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American Morning
Military Recruiting on College Campuses; Bodies Found in New Orleans; 'Minding Your Business'; Super Model And Tsunami Survivor
Aired December 06, 2005 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Over this nearly 100 days after Katrina. We'll talk to the city council woman who represents that part of the city ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Christopher Columbus looks a little chilly with the snow behind him there in Central Park.
MILES O'BRIEN: He does.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Or really in Columbus Circle with Central Park as the backdrop.
Good morning. Welcome back, everybody.
MILES O'BRIEN: I guess somebody of that age would not be prematurely gray or white but he's got something going on with his head there.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: It's Christopher Columbus.
MILES O'BRIEN: It's a white shock -- a white shock up there.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: It's a statue, they . . .
MILES O'BRIEN: Oh, it's a statue. See, look.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: See. Yes.
MILES O'BRIEN: He looks a little older today.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: And the outfit's not working nowadays but it's all fun.
MILES O'BRIEN: Lets check the weather. Jacqui Jeras in the weather center for us.
Good morning, Jacqui.
(WEATHER REPORT)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: It's time to get a look at some of the other stories making news this morning. And there's a lot to talk about. Carol will get right to those.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, everyone.
We begin with new details in that crash in Iran we've been telling you about. A military transport plane crashed in a town just south of Tehran. It apparently hit a 10-story building. We're now hearing that all 94 people aboard the plane have been killed. We also have reports that 25 people inside the building died, too. So far, no official confirmation.
In Iraq, police trying to figure out how two women packing explosives got into a police academy. Emergency vehicles rushing to the scene just a short time ago. We're being told at least 36 people were killed. More than 72 others hurt. The question now, how were these women able to get past security? Were they posing as students? Did they know someone who let them in? We'll keep an eye on this story for you.
The other story we're watching in Iraq, the trial of Saddam Hussein. The normally theatrical Hussein sat stone-faced as a woman testified, her identity concealed, known only as Witness A. She described through tears how Hussein's men beat her as a teenager and forced her to take her clothes off. Another witness has been called since then. And, of course, we'll keep you updated on that testimony as we go.
And we're also following the top story on cnn.com. There is a new theory about how the Titanic sank back in 1912. Undersea explorers discovered an extra piece of the ship. That means it may have broken into three pieces, not two, and sank a lot faster than previously thought. You can log on to cnn.com for more details. But what this means is, most people were in the stern portion of the ship that they think that that broke off in a much smaller piece so it sank faster. Right now they believe it sank in 20 minutes, which would have been agonizing. You know, the wait. But now they believe it sank much faster.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Because three pieces, that means water could enter much more quickly and sink it faster. That's interesting.
MILES O'BRIEN: So they have to redo the movie now. Let me ask you this. Did you see what Ballard (ph) said about this?
COSTELLO: No.
MILES O'BRIEN: He said, get over it. It sunk, you know. I mean he's -- this is Ballard, of course, who found (ph) it.
COSTELLO: Oh, come on. Are (ph) we going to have to say that about every historical event, just get over it? The Revolutionary War, it's over.
MILES O'BRIEN: Because -- I think because he didn't make this discovery.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: I was going to say, if he had discovered it, I think he'd be doing the rounds touting it, too.
MILES O'BRIEN: Yes. Exactly.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Thanks, Carol.
COSTELLO: Sure.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: The Supreme Court now. On the docket today, questions whether colleges can be force to do allow military recruiting on their campus. AMERICAN MORNING's Bob Franken at the Supreme Court this morning.
Hey, Bob. Good morning.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
And behind me you see a lot of the people here are law students, relatively a well-behaved crew, so I told them I knew their professors. But they're here because this is a case that involves their schools. It is a question that's going to be argued. They're waiting in line to get into the Supreme Court. A question that's going to be argued about the constitutional rights and freedoms of association and free speech versus the demands of the military.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN, (voice over): The armed forces have never been wildly popular on most campuses. But the tons of federal money contributed to colleges and universities certainly has. Many law schools limit the access military recruiters can have to their graduating students because they believe the Defense Departments's don't ask don't tell policy discriminates against their gay students. Congress got involved in 1994 with a new law. No access to the law school, then no federal funds.
REP. RICHARD POMBO, (R) CALIFORNIA: I don't think you can have it both ways. I don't think you can take all the money but not allow the recruiters to come on campus.
FRANKEN: Now, after all these years, the Supreme Court will decide whether that's constitutional. Whether the government can force law schools to, in effect, accept policies they oppose if they want their money. Joshua Rosenkranz will argue today for the universities.
JOSHUA ROSENKRANZ, ATTORNEY: And their policy is, we do not discriminate, we do not abet others who discriminate, no exceptions. The military is demanding an exception to those policies.
FRANKEN: Since 9/11 and the Iraq War, the administration has taken an aggressive stand because military recruiters need to replenish their supplies of JAGs or Judge Advocate General lawyers.
BILL CARR, DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The military is a terrific employer and should have a chance, as with any other employer.
(END VIDEOTAPE) FRANKEN: The armed forces argue that they deserve treatment equal to other recruiters. But the law schools say, they believe in equal treatment too for their gay students.
Soledad.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: A new lineup on the court. What does that mean in the case, do you think, Bob?
FRANKEN: Very interesting about that. Chief Justice John Roberts is somebody who's brief judicial history shows that he favors the government usually in cases about that type of thing. So it's going to be watching him very closely to see if that record's going to continue.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Well, we'll watch it closely.
All right, Bob Franken for us this morning. Thanks, Bob.
Miles.
MILES O'BRIEN: Some shock and outrage in New Orleans today as word filters out that two bodies were discovered in a home in the Gentilly neighborhood. Elderly people. A couple. Now almost a hundred days after Hurricane Katrina. And a lot of people wondering how that happened given the fact that there was a marking on the exterior of the house which seemed to indicate that it had been checked and that no bodies were found.
Before we get to our guest, I just want to show you briefly these markings. You've seen them but I don't know that we've explained them to you very well. This is a typical marking. And I believe this is the one that was on the house in question. Let me just point out what all this means. This is the date. This happened on September 14th. And 2-162. That would indicate the group of people that did the looking. In this case, a national guard group, who might be the 2nd battalion, 162nd company, that kind of thing. And this would tell you that there are -- there were no fatalities that were evident on an exterior search. Because what happened was, the national guard did simply exterior searches immediately after the levees broke, in many cases by boat.
Let's look at the next one just to give you another sense of it. Obviously, each and every outfit didn't do it precisely the same way. In this case, what you have here is a date of 9/11. Up here, you have -- it's hard to see but I guess that is the group that did it. And, in this case, also zero with a slash indicating that there was no bodies found. I notice the asterisk here. Down there indicates birds, turtles and fish were, in fact, found in there. That would indicate to you probably that that was an interior search. Anyway, all kinds of opportunities for miscommunication and misunderstanding with this system. But given the magnitude of the problem, I guess that should come as no surprise.
Joining us now from New Orleans to talk about it is City Councilwoman Cynthia Hedge-Morrell. She represents the Gentilly area where the bodies were found.
Are you surprised? Given all that has transpired, are you surprised this happened?
CYNTHIA HEDGE-MORRELL, NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCILWOMAN: I'm surprised it happened in this area, yes.
MILES O'BRIEN: Why?
HEDGE-MORRELL: But -- well, because this is an area that dewatered around the 14th. Between the 14th and the 19th. And they would have been able to go in and do an interior search. But looking around the neighborhood this morning, I can see that no interior searches were done on this block.
MILES O'BRIEN: Why not?
HEDGE-MORRELL: A lot of houses -- I guess you'd have to talk to the national guard. Because if you drive around this area, you will find that there are two or three markings. For some reason, this particular block only has one marking.
MILES O'BRIEN: Well, was it the national guard's responsibility, though, councilwoman, to do the interior searches? When I was with the national guard down there, they were limited to just doing exterior searches. In other words, going up, knocking on doors, screaming, is anybody in there, that kind of thing.
HEDGE-MORRELL: Yes. Yes. Well, Miles, during this time, we had several groups in the area checking. Right after the water went down, they did -- or sometimes with the boats, they came through and they did exterior searches to see if it looked like that somebody could be in the house. Like you said, they blew whistles. They yelled. They did everything they could to garner any attention. Following the dewatering, most neighborhoods had a second walk-through and they actually kicked in doors to go and check inside. It's kind of baffling to me that that didn't happen in this block.
MILES O'BRIEN: OK. So clearly there were -- you know, given the magnitude of this situation in New Orleans, I guess it's understandable that some places might be overlooked. So the concern would be that there might be more discoveries like this?
HEDGE-MORRELL: Well, we're still discovering bodies. Very few, but, you know, they have cadaver dogs in the lower nine because of the devastation here. In this area, we've done walk-throughs. You know, I could stand here all morning. I just can't tell you how it happened or why it happened. I can tell you I'm shocked and -- but it seems like Katrina is an ongoing horror story.
MILES O'BRIEN: Boy, that is for sure.
HEDGE-MORRELL: I don't know . . .
MILES O'BRIEN: Let me just ask you one more point, though. Just a final point here. Because you alluded to this. They have been -- not that frequently, but at a steady pace, still been discovering bodies in the lower ninth ward and yet we haven't been making note of them the way we have of this situation, this elderly couple. Why?
HEDGE-MORRELL: Because I think -- because of the devastation and the fact that you had a 10-block radius this was like totally wiped away with debris piled in one area and we've only been able to go in there I'd say the last couple of weeks to look for bodies. It's like that they expected they would find a few. In this area, though, they're at the rebuilding stage and, if you look around, they're gutting out houses which is how this couple was found. And Mr. and Mrs. Jackson were 97 and 92, which makes it even more tragic.
MILES O'BRIEN: It does indeed.
HEDGE-MORRELL: You know, that they didn't have help. Yes. And after talking to the police, the debris was -- you know, I mean, you've got to realize that these houses were underwater anywhere from 17 to 19 days. So when you walked into the house, even if someone did go in, you know, things had been thrown all around, it was black, the odor was just unbelievable. You'd have to have experienced it to understand. I think it just brings to a head that New Orleans is still going through much tragedy here. It's ongoing. And maybe, you know, we need to revisit how the nation views what went on. I mean, our district here, we have over 60,000 homeowners and they are just beginning the gut-out stages. So we need all the support we can get from the country.
MILES O'BRIEN: All right. I can only say amen to that one. New Orleans City Councilwoman Cynthia Hedge-Morrell, thank you for your time.
HEDGE-MORRELL: Thank you, Miles.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Gosh, it was so confusing when they were looking for bodies. I mean we went along with some of the rescuers who were trying to go in. And you get word that a couple was in a house, then it would turn out, well it wasn't a couple. A couple had made the request and it was really one person they were looking for who lived in the house. You know, it was like almost playing like a game of telephone.
ANDY SERWER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: There -- it was never -- there were no resources to really do a good, clear search. It was just -- I mean, I understand the confusion. It's a tough time.
MILES O'BRIEN: Well, in another context they call it the fog of war.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Yes, right.
MILES O'BRIEN: And I guess that applies.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: I think it really does.
SERWER: Similar.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Business news ahead. Andy, what are you talking about?
SERWER: Soledad, an airline adding a perk.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: What?
SERWER: Well, at least not getting rid of one. How about that for a news story. Stay turned for AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: An unlikely argument over electrical outlets is the latest plane drama. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business." Do tell.
SERWER: High drama. Drama at 30,000 feet. The people have spoken, Soledad. The customers have spoken, that is, and they've said, we want our electrical outlets, and the airline listened. This is all about U.S. Air. You may remember the story back in September, we told you that U.S. Air, which was bankrupt back then, decided to get rid of the electrical outlets, the power plugs, the strips.
MILES O'BRIEN: Are they out of chapter 11?
SERWER: They are out of chapter -- they merged with America West.
MILES O'BRIEN: Oh, right. Right.
SERWER: And what they did is they were saying that these -- they cost too much to maintain them and that they were too heavy so they were going to get rid of the power plugs on their planes.
MILES O'BRIEN: Wait a minute. They were going to rip them out of the planes.
SERWER: Because it cost too much, yes.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: They were too heavy?
SERWER: Yes, they were to heavy. They used to much fuel.
MILES O'BRIEN: That would cost a little something, wouldn't it?
SERWER: Well, you know, there's not a whole lot of sense in this business all the time. And, well, naturally customers weren't to happy about this because they wanted to plug their laptops in so they could work on the airplane. And U.S. Air has relented. They are not going to get rid of the electrical outlets. That's why I'm saying, it's not like they're adding a perk, it's just they're not getting rid of one. This according to a story in "The Wall Street Journal."
I want to talk about the markets a little bit this morning because, well, the sell-off continues. We're still down -- I don't think we're ever going to get back to 11,000. See, I'm trying a reverse jinx here. We're never going to get back to 11,000 on the Dow.
MILES O'BRIEN: Never. It's not happening.
SERWER: It's actually the winter storms making the cost of oil go up a little bit, which was vexing stocks. But this morning, I'm happy to report, that futures are up, so we may have a bit of a turn- about this morning.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: What a sad day when an electric outlet is your perk des (ph) jour.
SERWER: It really is.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: That's tragic.
Andy, thank you.
SERWER: You're welcome.
MILES O'BRIEN: And you're just clamoring to do your work on your laptop.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Sad, sad, sad.
SERWER: That's sad, yes.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, we're talking to a super model, Petra Nemcova. Remember, not only was she on the cover of "Sports Illustrated" 2003 -- stop sighing. It's OK, Miles. You'll be all right. You'll be all right.
MILES O'BRIEN: She kissed me three times. Three times. I got three kisses.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: She survived -- seriously, she survived last year's Asian tsunami. And now it changed her life in many ways. She's going to share her story with us just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Super Model Petra Nemcova. If you didn't see her on the 2003 "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit cover, you'll recall her terrible tragedy, surviving last year's tsunami. She was seriously injured. Her boyfriend, photographer Simon Atlee, was killed. Petra Nemcova has written a book about her experiences. It's called "Love Always, Petra." And she joins us this morning.
It's nice to see you. Did it help to pour it all out in a book? I mean does that sort of help you walk through it? Or is it just incredibly painful?
PETRA NEMCOVA, TSUNAMI SURVIVOR: Well, I guess it was one of the steps in the healing process. Writing the book definitely helped as well to, I guess, the way as I healed reliving every moment which we had together or what happened during the tsunami so that's why I kind of healed.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: But take us back to that day in Kalnock (ph), which is where you were.
NEMCOVA: Yes.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: I mean, it was -- the water comes in and no one's expecting it because it's a beautiful day and it's kind of, you know, mid-morning. What happened?
NEMCOVA: Well, it went actually from a completely morning of being in a paradise to a complete nightmare. But it happened so suddenly. It was a split of seconds when everything happened and when the wave came to the bungal (ph) where we were when we got swept away. But it taught me a lot. And it taught me to appreciate and to respect (ph) and to live in a moment and to do more meaningful things in my life.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: One of those things is to go back, which you just did. You just returned from a trip. And what was that like? I mean, I can't imagine. It's got to bring it all right back.
NEMCOVA: Well, I went actually two times already. First thing when I recovered, I went back to Thailand already at the end of April and it was still when it was in a bad, in a hospital in Thailand there was one thing which I wanted so much and I was so frustrated that I couldn't move because of my injuries and I couldn't go help people. So as soon as I recovered, I went back to Callock (ph) and different places and I went to research what I can do, which why I can help. I went to hospitals and schools and then my heart got really broken because I saw so many orphaned children needing so much help and I went back to New York, established Happy Hearts Fund together with Gift to Asia for which we are helping children.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: The proceeds of the book are going to go to that fund?
NEMCOVA: And (INAUDIBLE), yes.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: And you also have a Web site after this fundraiser the other day.
NEMCOVA: Yes.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: You've got this Web site now where people can buy gifts. Give us a (INAUDIBLE).
NEMCOVA: Yesterday we had the first anniversary of the tsunami. It was a big gala dinner. And we had a live auction there. But there's a silent auction which continues for two weeks time. And it's at www.portero.com. With the upcoming Christmas, I think that's a great way how you can make your loved ones really happy with completely priceless presents. And you can do something good and help children to rebuild their lives. And we have items like walk-on movie parts with Ashton Kutcher and . . .
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Oh, I like that!
NEMCOVA: Yes.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: (INAUDIBLE).
NEMCOVA: Or we have amazing get-aways or (INAUDIBLE) and something for men. There are two tickets to a Victoria Secret fashion show, which is a lifetime experience, so go and get it.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Oh, where's Miles now? Let's see, maybe I'll get him that for Christmas.
It was so nice to see you. Thank you for coming in and talking to us.
NEMCOVA: Thank you.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: And good luck with the book.
NEMCOVA: Thank you very much.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: I hope it's wildly successful because I know every dime is going to your charity. Thank you for talking with us. We surely appreciate it.
NEMCOVA: Thank you for having me.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Our pleasure.
NEMCOVA: Thank you.
MILES O'BRIEN: She's just so charming, isn't she? We wish her well.
NEMCOVA: My husband just sent me a note saying, do you think she's cold? Oh, yes, she's lovely and she's done great work in Thailand and raised a lot of money and done a lot of good for a lot of people, so good for her.
MILES O'BRIEN: Trying to turn something good out of a terrible tragedy. I give her credit for that.
Coming up, the latest on that developing story out of Iraq. Two women blow themselves up inside a Baghdad police academy. Dozens of people are dead. We're going to go live to Baghdad with the latest. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Good morning. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
A developing story out of Iraq this morning. A pair of woman in suicide vests blow themselves up at a police academy. We're also following the trial of Saddam Hussein. An update on both of those stories this morning. MILES O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien. New developments in the Saddam Hussein trial. A secret witness tells a horrifying story of torture and abuse. We'll have details ahead.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Plus, the weather. Snow is covering parts of the east coast. Weather, news and much more as you make your commute this morning on this AMERICAN MORNING.
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