Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Road to Gold; New Temporary Chief Judge to Lead Saddam Hussein Trial
Aired January 17, 2006 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Former President Ford back in the hospital this morning. This time he's being treated for pneumonia. We have the latest on his condition.
A new man in charge of the Saddam Hussein trial in Iraq. But will that change really have an impact on the trial?
And the stars come out for the Golden Globes. We've got all of the winners, the losers and the surprises.
ANNOUNCER: You're watching AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Miles O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody. We're going to get to some of those winners and losers and surprises and what they were wearing in just a little bit. First, though, a look at the news. Carol has got that.
Good morning again.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Soledad. Good morning to all of you.
They're considered armed and dangerous. Search teams are out looking for two murder suspects. They could be somewhere around the Alabama-Georgia border. Johnny Earl Jones and Lamar Benton overpowered a guard early Saturday. The men escaped from a county jail in Phoenix City, Alabama. Authorities are talking with family members of the men, hoping for leads on their whereabouts. Another inmate who initially escaped with them is back behind bars this morning.
Vice President Dick Cheney is meeting with top U.S. allies in the Middle East. He's holding talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, and he'll meet with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah later today. The visits were originally set for last month, but the vice president had to return to Washington early for a close vote on the budget.
The Republican National Committee is hitting back at Al Gore for his comments on domestic spying. The GOP says the former vice president is desperately trying to get attention. Gore accused President Bush of repeatedly breaking the law by eavesdropping on people without a court order. His charges are some of the toughest so far from a prominent Democrat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: At present we still have much to learn about the NSA's domestic surveillance. What we do know about this pervasive wiretapping virtually compels the conclusion that the president of the United States has been breaking the law repeatedly and persistently.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Gore is calling for a special counsel to investigate. The White House says it has done nothing wrong.
Former President Gerald Ford is being treated for pneumonia at a California hospital. He's receiving antibiotics through an IV. An aide says he could be released as early as tomorrow. The 92-year-old former president has been in relatively good for someone his age. He had a mild stroke during the 2000 Republican National Convention. And he was hospitalized in 2003, but that was after he played golf in 96- degree heat.
Today NASA will be launching a space probe to Pluto. The New Horizons craft will provide the first up-close imagery of the planet. The trip is about three billion miles. So no instant pictures. It's like a 10-year trip. No images for another decade, but when we get them, Chad, I'm sure they'll be spectacular.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know what amazes me, Carol...
COSTELLO: What?
MYERS: ... is that in this three-dimensional space that we live in, they know where Pluto is going to be 10 years from now. You know? That's like saying, where are you going to be 10 years from now?
COSTELLO: And that they can build a craft that sturdy to last that long and under those conditions.
MYERS: And zip on by the moon like in eight hours, where it took our astronauts four days or five days to get there. So this thing is going to be a quick mover.
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: Well, "Brokeback Mountain" is likely now the favorite for a best picture Oscar. The cowboy love story cleaned up at the Golden Globe on Monday night.
Sibila Vargas has more for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The big winner of the night? "Brokeback Mountain." The film about two gay cowboys took the Golden Globe award in four out of the seven categories in which it had received nominations, including best dramatic picture.
JAMES SCHAMUS, PRODUCER, "BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN": We are stunned in thanks to the Hollywood Foreign Press.
VARGAS: Also stunned? Hoffman and Huffman, the winning actors in the dramatic film category. Philip Seymour Hoffman won for his portrayal of novelist Truman Capote in "Capote."
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN, ACTOR: In cold blood.
VARGAS: And Felicity Huffman for her role as a transsexual in "Transamerica."
FELICITY HUFFMAN, ACTRESS: I can't handle this.
Well, I would like to salute the men and women who brave ostracism, alienation and life lived on the margins to become who they really are.
VARGAS: In the musical or comedy film category, "Walk the Line" won top honors for best picture, while co-stars Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix took home best actor and best actress awards in a musical or comedy for their portrayals of Johnny and June Carter Cash.
JOAQUIN PHOENIX, ACTOR: To John and June for sharing their life with all of us.
VARGAS: George Clooney, who had three individual nominations in three different categories, including best supporting actor in a drama for "Syriana" was the first award of the night.
GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: This is early. I haven't had a drink yet.
VARGAS: British actress Rachel Weisz earned the prize for best supporting actress in a drama for "The Constant Gardener."
The winners in the Golden Globe film categories are closely- watched as leading contenders for Academy Awards in two months.
Meanwhile, ABC was television's big winner of the evening. The thriller "Lost" won best TV drama, while fan favorite "Desperate Housewives" won for best comedy or musical TV show.
The best comedic actress award went to "Weeds" star Mary-Louise Parker.
MARY-LOUISE PARKER, ACTRESS: I thought we were all kind of "Desperate Housewives," so mine was just a little more desperate than theirs were.
VARGAS: Best actor in a TV comedy went to Steve Carell for "The Office." His acceptance speech, he said, was written by his wife.
STEVE CARELL, ACTOR: I would also like to thank my wife, Nancy.
VARGAS: And "Commander in Chief" star Geena Davis won best actress in a TV drama for her portrayal as the first female U.S. president. GEENA DAVIS, ACTRESS: This is really wonderful for a fledgling little show like ours.
VARGAS: A golden night for all the Golden Globe winners.
Sibila Vargas, CNN, Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: That looked like a fun party.
M. O'BRIEN: And I, once again, did not get an invitation. Oh, well. Maybe next year.
S. O'BRIEN: Maybe if you star in a film or something.
M. O'BRIEN: Oh, that's it. You sort of have to...
S. O'BRIEN: That would go long way to getting an invitation.
M. O'BRIEN: You have to earn your way there. That's how that goes.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, that's how that works.
M. O'BRIEN: Would you like to hang around with British royalty?
S. O'BRIEN: Sure.
M. O'BRIEN: Oh, come on.
S. O'BRIEN: They seem fun.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes, really. A great time. Well...
S. O'BRIEN: Camilla and Prince Charles, what could be more fun that that?
M. O'BRIEN: When I think of British royalty I think of, you know, dinner with Camilla. And I think, oh, boy, that would be a long dinner. In any case, actually there are a lot of students at a Minnesota high school who thought it might be kind of cool to hang out with royalty. But tonight on "PAULA ZAHN NOW," Ed Lavandera will tell us how their new British friend was really a duke of deception.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For the last month, Caspian James Crichton-Stuart IV, also known as the Fifth Duke of Cleveland, has been visiting Stillwater High School. His arrival was the buzz of this eastern Minnesota campus.
CASPIAN JAMES CRICHTON-STUART A.K.A. JOSHUA GARDNER: A lot of my mates, you know, they think that, you know, because you're British royalty, you know, that you have a lot of privileges, you know. And they think (INAUDIBLE) to be royalty, you know, that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.
LAVANDERA: Caspian told students he planned to enroll in the school next year to get away from the pesky British press and the pressures of nobility. But four journalists at the "Pony Express" student newspaper had lots of questions.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why would somebody who hangs out with the queen come to our school? That didn't add up in our heads.
LAVANDERA: So they launched an investigation, one that would lead to the unraveling of this royal charade.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
M. O'BRIEN: All right. Find out who the British impostor really was. Was it the Fifth Earl of...
S. O'BRIEN: The Fifth Duke of Cleveland.
M. O'BRIEN: It turns out he was Dr. Detroit instead or something, I don't know. That's tonight at 8:00 Eastern on "PAULA ZAHN NOW." You'll want to watch.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes. Well, I wonder who he is.
M. O'BRIEN: I'll have to watch that one.
S. O'BRIEN: And ahead this morning on AMERICAN MORNING, the latest snag in the Saddam Hussein trial. The chief judge says he's quitting. We're going to talk to one legal expert who trained him and ask him how this could affect the case.
M. O'BRIEN: Later on the program, more on the confusion over the new Medicare plans. Why didn't the government see this one coming? The secretary of Health and Human Services will join us live. We'll ask him a few questions about that ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: A major change is being announced today in the trial of Saddam Hussein. A new chief judge, Mohammed Saad al-Hamash (ph), is taking over, temporarily at least.
The chief judge is the only one who we've seen in any television coverage of the trial so far. That has been Judge Rizgar Mohammed Amin. He resigned over the weekend. He's been criticized for letting Saddam Hussein take control of the court.
Michael Scharf is one of the legal advisors who trained the Iraqi judges.
Nice to see you, as always, Michael. Thanks for talking with us.
MICHAEL SCHARF, LEGAL ADVISOR TO HUSSEIN TRIBUNAL: Hi, Soledad. It's good to be back. S. O'BRIEN: Thank you very much. Let's begin by talking about Judge Amin first. His resignation is in but not official. What kind of impact do you think this has on the court, the fact that he said I'm out of here?
SCHARF: Well, first of all, we have to realize this isn't an actual resignation. It's more like musical chairs. He said that he would step down as chief judge, but he still wanted to be on the bench.
Now, what it does mean is that if a new judge, Judge al-Hamash, takes over, there is going to be a different judicial demeanor, a different style of these proceedings. And most likely Judge al-Hamash will be much stronger in the court. He will tussle more with Saddam Hussein and won't let Saddam win the so-called battle of the wills, which is what the criticism of Judge Amin has been.
S. O'BRIEN: So, exactly, I mean, that has been the primary criticism. And so do you think if that happens, people then become less critical or the proceedings become less fair?
SCHARF: You know, it's really an interesting question. Just a couple of weeks ago on Christmas Day I had an op-ed published in the "Boston Globe" called "Order in the Court Iraqi Style," in which I argued that the way Judge Amin is handling things is actually ideal in the long run, even though he's getting a lot of criticism in the short run.
I mean, his choice was to be more lenient, to bend over backwards, to respect and be sympathetic to the defense, even though that gave Saddam Hussein a platform to make a lot of rhetorical points. In the long run he thought that the importance was for the trial to be seen as fair even if it did give Saddam Hussein a platform.
But the new judge is most likely to use a lot of procedures that are available to him to really clamp down on Saddam Hussein.
S. O'BRIEN: Because that's his style? Or because you feel that this resignation kind of is increasing the circus-like atmosphere that we've talked about several times frankly?
SCHARF: Well, I think both things are happening. Judge Amin was selected because he really had this very mellow, pleasant, avuncular style, which is unique among Iraqi jurists. When I trained the other judges, including Judge al-Hamash, I found them to be much more aggressive, much more boisterous, much more like the prosecutor and the defense counsel that you've been watching in these proceedings.
Also, I think because of all of the criticism, Judge Hamash is going to try to swing the pendulum the other way, gain more control of the courtroom and speed things along.
S. O'BRIEN: So, like, what kinds of things could he do?
SCHARF: Well, for example, he can tell Saddam Hussein, we're not going to have you do your own cross-examinations anymore. From now on you must speak exclusively through your lawyer except for at the end of the trial when you testify on your own behalf.
If the defendants continue to be disruptive and jump up and yell and try to disrupt the proceedings, he could, in fact, erect a glass booth around the defense bar like they did in the Eichmann trial in Israel 40 years ago. And that way you'd only hear from Saddam Hussein when the microphone was turned on. There are a number of things that he can and might do.
S. O'BRIEN: We'll see if the tone of the proceedings change as things change. Michael Sharf is a law professor at Case Western Reserve University. Nice to see you as always. Thanks.
SCHARF: Good to talk to you again.
S. O'BRIEN: Thanks -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Andy is "Minding Your Business."
Hello, Andy. Good morning to you.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Hello, Miles. Hello, Soledad. Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING, how would you like to make a year's salary in a single day? We'll tell you which top Washington official may be getting that kind of payday coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MYERS: And your "Cold and Flu Report" for today. The states colored in red on the West and Southwest part of the country widespread flu activity. And the blue-colored states now and purple- colored states getting into the Northeast, getting rid of all of that green which was sporadic activity. So flu breaking out across a lot of the country. Take care of yourself today.
S. O'BRIEN: Thanks, Chad. Still to come this morning, the new Medicare plan is under fire. Tens of thousands of seniors are being denied the prescription drugs they were promised. What's the government doing about it? A look at that is ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Wow! Betty White is 84.
M. O'BRIEN: She looks great.
S. O'BRIEN: And the champ is in his 60s.
SERWER: The champ.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
SERWER: Yes. Do you think they know each other?
S. O'BRIEN: No.
SERWER: No.
S. O'BRIEN: Maybe. Maybe.
M. O'BRIEN: Oh, maybe at one time or another.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes. It could be.
M. O'BRIEN: They might have crossed paths.
S. O'BRIEN: It could be.
SERWER: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Andy is "Minding Your Business" coming up in just a moment. First, though, let's get a check of the headlines. Carol has that -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I do. Good morning, everyone.
There is a hostage standoff going on right now in a south Georgia city. Take a look. This is a live picture, a man and woman holding a lawyer in his Statesboro office. They say they have an explosive device. The hostage situation is near the Bulloch County courthouse. It's about 50 miles west of Savannah. It started on Monday. The man is identified as a former client of the attorney.
A mechanic has been killed in a gruesome accident at the airport in El Paso, Texas. It happened as a Continental Airlines flight was preparing to depart. The FAA says a maintenance-related run-up of one engine was being carried out when the mechanic was sucked up into the engine. Boeing says the incident is not the first, but it doesn't happen very often. Federal officials are now investigating.
Russia's foreign minister says his country is against putting sanctions on Iran for restarting its nuclear program. His comments followed a meeting of diplomats from Russia, the United States, Britain, Germany and China. China and Russia are opposed to the sanctions. Russia's foreign minister says sanctions will not resolve the crisis.
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is firing both barrels at the Bush administration. During a King holiday speech she lashed out at the Republican-controlled House and the president.
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: Because when you walketh (ph) the way the House of Representatives has been run, it has been run like a plantation, and you know what I'm talking about. I predict to you that this administration will go down in history as one of the worst that has ever governed our country!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: No comment from the White House. But a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee says while many Americans were focusing on the legacy of Martin Luther King on Monday, the senator was focusing on her own legacy.
And it will be a very messy commute for some New Yorkers thanks to a fiery crash. It happened on Monday. Workers are still busy cleaning up from a gasoline tanker truck fire on the Brooklyn Queens expressway. What a mess. The truck was carrying 8,000 gallons of fuel when it overturned and caught fire. A temporary overpass actually collapsed onto the burning tanker. The driver managed to get out of the truck OK. No one else was hurt. But there are detours there this morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: Andy is here. We're talking about big paydays for executives.
SERWER: That's the thing. We first told you about this last week. Now new developments.
The Securities and Exchange Commission is set to revamp rules on executive pay. They're having a public meeting this morning, and they're going to be voting on these new rules.
First of all, they're making it simpler. Total compensation must be spelled out for the chief executive, the chief financial officer and the three highest-paid executives.
Perks. Perks must be spelled out. What is the world coming to? Because, you know, they hide these things. And you might remember, one case, one very high-profile case was Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, where investors didn't find out all about his goodies until it was in his divorce papers. And, of course, GE was taken to task for that a little bit.
Another story about pay this morning concerns Alan Greenspan. You know, the Fed chief is set to step down two weeks from today, January 31. Interestingly, they haven't voted on Ben Bernanke yet. They're going to do that on January 31. I guess that's a done deal.
M. O'BRIEN: I assume he's a shoe-in.
SERWER: I guess so.
S. O'BRIEN: One would hope.
SERWER: Right. But here's the story. He has apparently signed up for the Washington Speakers Bureau -- that's Alan Greenspan -- where he will be making perhaps as much as $150,000 per appearance. His annual salary now? A hundred and eighty thousand dollars a year.
M. O'BRIEN: Wow!
S. O'BRIEN: Ka-ching (ph).
SERWER: So that's kind of a nice little way of stepping off the stage.
S. O'BRIEN: And, you know, you could give the same speech, like, 20 times.
SERWER: Over and over and over.
M. O'BRIEN: And no one would understand...
(CROSSTALK)
M. O'BRIEN: Do it over and over.
SERWER: Could you do it again at the same place even?
S. O'BRIEN: You could say whatever you want.
(CROSSTALK)
SERWER: Right.
S. O'BRIEN: Probably. Let's say you do two a month.
SERWER: Yes, that math would work.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, very well in his favor.
SERWER: Right.
S. O'BRIEN: Thanks, Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
S. O'BRIEN: Coming up in just a moment, a look at today's top stories, plus we'll have a recap of last night's Golden Globes. That's (INAUDIBLE). It looks like one of the big winners last night is now a clear-cut favorite for the Oscars. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. We're back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Be sure to check out CNN.com for the latest on this morning's top stories. Of course, you got the latest on the Golden Globes. "Brokeback Mountain" cleaning up there. That's among the stories there.
Also one of the more popular stories. Have you seen this one about the Chinese map?
S. O'BRIEN: No.
M. O'BRIEN: Supposedly the Chinese may have discovered America in 1418...
S. O'BRIEN: Really?
M. O'BRIEN: ... before Christopher Columbus. A guy by the name of Zheng He, a Muslim eunuch. Imagine, the United States founded by a Muslim eunuch. This would change history quite a bit, I'd say. And this map, of course, is the subject of some discussion. A lot of people say it's a fake. The Chinese are trying to perhaps a little PR campaign to say that their power can be peaceful, proving it historically at least.
Now, if you're about to head out the door for work or school, you can stay in touch with CNN and AMERICAN MORNING by logging on to CNN.com. And, of course, pipeline, where you can get...
S. O'BRIEN: I love pipeline.
M. O'BRIEN: It's great. You can get everything we have here on your Web at home -- on your computer at home, $2.95 a month, right?
S. O'BRIEN: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: What a deal. It's all there at CNN.com/pipeline.
S. O'BRIEN: As we approach the top of the hour, it's time to check the forecast once again. Chad has got that.
(WEATHER REPORT)]
MYERS: The next hour of AMERICAN MORNING starts right now.
M. O'BRIEN: Good morning. I'm Miles O'Brien.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
