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U.N. Report Says Prison Camp at Guantanamo Bay Violates International Laws; What is Real Story on FEMA Trailers?

Aired February 16, 2006 - 09:32   ET

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


ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: A U.N. report says the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba violates international laws on human rights and torture. The report says, essentially, either put the prisoners on trial or release them.
Let's go to our CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.

Barbara, what's the Pentagon saying about this today?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Zain, the Pentagon is well aware of this report. They've known about it for some time. And they're not really saying much about it and don't expect to see administration policy change about the detainees at Guantanamo Bay either.

What the Pentagon says is that the U.N. report by the Commission on Human Rights suffers, that's the word of a Pentagon official, suffers from the U.N.'s not going to Guantanamo Bay and seeing the operation there firsthand. But the United Nations has indicated that the reason they did not go is that the invitation they got from the Pentagon did not allow them to speak to detainees directly, and that is something that they objected to. They wanted to be able to speak to them.

The U.S. only allows the international committee, the Red Cross, to speak to detainees directly at Guantanamo Bay. When they take people down there, it is under very controlled circumstances. Clearly they see what the U.S. military allows and permits them to see, and for the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, that wasn't sufficient. So they wrote their report. They interviewed former detainees, by all accounts, attorneys who have been there, experts in the field, made their recommendation that it should all be shut down. But don't expect the Pentagon to change its mind -- Zain.

VERJEE: On a separate note, Barbara, the defense secretary is on the hill today. What's on the agenda?

STARR: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Peter Pace will be appearing before the House Appropriations Committee. Typically those hearings usually involved members asking about their favorite spending projects and trying to see if they can get more money out of the Pentagon. But a lot of people may be watching to see if the secretary is asked about those Abu Ghraib photos, if he is asked about Guantanamo Bay, any of these issues on the table. I don't think you can expect the secretary himself necessarily to bring them up. He is most likely to wait and see if he is asked any questions about it -- Zain.

VERJEE: At the Pentagon for us this morning, CNN's Barbara Starr. Thanks, Barbara -- Miles.

STARR: Sure.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: So what in the world is the real story on those FEMA trailers, thousands of them, sitting in the mud in Arkansas? Are they all destined to become trailer trash as has been suggested? Or are they OK where they sit for years to come? And either way, why aren't they headed where they are needed? Places like New Orleans, where people are without homes.

We posed some of those questions to the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Richard Skinner just a little while ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD SKINNER, DHS INSPECTOR GENERAL: We are now in a process of reviewing the housing program for the Katrina evacuees. We had the opportunity to visit Hope, Arkansas, at least on two occasions, most recently on January 23rd. When we visited then, our inspectors found that these homes were being parked in rain-soaked fields, and in fact many of the homes were beginning to sink into the mud, or I should say the trailer riches where the platforms on which they sat were beginning to sink in the mud. FEMA has since committed to lay down gravel at an expense of about $6 million to $8 million to mitigate this problem. We also found trailers that were buckling or warping because they didn't have the proper support.

Now as I understand it, FEMA has addressed this proper by putting in jacks to mitigate, again, this problem. And we also found some homes that were damaged during delivery. The roofs were slightly damaged. But we never did say that these homes were damaged to such an extent that they had to be trashed.

O'BRIEN: OK, well, I'm glad you got that out there. Thank you for clarifying that point.

I find it ironic and kind of sad that FEMA -- the reaction is to try to do the best they can to make those trailers sit a little more pretty, if you will, in Hope, Arkansas, as opposed to transporting them to a place where they would be needed. Six million to $8 million for gravel? Why don't they hitch them up and take them to New Orleans?

SKINNER: That is most disturbing, and I agree. FEMA ordered these homes long before they had plans -- or they did not have plans in place to identify where the homes would go, when they would be deployed, or who is in fact was going to live in the homes. As a result, we may have bought too many. And consequently, we are now in the modular-home storage business, which in itself is very expensive. And our concern is if we're going to continue to store these homes for long periods of time, we need to do it properly.

O'BRIEN: Wow, lots of issues here. I want to ask about this one thing, though, which just amazes me. It's right out of Joseph Keller, "Catch-22." The particular modular homes, the trailers, whatever you want to call them, are not by federal law allowed to be placed in a floodplain.

SKINNER: That's correct.

O'BRIEN: I mean, if it weren't so tragic, it would be comical. Is that true first of all? And can't that be changed?

SKINNER: That is true. And possibly that probably could be changed. But I would caution against doing that. Putting these...

O'BRIEN: Really?

SKINNER: Putting these homes in a flood plain is putting more families at risk again, particularly in a flood plain that is hurricane prone. The last thing Louisiana, or Mississippi needs to see is a bunch of FEMA homes floating down the street on their side, causing debris problems as a result of any flooding or hurricanes that may cure.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(WEATHER REPORT)

VERJEE: I want to take you back a little to the '80s. You remember Sonny Crockett and Tubbs and the show "Miami Vice?" Well, you know, they really changed the way we dressed back in the '90s, "Seinfeld," you know, changing our vocabulary, you know, you'll remember -- no soup for you!

And now TV's "CSI" is changing the face of crime, but that may not be such a good thing.

CNN's Ted Rowlands takes a closer at the so-called "CSI" effect.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What am I smelling?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bleach?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In this episode of "CSI" the killer uses bleach to cover up a double murder.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's no footprints, there's no hand prints.

ROWLANDS: In Austintown, Ohio, a real-life killer does the same thing, uses bleach to clean up after murdering a 43-year-old woman and her 70-year-old mother. It turns out according to court documents, the alleged Ohio killer liked to watch "CSI" possibly learning that bleach gets rid of DNA by watching "T.V" UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The killer poured bleach down all the drains.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sucking all the life out of DNA.

CAPT. RAY PEAVY, L.A. COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: It's showing the crooks how not to get caught.

ROWLANDS: Captain Ray Peavy runs one of the homicide units in Los Angeles County. He says "CSI" and other shows make it more difficult to nab criminals because after watching these shows and seeing the incredible science investigators are using, criminals are cleaning up.

PEAVY: Things like cigarette butts, blood, semen, hairs, all those things that used to be left -- I won't say regularly, but they certainly weren't cleaned up after them, those things are no longer left at crime scenes.

BARRY FISHER, DIRECTOR, L.A. COUNTY CRIME LAB: So we'll look in here in our identification or fingerprint section.

ROWLANDS: This is the Los Angeles County crime lab, a real CSI unit where they do a lot of the same stuff you see on T.V., analyzing bullet fragments, blood, fingerprints and just about anything else that can find the crime scene.

FISHER: This stuff is really cool. People are absolutely fascinated about using science to solve crimes.

ROWLANDS: Barry Fisher, a criminalist in this lab for 30 years thinks shows like "CSI" may teach criminals a thing or two, but says it won't do them any good.

FISHER: It is categorically impossible to remove all of the evidence that somebody's going to leave at a crime scene. They may try but they're not going to succeed in covering it all up.

ROWLANDS (on camera): Shows like "CSI" are not only being blamed for educating criminals, but also for tainting juries. Prosecutors from around the country say they are losing cases because some jurors show up wanting to see overwhelming physical evidence, just like they see on T.V.

(voice-over): Larry Pozner, a criminal defense lawyer in Denver says jurors expectations have changed.

LARRY POZNER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: The result of the "CSI" effect is that jurors want more evidence. When they don't get it, they become very suspicious.

ROWLANDS: Can a T.V. show really have this much effect on the criminal justice system?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to seem like... ROWLANDS: ... Elizabeth Devine is a co-executive producer for "CSI: Miami." She used to be a criminalist in the L.A. crime lab. She rejects the notion that shows like hers have changed criminals or jurors.

ELIZABETH DEVINE, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, CSI MIAMI: It underestimates a little bit the intelligence of our audience and the American people if they are -- or if people are believing that they can't tell the difference between a television drama and reality.

ROWLANDS: As for that real life Ohio double homicide case in true Hollywood fashion, the cops found their main suspect hiding in this house., 26-year-old Jermaine McKinney, the one police say learned from "CSI" how to cover his tracks was arrested after allegedly trying to use one of the victim's credit cards. McKinney put up a fight, but just like most "CSI" episodes, in the end the alleged killer is taken away in handcuffs.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VERJEE: Tonight on "PAULA ZAHN" now more problems for police. We've within seeing scenes like this one all too often. An officer just sideswiped on the side of the road. Now officers are being trained to watch out also for distracted drivers. Tonight you're going to meet two officers who are lucky to be alive to tell their story. That's ahead on "PAULA ZAHN NOW" at 8:00 eastern.

One more check with Andy Serwer. What's going on, Andy?

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Miles, why more single women than men are buying homes.

Plus, ring tones that attract the opposite sex. True? We'll tell you all about it, coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: All right, Andy Serwer. A little parting shot today.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Yes, indeed. We're going to be talking about housing and housing starts. Let's go to the Big Board, though, and see how stocks are faring, up nine those Dow Jones Industrials are. Ben Bernanke's testimony yesterday and today seems to be going according to plan. The markets liking what they're hearing.

Housing starts coming in boffo this morning for the month of January. Highest in 33 years.

O'BRIEN: Wait a minute.

SERWER: Since 1973. The reason why?

VERJEE: Women. SERWER: The warmest weather. No, we'll that's coming next.

O'BRIEN: Next story.

What about the bubble?

SERWER: Warmest January.

I know, well, the bubble keeps on bubbling.

And it's the warmest January in a long, long, long time. That has everything to do here. But permits are also up, which means they are going to continue to build houses. So it's good news. The bubble has not burst yet.

O'BRIEN: How long will we be doing the imminent bursting of the bubble story? Years and years.

SERWER: It's a full employment act for me. So I intend continue to talking about for it a long time. You ask and I tell.

Zain, you're right, we're going to talk about women and housing. This is fascinating. You know, about 20 years ago, 25 years ago, the percentage of home bought by single men and single women about even, OK; 11 percent, 10 percent. Most homes bought by married folks. OK, now flash forward to 2005 and the percent bought by single women soared. Why is this? Well, obviously many more women working, many more women having income, having loans, having lines of credit. Also I think this means that women simply feel more empowered, that they're also marrying later, there's divorce rates that's up, life expectancy, there's that gap, so older women would buy homes where men wouldn't be doing it. But it's a really amazing story.

And retailers -- and realtors, I should say, are tailoring their businesses more and more to single women.

VERJEE: How?

SERWER: Well, they're offering more services to them. And talking to them before, it's like, where is your husband? Where is the man? You don't have a boyfriend even? They're having women talking to women to buy and sell homes now.

O'BRIEN: Things not to say these days.

SERWER: No, that's true. And I have been known to say them.

O'BRIEN: Fake ad campaigns.

SERWER: Yes, I really like this. This is great. Ring tones that attract the opposite sex. You know they really don't. But this is sort of a viral ad campaign. Pherotones, it's called, with a fake Dr. Vanderhood.

Now check out, we have a viral video here. We don't have the video. OK. Do we have the ring tones themselves? Yes, let's go to the ring tones. There's "Testosterone."

Here is the viral video. That's "Testosterone."

VERJEE: How is that for...

SERWER: Zain, stop, get off of me!

VERJEE: How is that supposed to...

O'BRIEN: So swirling in the drain right now.

SERWER: And how about this one? Then there's El Cuddlero for women. We have El Cuddlero.

VERJEE: Well, let's listen.

SERWER: I'm sorry, Zain, I can't stop myself. I must be.

VERJEE: Is this El Cuddlero or is this...

SERWER: I'm just being wrapped, I can't imagine why I'm being wrapped.

O'BRIEN: You know, the funny thing is, people being wrapped.

SERWER: Yes, I understand.

O'BRIEN: Pete (ph) was just in. He wants to be a gay cowboy now. So I think maybe it misfired. I don't know.

SERWER: Or not.

VERJEE: He's just looking horrified.

SERWER: Not necessarily. It's all good.

VERJEE: All right, thank you.

SERWER: You're welcome.

VERJEE: "CNN LIVE TODAY" is up next. Daryn, save me.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Always here for you, Zain.

Well, we're going to keep it on houses coming up at the top of the hour. Perhaps you women out there, or men, you need to sell your house. Perhaps you're looking to buy one. Gerri Willis has her top five tips to make a real estate broker your best friend or keep away the real enemies.

And it's a film that says a lot about today's headline. A hit film of this year's Berlin Film Festival is about a group of friends who ended up at Camp Gitmo. You'll hear their story coming up on CNN LIVE TODAY.

For now, at least for a few minutes, back to you in New York City.

VERJEE: Thanks, darling.

Coming up, it was one of Vice President Cheney's worst days, but for comedians, it's good times. From T-shirts to talk shows, we're going to look at how the shot heard around the world that triggered a comedic gold rush.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: For comedians, the Dick Cheney shooting story gaveth and then tooketh took away. Turns out what seemed Elmer Fudd funny at first got progressively more serious as the week progressed.

CNN's Jeanne Moos with that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hunters aren't the only ones taking aim.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good shot!

MOOS: Comedians are the best shots.

DAVID LETTERMAN, "LATE NIGHT" HOST: He's back.

MOOS: On Monday, Letterman made Cheney jokes recurring theme throughout his show, but once the vice president's unintended victim had a heart attack, the press proclaimed no joke or at least less of one.

JON STEWART, "DAILY SHOW" HOST: Based on this development, we're going to downgrade the condition of the story from incredibly hilarious to still funny, but a little sad.

MOOS: Even the other guys taking shots from reporters...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why is it that it took so long for the president, for you, for anybody else, to know that the vice president accidentally shot...

MOOS: Had joked about wearing safety orange in his tie to avoid being hit by a stray bullet before. But the joshing ceased after Harry Whittington's condition worsened. That didn't stop entrepreneurs.

(on camera): Forget hunting quail. Well, if it's T-shirts you're hunting, there are already some 400 to choose from on the Web.

(voice-over): "Shoot first, don't answer questions later." "Ready, fire, aim." "I went quail hunting with Dick and all I got was this bloody T-shirt."

Republicans fired back, "I'd rather go hunting with Dick Cheney than driving with Ted Kennedy." Regular folks weren't afraid to joke. For instance, this Texan at the Westminster Dog Show, informed that the vice president had accidentally shot the fellow hunter...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One way of getting meat on the table!

MOOS (on camera): One way of what?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Getting meat on the table.

MOOS (voice-over): Well, at least the only guy who can truthfully answer yes to this question...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you been shot by Vice President Dick Cheney?

MOOS: ... won't have to hear the jokes as he recovers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no TV in his room at this point in time.

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: That's classic. That's classic.

VERJEE: Jeanne Moos.

O'BRIEN: Back with more in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Well, we're plumb out of time here on AMERICAN MORNING. We're glad you joined us, though.

VERJEE: And we're glad to hand it over to Daryn Kagan, as well, at the CNN Center. Hey, Daryn.

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