Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Today
Quran Retraction; Holy Site Targeted?; Wireless Amber Alert
Aired May 17, 2005 - 10:59 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: Well, he's been acquitted of his wife's murder, but you're about to hear a candid conversation with actor Robert Blake. Some very surprising things that he said ahead for you.
And a new feature for your cell phone. It could help save a life.
The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.
Let's go ahead and start with what's happening "Now in the News."
Authorities in Idaho have issued an Amber Alert for two children following a suspected triple homicide. Three bodies were found inside a house in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Authorities are now searching for 9- year-old Dillon Groene and his 8-year-old sister, Shasta. They live at the house.
The polls have been open for about an hour in Los Angeles. Voters casting ballots in the race for mayor, and analysts predict a low turnout on this one. The race is between challenger Antonio Villaraigosa and incumbent James Hahn. It has centered on ethics, character and leadership style.
A twin-engine plane makes a safe landing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after a scary scenario. The plane was having trouble with its landing gear. The pilot circled for about an hour until that problem was fixed. The plane had seven people on board. It landed just over an hour ago
Senate leaders say they're poised for a showdown in the filibuster fight, but efforts to reach a compromise continue behind the scenes. A plan under discussion would allow a Senate vote on five of President Bush's judicial nominees. In exchange, six Republicans would vote against a so-called nuclear option of banning judicial filibusters.
Taking a look at time around the world, 11:00 a.m. in New York City, 6:00 p.m. in Jerusalem. And from here at CNN Center, just after 11:00 a.m.
Good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
Up first this hour, truth and consequences, the backlash from a now-retracted "Newsweek" magazine report. It's being felt from Afghanistan to Washington and throughout the news media. The story that interrogators at Guantanamo Bay desecrated the Quran is being blamed for deadly rioting in Afghanistan, and it came under criticism at the Pentagon.
We're going to start there with our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr.
Barbara, good morning.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.
Well, here's where things stand today. About an hour and a half from now in this briefing room, the Pentagon will hold its first regular update, operational update news conference, since this controversy erupted. This is expected to be at the top of the list of reporters' questions, of course.
Now, the military says it has reviewed about 30,000 documents, the official logs and reports at Guantanamo Bay, in the last several days since all of this erupted. And here's what they say they have found.
The Pentagon says, in looking at all these documents they have found no specific allegations from detainees themselves about the Quran being flushed down the toilet by guards. What they have found is reports that some detainees ripped out pages from the Quran and tried to flush them down toilets to stop them up. But the military says they are going to pursue all of this, they are going to look at all of the documents and see where it takes them, that they are continuing to look.
Pentagon officials also say they do know that there are allegations of this type of desecration from lawyers for some of the detainees. These are people speaking who are not at Guantanamo Bay. Pentagon officials say they don't routinely investigate reports from lawyers of detainees because they can only look at official documents, but they are certainly trying to determine, they say, what, if anything, happened. But so far, they say they just haven't found anything.
Now, after the "Newsweek" report came out, the Pentagon went back to look at the investigation that "Newsweek" was talking about, a southern command investigation. And, of course, that led to all of this rioting that broke out in eastern Afghanistan.
They looked at the investigation that "Newsweek" mentioned. They said, in that investigation, which has not yet been released by the southern command, they found no allegations of specific Quran abuse, but that there are other allegations that investigation is looking into, of other types of potential misconduct at Guantanamo Bay.
So, now, to be clear, Daryn, what they are talking about here are some cases, some allegations they found of other types of mishandling of the Quran that date back several months, if not a couple of years. There are two allegations that they are trying to look at just to find out what, if anything, might be true about them, one where a Quran accidentally fell on the floor, and one where a Quran was handled by a woman interrogator or translator, a woman employee at Guantanamo Bay. They are looking into all of that, but so far, they say, they have nothing that tells them there was any flushing of a Quran down a toilet by U.S. military personnel -- Daryn.
KAGAN: All right. Barbara Starr, thank you for those facts from the Pentagon.
Let's get some insight into how "Newsweek" has handled this controversy and how this affects public opinion of the news media. For that, let's bring in Howard Kurtz, "Washington Post" media critic and host of CNN's "RELIABLE SOURCES."
Howard, good morning
HOWARD KURTZ, "RELIABLE SOURCES": Good morning.
KAGAN: In the interest of fairness, we should mention the "Washington Post" owned by the same company as "Newsweek."
KURTZ: Correct.
KAGAN: And what do you think about how "Newsweek" has handled the situation so far?
KURTZ: Well, on the one hand, I give "Newsweek" credit. Unlike a lot of other media organizations that have come under ethical fire, within a day or so "Newsweek" said it had gotten its facts wrong, its editor, Mark Whitaker, apologized. Whitaker and other top editors have been available for interviews with people like me and have gone on a lot of television programs.
So they haven't gone into the bunker. On the other hand, they did handle this retraction question a little clumsily.
KAGAN: Didn't the kind of hedge a little bit, like, well, we -- you know, it's good journalism, or they didn't really say they were sorry, or it wasn't a complete retraction off the top?
KURTZ: Well, it's not fair to say they didn't say they were sorry. They not only apologized, but they expressed, you know, great regret for the loss of life that occurred when these riots were triggered apparently by this 10-sentence "Newsweek" item. But they did hedge or shade their language a little bit in terms of how much they were taking back.
That turned out to be a mistake, because it turned the initial story into a two-day story...
KAGAN: Right.
KURTZ: ... and it gave the White House and the Pentagon and the State Department an opportunity to beat up on "Newsweek" further.
KAGAN: Well, your paper ran a similar account back in I think March of '03, you wrote in one of your pieces this week. Why is it different when "The Washington Post" reported this, as to what "Newsweek" reported?
KURTZ: What "The Washington Post" and some other news outlets reported over the last couple of years was that detainees or their lawyers have alleged incidents where the Quran as abused. Now, it's hard to know from the outside whether those stories are accurate or not, but here comes "Newsweek" with an unnamed source...
KAGAN: Right.
KURTZ: ... which gets journalists into so much trouble, a senior U.S. government official saying military investigators have confirmed this and it's going to be in this report that's coming out shortly. Well, that turned out to be wrong.
"Newsweek" bet its reputation on this source, who now admits he didn't know what he was talking about. That's very different than quoting detainees as making allegations.
KAGAN: And that leaves - that puts the focus on anonymous sources, on the media painting (ph) the liberal -- which a lot of people try to make that case as well. And I want to the put up this poll. This is from the Freedom of the Press. It's a public opinion poll, and it was taken earlier this spring.
Basically, look at the numbers of people saying media shows bias in reporting the news, 60 percent. Media has too much freedom; 43 percent. If you look all the way down at the bottom, government should censor the press, 22 percent.
I mean, that almost seems un-American, calling for censorship.
KURTZ: Well, I understand the loss of faith in the media, which is due in large part to a lot of self-inflicted wounds. Mistakes have been made. You know the litany in "The New York Times," "USA Today," CBS News, and so forth.
KAGAN: Sure.
KURTZ: I am surprised -- I know it's a little chilling as a card-carrying journalist to find out people might be in favor of government censorship. However flawed and imperfect and, in some cases, biased the media may be, I certainly don't want federal censors telling us what we can and cannot publish.
KAGAN: I'm right on board with you there. Is there a lesson learned in this "Newsweek" incident?
KURTZ: The lesson learned is that if you live by anonymous sources, you die by anonymous sources. And you ought to be awfully careful about making a prediction of what's going to be in a government report if you haven't seen at least a draft of the report.
This was a scoop that "Newsweek" didn't need to shove into the magazine. Now, obviously nobody could have predicted the deadly consequences that resulted, but it was such a sensitive issue to talk about this, that if you don't have it nailed down, don't go with it. And I think this is yet another incident that has not only tarnished the reputation of "Newsweek," but, again, of the media as a whole
KAGAN: Yes. Howard Kurtz, with "The Washington Post" and our own "RELIABLE SOURCES."
Howard, thank you.
KURTZ: Thank you, Daryn.
KAGAN: And now to Fort hood, Texas, a sentencing hearing this morning for Specialist Sabrina Harman. She could go to prison for five-and-a-half years for her role in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal.
One infamous photo shows Harman behind a pyramid of naked Iraqis. Harman's lawyers argued the Army didn't properly train her to be a prison guard. The military jury did not buy that defense.
In Iraq today, a roadside bomb killed an American soldier and slightly wounded another. The attack happened in the so-called Sunni Triangle between Tikrit and Baghdad. The death brings the number of Americans killed in Iraq to 1,623.
As we move it to the north, U.S. troops took on insurgents in Mosul. In one fight, U.S. Army helicopters fired on buildings that police say insurgents were using as hiding spots. Some of the buildings had been abandoned by their owners.
Israeli police are holding several men today. All are accused in a plot to attack a site revered by both Jews and Muslims.
Our Guy Raz has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jerusalemites like to joke that the next world war, if it comes, will start right here, at the holiest site for Jews and the third holiest for Muslims. But jokes are sometimes tinged with truth, brought to an uncomfortable level recently after Jerusalem police uncovered a plot by Jewish extremists to attack the site.
(on camera): The men allegedly planned to acquire an anti-tank missile, haul it up to a Jerusalem rooftop like this, and then launch it toward the mosque. Once police arrived on the scene, the plotters would then lob grenades, and one final act of suicide.
(voice-over): Israeli security officials believe plots like these are just the tip of the iceberg. Protecting the site from religious extremists has become a top priority.
In a statement, police said they are particularly sensitive about this issue and determined to uncover any intention to harm the Temple Mount. They will act strongly and aggressively to prevent any such intention.
To Muslims around the world, the site is known as the Noble Sanctuary, home to two important Islamic shrines. Tensions high in the area these days with regular standoffs between police and religious demonstrators.
(on camera): If somebody was able to do any kind of attack here, what would you imagine might happen?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I imagine that it is a disaster, and I wish that we should not see this day. And the Israeli government should understand that it will hold the maximum responsibility.
RAZ (voice-over): Israeli intelligence officials believe a small band of Jewish extremists seeks to attack the site to fulfill a dream of rebuilding the ancient Jewish temple, remnants of which lie under the Islamic Dome of the Rock. Yehuda Glick, who runs a museum that depicts life during the ancient temple period, says religious prophecy suggests the temple will one day be rebuilt. But he condemns any attempts to attack the site.
YEHUDA GLICK, DIRECTOR, TEMPLE INSTITUTE: Anybody who wants to use the holy temple for a -- for a means of political or for a means of religious, even for religious reasons, he's missing the whole thing.
RAZ: Missing, he says, the goal of maintaining peace in the area. But either way, Israeli security officials are worried enough about the threats to make securing the site their top priority.
Guy Raz, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Let's check out some live pictures now from Havana, Cuba. Fidel Castro calls on Cubans to take to the streets. It's a march against terrorism, he's calling it, and an accused bomber who is now right here in the U.S.
Then, Robert Blake walked free after the trial for killing his wife. So what's he saying about his life now? You're going to hear from the former "Baretta" star in just a moment
And Amber Alerts to use your cell phone. We'll tell you how that's going to work just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Today in the Michael Jackson child molestation case, Jackson's defense team will continue working to tear away the wall of accusations against their client. On Monday, the defense tried to undercut key claims from the mother of Jackson's accuser. The mother has said that she and her children were held against their will at Jackson's ranch In other legal news, not guilty, that's the plea that accused courthouse killer Brian Nichols entered in an Atlanta courtroom last hour. Nichols is charged with 54 counts of murder, kidnapping, robbery and escape in a shooting spree in March that left four people dead. Prosecutors say they'll ask for the death penalty.
Actor Robert Blake is blasting the media for what he called not always fair coverage of his murder trial. In March, Blake was acquitted of killing his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley. During an interview on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE" last night, Blake said he'll always be saddened by his wife's killing. He also thanked his supporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT BLAKE, ACTOR: I want desperately and deeply to thank all the thousands of people that wrote letters to me when I was in the can, before I went, while I was there, after I left. Wonderful, beautiful people.
Not fans, just human beings that said, "Hang in there, Robert. We're with you. You're going to get out of there."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: And the man convicted of killing 5-year-old Samantha Runnion could be headed to death row. A judge must now decide whether to uphold a jury's recommended sentence, death sentence for Alejandro Avila. Avila was convicted in the killing and sexual assault of Runnion, who was snatched from outside her home in 2002. Sentencing is set for July 22.
Police in Idaho have issued an Amber Alert for two missing children. This after police arrived at the children's home and found three people dead. Police say all three were murdered. The missing children include a 9-year-old boy and his 8-year-old sister. Officials say they are not looking for a specific vehicle.
The search to find missing children is going high-tech. Just in the last hour, child advocates and the wireless industry announced a new initiative. It's coming to your cell phone very soon.
Our Kimberly Osias joins us from Washington with details.
Kimberly, good morning
KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.
Indeed, it is going high-tech. It's actually the next stage of Amber Alerts. Now anybody anywhere can sign up to be an extra set of eyes or a sleuth in stopping crime.
Those highway banners and milk cartons aren't being replaced altogether. They're just actually being augmented with wireless technology.
The way it works is pretty simple. You sign up by logging on to www.wirelessamberalerts.org. It can take about 60 seconds.
Then you'll enter a secure Web site, give the cell numbers where you want to receive the alerts, and also enter the zip codes where you spend the most amount of time. You can enter up to five.
So, for example, if you travel from New York to Pennsylvania, you can enter the zip codes along your route. Information about the abductor and the victim will be relayed in real time. And that's, of course, what's critical in missing children cases.
Statistics show the first three hours a child is missing are absolutely critical. Experts say the information will be targeted in only the most serious cases to avoid information overload.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN WALSH, "AMERICA'S MOST WANTED": They won't be bombarded with Amber Alerts every time they flip on that phone. That's not the intent, to burn people out.
They won't see the wire alerts from California if they live in Oregon. They won't see the wireless -- they won't see the Amber Alerts from Florida if they live in Oregon. They won't see the Amber Alerts from North Carolina if they live in Washington, D.C.
They will see the Amber Alerts that they can make a difference on. They will see the Amber Alerts that will mean something to them in their area.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OSIAS: In addition to the Web site we just told you about, you can also register for the program through your wireless cell phone carrier's Web site. So far, about a dozen are involved in the program. More are expected to sign up.
For example, you can long onto Sprint, Verizon or Nextel and get registered to be on the lookout. Then those alerts will appear on your screen right here, like this cell phone. Of course we've turned it off. You'll get a text message with the vital information, like license plate number, automobile description, and any other pertinent information about the abductor and the child.
So hopefully more children will get back home safely, especially like those two in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Absolutely. Kimberly Osias, in Washington, D.C. Thank you.
So the question is what to do with that pilot. You know, the one who caused a security scare last week in the nation's capital. Could the FAA be close to a decision?
High winds move even big trucks. We'll tell you where after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: A few hundred people still don't have electricity this morning after a Utah windstorm. Hurricane-strength wind gusts blew down power lines and toppled tractor-trailer riggs on I-15 and I-80. A few dents on the trucks, but nobody was hurt. And that's the good news.
Jacqui, what's happening with those strong winds through Utah?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, well, those are gone now.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: All right. Jacqui, thank you.
Well, a few weeks ago they were out, now they're back in. TSA goes back on one of its security rules. Well, kind of. There's a stipulation here. We'll tell you just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 17, 2005 - 10:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, he's been acquitted of his wife's murder, but you're about to hear a candid conversation with actor Robert Blake. Some very surprising things that he said ahead for you.
And a new feature for your cell phone. It could help save a life.
The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.
Let's go ahead and start with what's happening "Now in the News."
Authorities in Idaho have issued an Amber Alert for two children following a suspected triple homicide. Three bodies were found inside a house in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Authorities are now searching for 9- year-old Dillon Groene and his 8-year-old sister, Shasta. They live at the house.
The polls have been open for about an hour in Los Angeles. Voters casting ballots in the race for mayor, and analysts predict a low turnout on this one. The race is between challenger Antonio Villaraigosa and incumbent James Hahn. It has centered on ethics, character and leadership style.
A twin-engine plane makes a safe landing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after a scary scenario. The plane was having trouble with its landing gear. The pilot circled for about an hour until that problem was fixed. The plane had seven people on board. It landed just over an hour ago
Senate leaders say they're poised for a showdown in the filibuster fight, but efforts to reach a compromise continue behind the scenes. A plan under discussion would allow a Senate vote on five of President Bush's judicial nominees. In exchange, six Republicans would vote against a so-called nuclear option of banning judicial filibusters.
Taking a look at time around the world, 11:00 a.m. in New York City, 6:00 p.m. in Jerusalem. And from here at CNN Center, just after 11:00 a.m.
Good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
Up first this hour, truth and consequences, the backlash from a now-retracted "Newsweek" magazine report. It's being felt from Afghanistan to Washington and throughout the news media. The story that interrogators at Guantanamo Bay desecrated the Quran is being blamed for deadly rioting in Afghanistan, and it came under criticism at the Pentagon.
We're going to start there with our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr.
Barbara, good morning.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.
Well, here's where things stand today. About an hour and a half from now in this briefing room, the Pentagon will hold its first regular update, operational update news conference, since this controversy erupted. This is expected to be at the top of the list of reporters' questions, of course.
Now, the military says it has reviewed about 30,000 documents, the official logs and reports at Guantanamo Bay, in the last several days since all of this erupted. And here's what they say they have found.
The Pentagon says, in looking at all these documents they have found no specific allegations from detainees themselves about the Quran being flushed down the toilet by guards. What they have found is reports that some detainees ripped out pages from the Quran and tried to flush them down toilets to stop them up. But the military says they are going to pursue all of this, they are going to look at all of the documents and see where it takes them, that they are continuing to look.
Pentagon officials also say they do know that there are allegations of this type of desecration from lawyers for some of the detainees. These are people speaking who are not at Guantanamo Bay. Pentagon officials say they don't routinely investigate reports from lawyers of detainees because they can only look at official documents, but they are certainly trying to determine, they say, what, if anything, happened. But so far, they say they just haven't found anything.
Now, after the "Newsweek" report came out, the Pentagon went back to look at the investigation that "Newsweek" was talking about, a southern command investigation. And, of course, that led to all of this rioting that broke out in eastern Afghanistan.
They looked at the investigation that "Newsweek" mentioned. They said, in that investigation, which has not yet been released by the southern command, they found no allegations of specific Quran abuse, but that there are other allegations that investigation is looking into, of other types of potential misconduct at Guantanamo Bay.
So, now, to be clear, Daryn, what they are talking about here are some cases, some allegations they found of other types of mishandling of the Quran that date back several months, if not a couple of years. There are two allegations that they are trying to look at just to find out what, if anything, might be true about them, one where a Quran accidentally fell on the floor, and one where a Quran was handled by a woman interrogator or translator, a woman employee at Guantanamo Bay. They are looking into all of that, but so far, they say, they have nothing that tells them there was any flushing of a Quran down a toilet by U.S. military personnel -- Daryn.
KAGAN: All right. Barbara Starr, thank you for those facts from the Pentagon.
Let's get some insight into how "Newsweek" has handled this controversy and how this affects public opinion of the news media. For that, let's bring in Howard Kurtz, "Washington Post" media critic and host of CNN's "RELIABLE SOURCES."
Howard, good morning
HOWARD KURTZ, "RELIABLE SOURCES": Good morning.
KAGAN: In the interest of fairness, we should mention the "Washington Post" owned by the same company as "Newsweek."
KURTZ: Correct.
KAGAN: And what do you think about how "Newsweek" has handled the situation so far?
KURTZ: Well, on the one hand, I give "Newsweek" credit. Unlike a lot of other media organizations that have come under ethical fire, within a day or so "Newsweek" said it had gotten its facts wrong, its editor, Mark Whitaker, apologized. Whitaker and other top editors have been available for interviews with people like me and have gone on a lot of television programs.
So they haven't gone into the bunker. On the other hand, they did handle this retraction question a little clumsily.
KAGAN: Didn't the kind of hedge a little bit, like, well, we -- you know, it's good journalism, or they didn't really say they were sorry, or it wasn't a complete retraction off the top?
KURTZ: Well, it's not fair to say they didn't say they were sorry. They not only apologized, but they expressed, you know, great regret for the loss of life that occurred when these riots were triggered apparently by this 10-sentence "Newsweek" item. But they did hedge or shade their language a little bit in terms of how much they were taking back.
That turned out to be a mistake, because it turned the initial story into a two-day story...
KAGAN: Right.
KURTZ: ... and it gave the White House and the Pentagon and the State Department an opportunity to beat up on "Newsweek" further.
KAGAN: Well, your paper ran a similar account back in I think March of '03, you wrote in one of your pieces this week. Why is it different when "The Washington Post" reported this, as to what "Newsweek" reported?
KURTZ: What "The Washington Post" and some other news outlets reported over the last couple of years was that detainees or their lawyers have alleged incidents where the Quran as abused. Now, it's hard to know from the outside whether those stories are accurate or not, but here comes "Newsweek" with an unnamed source...
KAGAN: Right.
KURTZ: ... which gets journalists into so much trouble, a senior U.S. government official saying military investigators have confirmed this and it's going to be in this report that's coming out shortly. Well, that turned out to be wrong.
"Newsweek" bet its reputation on this source, who now admits he didn't know what he was talking about. That's very different than quoting detainees as making allegations.
KAGAN: And that leaves - that puts the focus on anonymous sources, on the media painting (ph) the liberal -- which a lot of people try to make that case as well. And I want to the put up this poll. This is from the Freedom of the Press. It's a public opinion poll, and it was taken earlier this spring.
Basically, look at the numbers of people saying media shows bias in reporting the news, 60 percent. Media has too much freedom; 43 percent. If you look all the way down at the bottom, government should censor the press, 22 percent.
I mean, that almost seems un-American, calling for censorship.
KURTZ: Well, I understand the loss of faith in the media, which is due in large part to a lot of self-inflicted wounds. Mistakes have been made. You know the litany in "The New York Times," "USA Today," CBS News, and so forth.
KAGAN: Sure.
KURTZ: I am surprised -- I know it's a little chilling as a card-carrying journalist to find out people might be in favor of government censorship. However flawed and imperfect and, in some cases, biased the media may be, I certainly don't want federal censors telling us what we can and cannot publish.
KAGAN: I'm right on board with you there. Is there a lesson learned in this "Newsweek" incident?
KURTZ: The lesson learned is that if you live by anonymous sources, you die by anonymous sources. And you ought to be awfully careful about making a prediction of what's going to be in a government report if you haven't seen at least a draft of the report.
This was a scoop that "Newsweek" didn't need to shove into the magazine. Now, obviously nobody could have predicted the deadly consequences that resulted, but it was such a sensitive issue to talk about this, that if you don't have it nailed down, don't go with it. And I think this is yet another incident that has not only tarnished the reputation of "Newsweek," but, again, of the media as a whole
KAGAN: Yes. Howard Kurtz, with "The Washington Post" and our own "RELIABLE SOURCES."
Howard, thank you.
KURTZ: Thank you, Daryn.
KAGAN: And now to Fort hood, Texas, a sentencing hearing this morning for Specialist Sabrina Harman. She could go to prison for five-and-a-half years for her role in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal.
One infamous photo shows Harman behind a pyramid of naked Iraqis. Harman's lawyers argued the Army didn't properly train her to be a prison guard. The military jury did not buy that defense.
In Iraq today, a roadside bomb killed an American soldier and slightly wounded another. The attack happened in the so-called Sunni Triangle between Tikrit and Baghdad. The death brings the number of Americans killed in Iraq to 1,623.
As we move it to the north, U.S. troops took on insurgents in Mosul. In one fight, U.S. Army helicopters fired on buildings that police say insurgents were using as hiding spots. Some of the buildings had been abandoned by their owners.
Israeli police are holding several men today. All are accused in a plot to attack a site revered by both Jews and Muslims.
Our Guy Raz has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jerusalemites like to joke that the next world war, if it comes, will start right here, at the holiest site for Jews and the third holiest for Muslims. But jokes are sometimes tinged with truth, brought to an uncomfortable level recently after Jerusalem police uncovered a plot by Jewish extremists to attack the site.
(on camera): The men allegedly planned to acquire an anti-tank missile, haul it up to a Jerusalem rooftop like this, and then launch it toward the mosque. Once police arrived on the scene, the plotters would then lob grenades, and one final act of suicide.
(voice-over): Israeli security officials believe plots like these are just the tip of the iceberg. Protecting the site from religious extremists has become a top priority.
In a statement, police said they are particularly sensitive about this issue and determined to uncover any intention to harm the Temple Mount. They will act strongly and aggressively to prevent any such intention.
To Muslims around the world, the site is known as the Noble Sanctuary, home to two important Islamic shrines. Tensions high in the area these days with regular standoffs between police and religious demonstrators.
(on camera): If somebody was able to do any kind of attack here, what would you imagine might happen?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I imagine that it is a disaster, and I wish that we should not see this day. And the Israeli government should understand that it will hold the maximum responsibility.
RAZ (voice-over): Israeli intelligence officials believe a small band of Jewish extremists seeks to attack the site to fulfill a dream of rebuilding the ancient Jewish temple, remnants of which lie under the Islamic Dome of the Rock. Yehuda Glick, who runs a museum that depicts life during the ancient temple period, says religious prophecy suggests the temple will one day be rebuilt. But he condemns any attempts to attack the site.
YEHUDA GLICK, DIRECTOR, TEMPLE INSTITUTE: Anybody who wants to use the holy temple for a -- for a means of political or for a means of religious, even for religious reasons, he's missing the whole thing.
RAZ: Missing, he says, the goal of maintaining peace in the area. But either way, Israeli security officials are worried enough about the threats to make securing the site their top priority.
Guy Raz, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Let's check out some live pictures now from Havana, Cuba. Fidel Castro calls on Cubans to take to the streets. It's a march against terrorism, he's calling it, and an accused bomber who is now right here in the U.S.
Then, Robert Blake walked free after the trial for killing his wife. So what's he saying about his life now? You're going to hear from the former "Baretta" star in just a moment
And Amber Alerts to use your cell phone. We'll tell you how that's going to work just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Today in the Michael Jackson child molestation case, Jackson's defense team will continue working to tear away the wall of accusations against their client. On Monday, the defense tried to undercut key claims from the mother of Jackson's accuser. The mother has said that she and her children were held against their will at Jackson's ranch In other legal news, not guilty, that's the plea that accused courthouse killer Brian Nichols entered in an Atlanta courtroom last hour. Nichols is charged with 54 counts of murder, kidnapping, robbery and escape in a shooting spree in March that left four people dead. Prosecutors say they'll ask for the death penalty.
Actor Robert Blake is blasting the media for what he called not always fair coverage of his murder trial. In March, Blake was acquitted of killing his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley. During an interview on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE" last night, Blake said he'll always be saddened by his wife's killing. He also thanked his supporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT BLAKE, ACTOR: I want desperately and deeply to thank all the thousands of people that wrote letters to me when I was in the can, before I went, while I was there, after I left. Wonderful, beautiful people.
Not fans, just human beings that said, "Hang in there, Robert. We're with you. You're going to get out of there."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: And the man convicted of killing 5-year-old Samantha Runnion could be headed to death row. A judge must now decide whether to uphold a jury's recommended sentence, death sentence for Alejandro Avila. Avila was convicted in the killing and sexual assault of Runnion, who was snatched from outside her home in 2002. Sentencing is set for July 22.
Police in Idaho have issued an Amber Alert for two missing children. This after police arrived at the children's home and found three people dead. Police say all three were murdered. The missing children include a 9-year-old boy and his 8-year-old sister. Officials say they are not looking for a specific vehicle.
The search to find missing children is going high-tech. Just in the last hour, child advocates and the wireless industry announced a new initiative. It's coming to your cell phone very soon.
Our Kimberly Osias joins us from Washington with details.
Kimberly, good morning
KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.
Indeed, it is going high-tech. It's actually the next stage of Amber Alerts. Now anybody anywhere can sign up to be an extra set of eyes or a sleuth in stopping crime.
Those highway banners and milk cartons aren't being replaced altogether. They're just actually being augmented with wireless technology.
The way it works is pretty simple. You sign up by logging on to www.wirelessamberalerts.org. It can take about 60 seconds.
Then you'll enter a secure Web site, give the cell numbers where you want to receive the alerts, and also enter the zip codes where you spend the most amount of time. You can enter up to five.
So, for example, if you travel from New York to Pennsylvania, you can enter the zip codes along your route. Information about the abductor and the victim will be relayed in real time. And that's, of course, what's critical in missing children cases.
Statistics show the first three hours a child is missing are absolutely critical. Experts say the information will be targeted in only the most serious cases to avoid information overload.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN WALSH, "AMERICA'S MOST WANTED": They won't be bombarded with Amber Alerts every time they flip on that phone. That's not the intent, to burn people out.
They won't see the wire alerts from California if they live in Oregon. They won't see the wireless -- they won't see the Amber Alerts from Florida if they live in Oregon. They won't see the Amber Alerts from North Carolina if they live in Washington, D.C.
They will see the Amber Alerts that they can make a difference on. They will see the Amber Alerts that will mean something to them in their area.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OSIAS: In addition to the Web site we just told you about, you can also register for the program through your wireless cell phone carrier's Web site. So far, about a dozen are involved in the program. More are expected to sign up.
For example, you can long onto Sprint, Verizon or Nextel and get registered to be on the lookout. Then those alerts will appear on your screen right here, like this cell phone. Of course we've turned it off. You'll get a text message with the vital information, like license plate number, automobile description, and any other pertinent information about the abductor and the child.
So hopefully more children will get back home safely, especially like those two in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Absolutely. Kimberly Osias, in Washington, D.C. Thank you.
So the question is what to do with that pilot. You know, the one who caused a security scare last week in the nation's capital. Could the FAA be close to a decision?
High winds move even big trucks. We'll tell you where after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: A few hundred people still don't have electricity this morning after a Utah windstorm. Hurricane-strength wind gusts blew down power lines and toppled tractor-trailer riggs on I-15 and I-80. A few dents on the trucks, but nobody was hurt. And that's the good news.
Jacqui, what's happening with those strong winds through Utah?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, well, those are gone now.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: All right. Jacqui, thank you.
Well, a few weeks ago they were out, now they're back in. TSA goes back on one of its security rules. Well, kind of. There's a stipulation here. We'll tell you just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
