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American Morning

Mystery Solved; Biased Terror Cases?; Michael Jackson Trial

Aired June 01, 2005 - 08:59   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Deep Throat comes forward, blindsiding the newspaper reporters who made him famous. This morning, the story behind the story from "The Washington Post."
Hurricane season begins today, and this year is expected to bring more furious storms. We'll take a look at brand new inventions to help people cope with disaster.

And 25 years of 24-hour coverage from around the world, from the White House to "The West Wing."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE WEST WING")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's not a stupid man. And he knows where CNN is on his television.

(END VIDEO CLIP, "THE WEST WING")

O'BRIEN: Marking our 25th anniversary on this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. June 1 on the calendar. We celebrate silver today. Today is our 25th anniversary. On this date 25 years ago, CNN went on the air for the first time.

O'BRIEN: And this morning, we're taking a look at some of the stories that defined those 25 years, defined the network as well.

But today's headlines right now with Carol Costello.

Good morning.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, the most recent headlines right now. Good morning. Good morning to all of you.

Coalition forces in Iraq carrying out a raid near the Syrian border. At least seven people were detained for questioning.

In the meantime, American officials tell CNN a suicide car bomb exploded at a checkpoint near U.S. military headquarters at Baghdad. At least 15 were hurt.

We'll soon learn more from Ohio authorities about Cleveland's deadliest house fire. Most of the nine victims were children. Initially thought the May 21 fire was accidental, but authorities are now saying it was deliberately set. Neighbors in the area reacted to the news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEVON CABEZA, NEIGHBOR: It's crazy. Who is a person that would want to do something like this? That's just crazy.

KIMBERLY BURKS, NEIGHBOR: I'm shocked. I'm speechless.

FREDA BURKS, NEIGHBOR: I'm not shocked, because the way the fire went so fast, I thought somebody had set it on fire.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Set it on fire.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What would you like to say to that person tonight?

F. BURKS: That I hope he rots in hell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: A news conference is set for 11:00 a.m. Eastern.

In a little over two hours, President Bush will host South Africa's president, Thabo Mbeki, at the White House. This will be their third meeting in the past five years. Today's visit will focus on the upcoming G-8 summit and international help for South Africa's struggle with HIV and AIDS.

And the world's longest married couple celebrating their 80th wedding anniversary today. Percy and Florence Arrowsmith walked down the aisle on June 1, 1925. The couple says they're delighted to make it into the history books, and they plan to celebrate with a family party.

Mr. Arrowsmith says the secret to their long happy marriage is two words, say, "Yes, dear." But I ascertain that it's her special petting of his head that made the marriage last so long.

O'BRIEN: Oh, I do that to Bill, too, sometimes like that. Men love that.

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: They look so happy.

O'BRIEN: They're cute. That's nice.

HEMMER: Thank you, Carol.

COSTELLO: Sure.

HEMMER: There is new information expected today on how the news about Deep Throat finally came out yesterday. "The Washington Post" a central player in this story.

David Von Drehle worked today's story. On the front page, that story. Excellent report, too. Very extensive, very in depth. Earlier, I asked him if "The Post" was caught flat-footed when the story broke yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID VON DREHLE, "WASHINGTON POST": We had no idea the story was coming. We learned of it yesterday morning.

Our top editors were at a corporate retreat. They had to rush back to "The Post."

Bob Woodward had to read the story, figure out what was in it. He had been in contact with the Felt family for the past several years, trying to figure out exactly what Mr. Felt's wishes were and whether he was lucid enough at his advanced age to undo the agreement that had -- that they both had kept for so many years.

So we had to react to this, had to determine that, in fact, this agreement had been abrogated by the family, by the lawyer. And there was no point in us doing anything but confirming and telling the story.

HEMMER: You also write in today's story that Felt's daughter was trying to coax her father, the words you used today, into admitting his role. Why was that important to her at this point?

VON DREHLE: She says in the story that she wanted her father to get the glory for this while he was alive. There's also a quotation from her talking about a desire that if there's money to be made from this revelation, that some of it should go to the Felt family. And those seem to be the motivations.

HEMMER: Well, at first yesterday, Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein denied it. Later they admitted it to "The Post" in a series of stories that came out throughout the day yesterday. But I imagine if this "Vanity Fair" article was not out there, that this secret is still that. It's a secret, is that right?

VON DREHLE: Absolutely. The commitment that Bob Woodward and "The Washington Post" made to Mark Felt was that we would keep this secret until he died. And that was Bob's intention up until 4:00 or so yesterday afternoon. It was -- that's why the initial statement said the same thing that Woodward and Bernstein had been saying for 33 years, that they had no intention of revealing this source while he was alive.

HEMMER: The other point you make into today's piece, you quote Carl Bernstein as saying that Felt's role in all of this can be overstated. In what way is Deep Throat's role overstated at this point?

VON DREHLE: Well, the cultural power of the figure from the movie, the Hal Holbrook character in the parking garage, is so intense and so romantic and mysterious, that this mystery has sort of overshadowed the complexity of Watergate. A lot of pieces went into it. Woodward and Bernstein themselves had scores of sources, not all of them anonymous. Many of them named in these stories. They worked hard to get people on the record for their stories.

Now that we know Felt's identity, their hope is that people will get a little more rounded picture of the Watergate story and of Deep Throat's role in it. He was their coach, in a sense, there. He gave them contacts, direction and encouragement when they needed it to keep this story alive at a time when the Nixon administration was desperately trying to cover it up.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Also, that article today points out how each man communicated with one another. In the case of Felt, he would draw a picture of a clock on page 20 of "The New York Times," not "The Washington Post," but "The New York Times." And Woodward would place a plant outside of his apartment or his condo or is house where he was living in Washington, D.C., at the time.

And now that the secret's out, Woodward is getting ready for a piece tomorrow in "The Post" about how his relationship with Felt began, and possibly also more information about a recent meeting they had in California that took place in the past couple of years. So more tomorrow -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: That's going to be fascinating.

A CNN "Security Watch" this morning. We're learning more about the two men accused of conspiring to help al Qaeda.

Tarik Shah and Rafiq Sabir appeared in federal courtrooms on Tuesday. They're being held without bail. Friends and relatives say they are shocked by the charges and they believe the government's case is racially biased.

Adaora Udoji has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tarik Shah, a music man, seen here jamming on the base in a New York City club, friends say he's magical.

NELLIE DYER, FRIEND OF SUSPECT: He's a peace-loving masterful bassist. He is internationally renowned. He's respected in the -- in the jazz community.

UDOJI: But federal prosecutors say Shah plotted to help terrorists, that he pledged allegiance to al Qaeda unknowingly to an undercover FBI agent and a confidential informant, that he promised to use his martial arts expertise to teach militants hand to hand combat, even scouted warehouses. Shah was in court, but made no formal plea. Outside, his wife, among friends, stood by his lawyer, who denied the charge.

ERICA MCDANIEL EDWARDS, SHAH'SANCHEZ: ATTORNEY: He wouldn't be the victim of the sting operation unless he was a Muslim.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly.

UDOJI: Prosecutors also allege Shah brought in his friend of 20 years, Dr. Rafiq Sabir, a father of four, an ivy league medical school graduate, now an emergency specialist in Boca Raton, Florida. His alleged contribution? To help stitch up militants fighting the holy war. They say hours of tape recordings prove it.

Sabir was also in court, but his hearing was delayed so he could hire an attorney. Sabir's friends don't believe the accusations.

DANIEL MCBRIDE, ISLAMIC CENTER OF BOCA RATON: He's just a real nice guy. He's a physician because that's what he wants to do, is help people.

UDOJI: Dr. Farouq Khan, a lung specialist who knew Sabir in Long Island in the late 1990s says the man cared deeply about health care for all.

DR. FAROUQ KHAN, STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK: He was hard- working. He would put in his hours. And he was very committed to justice.

UDOJI: Shah and Sabir supporters question the validity of the case, asking how a two-year investigation led to only a single charge. They want justice, but they worry sometimes Muslims are scapegoated.

KHAN: There have been these high-profile cases put forth, and then when they hit the judicial system, they fizzle out. I know many of the families which have been destroyed because of allegations made.

UDOJI: The court case has just begun against the musician and the doctor. Both are being held without bail.

Adaora Udoji, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: You'll want to stay with CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

HEMMER: It is payback time for the runaway bride, literally. Jennifer Wilbanks has sent a check for more than $13,000 to the city of Duluth, Georgia. She fled Duluth just days before she was set to get married. That city says it will use the money to cover some overtime paid out during the search.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR SHIRLEY LASSITER, DULUTH, GEORGIA: We're very pleased to have the check in hand, to have the $13,000 with the city right now. What that actually does is let us know we do not have to go to court, we do not have to waste anymore time on this. This chapter of these events is shut.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: And Wilbanks still faces the possibility of criminal charges and making false statements, and she's been getting counseling, we're told, at an inpatient treatment center north of Atlanta.

Check the weather.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: Closing arguments will begin tomorrow in Michael Jackson's case. And when both sides are finished, is the jury headed for a quick verdict? A look at that in a moment from California.

O'BRIEN: Also, Florida bracing for another brutal hurricane season. There's some brand-new gadgets, though, to help people weather the storm. We'll show them to you.

HEMMER: Also, 25 years ago today, CNN made its debut and changed TV news forever. We'll talk to a network original today. Bernie Shaw is back with us in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: The judge in the Michael Jackson trial will give instructions to the jury today, then close arguments are expected to begin tomorrow. Criminal defense attorney Anne Bremner in Santa Maria, California, for us.

Hey, Anne. Nice to see you. Let's get right to it.

ANNE BREMNER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Nice to see you.

O'BRIEN: Thank you very much. Closing arguments, how important do you think they are? Or do you think in a case like this the jury's already made up its mind?

BREMNER: This has been a case full of sound and fury for both sides. And the question is, you know, what does it signify for each side?

I think the jury, in a lot of ways, they probably have made up their minds. There's a study that says most jurors do in opening statements, and they don't change their minds regardless of the evidence. But this has been a horse race, like we've talked about, you know, misfires for both sides.

And I think closings are crucial, because it's been a long trial. It's been an emotional trial. But it's been one where there's been ups and downs for both sides.

O'BRIEN: So the jury maybe needs it wrapped up by the prosecution and the defense for them.

Tom Sneddon's not going to be delivering the prosecution's closing arguments. We talked about the other day. Why not? And do you think the fact that he's not going to do it registers at all with jurors, or they do they not care?

BREMNER: I think it probably will register with them, because he's the lead prosecutor, he's their prosecutor here in Santa Barbara decade -- or in the county and has been for decades. Ron Zonen (ph), who is going to give the closing, is well matched with Thomas Mesereau.

They're both charming. They're both very human with the jury and with witnesses. They're both kind of like Atticus Finch lawyers. So that was a great decision.

But Tom Sneddon has also been a target from the defense that he's like Jaber (ph) in "Les Miserables," you know, chasing Michael Jackson for any offense, until he gets him to the end of the earth. A hundred search warrants been involved in the investigation. A very smart move by the prosecutors to pull him out of this equation at closing.

O'BRIEN: Break down the strategy then for the closing for both the defense and the prosecution, Anne.

BREMNER: I think the prosecution -- you're competing, Soledad, as you know, in a case like this, for the hearts and minds of the jurors. And there's been so much in this case, all the notes they've taken, all the witnesses and credibility issues, that you're looking at, you know, capturing their minds. But what about their hearts?

That's closing. And the prosecution needs to hit a homerun and just tick through their evidence about -- we've talked about, you know, fingerprint, eyewitness, pattern evidence, the accuser. And at the end of the day, the accuser we saw in the video Friday that was so compelling he when was first interviewed by the police.

And the defense, den of thieves, you know, family of grifters, Michael Jackson's the ultimate extortion target, that this is a case that's got to end, that Michael Jackson is a victim not only of these coconspirators, but of this family. And that this case basically has not been made, and that, you know, Michael Jackson should be freed from this prosecution that's really gone on for over a decade from Tom Sneddon.

O'BRIEN: The judge has run a pretty tight courtroom. You've pointed that out several times. Is he prepared, do you think, for what could be a very chaotic wrap-up of this case when the verdict comes in?

BREMNER: I think he is. You know, it's like -- when this case first started, I kept thinking, let the circus begin. Well, it's really beginning now.

Santa Maria is not what it was last week. There are people everywhere. There's media everywhere.

And this verdict, the judge does not want to have mayhem. He's run such a tight ship, he's been so careful. He's going to make sure there's no disruption, because there hasn't been so far in this case, at the time of the verdict. The only disruption we've had was when Michael Jackson wore his pajamas to court, and the judge couldn't control that.

O'BRIEN: We'll see what happens. Anne Bremner, criminal defense attorney, joining us this morning. Nice to see you, as always. Thanks.

BREMNER: Nice to see you. Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Thanks -- Bill.

HEMMER: Well, we trust the scene tomorrow in the Michael Jackson trial will be calmer what happened in this courtroom in Israel. A videotape catching eye today, and how could it not. Take a look.

A courthouse in Haifa on surveillance camera. The trial involving a man accused in a killing that came out of a feud between an Arab and an Israeli family.

Two people taken in for questioning after security guards broke up this fight. And it went on, and it went on. No injuries, believe it or not, with all those chairs flying. No injuries in Haifa, and the chairs survived, too.

Well, the Challenger disaster in 1986, 19 years ago, seen live on CNN. And our special look back today. We'll hear the stories of the people caught in the middle as the news was unfolding overhead.

Back in a moment here on our anniversary of the cable news network, June 1, 1980.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Our birthday today. CNN is 25 years old. And all week, we're looking at the defining historic moments that were covered by CNN during the last quarter century.

Among the most memorable stories, a disaster for the space program.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: T minus two minutes and counting.

O'BRIEN (voice-over): Tuesday, January 28, 1986, the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And liquid hydrogen pressurization to flight level is under way.

O'BRIEN: CNN was the only network providing live coverage.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That day it was so bitterly cold.

O'BRIEN: The temperature at the Florida launch pad at Cape Canaveral, 36 degrees Fahrenheit, the coldest ever for a shuttle blastoff. But after multiple postponements in three days, two due to bad weather at the launch site, the Challenger was about to lift off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: T minus 10, nine, eight, seven...

ZARRELLA: This was an enormous event because it was going to be the launch of Christa Mcauliffe, the teacher in space.

GRACE CORRIGAN, CHRISTA MCAULIFFE'S MOTHER: My husband looked out and you could see the shuttle. You could see icicles on it. He said, "You know, if I could go out there and take her off of that, I would."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three, two, one, and liftoff. Liftoff of the 25th space shuttle mission. And it has cleared the tower.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So the 25th space shuttle mission is now on the way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) 15 seconds, 2,900 feet per second altitude.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have the report from the flight dynamics officer that the vehicle has exploded. Our director confirms that. We are looking at -- checking with the recovery forces to see what can be done at this point.

O'BRIEN: Just 73 seconds into the flight, the space shuttle disappeared into a fireball nine miles above the Atlantic Ocean.

ZARRELLA: One of the first things you did was you looked over and you could see Christa McAuliffe's mother and father. And they were standing there. And, you know, it was almost a bewildered look, like -- sort of the same look we had of, what happened, you know, what's going on?

CORRIGAN: Thinking back on it, I don't think it was that we didn't understand something very horrible had happened. I think it was the fact that we didn't want to.

O'BRIEN: All seven people on board the Challenger died in the explosion.

RONALD REAGAN, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved good-bye and slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: What a time, huh? What a moment.

O'BRIEN: Whew, those pictures, I mean, really, it takes you back. I remember that event, watching it on CNN. CNN was the only camera covering that.

COSTELLO: I remember looking at it and wondering what happened. Because you knew something was wrong, but your mind wouldn't process it.

HEMMER: I was going to school in Europe at the time. It took us two days to find a TV that had the videotape and the story on it.

O'BRIEN: Remarkable.

HEMMER: Jack Cafferty is out today. He's having a big barbecue at his house in New Jersey in honor of CNN's birthday today.

And Carol Costello is -- go for it.

COSTELLO: We are asking you this morning for your personal take on the big stories. Today's question, what news event of the last 25 years mattered most to you? A lot of interesting responses this morning.

This is from Mark in St. Louis, Missouri. He says, "The impeachment trial of President Clinton. I was glued to CNN. I was home with a terrible flu for more than a week, there was a foot of snow outside, and I just hunkered down with Bernard Shaw and the others and let those lawyers put me to sleep."

"It was great. It got me through a very bad week."

HEMMER: You're welcome.

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: I don't know. I was glued to it, too, but I couldn't go to sleep.

O'BRIEN: For different, reasons, right?

COSTELLO: Exactly.

This is from Matt, from Columbus, Mississippi. "The event that was very important in my life would be the Columbine High School shootings. This affected me because I lived in Colorado and also because I was bullied. And it wakes us up to see that bullying can cost more than just hurt feelings."

Just another image of that kid hanging from the school. Remember that? I mea, that's the image I have from the Columbine shootings.

This is from Laura in Pine Bush, New York. "Strangely for me, it was the death of Princess Diana. Not because she was a tabloid darling. It was that her death was the death of fairy tales. It helped many of us look at those whom we have placed on high pedestals as the very real, fragile human beings that they are."

I just remember it was her age, dying...

O'BRIEN: And having two sons left behind.

COSTELLO: Two sons, yes. And this is from Theresa, from Stone Ridge, New York. "I remember watching and listening with amazement to Bernie Shaw and Peter Arnett through Desert Storm. It gave that war authenticity, while through the sounds of destruction in the midst of all that chaos, they were reporting it. And now the second biggest event, Deep Throat revealed. And the third, Jack got the day off."

O'BRIEN: Oh, Jack gets plenty of days off, please. Thanks.

HEMMER: He's working on that barbecue.

COSTELLO: Aren't we going over there later?

O'BRIEN: Yes.

HEMMER: Thanks, Carol.

O'BRIEN: In about 30 minutes.

HEMMER: CNN was the brainchild of our founder, Ted Turner. We all know that by now. It was his vision and his spirit, too, that made it a reality.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TED TURNER, CNN FOUNDER: Well, I saw an opening. And even though I didn't have enough money, I could see that cable advertisement was going to make it because I had the Superstation already. And I said, "This is going to work. It's going to require a gamble of everything I have."

But I didn't really do it to make money. I wanted to make money, and I knew I would. Rotary's motto, "He profits most who serves the best." But I just wanted to see if we could do it. It was an adventure, more than anything else, like Christopher Columbus.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Tomorrow, we'll look back at CNN's 25 years on the air with the reflection on the deadliest acts of terrorism on American soil, that events of September 11. That is tomorrow.

Tonight, prime-time special, "Defining Moments: 25 Stories That Touched our Lives." You can see it at 8:00 Eastern, 5:00 on the West Coast here on CNN.

Over the years, CNN's influence has reached beyond just television news. In a moment, the impact CNN has made on the world, from politics to pop culture.

Back in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired June 1, 2005 - 08:59   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Deep Throat comes forward, blindsiding the newspaper reporters who made him famous. This morning, the story behind the story from "The Washington Post."
Hurricane season begins today, and this year is expected to bring more furious storms. We'll take a look at brand new inventions to help people cope with disaster.

And 25 years of 24-hour coverage from around the world, from the White House to "The West Wing."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE WEST WING")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's not a stupid man. And he knows where CNN is on his television.

(END VIDEO CLIP, "THE WEST WING")

O'BRIEN: Marking our 25th anniversary on this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. June 1 on the calendar. We celebrate silver today. Today is our 25th anniversary. On this date 25 years ago, CNN went on the air for the first time.

O'BRIEN: And this morning, we're taking a look at some of the stories that defined those 25 years, defined the network as well.

But today's headlines right now with Carol Costello.

Good morning.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, the most recent headlines right now. Good morning. Good morning to all of you.

Coalition forces in Iraq carrying out a raid near the Syrian border. At least seven people were detained for questioning.

In the meantime, American officials tell CNN a suicide car bomb exploded at a checkpoint near U.S. military headquarters at Baghdad. At least 15 were hurt.

We'll soon learn more from Ohio authorities about Cleveland's deadliest house fire. Most of the nine victims were children. Initially thought the May 21 fire was accidental, but authorities are now saying it was deliberately set. Neighbors in the area reacted to the news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEVON CABEZA, NEIGHBOR: It's crazy. Who is a person that would want to do something like this? That's just crazy.

KIMBERLY BURKS, NEIGHBOR: I'm shocked. I'm speechless.

FREDA BURKS, NEIGHBOR: I'm not shocked, because the way the fire went so fast, I thought somebody had set it on fire.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Set it on fire.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What would you like to say to that person tonight?

F. BURKS: That I hope he rots in hell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: A news conference is set for 11:00 a.m. Eastern.

In a little over two hours, President Bush will host South Africa's president, Thabo Mbeki, at the White House. This will be their third meeting in the past five years. Today's visit will focus on the upcoming G-8 summit and international help for South Africa's struggle with HIV and AIDS.

And the world's longest married couple celebrating their 80th wedding anniversary today. Percy and Florence Arrowsmith walked down the aisle on June 1, 1925. The couple says they're delighted to make it into the history books, and they plan to celebrate with a family party.

Mr. Arrowsmith says the secret to their long happy marriage is two words, say, "Yes, dear." But I ascertain that it's her special petting of his head that made the marriage last so long.

O'BRIEN: Oh, I do that to Bill, too, sometimes like that. Men love that.

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: They look so happy.

O'BRIEN: They're cute. That's nice.

HEMMER: Thank you, Carol.

COSTELLO: Sure.

HEMMER: There is new information expected today on how the news about Deep Throat finally came out yesterday. "The Washington Post" a central player in this story.

David Von Drehle worked today's story. On the front page, that story. Excellent report, too. Very extensive, very in depth. Earlier, I asked him if "The Post" was caught flat-footed when the story broke yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID VON DREHLE, "WASHINGTON POST": We had no idea the story was coming. We learned of it yesterday morning.

Our top editors were at a corporate retreat. They had to rush back to "The Post."

Bob Woodward had to read the story, figure out what was in it. He had been in contact with the Felt family for the past several years, trying to figure out exactly what Mr. Felt's wishes were and whether he was lucid enough at his advanced age to undo the agreement that had -- that they both had kept for so many years.

So we had to react to this, had to determine that, in fact, this agreement had been abrogated by the family, by the lawyer. And there was no point in us doing anything but confirming and telling the story.

HEMMER: You also write in today's story that Felt's daughter was trying to coax her father, the words you used today, into admitting his role. Why was that important to her at this point?

VON DREHLE: She says in the story that she wanted her father to get the glory for this while he was alive. There's also a quotation from her talking about a desire that if there's money to be made from this revelation, that some of it should go to the Felt family. And those seem to be the motivations.

HEMMER: Well, at first yesterday, Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein denied it. Later they admitted it to "The Post" in a series of stories that came out throughout the day yesterday. But I imagine if this "Vanity Fair" article was not out there, that this secret is still that. It's a secret, is that right?

VON DREHLE: Absolutely. The commitment that Bob Woodward and "The Washington Post" made to Mark Felt was that we would keep this secret until he died. And that was Bob's intention up until 4:00 or so yesterday afternoon. It was -- that's why the initial statement said the same thing that Woodward and Bernstein had been saying for 33 years, that they had no intention of revealing this source while he was alive.

HEMMER: The other point you make into today's piece, you quote Carl Bernstein as saying that Felt's role in all of this can be overstated. In what way is Deep Throat's role overstated at this point?

VON DREHLE: Well, the cultural power of the figure from the movie, the Hal Holbrook character in the parking garage, is so intense and so romantic and mysterious, that this mystery has sort of overshadowed the complexity of Watergate. A lot of pieces went into it. Woodward and Bernstein themselves had scores of sources, not all of them anonymous. Many of them named in these stories. They worked hard to get people on the record for their stories.

Now that we know Felt's identity, their hope is that people will get a little more rounded picture of the Watergate story and of Deep Throat's role in it. He was their coach, in a sense, there. He gave them contacts, direction and encouragement when they needed it to keep this story alive at a time when the Nixon administration was desperately trying to cover it up.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Also, that article today points out how each man communicated with one another. In the case of Felt, he would draw a picture of a clock on page 20 of "The New York Times," not "The Washington Post," but "The New York Times." And Woodward would place a plant outside of his apartment or his condo or is house where he was living in Washington, D.C., at the time.

And now that the secret's out, Woodward is getting ready for a piece tomorrow in "The Post" about how his relationship with Felt began, and possibly also more information about a recent meeting they had in California that took place in the past couple of years. So more tomorrow -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: That's going to be fascinating.

A CNN "Security Watch" this morning. We're learning more about the two men accused of conspiring to help al Qaeda.

Tarik Shah and Rafiq Sabir appeared in federal courtrooms on Tuesday. They're being held without bail. Friends and relatives say they are shocked by the charges and they believe the government's case is racially biased.

Adaora Udoji has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tarik Shah, a music man, seen here jamming on the base in a New York City club, friends say he's magical.

NELLIE DYER, FRIEND OF SUSPECT: He's a peace-loving masterful bassist. He is internationally renowned. He's respected in the -- in the jazz community.

UDOJI: But federal prosecutors say Shah plotted to help terrorists, that he pledged allegiance to al Qaeda unknowingly to an undercover FBI agent and a confidential informant, that he promised to use his martial arts expertise to teach militants hand to hand combat, even scouted warehouses. Shah was in court, but made no formal plea. Outside, his wife, among friends, stood by his lawyer, who denied the charge.

ERICA MCDANIEL EDWARDS, SHAH'SANCHEZ: ATTORNEY: He wouldn't be the victim of the sting operation unless he was a Muslim.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly.

UDOJI: Prosecutors also allege Shah brought in his friend of 20 years, Dr. Rafiq Sabir, a father of four, an ivy league medical school graduate, now an emergency specialist in Boca Raton, Florida. His alleged contribution? To help stitch up militants fighting the holy war. They say hours of tape recordings prove it.

Sabir was also in court, but his hearing was delayed so he could hire an attorney. Sabir's friends don't believe the accusations.

DANIEL MCBRIDE, ISLAMIC CENTER OF BOCA RATON: He's just a real nice guy. He's a physician because that's what he wants to do, is help people.

UDOJI: Dr. Farouq Khan, a lung specialist who knew Sabir in Long Island in the late 1990s says the man cared deeply about health care for all.

DR. FAROUQ KHAN, STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK: He was hard- working. He would put in his hours. And he was very committed to justice.

UDOJI: Shah and Sabir supporters question the validity of the case, asking how a two-year investigation led to only a single charge. They want justice, but they worry sometimes Muslims are scapegoated.

KHAN: There have been these high-profile cases put forth, and then when they hit the judicial system, they fizzle out. I know many of the families which have been destroyed because of allegations made.

UDOJI: The court case has just begun against the musician and the doctor. Both are being held without bail.

Adaora Udoji, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: You'll want to stay with CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

HEMMER: It is payback time for the runaway bride, literally. Jennifer Wilbanks has sent a check for more than $13,000 to the city of Duluth, Georgia. She fled Duluth just days before she was set to get married. That city says it will use the money to cover some overtime paid out during the search.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR SHIRLEY LASSITER, DULUTH, GEORGIA: We're very pleased to have the check in hand, to have the $13,000 with the city right now. What that actually does is let us know we do not have to go to court, we do not have to waste anymore time on this. This chapter of these events is shut.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: And Wilbanks still faces the possibility of criminal charges and making false statements, and she's been getting counseling, we're told, at an inpatient treatment center north of Atlanta.

Check the weather.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: Closing arguments will begin tomorrow in Michael Jackson's case. And when both sides are finished, is the jury headed for a quick verdict? A look at that in a moment from California.

O'BRIEN: Also, Florida bracing for another brutal hurricane season. There's some brand-new gadgets, though, to help people weather the storm. We'll show them to you.

HEMMER: Also, 25 years ago today, CNN made its debut and changed TV news forever. We'll talk to a network original today. Bernie Shaw is back with us in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: The judge in the Michael Jackson trial will give instructions to the jury today, then close arguments are expected to begin tomorrow. Criminal defense attorney Anne Bremner in Santa Maria, California, for us.

Hey, Anne. Nice to see you. Let's get right to it.

ANNE BREMNER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Nice to see you.

O'BRIEN: Thank you very much. Closing arguments, how important do you think they are? Or do you think in a case like this the jury's already made up its mind?

BREMNER: This has been a case full of sound and fury for both sides. And the question is, you know, what does it signify for each side?

I think the jury, in a lot of ways, they probably have made up their minds. There's a study that says most jurors do in opening statements, and they don't change their minds regardless of the evidence. But this has been a horse race, like we've talked about, you know, misfires for both sides.

And I think closings are crucial, because it's been a long trial. It's been an emotional trial. But it's been one where there's been ups and downs for both sides.

O'BRIEN: So the jury maybe needs it wrapped up by the prosecution and the defense for them.

Tom Sneddon's not going to be delivering the prosecution's closing arguments. We talked about the other day. Why not? And do you think the fact that he's not going to do it registers at all with jurors, or they do they not care?

BREMNER: I think it probably will register with them, because he's the lead prosecutor, he's their prosecutor here in Santa Barbara decade -- or in the county and has been for decades. Ron Zonen (ph), who is going to give the closing, is well matched with Thomas Mesereau.

They're both charming. They're both very human with the jury and with witnesses. They're both kind of like Atticus Finch lawyers. So that was a great decision.

But Tom Sneddon has also been a target from the defense that he's like Jaber (ph) in "Les Miserables," you know, chasing Michael Jackson for any offense, until he gets him to the end of the earth. A hundred search warrants been involved in the investigation. A very smart move by the prosecutors to pull him out of this equation at closing.

O'BRIEN: Break down the strategy then for the closing for both the defense and the prosecution, Anne.

BREMNER: I think the prosecution -- you're competing, Soledad, as you know, in a case like this, for the hearts and minds of the jurors. And there's been so much in this case, all the notes they've taken, all the witnesses and credibility issues, that you're looking at, you know, capturing their minds. But what about their hearts?

That's closing. And the prosecution needs to hit a homerun and just tick through their evidence about -- we've talked about, you know, fingerprint, eyewitness, pattern evidence, the accuser. And at the end of the day, the accuser we saw in the video Friday that was so compelling he when was first interviewed by the police.

And the defense, den of thieves, you know, family of grifters, Michael Jackson's the ultimate extortion target, that this is a case that's got to end, that Michael Jackson is a victim not only of these coconspirators, but of this family. And that this case basically has not been made, and that, you know, Michael Jackson should be freed from this prosecution that's really gone on for over a decade from Tom Sneddon.

O'BRIEN: The judge has run a pretty tight courtroom. You've pointed that out several times. Is he prepared, do you think, for what could be a very chaotic wrap-up of this case when the verdict comes in?

BREMNER: I think he is. You know, it's like -- when this case first started, I kept thinking, let the circus begin. Well, it's really beginning now.

Santa Maria is not what it was last week. There are people everywhere. There's media everywhere.

And this verdict, the judge does not want to have mayhem. He's run such a tight ship, he's been so careful. He's going to make sure there's no disruption, because there hasn't been so far in this case, at the time of the verdict. The only disruption we've had was when Michael Jackson wore his pajamas to court, and the judge couldn't control that.

O'BRIEN: We'll see what happens. Anne Bremner, criminal defense attorney, joining us this morning. Nice to see you, as always. Thanks.

BREMNER: Nice to see you. Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Thanks -- Bill.

HEMMER: Well, we trust the scene tomorrow in the Michael Jackson trial will be calmer what happened in this courtroom in Israel. A videotape catching eye today, and how could it not. Take a look.

A courthouse in Haifa on surveillance camera. The trial involving a man accused in a killing that came out of a feud between an Arab and an Israeli family.

Two people taken in for questioning after security guards broke up this fight. And it went on, and it went on. No injuries, believe it or not, with all those chairs flying. No injuries in Haifa, and the chairs survived, too.

Well, the Challenger disaster in 1986, 19 years ago, seen live on CNN. And our special look back today. We'll hear the stories of the people caught in the middle as the news was unfolding overhead.

Back in a moment here on our anniversary of the cable news network, June 1, 1980.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Our birthday today. CNN is 25 years old. And all week, we're looking at the defining historic moments that were covered by CNN during the last quarter century.

Among the most memorable stories, a disaster for the space program.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: T minus two minutes and counting.

O'BRIEN (voice-over): Tuesday, January 28, 1986, the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And liquid hydrogen pressurization to flight level is under way.

O'BRIEN: CNN was the only network providing live coverage.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That day it was so bitterly cold.

O'BRIEN: The temperature at the Florida launch pad at Cape Canaveral, 36 degrees Fahrenheit, the coldest ever for a shuttle blastoff. But after multiple postponements in three days, two due to bad weather at the launch site, the Challenger was about to lift off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: T minus 10, nine, eight, seven...

ZARRELLA: This was an enormous event because it was going to be the launch of Christa Mcauliffe, the teacher in space.

GRACE CORRIGAN, CHRISTA MCAULIFFE'S MOTHER: My husband looked out and you could see the shuttle. You could see icicles on it. He said, "You know, if I could go out there and take her off of that, I would."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three, two, one, and liftoff. Liftoff of the 25th space shuttle mission. And it has cleared the tower.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So the 25th space shuttle mission is now on the way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) 15 seconds, 2,900 feet per second altitude.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have the report from the flight dynamics officer that the vehicle has exploded. Our director confirms that. We are looking at -- checking with the recovery forces to see what can be done at this point.

O'BRIEN: Just 73 seconds into the flight, the space shuttle disappeared into a fireball nine miles above the Atlantic Ocean.

ZARRELLA: One of the first things you did was you looked over and you could see Christa McAuliffe's mother and father. And they were standing there. And, you know, it was almost a bewildered look, like -- sort of the same look we had of, what happened, you know, what's going on?

CORRIGAN: Thinking back on it, I don't think it was that we didn't understand something very horrible had happened. I think it was the fact that we didn't want to.

O'BRIEN: All seven people on board the Challenger died in the explosion.

RONALD REAGAN, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved good-bye and slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: What a time, huh? What a moment.

O'BRIEN: Whew, those pictures, I mean, really, it takes you back. I remember that event, watching it on CNN. CNN was the only camera covering that.

COSTELLO: I remember looking at it and wondering what happened. Because you knew something was wrong, but your mind wouldn't process it.

HEMMER: I was going to school in Europe at the time. It took us two days to find a TV that had the videotape and the story on it.

O'BRIEN: Remarkable.

HEMMER: Jack Cafferty is out today. He's having a big barbecue at his house in New Jersey in honor of CNN's birthday today.

And Carol Costello is -- go for it.

COSTELLO: We are asking you this morning for your personal take on the big stories. Today's question, what news event of the last 25 years mattered most to you? A lot of interesting responses this morning.

This is from Mark in St. Louis, Missouri. He says, "The impeachment trial of President Clinton. I was glued to CNN. I was home with a terrible flu for more than a week, there was a foot of snow outside, and I just hunkered down with Bernard Shaw and the others and let those lawyers put me to sleep."

"It was great. It got me through a very bad week."

HEMMER: You're welcome.

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: I don't know. I was glued to it, too, but I couldn't go to sleep.

O'BRIEN: For different, reasons, right?

COSTELLO: Exactly.

This is from Matt, from Columbus, Mississippi. "The event that was very important in my life would be the Columbine High School shootings. This affected me because I lived in Colorado and also because I was bullied. And it wakes us up to see that bullying can cost more than just hurt feelings."

Just another image of that kid hanging from the school. Remember that? I mea, that's the image I have from the Columbine shootings.

This is from Laura in Pine Bush, New York. "Strangely for me, it was the death of Princess Diana. Not because she was a tabloid darling. It was that her death was the death of fairy tales. It helped many of us look at those whom we have placed on high pedestals as the very real, fragile human beings that they are."

I just remember it was her age, dying...

O'BRIEN: And having two sons left behind.

COSTELLO: Two sons, yes. And this is from Theresa, from Stone Ridge, New York. "I remember watching and listening with amazement to Bernie Shaw and Peter Arnett through Desert Storm. It gave that war authenticity, while through the sounds of destruction in the midst of all that chaos, they were reporting it. And now the second biggest event, Deep Throat revealed. And the third, Jack got the day off."

O'BRIEN: Oh, Jack gets plenty of days off, please. Thanks.

HEMMER: He's working on that barbecue.

COSTELLO: Aren't we going over there later?

O'BRIEN: Yes.

HEMMER: Thanks, Carol.

O'BRIEN: In about 30 minutes.

HEMMER: CNN was the brainchild of our founder, Ted Turner. We all know that by now. It was his vision and his spirit, too, that made it a reality.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TED TURNER, CNN FOUNDER: Well, I saw an opening. And even though I didn't have enough money, I could see that cable advertisement was going to make it because I had the Superstation already. And I said, "This is going to work. It's going to require a gamble of everything I have."

But I didn't really do it to make money. I wanted to make money, and I knew I would. Rotary's motto, "He profits most who serves the best." But I just wanted to see if we could do it. It was an adventure, more than anything else, like Christopher Columbus.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Tomorrow, we'll look back at CNN's 25 years on the air with the reflection on the deadliest acts of terrorism on American soil, that events of September 11. That is tomorrow.

Tonight, prime-time special, "Defining Moments: 25 Stories That Touched our Lives." You can see it at 8:00 Eastern, 5:00 on the West Coast here on CNN.

Over the years, CNN's influence has reached beyond just television news. In a moment, the impact CNN has made on the world, from politics to pop culture.

Back in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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