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CNN Live Today
Base Closings; Missing the Target; Jackson Trial
Aired May 13, 2005 - 11:00 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 ANCHOR: It is 11:00 a.m. in the nation's capital, 4:00 p.m. in Manchester, England, and 7:30 p.m. in Kabul, Afghanistan, on this, yes, it is, Friday, the 13th.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
Up first this hour, the battle over U.S. military bases begins within the last half-hour. You saw it live here on CNN. The Pentagon officially releasing the list that communities around the country were waiting for, military bases recommended for closure.
Our Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, has details on which bases are targeted. Then we're going to go to Joe Johns on Capitol Hill for reaction there.
We're going to begin with Jamie -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, the list is out, and the Pentagon has said that they consider 33 major bases things that should be closed. And they've also announced what they call 29 major realignments. These are bases that would lose 400 military or civilian personnel. But let's look at some of these closures around the country.
The Submarine Base in New London, Connecticut, that are is particularly hard hit because, in addition, the Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Maine, is also on the list for -- for closure, one of the major bases there in that area.
As you move down the East Coast, you can see that Fort Monroe, Virginia, the headquarters of the Training and Doctrine Command, also on the list for potential closure. The Naval Station in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Trent Lott's home state, that's not going to sit well with him.
Cannon Air Force Base, out in Texas is the home of some F-16s. Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, home of the B-1 bombers, they'll -- they'll be moving to other locations.
But again, these are recommendations that go to the base closure commission, and they'll send their recommendations to the president and Capitol Hill at the end of the year.
KAGAN: All right, Jamie. One of the states that is getting a lot of news today, right here in Georgia. The governor, Sonny Perdue, holding a news conference now, talking about seven bases recommended for closures, seven recommended for gain. Let's listen in.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
GOV. SONNY PERDUE (R), GEORGIA: ... and its military history and leadership, action, and protecting freedom and liberty have contributed to this national defense for many, many years. Many of our installations are good gainers. We're certainly disappointed, obviously of the Naval Air Station, the Naval Supply Course School in Athens, and Fort Gillam and Fort McPherson.
The battle is not over. We will continue to give a vigorous defense of the military missions of these installations as we go forward.
This is the opening volley and a deliberative process, and we believe a fair and deliberative commission will listen to those messages that we have from the contributions. We will be talking more specifically as we go to those installations about the value of each one. But overall, we are fortunate in Georgia, statewide.
Certainly our thoughts go to those individuals that possibly may be affected at these installations. And it's -- when it's you, it makes a big difference. We understand that. And we will be fighting for those folks and those jobs until the very, very end.
And I -- none of us here -- this has been a great team effort, as you see, with congressmen that are here, and Senator Isakson, Senator Chambliss, who have been a great team effort. And they're to be applauded for the -- the team effort that the communities have put into this, the state as a whole, and our congressional delegation.
I've never seen our state pull together any better. And we'll continue to pull together with those communities that are affected, the community action groups that are affected. We will continue to -- to vigorously defend the missions and the jobs that are there and hopefully be successful in that effort.
But overall, that having been said, recognizing the personal pain of some people in these areas, the potential pain, Georgia is fortunate to be the second net gainer of jobs and missions in the country. And we're very proud of that.
We think, again, that reflects the value that our Department of Defense knows about Georgia, longtime patriot state, contributing more than its share of national defense. And we appreciate that recognition.
At this time, I'm going to ask Senator Chambliss to come forward and then Senator Isakson.
SEN. SAXBY CHAMBLISS (R), GEORGIA: Thank you very much, Governor. And I just want to compliment the governor of the state...
KAGAN: A subdued Governor Perdue getting the news that seven bases in Georgia, military bases, on the list for closure. Seven, though, on the list for gain. Senator Saxby Chambliss at the mic right now.
Let's bring in our Capitol Hill correspondent, Joe Johns.
Talk about -- you heard the governor say the fight's not over. You're going to hear politicians all around the country say that. Interestingly enough, Senator Chambliss sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Isn't that kind of a blow to have so many from his own state on that list?
JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, but this is the kind of process where everybody's ox can get gored, quite frankly. To talk a little about the process and the way it works, you have this first opening round of recommendations from the secretary of defense. After that, they go to this base closure commission that's been set up, this nine-member commission.
That commission goes around the country, looks at the bases and tries to get a feel for whether they're the right recommendations. After that, it sends its own set of recommendations to the president of the United States. He can say whether he likes everything or not...
KAGAN: OK.
JOHNS: ... or send it back to them and tell them to make some changes.
After that, Congress basically only has a choice of voting it down. So when they talk about trying to affect this process and change this process, they're talking about arguing their case to the base closing commission. And that's something that's going to go on for some time.
I have a few picture to show you, Daryn. Earlier today, it all started with the members of the Armed Services at the Armed Services Committee room of the House of Representatives gathering to go around, fan out across the United States Capitol complex to deliver documents to the House of Representatives, also the senators, for them to see what the recommendations are.
Now, some of the losers that haven't been talked about yet include Maine, Alaska. Connecticut has been talked about a bit. Mississippi, of course. That's the home state of Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi.
He issued a statement just a little while ago indicating, "I oppose this process at its initiation because it represents a copout by Congress of its duties. I continue to dislike the process and the fact that any Mississippi facilities are on the closure list." That being said, he says, "I'm breathing a sigh of relief for the facilities that were not on the list."
So those reactions now trickling in on this first round list on base closures.
Back to you, Daryn KAGAN: All right. Joe Johns on Capitol Hill. Thank you.
Let's go back to the Pentagon one more time. Our Jamie McIntyre has been watching the list, watching the coverage, and has more to add -- Jamie.
MCINTYRE: You heard the governor of Georgia make the case that all of the affected communities are going to make, which is that their particular affected base has a specific military necessity. And they're going to be arguing that. But let me just tell you what the Pentagon's counter-argument is going to be, and they'll be making arguments before the base closure commission as well.
And that is, they're going to argue that this is a carefully balanced plan, that each one of these decisions is interdependent on the other, and that it's going to be very difficult to change one decision about one base without affecting the whole plan. In fact, that's what Defense Secretary Rumsfeld said was his rationale for not changing the recommendations that came to him.
He said he didn't change the list at all because he realized that it was so delicately balanced, that each decision depended on something happening some place else, in another state, that it was very difficult to tinker with. And that's going to be their argument, that they really shouldn't change -- make many changes to this list.
Meanwhile, every individual community will be arguing hard to save their base.
KAGAN: Jamie, keeping in mind besides the fact that there is -- excuse me. Besides the fact there is this argument phase that goes on, it's six years that the military has to close down these individual bases. There's not like a padlock that's going on these places tomorrow morning
MCINTYRE: No, but once they're going to be closed, they're going to be going. And there's probably not going to be another round of base closures anytime soon, because it's such a politically painful process.
So people know this is sort of a last stand. If you can save your base from this round of closings, you probably saved it for a long time.
KAGAN: Ah, got it. Jamie McIntyre, thanks for all your help this morning.
For a complete list of military bases targeted for closings, log on to CNN.com.
There is no letup in Iraq today. Insurgents struck in Baghdad and Baquba, killing two Iraqi soldiers and a police officer. Targets included police cars, U.S. and Iraqi military convoys, and the government ministry building. Because of the ongoing violence, the new Iraqi prime minister today extended a state of emergency, and that essentially keeps the country under martial law. In the western Iraqi desert, U.S. Marines taking part in Operation Matador say they are moving about freely. Insurgents and foreign fighters have apparently fled or gone into hiding. That crackdown started last weekend.
It's no secret a lot of young people are steering clear of the military because of the Iraq war. The Army missed recruiting goals for February, March, and again in April. To make itself more marketable, the Army is reducing its minimum active duty enlistment to 15 months and offering bigger signing bonuses. But the following numbers are putting pressure on recruiters, and some now are accused of bending the rules to keep the military supplied with soldiers.
Our correspondent Thelma Gutierrez takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): David McSwane knew he was on to a big story.
DAVID MCSWANE, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: I wanted to see how far they would go to get one more soldier.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's getting in there.
GUTIERREZ: What he uncovered at one Army recruiting center is making waves all the way up to the Pentagon.
LT. COL. JEFFREY BRODEUR, U.S. ARMY: We aggressively and immediately started an investigation.
GUTIERREZ: David McSwane is not a professional journalist. He's 17 years old, a senior at Arvada West High School outside Denver, Colorado. And he's a prime target for military recruiters.
MCSWANE: This is just something that affects everyone in my age group, everyone in high school across America.
GUTIERREZ: So, David, a reporter for the high school newspaper, set out to find out just how far Army recruiters would go to enlist a new soldier.
MCSWANE: The scenario I came up with was that I'm a 17-year-old dropout and that I have a drug problem that I just -- I just can't kick.
GUTIERREZ: The Army requires a high school diploma or GED, and they don't except recruits with drug problems. But David says a recruiter at this center in Golden, Colorado, told him not to worry.
MCSWANE: These are the transcripts that go with the diploma.
GUTIERREZ: David says his recruiter told him to go to the Internet to buy this fake high school diploma and bogus school transcripts. David taped the conversations.
MCSWANE: They accepted my diploma and all that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that's what they told us. So...
MCSWANE: All right. But they don't know it's fake or anything and I'm not going to get in trouble?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right. You won't, pal.
MCSWANE: All right. Cool.
GUTIERREZ: As for his made-up drug problem:
MCSWANE: This is the detox he told me to buy.
GUTIERREZ: David says the recruiter told him to buy this product to pass the Army's drug test.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You just have to follow instructions to a tee. It has got like a 150 percent guarantee that you will pass. You know, I've seen it work before.
GUTIERREZ: The recruiter then took David to a store to buy the product while someone videotaped.
MCSWANE: He went as far as driving me down to the place to buy the detox drink in a government vehicle.
GUTIERREZ: After David's investigation was published in his high school newspaper, it snowballed into a P.R. nightmare for the Army.
BRODEUR: Disappointment. Wrapped up into one word.
GUTIERREZ: Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Brodeur has 129 recruiters under his command. Two of the four recruiters at this Golden, Colorado, center are now under investigation for alleged recruiting abuses.
BRODEUR: So far today, it appears to be a character issue. We're trained not to do that.
GUTIERREZ: Jim Massey was a Marine recruiter for three years.
JIM MASSEY, FMR. MILITARY RECRUITER: This isn't just an isolated incident. This is a widespread epidemic.
GUTIERREZ: Massey says military recruiters are under such intense pressure to make their quota, they'll often stretch the truth to sign up recruits. He says he did it, too.
MASSEY: I was a recruiter for three years. And I recruited 75 young men. And I would say 98 percent of the young men that I signed up for the Marine Corps were frauded into the military in some capacity.
GUTIERREZ: Massey says, when he failed to sign up two recruits a month, he received these letters of reprimand. MASSEY: I had never had any types of or signs or symptoms of depression in my entire life until I went out on recruiting duty. My second year out on recruiting duty, I was taking antidepressants.
GUTIERREZ: Massey fought in Iraq, then came home with a change of heart. He's now an anti-war activist.
MASSEY: I sold my soul a long time ago to the Marine Corps. And each day, I strive to get a little bit of it back.
GUTIERREZ: Major General Michael Rochelle, commanding general in charge of recruiting for the U.S. Army, plans to shut down 1,700 recruiting offices across the country for one day to review procedures for the Army's 7,500 recruiters, in direct response to the allegations made by David McSwane and others.
MAJ. GEN. MICHAEL ROCHELLE, U.S. ARMY RECRUITING COMMAND: I was disappointed by it. I was very disappointed by it. I've been around the Army a long time. So, very little shocks me, if you will. It hurts personally and professionally.
GUTIERREZ: General Rochelle says the target is 80,000 new recruits a year. It is a tough task, he says, to recruit an all- volunteer Army at a time of war. Many parents use their influence to discourage enlistment.
ROCHELLE: One is the fear of loss of life or limb. And that's real. Take those two factors, along with the seeming resistance on the part of influencers, and you present a pretty daunting challenge for the Army.
SHELLY HANSEN, MOTHER OF DAVID: I worried that people would think he wasn't patriotic.
GUTIERREZ: Sally Hansen says she feared a backlash against her son for exposing his recruiters.
HANSEN: He's probably one of the most patriotic kids I know. He was in the Young Marines for almost a year and earned a couple awards.
GUTIERREZ: Now David has an award from his school for his expose on the Army.
MCSWANE: If I were a soldier out on the front line, I wouldn't want someone next to me who my life could be depending on going through withdrawal or having a drug addiction or just being someone I can't trust. I just don't think that's something we need on our front lines.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: That was Thelma Gutierrez reporting.
An unlikely witness is up next in the Michael Jackson court case. That is Mark Geragos, his former attorney. What's a former attorney doing on the stand? We will find out in Santa Maria. Also, guess who's the commencement speaker today at Auburn in Alabama? Vice President Dick Cheney. The honorary Tiger coming up.
More after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Let's check in on California. Live pictures of Michael Jackson. You see his father, Joe, and his mother there, arriving at the courthouse in Santa Maria, California.
Big and interesting day there for the defense. They're putting celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos on the stand. He is Jackson's longtime lawyer, defended the pop star after his arrest on child molestation charges in November 2003, but he left the case in April 2004. Michael Jackson wanted his own attorney, did not want to share Mark Geragos with Scott Peterson.
Our Rusty Dornin has more from Santa Maria.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: First up this morning, a face that's commonly seen in celebrity court cases, but not usually on the witness stand. Defense attorney Mark Geragos will be the first witness. Judge Rodney Melville ordering him to appear today.
The defense had subpoenaed him twice. Geragos sent a representative saying that he was busy on other court cases.
Judge Rodney Melville said if mechanics and sheriff's deputies and other members of the community have to respond to subpoenas, Geragos shouldn't be above the law. He said he better be here or he will issue a warrant.
Geragos was Michael Jackson's attorney briefly on this case. He was there during the fallout of the Martin Bashir film, "Living With Michael Jackson," but was let go in April of 2004.
Now, this was during the time that Geragos was the defense attorney for Scott Peterson. Michael Jackson decided to go with Brian Oxman and Thomas Mesereau as his attorneys.
Geragos is expected to be on the stand most of the day.
Rusty Dornin, CNN, Santa Maria, California
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And we have a lot more developing news coming up next. Also, we're going to check in on Vice President Dick Cheney. We'll show you the young people he's hanging out with today. That's after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: It is slow going this morning in Kansas City. More storms are expected to cause flash flooding.
Last night, strong winds nudged a tree on top of a house, damaged other buildings and left some people without electricity. There are no serious injuries reported. Kind of the weather we expect this time of year in the middle of the country.
Jill Brown is here with more.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: If you're thinking about flying, this story will be of interest to you. It happens on a frequent basis. A flight was diverted again yesterday due to a passenger's name showing up -- well, it looked close to a name that showed up on the government's no-fly list. The pros and cons of using that list ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Let's take a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
The opening salvo in one of the most contentious processes within the federal government, choosing which military facilities to close. The Pentagon last hour unveiled its short list of likely candidates, including 33 major installations. CNN will keep you updated throughout the day with reaction from the effected bases and their surrounding communities.
Convicted serial killer Michael Ross got his final wish early this morning and was put to death by the state of Connecticut. It was the first execution in the state since 1960. Ross had dropped all appeals and demanded to die. He was convicted of killing four young women in the 1980s and claimed to have killed four others.
Pope Benedict XVI has waived the rules on sainthood eligibility for his predecessor. That means Pope John Paul II could be declared a saint within a few years. Normally...
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Aired May 13, 2005 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: It is 11:00 a.m. in the nation's capital, 4:00 p.m. in Manchester, England, and 7:30 p.m. in Kabul, Afghanistan, on this, yes, it is, Friday, the 13th.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
Up first this hour, the battle over U.S. military bases begins within the last half-hour. You saw it live here on CNN. The Pentagon officially releasing the list that communities around the country were waiting for, military bases recommended for closure.
Our Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, has details on which bases are targeted. Then we're going to go to Joe Johns on Capitol Hill for reaction there.
We're going to begin with Jamie -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, the list is out, and the Pentagon has said that they consider 33 major bases things that should be closed. And they've also announced what they call 29 major realignments. These are bases that would lose 400 military or civilian personnel. But let's look at some of these closures around the country.
The Submarine Base in New London, Connecticut, that are is particularly hard hit because, in addition, the Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Maine, is also on the list for -- for closure, one of the major bases there in that area.
As you move down the East Coast, you can see that Fort Monroe, Virginia, the headquarters of the Training and Doctrine Command, also on the list for potential closure. The Naval Station in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Trent Lott's home state, that's not going to sit well with him.
Cannon Air Force Base, out in Texas is the home of some F-16s. Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, home of the B-1 bombers, they'll -- they'll be moving to other locations.
But again, these are recommendations that go to the base closure commission, and they'll send their recommendations to the president and Capitol Hill at the end of the year.
KAGAN: All right, Jamie. One of the states that is getting a lot of news today, right here in Georgia. The governor, Sonny Perdue, holding a news conference now, talking about seven bases recommended for closures, seven recommended for gain. Let's listen in.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
GOV. SONNY PERDUE (R), GEORGIA: ... and its military history and leadership, action, and protecting freedom and liberty have contributed to this national defense for many, many years. Many of our installations are good gainers. We're certainly disappointed, obviously of the Naval Air Station, the Naval Supply Course School in Athens, and Fort Gillam and Fort McPherson.
The battle is not over. We will continue to give a vigorous defense of the military missions of these installations as we go forward.
This is the opening volley and a deliberative process, and we believe a fair and deliberative commission will listen to those messages that we have from the contributions. We will be talking more specifically as we go to those installations about the value of each one. But overall, we are fortunate in Georgia, statewide.
Certainly our thoughts go to those individuals that possibly may be affected at these installations. And it's -- when it's you, it makes a big difference. We understand that. And we will be fighting for those folks and those jobs until the very, very end.
And I -- none of us here -- this has been a great team effort, as you see, with congressmen that are here, and Senator Isakson, Senator Chambliss, who have been a great team effort. And they're to be applauded for the -- the team effort that the communities have put into this, the state as a whole, and our congressional delegation.
I've never seen our state pull together any better. And we'll continue to pull together with those communities that are affected, the community action groups that are affected. We will continue to -- to vigorously defend the missions and the jobs that are there and hopefully be successful in that effort.
But overall, that having been said, recognizing the personal pain of some people in these areas, the potential pain, Georgia is fortunate to be the second net gainer of jobs and missions in the country. And we're very proud of that.
We think, again, that reflects the value that our Department of Defense knows about Georgia, longtime patriot state, contributing more than its share of national defense. And we appreciate that recognition.
At this time, I'm going to ask Senator Chambliss to come forward and then Senator Isakson.
SEN. SAXBY CHAMBLISS (R), GEORGIA: Thank you very much, Governor. And I just want to compliment the governor of the state...
KAGAN: A subdued Governor Perdue getting the news that seven bases in Georgia, military bases, on the list for closure. Seven, though, on the list for gain. Senator Saxby Chambliss at the mic right now.
Let's bring in our Capitol Hill correspondent, Joe Johns.
Talk about -- you heard the governor say the fight's not over. You're going to hear politicians all around the country say that. Interestingly enough, Senator Chambliss sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Isn't that kind of a blow to have so many from his own state on that list?
JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, but this is the kind of process where everybody's ox can get gored, quite frankly. To talk a little about the process and the way it works, you have this first opening round of recommendations from the secretary of defense. After that, they go to this base closure commission that's been set up, this nine-member commission.
That commission goes around the country, looks at the bases and tries to get a feel for whether they're the right recommendations. After that, it sends its own set of recommendations to the president of the United States. He can say whether he likes everything or not...
KAGAN: OK.
JOHNS: ... or send it back to them and tell them to make some changes.
After that, Congress basically only has a choice of voting it down. So when they talk about trying to affect this process and change this process, they're talking about arguing their case to the base closing commission. And that's something that's going to go on for some time.
I have a few picture to show you, Daryn. Earlier today, it all started with the members of the Armed Services at the Armed Services Committee room of the House of Representatives gathering to go around, fan out across the United States Capitol complex to deliver documents to the House of Representatives, also the senators, for them to see what the recommendations are.
Now, some of the losers that haven't been talked about yet include Maine, Alaska. Connecticut has been talked about a bit. Mississippi, of course. That's the home state of Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi.
He issued a statement just a little while ago indicating, "I oppose this process at its initiation because it represents a copout by Congress of its duties. I continue to dislike the process and the fact that any Mississippi facilities are on the closure list." That being said, he says, "I'm breathing a sigh of relief for the facilities that were not on the list."
So those reactions now trickling in on this first round list on base closures.
Back to you, Daryn KAGAN: All right. Joe Johns on Capitol Hill. Thank you.
Let's go back to the Pentagon one more time. Our Jamie McIntyre has been watching the list, watching the coverage, and has more to add -- Jamie.
MCINTYRE: You heard the governor of Georgia make the case that all of the affected communities are going to make, which is that their particular affected base has a specific military necessity. And they're going to be arguing that. But let me just tell you what the Pentagon's counter-argument is going to be, and they'll be making arguments before the base closure commission as well.
And that is, they're going to argue that this is a carefully balanced plan, that each one of these decisions is interdependent on the other, and that it's going to be very difficult to change one decision about one base without affecting the whole plan. In fact, that's what Defense Secretary Rumsfeld said was his rationale for not changing the recommendations that came to him.
He said he didn't change the list at all because he realized that it was so delicately balanced, that each decision depended on something happening some place else, in another state, that it was very difficult to tinker with. And that's going to be their argument, that they really shouldn't change -- make many changes to this list.
Meanwhile, every individual community will be arguing hard to save their base.
KAGAN: Jamie, keeping in mind besides the fact that there is -- excuse me. Besides the fact there is this argument phase that goes on, it's six years that the military has to close down these individual bases. There's not like a padlock that's going on these places tomorrow morning
MCINTYRE: No, but once they're going to be closed, they're going to be going. And there's probably not going to be another round of base closures anytime soon, because it's such a politically painful process.
So people know this is sort of a last stand. If you can save your base from this round of closings, you probably saved it for a long time.
KAGAN: Ah, got it. Jamie McIntyre, thanks for all your help this morning.
For a complete list of military bases targeted for closings, log on to CNN.com.
There is no letup in Iraq today. Insurgents struck in Baghdad and Baquba, killing two Iraqi soldiers and a police officer. Targets included police cars, U.S. and Iraqi military convoys, and the government ministry building. Because of the ongoing violence, the new Iraqi prime minister today extended a state of emergency, and that essentially keeps the country under martial law. In the western Iraqi desert, U.S. Marines taking part in Operation Matador say they are moving about freely. Insurgents and foreign fighters have apparently fled or gone into hiding. That crackdown started last weekend.
It's no secret a lot of young people are steering clear of the military because of the Iraq war. The Army missed recruiting goals for February, March, and again in April. To make itself more marketable, the Army is reducing its minimum active duty enlistment to 15 months and offering bigger signing bonuses. But the following numbers are putting pressure on recruiters, and some now are accused of bending the rules to keep the military supplied with soldiers.
Our correspondent Thelma Gutierrez takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): David McSwane knew he was on to a big story.
DAVID MCSWANE, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: I wanted to see how far they would go to get one more soldier.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's getting in there.
GUTIERREZ: What he uncovered at one Army recruiting center is making waves all the way up to the Pentagon.
LT. COL. JEFFREY BRODEUR, U.S. ARMY: We aggressively and immediately started an investigation.
GUTIERREZ: David McSwane is not a professional journalist. He's 17 years old, a senior at Arvada West High School outside Denver, Colorado. And he's a prime target for military recruiters.
MCSWANE: This is just something that affects everyone in my age group, everyone in high school across America.
GUTIERREZ: So, David, a reporter for the high school newspaper, set out to find out just how far Army recruiters would go to enlist a new soldier.
MCSWANE: The scenario I came up with was that I'm a 17-year-old dropout and that I have a drug problem that I just -- I just can't kick.
GUTIERREZ: The Army requires a high school diploma or GED, and they don't except recruits with drug problems. But David says a recruiter at this center in Golden, Colorado, told him not to worry.
MCSWANE: These are the transcripts that go with the diploma.
GUTIERREZ: David says his recruiter told him to go to the Internet to buy this fake high school diploma and bogus school transcripts. David taped the conversations.
MCSWANE: They accepted my diploma and all that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that's what they told us. So...
MCSWANE: All right. But they don't know it's fake or anything and I'm not going to get in trouble?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right. You won't, pal.
MCSWANE: All right. Cool.
GUTIERREZ: As for his made-up drug problem:
MCSWANE: This is the detox he told me to buy.
GUTIERREZ: David says the recruiter told him to buy this product to pass the Army's drug test.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You just have to follow instructions to a tee. It has got like a 150 percent guarantee that you will pass. You know, I've seen it work before.
GUTIERREZ: The recruiter then took David to a store to buy the product while someone videotaped.
MCSWANE: He went as far as driving me down to the place to buy the detox drink in a government vehicle.
GUTIERREZ: After David's investigation was published in his high school newspaper, it snowballed into a P.R. nightmare for the Army.
BRODEUR: Disappointment. Wrapped up into one word.
GUTIERREZ: Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Brodeur has 129 recruiters under his command. Two of the four recruiters at this Golden, Colorado, center are now under investigation for alleged recruiting abuses.
BRODEUR: So far today, it appears to be a character issue. We're trained not to do that.
GUTIERREZ: Jim Massey was a Marine recruiter for three years.
JIM MASSEY, FMR. MILITARY RECRUITER: This isn't just an isolated incident. This is a widespread epidemic.
GUTIERREZ: Massey says military recruiters are under such intense pressure to make their quota, they'll often stretch the truth to sign up recruits. He says he did it, too.
MASSEY: I was a recruiter for three years. And I recruited 75 young men. And I would say 98 percent of the young men that I signed up for the Marine Corps were frauded into the military in some capacity.
GUTIERREZ: Massey says, when he failed to sign up two recruits a month, he received these letters of reprimand. MASSEY: I had never had any types of or signs or symptoms of depression in my entire life until I went out on recruiting duty. My second year out on recruiting duty, I was taking antidepressants.
GUTIERREZ: Massey fought in Iraq, then came home with a change of heart. He's now an anti-war activist.
MASSEY: I sold my soul a long time ago to the Marine Corps. And each day, I strive to get a little bit of it back.
GUTIERREZ: Major General Michael Rochelle, commanding general in charge of recruiting for the U.S. Army, plans to shut down 1,700 recruiting offices across the country for one day to review procedures for the Army's 7,500 recruiters, in direct response to the allegations made by David McSwane and others.
MAJ. GEN. MICHAEL ROCHELLE, U.S. ARMY RECRUITING COMMAND: I was disappointed by it. I was very disappointed by it. I've been around the Army a long time. So, very little shocks me, if you will. It hurts personally and professionally.
GUTIERREZ: General Rochelle says the target is 80,000 new recruits a year. It is a tough task, he says, to recruit an all- volunteer Army at a time of war. Many parents use their influence to discourage enlistment.
ROCHELLE: One is the fear of loss of life or limb. And that's real. Take those two factors, along with the seeming resistance on the part of influencers, and you present a pretty daunting challenge for the Army.
SHELLY HANSEN, MOTHER OF DAVID: I worried that people would think he wasn't patriotic.
GUTIERREZ: Sally Hansen says she feared a backlash against her son for exposing his recruiters.
HANSEN: He's probably one of the most patriotic kids I know. He was in the Young Marines for almost a year and earned a couple awards.
GUTIERREZ: Now David has an award from his school for his expose on the Army.
MCSWANE: If I were a soldier out on the front line, I wouldn't want someone next to me who my life could be depending on going through withdrawal or having a drug addiction or just being someone I can't trust. I just don't think that's something we need on our front lines.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: That was Thelma Gutierrez reporting.
An unlikely witness is up next in the Michael Jackson court case. That is Mark Geragos, his former attorney. What's a former attorney doing on the stand? We will find out in Santa Maria. Also, guess who's the commencement speaker today at Auburn in Alabama? Vice President Dick Cheney. The honorary Tiger coming up.
More after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Let's check in on California. Live pictures of Michael Jackson. You see his father, Joe, and his mother there, arriving at the courthouse in Santa Maria, California.
Big and interesting day there for the defense. They're putting celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos on the stand. He is Jackson's longtime lawyer, defended the pop star after his arrest on child molestation charges in November 2003, but he left the case in April 2004. Michael Jackson wanted his own attorney, did not want to share Mark Geragos with Scott Peterson.
Our Rusty Dornin has more from Santa Maria.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: First up this morning, a face that's commonly seen in celebrity court cases, but not usually on the witness stand. Defense attorney Mark Geragos will be the first witness. Judge Rodney Melville ordering him to appear today.
The defense had subpoenaed him twice. Geragos sent a representative saying that he was busy on other court cases.
Judge Rodney Melville said if mechanics and sheriff's deputies and other members of the community have to respond to subpoenas, Geragos shouldn't be above the law. He said he better be here or he will issue a warrant.
Geragos was Michael Jackson's attorney briefly on this case. He was there during the fallout of the Martin Bashir film, "Living With Michael Jackson," but was let go in April of 2004.
Now, this was during the time that Geragos was the defense attorney for Scott Peterson. Michael Jackson decided to go with Brian Oxman and Thomas Mesereau as his attorneys.
Geragos is expected to be on the stand most of the day.
Rusty Dornin, CNN, Santa Maria, California
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And we have a lot more developing news coming up next. Also, we're going to check in on Vice President Dick Cheney. We'll show you the young people he's hanging out with today. That's after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: It is slow going this morning in Kansas City. More storms are expected to cause flash flooding.
Last night, strong winds nudged a tree on top of a house, damaged other buildings and left some people without electricity. There are no serious injuries reported. Kind of the weather we expect this time of year in the middle of the country.
Jill Brown is here with more.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: If you're thinking about flying, this story will be of interest to you. It happens on a frequent basis. A flight was diverted again yesterday due to a passenger's name showing up -- well, it looked close to a name that showed up on the government's no-fly list. The pros and cons of using that list ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Let's take a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
The opening salvo in one of the most contentious processes within the federal government, choosing which military facilities to close. The Pentagon last hour unveiled its short list of likely candidates, including 33 major installations. CNN will keep you updated throughout the day with reaction from the effected bases and their surrounding communities.
Convicted serial killer Michael Ross got his final wish early this morning and was put to death by the state of Connecticut. It was the first execution in the state since 1960. Ross had dropped all appeals and demanded to die. He was convicted of killing four young women in the 1980s and claimed to have killed four others.
Pope Benedict XVI has waived the rules on sainthood eligibility for his predecessor. That means Pope John Paul II could be declared a saint within a few years. Normally...
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