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American Morning

Williams Executed; Turning Point in Iraq?; Vioxx Mistrial

Aired December 13, 2005 - 06:00   ET

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

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome, everybody. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Miles O'Brien.

No last minute reprieve for Tookie Williams, the Crips founder executed this morning. We'll go live to California for reaction on both sides of that.

Is President Bush, meanwhile, turning around public opinion on Iraq? We have the latest poll numbers for you.

S. O'BRIEN: Violence in the streets of Sydney, Australia. Can police stop the wave of ethnic violence?

And Katrina victims win an important victory. A judge tells FEMA keep paying the hotel bills.

M. O'BRIEN: And Hollywood heavyweights hoping to get off to a big start in the awards race. We'll have a preview of the Gold Globe nominations ahead.

But first this. It is one of the most discussed and debated executions in recent memory and it crystallized the ongoing debate over capital punishment in the U.S. Stanley "Tookie" Williams put to death by lethal injection in California just a few hours ago.

Kareen Wynter live now from San Quentin, California with more -- Kareen.

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, this execution was not a quick process. Some witnesses say it took more than 20 minutes for Williams to die.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the gates of California's San Quentin Prison as Stanley "Tookie" Williams prepared to die.

STEVE LOPEZ, "LOS ANGELES TIMES": At no point did he seem to give any kind of resistance whatsoever.

WYNTER: Williams was strapped on a table, his arms and legs secured, fastened by leather straps. When asked whether he had any last words, he did not. Just after midnight local time, he was given a lethal injection inside a barren execution chamber. A group of observers stood in another room where they watched his final moments through several windows.

KEVIN FAGAN, "SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE": And it seemed like toward the very end he was trying to keep his head up.

Did you see this, too?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

FAGAN: He was trying to keep his head up as long as he could until the first drugs hit him.

WYNTER: Several legal maneuvers during the last 24 hours, including an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, failed. The former gang leader turned peace advocate was convicted of slaying four people in 1979. Williams has never admitted guilt or apologized for the murders. Governor Schwarzenegger wrote in a lengthy statement, without any apology and atonement for these senseless and brutal killings, there can be no redemption.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Williams invited five witnesses to view this execution, one of them his very close friend, Barbara Becnel. He did not request a spiritual adviser -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Also among the witnesses, Kareen, some of the family members of the victims. What was their reaction?

WYNTER: Absolutely, the stepmother of one of Williams' victims. She remained calm, according to witnesses, throughout the whole process. But they said it was quite dramatic at the end when three of Williams' supporters walked out of the witness room and yelled out abruptly the state of California just killed an innocent man. They say that brought her to tears.

M. O'BRIEN: And we will speak with her in just a little while. Lora Owens her name.

Kareen Wynter at San Quentin, thank you very much -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Let's get to Iraq now where members of the country's security forces are voting in advance of Thursday's parliamentary elections. There's a new poll today showing how Iraqis feel about the future of their country, they appear to be more optimistic than many Americans.

Aneesh Raman live for us in Baghdad this morning.

Aneesh, good morning to you.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad. Expatriate voting taking place in 15 countries outside of Iraq. Those Iraqis voting outside of the country essentially voting on the specific list. It will get involved with the compensatory seats, 275 seats up, 45 of them will be assigned by this type of voting.

Now, as you mentioned, a poll out by a number of media organizations, including "ABC News" and "TIME" magazine. They polled some 1,700 Iraqis, talked about the current state of affairs, talked about the future. Two of the questions we wanted to show you.

The first was, which one of these systems would be best for Iraq, referring to various sort of governance and political systems. In terms of democracy, 57 percent said they were in favor of that, dictatorship 26 percent, the Islamic State 14 percent.

Also, in terms of the mood of Iraqis, general optimism, perhaps, of how things are going. And the question was how would you say things are going in your life, good 71 percent, bad 18 percent.

Now for those who have seen sort of the situation in Iraq, it might seem odd that 71 percent of Iraqis are optimistic. That has been one of the best things that this effort by the U.S. has had is that there is optimism.

But it's important to note that when you talk about those in the Kurdish north, they have extreme optimism. It's relatively peaceful there. They are gaining near independence. When you talk about the Shi'a south, a similar situation.

All along we have heard that there are four provinces where 85 percent of the attacks take place. Those provinces are Baghdad, al Anbar, Salaheddin and Nineveh. And all along those have essentially been the four provinces. Within those areas it will be hard to find 7 out of 10 Iraqis who are optimistic about the future. And so as this effort goes forward, they continue to focus on those four provinces and make sure Baghdad, especially, is able to share the optimism we see elsewhere in the country -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Sort of hard to believe that it's the second anniversary. Today is the second anniversary of Saddam Hussein's capture. Excuse me, Aneesh. Big changes, really, we have seen in his image as the country's leader to really being in trial and behind bars, as well, over the last couple of years, right?

RAMAN: It has. You consider, as you said, two years ago, December 13, 8:30 p.m., Saddam pulled from that spider hole. And the first images Iraqis saw of their dictator post war was that dramatic video of him being checked by the medical doctors. His hair was straggly. He looked like an inmate. He did not look whatsoever like a dictator. So a huge fall from grace.

But then since then, we have seen Saddam really emerge or try to assert himself again as a leader here. The Iraqis have only seen him in the sense of the judicial settings, as a defendant being interrogated and most recently in this trial where he has come out very aggressively, very brazenly questioning the legitimacy of the court, also, the power of the judge. So Saddam really is seen as something of the past by a majority of Iraqis. But in terms of his image, in terms of the man himself, we have seen a transition, really, over the past two years -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Aneesh Raman reporting for us from Baghdad this morning.

Aneesh, thank you for the update.

CNN has special coverage of this "Turning Point in Iraq?" on "ANDERSON COOPER 360." He is live all week, beginning tonight, 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

President Bush's campaign to win support for the war starting to pay off in the polls. Most Americans, though, say they still do not like how the president is handling Iraq. After defending his Iraq policy in Philadelphia on Monday, the president was asked about Iraqi casualties.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: How many Iraqi citizens have died in this war? I would say 30,000 more or less have died as a result of the initial incursion and the ongoing violence against Iraqis. We have lost about 2,140 of our own troops in Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

S. O'BRIEN: Here are some of the poll numbers from a new CNN- "USA Today"-Gallup Poll. Thirty-nine percent of Americans polled say they approve of how Mr. Bush is handling the war. Fifty-nine percent say they do not. That's up slightly from last month.

The president's overall job approval rating also seems to have improved somewhat, up four points. Fifty-five percent say they still do not like how Mr. Bush is performing as president.

The president will deliver the fourth and last in his series of "Victory in Iraq" speeches. This one taking place in Washington tomorrow.

M. O'BRIEN: Well, if you're waking up in the northeast this morning, you're cold.

Bonnie Schneider at the CNN Center with that and more.

Good morning -- Bonnie.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Miles.

(WEATHER REPORT)

So yesterday was quiet, Miles and Soledad, but today things are starting to get very busy in weather.

S. O'BRIEN: Which means you get very busy in weather. SCHNEIDER: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: Bonnie, thanks for the update.

M. O'BRIEN: No more rest for you.

S. O'BRIEN: No.

Coming up this morning, restoring order in Australia. Have you seen some of these pictures? Police are turning to drastic measures now after two straight nights of racial violence.

M. O'BRIEN: Also, a big twist in the first federal Vioxx case. "Financial News Update" straight ahead with Carrie Lee.

S. O'BRIEN: And then later this morning, we're going to talk to one of the people who watched Stanley "Tookie" Williams die. He'll describe the scene inside the execution chamber just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Take a look at these pictures here after two days, two nights of rioting in Sydney, Australia. The police have finally started to crack down. In fact, there was an emergency session of Parliament to grant police authority to lock down parts of Sydney.

Five thousand young people at one point taking part in racial violence. Apparently some of the white youths trying to attack people that they believed were Arab immigrants on a beach in Sydney. It looks as if the police were leading some of the folks away in handcuffs were actually trying to protect those they were leading away. It's really kind of complete when you look at what the cops had to do.

M. O'BRIEN: Very violent pictures, yes.

S. O'BRIEN: Trying to keep back, yes. And it's unclear exactly if they are really able to maintain control there in Sydney, Australia. We're going to follow that, obviously.

Lots more to tell you about as we move through the morning.

Let's get right to Carol. She's got an update on some of our top stories.

Good morning.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I do indeed.

Good morning, Soledad, and good morning to all of you.

This morning, former gang leader Stanley "Tookie" Williams put to death in California. That went down about three hours ago. Williams, the co-founder of the Crips street gang in Los Angeles, lost last minute appeals to the Supreme Court and to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Death penalty opponents gathered outside the prison overnight. You see them there.

In the next hour, we're going to talk with the stepmother of one of Williams' victims. She witnessed the execution. At one point, she broke down in tears. We'll ask her why coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.

President Bush says Iraq and America are similar, at least when it comes to the birth of a nation. The president delivering the third of four speeches aimed at getting more Americans onboard with his Iraq policy. During Monday's address in Philadelphia, the president said it's important to keep America's history in mind as Iraq moves toward a democracy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: It is important to keep this history in mind as we look at the progress of freedom and democracy in Iraq. No nation in history has made the transition to a free society without facing challenges, setbacks and false starts. The past two-and-a-half years have been a period of difficult struggle in Iraq, yet they have also been a time of great hope and achievement for the Iraqi people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The president's fourth speech on the struggle in Iraq comes tomorrow in Washington. Of course we'll be following that for you.

Here's a bit of welcome news for some Hurricane Katrina victims, a federal judge rules that evacuees be allowed to stay in hotels at the government's expense through February 7. FEMA initially set a deadline of November 30. It later extended that to December 7. And last week it extended it, once again, to January 7. A FEMA official says the ruling affects about 40,000 people.

The Supreme Court has a message for Texas, hold on there, partner. It says it will consider a challenge to the plan that set up congressional districts in Texas. The redistricting plan, promoted by Republicans, including former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, led to the defeat of five Democratic incumbents last year. A decision is expected next June.

And will your favorite movie or television program make the cut this year? I know you're dying to know. Just about two hours from now, you can see how your choices match up with the Golden Globe nominations. It's known as the prelude to the Oscars. You know that. The Golden Globe nominations being announced at 8:20 a.m. Eastern Time. So stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING, we're going to carry the nomination announcements live and we'll get them right to you.

Bonnie Schneider is in Atlanta.

It's cold -- Bonnie.

SCHNEIDER: It is. It's very cold.

(WEATHER REPORT) So, Miles, it's a good day to stay inside. If you can't, just bundle up, cover up real well -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: OK.

S. O'BRIEN: Put a hat on. Put a scarf on. You know the drill.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, OK. Put a hat on, and maybe turn up the heat in the studio, too. It's a little chilly today.

S. O'BRIEN: You're not in Atlanta anymore.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: Dorothy.

M. O'BRIEN: I think my nose is running.

(LAUGHTER)

M. O'BRIEN: The third Vioxx trial. Let's see there's one and one. One for the plaintiff, one for the company and this one a mistrial now.

Carrie Lee, tell us what's going on.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This one a hung jury. This is the first federal trial against Merck. A hung jury, exactly. One lone juror did not agree that Merck's Vioxx caused a fatal heart attack in the plaintiff.

Now it may not sound so bad, mistrial, hung jury. Could have been worse, right? Well lawyers and analysts say this is a case that should have been a pretty easy win for Merck. After all, the plaintiff, 53 years old, had been using Vioxx for less than a month. And defense lawyers say, or his lawyers say -- defense lawyers say that the plaintiff suffered clogged arteries, among other health problems. So it could have been an easy one for Merck but was not.

Now the next Merck trial will start in February, scheduled for February, and that trial could very well include recent data found in the "New England Journal of Medicine" that researchers omitted three heart attacks from data included in a key Vioxx study. So that could not bode well for Merck at all.

But so far, you're right, one loss in Texas, one win in New Jersey and now this mistrial.

M. O'BRIEN: And if it is retried, that "New England Journal of Medicine" controversy could be injected in the new trial.

LEE: Exactly. Not sure if these jurors in this case were aware of that. The news broke just as the case was going on.

M. O'BRIEN: Right. OK.

Thank you -- Carrie Lee.

LEE: Sure.

S. O'BRIEN: Thanks.

Let's get right to Carol with a look at what's coming up in "Morning Coffee."

COSTELLO: Thank you, Soledad.

Tears and shouts of, California, you just killed an innocent man. What did we gain by Tookie Williams' execution, was it justice or was it something else? That's next on "Morning Coffee."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, it was argued and debated well into the 11th hour; but this morning, the state of California went ahead with the execution of Stanley "Tookie" Williams. More on this is ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Time now for "Morning Coffee."

Stanley "Tookie" Williams, while you were sleeping, was executed.

Carol, with more.

COSTELLO: That was gripping. I was watching our live coverage this morning and you couldn't take your eyes away. So many emotions came into play and so many different thoughts and debate came into play.

At 12:35 Pacific Time, Tookie Williams looked up in frustration as prison personnel couldn't get the I.V. into his arm. He looked at those who were witnessing his execution. They mouthed back God bless you and I love you. And then he was dead.

If it sounds cruel, many in this country point to Williams' cruelty. There are two editorials I pulled from the "L.A. Times." The first talks of Governor Schwarzenegger bowing to politics in his decision not to grant Williams clemency. And let me read you a couple of quotes from that.

"Those who oppose Williams' plea argue that he deserved his fate, but the people of California don't deserve to play the role of executioner." It goes on. "The governor turned him down because he does not consider capital punishment to be about our values as a society, but about the merits of the convicted supplicant."

And you know, over the past few weeks we heard a lot of people, especially celebrities, coming to the defense of Tookie Williams. In fact, I guess Mr. Williams talked with Jesse Jackson before he went into the room where he was going to get his lethal injection. Let's look at another "L.A. Times" editorial, though, shall we? This one was written by a district attorney in Oregon. He says, "Williams chose death for a lot of people, without justice, without appeal, without consideration of anything other than his totalitarian goals. Not only did he brag to his brother about the dying anguish of Owens," one of his victims, "but after slaughtering the Yang family, he boasted to fellow gang members he had killed 'some Buddaheads.'" And of course this was an Asian family, a mother, a father and a daughter who was 41 years old.

Lora Owens, Albert Owens' stepmother, that was the convenience store worker that Tookie Williams was convicted of killing, she reportedly witnessed the execution. In fact, she did witness the execution. And when someone shouted out that California had killed an innocent man, she broke down into tears. And we're going to talk to her a little later on AMERICAN MORNING.

And we talked to her last week. And you know she was telling me about how Tookie Williams was apparently bragging that he heard the gurgling sounds of her stepson as he died. And she wanted him to go to death. So it will be interesting to see when she witnessed that what really went through her mind.

M. O'BRIEN: You know Tookie Williams, and this is in the governor's statement, Tookie Williams never apologized to the people who had...

S. O'BRIEN: But wasn't that part of the argument was that he never felt he was guilty? And in a way it would have been strange if he had apologized, because he had long maintained he didn't do it.

M. O'BRIEN: Right.

S. O'BRIEN: Now others would argue that as the founder and the leader of the Crips he was responsible for thousands, probably, of deaths...

COSTELLO: Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: ... and violent gang -- I mean they, the Crips, unleashed on Los Angeles and southern California violence from the late '70s onwards.

COSTELLO: And it spread across the whole nation.

S. O'BRIEN: So...

COSTELLO: The interesting thing about these children's books, he wrote eight books. We don't really know how many he sold. And we don't really know how many people he supposedly converted by writing these books. Three are still in print. So I guess if you'd want to read them, they're out there for you to buy.

M. O'BRIEN: Well, the books do in fact live on. And if there is any value to them, they will still be there.

COSTELLO: Yes. We're going to be talking a lot more about this, I know.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, the question.

Ahead this morning as well, we're going to also continue to talk about what it was like from an eyewitness perspective who witnessed the execution. Some reporters were there and we'll discuss with them just how it was, not only on the inside, but also the debate that raged outside as well. That's ahead this morning.

AMERICAN MORNING continues right after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: The efforts to save Stanley "Tookie" Williams are over. He was executed this morning. We talk this morning to one reporter who was there and who witnessed this highly controversial execution.

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