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American Morning
Targeting Iraqi Police; Defending the War; Teacher Sex Case
Aired March 22, 2006 - 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 to Wednesday, everybody. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm John Roberts in for Miles O'Brien all week as we hit that hump and prepare the long slide into the weekend.
O'BRIEN: It's been a long week for you, hasn't it?
ROBERTS: Already.
O'BRIEN: We were talking about this morning an Oregon family back home after more than two weeks stuck in the snow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELBERT HIGGINBOTHAM, MISSING FOR 2 WEEKS: We didn't realize how far lost we were.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: The reunion is bringing tears to the whole community, many who thought their neighbors might be gone for good.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Nic Robertson in Baghdad.
Another deadly attack on a police station. More on that in a few moments.
ROBERTS: Strong words from President Bush as he squares off over Iraq with a legendary journalist. Helen Thomas finally gets to question the president after a three-year snub.
And if you struggle with insomnia, listen up, because we have got some advice on coping with those restless nights. More on our continuing series, "Sleepless in America," coming up.
O'BRIEN: We begin this morning with mortars and gun shots fired into an Iraqi police station today, killing three officers and the commander of peacekeeping forces. This is the second station attacked in just two days.
Let's get right to CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson. He's in Baghdad for us this morning.
Nic, good morning. ROBERTSON: Good morning, Soledad.
That attack came at 2:00 a.m. in the morning here, about 12 miles south of Baghdad. A police station and the mayor's office coming under attack by a combined assault of insurgents firing mortar rockets, using small arms weapons to try and gain access to the compound. Three police killed. A police commando also killed in that attack.
And then news this morning in Baghdad, a roadside bomb in the west of Baghdad, about 7:20, killed two Iraqi policemen in a passing convoy, wounded three others. And in the south of Baghdad, another attack on a police convoy, also a first in three months. The first roadside bomb on the main highway to Baghdad's airport in three months, that targeting a U.S. convoy. No one injured in that, we're told, -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: I know that you have had a chance to interview the former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi earlier this week. As you well know, he said Iraq is in a civil war. Did he back down from that statement at all -- Nic?
ROBERTSON: He is appearing to back out of it. He says, though, he does want to ring really loud alarm bells.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AYAD ALLAWI, FMR. IRAQI PRIME MINISTER: It's not a fall of loss of war (ph). It's really terrible and severe sectarian violence which can turn into a full-blown civil war. And sectarian violence is a stage of civil war, one of the stages of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: And he says if they've got -- if the Iraqi politicians don't form a new government quickly, then it's a very, very real possibility it could escalate -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Does it sound to you like he's splitting hairs? I mean, sectarian violence the stage before full-blown civil war? I hadn't heard that before. I mean it sounds like sectarian violence could be civil war.
ROBERTSON: You know he is a politician and he is trying to get back in the political game here. And it does appear that he's walking back his statement, trying not to, perhaps, lose friends and favor in Washington at this time. But at the same time, you know he's looking at the political lineup here. He thinks there are politicians in Iraq, the Shia politicians, who want to take the country down that path. That's what he says.
O'BRIEN: Nic Robertson for us this morning in Baghdad.
Nic, thank you -- John.
ROBERTS: A day after sparring with reporters for an hour in a spirited news conference, President Bush is stepping up to the plate again today. He is going on the road to answer more questions on terrorism and the war in Iraq.
Details now from CNN's Elaine Quijano.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): ... today to make remarks on Iraq but also to engage in another Q&A session. One day after taking questions from reporters for almost an hour here at the White House, the president aides say we'll do the same before the audience in Wheeling.
Now about 2,500 tickets for this event have been distributed, mostly through the local Chamber of Commerce, but also some through the military, as well as, interestingly enough, the local newspaper.
Now amid polls showing low public support for the way President Bush is handling the Iraq war, aides say this will be an opportunity for the president to show his passion and conviction on the issue.
Elaine Quijano, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: And coming up in our next hour, more on the debate over the Bush strategy and the war in Iraq. CNN political contributor James Carville and former RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie will be joining us.
In his second news conference of the year, President Bush faced some tough questions, and none tougher than those fired from veteran reporter Helen Thomas who has lobbied hard questions at every president since John F. Kennedy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HELEN THOMAS, "HEARST" NEWSPAPER: My question is: Why did you really want to go to war? From the moment you stepped into the White House,...
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes.
THOMAS: ... your Cabinet, former Cabinet officers, the intelligence people and so forth? What was your real reason? You have said it wasn't oil, the quest for oil. It hasn't been Israel or anything else. What was it?
BUSH: Yes. I think your premise, in all due respect to your question and to you as a lifelong journalist, is that you know I didn't want war. To assume I wanted war is just flat wrong, Helen, in all due respect.
THOMAS: And...
BUSH: Now hold on for a second, please. Let -- excuse me. Excuse me.
No president wants war. Everything you may have heard is that, but it's just simply not true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Helen had waited a long time for that exchange. It's the first time President Bush has called on her in more than three years, but the two shared a friendly laugh after the debate -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well it is over and for good. That is what the word from a lawyer for a Florida teacher who is accused of having sex with her 14-year-old student. Prosecutors are dropping the remaining charges against Debra LaFave. And LaFave is now apologizing for the scandal.
John Zarrella has the latest for us this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Prosecutors in Marion County dropped charges against 25-year-old former Tampa middle school teacher Debra LaFave. LaFave had been charged with engaging in sex acts with a 14-year-old student. But when the judge in Marion County would not agree to the plea deal, prosecutors dropped the charges rather than putting the victim through a potential trial.
Now that doesn't mean that LaFave is going free. Similar charges were filed in another county for sex acts with the same boy in that county. A plea deal was reached in that county, which means LaFave is going to serve three years house arrest and seven years probation.
John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: A psychiatrist in the case who examined the 14-year-old boy said do whatever it takes to avoid a trial. We're going to talk to him this morning and also talk to Debra LaFave's attorney. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING -- John.
ROBERTS: In Oregon, a family that disappeared on an overnight trip more than two weeks ago is back home. They were reunited with relatives last night. Their RV had apparently got stuck in snow in the mountains. They survived on drinking melted snow and had plenty of food, but it was quite an ordeal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HIGGINBOTHAM: Every morning we had to kick the door open and dig out the door so we could get around. To get to the storage, to the food, we had to dig four feet down to get the doors open to get inside.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ROBERTS: On Monday, the parents ventured out to look for help, leaving the grandparents and their two children behind. They were found early Tuesday and emergency officials later located the RV.
Coming up in the next hour, we're going to talk with two emergency officials who helped rescue the family, pull them out of the snow.
O'BRIEN: Yes, it could have had a really bad ending...
ROBERTS: Could have, yes.
O'BRIEN: ... and instead it did not.
Well you know what they say, another day -- another spring day, rather, another snowstorm. That's right, some more of the same for the Midwest. The storm moved across the Ohio Valley. At some places dropped as much as two inches every hour. Meanwhile, the snow and ice make for pretty dangerous driving, as it did in Indiana. Strong winds mixed with up to seven inches of snow caused whiteouts in some areas.
Chad has got the day off. Reynolds Wolf, though -- so Chad just is not coming in on the second day of spring. Reynolds Wolf, though, is at the CNN Center for us this morning.
Hey, good morning.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, great to be here.
(WEATHER REPORT)
Let's send it back to you in the studio.
O'BRIEN: Well thank you, we've got four hours...
WOLF: You bet.
O'BRIEN: ... to share it with you. I guess Chad just couldn't take it anymore, two days of spring.
ROBERTS: Yes, I'm wondering...
WOLF: He's worn out. Too bad (ph).
ROBERTS: Not exactly sure.
O'BRIEN: See fellow part (ph) -- welcome to the network, by the way, Reynolds.
WOLF: Great to be here. Thank you.
O'BRIEN: It's nice to have you. Thanks.
ROBERTS: Thanks, Reynolds, we'll see you soon.
More trouble for Tom DeLay this Wednesday morning. Coming up, we'll tell you why the beleaguered congressman could face more criminal charges than he expected.
O'BRIEN: Also, our special series, "Sleepless in America." Today we've got some tips on how to fall asleep and stay asleep when we meet an insomniac who is finally getting a good night's rest without any medication.
ROBERTS: And echoes of the Cold War. We'll tell you about a wild discovery found inside New York City's Brooklyn Bridge.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Beautiful shots of New York City while we listen to "The Gambler." A little Kenny Rogers to start your morning. Take a guess, how many albums? Kenny Rogers' new album is out.
ROBERTS: Nine thousand four hundred and seventy-two.
O'BRIEN: Very close, 63.
ROBERTS: Can you imagine?
O'BRIEN: Sixty-three albums. We're going to talk to Kenny Rogers in our studio this morning. His 63rd album called "Water & Bridges" is now out.
ROBERTS: Yes, I met him years ago and he's such a nice guy. And he says he's one of those people who has been a star for so long and has always, you know, remained very, very down to earth.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
ROBERTS: And so we finally have him in here.
O'BRIEN: You know he has twin boys the same age as my twin boys. He's got 19-month-old twin boys.
ROBERTS: Really?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
ROBERTS: Go, Kenny.
O'BRIEN: We're going to talk about that, too, this morning.
ROBERTS: Whoa!
O'BRIEN: Yes. Man!
Before we get to any of that, of course, let's get to Carol. She's going to update us on the top stories.
Hey, Carol, good morning.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Good morning to all of you.
Family members of two missing Milwaukee boys are asking anyone with any sort of information at all to come forward. The boys, one 12, the other 11, were last seen playing outside on Sunday. Relatives say Quadrevion Henning and Purvis Parker would never run away. Police went door to door Tuesday looking for them. Pictures of the boys have been posted throughout the area.
President Bush set to take more questions about the war in Iraq. This time, he'll speak to an audience of mostly military families in Wheeling, West Virginia, friendlier crowd than the reporters at Tuesday's news conference. President Bush says Iraq is not in civil war but admitted U.S. troops could still be stationed there after his term ends in three years.
The U.S. is asking Afghanistan to drop charges against a man who converted from Islam to Christianity 16 years ago. That is a crime under Afghanistan's Islamic law. The man faces death if convicted. But Afghan officials now say the man may be mentally unfit to stand trial.
The first untainted aviation witness could take the stand today in the Zacarias Moussaoui trail. You remember a judge banned some testimony after a government lawyer sent court transcripts to key witnesses. Well, on Tuesday, the highest-ranking FBI agent expected to testify said he was in the dark on Moussaoui. He said he had no idea that a field officer thought Moussaoui was a terrorist targeting airliners.
France says it is willing to bend on the new labor law but not get rid of it all together. Officials are trying to pacify a growing crowd of students and union workers. Critics say the new law will make it easier to fire young workers. Thousands clashed Tuesday with police, throwing bottles and missiles at officers. More protests expected tomorrow.
And here in New York, talk about a wild discovery. Officials were inspecting the Brooklyn Bridge when they found survival blankets and crackers dating back from the Cold War era. Some of the containers were marked with the year 1962, the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The city says it will turn over some of the supplies to the Civil Defense Museum. So it was like a bomb shelter. The crackers were kind of moldy. But, as you can see, the other stuff is intact. So it's like going back into time.
Let's check on the weather now. Chad has the day off. Reynolds Wolf is in house.
Good morning.
WOLF: Good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
OK, John, let's send it over to you.
ROBERTS: All right, thanks very much, Reynolds.
A delay by Microsoft could really hurt Christmas computer sales coming up this year.
Carrie Lee is here.
You know my son is still waiting for his Xbox, which was last Christmas' present.
O'BRIEN: You still haven't gotten him the Xbox?
ROBERTS: Still hasn't...
LEE: They were tough to find.
ROBERTS: Still hasn't gotten it.
LEE: You can go on eBay...
O'BRIEN: You know you could buy it on eBay and pay through the nose for it.
LEE: A couple of extra hundred bucks, right?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
LEE: They were a hot commodity.
ROBERTS: But now we're already talking about next Christmas.
O'BRIEN: Isn't it kind of early to be talking about next Christmas, like a smidge?
LEE: Well not for the computer business, because the fourth quarter is really the big one. And it looks like Microsoft is going to miss it.
We're talking about the Vista Operating System, a lot of people waiting for this. Well, for the second time, Microsoft is delaying Vista, pushing back the consumer version until January of 2007. So you know this is a very crucial difference here between the late 2006 and early 2007 release. Big business will still be able to get their release of Vista in November.
But this is a big deal because it's the first operating system update since 2001. A lot of techies say this is the biggest innovation, could potentially be, since Windows '95. So this is a big miss for Microsoft. In fact, tech futures this morning are looking weak across the board, because this doesn't just affect Microsoft, but it affects chipmakers, all of those PC support companies. So really...
O'BRIEN: It's like a domino affect.
LEE: Exactly.
O'BRIEN: They make their deadline, everybody else sort of misses theirs.
ROBERTS: Did they have a reason?
LEE: Exactly, pushes everything back.
They say that they are still working on some security issues. And the good news is that consumers will get hopefully a better product, even though they will get it later. So, we'll see.
O'BRIEN: I guess we'll hope.
LEE: Talking about Microsoft Xbox, by the way, since that was a late release as well, they are upping the console production. So Microsoft now expects to distribute two to three times as many Xboxes per week. And they're still on track, they say, to sell between four- and-a-half and five-and-a-half million Xboxes by June 30.
So, John, if you haven't gotten yours yet, well, hopefully there will be more in the stores.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: What's your son's name?
ROBERTS: Should I say that?
O'BRIEN: Yes, what's his name?
ROBERTS: His name is Kyle. And he's...
O'BRIEN: Kyle, you'll get yours in June.
LEE: Kyle, you'll get yours.
O'BRIEN: What was it, June 30?
LEE: June 30.
O'BRIEN: Kyle, your Christmas present is coming in June from last year.
ROBERTS: So...
LEE: And they expect to have 50 games for the Xbox by June as well.
O'BRIEN: Nice dad.
ROBERTS: He keeps on checking for it and it, you know, never comes in.
O'BRIEN: So sad.
LEE: You're holding back on him.
O'BRIEN: That is so sad. Kyle, it's coming this summer. LEE: We'll keep an eye out for you.
ROBERTS: Although, you know, he needs to spend the time studying, so...
LEE: OK.
ROBERTS: ... probably better that he doesn't have it.
LEE: So he can tape this and then re-roll it and say you promised, dad.
ROBERTS: Exactly.
O'BRIEN: Exactly. Exactly.
LEE: So there you go.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Carrie.
ROBERTS: It was actually his grandparents that gave him the Xbox.
LEE: OK.
O'BRIEN: And look him backing away already. It wasn't me. It wasn't me.
ROBERTS: Civil war, no.
O'BRIEN: It's all semantics, isn't it?
Thanks, -- Carrie.
LEE: See you guys soon.
O'BRIEN: Let's get a check of what's coming up in "Morning Coffee" this morning.
Good morning.
COSTELLO: Poor abused Kyle.
O'BRIEN: It's just sad. It's, like, tragic.
COSTELLO: Coming up on "Morning Coffee," what's a news anchor to do when a fire breaks out on the set? We will show you what our friends at Headline News did. They ran. Plus, we'll tell you why you better get a big security deposit up front if you ever want to rent a house to Prince. Stick around, "Morning Coffee" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: And you see the steam there, it is cold outside.
ROBERTS: It is. O'BRIEN: Wasn't it cold this morning?
COSTELLO: It was a little chilly.
ROBERTS: It's one of those crisp, clear mornings.
COSTELLO: But I predict after this weekend spring will finally arrive in the Northeast...
O'BRIEN: Really?
COSTELLO: and the Midwest. I hope so anyway.
ROBERTS: I've got my fingers crossed on that one.
O'BRIEN: All right.
COSTELLO: Me too.
Time for a little...
ROBERTS: I got -- I want to get the motorcycle out and go for a nice long ride.
O'BRIEN: See, too cold.
COSTELLO: That would be terrific.
ROBERTS: Right now it is, yes.
COSTELLO: Let's get to "Morning Coffee" now...
O'BRIEN: Yes, what you got?
COSTELLO: ... so we can warm you up.
We start with a so-called sport that I just find this hard to believe, bear wrestling. Yes, there you see it, bear...
O'BRIEN: No!
COSTELLO: I'm telling you, bear wrestling.
O'BRIEN: No!
COSTELLO: Supposedly this takes place in Cleveland, which pains me, because of course I'm from there. A couple of animal rights groups are none to happy about this. Apparently people get a chance to wrestle real black bears. There you see another of those animals.
ROBERTS: And we don't think that's a guy in a bear suit?
O'BRIEN: No, that's a guy.
COSTELLO: No, no, it's a real bear. The owner of the bear says animals -- these animals are not harmed in any way. And, like I said, it's hard to believe no one gets hurt, because the bears weigh 650 pounds.
O'BRIEN: So why does that man still have a head on his shoulders?
ROBERTS: Yes.
COSTELLO: It's a good question.
O'BRIEN: I mean why didn't the bear eat him?
COSTELLO: It's a good question, because apparently the bears are not drugged before the bouts, don't wear a muzzle.
O'BRIEN: Man in a bear suit. I don't believe it. Do you believe it?
ROBERTS: I think that they should up the stakes a little, grizzly wrestling, see how long they last in the ring with that.
COSTELLO: Yes. I don't know, I just thought I'd throw that one by you.
We all like to take some comforts of home along on long trips like a picture or a pillow, but that is not enough for Prince. It seems the pop star added his own touches to a high-priced house he is renting, including was -- included was painting his symbol and the name of his new album on the home's exterior and monogrammed purple carpet in the bedroom.
Prince is paying 70 grand a month to rent through May. The Smoking Gun Web site reports the home actually belongs to NBA player Carlos Boozer who sued over the unexpected redesign.
So here's a tip, if you're renting to Prince, get a big old security deposit right up front.
O'BRIEN: Seventy thousand dollars a month.
ROBERTS: Either that or hope that you got the same decorating taste that he does.
COSTELLO: Yes, that's right. But if I'm paying 70 grand a month for a house, I'm decorating it myself. So I'm with Prince on this one.
O'BRIEN: Purple monogrammed carpet.
ROBERTS: You paid 70 grand for a house, you would hope you didn't have to decorate it.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
COSTELLO: Well that's true.
Sometimes this job is certainly no picnic, we have technical glitches or other problems that catch us completely off guard. Case in point, what happened to some of our colleagues down in Atlanta on Tuesday on Headline News.
Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDA STOUFFER, CNN ANCHOR: Just a year after Florida became the first state to allow citizens -- excuse me, we're having some technical problems in the studio. Let me try to get through this while we figure out what to do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to have to go to a break guys. We have a fire in the studio.
STOUFFER: We've got a fire in the studio, some technical problems, forgive us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're out of here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And the really freaky part was that she was about to read a story...
ROBERTS: My goodness.
COSTELLO: ... about guns, and that light blowing...
O'BRIEN: So sounds like a gunshot, yes.
COSTELLO: It was a light that blew. It sounded like a gunshot, so she's like, my god.
ROBERTS: So the light blew and then it caught fire and...
COSTELLO: Flames were shooting out of the light.
O'BRIEN: Wow!
ROBERTS: My goodness!
COSTELLO: So of course Chuck...
O'BRIEN: She was pretty calm.
COSTELLO: Yes, Linda Stouffer.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
COSTELLO: Chuck Roberts stood up and said we've got to get out of here.
ROBERTS: Yes.
COSTELLO: We're going, and they went.
O'BRIEN: Linda is calm, Chuck runs. I know. COSTELLO: Yes, and then the director quickly went to a break, very quick thinking, was very smooth, and then they came back after the break.
ROBERTS: Nobody was hurt in the making of that element, either, though.
COSTELLO: No. No.
O'BRIEN: All right, Carol, thanks.
A look at the day's top stories straight ahead this morning, including more trouble for Congressman Tom DeLay. Also, our special series called "Sleepless in America" continues. Today, we'll tell you how you can treat insomnia without any medication. That's ahead. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: What if technology could break down language barriers?
Our own Miles O'Brien takes a look in our continuing series "Welcome to the Future."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATIE, RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION: When I'm speaking to people overseas, it certainly slows down communication to go through a translator. And I work for a relief and development organization. In a relief situation, lives are at stake, communication is key and a little bit might be lost in translation.
It would be great to have some type of speech technology that would allow relief workers to speak directly with the people that they are serving so they can understand their needs as quickly as possible.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): Quick and easy communication in a foreign language is essential for relief workers, like Katie. And for the rest of us, it sure would make traveling overseas more fulfilling and enjoyable. Wouldn't it be great if you could speak any language effortlessly?
(voice-over): Director of the Interact Center at Carnegie Mellon University, Dr. Alex Waibel, is in the business of breaking language barriers. In Waibel's lab, you'll find portable PDA translators for tourists, goggles that project translated subtitles, even a speaker that can send a beam of translated audio to a single listener.
DR. ALEX WAIBEL, DIRECTOR, INTERACT CENTER: We can have a personalized translation for one listener in Spanish, for another one in German, for a third one yet another language.
M. O'BRIEN: Even more amazing, electrodes that when attached to the cheek and throat can turn a person's native tongue into a language they have never spoken before. WAIBEL: Then these electrodes can capture the movement, recognize the words that could have been spoken that way and translate them into another language and send them out the mouth.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: And still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, an interview with Congressman John Murtha. He is the hawkish ex-Marine who has been an outspoken opponent of the war. Hear what he has to say about suggestions that U.S. troops may stay in Iraq for years. Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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