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American Morning

Al Qaeda Arrest; Hostage Release; Military Jet Crash

Aired June 16, 2005 - 9:00   ET

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

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


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. A military jet carrying bombs and ammunition crashing into an Arizona community. There's one neighbor who caught the burning wreckage on tape, and we'll talk to him live.
Dozens of young students and teachers taken hostage when gunmen seized their school. We are live there with the latest, too, from overseas.

And a royal security lapse in England. A British tabloid reporter sneaking into Prince Harry's military academy. He got dangerously close to the young prince, and the fallout continues there.

It's all ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

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

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome, everybody.

Also ahead this morning, America's favorite mummy is making a comeback. The King Tut exhibit opens in Los Angeles today. And as you can imagine, there is much fanfare.

HEMMER: We will talk in a moment with one of the world's leading experts on King Tut, one the few people who have actually touched the king boy. He's coming up.

O'BRIEN: He's got some interesting comments on the curse of the pharaohs. And we're going to talk to him about that this morning as well.

HEMMER: Good stuff. All right.

First the headlines. Back to Carol for those -- Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Good morning, everyone.

"Now in the News," a deadly end to a hostage standoff at an international school in Cambodia. Police say two gunmen were killed as they tried to escape the school in northwest Cambodia. Two other gunmen were captured.

More than 50 elementary students and teachers had been taken hostage. Authorities say one of the gunman shot and killed a 5-year- old Canadian student. Cambodian officials called the gunmen drug- addicted bandits.

A small bipartisan group in the House is urging President Bush to consider a plan to pull out U.S. troops in Iraq. Two Republicans and two Democrats are calling for troops to start coming home by October of 2006. This is the first such resolution put forth by both parties. The Bush administration has said a timetable for withdrawal cannot be considered until Iraqi forces are strong enough to take over.

In South Carolina, a former police officer is facing charges after he was captured on videotape beating a suspect. The Dillon Police Department released this video showing Officer Donny Grimsley (ph) hitting the suspect with a flashlight. Grimsley (ph) and other officers are also seen kicking and stomping the suspect as he pleads, "Please stop hitting me." He and another officer have since been fired.

A judge in Aruba is expected to rule today on motions filed by lawyers for three young men held in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. In the meantime, police seized two cars and bagfuls (ph) of items from the home of a local judge whose son is one of those three suspects. Authorities did not say what led them to search the house or what they took. Holloway has been missing since May 30.

And President Bush is talking prescription drugs today. This morning he's attending a national Hispanic prayer breakfast. Later he'll head over to the Department of Health and Human Services, and that's where he'll kick off a campaign to ensure seniors understand a new prescription drug benefit. The president will also focus on Medicare at an event in Minnesota tomorrow -- Bill.

HEMMER: Thank you, Carol.

Back to Iraq now. U.S. military officials now saying they have netted the head of an al Qaeda cell in Mosul. Jennifer Eccleston is live in Baghdad to bring us up to date on the events so far.

Let's start in Mosul, Jennifer. What's happening there?

JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What happened in Mosul, Bill, was that a judge trying to get to work, driving to work with his driver, his car came under fire by armed gunmen who were also traveling in a vehicle, and he subsequently died. We also saw today the announcement of a number of deaths of U.S. servicemen. Six American troops, five Marines and a sailor were killed during combat operations Wednesday in the Ramadi area of the west of Anbar province.

Now, those five Marines were assigned to the 2nd Marine Division, and they were killed when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle. Also, an American sailor died from wounds suffered when he was hit by small arms fire. And that's also near Ramadi, which, as you know, is west of Baghdad. Now, the death toll of U.S. troops so far this month stands at 47.

Some other developments, Bill. A car bomb targeting another Iraqi Army convoy exploded at the gate of an oil company facility in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. Five soldiers were wounded, and also two other Iraqi civilians were wounded.

And then finally, in Baghdad this morning, a remotely-detonated car bomb wounded five Iraqi soldiers and an Iraqi civilian early this morning.

HEMMER: All right.

ECCLESTON: And as you mentioned there, there was an arrest. A U.S. military official reported the capture of a man he described as an al Qaeda leader in Mosul. He's an insurgent leader identified as Abu Talha (ph), and he was captured on Tuesday. And this is According to Brigadier General Donald Alston (ph). They said he was captured, and this is an important point, Bill, from tips from local Iraqi residents -- Bill.

HEMMER: Jennifer Eccleston, thanks for that in Baghdad.

Freed Australian hostage Douglas Wood leaves Iraq today. Iraqi forces on Wednesday secured him after 47 days in captivity. Wood clearly thankful for his release.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUGLAS WOOD, FREED HOSTAGE: God bless America!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: And Wood says he did not know what was happening during the rescue. He had been tied up, covered with a blanket.

Bob Franken's live at the Pentagon for more on this.

Bob, good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

And with all the tough news still coming out of Iraq, an administration trying to sustain support in the United States with the polls showing that it's slipping, seizing on the news of the rescue of Douglas Wood, and seizing on the fact that it was Iraqi forces that rescued him through a combination of circumstances, including, said the military spokesman, a healthy degree of luck.

The military spokesman went on to say, and the Iraqi forces agree, that, as a matter of fact, they had not been looking for Douglas Wood, but when they came upon a situation, their intuition suggested -- the Iraqi forces' intuition, according to the U.S. military spokesman, suggested to them that perhaps there was a hostage there. They were able to release him with a little bit of resistance.

Now, the important point here is, according to the U.S. military people, is that this was an effort that was spearheaded by Iraqi forces. The idea, of course, being that the sooner the Iraqi forces can become a confident group, the more quick, say the administration spokesmen, that the U.S. forces can begin to start thinking of a pullout. So far, there's been no effort to suggest when that pullout might begin -- Bill.

HEMMER: Bob Franken from the Pentagon. Thanks, Bob -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Well, now to that Arizona military crash. Investigators now trying to determine why a Harrier jet on a routine training run went down in a heavily-populated area of Yuma, which is near the borders of Mexico and California. The plane crashed while it was loaded with live weaponry.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN (voice-over): The fiery scene was captured on videotape. A Marine Harrier jet returning to the Yuma Marine Corps Air Station crashing into a residential neighborhood, coming to rest very close to a number of homes.

Military officials say the plane had been on a training mission and was still loaded with live ordnance, four 500-pound bombs and 300 rounds of 25 millimeter ammunition. That prompted authorities to evacuate some 1,300 residents near the crash site.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've been evacuated from my home, from my friend's home, and now I'm here waiting for a friend to pick me up.

O'BRIEN: The pilot ejected about a mile before the plane went down, suffering only minor injuries. Incredibly, no one on the ground was killed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Most of the evacuated residents have now been allowed to return to their homes. Brett Phillips lives in that neighborhood. He shot some of that videotape you just saw in the immediate aftermath of the crash, and he joins us this morning.

Nice to see you, Brett. Thanks for talking with us. Are you back in your home now?

BRETT PHILLIPS, VIDEOTAPED CRASH AFTERMATH: Yes. They lifted the ban on the -- on my house around, I think, like 10:30 or so. And just like there's about 52 houses, like in the -- that are a little bit closer that were still -- I think they're still blocked off right now. But my house, they cleared me, like OK'd me to go back to like around 10:30 last night.

O'BRIEN: Oh, good. Well, a little bit of good news for you.

Now, give me a sense of what you heard. A plane crashed. Is that when you first noticed there was a problem?

PHILLIPS: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Or did it sound like something first?

PHILLIPS: Well, you know, you can hear the planes, because the -- the airport, you know, is not too far away. And so you could hear the Harrier flying in. That's not too big a deal. I mean, you hear that all the time.

And then I heard something, you know, like a round being discharged, or some kind of explosion. And, you know, it caught me as unusual.

And then you hear the plane getting like really loud. Like, you know, it got way too close to the houses. Then you hear this -- another explosion, which is the plane impact. And, you know, like once you hear that, you know, it just tells you, you know, that something went wrong.

And I ran outside, you know, and got my camera. And ran out, and sure enough, there's a big plume of smoke just about maybe 100 yards away from my house or less. And...

O'BRIEN: And there's a parachutist, too. Because you got it on tape. And we're looking at it right now, Brett. You got a shot of the pilot ejecting.

PHILLIPS: Yes. That's -- yes, when I first went out there, the plane had already hit. And then so I was looking for, you know, the pilot. And sure enough, like, since it just happened, I saw, you know, the pilot up in the air, and I just started filming pretty much.

O'BRIEN: How close were you able to get, Brett?

PHILLIPS: Well, since I live so close to the house, and, you know, me and my friend were ready to, you know, go film it, we actually got in to the -- right into, like, pretty close to the crash, because the house that -- the house that it landed in the backyard of was at a dead end, and since there was no quarantine at that time, we actually got into the cul-de-sac and took -- took some close-up shots of the house.

You could see the plane burning in the background. And we got some footage of, like, some of the debris there. Like big chunks of debris in the middle of the road, and all that stuff.

O'BRIEN: Yes, we can see them.

PHILLIPS: So we got...

O'BRIEN: It was loaded with ammo. Bombs, and ammo as well. Was that all exploding as you're shooting this? Do you hear things exploding behind you or in front of you?

PHILLIPS: Yes, we did hear like a bunch of explosions. And, you know, the first thing that crossed my mind, it might have been some of those 300 rounds going off, or like some of the -- you know, parts of the plane, like, being burned up. But I was just, you know, like, capturing this on tape, and I just, like, got this adrenaline rush to, like, go film it, because I've worked in news, and, you know, it's just that journalistic instinct to go up there and, you know, get the breaking news as it's happening.

O'BRIEN: Well, your pictures are pretty good. How's the neighborhood look today?

PHILLIPS: The neighborhood? It's -- it's pretty clear.

I mean, the first thing they did is, they, like -- the Marines, or whoever, they were scoping the area out for debris and all the houses, and that's one of -- one of the two reasons, I guess, that they blocked it off was to check, you know, the houses for any stuff that landed there, and also for, like, in case the bombs were in danger of going off. So that's why they evacuated them.

And so that was pretty much taken care of. So, like, the neighborhood's pretty clear.

O'BRIEN: Well, the pictures look great. Thanks for sharing them with us, Brett. We appreciate it.

That's Brett Phillips joining us from Yuma in Arizona this morning -- Bill.

HEMMER: Eleven minutes past the hour. Back to Chad Myers.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: In a moment here, a murder case decades in the making in a small town now dealing with mixed emotions as a former Klansman goes on trial this week.

O'BRIEN: Also, doctors released autopsy results for Terri Schiavo. Was she really interacting with family members in those final days? We've got the answer to that.

HEMMER: And a royal security scare involving Prince Harry. We are live in London in a moment.

That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Today in Mississippi, testimony begins in the trial of the man prosecutors say was the mastermind behind the 1964 killings of three civil rights workers. Eighty-year-old former preacher Edgar Ray Killen is charged with three counts murder for the deaths of Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner.

All three men were in the South registering black voters during the civil rights movement. The year was 1964.

Now in 2005, Jim Prince is the editor of the local paper. It's called the Democrat." He's my guest live in Philadelphia, Mississippi.

Jim, good morning to you. Thanks for your time here.

JIM PRINCE, EDITOR, "NESHOBA DEMOCRAT": Good morning, Bill.

HEMMER: I want to talk about the mood in the town in a moment here. First, take me inside the courtroom. You say that the prosecutors are showing an awful lot of confidence in this case 41 years later. How do you gauge that confidence?

PRINCE: Well, I know Mark Duncan, I've known him all my life. He's a good man, and it's just clear they're confident with going forward with this case.

I think he had every opportunity early on to just say, well, we'll -- we'll just move on and not prosecute this, but he really had the fortitude and determination to go ahead. So I really base it on that. I think that it's clear -- clearly he's confident.

HEMMER: Yes. Well, one more question about the trial itself, then we'll talk about the mood that you're picking up down there and the people you've been talking to. You say they've been talking with a number of the informants from the first trial.

PRINCE: Pardon? I couldn't hear you. There's a truck going by?

HEMMER: My apology. You say they're talking to a number of informants from the first trial. What kind of information are they getting from them, Jim?

PRINCE: Well, I don't know. They aren't saying a whole lot about who's going to testify or anything, but I think there's been a lot of speculation that they've gone back and talked to some of the -- the FBI's informants in the '67 conspiracy trial.

The FBI has gone back, and they have -- they have interviewed those people. And whether they'll actually testify or not -- but I think there's a lot of speculation that there could be a surprise. Somebody from that era, from that investigation, might come forward with some nugget that would -- that would tie all of this together.

HEMMER: I understand, talking to a number of people there, a lot of folks we come across don't like the attention. What is their problem with the case coming back to court now, Jim?

PRINCE: Well, I think the mood here is mixed. But by and large, people are relieved that justice -- there's been a call for justice, that once and for all, the leadership of this community has said that we want justice. And whatever the outcome is, we'll live with it.

And I think black, white, Choctaw Indian, we are prepared. And that's what you hear people saying.

They're telling the national media that. They're telling our paper that. And by and large, I think people are just ready for it to be over with.

We're prepared to live with the verdict, but we've also forged these relationships across racial lines that, really, the horse is out of the barn. Our community, I believe, will move forward, will continue to move forward.

Most people want -- want a better future for their children. They want a better education, better hope for the next generation. And we've discovered in Philadelphia that when we sit down at the table, black, white, Choctaw, that that's what everyone wants. And we're really going to get...

HEMMER: Yes. I think that answer goes directly to the next question involving the judge yesterday telling the jury -- quoting now -- "What happens in this case," the judge says, "becomes the history of Neshoba County."

Do you believe that?

PRINCE: Absolutely. Absolutely. We're writing history. This is it, first version.

HEMMER: Jim Prince, thanks, in Philadelphia, Mississippi.

PRINCE: Thank you.

HEMMER: With me today -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Well, still to come this morning, the very latest from Aruba in the search for clues in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. What did police find in the home of a local judge? We'll bring you an update just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Clark Howard is best known for his helpful tips on how to save money and how to get good deals. Now he's got tips for parents who want to teach their kids financial responsibility.

The book is called "Clark Smart Parents, Clark Smart Kids." Radio talk show host, columnist and author Clark Howard joins us.

Nice to talk to you. Thanks for being with us.

CLARK HOWARD, AUTHOR: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: I have a daughter who's four and a half. Is she too young to be talking about money with?

HOWARD: Is she nagging you yet in the store?

O'BRIEN: For stuff, yes?

HOWARD: Then she's just about at the point. And as soon as she knows her numbers, maybe next year, that's when you can really start teaching the lessons of, this cost this, this cost that, we can't buy this, but maybe we can look at this.

O'BRIEN: What about allowance? I feel like that age is way too young to get allowance, but when -- what's the rule of thumb for allowance?

HOWARD: I believe first grade is the time you start having a child have a little bit of responsibility for their own money. I recommend $1 a week for a first grader. Each grade after that, you give them another dollar. So a third grader would gets $3, and on like that.

O'BRIEN: You've got some great tips in the book. And I kind of want to run through some of them.

HOWARD: Sure.

O'BRIEN: First, you say deferred gratification. What exactly does that mean?

HOWARD: Yes. A kid doesn't understand the idea of why they can't have something right now. Most of us as adults don't get the idea that we can't have whatever we want right this second.

So the idea of delayed gratification is you start teaching a child that, OK, you can have this now, but if you wait, you're going to have more. And so I'm really big on exercises in the book, things you can try that might or might not be appropriate for your child, to get the idea that if you wait, you're rewarded with more later.

O'BRIEN: I'm intrigued by this tip: do your own version of the company-matching fund. What do you mean exactly?

HOWARD: Yes. OK. I have a 15-year-old, and she's working as a hostess at a restaurant. And every dollar that she doesn't spend in the mall, that she gives me, I'm going to match dollar for dollar in a Roth IRA. Because if a teenager develops the habits of a lifetime of saving money, you've given them the greatest gift you could.

And if you receive money with them, just as an employer would with a 401(k), and you match dollar for dollar, your child's going to be really comfortable in retirement by starting to save early and developing that habit. So she told me -- she just told me this, this past Sunday, that the first $1,000 that she has this summer from her job, I'm getting. After that, she's buying purses at the mall.

O'BRIEN: But she's going to put some away. Good for her.

You say keep track of credit card purchases with a checkbook register.

HOWARD: Yes.

O'BRIEN: I think that's so smart, because kids...

HOWARD: Adults should do this, too.

O'BRIEN: Right.

HOWARD: If you just use a credit card, you're not thinking about what you're spending. But if you keep a check register every purchase you make on a credit card, it changes how you spend money. You really have to think about what you're spending.

And if you treat as a true check register, when you take the balance in your checkbook, and you're deducting from it as you use a check, a credit card or a debit card, you really have to think, how am I going to pay for that bill when it comes in? And you try to set priorities for teenagers, particularly, is what I'm referring to here, where they learn there's a limit.

Now, my 15-year-old just overdrew her account with her debit card, and she got hit with the fees. And that was a good...

O'BRIEN: Has she learned a lesson yet?

HOWARD: Not yet, because this is only the second time she's overdrawn her account. But it's part of the process of her learning the logical consequences of not behaving with money.

O'BRIEN: Final tip: make your teen drive a clunker.

HOWARD: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Just because...

HOWARD: Well, you can buy a very reliable car now that doesn't cost more than a few thousand dollars.

O'BRIEN: So it's cheaper.

HOWARD: You don't have to insure it for collision and comprehensive, which saves a lot of money. And you can choose to make your child pay half the cost of a clunker, all of it. But definitely make them pay for their insurance, gas and maintenance.

I think a child's a better driver, a more responsible driver if they have a stake in the game, if they have money in it. If they don't have any money in it, what do they care?

O'BRIEN: Yes. They're responsible.

HOWARD: Right.

O'BRIEN: Howard, great tips. Thanks for joining us.

HOWARD: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: The book again is called "Clark Smart Parents, Clark Smart Kids."

Nice to see you. Thanks.

HOWARD: Good to see you.

O'BRIEN: Bill.

HEMMER: All right, Soledad.

Twenty-six minutes past the hour. In a moment, a security breach at Prince Harry's military academy. A live report in London today about how a British tabloid reporter got up close and personal with the young prince.

You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired June 16, 2005 - 9:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. A military jet carrying bombs and ammunition crashing into an Arizona community. There's one neighbor who caught the burning wreckage on tape, and we'll talk to him live.
Dozens of young students and teachers taken hostage when gunmen seized their school. We are live there with the latest, too, from overseas.

And a royal security lapse in England. A British tabloid reporter sneaking into Prince Harry's military academy. He got dangerously close to the young prince, and the fallout continues there.

It's all ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

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

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome, everybody.

Also ahead this morning, America's favorite mummy is making a comeback. The King Tut exhibit opens in Los Angeles today. And as you can imagine, there is much fanfare.

HEMMER: We will talk in a moment with one of the world's leading experts on King Tut, one the few people who have actually touched the king boy. He's coming up.

O'BRIEN: He's got some interesting comments on the curse of the pharaohs. And we're going to talk to him about that this morning as well.

HEMMER: Good stuff. All right.

First the headlines. Back to Carol for those -- Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Good morning, everyone.

"Now in the News," a deadly end to a hostage standoff at an international school in Cambodia. Police say two gunmen were killed as they tried to escape the school in northwest Cambodia. Two other gunmen were captured.

More than 50 elementary students and teachers had been taken hostage. Authorities say one of the gunman shot and killed a 5-year- old Canadian student. Cambodian officials called the gunmen drug- addicted bandits.

A small bipartisan group in the House is urging President Bush to consider a plan to pull out U.S. troops in Iraq. Two Republicans and two Democrats are calling for troops to start coming home by October of 2006. This is the first such resolution put forth by both parties. The Bush administration has said a timetable for withdrawal cannot be considered until Iraqi forces are strong enough to take over.

In South Carolina, a former police officer is facing charges after he was captured on videotape beating a suspect. The Dillon Police Department released this video showing Officer Donny Grimsley (ph) hitting the suspect with a flashlight. Grimsley (ph) and other officers are also seen kicking and stomping the suspect as he pleads, "Please stop hitting me." He and another officer have since been fired.

A judge in Aruba is expected to rule today on motions filed by lawyers for three young men held in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. In the meantime, police seized two cars and bagfuls (ph) of items from the home of a local judge whose son is one of those three suspects. Authorities did not say what led them to search the house or what they took. Holloway has been missing since May 30.

And President Bush is talking prescription drugs today. This morning he's attending a national Hispanic prayer breakfast. Later he'll head over to the Department of Health and Human Services, and that's where he'll kick off a campaign to ensure seniors understand a new prescription drug benefit. The president will also focus on Medicare at an event in Minnesota tomorrow -- Bill.

HEMMER: Thank you, Carol.

Back to Iraq now. U.S. military officials now saying they have netted the head of an al Qaeda cell in Mosul. Jennifer Eccleston is live in Baghdad to bring us up to date on the events so far.

Let's start in Mosul, Jennifer. What's happening there?

JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What happened in Mosul, Bill, was that a judge trying to get to work, driving to work with his driver, his car came under fire by armed gunmen who were also traveling in a vehicle, and he subsequently died. We also saw today the announcement of a number of deaths of U.S. servicemen. Six American troops, five Marines and a sailor were killed during combat operations Wednesday in the Ramadi area of the west of Anbar province.

Now, those five Marines were assigned to the 2nd Marine Division, and they were killed when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle. Also, an American sailor died from wounds suffered when he was hit by small arms fire. And that's also near Ramadi, which, as you know, is west of Baghdad. Now, the death toll of U.S. troops so far this month stands at 47.

Some other developments, Bill. A car bomb targeting another Iraqi Army convoy exploded at the gate of an oil company facility in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. Five soldiers were wounded, and also two other Iraqi civilians were wounded.

And then finally, in Baghdad this morning, a remotely-detonated car bomb wounded five Iraqi soldiers and an Iraqi civilian early this morning.

HEMMER: All right.

ECCLESTON: And as you mentioned there, there was an arrest. A U.S. military official reported the capture of a man he described as an al Qaeda leader in Mosul. He's an insurgent leader identified as Abu Talha (ph), and he was captured on Tuesday. And this is According to Brigadier General Donald Alston (ph). They said he was captured, and this is an important point, Bill, from tips from local Iraqi residents -- Bill.

HEMMER: Jennifer Eccleston, thanks for that in Baghdad.

Freed Australian hostage Douglas Wood leaves Iraq today. Iraqi forces on Wednesday secured him after 47 days in captivity. Wood clearly thankful for his release.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUGLAS WOOD, FREED HOSTAGE: God bless America!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: And Wood says he did not know what was happening during the rescue. He had been tied up, covered with a blanket.

Bob Franken's live at the Pentagon for more on this.

Bob, good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

And with all the tough news still coming out of Iraq, an administration trying to sustain support in the United States with the polls showing that it's slipping, seizing on the news of the rescue of Douglas Wood, and seizing on the fact that it was Iraqi forces that rescued him through a combination of circumstances, including, said the military spokesman, a healthy degree of luck.

The military spokesman went on to say, and the Iraqi forces agree, that, as a matter of fact, they had not been looking for Douglas Wood, but when they came upon a situation, their intuition suggested -- the Iraqi forces' intuition, according to the U.S. military spokesman, suggested to them that perhaps there was a hostage there. They were able to release him with a little bit of resistance.

Now, the important point here is, according to the U.S. military people, is that this was an effort that was spearheaded by Iraqi forces. The idea, of course, being that the sooner the Iraqi forces can become a confident group, the more quick, say the administration spokesmen, that the U.S. forces can begin to start thinking of a pullout. So far, there's been no effort to suggest when that pullout might begin -- Bill.

HEMMER: Bob Franken from the Pentagon. Thanks, Bob -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Well, now to that Arizona military crash. Investigators now trying to determine why a Harrier jet on a routine training run went down in a heavily-populated area of Yuma, which is near the borders of Mexico and California. The plane crashed while it was loaded with live weaponry.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN (voice-over): The fiery scene was captured on videotape. A Marine Harrier jet returning to the Yuma Marine Corps Air Station crashing into a residential neighborhood, coming to rest very close to a number of homes.

Military officials say the plane had been on a training mission and was still loaded with live ordnance, four 500-pound bombs and 300 rounds of 25 millimeter ammunition. That prompted authorities to evacuate some 1,300 residents near the crash site.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've been evacuated from my home, from my friend's home, and now I'm here waiting for a friend to pick me up.

O'BRIEN: The pilot ejected about a mile before the plane went down, suffering only minor injuries. Incredibly, no one on the ground was killed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Most of the evacuated residents have now been allowed to return to their homes. Brett Phillips lives in that neighborhood. He shot some of that videotape you just saw in the immediate aftermath of the crash, and he joins us this morning.

Nice to see you, Brett. Thanks for talking with us. Are you back in your home now?

BRETT PHILLIPS, VIDEOTAPED CRASH AFTERMATH: Yes. They lifted the ban on the -- on my house around, I think, like 10:30 or so. And just like there's about 52 houses, like in the -- that are a little bit closer that were still -- I think they're still blocked off right now. But my house, they cleared me, like OK'd me to go back to like around 10:30 last night.

O'BRIEN: Oh, good. Well, a little bit of good news for you.

Now, give me a sense of what you heard. A plane crashed. Is that when you first noticed there was a problem?

PHILLIPS: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Or did it sound like something first?

PHILLIPS: Well, you know, you can hear the planes, because the -- the airport, you know, is not too far away. And so you could hear the Harrier flying in. That's not too big a deal. I mean, you hear that all the time.

And then I heard something, you know, like a round being discharged, or some kind of explosion. And, you know, it caught me as unusual.

And then you hear the plane getting like really loud. Like, you know, it got way too close to the houses. Then you hear this -- another explosion, which is the plane impact. And, you know, like once you hear that, you know, it just tells you, you know, that something went wrong.

And I ran outside, you know, and got my camera. And ran out, and sure enough, there's a big plume of smoke just about maybe 100 yards away from my house or less. And...

O'BRIEN: And there's a parachutist, too. Because you got it on tape. And we're looking at it right now, Brett. You got a shot of the pilot ejecting.

PHILLIPS: Yes. That's -- yes, when I first went out there, the plane had already hit. And then so I was looking for, you know, the pilot. And sure enough, like, since it just happened, I saw, you know, the pilot up in the air, and I just started filming pretty much.

O'BRIEN: How close were you able to get, Brett?

PHILLIPS: Well, since I live so close to the house, and, you know, me and my friend were ready to, you know, go film it, we actually got in to the -- right into, like, pretty close to the crash, because the house that -- the house that it landed in the backyard of was at a dead end, and since there was no quarantine at that time, we actually got into the cul-de-sac and took -- took some close-up shots of the house.

You could see the plane burning in the background. And we got some footage of, like, some of the debris there. Like big chunks of debris in the middle of the road, and all that stuff.

O'BRIEN: Yes, we can see them.

PHILLIPS: So we got...

O'BRIEN: It was loaded with ammo. Bombs, and ammo as well. Was that all exploding as you're shooting this? Do you hear things exploding behind you or in front of you?

PHILLIPS: Yes, we did hear like a bunch of explosions. And, you know, the first thing that crossed my mind, it might have been some of those 300 rounds going off, or like some of the -- you know, parts of the plane, like, being burned up. But I was just, you know, like, capturing this on tape, and I just, like, got this adrenaline rush to, like, go film it, because I've worked in news, and, you know, it's just that journalistic instinct to go up there and, you know, get the breaking news as it's happening.

O'BRIEN: Well, your pictures are pretty good. How's the neighborhood look today?

PHILLIPS: The neighborhood? It's -- it's pretty clear.

I mean, the first thing they did is, they, like -- the Marines, or whoever, they were scoping the area out for debris and all the houses, and that's one of -- one of the two reasons, I guess, that they blocked it off was to check, you know, the houses for any stuff that landed there, and also for, like, in case the bombs were in danger of going off. So that's why they evacuated them.

And so that was pretty much taken care of. So, like, the neighborhood's pretty clear.

O'BRIEN: Well, the pictures look great. Thanks for sharing them with us, Brett. We appreciate it.

That's Brett Phillips joining us from Yuma in Arizona this morning -- Bill.

HEMMER: Eleven minutes past the hour. Back to Chad Myers.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: In a moment here, a murder case decades in the making in a small town now dealing with mixed emotions as a former Klansman goes on trial this week.

O'BRIEN: Also, doctors released autopsy results for Terri Schiavo. Was she really interacting with family members in those final days? We've got the answer to that.

HEMMER: And a royal security scare involving Prince Harry. We are live in London in a moment.

That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

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HEMMER: Today in Mississippi, testimony begins in the trial of the man prosecutors say was the mastermind behind the 1964 killings of three civil rights workers. Eighty-year-old former preacher Edgar Ray Killen is charged with three counts murder for the deaths of Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner.

All three men were in the South registering black voters during the civil rights movement. The year was 1964.

Now in 2005, Jim Prince is the editor of the local paper. It's called the Democrat." He's my guest live in Philadelphia, Mississippi.

Jim, good morning to you. Thanks for your time here.

JIM PRINCE, EDITOR, "NESHOBA DEMOCRAT": Good morning, Bill.

HEMMER: I want to talk about the mood in the town in a moment here. First, take me inside the courtroom. You say that the prosecutors are showing an awful lot of confidence in this case 41 years later. How do you gauge that confidence?

PRINCE: Well, I know Mark Duncan, I've known him all my life. He's a good man, and it's just clear they're confident with going forward with this case.

I think he had every opportunity early on to just say, well, we'll -- we'll just move on and not prosecute this, but he really had the fortitude and determination to go ahead. So I really base it on that. I think that it's clear -- clearly he's confident.

HEMMER: Yes. Well, one more question about the trial itself, then we'll talk about the mood that you're picking up down there and the people you've been talking to. You say they've been talking with a number of the informants from the first trial.

PRINCE: Pardon? I couldn't hear you. There's a truck going by?

HEMMER: My apology. You say they're talking to a number of informants from the first trial. What kind of information are they getting from them, Jim?

PRINCE: Well, I don't know. They aren't saying a whole lot about who's going to testify or anything, but I think there's been a lot of speculation that they've gone back and talked to some of the -- the FBI's informants in the '67 conspiracy trial.

The FBI has gone back, and they have -- they have interviewed those people. And whether they'll actually testify or not -- but I think there's a lot of speculation that there could be a surprise. Somebody from that era, from that investigation, might come forward with some nugget that would -- that would tie all of this together.

HEMMER: I understand, talking to a number of people there, a lot of folks we come across don't like the attention. What is their problem with the case coming back to court now, Jim?

PRINCE: Well, I think the mood here is mixed. But by and large, people are relieved that justice -- there's been a call for justice, that once and for all, the leadership of this community has said that we want justice. And whatever the outcome is, we'll live with it.

And I think black, white, Choctaw Indian, we are prepared. And that's what you hear people saying.

They're telling the national media that. They're telling our paper that. And by and large, I think people are just ready for it to be over with.

We're prepared to live with the verdict, but we've also forged these relationships across racial lines that, really, the horse is out of the barn. Our community, I believe, will move forward, will continue to move forward.

Most people want -- want a better future for their children. They want a better education, better hope for the next generation. And we've discovered in Philadelphia that when we sit down at the table, black, white, Choctaw, that that's what everyone wants. And we're really going to get...

HEMMER: Yes. I think that answer goes directly to the next question involving the judge yesterday telling the jury -- quoting now -- "What happens in this case," the judge says, "becomes the history of Neshoba County."

Do you believe that?

PRINCE: Absolutely. Absolutely. We're writing history. This is it, first version.

HEMMER: Jim Prince, thanks, in Philadelphia, Mississippi.

PRINCE: Thank you.

HEMMER: With me today -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Well, still to come this morning, the very latest from Aruba in the search for clues in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. What did police find in the home of a local judge? We'll bring you an update just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

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O'BRIEN: Clark Howard is best known for his helpful tips on how to save money and how to get good deals. Now he's got tips for parents who want to teach their kids financial responsibility.

The book is called "Clark Smart Parents, Clark Smart Kids." Radio talk show host, columnist and author Clark Howard joins us.

Nice to talk to you. Thanks for being with us.

CLARK HOWARD, AUTHOR: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: I have a daughter who's four and a half. Is she too young to be talking about money with?

HOWARD: Is she nagging you yet in the store?

O'BRIEN: For stuff, yes?

HOWARD: Then she's just about at the point. And as soon as she knows her numbers, maybe next year, that's when you can really start teaching the lessons of, this cost this, this cost that, we can't buy this, but maybe we can look at this.

O'BRIEN: What about allowance? I feel like that age is way too young to get allowance, but when -- what's the rule of thumb for allowance?

HOWARD: I believe first grade is the time you start having a child have a little bit of responsibility for their own money. I recommend $1 a week for a first grader. Each grade after that, you give them another dollar. So a third grader would gets $3, and on like that.

O'BRIEN: You've got some great tips in the book. And I kind of want to run through some of them.

HOWARD: Sure.

O'BRIEN: First, you say deferred gratification. What exactly does that mean?

HOWARD: Yes. A kid doesn't understand the idea of why they can't have something right now. Most of us as adults don't get the idea that we can't have whatever we want right this second.

So the idea of delayed gratification is you start teaching a child that, OK, you can have this now, but if you wait, you're going to have more. And so I'm really big on exercises in the book, things you can try that might or might not be appropriate for your child, to get the idea that if you wait, you're rewarded with more later.

O'BRIEN: I'm intrigued by this tip: do your own version of the company-matching fund. What do you mean exactly?

HOWARD: Yes. OK. I have a 15-year-old, and she's working as a hostess at a restaurant. And every dollar that she doesn't spend in the mall, that she gives me, I'm going to match dollar for dollar in a Roth IRA. Because if a teenager develops the habits of a lifetime of saving money, you've given them the greatest gift you could.

And if you receive money with them, just as an employer would with a 401(k), and you match dollar for dollar, your child's going to be really comfortable in retirement by starting to save early and developing that habit. So she told me -- she just told me this, this past Sunday, that the first $1,000 that she has this summer from her job, I'm getting. After that, she's buying purses at the mall.

O'BRIEN: But she's going to put some away. Good for her.

You say keep track of credit card purchases with a checkbook register.

HOWARD: Yes.

O'BRIEN: I think that's so smart, because kids...

HOWARD: Adults should do this, too.

O'BRIEN: Right.

HOWARD: If you just use a credit card, you're not thinking about what you're spending. But if you keep a check register every purchase you make on a credit card, it changes how you spend money. You really have to think about what you're spending.

And if you treat as a true check register, when you take the balance in your checkbook, and you're deducting from it as you use a check, a credit card or a debit card, you really have to think, how am I going to pay for that bill when it comes in? And you try to set priorities for teenagers, particularly, is what I'm referring to here, where they learn there's a limit.

Now, my 15-year-old just overdrew her account with her debit card, and she got hit with the fees. And that was a good...

O'BRIEN: Has she learned a lesson yet?

HOWARD: Not yet, because this is only the second time she's overdrawn her account. But it's part of the process of her learning the logical consequences of not behaving with money.

O'BRIEN: Final tip: make your teen drive a clunker.

HOWARD: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Just because...

HOWARD: Well, you can buy a very reliable car now that doesn't cost more than a few thousand dollars.

O'BRIEN: So it's cheaper.

HOWARD: You don't have to insure it for collision and comprehensive, which saves a lot of money. And you can choose to make your child pay half the cost of a clunker, all of it. But definitely make them pay for their insurance, gas and maintenance.

I think a child's a better driver, a more responsible driver if they have a stake in the game, if they have money in it. If they don't have any money in it, what do they care?

O'BRIEN: Yes. They're responsible.

HOWARD: Right.

O'BRIEN: Howard, great tips. Thanks for joining us.

HOWARD: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: The book again is called "Clark Smart Parents, Clark Smart Kids."

Nice to see you. Thanks.

HOWARD: Good to see you.

O'BRIEN: Bill.

HEMMER: All right, Soledad.

Twenty-six minutes past the hour. In a moment, a security breach at Prince Harry's military academy. A live report in London today about how a British tabloid reporter got up close and personal with the young prince.

You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. Back in a moment.

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