40-mile drive to work along southern California's famously congested freeways.
Now Nichelle Riggs has a new concern, dodging bullets.
NICHELLE RIGGS, COMMUTER: I don't feel safe knowing that there's someone out there that could just pull up on the side of me at any given moment and change my life.
WYNTER: Since March 12th, when a man was shot and killed driving in Orange County, a rash of unsolved shootings has rattled much of southern California. That, even though police insist the number of freeway shootings isn't on the rise.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've had some tragedies, but compared to last year we're actually on pace to have fewer incidents this year.
WYNTER: But public fears have forced the creation of a special task force to stop the shootings. We were allowed to ride along on one of the first undercover patrols.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we just had shots fired.
WYNTER: The undercover investigator begins chasing a report of what sounds like another freeway shooting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The victim is actually at the New Law (ph) office. They advise that they were shot at -- at the exact same, or near the same 10-20 as the shooting from yesterday.
WYNTER: We were asked not to reveal the identity of the officer, but this call and the next one he receives...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Party that said that their windshield was shot...
WYNTER: ...turn out to be false alarms.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was a good day, because there was no shootings, and maybe a bad day for leads, but tomorrow's another day. We'll get 'em.
WYNTER: But, who are they going to get?
(on camera): There are no leads so far in these cases. You have you no suspect's description. So what are you looking for?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm looking for cars or drivers that are exceptionally aggressive. Highway violence incidents. Things that usually an officer in a black and white wouldn't usually see.
WYNTER (voice-over): The problem is, victims and witnesses haven't provided any solid leads. Even sophisticated network of video cameras on every freeway fail to offer police a clue. Law enforcement suggests shootings could be anything from gang activity to road rage. They have no idea if it's a single shooter or isolated incidents.
With so many law enforcement agencies involved, no one has kept a precise count on how many shootings have occurred.
Police do agree that since March there have been at least eight freeway shootings. Four of them fatal.
LAPD Chief William Bratton called in to a radio talk show to calm nerves.
CHIEF WILLIAM BRATTON, LAPD: The chances, statistically, of being a victim of one of these shootings, you're much more likely to be injured or killed by a drunk driver or debris flying into your car. That's the reality.
WYNTER: Perhaps only in Los Angeles could that be seen as a reassuring statement. But even here, the perception is that the freeways have become more dangerous.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Another freeway shooting is creating fear.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A driver escaped unhurt this time when he came under fire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fear on the freeways tonight after yet another shooting.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In a wave of shootings...
WYNTER: KTLA's Desiree Horton has spent 15 years flying over the streets of Los Angeles. She says the only thing that's gotten worse is the traffic.
DESIREE HORTON, KTLA TRAFFIC REPORTER: Some people say that a lot of people are scared, maybe they won't be taking the freeways as much. But I haven't noticed less volume.
WYNTER: Most people like Michelle Riggs don't have any choice. At the end of the day, she still has an hour long drive back home.
MICHELLE RIGGS, COMMUTER: Each time I get in the car, I have to pray that I'll make it to my destination and make it back home safely to my family.
WYNTER: A long hour to worry.
Kareen Wynter, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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Aired May 5, 2005 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: It's not known who set the bombs or what the intended target was. Some speculation tied the bombs to England's general election today.
At least 23 people are dead in a series of attacks targeting Iraq's security forces. In the deadliest attack, a suicide bombing outside an army recruitment center in Baghdad, at least 13 Iraqi soldiers were wounded and 20 others were wounded. Elsewhere in the capital, ambushes killed 9 police officers and a suicide bomber killed a policeman.
President Bush again stresses matters of faith and leadership at the White House. Last hour, he delivered remarks on the National Day of Prayer, and issued a proclamation asking all Americans to give thanks based on his or her faith. Observances are also being held on Capitol Hill and events around the country.
Good morning. I'm Daryn Kagan.
We begin in New York City where two small explosions rattle a Midtown, Manhattan address. The early morning blast shattered windows at a building that houses the British Consulate and other offices. It's not known if the consulate was the actual target.
Our Jason Carroll is following the investigation and joins us from New York City.
Jason, good morning.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And good morning to you Daryn. And we're just being told that some of the workers are now being allowed to re-enter that building. But as you said, at this point, investigators don't know why this happened. They don't know who is responsible for it.
Here is what they do know. Investigators found two improvised explosive devices in front of the building, which happens to house the British Consulate, among other businesses, early this morning. They described them as looking like novelty grenades or toy grenades stuffed with black powder and a fuse. And these two devices were hidden inside one of the 12 concrete planters that are located in front of the building.
New York city's mayor says that no one at this point has claimed any responsibility.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, MAYOR, NEW YORK CITY: We, at this point, have absolutely no knowledge of what the motive was. We did not receive any phone calls. It is true the British Consulate is in that building, but I don't think anybody should jump to conclusions. That's what the purpose of an investigation is. And when we learn something, we'll be happy to share it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: There are several businesses that operate out of that building; the consulate is on the ninth and tenth floor. Caterpillar, for instance, has an office there. The Weather Channel has offices there as well. The British consul general, however, says despite the elections taking place in the U.K., he sees no link between this morning's explosion and at the consulate. And he says once his office reopens it will be business as usual.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIR PHILIP THOMAS, BRITISH CONSUL GENERAL: Clearly this is Election Day in Britain, so they are keen to get on with their work. We have a party here this evening to follow the results of the election, and we'll want to carry on with that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Also that we can tell you that investigators will be reviewing some of the security video cameras from this particular building, and other buildings in the area, hoping to get some clues from there. They also did a sweep of various diplomatic buildings throughout the area and found nothing. At this point, New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg simply telling people, go about your business, while we conduct the investigation -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And it sounds like the party goes on at the consulate tonight. Jason Carroll in Midtown, Manhattan, thank you.
Well, when there was word of that explosion in New York, a two- block area around the British Consulate in Chicago was closed briefly as a precautionary measure. The streets reopened in time for the morning rush hour.
As you heard, this is Election Day. British voters are going to the polls right now to elect a new House of Commons. And when the results are in, Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to win a third term.
Our senior international correspondent Walter Rodgers covering the election from London.
Walter, hello. A very different election for Tony Blair than it was in 2001.
WALTER ROGERS, CNN SR. INT'L CORRESPONDENT: In more ways than one. But Tony Blair supporters and friends in the United States can take heart, at least if the latest polls are true. Look at this headline in the Tory newspaper, "The Telegraph." "The Telegraph" has all but thrown in the towel and said labor is going to twin. "The Guardian" had a poll today that said Blair will probably win by 38 percent in an unprecedented -- well, actually it isn't unprecedented except for labor. But it is a very unusual and historic third term for Tony Blair.
The opposition leader, Michael Howard, just never seemed to catch fire. He has been leading the Tories, the conservatives. He never seemed to have an issue in this campaign. And he's not a particularly exciting man in the sense that he projects any charisma. Indeed, he has the liability of having had less than a popular reputation when he served in Margaret Thatcher's government.
And then the man who perhaps had as much excitement -- added as much excitement to the campaign with one particular issue is of course, Charles Kennedy, the liberal Democrat. His party is polling down around 22 percent. It's a strong third for him. Very good showing for the liberal Democrats, if, indeed, they manage that many votes. And the reason they've done it is Tony Blair is nagged by one issue, which won't go away. That's a very unpopular war in Iraq. And that's what's helping the liberal Democrats and Mr. Kennedy -- Daryn.
KAGAN: What about your impressions, though, about watching the man himself, about watching Tony Blair this last round -- Walter?
ROGERS: You know, Tony Blair is a man who looks like he's been badly beaten up, and he was in this campaign. There two are things. People who shouted at him threw the campaign, "liar, liar!" They challenged his integrity. Of course, they're calling him a liar because there were never any weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq. And that was Mr. Blair's original excuse for going to war there.
Another thing, which is interesting in the campaign, is that Mr. Blair really sagged through much of the campaign. And in the end, he more or less had to be rescued by the No. 2 man in the labor party, Gordon Brown, the popular Chancellor of the Exchequer, who is like the heir apparent. That is, if Mr. Blair were to stumble somewhere along the line, Mr. Brown would jump in and he would be the next labor champion.
And indeed, there's almost an unwritten deal here if build Blair had another heart murmur, and you recall he had one of those before, and if the extreme left of the labor party decided to abandon Mr. Blair in his final round, as he said, this would be his last bid for election, then Gordon Brown is standing there. And Tony Blair has actually run this election as if he and Brown are running together, because Brown's more popular than Mr. Blair these days -- Daryn.
KAGAN: You find your friends where you have to in the world of politics, I guess. Walter Rodgers from London, thank you.
Other news on this morning. An intelligence official in Pakistan is telling CNN that prize prisoner Abu Faraj al Libbi is cooperating. But cautions it's difficult to know how much to trust the reputed No. 3 man in the al Qaeda organization. Al Libbi was captured Monday in Pakistan's northwest tribal area. That is, by the way, where also Osama bin Laden is also believed to be hiding.
So could he reveal his leaders whereabouts?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, FMR. CIA ACTING DIRECTOR: If anyone would know, he would know. On the other hand, it's important to say, and inevitably capturing someone like this will help us understand something more about bin Laden's patterns, what he's done, where he's been and so forth. But at the same time, once do you a capture like this, the word filters out quickly into the extremist network and everyone runs to ground. Which of course, is a benefit in a sense because it disrupts terrorist activities. But it may make it also harder to stay on bin Laden's trail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: McLaughlin also said al Libbi was central in al Qaeda's plans, and was in effect, the group's chief operating officer.
Remember to stay tuned to CNN for the most reliable news about your security.
For the second straight day, a suicide bomber targeted an Iraqi army recruitment center. Today's attack was in front of an airfield in west central Baghdad. Police say at least 13 Iraqi soldiers were killed. Twenty other people are wounded, 10 others killed in separate attacks across Baghdad.
Today's bombing is the latest in a string of attacks on to Iraqi security forces. More from CNN's Ryan Chilcote in Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): All in all, at least 23 Iraqis killed in the violence in the capital this morning. All of them victims of another wave of attacks targeting Iraq's security forces and its recruits.
We start with a suicide bomber attack on an army recruitment center in Baghdad. Somehow the suicide bomber was able to get in line with these army recruits, blowing himself up, killing at least 13, wounding another 20, according to Iraqi police. And another suicide bomber attack, this time targeting a senior member of Iraq's security forces, an unsuccessful assassination attempt. He survived. However, one of his guards was killed, another six wounded. And finally, two insurgent ambushes, killing a total of nine Iraqi policemen.
All in all, at least 23 killed. All of this coming just one day after a horrific attack in the Kurdish city of Erbil killed about 60 Iraqi police recruits.
Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: More money for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan may be in the pipelines soon. The House could vote on an $82 billion spending package today. The Senate is expected to take up the measure next week. The legislation would raise the Combat Zone Death Benefit from $12,000 to $100,000. The bill includes funding to put more armor on vehicles. Besides the military spending, the measure contains more than $4 billion in foreign aid.
Was Lynndie England trying to have it both ways? That's what the judge says. Still to come, the latest twist in the case of the woman at the center of the Iraq prison abuse scandal.
Plus, dropping salami over Iraq? We're going to look at the purpose of this special mission.
And later, teachers and parents would agree getting boys to read sometimes not the easiest thing to do. Still, one man is trying.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Well, boy, has there ever been a surprising twist in the prisoner abuse case of a former Abu Ghraib guard? A military judge has thrown out Lynndie England's guilty plea and declared a mistrial.
Our Susan Candiotti is in Ft. Hood, Texas with the latest developments.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In the beginning, Lynndie England told Army investigators what happened at Abu Ghraib was done just for fun. In the end, it was her court- martial that turned into a carnival. England arrived in court with a secret deal already set; a shorter sentenced promised for her guilty pleas. Her mother came, too, holding England's new baby boy in her arms.
Then convicted guard Charles Graner, reported to be the father of her son and the man who made her the poster child of the prison scandal, got her in trouble again. Testifying to try to help England, Graner said she was following his orders when she posed with a prisoner on a leash. He called this "a training picture." The judge erupted. He reminded England she had admitted she knew what she did was wrong. He told her lawyers, "You cannot have it both ways." The judge threw out her guilty plea on that count. Threw out her deal with the government. Threw out the promise of a limit on her sentence, and declared a mistrial.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think you made the mistake or the government made the mistake, Sir?
CANDIOTTI: Military law experts say it won't be long England is back in court.
EUGENE FIDELL, MILITARY LAW EXPERT: The charges are serious charges. The country is not about to walk away. The United States government is not about to walk away from these charges.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is ridiculous. Get out of the way.
CANDIOTTI: England left her legal team bristling at reporters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will you stop, please?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get away!
CANDIOTTI: A woman once again very much in the eye of a storm.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI: While Army prosecutors now have a range of options, including dropping the case all together, military law experts say that's not likely. If charges are re-filed against Lynndie England, her attorneys would have to attempt another plea deal.
Daryn, back now.
KAGAN: So meanwhile, she's free? Or what happens with her?
CANDIOTTI: Yes, and she has been. She has been free. It's likely she would remain here at Ft. Hood assigned to light duty with her baby, who is now 7 months old, while she waits to find out what will happen next.
KAGAN: Susan Candiotti, an interesting day there yesterday from Ft. Hood, Texas. Thank you.
A U.S. Marine has been cleared in the shooting deaths of three Iraqi enemy combatants. You might remember this video of the incident from last November opinion. An embedded television reporter followed the Marines as they went to clear a mosque complex near the Siege of Fallujah. Military investigators found the corporal shot in self- defense, and the action was consistent with the rules of engagement.
Some drivers in Southern California have even more to worry about than just traffic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE RIGGS, SO. CALIFORNIA COMMUTER: Each time I get in the car, I just have to pray that I'll make it to my destination. And make it back home safely to my family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Still to come, defensive driving on Southern California freeways.
Plus, Gerri Willis on some tips on living well in your later years.
Hi, Ger. GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, Daryn, good to see you. If you want your golden years to be truly 14k, we have some tips when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Does the dream of your golden years glisten most at the beach? Or maybe it's the back roads of a nice, quiet community? Where you retire is sometimes is as important as why.
With some of those factors to consider, here's CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis with her "Top 5 Tips."
Good morning.
WILLIS: Hey, good morning, Daryn. Good to see you. Tip No. 1, disrespect tradition. If you're thinking south Florida, Arizona, the typical hotspots for retirement, think again. They're overcrowded. The public services are taxed. And well, housing is really expensive. So think out of the box, places with four seasons, maybe Ashville, North Carolina, Chico, California. Another great spot, Portland, Oregon.
KAGAN: What if you want to be close to where your kids and grandkids are?
WILLIS: well, everybody wants to do that. But I've got to tell you, if you're following the kids, you could find yourself left alone. People tend to move about once every seven years; particularly when they're on a career track. So if you're following the kids, you can find yourself with the grandchildren far, far away.
KAGAN: A lot of people think being out in the country away from it all. But you say that might not be the best choice.
WILLIS: Now, you know, more and more people are thinking downtown. Seventy-six million baby boomers, they are thinking out of the box. You might want to move where there's a lot of public transportation, lots of services, cultural opportunities, will give you more options as you age.
KAGAN: Health care you have to be thinking about as well.
WILLIS: Yes. And you know, this seems obvious but a lot of people don't think about it. You've got to be in a place where your insurance can actually take care of you. Where there are in-network doctors and health care facilities that you will have access to. Seems obvious, isn't always. You might want to think of one of those university towns where they have teaching hospitals, like Durham- Raleigh, University of North Carolina, Duke University. Those are great places to get care and lots of really great care.
KAGAN: And then, of course, the topic you bring up time and time again, retirement these days doesn't necessarily mean not working.
WILLIS: That's right, Daryn. I think we're all going to be working past 65 for sure. You know, you want to make sure that any place you retire to has an active workforce, and that you can find work if you really, really want it. It's easy enough to do that. Just scan the local newspapers, see what that economy is like.
Daryn, also this Saturday on "OPEN HOUSE," if you like the housing stories, we do them every weekend, 9:30 a.m. This weekend we're looking at being a home detective. We'll show you how to snoop out any hidden problems when you're looking to buy a home. And our weekend project we're going to rescue your lawn just in time for summer -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Oh, OK. I'll look forward to that. I was trying to think about my lawn. Don't really have much of a lawn, but we'll be tuning in anyway.
WILLIS: Maybe a couple flowers, you know?
KAGAN: Ivy, a lot of ivy out there.
(LAUGHTER)
KAGAN: Gerri, thank you.
WILLIS: Thank you.
KAGAN: Danger on a California highway.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Another freeway shooting is creating fear...
MICHELLE TUZEE, ANCHOR, ABC 7 EYEWITNESS NEWS: A driver escaped unhurt this time...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Instead of dodging traffic some motorists are faced with dodging bullets. Still to come, we ride along one Los Angeles freeway.
And later, blatant cheating in schools. And we're not talking about the students. That's coming up straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: We are coming up on the half hour. Good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan. Here's a look at what's happening now in the news.
New Yorkers are being told to go about their business today. Police are investigating two small explosions in Midtown, Manhattan. The blast happened earlier this morning in front of a building that houses the British Consulate there. It's not known whether the consulate was being targeted. There were no injuries or significant damage. Police have no suspects at this time. Four years after her decapitated body was found, a little girl has been identified. Kansas City police say the girl who has been called Precious Doe was actually Erica Michelle Maria Green. She was 3-years-old when she died. Now, charges are being filed in the case. Police will have more details in the news conference at the top of the hour. You can watch it right here on CNN.
Prosecutors plan to ask the grand jury today to indict Brian Nichols on murder charges. Nichols is accused in the Atlanta courthouse shootings in March. Victims included two people inside the courthouse, one person just outside, and a fourth person elsewhere.
Michael Jackson's attorneys are scheduled to begin presenting their cases today. Their case, sources say, the defense will start by attacking a key prosecution argument that Jackson had a history of grooming boys for sexual abuse. The defense is also asking that a conspiracy charge be dismissed. Prosecutors rested their case on Wednesday.
We go to Southern California where there has been yet another shooting on a Southern California freeway. A big rig was shot with a single bullet in the area's 12 such incident of the year. No one was injured in yesterday's shooting on the Long Beach Freeway. But it adds to the rattled nerves already haunting commuters.
CNN's Kareen Wynter explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is just after 5:00 a.m. and this mother of two is already behind schedule. A quick goodbye for her six-month-old daughter, then into the next room and a kiss for her 2-year-old son. Then she's off. Until recently, the most grueling part of her day was dodging traffic on the 40-mile drive to work along southern California's famously congested freeways.
Now Nichelle Riggs has a new concern, dodging bullets.
NICHELLE RIGGS, COMMUTER: I don't feel safe knowing that there's someone out there that could just pull up on the side of me at any given moment and change my life.
WYNTER: Since March 12th, when a man was shot and killed driving in Orange County, a rash of unsolved shootings has rattled much of southern California. That, even though police insist the number of freeway shootings isn't on the rise.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've had some tragedies, but compared to last year we're actually on pace to have fewer incidents this year.
WYNTER: But public fears have forced the creation of a special task force to stop the shootings. We were allowed to ride along on one of the first undercover patrols.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we just had shots fired.
WYNTER: The undercover investigator begins chasing a report of what sounds like another freeway shooting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The victim is actually at the New Law (ph) office. They advise that they were shot at -- at the exact same, or near the same 10-20 as the shooting from yesterday.
WYNTER: We were asked not to reveal the identity of the officer, but this call and the next one he receives...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Party that said that their windshield was shot...
WYNTER: ...turn out to be false alarms.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was a good day, because there was no shootings, and maybe a bad day for leads, but tomorrow's another day. We'll get 'em.
WYNTER: But, who are they going to get?
(on camera): There are no leads so far in these cases. You have you no suspect's description. So what are you looking for?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm looking for cars or drivers that are exceptionally aggressive. Highway violence incidents. Things that usually an officer in a black and white wouldn't usually see.
WYNTER (voice-over): The problem is, victims and witnesses haven't provided any solid leads. Even sophisticated network of video cameras on every freeway fail to offer police a clue. Law enforcement suggests shootings could be anything from gang activity to road rage. They have no idea if it's a single shooter or isolated incidents.
With so many law enforcement agencies involved, no one has kept a precise count on how many shootings have occurred.
Police do agree that since March there have been at least eight freeway shootings. Four of them fatal.
LAPD Chief William Bratton called in to a radio talk show to calm nerves.
CHIEF WILLIAM BRATTON, LAPD: The chances, statistically, of being a victim of one of these shootings, you're much more likely to be injured or killed by a drunk driver or debris flying into your car. That's the reality.
WYNTER: Perhaps only in Los Angeles could that be seen as a reassuring statement. But even here, the perception is that the freeways have become more dangerous.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Another freeway shooting is creating fear.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A driver escaped unhurt this time when he came under fire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fear on the freeways tonight after yet another shooting.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In a wave of shootings...
WYNTER: KTLA's Desiree Horton has spent 15 years flying over the streets of Los Angeles. She says the only thing that's gotten worse is the traffic.
DESIREE HORTON, KTLA TRAFFIC REPORTER: Some people say that a lot of people are scared, maybe they won't be taking the freeways as much. But I haven't noticed less volume.
WYNTER: Most people like Michelle Riggs don't have any choice. At the end of the day, she still has an hour long drive back home.
MICHELLE RIGGS, COMMUTER: Each time I get in the car, I have to pray that I'll make it to my destination and make it back home safely to my family.
WYNTER: A long hour to worry.
Kareen Wynter, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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