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American Morning

Military Plane Crash; Immigration Battle

Aired April 03, 2006 - 09:30   ET

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

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We're bringing you up to date on some breaking news now. There you see that C-5 Galaxy airplane that crashed on approach to Dover, Delaware Air Force Base. A couple of things I want to point out to you. First of all, see the escape slides. Obviously some people survived and were able to get out. There were 17 crew members aboard, reports of injuries, people transported to the hospital. Beyond that, we don't know the extent of those injuries.
There you see another one of those slides, and it's deflated there. Hopefully we'll get a little wider shot. I'll be able to show you a little bit more about this. We heard from Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon just a few moments ago that the in-flight emergency reported by the crew shortly after they took off from Dover was a loss of the number two left inboard engine. So that would be this engine here that failed.

Now three out of four engines should be plenty to fly the airplane safely down. But it does require some additional work, and more taxing to the crew. Who knows how frequently they had trained for that sort of problem.

But we -- at this point, would probably minimize the impact and weather in this case, given that there was some sort of in-flight emergency. The other thing that we were thinking about was the possibility that the tail section is nowhere near that location. We've looked at some wider pictures, and it's a few hundred yards away from the wreckage of the airplane, the rest of the wreckage, not in that picture right there.

I believe actually it might be there. There it is over there. So it's not as far away as we thought. The -- what made us think about that is there are rear cargo doors on the C-5A that allows big things like tanks to go in there. If one of those doors were to fail, it could cause some damage obviously to the tail section, possibly to some hydraulic systems. That actually happened in 1975, a C-5 that was transporting orphans out of Vietnam had a door failure,a hydraulic loss, and it crashed subsequent to that.

In any case, as it stands right now, the pilot had a problem with his number two left inboard engine, the one right there, declared an emergency, tried to make it back to Dover, did not make it to the runway, and here's what you see happen there. These planes have been flying now since 1970. So one of the issues that will be looked at through all of this, too, is the relative age of these fleet of C-5 Galaxy planes, the largest fleet in the U.S. Air Force cargo inventory -- Soledad. SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: All right, Miles, thanks.

Some devastating storms spawned tornadoes across five states on Sunday. Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee were hit. Northwest Tennessee, though, got the worst of it. As many as 15 people are reported dead near Newburn (ph). Tornadoes just -- take a look at these picture, just flattened homes in that area.

Earlier this morning, we spoke to the Dyre County sheriff. He told they were pretty just waiting for daylight before they headed out to search for more victims.

There's also three people dead in Missouri. Tornadoes there caused massive damage. Some areas have been put under a state of emergency.

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: When White House Chief of Staff Andy Card resigned last week, we wondered would he be the first of many? That answer may be coming clearer now with news that more staffers may on the way out.

Kathleen Koch live at the White House this morning with more.

Good morning, Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.

A lot of names are floating out there. Among them, Press Secretary Scott McClellan. You might ask why McClellan? several Sources who are familiar with his thinking say new White House chief of staff Josh Bolten has out of the gate begun focusing on improving White House communications, primarily because the president's poll numbers, the lowest of his presidency. Many believe that his message simply is not getting out, and not getting out there well. Others now insist McClellan is secure, that he's very close to the president, and Mr. Bush will not want him to leave.

Another name that's floating out there is Treasury Secretary John Snow. Critics believe he's been largely ineffective in his job over the last three years, ineffective at promoting the Bush agenda. Sources tell CNN that the president has been looking for a replacement, even before Bolten took over as chief of staff, offering the job just a couple of weeks ago to AOL-Time Warner CEO Dick Parsons who turned the job down. And, Miles, apparently, the White House is having difficulty and wants the job.

M. O'BRIEN: Kathleen Koch at the White House, thank you very much -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Well, the clock is ticking for the Senate to come up with an immigration bill. Debate picks up again this afternoon. Majority Leader Bill Frist says he wants a bill this week.

Let's get right to congressional correspondent Dana Bash. She's live for us on Capitol Hill. Hey, Dana, good morning to you.

How likely do you think that is this week?

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is really the million-dollar question. Absolutely, Soledad. When the Senate picks up debate this afternoon, you're actually going to hear a lot of agreement on the whole idea of getting toward some kind of solution, or at least working towards a solution, on the immigration problem, but how that will be resolved is still anybody's guess, especially since you have that Republican divide that we've been talking about for more than a week now, that is going to continue to play out on the Senate floor. In an interview with CNN's "LATE EDITION," the Senate majority leader admitted that the system is, quote, "flat-out broken," but he stands on one side of this issue, with Republicans who simply think that putting illegal immigrants on a path toward citizenship is wrong.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BILL FRIST (R), MAJORITY LEADER: I don't think that we should legislate a track that gives a privileged status to people who have broken the law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: And then you have Republicans on the other side of this, like Senator John McCain of Arizona, who says that is simply the only realistic way to handle this particular problem.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: How can you send 11 million people back to the country they came from? You've got three options. The status quo, which everybody agrees is unacceptable, let them earn citizenship, and I mean earn it, or third of all, round them up and send them back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now there are some Republican senators who are working behind the scenes trying still to find some kind of middle ground on this issue of the guest worker program, how to get there, but by and large, Soledad, this divide continues in the Republican Party. And we are going see some votes this week; hopefully, according to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, there will be a final vote by the end of the week. But again, how will it end up? Nobody's guess, or anybody's guess, I should say. But I can tell you that Republican leaders here and at the White House, Soledad, they are really hoping to get some kind of resolution, because they're in charge, they say, and they realize they have to show that they can try to get something done, especially on this emotional and divisive issue.

S. O'BRIEN: So all we need to figure out is if it's going to happen and how it's going go. All right.

BASH: Minor thing. S. O'BRIEN: Exactly. Thanks, Dana.

(NEWSBREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Well, Jill Carroll, the journalist, back home in the U.S., enjoying every little bit of her freedom. She's also recanting some statements she made during and immediately after her captivity. That videotape, of course, getting lots of play in the Western media, not so much, though, in the Arab media.

Joining us this morning, Octavia Nasr. She's CNN's senior editor for Arab affairs. Hey, Octavia, nice to see you. Good morning.

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SR. EDITOR FOR ARAB AFFAIRS: Good morning to you, Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: We've seen so much of the videotape here. Why is it not a big deal in the Arab media?

NASR: You know, I asked this very question to some executives in the Arab media. They say many reasons. One, it is an old tape. Two, they say that it was obviously made under duress. So basically they say that if the tape surfaced before Jill Carroll was released, they would have run just portions of it, perhaps not the audio, because it's obviously, they say, taped under duress. But they say since she was released, she was free, now the time is to pursue an exclusive interview with her.

S. O'BRIEN: Let me ask you a question about some of the details that we know now, the few details we know, really. Dropped off at the Islamic Party Headquarters, the same location where she was supposed to meet someone and do an interview. Not a coincidence, many would say. Is that what they're saying the Arab media, too?

NASR: That's exactly what they're saying in Arab media. As a matter of fact, this was questioned especially in a newspaper in Lebanon, "Safir" (ph) newspaper. They questioned it. And they said that couldn't be a coincidence. Not just, that but others are saying, you know, you look at the sequence, you look at what happened. Here's Jill Carroll in her head scarf sitting down, giving an interview. They're saying how quickly a camera crew showed up to do an interview with her. Basically she's repeating the same things that she -- later on we heard on that tape that was taped, she says, under duress, that she was coerced to take. Basically the message is repeated there. You're looking at her in a photo opportunity with the representative of that party.

S. O'BRIEN: What do they make of this? I mean, here in the U.S. many of us thought this is strange. Here's this woman who has just been released from captivity, and probably she's not even aware that she's completely and totally free, there's no U.S. military people escorting her off, and there's a ceremony. And I mean, it's sort of odd for someone who's just been released from three months of captivity?

NASR: Exactly. And that's what Arab media were looking at. Back then, when that tape was released, they were saying, wait a minute. This is not called an interview. This is obviously a forced statement, because you have to think, why did she keep her head scarf on? Was it out of respect for the party? Possible.

But at the same time, they're saying the answers didn't sound free. For people who know the Arab world, you know, and the Arab commentators and the editorial writers, they know what they're talking about. They're saying this was more of a show, and basically they felt that she was not comfortable, and she was forced to go through this photo opportunity. Basically they're saying that party took this opportunity to get some credit for her release, and basically some of the words that were said during that exchange of presents, including the Koran. They were saying, you know, remember that this is what Islam is all about. So basically they're trying to tell her to send a message out.

S. O'BRIEN: Which she did, and of course when she was really free recanted quite quickly.

Octavia Nasr, the senior editor for Arab affairs.

Octavia, thanks.

NASR: Anytime.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MARKET REPORT)

S. O'BRIEN: Let's get right to Daryn Kagan.

Hey, Daryn, good morning.

DARYN KAGAN, ANCHOR: Good morning to you, Soledad, on this Monday morning. Coming up at the top of the hour, the stormy weather that has been sweeping across the country still causing a lot of concern. We'll have live updates on areas that could still be at risk.

And new reasons to pull the plug if your child is watching too many music videos or sexually suggestive moves. As if there was a good reason for your kids to be watching that in the first place. But there's a link and a new study. We're going to talk to the woman who did that study.

S. O'BRIEN: OK, but not that particular rapper. We love that guy.

What's his name?

(CROSSTALK)

S. O'BRIEN: Maddis Yahu (ph).

SERWER: He's a Hasidic rapper.

M. O'BRIEN: We don't know.

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: So many suggestive videos, what are you going to do?

S. O'BRIEN: All right, Daryn. Thank you.

(CROSSTALK)

S. O'BRIEN: There's a new report out that says that lots of kids are too big -- little toddlers -- but they're too big for car seats. I'll tell you what a parent should do when Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes a look at this problem, just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: If you're a parent, there are a few things more important than making sure your little ones are all buckled up for safety. But a new report out today says that many children are just too heavy, too big, for their car seats and that puts them at greater risk if there is a car crash.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta tells us, though, it's not that easy to find the right car seat.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Riding in the car seat and watching the world go by is a feature of every kid's childhood. But finding a car seat to fit 3-year-old Rafael was a surprisingly daunting task.

GERALD TOBIAS, RAFAEL'S FATHER: Rafael is 47 pounds and 37 inches long. I see kids his age taller, but they're lighter, much lighter than him.

GUPTA: Rafael has always been on the heavier side. At just two years old, he already weighed 41 pounds. And now his weight rivals the average for a kid twice his age, which poses a problem when it comes to finding the right fit. You see, he's outgrown two of his car seats so far.

TOBIAS: The car seat is rated for infant to 100-pound kid up to 52 inches tall. It's too tight for him on the thigh and his legs are hanging. And as you can see, he's not comfortable with it anymore.

GUPTA: Rafael isn't alone. Most states have laws that children up to the age of three must be in a car seat. But there are 283,000 children who are too big for the available types of car seats on the market. That's according to researchers at the Columbus Children's Research Institute. They looked at most of the child safety seats on the market and found that out of 92 types, only six car seats would be safe for a boy Rafael's size. They're hard to find in stores, and they come at a hefty price.

LARA TRIFILETTI, COLUMBUS CHILDREN'S RESEARCH INSTITUTE: The seats that would accommodate children at these higher weight ranges are the most expensive seats on the market. They start anywhere from $130, all the way up to $270. That's really one of the major problems, is that these seats are too expensive for most families to afford.

GRACE GANDEN, RAFAEL'S MOTHER: Well, if I can afford it, I would. You know, I would get that one, the safety one.

GUPTA: Right now, Rafael has a booster seat that uses the car's built-in safety belt to him in, but experts say that's not safe enough. Look at the crash test videos that show how dangerous the wrong car seat can be, even in a low-impact crash. And they stress the importance of the right one, especially when it comes to one, two and 3-year-old kids.

TRIFILETTI: They're developmentally not capable of withstanding the force of a crash, and they may also slip out under the adult seat belt. So a five-point harness just provides another level of security and keeping them in the seat.

GUPTA: The researchers' conclusion: parents should look for the five-point harness, follow the manufacturer's guidelines and of course, make sure the child is comfortable for the long haul. But for bigger kids like Rafael, that's a tall order.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Des Moines, Iowa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Oh, he's such a cute little kid.

M. O'BRIEN: Not so little, but cute.

S. O'BRIEN: Cute, sorry. A cute large child.

Coming up this morning, actor Russell Crowe, oh my goodness. He's in trouble again. We'll tell you what he's done now. That's coming up in the next hour, right here on CNN.

More AMERICAN MORNING is just ahead. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Tomorrow on AMERICAN MORNING, tennis legend Martina Navratilova, almost 50 years old. She looks marvelous.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, she sure does.

M. O'BRIEN: And she can still -- she can surely kick my...

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, she can. I'm going to save you right there.

M. O'BRIEN: Wax the tennis court with me.

S. O'BRIEN: Uh huh. She's sharing all her secrets. She's got a new book called "Shape Yourself." It's a book about physical fitness, and also mental fitness and emotional fitness, too.

M. O'BRIEN: I'm going to read that, definitely.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, it's good. It's really good.

M. O'BRIEN: I'm going to get that book.

S. O'BRIEN: That's for tomorrow.

M. O'BRIEN: That's all from here from AMERICAN MORNING. Let's get over to the CNN Center now. Daryn Kagan will take you through the next couple of hours. Hello, Daryn.

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