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American Morning

Is Iraq on Brink of Civil War?; Roof of Market Building Collapses in Moscow; New Details on Katrina Report From White House

Aired February 23, 2006 - 09:00   ET

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

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

Iraq is in turmoil this morning. Is this country on the brink of civil war? We're live on the story.

A search for survivors in Russia after a roof collapses at a busy market. More than 40 people are at least confirmed dead. We're going to have an update on that story as well.

M. O'BRIEN: What the White House learned from Hurricane Katrina. A final report due out later this morning. Self-analysis, if you will. And we're already getting a peek at what's inside. We'll share it with you, of course.

Scotland Yard searching for suspects in one of the biggest bank heists in British history, maybe one of the biggest heists ever. It could exceed $70 million worth of currency gone so far without a trace.

S. O'BRIEN: And tonight is the night American figure skater Sasha Cohen is going for Olympic gold. We've got a live report from Torino just ahead.

M. O'BRIEN: And we begin this hour in Iraq, where fear, anger and sectarian violence are all on the rise. In Baghdad and elsewhere, Iraqi security forces on high alert. More than a hundred killed since an explosion Wednesday damaged a sacred Shiite mosque in Samarra.

CNN's Aneesh Raman live in Baghdad as things there continue to get worse.

Aneesh, what is going on?

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They do, Miles. Good morning.

This is a serious situation deteriorating by the hour. Rampant reprisal attacks after yesterday's bombing of a sacred Shia mosque have left at least 54 Sunnis dead. That's in the capital alone.

Some 50 Sunni mosques have been targeted, again, only in the capital. Five have been destroyed.

Throughout the country, Sunni officials say some 100 Sunni sites have been hit. And in the political front, any thought that a unity government was on its way to being formed is now on hold.

Iraq's biggest Sunni bloc is suspending talks with the Kurd and Shia blocs until they get an apology for these reprisal attacks. And again, the government is, in their words, issuing a double standard, condemning with force the attack on the Shia mosque, but really largely being silent on the attacks against Sunnis. So Iraq now stands at a major crossroads; the very stability of its future hangs in the balance -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: I guess it's hard to overstate that at this point, Aneesh. Amid all of this carnage there are those who have taken to the streets, trying to call for unity. How significant is that?

RAMAN: It is. Amid all the sectarian divide, a sign of unity in the city of Kut. Reports there say some 30,000 Shia and Sunnis are out on the streets waving the Iraqi flag, calling for unity at this time. They are also chanting anti-American slogans at the same time.

And so that is one image of many we are seeing here today that shows the two paths that Iraq can go on. And we don't know which it's going to choose, either down the path of sectarian strife that continues to deepen and exacerbate in terms of the violence, or find some way to unifying their condemnation of all this recent violence -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Aneesh Raman in Baghdad.

Thank you very much -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Another developing story that we're following this morning is that roof collapse at the busy Moscow market. At least 40 people now reported dead. Rescue crews though are still holding out hope that they are going to be able to find some survivors in the rubble.

CNN's Matthew Chance is reporting from there for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, sadly, this is one of those kinds of tragedy the people of Russia have become accustomed to. The marketplace behind me, its roof caving in, possibly under heavy snow that fell here overnight.

All day they have been pulling bodies from the rubble. They're now counting those casualties in the dozen.

More than 150 Russian rescue workers are here on the scene trying to cut through the rubble to reach any survivors. They are blowing hot air into the cavities of the wreckage to provide warmth for any survivors in these freezing conditions.

As to what's responsible, authorities here have ruled out terrorism, but they are saying they are looking into negligence as a possible cause.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Matthew Chance.

Let's get now to the White House this morning, where an important report is due out, lessons learned from Katrina. Getting word on what's inside that White House self-analysis and want went wrong in the wake of that storm. It's now been six months.

Suzanne Malveaux is at the White House with more.

Good morning, Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.

We actually literally just got this report about a minute ago, and so we're just getting a firsthand look at it ourselves. But we do know some of the conclusions coming out of this report.

First, there are 17 lessons learned from the executive branch, about 125 recommendations. And then, specifically, there are 11 critical action points they say that have to be completed before June 1 of this year, the start of the new hurricane season.

Some of the issues that they talk about, what they identify, they say that there's a need to preposition what they call an interagency federal joint field office, essentially a place to coordinate the federal response effort. It also says they need to embed a single Department of Defense point of contact, one person on the ground from the Pentagon simply to coordinate much of this response.

Also, to designate locations for receiving, staging, moving military resources. And then another point they say to develop rosters of employees who will actually be participating in federal relief.

All of these points in this book. We're going to go through it, Miles. I have to tell you some things that, of course, we know are not in this book, are no calls for resignations of the secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, and no call for FEMA to be moved out of Homeland Security Department -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: You know, and those were two key points that a lot of critics of the administration said were important in response to this. Perhaps the FEMA move more than anything was a real ground swell for that. The administration pushing back on that?

MALVEAUX: Well, yes, they are pushing back on that. What they are saying is that FEMA, of course, has to take on a more robust role, if you will, in coordinating with state, local and federal agencies. But they do not believe it should be moved out of the Department of Homeland Security.

One thing that we heard from Fran Townsend -- she is the Homeland Security adviser to the president -- tell us earlier this morning that what's going to happen is that they are calling for a much more robust role for the military when it comes to if those first responders from state and local agencies are overwhelmed in a catastrophic event, that the military is really going to be the entity that goes out in front and really takes on a lead role.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you very much.

Suzanne Malveaux at the White House.

And we'll let you get a little deeper into that report. We'll have you back in just a little bit.

MALVEAUX: Digest this. OK.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. Lots to digest in a short period of time.

Let's get some more headlines in. Kelly Wallace in the newsroom with that.

Hello, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: A port deal will be laid out before a Senate committee this morning. Some lawmakers, Democrats and Republicans, have come out swinging against the deal, while President Bush has promised the first veto of his presidency to keep the agreement intact. Under the deal, an Arab-based company would manage six major U.S. ports.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in the Middle East today making a surprise stop in Beirut, Lebanon, earlier. There she met with leaders working to support the country's political independence from Syria. And this visit coming more than a year after Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, who was working to limit Syrian influence, was assassinated.

A robbery in England earlier today may be one for the books. Authorities are searching for an armed gang dressed as police officers who may have made off with up to $74 million. That would make it one of the biggest robberies in British history. We're expecting to hear more from British officials on this shortly.

A mystery has been solved in Lincoln, Nebraska. Eight co-workers taking home the record $365 million Powerball jackpot. Each will get just about $15.5 million after taxes. And one of the winners said that was enough for him to take a very early retirement.

And take a look at this video from a police dash cam. Bad weather iced up roadways in eastern Texas this week causing that pickup truck to strike an SUV before flipping over several times right in the direction of a stranded driver. Police say the driver was treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Soledad and Miles, thankfully no one severely hurt.

S. O'BRIEN: Oh my goodness.

WALLACE: If you look at that video, it's sort of incredible to believe.

S. O'BRIEN: You see that car flip over.

WALLACE: Right.

S. O'BRIEN: That driver OK. And then you could see on the side the guy who runs out of the way to avoid being hit by the pickup.

You see the guy there in the corner of your screen there?

WALLACE: Yes, exactly.

S. O'BRIEN: He runs out of the way. He's also not injured. That's unbelievable.

All right, Kelly. Thank you for the update on those stories.

WALLACE: Sure.

Chad's off, but Bonnie is in the CNN Center for us.

Icing on the roads in Texas. You know what, when it gets cold and icy there it's a huge problem, as that videotape shows.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right. And we're seeing some snow right now just moving into Milwaukee at this hour.

(WEATHER REPORT)

S. O'BRIEN: All right. It looks nice. Thank you, Bonnie.

Ahead this morning, we're talking more about this breaking news out of Washington, D.C. That White House Katrina report that we've been talking about all morning just came out. We're going to see what some of the folks in New Orleans think about some of the key findings in that report.

M. O'BRIEN: Also, some new questions this morning about whether some popular arthritis supplements really work. That is our "House Call" segment, so stay tuned for that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

S. O'BRIEN: You can't see these families at a Red Cross shelter or families anywhere and not think, of course, of your own family. People have lost everything. I mean, literally everything.

This is a Red Cross shelter right in Baton Rouge, 4,500 people overnighted here last night. And as we talked about some of the people who have been refusing to leave, for the people here, they were ready to get out. And this is where they've ended up. There is in New Orleans and in Louisiana and in the Gulf Coast a sense of home. That, you know, home is where you come back to. That really moved me and really surprised me. And because of that sense of home, there's a sense of hope, you know, we're going to stick it out, we're going to survive it. We're going to rebuild somehow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

S. O'BRIEN: Next week, AMERICAN MORNING is going to be coming to you live from New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. We're going to talk about some of the key issues and the big problems that still face not only the city, but the entire region. So be sure to join us as we report live from the Gulf Coast. That begins on Monday morning.

As you just heard, President Bush briefing his cabinet this morning on the lessons learned by the White House from Hurricane Katrina.

There are some Women of the Storm, as they call themselves, you might recognize them. Cecile Tebo and Anne Milling and Madeline West, you've met them all before. Let's show a picture of all three if we can. There they are.

These are the women -- they're part of a group that continues to keep the rebuilding of New Orleans in the public eye. They are with us from New Orleans this morning to talk a little bit more about this report, and also really what you expect in the big picture.

The report's come out really, literally, 15 minutes ago. So it's not like any of us have had an opportunity to read deep into all 228 pages. But overall, one of the conclusions is that there were inexperienced managers at the helm and a huge lack of planning.

I'm going to assume by the head-nodding that I'm seeing going on here you all agree with that big finding. Is that right?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: So, at the same time, one of the things that's not in the report -- we knew this ahead of time -- that nobody is saying that Secretary Chertoff should step down.

Cecile, let's begin with you. Do you think that as the man who was -- is the head of the Department of Homeland Security which oversees FEMA, he's the guy, you know, who sort of where the buck stops?

CECILE TEBO, "WOMEN OF THE STORM": Well, I think the buck stopped with so many different people. And I think that that is partially a lot of the problems that we have.

We've been doing the "Banana Fo Fana" game for six months. We're ready to see some definite changes in the structure of this. If it requires new people coming in, so be it, but I think what we're really looking for is a central command center that is going to deal with future catastrophic events.

S. O'BRIEN: Anne, it seems like that was one of the points that we know in this report. For example, they are talking about a point person from the military, sort of one person who would be immediately on the ground and the military would have a greater role.

How do you feel about that, Anne?

ANNE MILLING, "WOMEN OF THE STORM": I absolutely agree with that. And I'm delighted they are addressing these issues and they're planning and they're looking forward to, perhaps, you know, future situations, whether it be in New Orleans or elsewhere. We've got to have a point person, and we've got to heighten the communication between whether it be the Pentagon and Homeland Security, or the communication between the White House, the state, and the city.

So I applaud what they are recommending today.

S. O'BRIEN: At the same time, when I talked to Fran Townsend, who, as you know, is the White House homeland security adviser, and I asked her that question about the military, I mean, is the military a little bit stretched since we're talking about forces in Iraq and forces in Afghanistan and forces elsewhere, here is what she had to tell me about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRAN TOWNSEND, HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISER: The president is very much about looking forward, how can we strengthen our response and ensure the safety and security of the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

S. O'BRIEN: Talking about looking forward there. And curious to know if you think that looking forward, Madeline, is going to happen, or more of a sense of it when you get this tour of some big names. I know that Dennis Hastert is coming by, Nancy Pelosi will be visiting the region.

Do you think you're going to get more looking forward and really maybe that translates into more cash for you guys?

MADELINE WEST, "WOMEN OF THE STORM": Right. I think the report coming out, "Lessons Learned and the Response to Katrina," it's only looking at the initial phase of it. And now we're in the recovery phase, which is still in a crisis and it's very important.

The Women of the Storm have invited -- this is sort of the first process of developing a long-term partnership to have the Congress come down to look at the devastation first hand, to understand the devastation, and to understand the people who are involved in the recovery process: our business community, our activists, our community action individuals, the Louisiana Recovery Authority, which is going to be crucial in determining how the money is spent here.

And I think this is -- what we're trying to do is develop a long- term relationship or a partnership, as you will, with the federal government. And I think them coming here and understanding what we're doing is very important in developing this long-term partnership to actually do the recovery here in Louisiana.

S. O'BRIEN: You know, Madeline, as you were talking that big old truck rolled right behind you. And I was trying to decide, is that a good thing, because it means there's trucks and people and I saw a vehicle?

WEST: Right.

S. O'BRIEN: Or is it a bad thing, because it kind of drowns you out a little bit as well? I guess it's a good thing, overall?

WEST: Right, it definitely is a good thing that we're revitalizing our community.

S. O'BRIEN: Let me ask you one final question. We'll give it to Cecile about the mayoral election. Mayor Ray Nagin, is he going to be re-elected?

TEBO: Boy, I tell you what, he's made some difficult statements that have been hard for a lot of people to swallow. There are a lot of people that are going to be running. One of the things that we have really been missing in this catastrophic situation is a big voice, and we're looking for that big voice. We're looking for a leader, where somebody -- you know, we need that person that is going to bring us all home.

S. O'BRIEN: Talk about spin from Cecile Tebo.

TEBO: And there are a lot -- there are a lot on the plate.

S. O'BRIEN: She's saying no way is what she's saying, but she said -- I believe she uses words like it's going to be a difficult sort of situation there.

TEBO: It is.

S. O'BRIEN: The Women of the Storm includes Cecile Tebo and Anne Milling and Madeline West.

And ladies, I thank you for talking with us. We'll get a chance to talk with you in person when we see you in New Orleans next week.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, thank you.

TEBO: We hope to show you a good time. You all deserve it. You have been wonderful for us. And you've had to see some very difficult things. And we hope to show you some wonderful things as well.

S. O'BRIEN: You know what? A good time for me will be to see a little rebuilding and, you know, families reunited. That will be more than plenty for me, ladies.

Thanks -- Miles. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We thank you.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. Thanks to all.

Potentially bad news for millions of people who use arthritis supplements. There are questions this morning about how well they really work. "House Call" is next.

And later, writer and director Tyler Perry will join us. He's got a new movie out called "Medea's Family Reunion." Soledad gives it a thumbs up, says it's a laugh a minute, right? A scream?

S. O'BRIEN: It's a hit. It's a hit.

M. O'BRIEN: It's a hit, she says. We'll ask him what it is like to go from being homeless to being a superstar.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: "House Call" now, dealing with pain. For millions of Americans, it's a daily struggle. And all those studies just add to the confusion over what works and what does not.

So what is a pain sufferer to do? The author of "Body for Life for Women" joins us now from Washington to talk about the effectiveness of dietary supplements for people with arthritis.

Dr. Pamela Peeke teaches medicine at the University of Maryland, as well. We don't have time to do the full CV, but that will give you the short version.

Good to have you back with us, Dr. Peeke.

DR. PAMELA PEEKE, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND: Hi, Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Tell us about this latest study in "The New England Journal."

PEEKE: In "The New England Journal of Medicine," we have a $14 million study that basically looked at what could help you if you are one of the 21 million sufferers of osteoarthritis or degenerative arthritis.

So what did they find? They wanted to look at specifically prescription medication, Celebrex in this case, and also compare it with glucosamine and chondroitin, which are dietary supplements taken by millions of Americans.

What did they find? What's the bottom line?

Well, first of all, they found that the prescription drug was quite effective and acted quite rapidly when you did have the pain for osteoarthritis. So this was kind of a keen grasp of the obvious. It's a great drug, and the researchers did a great study looking at this.

However, what they also found was that the dietary supplements may be effective in the treatment of osteoarthritis if it's moderate to severe. This is a small group in this study, but it was very provocative.

This is by no means a definitive study on glucosamine and chondroitin as dietary supplements. So it kind of led to more questions than answers with regard to this. And therefore, one can actually look at these two dietary supplements and say, give me more studies, show me more, because this is very provocative.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. My head is spinning now. Let's get this straight then.

The precipitation drug works better and faster. That's a given.

PEEKE: Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: And maybe the dietary supplements work for a small subset. So the takeaway from this is, if you're in pain and you really want to get out of pain, get a prescription?

PEEKE: Well, you're going to have to run to a doctor, get that prescription, and you're going to have to take the medication if it works for you. No question about that.

But the other piece of this is, there are these dietary supplements with a big question mark here. And that is, are they effective?

And in a group of moderate to severe osteoarthritis sufferers with knee pain, they apparently were. And in the study, the authors themselves stated at the end of the study in the discussion that they may be effective in this treatment, and the editorial accompanying "The New England Journal of Medicine" study also noted that doctors might be able to, for instance, recommend that patients take these supplements for about three months prior to being put on a prescription medication.

A bit of a trial. And this occurs for a lot of reasons.

Cost is one of those reasons, Miles. If you look at the cost of a prescription drug, in this case, Celebrex for the course of a month, it's over $100. But when you look at glucosamine and chondroitin, you find that indeed it's only about $13 to $25 a month.

And a lot of people don't have physicians. A lot of people have a problems getting those things filled. So they are looking for other alternatives.

M. O'BRIEN: But if it doesn't work, it's $13 down the tube.

PEEKE: Absolutely.

M. O'BRIEN: I'm curious, who funded this study? Is there any reason to be skeptical about that?

PEEKE: Actually, this is the National Institutes of Health...

M. O'BRIEN: That's good.

PEEKE: ... that funded this. So this is very good and it's very important to see that this was a great study. And it was highly provocative.

M. O'BRIEN: Interesting. All right. So the takeaway is, then, for folks at home, if it works for you, continue doing it. If it doesn't, look for something else, I guess, huh?

PEEKE: Absolutely. And also, wait for those other studies. I want to see more studies on these two dietary supplements.

M. O'BRIEN: And we'll have you back when we have those studies in.

PEEKE: You got it.

M. O'BRIEN: Pamela Peeke, thanks for dropping by, as always.

PEEKE: All right.

S. O'BRIEN: All right. Before we head to a break, let's take you back to Washington, D.C. We can show you some pictures of the president as he addresses his cabinet.

He has been talking to them about this new -- there you go right there. Talking about this new report on Hurricane Katrina, assessing some of the big mistakes that were made, areas in which the ball was dropped, so to speak, in a big way. But also very much, as we heard from his national security adviser this morning -- forgive me, one of his homeland security advisers this morning, ways in which they are trying to look forward in order to not repeat the same mistakes.

We're going to bring you more on this report. It's some 228 pages long. We'll have more analysis on this report ahead this morning.

Let's listen in a little bit to what President Bush is saying.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And I understand the consternation and concern of Iraqi Shias when they see this most holy site wantonly destroyed. I appreciate very much the leaders from all aspects of Iraqi society that have stood up and urged for there to be calm.

They recognize two things.

One, the Iraqi people want to live in a democracy. After all, 11 million people voted in the last election. In other words, given a choice of whether or not they want democracy or a different form of government, millions of people showed up to vote, making a clear statement to the Iraqi authorities, as well as to the people in the world they want democracy.

Secondly, the voices of reason from all aspects of Iraqi life understand that this bombing is intended to create civil strife.

S. O'BRIEN: President Bush as he briefs his cabinet this morning. He was talking a little bit about this Hurricane Katrina report that's been released, but as you hear right now, he has now been turning to -- he is now taking questions and talking about the Shiite bombings. Let's listen to a little bit more of what the president is saying.

BUSH: ... with the voices of reason that have spoken out. And we will continue to work with those voices of reason to enable Iraq to continue on the path of a democracy that unites people and doesn't divide them.

Finally, I do want to assure the Iraqi people that the U.S. government is serious in our commitment in helping to rebuild that holy site. We understand its importance to Iraqi society and we want to stand side by side with the government in making sure that the beautiful building is restored.

QUESTION: Sir, do you wish you had known earlier about the Dubai ports deal? Were you surprised by the controversy over it?

BUSH: The more people learn about the transaction that has been scrutinized and approved by my government, the more they will be comforted that our ports will be secure. Port security in the United States will be run by Customs, U.S. Customs and the United States Coast Guard.

The management of some ports, which heretofore has been managed by a foreign company, will be managed by another company from a foreign land. And so people don't need to worry about security. This deal wouldn't go forward if we were concerned about the security for the United States of America.

What I find interesting is that it's OK for a British company to manage some ports but not okay for a company from a country that is also a valuable ally in the war on terror. The UAE has been a valuable partner in fighting the war on terror. A lot of goods are shipped from ports to the United States managed by this company.

And again, I repeat to the American people, this wouldn't be going forward if we weren't certain that our ports would be secure.

But I also want to remind folks that it's really important we not send mixed messages to friends and allies around the world, as we combine -- put together a coalition to fight this war on terror. And so we'll continue to talk to people in Congress and explain clearly why the decision was made. Many of those doing the explanations are around this table, and I want to thank them for bringing a sense of calm for this issue, as people understand the logic of the decision.

Thank you all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: You can hear the president wrapping up a cabinet meeting and taking a few questions. Most recently there talking about this controversy over this transaction, the ports that would now be managed by a company based out of the United Arab Emirates. The president saying that the transaction had been scrutinized and approved, and that the deal would not go forward, in fact, if he felt there was any concerns about security.

Earlier he was talking about the American government's commitment to rebuilding that Shia holy site that was heavily damaged in a bombing just days ago. That bombing has set off over the last couple of days absolute outrage across Iraq, where they have seen retaliatory attacks, as well.

And also covered this conversation with this cabinet the president talking about the hurricane Katrina report. The report runs some 228 pages long.

And now let's get to Suzanne Malveaux, who's been poring over this report, has some of the highlights of the report. And really some of the recommendations. As much, Suzanne, as this report looks at some of the problems and areas in which the ball was dropped, it really is a forward-looking report.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It really is. And already before the report came out, there was critics who were saying, well, we kind of doubt this. This is an internal investigation. This is an internal investigation that will be all that tough on the president. You're not going to read any kind of scathing remarks about the president's performance or even that of Homeland Security Department head Michael Chertoff.

What we do read here is individual, local and state plans, as well as relatively new plans created by the federal government since the terrorist attack on September 11th failed to adequately account for widespread or simultaneous catastrophes. That is the kind of criticism that you get from this report. They do have 11 points that they address. They say we've got to do these things before June 1st, before the next hurricane season.

Some of those include preposition an interagency, federal joint field office to coordinate the federal response, to actually have an office that's on the ground for those events that they see coming.

Secondly, to embed a single Department of Defense point of contact, someone who's actually going to be coordinating this from the Pentagon.

Secondly -- third, rather, designate locations for receiving, staging and moving military resources.

And then also develop rosters of those who are actually going to be involved in the federal relief efforts. These are just some of the recommendations. These are things that the president says he will follow up on, make sure they're implemented before June 1st -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: June 1st being the big date when hurricane season begins once again in earnest.

Suzanne Malveaux is at the White House for us this morning. Suzanne, as always, thanks.

MALVEAUX: Thanks.

(NEWSBREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Maryland police have uncovered a new kind of bank robbery plot, involves some rather unassuming suspects. They are teenagers. Tonight on CNN's "PAULA ZAHN NOW," which is now; it will be later then. Well, you know what I mean. Still confused with that. Because it's really not now. Anyway, they're going to take a closer look at these alleged baby faced bank robbers. And who best but the baby faced Jason Carroll to give us that.

I know you're going to be mad at me that I said that.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, no, no, I'll take it.

M. O'BRIEN: He's forever young, that Jason Carroll. Tell us about this plot.

CARROLL: It's really bizarre. When we first heard about the story, I was sort of scratching my head and said, we have to check it out.

Basically here's what happened. Police in Montgomery, County, as well Prince George's County in Maryland, were dealing with a string of bank robberies. And what they found is that all of those who were committing the robberies were teenagers, one as young as 14 years old.

When they caught up with these teenagers and interviewed them, they were all telling the same story, basically saying that they had been abducted off the street and forced the rob these banks. Police now tell us that they have two suspects, and both of these suspects were responsible for doing the following, basically finding these teenagers as they were heading home from school or from work, abducting them, holding them at gunpoint, giving them a demand note, telling them they have to go inside the bank, rob the bank, get the money. If they didn't do it, they would be killed or members of their family would be killed.

So what we did was interviewed the FBI special agent in charge in Baltimore. He talked to us about how he felt about the suspect who is now in custody. That suspect, Miles, just 17 years old. Here are his thoughts on having a 17-year-old in custody:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN PERKINS, FBI, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: Surprising, disappointing, disturbing, it's unfortunate that someone of that age would be involved in something along these lines. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: They've got a 17-year-old in custody who is responsible for who they say is responsible for abducting these other teenagers. There is still another one who is outstanding. They do have a composite sketch released of that person. They don't know how old this other guy is. They don't know where he is. They are trying to find him.

But they tell us, investigators tell us, Miles, that this is one of those cases that they're still sort of scratching their head, saying it's unlike anything they've seen before.

M. O'BRIEN: All right, have investigators ruled out the possibility that this is -- they're actually in cahoots with this fellow.

CARROLL: Oh, yes. And the reason why they've done that is after interviewing all of these teenagers, there are, I believe, three of them. Again, one who's as young as 14. The other two are 15. They believe their stories. They're calling these teenagers victims.

O'BRIEN: So if really were, it's an interesting twist. Now so if there's another suspect out there, could there be other cases? In other words, could this case really snowball?

CARROLL: Absolutely. They're telling us that there might be other cases out there. And in fact there might be other suspects out there, as well. But right now they're just looking for one other.

O'BRIEN: Jason Carroll, thank you very much. That's just a preview of what you'll see when you tune in tonight and watch "PAULA ZAHN NOW," full report then at 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

And, Jason, thanks for dropping by.

CARROLL: Thank you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: Hope you have been saving for the kids college education.

S. O'BRIEN: Are you kidding me? I've got too many kids.

M. O'BRIEN: You got lots of saving.

S. O'BRIEN: It's about to get a little more expensive to take out a loan for all of that. We're "Minding Your Business" on that.

Also this morning, we're talking with Tyler Perry. He's got a new movie. Here's a guy was literally was homeless, and then turned -- I mean, there he is there. He's playing Medea, this character that has made him a rock star.

M. O'BRIEN: This makes me laugh. S. O'BRIEN: And there he is there.

M. O'BRIEN: How many roles does he have?

S. O'BRIEN: A lot. He has a crossover hit now worth over $100 million, just a superstar. We're going to talk to him just ahead this morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MARKET REPORT)

S. O'BRIEN: Let's get right to Daryn Kagan. Hey, Daryn, coming up next, what are you working on?

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Soledad.

At the top of the hour, we're talking about avoiding another disaster like Hurricane Katrina. The White House report on the government's bungled response is just out. We're going to take a closer look.

Plus, looking at port security, senators taking up the issue this morning on Capitol Hill.

Also, what do the people who actually work the docks think about the deal? We will hear from the Longshoremen. All that is coming up.

For now, back to you in New York City.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, my guess is, they don't think much about it.

All right, thanks, Daryn. We'll see you at the top of the hour.

Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING, we're going to talk to Tyler Perry. He may have another big hit on his hands with his new movie, which is called "Madea's Family Reunion," But this is a guy who did not become a superstar overnight. We've got his story just ahead.

Oh, this is so funny.

We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Tyler Perry -- there he is. His success story kind of seems to come out of nowhere. Last year, he pulled a maverick stunt. He released a movie that made a fortune. Now he's about to see if he could do it again. The truth is, though, that Tyler Perry has already turned himself into a mogul, a folk hero and living proof that you can go from desperate to destiny if you just believe in yourself.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TYLER PERRY, ACTOR, WRITER, DIRECTOR: I'm so glad I didn't go to jail today.

S. O'BRIEN (voice-over): Meet Tyler Perry, Tyler Perry and Tyler Perry.

PERRY: Shut up, old lady!

S. O'BRIEN: Just who is Tyler Perry?

PERRY: The best person I ever met in my whole life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well Tyler may be a genius, but he's also intelligent.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He knows his audience.

S. O'BRIEN: And that may be the secret to Tyler Perry's success, because not long ago, Hollywood was asking the same question. Who is this guy? Now Hollywood's asking how did he do it and can he do it again?

First, though, a little history. Born in 1969, young Tyler Perry wrote letters to himself to deal with a difficult childhood. Those letters would eventually become the basis for a play called "I Know I've Been Changed." He saved some money, put the show on stage, but with no audience and no income, he wound up on the streets.

Then in 1998, just as he was about to drop the curtain once and for all, his play suddenly sold out over and over and over again. Perry soon took his shows on the road, creating a cultural phenomenon within the black community and making a fortune.

PERRY: We would travel the country, setting box office records in all the theaters, from the Kodak to the Beacon in New York.

S. O'BRIEN: Last year, Perry brought his most popular character, Madea, to the big screen.

PERRY: As long as you got a piece to spare, you going to have (INAUDIBLE). Thank you.

S. O'BRIEN: "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" shocked Hollywood by opening in the number one spot at the box office. The unexpected hit solidified Tyler Perry as a maverick, a media mogul and a man tapped into the audience ignored by the mainstream.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What happened to the pride and the dignity and the love and respect....

S. O'BRIEN: His new film, "Madea's Family Reunion," promises more of the same.

PERRY: It's not about one race of people. It's about just human stories.

S. O'BRIEN: And Tyler Perry promises more to come.

PERRY: There's a whole lot of Madea stories that have yet to be told.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Tyler Perry is with us this morning.

It's so nice to have you. Thanks for talking with us.

PERRY: Well, thanks for having me. Thanks for having me.

S. O'BRIEN: I mean, it is the classic rags to riches story. I mean, you know, you went from homeless, literally, to a hit by tapping into a childhood that was full of a lot of bad stuff. What do you think you tapped into that audiences that clearly love?

PERRY: It's the relatability. I think what I've been through a lot of people have been through in life. And learning how to forgive. And everybody wants to know, how do you forgive someone who's done you wrong? How do you get past it? And I don't have all the answers, but I think that I've found some, and I try to put them in these shows.

S. O'BRIEN: Tell me if this is true.

PERRY: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: You had a meeting early on, and someone said black church folks, they don't go see movies.

PERRY: That's exactly what was said to me.

S. O'BRIEN: So when they said that to you, what did you say?

PERRY: I was mortified. I said...

S. O'BRIEN: And I'm going to assume it's a white person.

PERRY: Yes, it wasn't a black person. I'm sitting there thinking this person has absolutely no clue. And I don't know how to get out of this room. That's what I was thinking, I've got to get out. I've got to Take my movie and protect it and get out of this room.

S. O'BRIEN: "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" was a real crossover film. I mean, a movie where suddenly white people were like, who is this Tyler Perry guy? Wow, where did he come from? Was that important to you? I mean, do you -- for the Tyler Perry brand. And you've talked a lot about that. Is it important that white people, you know, buy into what you're selling?

PERRY: You know, what was important to me more than anything is just to stay true to what I was -- the story that I was telling and the people that I was talking about. And I know that these were universal stories that anybody could relate to.

S. O'BRIEN: "Madea's Family Reunion." Oh, my gosh. So funny. I mean, like, rip roaring funny. Now, tell me something. Describe for the audience who doesn't know who Madea is what...

PERRY: Madea, the term is a Southern term. It's short for "Mother Dear." And a lot of Southern people call their aunts and uncle -- aunts and older people in their family Madea.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, it's like respect.

PERRY: Yes, and she's a cross between my mother and my aunt. They're the NC-17 version of her. Madea's the PG version. Just a mother, a grandmother, who loves her entire family.

S. O'BRIEN: OK. And she carries a weapon.

PERRY: She is not politically correct.

S. O'BRIEN: So she's a tough old lady.

PERRY: She's not politically correct. She's a tough old bird and she'll say whatever's on her mind, yes.

S. O'BRIEN: Do you think that this is a character that you can just take everywhere? I mean, because you started with plays, you moved into movies, and you got a lot of ground to sort of, you know, to get through with her.

PERRY: I think she can go a lot of places. And what I love about her, again, she's not politically correct. She says what people were saying back in the day. You know, we want to go back to old values and old morals. That's her. You know, the spankings and all that kind of stuff. That's Madea.

S. O'BRIEN: And out of that, you kind of -- Madea's written a book.

PERRY: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: Which, you know, I was looking at a little bit earlier. With advice for teenagers.

PERRY: Yes, don't make a black woman take off her earrings, is what it's called.

S. O'BRIEN: Comparing, like, teenage virginity for a frisbee.

PERRY: Yes, it's hilarious stuff, man. Don't throw the frisbee too much or the dog may not run after it.

S. O'BRIEN: After a while it gets old. Nobody wants that frisbee.

PERRY: Nobody wants the frisbee!

S. O'BRIEN: You know that is. Seriously, let's talk some numbers. This is from "Forbes" magazine.

PERRY: Uh oh. S. O'BRIEN: A hundred million dollars -- no, it's all good, trust me. Hundred million dollars in tickets, $30 million in videos of your shows, $20 million in merchandise. You were homeless.

PERRY: Isn't that pretty amazing?

S. O'BRIEN: Yes. So what's the message? I know Oprah is your girl and Oprah has been your inspiration and Oprah has been your guide and Oprah is kind of your role model. What the Tyler Perry message, do you think?

PERRY: The message for everything that's happening to me right now?

S. O'BRIEN: Yes.

PERRY: What I love about everything that I've been able to do is that there's this underlying message of healing, hope, provoking thought with people and just learning how to get over things that have happened to you.

S. O'BRIEN: And if it happens to be hilariously funny all the while.

PERRY: Which is important. The comedy is the anesthetic to get to the serious stuff.

S. O'BRIEN: It is so nice to have you. Thanks for coming in to talk to us this morning. We appreciate it.

PERRY: Appreciate it. Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: You know, that Madea character, I can't -- it can't help but remind me. What is the Flip Olson (ph) character? Geraldine? The one with the hand -- was that the one?

S. O'BRIEN: Oh, my gosh. Oh, my God.

M. O'BRIEN: Geraldine, right?

S. O'BRIEN: Well, it's basically based on that same little -- you know, little old -- your grandma, you know, who had no qualms about leaning over the table and smacking you on the head or the backside. He is so funny.

M. O'BRIEN: You don't need to know the story to just laugh at that stuff.

S. O'BRIEN: He is so funny. He is so, so funny.

M. O'BRIEN: Great. We're glad he's on a roll. Thanks for all he's given us.

Back with more in a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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