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American Morning
Suicide Bombing in Central Tel Aviv; Defense of the Defense Secretary Intensifying
Aired April 17, 2006 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: In Israel this morning, a grim yet familiar scene -- another suicide bombing just a short time ago in central Tel Aviv. At least six are dead. We'll have a live report from the scene just ahead.
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ed Henry at the White House, where the defense of the defense secretary is intensifying. That story coming up.
O'BRIEN: Volunteers ready to help the cleanup this morning after this -- strong storms bringing more tornadoes and damage to the Midwest.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, that was video of tornado catching instead of tornado chasing. We'll have more on that wild video out of Nebraska.
And some rain moving into D.C. for the Easter Egg Roll. That forecast coming up -- Betty.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And speaking of that, an annual egg race for kids is now becoming a way to demonstrate for some parents the controversy over the White House Easter Egg Roll ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.
O'BRIEN: Good morning to you.
It is, I guess, Easter Monday. A lot of people traveling today.
NGUYEN: Yes.
O'BRIEN: I'm Miles O'Brien.
We're glad you're with us.
NGUYEN: Glad to be here.
O'BRIEN: Good to have you with us, too.
NGUYEN: Yes. I'm glad to be here.
And I'm Betty Nguyen in for Soledad O'Brien today.
O'BRIEN: We have some news to bring you right away.
More violence in Israel this morning. A suicide bombing in central Tel Aviv, in a place that has been targeting before. The group Islamic Jihad now claiming responsibility for the attack. It happened a short time ago.
At least five people, plus the bomber, killed near the city's center bus station.
CNN producer Yoav Appel is at the scene.
He joins us by phone -- Yoav, what is the latest?
YOAV APPEL, CNN PRODUCER: All Israeli police and rescue services have already begun what's the grisly task of cleaning up this site where the bomber exploded about an hour ago, killing -- people are saying killing six people -- that's including the bomber -- and injuring another 35.
It's a scene of carnage here at the moment. There's blood, guts and glass across the road, car windows shattered. Unfortunately, a familiar scene here in Tel Aviv over the past few years.
O'BRIEN: Sadly, it is.
Tell us a couple of things.
First of all, Islamic Jihad claiming responsibility for this particular attack. Islamic Jihad not a party to the peace process.
APPEL: That's correct. Islamic Jihad has been threatening to carry out attacks and carrying out attacks over the last year. In recent days, they've been threatening retaliation for Israeli air strikes into Gaza, which, in turn, have been retaliations for the Palestinian rocket attacks out of Gaza onto Israeli communities.
So it's an ongoing cycle here that -- that really hasn't ended at all.
O'BRIEN: Now, this is the middle of the holiday of Passover.
What is the significance of that? And, as a result, were the streets less crowded than they might have been? Or more so?
APPEL: Well, it's a little hard to tell. This is an area frequented by migrant workers who may or may not have had the day off. It's the middle of Passover. That's a semi-holiday here in Israel. But it was the lunch hour. This is a very popular area and there's a good chance that it would have been crowded, people here having their lunch around midday.
O'BRIEN: CNN producer Yoav Appel in Tel Aviv with the latest from there.
We'll get back with him.
as we get more information, we'll bring it to you -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Miles, there's no letup in the controversy over Donald Rumsfeld. Four retired generals backing the defense secretary in today's "Wall Street Journal." That after the Pentagon released a memo with talking points on how to counter criticism of Rumsfeld.
And, over at the White House, the president is standing firm behind Rumsfeld.
White House correspondent Ed Henry joins us live with the latest on this.
The back and forth continues -- Ed.
HENRY: That's right, Betty. The president standing by his man, Donald Rumsfeld, who will be meeting tomorrow with a large group of former military commanders, a chance, perhaps, to push back against this chorus of criticism.
As you noted, the Pentagon has distributed this memo, essentially talking points insisting that Rumsfeld does, in fact, listen to military officials, brings them into the decision-making process. And that message got out a bit yesterday on the Sunday talk shows with the former joint chiefs chairman, Richard Myers, calling it "inappropriate" for six of his fellow retired generals to call for Rumsfeld to resign.
Meanwhile, several Democrats yesterday renewed their calls for Rumsfeld to resign, while other Republicans stopped short of outright support for Rumsfeld, deferring, instead, to the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "CNN LATE EDITION")
SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: I think the problem with Mr. Rumsfeld is that he is very stubborn. He is very determined. I don't see the flexibility that a change of circumstances in Iraq, which has been happening following the first three weeks of the military operation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "FACE THE NATION," COURTESY CBS)
SEN. GEORGE ALLEN (R), VIRGINIA: This will be up to the president of the United States to discern -- to determine who is in his cabinet, including the secretary of defense. Those generals, retired generals, are people of credibility. However, what matters is what the commander-in-chief thinks, and that's President Bush.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: And the commander-in-chief made his views clear on Friday, interrupting his Easter holiday at Camp David, to issue a public statement offering his strong support for the secretary to stay on -- Betty.
NGUYEN: The president standing beside his man there.
But here's a question for you. How concerned is the White House, really, that this controversy will hurt them in midterm elections?
HENRY: I would say deeply concerned. That's why it was rather extraordinary for the president to interrupt his vacation in that way. Usually the White House says they don't comment on personnel matters involving other secretaries. In this case, the president commented. And that is due, in part, to the fact that Donald Rumsfeld's fate is tied, in part, to the president's fate.
If Rumsfeld were to be fired, that would be an acknowledgement that Rumsfeld, but also the president, made mistakes in Iraq -- Betty.
NGUYEN: White House correspondent Ed Henry.
Thank you for that, Ed.
HENRY: Yes.
NGUYEN: And in just about 10 minutes, we will talk with Retired General James "Spider" Marks about this very controversy.
O'BRIEN: In Durham, North Carolina this morning, emotions still running high now a month after an alleged rape by Duke lacrosse players at a party. Prosecutors may go to a grand jury today to make their case for charges in the rape accusations made against those lacrosse players.
Whether or not there are any charges, the Reverend Jesse Jackson says his Rainbow/Push Coalition will pay the tuition of the alleged victim -- Betty.
NGUYEN: There's been an arrest in the Natalie Holloway disappearance. Police in Aruba say the 19-year-old man they have in custody is just being questioned. Holloway disappeared, as you recall, almost a year ago while on a high school graduation trip to Aruba. Her family says authorities in Aruba did not tell them anything about this most recent arrest.
O'BRIEN: Tornado cleanup begins today across the Midwest. Several tornadoes touched down in southeastern Nebraska. Take a look at some of these pictures. You can see the debris. We're going to talk to Chad about this one in a moment.
As he says, tornado chasing is one thing. Tornado catching not a good idea. Several homes destroyed. They were right in the thick of it here.
Check out these pictures. These come from Wheeler, Illinois. And as you can see, this tornado -- it completely wipes out a farm, if we can roll that tape.
NGUYEN: Look how big it is.
O'BRIEN: Now, watch for the spot. And there's a farmhouse in the midst of that. And there's a...
NGUYEN: Oh, right there. O'BRIEN: Gone. Gone. Just like that. That is just staggering.
NGUYEN: Look. Did you see -- did you see the sparks fly, too?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
NGUYEN: Oh, man.
O'BRIEN: That's unbelievable.
No one was injured, though, we're glad to tell u. Somebody listened to the warnings there and was either gone or in a cellar.
Also, no serious injuries reported in northeastern Kansas. Tornadoes there destroyed a couple of houses. Some of that damage also being blamed on strong straight line winds.
A different kind of storm sweeping through Northern California. A winter storm warning expiring right now in the Sierra Mountains. My goodness. It is awfully late in the season for that.
Look at all the snow. And kind of an Easter present, you might say. As much as three feet of snow fell in the upper elevations. The Easter Bunny with snowshoes on -- Chad Myers, I want to go back to these tornado pictures.
Those -- we've seen -- I know you're on the West Coast...
MYERS: That's OK.
O'BRIEN: ... but we've seen some amazing tornado pictures this season.
MYERS: Yes.
O'BRIEN: But those, the house and then the people in the middle of that...
MYERS: Yes.
O'BRIEN: ... we've talked about these chasers, you know, chasing storms and doing it in a professional way.
MYERS: Right.
O'BRIEN: It's very dangerous, isn't it?
MYERS: This is what happens when you're not connected to a radio or a TV station, you're not -- this is not. This is Jeff Piotrowski's stuff.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
MYERS: I know Jeff from a long time ago.
O'BRIEN: Now, that's different. This is amazing stuff there. MYERS: It's amazing. But look how far away he is.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
MYERS: He knows where he is. He knows where the funnel is. He knew where the mesocyclone was. He has a radar in his truck. So this guy knows what he's doing.
When you get in the middle, like those other guys were, they were literally in the middle of the swirl...
O'BRIEN: There we are.
NGUYEN: These guys.
MYERS: ... for a while.
O'BRIEN: You don't want to be there.
MYERS: You just need to pay attention. You don't want to be on dirt roads, either, because if it rains on that dirt road, you can't move. It turns into a mud road.
O'BRIEN: Yes. Wow!
MYERS: I mean these are all things you have to think about if you're out there. And doing it unprofessionally is taking your life in danger...
O'BRIEN: All right...
MYERS: ... and putting your life, really, in harm's way. So, anyway...
O'BRIEN: All right, let's get on.
What else do you have going on?
MYERS: I've got -- I also want to talk about the Sierra snow.
O'BRIEN: Yes. Let's do that.
MYERS: The snow has actually stopped here in the northern Sierra, although it has moved on up into parts of Nevada and even maybe some snow on the benches there of Salt Lake City.
That storm -- that said -- that storm is actually going to make severe weather through the Plains tomorrow, another chasse day, if you will, for some of these guys.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: The White House Easter Egg Roll on tap this morning. This year, the Easter Bunny is joined by controversy over same-sex parents. We'll ask one lesbian couple why it's important for them to be there. NGUYEN: Also ahead, think tax forms are a little too complicated for you? Well, the U.S. Treasury secretary joins us live this tax day to talk about that.
O'BRIEN: And next, is it appropriate for retired generals to call for Donald Rumsfeld's resignation? We'll take a look.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Generally speaking, the rhetoric is getting pretty ugly, as retired generals spar over whether Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld should step down.
Here's the latest volley for you.
This morning's "Wall Street Journal," an op-ed piece written by four retired generals: "We do not believe that it is appropriate for active duty or retired senior military officers to publicly criticize U.S. civilian leadership during war. Calling for the secretary's resignation during wartime may undercut the U.S. mission and incites individual challenge to the good order and discipline of our military culture."
That's the latest in a long round of back and forth.
Joining us now from Washington, CNN military analyst, retired Army Brigadier General James "Spider" Marks.
General Marks, good to have you with us again this morning.
BRIG. GEN. JAMES MARKS, CNN MILITARY ANALYST, U.S. ARMY (RET.): Good morning, Miles.
O'BRIEN: What do you think about that piece right there, that whole statement that it's not a good idea for retired generals to speak out because it somehow aids and abets the enemy?
MARKS: Well, I concur. You don't want to aid and abet the enemy. I don't know that comments from the great general officers that are making comments about the secretary are aiding and abetting the enemy right now.
Frankly, it's a balanced score sheet, if you will. The "Wall Street Journal" editorial this morning, by four great generals who have been retired for a while, making comments in defense of Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. And then the six that have most recently retired and have some what I would call recent scar tissue with the current global war on terrorism and some very personal experiences in Iraq, asking for his resignation.
Frankly, I think it's appropriate to make comments that provide some objective observations about the secretary. I mean that's fair game. But the call for his resignation does nothing to move the challenges forward and to try to come up with a solution. O'BRIEN: Well, but as you know, an objective is kind of a subjective thing. One person can...
MARKS: Say that again.
O'BRIEN: Yes, you know what? I know that sounds like military doublespeak, but what you and what I might call objective, you might say is subjective, depending on your interpretation of the facts.
MARKS: OK.
O'BRIEN: Do you follow me?
MARKS: No, no, I got you, Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right. So work with me on that.
MARKS: All right.
O'BRIEN: It seems to me -- put it this way, if you feel very strongly and you're a retired general and people are, you know, we're losing blood and treasure every day in Iraq.
MARKS: Sure.
O'BRIEN: It's almost -- you almost have to speak out if you feel that strongly about it, right?
MARKS: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. And I know John Batiste. I know Chuck Swannack. I mean these are tremendous...
O'BRIEN: These are standup guys, right?
MARKS: These are absolute backbone, standup great Americans, and you should be proud -- and I know you are -- that they served in uniform and took the hard shots. They are now retired and they're making their opinions known, led by Paul Eaton a few months ago -- a couple of weeks ago in his "New York Times" editorial, as well.
And these are all magnificent people who are making their opinions known. And I think that's OK. Frankly, I would not go so far as to say the secretary of defense should resign, primarily because it doesn't provide a solution. It doesn't provide an alternative.
And I think at this point, moving forward, the secretary of defense, having the confidence of the president, is important.
But let me put into perspective that the secretary of the Army, former Secretary Tommy White, was asked to resign weeks after we had gotten into Baghdad, in May of '03. I mean in the middle of the war fight, the secretary of the Army is dismissed from his job.
Did we miss a beat? Did we continue to drive on? Were the leaders unfazed by that? Frankly, I think, personally, a lot of them probably were affected by it. But you don't miss a beat. This is a large organization and you move forward.
So, were the secretary of defense to leave now, I think we'd continue to be OK. But the president has already stated that he is in defense and he likes the work that the secretary is doing. That's important. I think the only way the secretary will leave that job is if he chooses of his own will, at this point, to leave.
O'BRIEN: All right, let's listen.
You mentioned Major General John Batiste, 1st Infantry, the big red one, actually, you know, was in combat in Iraq.
MARKS: Right.
O'BRIEN: And on this program was, for the first time, called for his resignation.
Let's listen to what he had to say for just a moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. GEN. JOHN BATISTE, U.S. ARMY (RET.): When decisions are made without taking into account sound military recommendations, sound military decision-making, sound planning, then we're bound to make mistakes. When we violate the principles of war with mass and unity of command and unity of effort, we do that at our own peril.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: All right, so what he's talking about, though, is a kind of problem that can be only addressed, if you view it through his prism, that can only be addressed by a change at the top.
You say that's not appropriate at the time. But if the problem is how Batiste puts it, perhaps that is the solution.
MARKS: I mean that -- that could be the solution, absolutely. What John Batiste was talking about is the -- the time proven, historically validated principles of war. And he specifically mentioned mass and unity of command and unity of effort. Mass, in my mind, speaks to the numbers of soldiers and Marines that you have on the ground, boots on the ground. Certainly three years ago it would have been to our advantage to have more boots on the ground.
You can't -- numbers do matter. You can't prosecute a global war on terrorism as aggressively and as thoroughly and as broadly as the United States is doing right now, and correctly, with the numbers that you have in uniform. This still stretch and it will eventually break the service.
The downstream effects are being realized right now and you've got to take note of that. I think the top line of the military needs to be increased. Numbers do matter.
O'BRIEN: Retired Army Brigadier General James "Spider" Marks, thanks for being with us this morning. MARKS: Thanks, Miles.
O'BRIEN: Betty.
NGUYEN: Record rains took a toll on California crops and soon they could take a toll on your wallet. We'll look at how all that rain is going to affect prices at the grocery store. You knew it was coming.
And next, we'll talk to a same sex couple taking their kid to today's White House Easter Egg Roll. They say today isn't about protests or politics. We'll ask them why.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: So, how much time do you waste sitting there in your car, stuck in traffic day after day? There's got to be a better way, right?
Well, welcome to the future and one possible cure for the traffic jam.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going to the moon. There has to be other ways to get to our jobs. I get up between 4:45 and 5:00 every day. I have to be at work at 7:15 and I often find myself dashing across the parking lot to make it. It affects my life. It affects the way I feel. That feeling of am I going to make it on time? Time is such a valuable thing. It's up to three hours of a day that I sit in my car, and that's a huge amount of my life wasted. I'd be willing to try anything that would make my commute less painful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: It is really painful when you add up all the time we spend in our cars grinding our teeth as we grind our way through traffic. But what if we could commute through the wild blue yonder, breezing past the gridlock below?
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
WOODY NORRIS, INVENTOR: One day, not too far into the future, people are going to get off the ground and they're going to be able to get airborne.
O'BRIEN (voice-over): Woody Norris is a man with big ideas. The inventor's latest project? The Air Scooter. Don't let its looks fool you. This flying machine is ingenious for its simplicity. It is an odd hybrid design, with blades like a helicopter, a handlebar like a motorcycle and a specially designed, lightweight, four stroke engine.
NORRIS: Turn the throttle, and you go up. Release the throttle, and you come down. O'BRIEN: Due to hit the market later this year with a price tag of about $50,000, Norris says the Air Scooter could make rush hours a thing of the past.
NORRIS: With the Air Scooter, it's a direct line, the way the bird flies. There's a lot more space up there than there is down here on the ground. So we think that's going to solve the congestion problem.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Some 100 gay and lesbian families are making a point of attending the Easter Egg Roll today on the South Lawn of the White House.
Colleen Gillespie and Alisa Surkis will be there with their 3- year-old daughter Ella. And they join us now from Washington.
Good morning to you both.
COLLEEN GILLESPIE, ATTENDING WHITE HOUSE EASTER EGG ROLL: Good morning.
ALISA SURKIS, ATTENDING WHITE HOUSE EASTER EGG ROLL: Good morning.
NGUYEN: Colleen, let me start with you.
You two came up with the idea to attend this event.
Why the Easter Egg Roll and what's the message?
GILLESPIE: Well, you know, the Easter Egg Roll, I think, is probably the biggest American family celebration that is open to the public. It has a great history, 120 years. And it's on the White House Lawn in the nation's capital. So it has great sort of historical significance.
And for us as a family, we just wanted to be able to participate in that and have fun along with everyone else. And while doing that, really just let America get to meet our families.
NGUYEN: I think the...
GILLESPIE: You know, politicians talk a -- go ahead.
NGUYEN: Seriously, I think you hit the nail on the head. It's been open to the public for a very long time, which means it's safe to assume that grandparents have attended in the past.
So why the need for a unified gathering?
GILLESPIE: Well, you know, politicians talk a lot about our families and sometimes they talk about our families as if they don't even exist. And many people, I think, haven't had a chance to meet two moms or two dads. And so the only way that we can really introduce ourselves is if people recognize us as lesbian and gay parents.
So the rainbow leis are a way of doing that that I think is very festive and celebratory.
NGUYEN: Alisa, let me talk to you now.
Some religious and conservative groups are calling this a protest.
Is it a protest?
SURKIS: No. We've been very clear in our intent and everything we've talked about all along that this is not a protest at all. Really, we feel that it's quite the opposite of anything political. Sort of the fact that our families -- our families doing anything is labeled a protest or is labeled political is certainly not of our doing. Because to us, our families are not political fodder to us. Our families are our families. So, we feel like...
NGUYEN: But you are wearing these rainbow colored leis and you are wearing bracelets in attendance today.
What kind of message is that sending? And are you getting any opposition as you're out there today?
SURKIS: Well, I don't think it's sending a particular message. I think it's really simply a way of identifying us. I think because our families -- because a lot of people don't kind of realize that we have families, it's very easy to sort of pass over us and for us to be invisible, to see two women with a kid and then say oh, that's nice, she brought her sister along with her on the Egg Roll.
So it's really just a way to identify ourselves because we wanted people to get a chance to see us, sort of meet us for themselves. And this was just a -- kind of an identifier and, you know, not a -- not a message, just some -- a way to let people know who we are.
NGUYEN: Well, let me ask you, Colleen, because some parents are worried that when their children see this unified gathering with the leis and the bracelets, it's going to cause their kids to ask questions, which means that they may have to tackle the issue of homosexuality and start discussing that with them when they may not be age appropriate, the children, or even event appropriate.
GILLESPIE: I totally understand that. As a parent, we have to explain really complicated things to our young children and make sure we do it in a way that's appropriate for them. And I think that the real -- really simple way to talk about us is to talk about the fact that we are families where we have two moms or two dads, just like you would explain to someone that this is a family that only has a dad or this is a family where the grandmother is taking care of the kids.
It's a very simple thing and kids really understand it. They understand that this is about love and parents taking care of kids.
So it's actually very simple to explain to kids. And you really don't have to go into sexuality or anything like that. It's not appropriate for our 3-year-old and she understands that she has two moms that love her very much.
So a simple...
NGUYEN: The thing she's concerned with today, little 3-year-old Ella, is getting there and rolling those Easter eggs, it appears.
GILLESPIE: Yes.
SURKIS: Exactly.
NGUYEN: Colleen and Alisa, thanks so much for speaking with us.
We appreciate it.
SURKIS: Thank you.
GILLESPIE: Thank you so much.
NGUYEN: Miles.
O'BRIEN: Record rains in California have hit farmers especially hard. Coming up, we'll look at how the damage could affect what you pay for produce.
Plus, a government agent who shot himself in the foot in front of school kids. Video of that accident -- ouch -- got online and turned him into a punch line. He says it's no laughing matter, though. We'll ask him about his lawsuit.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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