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American Morning

Subway Terror Plot?; Call for U.S. Pullout; Search for Natalee

Aired June 13, 2005 - 09:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: More attacks against Americans in Iraq, and some members of Congress have had enough. New pressure on the president this morning. We're going to get reaction from the White House in a live report.
A developing story here in New York. Have authorities uncovered a threat to the city's subway system? Police questioning a man found with puzzling maps and sketches.

And is the investigation into Natalee Holloway's disappearance going in circles? The girl's mother demanding answers on this AMERICAN MORNING.

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

O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody. Bill Hemmer is taking a long weekend, but Ali Velshi is helping us out.

Nice to see you. Good morning.

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Soledad. Good morning to all of you.

O'BRIEN: Time to get right to the headlines this morning with Carol Costello.

Good morning, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Good morning to all of you.

"Now in the News," President Bush is talking democracy, trade and debt relief with leaders of five African nations this morning. The president has agreed to join a British-led plan to scrap $40 billion in debt owed by 18 of the world's poorest nations. The president also wants Congress to approve a plan to give duty-free status to goods from Sub-Saharan Africa.

U.S. military officials are investigating an explosion in Afghanistan. A convoy traveling to Kandahar was apparently hit by a roadside bomb. At least four U.S. service members were injured in today's blast, one of them seriously.

A second full week of jury deliberations begins this morning in the Michael Jackson trial. Fans of the pop star gathering outside the Neverland Ranch on Sunday, putting up signs to show their support. Jackson himself has been waiting things out there. Court resumes less than three hours from now.

And in southern California, a developing story. Authorities are investigating an early morning shooting on the Long Beach Freeway near the city of Lynwood.

At least one person was shot. No word yet on the injuries. All southbound lanes, though, do remain close. So as you might imagine, it's not going to be a pleasant start to the rush hour in California.

VELSHI: Yes.

O'BRIEN: I can imagine. A terrible start. All right, Carol. Thanks.

COSTELLO: Sure.

O'BRIEN: A developing story on the CNN "Security Watch" at this hour. New York police are questioning a man who authorities said was acting suspiciously and had sketches of the New York City subway system.

Deb Feyerick live for us in CNN's New York broadcast center.

Hey, Deb. Good morning.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey. Good morning, Soledad.

Well, police won't tell us exactly what his name is. All they will say is that he's a Middle Eastern man. He was found inside a building in Brooklyn on Broadway. He was with five other people.

Now, firefighters happened to be in the building at the same time. They said that the men were acting suspiciously. So they began to question them, and then five of them bolted. One of them stayed.

The firefighters were able to take him until police arrived. They say that the man had subway maps, and they were also what appeared to be casing that building. They don't exactly know why, they certainly aren't telling us right now. But they did say that all of the men were acting suspiciously.

So right now, the NYPD questioning that man to find out what he was doing there, what it is he wanted, and who are those friends and where'd they go -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: It seems like the New York City firefighters actually ended up stumbling across this man. How did that happen?

FEYERICK: They were there. They were checking the sprinkler system, coincidentally. A very hot day in New York City. They always want to make sure that things are working properly. It's something that they do routinely, and they saw these guys and they called police.

O'BRIEN: All right. I'm sure we're going to get more information on this as the day progresses. Deb Feyerick for us this morning. Deb, thanks.

And of course you'll want to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security -- Ali.

VELSHI: Thanks, Soledad.

The number of American troops who have died in Iraq is approaching 1,700. Now, even Republican leaders are beginning to question President Bush's war plan.

Suzanne Malveaux is live at the White House with any reaction.

Suzanne, is there any reaction from the White House on these new numbers? Or, in fact, a call to impose a deadline to withdraw troops from Iraq?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning.

A White House official told me that there is going to be no deadline, that essentially U.S. troops are going to stay in Iraq until the job is done. That is what we've heard from the president before. But obviously, President Bush is losing some support for his Iraq mission as more Americans become frustrated over the length of that mission, as well as the loss of U.S. troops.

Now, a Gallup poll dated June 8 asked whether the Bush administration should withdraw some or all U.S. troops in Iraq. Back in February, Americans were evenly split. About 49 percent said yes, 48 percent said no. That is now up to 59 percent saying yes and 36 percent saying no.

Respondents were also asked whether or not it was worth it to go to Iraq, to go to war in Iraq. Forty-two percent said yes, 56 percent said no.

Now, this weekend, the debate over Iraq gained steam when members of Mr. Bush's own party, those who voted in support of the Iraq war, openly criticized the administration, saying it wasn't being honest with the American people in terms of the difficulty of the mission. Congressman Walter Jones, a conservative from North Carolina, said he would go so far as offer legislation this week to set a timetable to pull out U.S. troops.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. WALTER JONES JR. (R), NORTH CAROLINA: I feel that we need to make a decision as to what goals will be, that when we achieve those goals we could declare victory. Our men and women in uniform have done a magnificent job for this country and for the Iraqi people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And so, Ali, the Bush administration says that U.S. troops are going to stay in as long as it takes. They realize, of course, that is difficult for many Americans, but say that they have to stay the course -- Ali.

VELSHI: Suzanne Malveaux at the White House. Thanks very much.

O'BRIEN: Turning to Aruba now, lawyers are going to ask two suspects be released in the Natalee Holloway case. Five men are now being held, but none are charged officially with the disappearance of the 18-year-old from Alabama. She was last seen on May 30.

Two security guards were arrested on June 5. Their lawyers say they deny any connection to Holloway. Three other men admit to being with her on the night she disappeared. They were arrested on Thursday.

Over the weekend a police officials told The Associated Press one man confessed, "Something bad happened to Holloway." But prosecutors will not confirm or deny that story. Natalee's mother told the AP Sunday, "All three of those boys know what happened to her, they all know what they did with her that night."

I asked Ruben Trapenberg, a spokesman for the government of Aruba, if these suspects will be charged.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUBEN TRAPENBERG, ARUBA GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: They're not charged formally. That's also a slight difference that we have. The official, the formal charging process, takes a little bit later. First, they are held, and then considered suspects while information is gathered from the prosecutorial side.

So that's the way it goes here. It's a little different, but it does work.

O'BRIEN: What about the two suspects that we were talking about last week? They were being held, and it looked as if they were going to be formally charged. So far they have not been. Do you believe that they are still connected to this case or not?

TRAPENBERG: We don't get the details from the investigation. From what we think, it may be the case that these three gentlemen are pointing the fingers to these two guys. So if in have an alibi, they can substantiate where they've been, they may be released at some point. But that's still ongoing. Today, their lawyer, I've heard, may come with a special appeal so that their case can be considered.

O'BRIEN: Do you believe that Natalee Holloway is alive?

TRAPENBERG: It's not so important what we believe. It's important that we focus on the search, and also the investigation. Those are the two things that have to go right, and the search is ongoing.

Any tip we get is acted upon. So we're not giving up hope, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Ruben Trapenberg is the Aruba government spokesperson. Thanks for talking with us. We certainly appreciate your time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: We expect to get more information, obviously, out of Aruba today. We'll bring that to you when it happens -- Ali.

VELSHI: Thanks, Soledad.

Cleanup efforts are under way in parts of Oklahoma this morning after a line of severe storms hit the state on Sunday. High winds knocked down power lines and blew over at least two tractor trailer trucks near Clinton, Oklahoma. Crews are working to restore power to nearly 1,200 customers in and around Oklahoma City.

A tornado blazed a 100-foot-wide, five-mile-long swathe through fields near Hammond, Wisconsin. Dozens of buildings were damaged, with the twister blowing away garages and roofs on Saturday. No injuries were reported in that one.

And residents, of course, breathing a sigh of relief in the Gulf Coast after Tropical Storm Arlene moves on with minimal damage. Arlene came ashore on Saturday afternoon, hitting parts of Florida and Alabama with massive rain and winds of up to 75 miles an hour. Power lines and trees were toppled, causing scattered outages, affecting nearly 30,000 people Saturday.

Officials say much of that power has been restored in Florida. Alabama, they're still working on it.

Let's check back on the weather. Jacqui Jeras is filling in for Chad Myers at the CNN weather center -- Jacqui.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, the case that ended in a hung jury more than 40 years ago. Today, a new trial begins for an 80-year-old former preacher in connection with three murders. We're going to talk to the accused man's lawyer ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Jury selection begins today in the case of Edgar Ray Killen, charged with the 1964 murders of three civil rights workers in Mississippi. This is the first time that anybody has faced state charges of murder in this case. In 1967, Killen was tried on federal charges of conspiracy, but a jury deadlocked without convicting him.

Joining us this morning from Philadelphia in Mississippi is one of Killen's attorneys, James McIntyre.

Mr. McIntyre, nice to see you. Thank you very much for talking with us. Why do you think the case is being reopened now?

JAMES MCINTYRE, KILLEN'S ATTORNEY: I beg your pardon?

O'BRIEN: Why do you think this case is being reopened now? MCINTYRE: Well, I don't -- I really can't answer that question. I don't know.

This is a sad day for the state of Mississippi, after 40 years of moving forward and going back and opening up an old crime like this. The state of Mississippi needs to be going forward, not backwards.

O'BRIEN: Meaning you don't think anyone should ever be convicted of the murder of three civil rights workers?

MCINTYRE: I'm not saying that. What I'm saying is that the state of Mississippi needs to be going forward, not backwards.

This matter was closed some 40 years ago. There was a closure on it, and now, then, the state of Mississippi is attempting to open up old wounds and try to undo what's been done for over 40 years. And it's not -- it's not of any social good. It's not good for the citizens. It's not good for anyone whatsoever.

Crime is on the increase in Mississippi. I don't know where it is in the rest of the United States. When I first started practicing law, there were 1,500 people in the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Now there's 49,000, out of which 35,000 of those are locked up and 15,000 on probation and parole.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: So you think there are other things that the state should be...

MCINTYRE: I'm sorry?

O'BRIEN: You think there are other things that the state should be focusing on. Let me ask you another question about this trial, as opposed to the legal system in your state overall, if I may.

One of seven people who were convicted years back said he had no problem -- I'm quoting him -- "going to jail and having the main instigator walk out a free man." Later, when he was asked about that statement, he confirmed that he was talking about your client, Mr. Killen, that that was the person he called "the instigator."

This is some of the evidence, one has to imagine, that the prosecutors are going to bring to this new jury. What's your strategy?

MCINTYRE: Well, first of all, my strategy is that Edgar Ray Killen is not guilty of what he's being charged with. And I think the jury, after hearing all the evidence, will affirm that and agree with my position on this, and the defense position.

I don't know what other people have said about it. There's been so many comments made about it in the news media and other people who allegedly have an interest in this case whatsoever.

I disagree with it. I disagree with the press. I disagree with what other people are saying about the case, and the proof's going to show that he's not guilty of this crime.

O'BRIEN: He's 80 years old. What kind of shape is he in to be able to withstand a long trial?

MCINTYRE: Well, as you know, he had an industrial accident about three, four months ago and had both legs broken. And he's doing fine mentally and emotionally. He's uncomfortable physically.

The court has bent over backwards attempting to accommodate him with a wheelchair, a motorized wheelchair, and a bed next to the courtroom. He'll have to get up every two hours for therapy.

The court has even gone to the length of appointing a registered nurse to see to his daily needs. So we're grateful to the courts for what they have done for him to accommodate his physical impairments.

O'BRIEN: It has been 41 years since this triple murder took place. Do you think that span of time helps your client, or do you think it hurts him, it makes it easier for him to be convicted in this case?

MCINTYRE: Well, I don't really know. Of course, the Constitution says you're entitled to a jury of your peers.

His peers have past. It's been three generations. There's a different peer now.

There's been all the news media and the books written about it. And people who were not around at that time now making decisions as to his guilt or innocence.

I would suggest that the people of his peers were the -- were the ones that should have judged him. They should have judged him at the time of the commission of this occurrence.

O'BRIEN: All right. Attorney McIntyre, James McIntyre, is one of Edgar Ray Killen's attorneys joining us to talk a little bit about his strategy there. Thanks for talking with us.

MCINTYRE: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Ali.

VELSHI: Thanks, Soledad.

Still to come, police in New Hampshire arrest the grandfather that they say took sexually explicit photos of his own granddaughter. But how police caught the man is now being called into question.

Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody.

You're taking a look at some new videotape that's just in to CNN. It's the pictures of Saddam Hussein. These are being released, we're told, by the Iraqi tribunal.

It's Saddam being questioned by a magistrate. And we are told that this is recently-released pictures.

Saddam, of course, was arrested in December of 2003, and, of course, he's only made one other appearance that we have been able to see on videotape, this magistrate at this time.

Interestingly enough, Ali, showing his face.

VELSHI: Yes.

O'BRIEN: If you'll recall from the last appearance that we saw of Saddam Hussein in court, they were very careful to hide the faces of the judges, because, of course, they were very concerned about retaliation.

VELSHI: Yes.

O'BRIEN: We're not getting any audiotape along with this videotape, but, of course, we're going to see if we can get some audiotape and figure out what's going on in this hearing.

VELSHI: Soledad, pictures being released actually leads us into this very, very interesting story. New Hampshire police used a risky strategy in the search for a possible child pornographer.

Now, they actually published photos of a 2-year-old girl who they believed to be the victim. Now, those pictures that the police published were not explicit, but the pornographic photos were discovered by a drugstore clerk.

Fascinating story. Somebody went into a CVS to use the machine to automatically print pictures, and when they found out that the printers -- that the pictures were being printed behind the counter, and that someone might see them, they took off. Now, that gave police a possible victim, but no clue as to who the victim was. So the decision to publish the pictures of the girl led to the arrest of her grandfather.

Mark Fowke is with the Manchester, New Hampshire, Police Department. He joins us now.

Sergeant Fowke, thank you for being with us.

SGT. MARK FOWKE, MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, POLICE: Good morning.

VELSHI: This is interesting, that this gets called into question. The issue here was the risk of releasing a picture of this girl. What was the risk that you had to weigh? What was the bad part that might have come of that, now that we've got a good outcome?

FOWKE: There were many considerations. A lot went into the investigation prior to our releasing the pictures. Many people were involved, and certainly we took every precaution. We also realized that many different things could happen. Basically, it boiled down to the safety of this little girl and making sure that she would no longer be victimized.

VELSHI: Now, here's the interesting thing. This -- this -- somebody went in to use one of these machines you use to automatically -- to do up your own prints. And when it was discovered that those prints actually printed out behind the counter, there was videotape of this suspect?

FOWKE: There was some surveillance video from the store. The clerk was able to remember the individual that had printed the pictures. She recalled having seen some of the pictures, the family pictures on top of the stack, apparently, when he checked out. She notified us immediately so that we could begin our investigation when she found out that...

VELSHI: But you weren't able to identify the suspect from the videotape.

FOWKE: We had no information at all about the girl, about the individual that was involved. We had no place to start.

VELSHI: OK. So you made a decision to publish a picture, and I think we've got a -- one of these -- we've pixelated the face, but this is the picture similar to what you released.

Is this the picture you released? The young girl is wearing a blue, what looks like a dress?

FOWKE: We did release two very carefully cropped photographs to the media wearing a blue dress. It was very carefully considered how this would be done. A lot of thought was put into how we would be able to recognize when we received a number of calls which individual's calling might -- might have an idea who the little girl was and if this was in fact the right person.

VELSHI: How long did it take you to sew this whole thing up?

FOWKE: We started receiving calls within minutes of the first airing locally. When we realized that we weren't going to find somebody very quickly, when we hadn't found someone within a few hours, we needed to expand the scope of our search. Obviously, when the national media picked up the story, within -- within 24 hours we had a positive I.D., within 27 hours, we had an individual in custody.

VELSHI: And the father actually is the one who gave you some information. The father called?

FOWKE: We received a call from the father. He received calls from relatives. We also received calls from a number of relatives in the state of Florida. It was very quick and very -- certainly we were able to determine that this was the right person.

VELSHI: Would you do it again? Did the benefits outweigh the risks to the point that you would be able to make it sort of policy to do this sort of thing?

FOWKE: Without question, all of the risks were considered. A great deal of work went into this.

In this particular case, it was imperative that we find this little girl. We realized that there was a certain type of victimization happening. We needed that to stop right away.

When all the other investigative tools that we had were unproductive, we decided that we had to identify her. And this was the best way we could do it.

VELSHI: And charges have been laid against the little girl's grandfather now?

FOWKE: Both in New Hampshire and in the state of Florida.

VELSHI: Sergeant Mark Fowke, thank you for joining us.

FOWKE: Thank you.

VELSHI: Sergeant Mark Fowke, of the Manchester, New Hampshire, police -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, day seven of jury deliberations in the Michael Jackson trial. Are jurors any closer to a verdict? And what questions are they asking the judge? We've got a live report just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. It's just about half-past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING. Bill Hemmer is taking a long weekend, but Ali Velshi is filling in for him.

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 June 13, 2005 - 09:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: More attacks against Americans in Iraq, and some members of Congress have had enough. New pressure on the president this morning. We're going to get reaction from the White House in a live report.
A developing story here in New York. Have authorities uncovered a threat to the city's subway system? Police questioning a man found with puzzling maps and sketches.

And is the investigation into Natalee Holloway's disappearance going in circles? The girl's mother demanding answers on this AMERICAN MORNING.

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

O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody. Bill Hemmer is taking a long weekend, but Ali Velshi is helping us out.

Nice to see you. Good morning.

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Soledad. Good morning to all of you.

O'BRIEN: Time to get right to the headlines this morning with Carol Costello.

Good morning, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Good morning to all of you.

"Now in the News," President Bush is talking democracy, trade and debt relief with leaders of five African nations this morning. The president has agreed to join a British-led plan to scrap $40 billion in debt owed by 18 of the world's poorest nations. The president also wants Congress to approve a plan to give duty-free status to goods from Sub-Saharan Africa.

U.S. military officials are investigating an explosion in Afghanistan. A convoy traveling to Kandahar was apparently hit by a roadside bomb. At least four U.S. service members were injured in today's blast, one of them seriously.

A second full week of jury deliberations begins this morning in the Michael Jackson trial. Fans of the pop star gathering outside the Neverland Ranch on Sunday, putting up signs to show their support. Jackson himself has been waiting things out there. Court resumes less than three hours from now.

And in southern California, a developing story. Authorities are investigating an early morning shooting on the Long Beach Freeway near the city of Lynwood.

At least one person was shot. No word yet on the injuries. All southbound lanes, though, do remain close. So as you might imagine, it's not going to be a pleasant start to the rush hour in California.

VELSHI: Yes.

O'BRIEN: I can imagine. A terrible start. All right, Carol. Thanks.

COSTELLO: Sure.

O'BRIEN: A developing story on the CNN "Security Watch" at this hour. New York police are questioning a man who authorities said was acting suspiciously and had sketches of the New York City subway system.

Deb Feyerick live for us in CNN's New York broadcast center.

Hey, Deb. Good morning.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey. Good morning, Soledad.

Well, police won't tell us exactly what his name is. All they will say is that he's a Middle Eastern man. He was found inside a building in Brooklyn on Broadway. He was with five other people.

Now, firefighters happened to be in the building at the same time. They said that the men were acting suspiciously. So they began to question them, and then five of them bolted. One of them stayed.

The firefighters were able to take him until police arrived. They say that the man had subway maps, and they were also what appeared to be casing that building. They don't exactly know why, they certainly aren't telling us right now. But they did say that all of the men were acting suspiciously.

So right now, the NYPD questioning that man to find out what he was doing there, what it is he wanted, and who are those friends and where'd they go -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: It seems like the New York City firefighters actually ended up stumbling across this man. How did that happen?

FEYERICK: They were there. They were checking the sprinkler system, coincidentally. A very hot day in New York City. They always want to make sure that things are working properly. It's something that they do routinely, and they saw these guys and they called police.

O'BRIEN: All right. I'm sure we're going to get more information on this as the day progresses. Deb Feyerick for us this morning. Deb, thanks.

And of course you'll want to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security -- Ali.

VELSHI: Thanks, Soledad.

The number of American troops who have died in Iraq is approaching 1,700. Now, even Republican leaders are beginning to question President Bush's war plan.

Suzanne Malveaux is live at the White House with any reaction.

Suzanne, is there any reaction from the White House on these new numbers? Or, in fact, a call to impose a deadline to withdraw troops from Iraq?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning.

A White House official told me that there is going to be no deadline, that essentially U.S. troops are going to stay in Iraq until the job is done. That is what we've heard from the president before. But obviously, President Bush is losing some support for his Iraq mission as more Americans become frustrated over the length of that mission, as well as the loss of U.S. troops.

Now, a Gallup poll dated June 8 asked whether the Bush administration should withdraw some or all U.S. troops in Iraq. Back in February, Americans were evenly split. About 49 percent said yes, 48 percent said no. That is now up to 59 percent saying yes and 36 percent saying no.

Respondents were also asked whether or not it was worth it to go to Iraq, to go to war in Iraq. Forty-two percent said yes, 56 percent said no.

Now, this weekend, the debate over Iraq gained steam when members of Mr. Bush's own party, those who voted in support of the Iraq war, openly criticized the administration, saying it wasn't being honest with the American people in terms of the difficulty of the mission. Congressman Walter Jones, a conservative from North Carolina, said he would go so far as offer legislation this week to set a timetable to pull out U.S. troops.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. WALTER JONES JR. (R), NORTH CAROLINA: I feel that we need to make a decision as to what goals will be, that when we achieve those goals we could declare victory. Our men and women in uniform have done a magnificent job for this country and for the Iraqi people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And so, Ali, the Bush administration says that U.S. troops are going to stay in as long as it takes. They realize, of course, that is difficult for many Americans, but say that they have to stay the course -- Ali.

VELSHI: Suzanne Malveaux at the White House. Thanks very much.

O'BRIEN: Turning to Aruba now, lawyers are going to ask two suspects be released in the Natalee Holloway case. Five men are now being held, but none are charged officially with the disappearance of the 18-year-old from Alabama. She was last seen on May 30.

Two security guards were arrested on June 5. Their lawyers say they deny any connection to Holloway. Three other men admit to being with her on the night she disappeared. They were arrested on Thursday.

Over the weekend a police officials told The Associated Press one man confessed, "Something bad happened to Holloway." But prosecutors will not confirm or deny that story. Natalee's mother told the AP Sunday, "All three of those boys know what happened to her, they all know what they did with her that night."

I asked Ruben Trapenberg, a spokesman for the government of Aruba, if these suspects will be charged.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUBEN TRAPENBERG, ARUBA GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: They're not charged formally. That's also a slight difference that we have. The official, the formal charging process, takes a little bit later. First, they are held, and then considered suspects while information is gathered from the prosecutorial side.

So that's the way it goes here. It's a little different, but it does work.

O'BRIEN: What about the two suspects that we were talking about last week? They were being held, and it looked as if they were going to be formally charged. So far they have not been. Do you believe that they are still connected to this case or not?

TRAPENBERG: We don't get the details from the investigation. From what we think, it may be the case that these three gentlemen are pointing the fingers to these two guys. So if in have an alibi, they can substantiate where they've been, they may be released at some point. But that's still ongoing. Today, their lawyer, I've heard, may come with a special appeal so that their case can be considered.

O'BRIEN: Do you believe that Natalee Holloway is alive?

TRAPENBERG: It's not so important what we believe. It's important that we focus on the search, and also the investigation. Those are the two things that have to go right, and the search is ongoing.

Any tip we get is acted upon. So we're not giving up hope, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Ruben Trapenberg is the Aruba government spokesperson. Thanks for talking with us. We certainly appreciate your time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: We expect to get more information, obviously, out of Aruba today. We'll bring that to you when it happens -- Ali.

VELSHI: Thanks, Soledad.

Cleanup efforts are under way in parts of Oklahoma this morning after a line of severe storms hit the state on Sunday. High winds knocked down power lines and blew over at least two tractor trailer trucks near Clinton, Oklahoma. Crews are working to restore power to nearly 1,200 customers in and around Oklahoma City.

A tornado blazed a 100-foot-wide, five-mile-long swathe through fields near Hammond, Wisconsin. Dozens of buildings were damaged, with the twister blowing away garages and roofs on Saturday. No injuries were reported in that one.

And residents, of course, breathing a sigh of relief in the Gulf Coast after Tropical Storm Arlene moves on with minimal damage. Arlene came ashore on Saturday afternoon, hitting parts of Florida and Alabama with massive rain and winds of up to 75 miles an hour. Power lines and trees were toppled, causing scattered outages, affecting nearly 30,000 people Saturday.

Officials say much of that power has been restored in Florida. Alabama, they're still working on it.

Let's check back on the weather. Jacqui Jeras is filling in for Chad Myers at the CNN weather center -- Jacqui.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, the case that ended in a hung jury more than 40 years ago. Today, a new trial begins for an 80-year-old former preacher in connection with three murders. We're going to talk to the accused man's lawyer ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Jury selection begins today in the case of Edgar Ray Killen, charged with the 1964 murders of three civil rights workers in Mississippi. This is the first time that anybody has faced state charges of murder in this case. In 1967, Killen was tried on federal charges of conspiracy, but a jury deadlocked without convicting him.

Joining us this morning from Philadelphia in Mississippi is one of Killen's attorneys, James McIntyre.

Mr. McIntyre, nice to see you. Thank you very much for talking with us. Why do you think the case is being reopened now?

JAMES MCINTYRE, KILLEN'S ATTORNEY: I beg your pardon?

O'BRIEN: Why do you think this case is being reopened now? MCINTYRE: Well, I don't -- I really can't answer that question. I don't know.

This is a sad day for the state of Mississippi, after 40 years of moving forward and going back and opening up an old crime like this. The state of Mississippi needs to be going forward, not backwards.

O'BRIEN: Meaning you don't think anyone should ever be convicted of the murder of three civil rights workers?

MCINTYRE: I'm not saying that. What I'm saying is that the state of Mississippi needs to be going forward, not backwards.

This matter was closed some 40 years ago. There was a closure on it, and now, then, the state of Mississippi is attempting to open up old wounds and try to undo what's been done for over 40 years. And it's not -- it's not of any social good. It's not good for the citizens. It's not good for anyone whatsoever.

Crime is on the increase in Mississippi. I don't know where it is in the rest of the United States. When I first started practicing law, there were 1,500 people in the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Now there's 49,000, out of which 35,000 of those are locked up and 15,000 on probation and parole.

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O'BRIEN: So you think there are other things that the state should be...

MCINTYRE: I'm sorry?

O'BRIEN: You think there are other things that the state should be focusing on. Let me ask you another question about this trial, as opposed to the legal system in your state overall, if I may.

One of seven people who were convicted years back said he had no problem -- I'm quoting him -- "going to jail and having the main instigator walk out a free man." Later, when he was asked about that statement, he confirmed that he was talking about your client, Mr. Killen, that that was the person he called "the instigator."

This is some of the evidence, one has to imagine, that the prosecutors are going to bring to this new jury. What's your strategy?

MCINTYRE: Well, first of all, my strategy is that Edgar Ray Killen is not guilty of what he's being charged with. And I think the jury, after hearing all the evidence, will affirm that and agree with my position on this, and the defense position.

I don't know what other people have said about it. There's been so many comments made about it in the news media and other people who allegedly have an interest in this case whatsoever.

I disagree with it. I disagree with the press. I disagree with what other people are saying about the case, and the proof's going to show that he's not guilty of this crime.

O'BRIEN: He's 80 years old. What kind of shape is he in to be able to withstand a long trial?

MCINTYRE: Well, as you know, he had an industrial accident about three, four months ago and had both legs broken. And he's doing fine mentally and emotionally. He's uncomfortable physically.

The court has bent over backwards attempting to accommodate him with a wheelchair, a motorized wheelchair, and a bed next to the courtroom. He'll have to get up every two hours for therapy.

The court has even gone to the length of appointing a registered nurse to see to his daily needs. So we're grateful to the courts for what they have done for him to accommodate his physical impairments.

O'BRIEN: It has been 41 years since this triple murder took place. Do you think that span of time helps your client, or do you think it hurts him, it makes it easier for him to be convicted in this case?

MCINTYRE: Well, I don't really know. Of course, the Constitution says you're entitled to a jury of your peers.

His peers have past. It's been three generations. There's a different peer now.

There's been all the news media and the books written about it. And people who were not around at that time now making decisions as to his guilt or innocence.

I would suggest that the people of his peers were the -- were the ones that should have judged him. They should have judged him at the time of the commission of this occurrence.

O'BRIEN: All right. Attorney McIntyre, James McIntyre, is one of Edgar Ray Killen's attorneys joining us to talk a little bit about his strategy there. Thanks for talking with us.

MCINTYRE: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Ali.

VELSHI: Thanks, Soledad.

Still to come, police in New Hampshire arrest the grandfather that they say took sexually explicit photos of his own granddaughter. But how police caught the man is now being called into question.

Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

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O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody.

You're taking a look at some new videotape that's just in to CNN. It's the pictures of Saddam Hussein. These are being released, we're told, by the Iraqi tribunal.

It's Saddam being questioned by a magistrate. And we are told that this is recently-released pictures.

Saddam, of course, was arrested in December of 2003, and, of course, he's only made one other appearance that we have been able to see on videotape, this magistrate at this time.

Interestingly enough, Ali, showing his face.

VELSHI: Yes.

O'BRIEN: If you'll recall from the last appearance that we saw of Saddam Hussein in court, they were very careful to hide the faces of the judges, because, of course, they were very concerned about retaliation.

VELSHI: Yes.

O'BRIEN: We're not getting any audiotape along with this videotape, but, of course, we're going to see if we can get some audiotape and figure out what's going on in this hearing.

VELSHI: Soledad, pictures being released actually leads us into this very, very interesting story. New Hampshire police used a risky strategy in the search for a possible child pornographer.

Now, they actually published photos of a 2-year-old girl who they believed to be the victim. Now, those pictures that the police published were not explicit, but the pornographic photos were discovered by a drugstore clerk.

Fascinating story. Somebody went into a CVS to use the machine to automatically print pictures, and when they found out that the printers -- that the pictures were being printed behind the counter, and that someone might see them, they took off. Now, that gave police a possible victim, but no clue as to who the victim was. So the decision to publish the pictures of the girl led to the arrest of her grandfather.

Mark Fowke is with the Manchester, New Hampshire, Police Department. He joins us now.

Sergeant Fowke, thank you for being with us.

SGT. MARK FOWKE, MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, POLICE: Good morning.

VELSHI: This is interesting, that this gets called into question. The issue here was the risk of releasing a picture of this girl. What was the risk that you had to weigh? What was the bad part that might have come of that, now that we've got a good outcome?

FOWKE: There were many considerations. A lot went into the investigation prior to our releasing the pictures. Many people were involved, and certainly we took every precaution. We also realized that many different things could happen. Basically, it boiled down to the safety of this little girl and making sure that she would no longer be victimized.

VELSHI: Now, here's the interesting thing. This -- this -- somebody went in to use one of these machines you use to automatically -- to do up your own prints. And when it was discovered that those prints actually printed out behind the counter, there was videotape of this suspect?

FOWKE: There was some surveillance video from the store. The clerk was able to remember the individual that had printed the pictures. She recalled having seen some of the pictures, the family pictures on top of the stack, apparently, when he checked out. She notified us immediately so that we could begin our investigation when she found out that...

VELSHI: But you weren't able to identify the suspect from the videotape.

FOWKE: We had no information at all about the girl, about the individual that was involved. We had no place to start.

VELSHI: OK. So you made a decision to publish a picture, and I think we've got a -- one of these -- we've pixelated the face, but this is the picture similar to what you released.

Is this the picture you released? The young girl is wearing a blue, what looks like a dress?

FOWKE: We did release two very carefully cropped photographs to the media wearing a blue dress. It was very carefully considered how this would be done. A lot of thought was put into how we would be able to recognize when we received a number of calls which individual's calling might -- might have an idea who the little girl was and if this was in fact the right person.

VELSHI: How long did it take you to sew this whole thing up?

FOWKE: We started receiving calls within minutes of the first airing locally. When we realized that we weren't going to find somebody very quickly, when we hadn't found someone within a few hours, we needed to expand the scope of our search. Obviously, when the national media picked up the story, within -- within 24 hours we had a positive I.D., within 27 hours, we had an individual in custody.

VELSHI: And the father actually is the one who gave you some information. The father called?

FOWKE: We received a call from the father. He received calls from relatives. We also received calls from a number of relatives in the state of Florida. It was very quick and very -- certainly we were able to determine that this was the right person.

VELSHI: Would you do it again? Did the benefits outweigh the risks to the point that you would be able to make it sort of policy to do this sort of thing?

FOWKE: Without question, all of the risks were considered. A great deal of work went into this.

In this particular case, it was imperative that we find this little girl. We realized that there was a certain type of victimization happening. We needed that to stop right away.

When all the other investigative tools that we had were unproductive, we decided that we had to identify her. And this was the best way we could do it.

VELSHI: And charges have been laid against the little girl's grandfather now?

FOWKE: Both in New Hampshire and in the state of Florida.

VELSHI: Sergeant Mark Fowke, thank you for joining us.

FOWKE: Thank you.

VELSHI: Sergeant Mark Fowke, of the Manchester, New Hampshire, police -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, day seven of jury deliberations in the Michael Jackson trial. Are jurors any closer to a verdict? And what questions are they asking the judge? We've got a live report just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

Stay with us.

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O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. It's just about half-past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING. Bill Hemmer is taking a long weekend, but Ali Velshi is filling in for him.

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