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American Morning

A Chilling Message from the Most Wanted Man in Iraq; Bold Statement from Vice President Dick Cheney

Aired May 31, 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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Bill Hemmer.
A chilling message from the most wanted man in Iraq. A new recording said to be from Zarqawi to Osama Bin Laden asking him for guidance. A live report is coming up.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Soledad O'Brien.

Amid violent attacks in Iraq, a bold statement from Vice President Dick Cheney.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think they're in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Mr. Cheney's prediction on the insurgency and when U.S. troops are coming home, coming up.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Jack Cafferty.

One of the most dreaded phrases in presidential politics is lame duck. President Bush has over three years to go, but is he already headed down that path?

HEMMER: Also, one day before hurricane season begins, that forecast is getting darker, on this AMERICAN MORNING.

On a Tuesday, good morning, everyone.

O'BRIEN: Lots of news out of Iraq to tell you about today.

HEMMER: Certainly is. That's where we start this morning, in Baghdad.

HEMMER: There have been two deadly air crashes in Iraq in the last 20 hours. Ryan Chilcote is live in the capital.

What do we know about these crashes, Ryan?

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

Well, we don't know very much at this point. There is only two possible causes for these crashes. Of course they were either accidents or these aircraft were shot down. If they're accidents, then, you know, the military would say accidents happen. However, if either of these aircraft were shot down, then that's a big concern, of course, to coalition forces here, because up until now, they've been more or less able to fly around Iraq without too many problems.

At this point, though, both the U.S. and Italian military officials saying they simply don't know the cause of these accidents. The most recent crash took place in Northern -- in southern, excuse me, Iraq. It was an Italian air force helicopter. It went down just south of Nasiriya this morning. The Italians say that they have found the wreckage of that helicopter. They say that all four Italian servicemen that were onboard that helicopter were killed in the crash.

And then just about 24 hours before that helicopter went down, an Iraqi reconnaissance plane went down. This time in the north of the country. The U.S. military says they've cordoned off that site. They say that all five individuals, that's four Americans and one Iraqi pilot on that plane, were killed in that crash -- Bill.

HEMMER: On another front, Ryan, there's terrorist leader Zarqawi reportedly releasing this recorded statement, saying he was suffering a minor wound from combat. What's the significance of this statement, Ryan?

CHILCOTE: Sure, well if you believe that that is, indeed, Zarqawi, who you saw on that tape -- we can't authenticate the tape. But if you believe that is Zarqawi, then that would seem to confirm the swirling speculation over the last couple of weeks that he was, indeed, wounded here in combat in Iraq over the last couple weeks.

Having said that, in that message, if you, again, believe it's Zarqawi, he says that he's still here in the country directing extremist attacks against coalition forces. So he's still someone that the U.S. military is going to have to deal with in the insurgency here.

Finally, I think one of the most interesting things perhaps about that audio message is that it's addressed to Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, and that would seem to confirm the reports that the two, that Zarqawi and Osama Bin Laden, have had an alliance, really, since late last year, when Osama Bin Laden called Zarqawi's Al Qaeda's prince in Iraq -- Bill.

HEMMER: Ryan Chilcote from Baghdad. We'll examine this throughout the day.

Ryan, thanks for that -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Operation Lightning in its third day now in Baghdad. It is a joint Iraqi/U.S. offensive to crackdown on insurgents operating inside the capital city. Major General William Webster is leading the American forces in Operation Lightning. He's live from Camp Victory this morning.

Nice to see you, major general. Thank you very much for talking with us. Can you tell us the status of Operation Lightning so far? Too early to call it a success? What's been done?

MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM WEBSTER, CMDR., 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION: Operation Lightning is the Iraqi-led plan and operation that's being conducted to secure all of Baghdad and, ultimately, the rest of Iraq.

Our portion of that is Operation Squeeze Play here in Baghdad. We've got about 37,000 soldiers from the Iraqi security forces, as well as the multinational forces, participating with us.

And things have gone well so far. We still have seen periodic spikes in enemy activity, but we have been able to see signs of success. And this operation will continue until we're able to beat down the insurgency.

O'BRIEN: What kinds of signs of success are you seeing?

WEBSTER: Well, we're now finding as many of these IEDs, these explosive devices, on the side of the road as are exploding. And half of those that are exploding are not causing any damage. We're doing that by conducting disruption operations and denying the enemy the time to be able to emplace these things regularly.

The number of car bombs, or V-bids, as we call them, has gone down significantly, and we're finding about 20 percent, 25 percent of those before they're able to explode. And none of them, apparently, are able to, in the last several weeks, have been able to reach their target.

So our portion of this is showing significant success, and as we talked to the Iraqi people here in Baghdad, they're appreciative for the increased security, they're proud to see their own Iraqi security forces out here leading this fight, and they're looking forward to the future.

O'BRIEN: There are some reports from U.S. military that indicate that U.S. troops are, in fact, out there in bigger number. They make up the bulk of Operation Lightning at this stage. Are those reports accurate? Is that true?

WEBSTER: No, in fact, from day to day, we have probably 13,000 police and army forces from the Iraqi government troops who are participating in this. And while we still have other missions to accomplish here in Baghdad, we're applying probably half of that against day-to-day operations. So it's clear, at this point that we've worked hard to train these Iraqi security forces, and they are now in the throes of taking the lead.

O'BRIEN: There were more attacks, I understand, in the month of May than in all of 2004. Why wait this long before you launch something like Operation Lightning? Why not do it sooner?

WEBSTER: Well, we have been conducting operations since we took over the security of Baghdad mission. Our multinational division here has conducted nine large brigade-sized operations since we arrived. And those were focused on gathering intelligence for stopping the V- bids. And by the time we had sufficient intelligence, and the forces mustered and the Iraqi security forces trained and organized to do this operation, it turned out to be literally about 16 days ago when we started. And, of course, the Iraqi minister of interior and minister of defense announced the new Iraqi prime minister's plan just last week. So it's timely. We wish we could have done it sooner, but this is when we're able to get it accomplished, and we're going after it.

O'BRIEN: Major General William Webster is the commander of the Third Infantry Division. Thanks for being with us. We certainly appreciate it -- Bill.

WEBSTER: You're welcome.

HEMMER: Also, the vice president, Dick Cheney, talked about Iraq here on CNN last night, on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE." Dick Cheney says he believes the Iraqi insurgency is in, quote, "the last throes." All this coming despite an extremely violent and deadly month for coalition troops and civilians in Iraq. The vice president also believes the war could end before he and President Bush leave office.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHENEY: We'll leave as soon as the task is over with. We haven't set a deadline or a date. It depends upon conditions. We have to achieve our objectives, complete the mission. And the two main requirements are, are the Iraqis in a position to be able to govern themselves, and they're well on their way to doing that.

LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR:: You expect that in your administration?

CHENEY: I do.

KING: It's not going to be 10-year event.

CHENEY: No. I think we may well have some kind of presence there over a period of time. I think the level of activity that we see today, from a military standpoint, I think will clearly decline. I think they're in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Also the vice president also saying he's convinced the U.S. did the right thing in Iraq. And later tonight on Larry King, more interviews with the former presidents Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush. Only with Larry King tonight, 9:00 Eastern on CNN.

O'BRIEN: A CNN security watch this morning. Two U.S. citizens are headed to federal court today on terrorism charges. Both men are said to have declared their loyalty to Osama Bin Laden.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): According to the criminal complaint, there was a lot of talk, talk of training al Qaeda terrorists in martial arts and hand-to-hand combat, talk of treating wounded Muslim fighters, talk that has two Americans facing charges of planning to help al Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden.

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (R), MAYOR OF NEW YORK: They clearly have said that they wanted to destroy our way of life and hurt the people of America. And if that's your definition of terrorism, I guess that certainly qualifies.

FEYERICK: The two men, friends for 20 years, were arrested over the weekend, Dr. Rafiq Sabir (ph) at his home in Boca Raton, Florida, Tariq Shaw (ph) at an apartment in the Bronx.

The complaint alleges Shaw did most of the talking, first to a convicted robber-turned-government-informant wearing a wire, then to an undercover FBI agent posing as a recruiter for Osama bin Laden. Prosecutors say Shaw scoped out a Long Island warehouse as a possible place for training, while Sabir was ready to go to Saudi Arabia this week.

Sabir graduated from Columbia University Medical School. He worked at Harlem Hospital, before moving several years ago to Florida to work as an emergency room doctor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a surprise for everybody, to be honest. They are nice people, you know?

FEYERICK: Both Sabir and Shaw allegedly swore an oath of allegiance to bin Laden.

BLOOMBERG: It doesn't look like they did very much. We saw what happens when you don't go after terrorists.

FEYERICK (on camera): Both men face one count of material support of terrorism. Repeated calls to their families and a lawyer went unanswered. Each faces a federal judge Tuesday to answer the charge.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: And you want to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security -- Bill.

HEMMER: The motive now still unclear in the killings of six people in Bellefontaine, Ohio. Authorities say preliminary evidence indicates it was a murder-suicide. They believe 18-year-old Scott Moody killed five people, then killed himself on the day he was to graduate from high school. The dead includes Moody's mother, two teenage friends, and the two of the boys grandparents. Also the grandparents had recently placed an ad in a local newspaper, congratulating Moody on his high school graduation. This incident was first reported by the stepsister of one of the victims in an anguished call to 911.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CALLER: Oh, my God! Oh, God! The son and the girlfriend are killed, too.

OPERATOR: What?

CALLER: I found the son, too, and his girlfriend.

OPERATOR: What's the matter?

CALLER: Oh, my God.

OPERATOR: What's going on, honey?

CALLER: The son and the girlfriend are beat up too.

OPERATOR: The son and the girlfriend? OK.

CALLER: (INAUDIBLE). I got to get off the phone.

OPERATOR: I need the address, honey.

CALLER: (INAUDIBLE) is the only one that's awake.

OPERATOR: There's only one awake?

CALLER: Yes.

OPERATOR: How many people have been beat up?

CALLER: Four. Four. There's five. There's another one. Oh, my God, there's one in the living room, too.

OPERATOR: Okay. What's going on right now, hon?

CALLER: She's telling me there's five dead. There's another one on the couch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Bellefontaine, Ohio, northwest of Columbus, Ohio, about 40 miles. The caller had been alerted by Moody's sister, who survived the rampage. She remains in critical condition in a hospital in Columbus.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: In a moment here, a new study looking at women who smoke and what Big Tobacco may have done to attract them. We'll get to that.

O'BRIEN: Also, the growing outrage in Australia over this woman's drug conviction, and what some Australians are now doing about it. HEMMER: Also, keeping kids safe in America. John Walsh teaming up on a project that teaches children how to protect themselves from kidnappers. A look at that, too, on a Tuesday edition of CNN's AMERICAN MORNING.

Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Did big tobacco companies go out of their way to target women? That's the claim avenue study that says women were the focus of marketing campaigns designed to encourage them to start smoking cigarettes. How far did the companies go? Let's talk about the study with Carrie Carpenter, the lead researcher on the project at Harvard School of Public Health. She's live in Boston.

Carrie, good morning to you.

CARRIE CARPENTER, HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: Good morning.

HEMMER: We've talked over the past several years about the addictive property of cigarettes. What's different that you've found in the study that you're putting out?

CARPENTER: Well, we found that the targeting of women by the tobacco industry goes beyond advertising and beyond marketing, and that they've actually designed products targeted to women.

HEMMER: So it goes beyond marketing. And we've seen marketing done for men before, the Marlboro Man. But what have they done that you've found in this study that specifically goes to the point you're trying to make?

CARPENTER: They've used sophisticated science to aggressively design products for women. They've changed the taste, they've added flavors, and they've marketed these products specifically so smoking and cigarettes are appealing to women and girls.

HEMMER: You say the taste. What did you find about the taste that was more attractive for women?

CARPENTER: We know that women like milder cigarettes, smooth cigarettes. They've added flavors, ranging from spearmint to marshmallow to make cigarettes appealing to women and to meet their taste preferences.

HEMMER: And you found that in these internal memos that you came up with? Is that where you conclude this?

CARPENTER: Yes. Our team researched previously secret industry documents that have been made public through the master settlement agreement.

HEMMER: Can you prove that women are more attracted to that taste, if it's spearmint or something else? CARPENTER: We looked at the industry's research, and the industry's research found that these differences were among women, and they exploited them.

HEMMER: OK. Is this the first time we've talked about this when you break it down between genders?

CARPENTER: Yes, it's the first time that we've looked at the actual product design and how it's been targeted to women. We know that women prefer different types of cigarettes, but we've looked at the industry's research.

HEMMER: A few of these memos, first RJ Reynolds in 1981, and we can put it on the screen to show our folks at home. "I, female smoker, prefer to smoke a long, thin cigarette because it's a lot more feminine, it's sexy looking."

Another memo, 1985, Brown & Williamson: "Young women, much more so than men, would likely to smoke a flavored cigarette."

Another one from Brown & Williamson, 1995, "Confidence and appealing to friends, the emotional attributes comprise an area of opportunity, and therefore are attributes which should be exploited.

You talk about some of the specifics in your previous answers. But back to the whole issue of marketing, what we're just reading here, doesn't that just show the aggressive marketing that's in these big tobacco companies you went after?

CARPENTER: It shows they not only marketed the products, but they designed and chemically changed tobacco blends in the actual product so these products were actually more addictive and more appealing to women. It goes beyond marketing.

HEMMER: You just said the thing I was trying to get to. The chemical component, what were they?

CARPENTER: They manipulated several of them. Again, adding flavor, changing blend, manipulating tar and nicotine levels. So products were easier to smoke and appeal to women, meeting their preferences.

HEMMER: How would you prove this, if you had to?

CARPENTER: I think the industry documents speak for themselves.

HEMMER: All right, Carrie. Thanks, Carrie Carpenter, Harvard University, our guest today from Boston. Interesting study -- Soledad.

CARPENTER: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, a major airline scrambles to avoid a strike by thousands of its employees. Could it shutdown the carrier? Andy is "Minding Your Business," coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: More dire news for the airline industry. One major carrier is trying to head off a strike, and analysts see nothing but red ink on the horizon. Andy Serwer's "Minding Your Business."

Good morning.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Soledad.

Negotiators for bankrupt United Airlines and its two largest unions working hard over the holiday weekend, trying to avert a strike. A deadline is today. The 20,000-strong machinists union still working hard, trying to come to an agreement. The mechanics union, 7,000 strong, has voted, but the tally will not be released until later this morning. The rhetoric has cooled markedly over the past several days, so there's hope there. If an agreement is not reached by this afternoon, however, a ruling by a judge could determine whether or not there is a strike. So stay tuned to CNN during the day. I'm sure we'll be updating this story.

Meanwhile, the airline industry's leading trade group is now saying the business will lose $6 billion this year. That's up from $4.8 billion. Fuel costs the main reason why. That's up 31 percent to $83 billion.

And here's a really interesting part of the equation here, though. The airline industry is very profitable in Europe and in Asia. It's only in North America where it's expected to lose $9 billion. So all of the losses coming here in the United States and North America. Asia and Europe profitable. It's just amazing. It has to do with union costs, health care costs, a big part of that. And fuel, of course, is all around the globe. What a mess we have here in this country, though.

O'BRIEN: Andy, thanks.

HEMMER: Interesting stuff, too. Wow, what are they doing right that we're not? Thanks, Andy.

SERWER: You're welcome.

HEMMER: Question of the day. Here's Jack on that.

CAFFERTY: Thank you, Bill.

Looking like a long, hot summer for President Bush, the first one of his second term. The lowest poll numbers of his presidency and few significant legislative victories to point to so far. Rumblings of those dreaded words lame duck can be heard around Washington D.C. "The Washington Post" analysis this morning cites a number of domestic and foreign setbacks. Last week, the Republican-led House passing legislation promoting stem cell research, despite a threat of a veto from the president.

Senate Democrats continue to give Bush a hard time on John Bolton becoming the next U.N. ambassador. A group of Republican senators broke with President Bush over his judicial nominees. Additionally, President Bush's plans for overhauling Social Security going no where. And the war in Iraq gets bloodier every day.

When President Bush won reelection last fall, he declared he'd earned plenty of, quote, "political capital, and now I intend to spend it."

Here's the question, has President Bush lost his political capital? AM@CNN.com.

HEMMER: Second terms can be tough. We'll see what happens now.

Jack, thanks for that.

In a moment here, the Australian backlash against Indonesia growing stronger. Look at what some Aussies are doing because of this woman's drug conviction in Bali. That's ahead. Back in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired May 31, 2005 - 07:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Bill Hemmer.
A chilling message from the most wanted man in Iraq. A new recording said to be from Zarqawi to Osama Bin Laden asking him for guidance. A live report is coming up.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Soledad O'Brien.

Amid violent attacks in Iraq, a bold statement from Vice President Dick Cheney.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think they're in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Mr. Cheney's prediction on the insurgency and when U.S. troops are coming home, coming up.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Jack Cafferty.

One of the most dreaded phrases in presidential politics is lame duck. President Bush has over three years to go, but is he already headed down that path?

HEMMER: Also, one day before hurricane season begins, that forecast is getting darker, on this AMERICAN MORNING.

On a Tuesday, good morning, everyone.

O'BRIEN: Lots of news out of Iraq to tell you about today.

HEMMER: Certainly is. That's where we start this morning, in Baghdad.

HEMMER: There have been two deadly air crashes in Iraq in the last 20 hours. Ryan Chilcote is live in the capital.

What do we know about these crashes, Ryan?

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

Well, we don't know very much at this point. There is only two possible causes for these crashes. Of course they were either accidents or these aircraft were shot down. If they're accidents, then, you know, the military would say accidents happen. However, if either of these aircraft were shot down, then that's a big concern, of course, to coalition forces here, because up until now, they've been more or less able to fly around Iraq without too many problems.

At this point, though, both the U.S. and Italian military officials saying they simply don't know the cause of these accidents. The most recent crash took place in Northern -- in southern, excuse me, Iraq. It was an Italian air force helicopter. It went down just south of Nasiriya this morning. The Italians say that they have found the wreckage of that helicopter. They say that all four Italian servicemen that were onboard that helicopter were killed in the crash.

And then just about 24 hours before that helicopter went down, an Iraqi reconnaissance plane went down. This time in the north of the country. The U.S. military says they've cordoned off that site. They say that all five individuals, that's four Americans and one Iraqi pilot on that plane, were killed in that crash -- Bill.

HEMMER: On another front, Ryan, there's terrorist leader Zarqawi reportedly releasing this recorded statement, saying he was suffering a minor wound from combat. What's the significance of this statement, Ryan?

CHILCOTE: Sure, well if you believe that that is, indeed, Zarqawi, who you saw on that tape -- we can't authenticate the tape. But if you believe that is Zarqawi, then that would seem to confirm the swirling speculation over the last couple of weeks that he was, indeed, wounded here in combat in Iraq over the last couple weeks.

Having said that, in that message, if you, again, believe it's Zarqawi, he says that he's still here in the country directing extremist attacks against coalition forces. So he's still someone that the U.S. military is going to have to deal with in the insurgency here.

Finally, I think one of the most interesting things perhaps about that audio message is that it's addressed to Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, and that would seem to confirm the reports that the two, that Zarqawi and Osama Bin Laden, have had an alliance, really, since late last year, when Osama Bin Laden called Zarqawi's Al Qaeda's prince in Iraq -- Bill.

HEMMER: Ryan Chilcote from Baghdad. We'll examine this throughout the day.

Ryan, thanks for that -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Operation Lightning in its third day now in Baghdad. It is a joint Iraqi/U.S. offensive to crackdown on insurgents operating inside the capital city. Major General William Webster is leading the American forces in Operation Lightning. He's live from Camp Victory this morning.

Nice to see you, major general. Thank you very much for talking with us. Can you tell us the status of Operation Lightning so far? Too early to call it a success? What's been done?

MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM WEBSTER, CMDR., 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION: Operation Lightning is the Iraqi-led plan and operation that's being conducted to secure all of Baghdad and, ultimately, the rest of Iraq.

Our portion of that is Operation Squeeze Play here in Baghdad. We've got about 37,000 soldiers from the Iraqi security forces, as well as the multinational forces, participating with us.

And things have gone well so far. We still have seen periodic spikes in enemy activity, but we have been able to see signs of success. And this operation will continue until we're able to beat down the insurgency.

O'BRIEN: What kinds of signs of success are you seeing?

WEBSTER: Well, we're now finding as many of these IEDs, these explosive devices, on the side of the road as are exploding. And half of those that are exploding are not causing any damage. We're doing that by conducting disruption operations and denying the enemy the time to be able to emplace these things regularly.

The number of car bombs, or V-bids, as we call them, has gone down significantly, and we're finding about 20 percent, 25 percent of those before they're able to explode. And none of them, apparently, are able to, in the last several weeks, have been able to reach their target.

So our portion of this is showing significant success, and as we talked to the Iraqi people here in Baghdad, they're appreciative for the increased security, they're proud to see their own Iraqi security forces out here leading this fight, and they're looking forward to the future.

O'BRIEN: There are some reports from U.S. military that indicate that U.S. troops are, in fact, out there in bigger number. They make up the bulk of Operation Lightning at this stage. Are those reports accurate? Is that true?

WEBSTER: No, in fact, from day to day, we have probably 13,000 police and army forces from the Iraqi government troops who are participating in this. And while we still have other missions to accomplish here in Baghdad, we're applying probably half of that against day-to-day operations. So it's clear, at this point that we've worked hard to train these Iraqi security forces, and they are now in the throes of taking the lead.

O'BRIEN: There were more attacks, I understand, in the month of May than in all of 2004. Why wait this long before you launch something like Operation Lightning? Why not do it sooner?

WEBSTER: Well, we have been conducting operations since we took over the security of Baghdad mission. Our multinational division here has conducted nine large brigade-sized operations since we arrived. And those were focused on gathering intelligence for stopping the V- bids. And by the time we had sufficient intelligence, and the forces mustered and the Iraqi security forces trained and organized to do this operation, it turned out to be literally about 16 days ago when we started. And, of course, the Iraqi minister of interior and minister of defense announced the new Iraqi prime minister's plan just last week. So it's timely. We wish we could have done it sooner, but this is when we're able to get it accomplished, and we're going after it.

O'BRIEN: Major General William Webster is the commander of the Third Infantry Division. Thanks for being with us. We certainly appreciate it -- Bill.

WEBSTER: You're welcome.

HEMMER: Also, the vice president, Dick Cheney, talked about Iraq here on CNN last night, on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE." Dick Cheney says he believes the Iraqi insurgency is in, quote, "the last throes." All this coming despite an extremely violent and deadly month for coalition troops and civilians in Iraq. The vice president also believes the war could end before he and President Bush leave office.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHENEY: We'll leave as soon as the task is over with. We haven't set a deadline or a date. It depends upon conditions. We have to achieve our objectives, complete the mission. And the two main requirements are, are the Iraqis in a position to be able to govern themselves, and they're well on their way to doing that.

LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR:: You expect that in your administration?

CHENEY: I do.

KING: It's not going to be 10-year event.

CHENEY: No. I think we may well have some kind of presence there over a period of time. I think the level of activity that we see today, from a military standpoint, I think will clearly decline. I think they're in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Also the vice president also saying he's convinced the U.S. did the right thing in Iraq. And later tonight on Larry King, more interviews with the former presidents Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush. Only with Larry King tonight, 9:00 Eastern on CNN.

O'BRIEN: A CNN security watch this morning. Two U.S. citizens are headed to federal court today on terrorism charges. Both men are said to have declared their loyalty to Osama Bin Laden.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): According to the criminal complaint, there was a lot of talk, talk of training al Qaeda terrorists in martial arts and hand-to-hand combat, talk of treating wounded Muslim fighters, talk that has two Americans facing charges of planning to help al Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden.

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (R), MAYOR OF NEW YORK: They clearly have said that they wanted to destroy our way of life and hurt the people of America. And if that's your definition of terrorism, I guess that certainly qualifies.

FEYERICK: The two men, friends for 20 years, were arrested over the weekend, Dr. Rafiq Sabir (ph) at his home in Boca Raton, Florida, Tariq Shaw (ph) at an apartment in the Bronx.

The complaint alleges Shaw did most of the talking, first to a convicted robber-turned-government-informant wearing a wire, then to an undercover FBI agent posing as a recruiter for Osama bin Laden. Prosecutors say Shaw scoped out a Long Island warehouse as a possible place for training, while Sabir was ready to go to Saudi Arabia this week.

Sabir graduated from Columbia University Medical School. He worked at Harlem Hospital, before moving several years ago to Florida to work as an emergency room doctor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a surprise for everybody, to be honest. They are nice people, you know?

FEYERICK: Both Sabir and Shaw allegedly swore an oath of allegiance to bin Laden.

BLOOMBERG: It doesn't look like they did very much. We saw what happens when you don't go after terrorists.

FEYERICK (on camera): Both men face one count of material support of terrorism. Repeated calls to their families and a lawyer went unanswered. Each faces a federal judge Tuesday to answer the charge.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: And you want to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security -- Bill.

HEMMER: The motive now still unclear in the killings of six people in Bellefontaine, Ohio. Authorities say preliminary evidence indicates it was a murder-suicide. They believe 18-year-old Scott Moody killed five people, then killed himself on the day he was to graduate from high school. The dead includes Moody's mother, two teenage friends, and the two of the boys grandparents. Also the grandparents had recently placed an ad in a local newspaper, congratulating Moody on his high school graduation. This incident was first reported by the stepsister of one of the victims in an anguished call to 911.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CALLER: Oh, my God! Oh, God! The son and the girlfriend are killed, too.

OPERATOR: What?

CALLER: I found the son, too, and his girlfriend.

OPERATOR: What's the matter?

CALLER: Oh, my God.

OPERATOR: What's going on, honey?

CALLER: The son and the girlfriend are beat up too.

OPERATOR: The son and the girlfriend? OK.

CALLER: (INAUDIBLE). I got to get off the phone.

OPERATOR: I need the address, honey.

CALLER: (INAUDIBLE) is the only one that's awake.

OPERATOR: There's only one awake?

CALLER: Yes.

OPERATOR: How many people have been beat up?

CALLER: Four. Four. There's five. There's another one. Oh, my God, there's one in the living room, too.

OPERATOR: Okay. What's going on right now, hon?

CALLER: She's telling me there's five dead. There's another one on the couch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Bellefontaine, Ohio, northwest of Columbus, Ohio, about 40 miles. The caller had been alerted by Moody's sister, who survived the rampage. She remains in critical condition in a hospital in Columbus.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: In a moment here, a new study looking at women who smoke and what Big Tobacco may have done to attract them. We'll get to that.

O'BRIEN: Also, the growing outrage in Australia over this woman's drug conviction, and what some Australians are now doing about it. HEMMER: Also, keeping kids safe in America. John Walsh teaming up on a project that teaches children how to protect themselves from kidnappers. A look at that, too, on a Tuesday edition of CNN's AMERICAN MORNING.

Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Did big tobacco companies go out of their way to target women? That's the claim avenue study that says women were the focus of marketing campaigns designed to encourage them to start smoking cigarettes. How far did the companies go? Let's talk about the study with Carrie Carpenter, the lead researcher on the project at Harvard School of Public Health. She's live in Boston.

Carrie, good morning to you.

CARRIE CARPENTER, HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: Good morning.

HEMMER: We've talked over the past several years about the addictive property of cigarettes. What's different that you've found in the study that you're putting out?

CARPENTER: Well, we found that the targeting of women by the tobacco industry goes beyond advertising and beyond marketing, and that they've actually designed products targeted to women.

HEMMER: So it goes beyond marketing. And we've seen marketing done for men before, the Marlboro Man. But what have they done that you've found in this study that specifically goes to the point you're trying to make?

CARPENTER: They've used sophisticated science to aggressively design products for women. They've changed the taste, they've added flavors, and they've marketed these products specifically so smoking and cigarettes are appealing to women and girls.

HEMMER: You say the taste. What did you find about the taste that was more attractive for women?

CARPENTER: We know that women like milder cigarettes, smooth cigarettes. They've added flavors, ranging from spearmint to marshmallow to make cigarettes appealing to women and to meet their taste preferences.

HEMMER: And you found that in these internal memos that you came up with? Is that where you conclude this?

CARPENTER: Yes. Our team researched previously secret industry documents that have been made public through the master settlement agreement.

HEMMER: Can you prove that women are more attracted to that taste, if it's spearmint or something else? CARPENTER: We looked at the industry's research, and the industry's research found that these differences were among women, and they exploited them.

HEMMER: OK. Is this the first time we've talked about this when you break it down between genders?

CARPENTER: Yes, it's the first time that we've looked at the actual product design and how it's been targeted to women. We know that women prefer different types of cigarettes, but we've looked at the industry's research.

HEMMER: A few of these memos, first RJ Reynolds in 1981, and we can put it on the screen to show our folks at home. "I, female smoker, prefer to smoke a long, thin cigarette because it's a lot more feminine, it's sexy looking."

Another memo, 1985, Brown & Williamson: "Young women, much more so than men, would likely to smoke a flavored cigarette."

Another one from Brown & Williamson, 1995, "Confidence and appealing to friends, the emotional attributes comprise an area of opportunity, and therefore are attributes which should be exploited.

You talk about some of the specifics in your previous answers. But back to the whole issue of marketing, what we're just reading here, doesn't that just show the aggressive marketing that's in these big tobacco companies you went after?

CARPENTER: It shows they not only marketed the products, but they designed and chemically changed tobacco blends in the actual product so these products were actually more addictive and more appealing to women. It goes beyond marketing.

HEMMER: You just said the thing I was trying to get to. The chemical component, what were they?

CARPENTER: They manipulated several of them. Again, adding flavor, changing blend, manipulating tar and nicotine levels. So products were easier to smoke and appeal to women, meeting their preferences.

HEMMER: How would you prove this, if you had to?

CARPENTER: I think the industry documents speak for themselves.

HEMMER: All right, Carrie. Thanks, Carrie Carpenter, Harvard University, our guest today from Boston. Interesting study -- Soledad.

CARPENTER: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, a major airline scrambles to avoid a strike by thousands of its employees. Could it shutdown the carrier? Andy is "Minding Your Business," coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: More dire news for the airline industry. One major carrier is trying to head off a strike, and analysts see nothing but red ink on the horizon. Andy Serwer's "Minding Your Business."

Good morning.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Soledad.

Negotiators for bankrupt United Airlines and its two largest unions working hard over the holiday weekend, trying to avert a strike. A deadline is today. The 20,000-strong machinists union still working hard, trying to come to an agreement. The mechanics union, 7,000 strong, has voted, but the tally will not be released until later this morning. The rhetoric has cooled markedly over the past several days, so there's hope there. If an agreement is not reached by this afternoon, however, a ruling by a judge could determine whether or not there is a strike. So stay tuned to CNN during the day. I'm sure we'll be updating this story.

Meanwhile, the airline industry's leading trade group is now saying the business will lose $6 billion this year. That's up from $4.8 billion. Fuel costs the main reason why. That's up 31 percent to $83 billion.

And here's a really interesting part of the equation here, though. The airline industry is very profitable in Europe and in Asia. It's only in North America where it's expected to lose $9 billion. So all of the losses coming here in the United States and North America. Asia and Europe profitable. It's just amazing. It has to do with union costs, health care costs, a big part of that. And fuel, of course, is all around the globe. What a mess we have here in this country, though.

O'BRIEN: Andy, thanks.

HEMMER: Interesting stuff, too. Wow, what are they doing right that we're not? Thanks, Andy.

SERWER: You're welcome.

HEMMER: Question of the day. Here's Jack on that.

CAFFERTY: Thank you, Bill.

Looking like a long, hot summer for President Bush, the first one of his second term. The lowest poll numbers of his presidency and few significant legislative victories to point to so far. Rumblings of those dreaded words lame duck can be heard around Washington D.C. "The Washington Post" analysis this morning cites a number of domestic and foreign setbacks. Last week, the Republican-led House passing legislation promoting stem cell research, despite a threat of a veto from the president.

Senate Democrats continue to give Bush a hard time on John Bolton becoming the next U.N. ambassador. A group of Republican senators broke with President Bush over his judicial nominees. Additionally, President Bush's plans for overhauling Social Security going no where. And the war in Iraq gets bloodier every day.

When President Bush won reelection last fall, he declared he'd earned plenty of, quote, "political capital, and now I intend to spend it."

Here's the question, has President Bush lost his political capital? AM@CNN.com.

HEMMER: Second terms can be tough. We'll see what happens now.

Jack, thanks for that.

In a moment here, the Australian backlash against Indonesia growing stronger. Look at what some Aussies are doing because of this woman's drug conviction in Bali. That's ahead. Back in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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