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American Morning
President Bush in Moscow for Huge Celebration; In Iraq, Another Deadly Weekend
Aired May 09, 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: New pictures from Russia overnight. President Bush in Moscow for a huge celebration, and witnessing a massive display by the Russian military.
In Iraq, another deadly weekend, especially for U.S. forces. And now word of a major new offensive hammering insurgents near Syria.
And a terrifying scene in California as a high-speed chase ends in a hail of bullets. The investigation begins, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING, with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody.
As we start a new week here, good Monday morning and happy Mother's Day one day late to you.
O'BRIEN: Thank you very much.
HEMMER: Kids treat you well?
O'BRIEN: It was great. You know, presents and food, who can complain?
HEMMER: Nice.
Good morning, everyone. Police reopening one of the most infamous murder cases in U.S. history. These are the Atlanta child murders dating back 25 years. Serious questions now about whether Wayne Williams, the man convicted in two of the murders, is the real killer. We will talk to his attorney this morning out of Atlanta.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, Arianna Huffington joins us a little bit later, going to us tell us about her brand new Web site. It's bringing together blogs from across the spectrum, including some by big-name celebrities. She also says she has a strategy. She also says she's got a strategy. She's going after Matt Drudge and his readers. She'll tell us what it's all about.
HEMMER: A good catfight online, huh?
What's happening, Jack? Good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. A troubling trend. A substantial majority of the nation's high school students say they spend three hours a week or less doing homework, three hours a week. And predictably, 25 percent of the kids arriving at the nation's four year colleges need extensive remedial work. It's a troubling study. We'll take a look in a couple of minutes.
HEMMER: All right, Jack, thanks.
First, from overseas, if you followed the news over the weekend, President Bush is in Moscow today, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany. The Russian capital is the president's third stop on a four-nation after a visit to Latvia and the Netherlands over the weekend. Mr. Bush next traveling to the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. That'll happen later today. And along the way, the American president has been addressing a key issue creating tensions with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, the question of whether Russia is turning its back on democracy.
Dana Bash reports this morning from Moscow for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cannons fire. The Soviet, now Russian anthem, plays. In Red Square, hundreds of soldiers march lockstep, carrying flags bearing the hammer and sickle. Flower-holding veterans ride in vintage Soviet war vehicles, and next to Lenin's tomb in the reviewing stand, the American president, among the dozens of heads of state here paying tribute to the 27 million Soviets killed in World War II. An extraordinary gathering, sitting side by side, the victors of 60 years ago and the adversaries they defeated. Leaders from Germany, Japan and Italy. Open nostalgia for the Soviet war legacy, a seemingly awkward event for the president to attend, especially one hoping to make spreading democracy his legacy.
But he's here to honor Russia's incredible sacrifice and show respect for his friend, Vladimir Putin. Taking a seat of honor, Mr. Bush temporarily put aside increasingly public concern the Russian leader's retreating from Democratic ideals.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's a lot we can do together.
BASH: At one-on-one meetings the night before, Bush aides say he did press his fear Mr. Putin's backsliding on freedoms for Russians and trying to intimidate his neighbors moving toward democracy.
But this was a day to put aside differences about the course of the future and, instead, honor the past. And the unknown soldiers who never returned from what the Russians call the great patriotic victory.
(on camera): Despite the public niceties, Russia's clearly irritated Mr. Bush is also visiting former Soviet states on the trip, publicly challenging Mr. Putin on Democratic reform. The White House notes the Russian leaders recently promised more freedoms, but one top official also admits he has yet to translate his words into deeds.
Dana Bash, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: We'll continue to follow the president's tour throughout the morning here. In a few moments, we'll talk with presidential counselor Dan Bartlett, who is travelling with Mr. Bush. He'll be back to Moscow in a moment there.
In the meantime, though, coalition forces now stepping up their fight in Iraq, launching a major offensive against insurgents near the Syrian border. Ryan Chilcote is live in Baghdad. What do we know of this raid so far, Ryan?
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bill, the information is just starting to come in. What we know at this point is that this offensive is a major one, involving several branches of the U.S. military, the Marines, the Army, and the Navy. It's taking place in the Anbar province, an area that has long been known as a hotbed for the insurgency. We understand that it's specifically taking place in a desert area there, an area that, according to the U.S. military, has really been a sanctuary for foreign fighters and a smuggling route.
U.S. military saying at this point, already in the first 24 hours of this operation, they have killed 75 suspected insurgents, though we have no information about U.S. casualties as part of the operation at this point.
Meanwhile, the insurgents aren't letting up in their violence. Another car bombing attack today. This one at a police checkpoint. A little bit different than the attacks we've heard about before. Apparently, a driver with two passengers in the car drove up to this Iraqi police checkpoint. That's when the bomb went off. Not clear whether all of the individuals in that car were suicide bombers, whether the driver was a suicide bomber or whether none of these individuals that were inside the car knew what was about to happen.
In any case, all three of the individuals in the car were killed, in addition to four others. That includes two Iraqi policemen, two bystanders. An additional eight were wounded.
All in all, Bill, over the last 10 days, 300 people, 300 Iraqis have been killed in the violence. Just Over the weekend, seven U.S. servicemen killed here in Iraq -- Bill.
HEMMER: The headlines are not good. Ryan Chilcote from Baghdad -- Soledad.
DORSEY: Well, 25 years later, part of the Atlanta child murders case is being reopened. Wayne Williams was convicted in 1982 and is now serving two life sentences. But the police chief of Dekalb County in Georgia says he doesn't believe that Williams is guilty.
Sara Dorsey has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For three years, starting in 1979, the city of Atlanta and gradually the rest of the nation watched with horror as 29 African-Americans, mostly boys and young men, disappeared and turned up dead.
In 1981, an emotional sigh of relief nationwide, as this man, Wayne Williams, was arrested. He was eventually convicted of two murders and sentenced to two consecutive life terms. Most of the evidence against Williams circumstantial, based on fiber analysis of a carpet material called Wellman 181-B.
JOSEPH DROLET, FORMER ATLANTA PROSECUTOR: They did a search warrant on his home. The home was carpeted in the Wellman 181-B fiber that was found on all of these victims.
They also found that there were as many as 11 different items from that home matched fibers found on victims.
DORSEY: Williams has always maintained his innocence. Since his conviction, controversy has surfaced over the very evidence that put him behind bars. His attorney says the jury was completely misled.
MICHAEL JACKSON, WILLIAMS' DEFENSE ATTORNEY: The tri level fiber that they used to try to tie these cases together was much more common than they led the jury to believe at trial. And there were tens of thousands of other fibers on the victims that they never ran down, that weren't connected to Wayne Williams, that were never explained.
DORSEY: Louis Graham agrees. He was the assistant police chief in Fulton County, Georgia at the time, and part of the missing and murder task force.
LOUIS GRAHAM, CHIEF, DEKALB CO., GEORGIA POLICE: I don't think Wayne Williams is responsible for anything.
DORSEY: Today, Graham is police chief in adjacent Dekalb County, where four of the victims live. Their cases were shelved when Williams went to jail.
GRAHAM: I felt an (INAUDIBLE) when he was convicted. I felt that if in this sense, and yes, it has had a hold of me ever since. And you know, I just can't seem to turn it loose.
DORSEY: Now that he's in charge, Chief Graham is reopening those cold cases, armed with technology not available 25 years ago, seeking answers in the deaths of Patrick Baltazar, Curtis Walker, Joseph Bell, and William Barrett.
GRAHAM: If we can solve one case, then I'm satisfied with that.
DORSEY: Sara Dorsey, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Michael Lee Jackson is Wayne Williams' lawyer. He's in Los Angeles this morning.
Nice to see you, Mr. Jackson. Thanks for talking with us.
We just showed a minute ago pictures of the four boys whose cases are being reopened. Is there new evidence in their cases?
MICHAEL LEE JACKSON, WAYNE WILLIAMS' ATTORNEY: I'm not sure what Lewis Graham has turned up yet on this. There's always been questions with respect to all of these murders, and so it's very encouraging to Wayne Williams and to the defense that a state official is finally willing to take a closer look at them. You have to keep in mind that after Wayne was convicted, 22 murders were closed in Atlanta.
O'BRIEN: But he was not convicted of murdering any of those four boys whose cases are now being reopened.
JACKSON: Exactly.
O'BRIEN: So specifically, how does the reopening of those cases affect what's happening to him now? I mean, he was convicted of murdering two young men.
JACKSON: Exactly. Well, actually, he was convicted of murdering two adults, but it impacts the case in several ways. Three of the cases that Mr. Graham is taking a new, fresh look at were cases that were part of the 10 pattern cases that were admitted at Wayne Williams' trial, and so if that pattern starts to fall apart, it shows how weak that entire case was. And there's evidence that some of the other kids were also killed by other people, by the way, which we've learned subsequent to Wayne's conviction. So this is a major development.
O'BRIEN: Prosecutors, as you well know, in the case have pointed to fiber evidence. It's, in fact, what convicted Wayne Williams the first time around. They said it links him, Wayne Williams, to not just one victim, but several victims. How do you answer that?
JACKSON: Well, the prosecutors presented a theory at trial that made these absurd extrapolations that the chances were something like one in 40 million that Wayne didn't kill these kids because of the occurrence of the fibers in the same environment. It was simply based on junk science. The truth is, they excluded tens of thousands of other fibers. A lot of these kids were killed in different ways. And with respect to one of the children that was in the pattern group of 10 that Wayne was accused of killing but the state never had to prove, we had an admission from somebody that they had actually killed that person. The state never turned that over to the defense, of course, at trial, but we know it now. And so the pattern, it falls apart.
O'BRIEN: Do you think Wayne Williams, then, was railroaded and why?
JACKSON: Well, I do think he was railroaded. And as to why, I mean, I can only guess as to the psychology of the people that were involved at the time. But I think nobody wanted to admit in that time, in Atlanta, Georgia, that there was such a racial problem. There was a lot of hatred. And we've got some very good evidence that the Klan was involved in these murders, not necessarily thank were involved in all of them. We don't know...
O'BRIEN: Forgive me for jumping in here, but if you're talking about a racial motive, you're talking about a case where there were a number of black jurors, there was a black judge, black investigators. The police chief himself was black. So I don't understand the racial motive then.
JACKSON: What I'm saying is Wayne as a fall guy was a much better result for Atlanta than acknowledging it was the Klan. If it was a black guy, there isn't such a racial problem there. But so I think Wayne was a perfect defendant in that regard, because it just made it about something else.
But the truth is, a lot of these kids died in different ways. They were probably killed by different people, not just the Klan. They were of a lower socioeconomic group. Many were thieves, prostitutes. They were into drugs. They lived dangerous lives. And in every city in America, those kids still turn up dead a lot. They still turn up dead in Atlanta.
O'BRIEN: Michael Lee Jackson joining us this morning. Thanks for talking with us.
JACKSON: Anytime.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Well, President Bush and Vladimir Putin put on a pretty happy face in public. But what's happening when the cameras are turned off? Presidential counselor Dan Bartlett joins us live from Moscow.
HEMMER: Also, there is this: a dramatic shootout with police, all of it caught on videotape. Details about how it all turned out in a moment.
And an online soapbox for celebrities. Columnist Arianna Huffington talks to us about her star-studded blog. Those studies ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone.
From Moscow this morning, little evidence of any tensions between Presidents Bush and Vladimir Putin of Russia. The two leaders appearing together at a parade in the Red Square, marking the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, but that was not the case on Sunday, when Mr. Bush repeated his concerns that Russian is moving away toward democracy. And later, the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, said the two men remain committed to the same agenda.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECY. OF STATE: The president talked to President Putin about his recent speech, and the comments that he had made about internal reform in Russia. And I think it simply again underscores that there is -- these two men have developed a relationship in which they can talk about any subject and talk about it in a constructive and friendly manner.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: So the trip continues. And Dan Bartlett, counsel to the president, my guest now live in Moscow.
And, Dan, we welcome you back here. A bit of a delay in the satellite here. So let's get right to it.
The image that most people will take away from the trip could likely be Vladimir Putin driving along with President Bush in this 1956 Russian Volga. The president was driving. You used to head up the communications office, Dan. What's the message you're trying to communicate with this image?
DAN BARTLETT, COUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT: Well, my first reaction is I hope he still knows how to drive. He's got people who do it for him now. But I think what it shows is that these two leaders have a strong personal relationship, which is critically important for the future of our two countries. For the fact that these two men can sit down and have very open and candid conversations on issues of the day demonstrates the strength of the relationship and optimism going forward. So I think the visit so far has been very constructive, has met the president's expectations. He was pleased to participate in today's ceremonies. And we continue to look toward the future with Russia.
Dan, this trip, though, is book-ended with a stop and a significant speech in Latvia on the front end and a stop and a significant speech in Georgia on the back end, which will happen later today. In between that time, you're in Russia and you're in Moscow. But yet Latvia and Georgia have had very different opinions about Moscow these days. What's the message you're trying to relay to Vladimir Putin and perhaps the world by book-ending it this way?
BARTLETT: Well, It gives a complete picture. And what President Bush is stressing not only to Russia, but to these countries, the Baltic States themselves have important responsibility when it comes to protecting minority rights. There are many -- there is a vibrant Russian community, for example, in Latvia, and this is an opportunity for the Latvian government to show they'll protect minority be rights.
What President Bush's message is, is simple, is that democracies are a good thing, that having democracies on your borders of Russia should be in the interest of the Russian people. When you have two democracies bordering each other, like we do in North America, with Canada and Mexico, it's a good thing. Not only is there a stronger ties and relations, but they're peaceful. Democracies don't attack each other, and that's the basic message that President Bush is bringing in all of his stops, not just to the Baltic states, not just to Russia, not just to the republic of Georgia, but to all of them.
HEMMER: Dan, last night, here in the U.S., American viewers got a chance to watch Vladimir Putin on "60 Minutes," and to hear him tell Mike Wallace talk about the election of 2000 being decided by an American court. There was also this report that goes back several months ago. I think it was in February in Slovakia, in which Vladimir Putin lectured privately President Bush about different democracies in and around the world for about a 40-minute period. Was there any such lecture on this trip?
BARTLETT: Well, actually, I don't think that's an accurate description of their meetings. They're never lecturing one way or another. It's an open, free-flowing conversation between two friends who are able to have differences of opinion to move on, and that's the strength or the sign of a healthy relationship.
And on the issue about the elections, look, they've talked about that personally. Obviously, America has one of the strongest electoral systems of the world, that is an envy of the world when it comes to the fact that we have a strong, independent judiciary. We have a strong executive branch. We have a strong legislative branch.
But we also recognize, and President Bush recognizes, that Russia's development into a strong democracy will take a very Russian flavor, that it's not going to be an American democracy. It will have its own traits, and its own designs and we fully recognize that. But what President Bush is stressing is that all democracies have some things in common -- the transparent government, rule of law, a free media. Those are things that are universal, and that's why President Bush feels strongly about discussing these issues with President Putin. And I must say that President Putin himself recognizes that. They've come a long way in this country, and he, himself, recognizes that more progress needs to be done, and we stand ready to help.
HEMMER: Next stop is Georgia. We'll be watching from here.
Dan Bartlett, counselor to the president, live in Moscow. Thank you, Dan, for your time today.
Here's Soledad now with more.
O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, business news. Gas prices cooling off as summer approaches. Andy's going to tell us just how much relief is in sight. That's coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone. Believe it or not, there's actually some good news this morning for motorists at the pump.
Andy Serwer "Minding Your Business." First check on a Monday.
Good morning.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Bill.
Contrary to predictions, gas prices are falling this month. The average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline down three cents to $2.21 nationwide. Minneapolis at $1.95. Other cities below two dollars a gallon, San Francisco at a high of $2.60.
Why? Because U.S. oil supplies continue to build. Now at 327 million barrels. That's up to 2000 levels, which is a big surprise. As long as these supplies continue to build, we're going to see gas prices falling.
In other news, in the car and gasoline sectors, GM and Toyota, are they or are they not in talks to develop hybrid engines, the two largest automakers in the world? Toyota officials say they'd be happy to help GM come up with a hybrid engine. GM officials say no deal is in the works. And you can understand that it would be a good thing for Toyota, but not necessarily a good thing for GM, even though CEO Rick Wagner of GM is going to Tokyo. He says he's not going to be doing a deal like this?
HEMMER: You can breathe now, by the way, too.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: I can help you out. I've got some new medicine for my cold.
SERWER: Good. Really?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
SERWER: Bring it on.
O'BRIEN: Wait until commercial break, I'll hook you up.
SERWER: But that's not the Question of the Day involves students. The Question of the Day involves students.
CAFFERTY: It's like working in a petri dish.
(CROSSTALK)
SERWER: And you're the scientists.
CAFFERTY: Give Toyota a couple years, they can buy General Motors.
SERWER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: A majority of high school students in this country spend less than three hours a week on homework, and they still get good grades, a week. According to a study out today, University of Indiana, 55 percent of students devote no more than three hours a week to class preparation, but 65 percent of the kids still get A's or B's. That's just bogus. It's not enough. Eighty percent of these kids say they plan to attend college. But research shows one fourth of all students at four-year colleges in this country get there requiring substantial remedial work. Translation, they arrive at college unprepared to do college-level work.
So the question is this, should high school students be made to work harder? Am@CNN.com.
HEMMER: Good work if you can get it, huh? Three hours a week.
SERWER: Crack the whip.
CAFFERTY: It's nonsense. I mean, the schools in this country are going to hell, have been for years. And one of the reasons is we don't require anything anymore.
HEMMER: We'll get to it. Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: OK, Bill.
HEMMER: More in a moment here on "90-Second Pop." Ahead on "90- Second Pop," Paula Abdul is fighting back. The "Idol" judge goes on "SNL" for some image rehab. Will it work?
Plus...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, "THE APPRENTICE": You're fired.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Donald Trump fires the last man standing on "The Apprentice." Just two women left. That's later on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired May 9, 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: New pictures from Russia overnight. President Bush in Moscow for a huge celebration, and witnessing a massive display by the Russian military.
In Iraq, another deadly weekend, especially for U.S. forces. And now word of a major new offensive hammering insurgents near Syria.
And a terrifying scene in California as a high-speed chase ends in a hail of bullets. The investigation begins, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING, with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody.
As we start a new week here, good Monday morning and happy Mother's Day one day late to you.
O'BRIEN: Thank you very much.
HEMMER: Kids treat you well?
O'BRIEN: It was great. You know, presents and food, who can complain?
HEMMER: Nice.
Good morning, everyone. Police reopening one of the most infamous murder cases in U.S. history. These are the Atlanta child murders dating back 25 years. Serious questions now about whether Wayne Williams, the man convicted in two of the murders, is the real killer. We will talk to his attorney this morning out of Atlanta.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, Arianna Huffington joins us a little bit later, going to us tell us about her brand new Web site. It's bringing together blogs from across the spectrum, including some by big-name celebrities. She also says she has a strategy. She also says she's got a strategy. She's going after Matt Drudge and his readers. She'll tell us what it's all about.
HEMMER: A good catfight online, huh?
What's happening, Jack? Good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. A troubling trend. A substantial majority of the nation's high school students say they spend three hours a week or less doing homework, three hours a week. And predictably, 25 percent of the kids arriving at the nation's four year colleges need extensive remedial work. It's a troubling study. We'll take a look in a couple of minutes.
HEMMER: All right, Jack, thanks.
First, from overseas, if you followed the news over the weekend, President Bush is in Moscow today, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany. The Russian capital is the president's third stop on a four-nation after a visit to Latvia and the Netherlands over the weekend. Mr. Bush next traveling to the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. That'll happen later today. And along the way, the American president has been addressing a key issue creating tensions with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, the question of whether Russia is turning its back on democracy.
Dana Bash reports this morning from Moscow for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cannons fire. The Soviet, now Russian anthem, plays. In Red Square, hundreds of soldiers march lockstep, carrying flags bearing the hammer and sickle. Flower-holding veterans ride in vintage Soviet war vehicles, and next to Lenin's tomb in the reviewing stand, the American president, among the dozens of heads of state here paying tribute to the 27 million Soviets killed in World War II. An extraordinary gathering, sitting side by side, the victors of 60 years ago and the adversaries they defeated. Leaders from Germany, Japan and Italy. Open nostalgia for the Soviet war legacy, a seemingly awkward event for the president to attend, especially one hoping to make spreading democracy his legacy.
But he's here to honor Russia's incredible sacrifice and show respect for his friend, Vladimir Putin. Taking a seat of honor, Mr. Bush temporarily put aside increasingly public concern the Russian leader's retreating from Democratic ideals.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's a lot we can do together.
BASH: At one-on-one meetings the night before, Bush aides say he did press his fear Mr. Putin's backsliding on freedoms for Russians and trying to intimidate his neighbors moving toward democracy.
But this was a day to put aside differences about the course of the future and, instead, honor the past. And the unknown soldiers who never returned from what the Russians call the great patriotic victory.
(on camera): Despite the public niceties, Russia's clearly irritated Mr. Bush is also visiting former Soviet states on the trip, publicly challenging Mr. Putin on Democratic reform. The White House notes the Russian leaders recently promised more freedoms, but one top official also admits he has yet to translate his words into deeds.
Dana Bash, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: We'll continue to follow the president's tour throughout the morning here. In a few moments, we'll talk with presidential counselor Dan Bartlett, who is travelling with Mr. Bush. He'll be back to Moscow in a moment there.
In the meantime, though, coalition forces now stepping up their fight in Iraq, launching a major offensive against insurgents near the Syrian border. Ryan Chilcote is live in Baghdad. What do we know of this raid so far, Ryan?
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bill, the information is just starting to come in. What we know at this point is that this offensive is a major one, involving several branches of the U.S. military, the Marines, the Army, and the Navy. It's taking place in the Anbar province, an area that has long been known as a hotbed for the insurgency. We understand that it's specifically taking place in a desert area there, an area that, according to the U.S. military, has really been a sanctuary for foreign fighters and a smuggling route.
U.S. military saying at this point, already in the first 24 hours of this operation, they have killed 75 suspected insurgents, though we have no information about U.S. casualties as part of the operation at this point.
Meanwhile, the insurgents aren't letting up in their violence. Another car bombing attack today. This one at a police checkpoint. A little bit different than the attacks we've heard about before. Apparently, a driver with two passengers in the car drove up to this Iraqi police checkpoint. That's when the bomb went off. Not clear whether all of the individuals in that car were suicide bombers, whether the driver was a suicide bomber or whether none of these individuals that were inside the car knew what was about to happen.
In any case, all three of the individuals in the car were killed, in addition to four others. That includes two Iraqi policemen, two bystanders. An additional eight were wounded.
All in all, Bill, over the last 10 days, 300 people, 300 Iraqis have been killed in the violence. Just Over the weekend, seven U.S. servicemen killed here in Iraq -- Bill.
HEMMER: The headlines are not good. Ryan Chilcote from Baghdad -- Soledad.
DORSEY: Well, 25 years later, part of the Atlanta child murders case is being reopened. Wayne Williams was convicted in 1982 and is now serving two life sentences. But the police chief of Dekalb County in Georgia says he doesn't believe that Williams is guilty.
Sara Dorsey has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For three years, starting in 1979, the city of Atlanta and gradually the rest of the nation watched with horror as 29 African-Americans, mostly boys and young men, disappeared and turned up dead.
In 1981, an emotional sigh of relief nationwide, as this man, Wayne Williams, was arrested. He was eventually convicted of two murders and sentenced to two consecutive life terms. Most of the evidence against Williams circumstantial, based on fiber analysis of a carpet material called Wellman 181-B.
JOSEPH DROLET, FORMER ATLANTA PROSECUTOR: They did a search warrant on his home. The home was carpeted in the Wellman 181-B fiber that was found on all of these victims.
They also found that there were as many as 11 different items from that home matched fibers found on victims.
DORSEY: Williams has always maintained his innocence. Since his conviction, controversy has surfaced over the very evidence that put him behind bars. His attorney says the jury was completely misled.
MICHAEL JACKSON, WILLIAMS' DEFENSE ATTORNEY: The tri level fiber that they used to try to tie these cases together was much more common than they led the jury to believe at trial. And there were tens of thousands of other fibers on the victims that they never ran down, that weren't connected to Wayne Williams, that were never explained.
DORSEY: Louis Graham agrees. He was the assistant police chief in Fulton County, Georgia at the time, and part of the missing and murder task force.
LOUIS GRAHAM, CHIEF, DEKALB CO., GEORGIA POLICE: I don't think Wayne Williams is responsible for anything.
DORSEY: Today, Graham is police chief in adjacent Dekalb County, where four of the victims live. Their cases were shelved when Williams went to jail.
GRAHAM: I felt an (INAUDIBLE) when he was convicted. I felt that if in this sense, and yes, it has had a hold of me ever since. And you know, I just can't seem to turn it loose.
DORSEY: Now that he's in charge, Chief Graham is reopening those cold cases, armed with technology not available 25 years ago, seeking answers in the deaths of Patrick Baltazar, Curtis Walker, Joseph Bell, and William Barrett.
GRAHAM: If we can solve one case, then I'm satisfied with that.
DORSEY: Sara Dorsey, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Michael Lee Jackson is Wayne Williams' lawyer. He's in Los Angeles this morning.
Nice to see you, Mr. Jackson. Thanks for talking with us.
We just showed a minute ago pictures of the four boys whose cases are being reopened. Is there new evidence in their cases?
MICHAEL LEE JACKSON, WAYNE WILLIAMS' ATTORNEY: I'm not sure what Lewis Graham has turned up yet on this. There's always been questions with respect to all of these murders, and so it's very encouraging to Wayne Williams and to the defense that a state official is finally willing to take a closer look at them. You have to keep in mind that after Wayne was convicted, 22 murders were closed in Atlanta.
O'BRIEN: But he was not convicted of murdering any of those four boys whose cases are now being reopened.
JACKSON: Exactly.
O'BRIEN: So specifically, how does the reopening of those cases affect what's happening to him now? I mean, he was convicted of murdering two young men.
JACKSON: Exactly. Well, actually, he was convicted of murdering two adults, but it impacts the case in several ways. Three of the cases that Mr. Graham is taking a new, fresh look at were cases that were part of the 10 pattern cases that were admitted at Wayne Williams' trial, and so if that pattern starts to fall apart, it shows how weak that entire case was. And there's evidence that some of the other kids were also killed by other people, by the way, which we've learned subsequent to Wayne's conviction. So this is a major development.
O'BRIEN: Prosecutors, as you well know, in the case have pointed to fiber evidence. It's, in fact, what convicted Wayne Williams the first time around. They said it links him, Wayne Williams, to not just one victim, but several victims. How do you answer that?
JACKSON: Well, the prosecutors presented a theory at trial that made these absurd extrapolations that the chances were something like one in 40 million that Wayne didn't kill these kids because of the occurrence of the fibers in the same environment. It was simply based on junk science. The truth is, they excluded tens of thousands of other fibers. A lot of these kids were killed in different ways. And with respect to one of the children that was in the pattern group of 10 that Wayne was accused of killing but the state never had to prove, we had an admission from somebody that they had actually killed that person. The state never turned that over to the defense, of course, at trial, but we know it now. And so the pattern, it falls apart.
O'BRIEN: Do you think Wayne Williams, then, was railroaded and why?
JACKSON: Well, I do think he was railroaded. And as to why, I mean, I can only guess as to the psychology of the people that were involved at the time. But I think nobody wanted to admit in that time, in Atlanta, Georgia, that there was such a racial problem. There was a lot of hatred. And we've got some very good evidence that the Klan was involved in these murders, not necessarily thank were involved in all of them. We don't know...
O'BRIEN: Forgive me for jumping in here, but if you're talking about a racial motive, you're talking about a case where there were a number of black jurors, there was a black judge, black investigators. The police chief himself was black. So I don't understand the racial motive then.
JACKSON: What I'm saying is Wayne as a fall guy was a much better result for Atlanta than acknowledging it was the Klan. If it was a black guy, there isn't such a racial problem there. But so I think Wayne was a perfect defendant in that regard, because it just made it about something else.
But the truth is, a lot of these kids died in different ways. They were probably killed by different people, not just the Klan. They were of a lower socioeconomic group. Many were thieves, prostitutes. They were into drugs. They lived dangerous lives. And in every city in America, those kids still turn up dead a lot. They still turn up dead in Atlanta.
O'BRIEN: Michael Lee Jackson joining us this morning. Thanks for talking with us.
JACKSON: Anytime.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Well, President Bush and Vladimir Putin put on a pretty happy face in public. But what's happening when the cameras are turned off? Presidential counselor Dan Bartlett joins us live from Moscow.
HEMMER: Also, there is this: a dramatic shootout with police, all of it caught on videotape. Details about how it all turned out in a moment.
And an online soapbox for celebrities. Columnist Arianna Huffington talks to us about her star-studded blog. Those studies ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone.
From Moscow this morning, little evidence of any tensions between Presidents Bush and Vladimir Putin of Russia. The two leaders appearing together at a parade in the Red Square, marking the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, but that was not the case on Sunday, when Mr. Bush repeated his concerns that Russian is moving away toward democracy. And later, the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, said the two men remain committed to the same agenda.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECY. OF STATE: The president talked to President Putin about his recent speech, and the comments that he had made about internal reform in Russia. And I think it simply again underscores that there is -- these two men have developed a relationship in which they can talk about any subject and talk about it in a constructive and friendly manner.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: So the trip continues. And Dan Bartlett, counsel to the president, my guest now live in Moscow.
And, Dan, we welcome you back here. A bit of a delay in the satellite here. So let's get right to it.
The image that most people will take away from the trip could likely be Vladimir Putin driving along with President Bush in this 1956 Russian Volga. The president was driving. You used to head up the communications office, Dan. What's the message you're trying to communicate with this image?
DAN BARTLETT, COUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT: Well, my first reaction is I hope he still knows how to drive. He's got people who do it for him now. But I think what it shows is that these two leaders have a strong personal relationship, which is critically important for the future of our two countries. For the fact that these two men can sit down and have very open and candid conversations on issues of the day demonstrates the strength of the relationship and optimism going forward. So I think the visit so far has been very constructive, has met the president's expectations. He was pleased to participate in today's ceremonies. And we continue to look toward the future with Russia.
Dan, this trip, though, is book-ended with a stop and a significant speech in Latvia on the front end and a stop and a significant speech in Georgia on the back end, which will happen later today. In between that time, you're in Russia and you're in Moscow. But yet Latvia and Georgia have had very different opinions about Moscow these days. What's the message you're trying to relay to Vladimir Putin and perhaps the world by book-ending it this way?
BARTLETT: Well, It gives a complete picture. And what President Bush is stressing not only to Russia, but to these countries, the Baltic States themselves have important responsibility when it comes to protecting minority rights. There are many -- there is a vibrant Russian community, for example, in Latvia, and this is an opportunity for the Latvian government to show they'll protect minority be rights.
What President Bush's message is, is simple, is that democracies are a good thing, that having democracies on your borders of Russia should be in the interest of the Russian people. When you have two democracies bordering each other, like we do in North America, with Canada and Mexico, it's a good thing. Not only is there a stronger ties and relations, but they're peaceful. Democracies don't attack each other, and that's the basic message that President Bush is bringing in all of his stops, not just to the Baltic states, not just to Russia, not just to the republic of Georgia, but to all of them.
HEMMER: Dan, last night, here in the U.S., American viewers got a chance to watch Vladimir Putin on "60 Minutes," and to hear him tell Mike Wallace talk about the election of 2000 being decided by an American court. There was also this report that goes back several months ago. I think it was in February in Slovakia, in which Vladimir Putin lectured privately President Bush about different democracies in and around the world for about a 40-minute period. Was there any such lecture on this trip?
BARTLETT: Well, actually, I don't think that's an accurate description of their meetings. They're never lecturing one way or another. It's an open, free-flowing conversation between two friends who are able to have differences of opinion to move on, and that's the strength or the sign of a healthy relationship.
And on the issue about the elections, look, they've talked about that personally. Obviously, America has one of the strongest electoral systems of the world, that is an envy of the world when it comes to the fact that we have a strong, independent judiciary. We have a strong executive branch. We have a strong legislative branch.
But we also recognize, and President Bush recognizes, that Russia's development into a strong democracy will take a very Russian flavor, that it's not going to be an American democracy. It will have its own traits, and its own designs and we fully recognize that. But what President Bush is stressing is that all democracies have some things in common -- the transparent government, rule of law, a free media. Those are things that are universal, and that's why President Bush feels strongly about discussing these issues with President Putin. And I must say that President Putin himself recognizes that. They've come a long way in this country, and he, himself, recognizes that more progress needs to be done, and we stand ready to help.
HEMMER: Next stop is Georgia. We'll be watching from here.
Dan Bartlett, counselor to the president, live in Moscow. Thank you, Dan, for your time today.
Here's Soledad now with more.
O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, business news. Gas prices cooling off as summer approaches. Andy's going to tell us just how much relief is in sight. That's coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone. Believe it or not, there's actually some good news this morning for motorists at the pump.
Andy Serwer "Minding Your Business." First check on a Monday.
Good morning.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Bill.
Contrary to predictions, gas prices are falling this month. The average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline down three cents to $2.21 nationwide. Minneapolis at $1.95. Other cities below two dollars a gallon, San Francisco at a high of $2.60.
Why? Because U.S. oil supplies continue to build. Now at 327 million barrels. That's up to 2000 levels, which is a big surprise. As long as these supplies continue to build, we're going to see gas prices falling.
In other news, in the car and gasoline sectors, GM and Toyota, are they or are they not in talks to develop hybrid engines, the two largest automakers in the world? Toyota officials say they'd be happy to help GM come up with a hybrid engine. GM officials say no deal is in the works. And you can understand that it would be a good thing for Toyota, but not necessarily a good thing for GM, even though CEO Rick Wagner of GM is going to Tokyo. He says he's not going to be doing a deal like this?
HEMMER: You can breathe now, by the way, too.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: I can help you out. I've got some new medicine for my cold.
SERWER: Good. Really?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
SERWER: Bring it on.
O'BRIEN: Wait until commercial break, I'll hook you up.
SERWER: But that's not the Question of the Day involves students. The Question of the Day involves students.
CAFFERTY: It's like working in a petri dish.
(CROSSTALK)
SERWER: And you're the scientists.
CAFFERTY: Give Toyota a couple years, they can buy General Motors.
SERWER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: A majority of high school students in this country spend less than three hours a week on homework, and they still get good grades, a week. According to a study out today, University of Indiana, 55 percent of students devote no more than three hours a week to class preparation, but 65 percent of the kids still get A's or B's. That's just bogus. It's not enough. Eighty percent of these kids say they plan to attend college. But research shows one fourth of all students at four-year colleges in this country get there requiring substantial remedial work. Translation, they arrive at college unprepared to do college-level work.
So the question is this, should high school students be made to work harder? Am@CNN.com.
HEMMER: Good work if you can get it, huh? Three hours a week.
SERWER: Crack the whip.
CAFFERTY: It's nonsense. I mean, the schools in this country are going to hell, have been for years. And one of the reasons is we don't require anything anymore.
HEMMER: We'll get to it. Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: OK, Bill.
HEMMER: More in a moment here on "90-Second Pop." Ahead on "90- Second Pop," Paula Abdul is fighting back. The "Idol" judge goes on "SNL" for some image rehab. Will it work?
Plus...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, "THE APPRENTICE": You're fired.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Donald Trump fires the last man standing on "The Apprentice." Just two women left. That's later on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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