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CNN LIVE SUNDAY

Foiled Terror Plot in Canada; Deadly Violence in Afghanistan Today; Indianapolis Murder Suspect Surrenders

Aired June 4, 2006 - 16:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Terror plot north of the border, we've got the latest on the arrest and a possible international connection. Also, we'll take a look at "The War Tapes," a controversial new movie filmed by U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq.
And a whale of a tail, two big fish on one long journey. Hello and welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. All that and more after this check of the headline.

A real and serious threat, that's how Canadian authorities describe 17 terror suspects. Fifteen of the suspects are due in court for a bail hearing on Tuesday. Police say the group was trying to gather material for explosives to carry out attacks in Canada.

A leading Senate Democrat thinks Donald Rumsfeld should stay home from work permanently. Delaware's Joseph Biden told CNN that the defense secretary should step down as the Haditha, Iraq investigation continues. Investigators are trying to determine whether U.S. marines killed civilians there and whether crimes were covered up.

Deadly violence in Afghanistan today. A suicide car bomb in Kandahar went off as a Canadian convoy passed by. Four civilians were killed and at least a dozen others wounded. The coalition says a provincial official was killed in an ambush. Police in the nation's capital have captured one of two inmates who escaped from the District of Columbia jail yesterday. The pair stormed into the warden's empty office and broke a window to get out.

And in Indianapolis, a suspect surrenders. Desmond Turner turns himself into police last night at a fast food restaurant. Turner is wanted in connection with the killings of seven family members. A second suspect was arrested on Friday.

Canada cracks down on a self-contained terror cell said to be inspired by al Qaeda. Seventeen people, some adults, some teens were arrested on Friday. Fifteen were taken into custody in court later on in the week. Police say they planned a series of attacks in Canada. Kyung Lah is in Washington now with the latest. Kyung?

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Fredricka, while Canadian authorities say the suspects and the targets are all in within Canada's borders, a U.S. counterterrorism source now confirms to CNN that the suspects communicated with other suspects in the U.S. and in the U.K. Now this was first reported in the "L.A. Times" this morning. The suspects, according to the source, communicated with two American suspects over e-mail. The two American suspects were from the Atlanta, Georgia area and arrested this last spring. They also, according to the source, talked to suspects netted in a British terrorism sting.

As far as the latest on the Canadian investigation, law enforcement there says the 17 suspects had acquired three times the ammonium nitrated used to blow up the Oklahoma City federal building. Officers moved in, fearing an attack was imminent. The Toronto Muslim community is on edge this morning.

Police say a mosque there was vandalized over night. The police chief in a news conference -- it's actually still going on right now -- says the suspects do not represent the entire Muslim community.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL BLAIR, TORONTO POLICE CHIEF: The charges that have been laid pertain to the actions of a small number of individuals, young men who it is alleged were conspiring together to commit violent criminal acts. And we have tried to make it very clear, that this is not the action of the Muslim community. This is the actions -- alleged actions and our criminal justice system will deal with those allegations. But these are the actions of a small number of young men who are ideologically inspired and intent on committing violent criminal acts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAH: Well the family members of the suspects do say that this must all be a mistake. Outside the courthouse they told reporters their sons are college graduates and young fathers, they are upstanding Canadian citizens. They are though expected to be in court on Tuesday. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right, Kyung Lah, thanks so much, from Washington. And as Kyung mentioned, Canadian authorities are meeting with members of the Muslim community right now, talking about the terror arrests. The meeting is expected to wrap up very soon, and when it does, we'll bring you a live update from Toronto, a little bit later in the newscast. And remember, stay tuned to CNN day and night for your latest on your security.

Iraqis caught in the cross hairs of hate. More disturbing violence across the country today. In just one incident, 20 people, mostly teens and elderly, apparently killed because of their faith. Their deaths are fueling concerns about sectarian tensions. John Vause has that and the rest of the day's attacks/

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the aftermath of an execution, according to Iraqi police. Mostly students on their way to class, shot dead it seems because of their religious sect. It all happened not far from Baquba, north of Baghdad, an area under the control of the Iraqi army.

Gunmen reportedly ordered everyone out of the vehicles, separated the Shiites from the Sunnis. The Shiites were shot dead, the Sunnis allowed to go free. Around the same time in Baghdad's Sadr City, four workers from a telecommunications company killed in what appears to be a drive-by shooting.

And to the south in Basra, a firefight at a Sunni mosque. Iraqi police say suspected insurgents were inside. As they moved in, nine people were killed, another six arrested. They claim to have found two cars packed full of explosives, but Sunni leaders say police shot dead seven guards. Nine others were arrested and later killed. In a country desperate for security, the parliament still can't decide who will be in charge of the army and who will run the police.

(on camera): These are two crucial ministries, defense and the interior. The Iraqi prime minister has been struggling for weeks to find a candidate suitable to both Shiites and Sunnis and there's still no word on when a compromise may be found. John Vause, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Concerned about a cover-up, one lawmaker again calls for Donald Rumsfeld's resignation. Military probes investigate alleged atrocities, including an alleged massacre by U.S. marines at Haditha. Our Ed Henry is at the White House. And how is the administration responding to the probes and the growing criticisms?

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well good afternoon, Fred. There is growing pressure in fact on the Bush administration about this November incident in which the marines initially reported that 15 Iraqi civilians had died from a roadside bomb, but military investigators now believe in fact that a small number of the marines snapped and went on a rampage.

There are now two separate investigations. One probing whether or not there was a massacre. The second looking at whether or not there was a Department of Defense cover-up. Even before those two investigations are complete, Democrat Joe Biden, a likely presidential candidate is now charging the blame goes all the way up the chain of command to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOE BIDEN (D-DE), FOREIGN RELATIONS CMTE: He should be gone. He shouldn't be in his office tomorrow morning. When you make serious mistakes, you step forward and you acknowledge them and you walk away. Presidents can't and shouldn't do that. Secretaries of defense can and should.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Now retired major general John Batiste, appearing on CNN's "LATE EDITION," also tied the allegations at Haditha to the defense secretary, charging this as part of a pattern of poor judgment by the secretary. It's important to note that both Senator Biden, as well as Mr. Batiste, have previously called for Rumsfeld to step down. He shows no signs of resigning. A Pentagon spokesman could not be reached for comment this afternoon, but another retired general, Don Shepherd, a CNN analyst, today said it would be premature for anyone to call on the secretary to resign, even before these investigations are complete. And for her part, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today vowed that the administration will get to the bottom of these allegations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: We are going to be certain that there is a thorough investigation of any of these incidents. We're going to protect the rights of the accused so that there is due process and then there will be action taken, given the outcome.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Now Secretary Rice added that most American soldiers are serving with honor and dignity, a fact that she said must be remembered during these investigations -- Fred?

WHITFIELD: Ed Henry, thanks so much, from the White House.

Wounded journalist Kimberly Dozier will be flown to the U.S. on Tuesday. The CBS News correspondent remains in critical, but stable condition, from wounds she suffered in a Baghdad car bombing on Monday. Dozier was scheduled to fly to the United States today, but was rescheduled because of limited space on the military flights carrying wounded troops.

And now to Iran and a warning today from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Rice says the Islamic republic has weeks, not months to accept incentives offered by a global coalition to reign in its nuclear program.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICE: I don't believe in setting timelines and deadlines. The only point here is that this can't be endless. The Iranian program is progressing and the international community needs to know if there is a negotiating option that really has life in it. It's why it's important for Iran to receive this proposal, to receive it without having to read it in the newspaper. That makes perfectly good sense, which is why the parties agreed that we weren't going to talk about what's on either path. We're going to present this to the Iranians and see what they say. But it can't go on forever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: In Tehran today, Iran's supreme leader played the oil card. Ayatollah Khomeini said in a speech that a wrong move by Washington could jeopardize the oil supply that comes from the Persian Gulf.

Well it's the war in Iraq as you have never seen before. Coming up, we'll show you "The War Tapes." What did this new documentary tell us about the troops and the war itself? Also, would your home hold up to this kind of punishment? Scientists are testing the limits to keep you safe in a hurricane. And later, the fish travel first class. It's an epic journey that started in Taiwan and ended here in Atlanta.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi folks, I'm meteorologist Reynolds Wolf with a look at today's allergy report. And we've got a great deal of pollen in the air out toward the Rockies. Meanwhile in the central and southern plains and in the deep south, you're going to be sniffing and sneezing. All that kind of stuff if you happen to have allergies. Meanwhile, you will be breathing much easier in parts of the Northern Plains, also in southern Texas. That's a look at today's allergy report.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Friends and family are paying tribute to Laura VanRyn today. The 22-year-old was killed in an accident last month, but she was misidentified as classmate Whitney Cerak, and buried under a tombstone bearing Whitney's name. The two girls look alike and that is Laura VanRyn on the left.

No place to run, no place to hide. That's why Indianapolis police say the prime suspect in a mass murder gave himself up. Desmond Turner is now charged with seven counts of felony murder. CNN's Keith Oppenheim has been covering this story since it broke last Thursday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He was on the loose for two full days. But Indianapolis police said their prime murder suspect, Desmond Turner wouldn't get far.

DEP. CHIEF CLIFFORD MYERS, INDIANAPOLIS POLICE: He still is considered armed and dangerous and we will pursue every single lead that we get.

OPPENHEIM: They were right. After more than 100 officers worked the case, serving warrants, following tips and searching homes, Desmond Turner gave up. By Saturday evening, a confidential informant called authorities and said Turner was ready to surrender.

Police say at a fast food restaurant, Turner showed up with his minister and was arrested.

DEP. CHIEF TIM FOLEY, INDIANAPOLIS POLICE: It's my judgment that Mr. Turner had no place to go. He didn't turn himself in out of remorse. He turned himself in because he had nowhere to go.

OPPENHEIM: It was on Thursday evening that seven people and one family were shot with assault rifles in this east side Indianapolis home. Police called it a robbery, but haven't determined what, if anything was taken. Alberto Covarrubias, his wife Emma, their four children and one five-year-old grandson, three generations were all dead.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It just can't be real.

OPPENHEIM: Family members poured out their grief. On Friday, they would learn police arrested an accomplice, 30-year-old James Stewart, but it wasn't until the prime suspect was in custody, relatives could express is small sense of relief.

(on camera): If you could say something to Mr. Turner, what would you say?

LUIS JUAREZ, RELATIVE OF VICTIM: Well, he will take his time to see what he did and this guy is going to pay for what he did.

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): Residents in Indianapolis have been shocked and frightened by these murders.

LACEY ROADRUCK, NEIGHBOR: Just to think that somebody, anybody could come in your house like that and do anything like that, the mind of that, it's just scary.

OPPENHEIM: Once in custody, police say Desmond Turner didn't talk much but did ask one question.

(on camera): Charged with seven counts of felony murder, he apparently wanted to know if the maximum penalty is life without parole. Turner was told, no, the maximum in Indiana is the death penalty. Keith Oppenheim, CNN, Indianapolis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Authorities have reopened a section of U.S. 27 in Florida. A brush fire shut down a 25-mile section of the road in Broward County earlier today. The blaze burned about 6,000 acres near the Everglades. There were no reports of injuries and fire officials say there was no damage to buildings either.

A plane skids 3,000 feet through a fence and onto a highway in Manassas, Virginia. Eight people were on the plane, two were treated for minor injuries. The plane was headed to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

And the walls came tumbling down. An implosion levels a high- rise building at Fort Myer army base in Arlington, Virginia. The 12- story building had been used as a training ground for military troops and federal agencies. A video diary from the battlefield. We will meet the soldiers behind the making of "The War Tapes."

And remembering D-Day, it was 62 years ago this week. We will learn more about the first men in. They paved the way for the allied invasion. You are watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: D-Day, 5,000 ships, 11,000 airplanes and 150,000 troops. It was the largest amphibious invasion in history and the beginning of the end of World War II. Tuesday marks the 62nd anniversary of the allied invasion of Normandy. Hours before the main invasion began, thousands of allied paratroopers were dropped behind enemy lines. Ed Ruggero has a new book coming out this week, "The First Men In." It's about members of the 82nd airborne. He's here to tell us about their exploits. And Ed, good to see you.

ED RUGGERO, AUTHOR: Thank you for having me.

WHITFIELD: Well what is about their story that you felt really had not been told before?

RUGGERO: Well this is by itself a dramatic story, that literally the first men to land in France where American and British power troopers. But particularly wanted to focus on the 82nd because it really doesn't get the attention that it should from historians.

There were -- over a period of three days, the Germans made some pretty determined attempts to break through what essentially was a blocking force of these young paratroopers to get at the beaches. And if that counter attack had been successful, it might have thrown the entire invasion into jeopardy.

WHITFIELD: And these young paratroopers were not only just dropping in inside enemy lines, but dropping in, in the darkness of night fall. So as you profiled a number of these now aging paratroopers, what did they all seem to have in common?

RUGGERO: Well one thing that they had in common that continues to impress me is the bond that they share with one another and the concern that they still have. You know, a lot of these men get together for reunions. There's a reunion of some of the 82nd guys coming up this fall. And they still have this deep feeling for another.

Anybody who reads military history, certainly anybody who's been a soldier, will tell you that those personal bonds that make a unit successful, it's soldiers caring for one another more than for some large idea of country or in this case, defeating the Nazis. That's the thing that impresses me still.

WHITFIELD: And has it ever been your concern or perhaps even their concern that, perhaps, their stories wouldn't be told as fully and as complete as they would like, particularly since they are aging?

RUGGERO: Well, in fact a lot of these men waited a good long time. A fellow by the name of Fred Morgan (ph), who was a young medic in D-Day, waited 50 years until finally his grown son prevailed him to tell the story when he was invited to speak to some local school children on Martha's Vineyard.

WHITFIELD: They felt it was that difficult to talk about?

RUGGERO: Some of them did. Fred, now he found it cathartic and it was important for him to handle it. He saw some pretty terrible things as a young medic and had soldiers die in his arms, but found that he probably needed the time that he said. But of course after 50 years, you are starting to worry that maybe the story won't get told.

WHITFIELD: And how about you as a vet or even in your conversations with these vets, what are their points of view as we are fully engaged in two ongoing wars right now in Afghanistan or Iraq? Have they said much or did it reflect much on the challenges facing U.S. troops from IEDs, to now even the ongoing investigation of alleged atrocities?

RUGGERO: The thing that resonates with the World War II veterans as they are aware of current events today, is that young people -- in this case young men and women today who were asked to make the most critical sacrifices. And I think the veterans, as only combat veterans can feel for one another, when they look at these young men and women that they see on the news, or see coming home, they have a depth of feeling for them and for what they've been through and feel probably rightly, that maybe only a combat veteran can truly understand what those people have been asked to sacrifice.

WHITFIELD: Ed Ruggero, the book is "The First Men In." Fascinating work, thanks so much.

RUGGERO: Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: And now back to one of our top stories, for more on the terror arrests in Canada, CTV reporter Chris Eby is standing by at the Islamic Foundation of Toronto, where they are just now wrapping up a press conference there. What was the focus?

CHRIS EBY, CTV REPORTER: Well people in the Muslim community here wanted reassurances from police that they wouldn't face any kind of backlash from yesterday's arrest. There was actually overnight an incident of vandalism. The largest mosque here in Toronto was vandalized. Windows were smashed, car windows were smashed, and so people in Toronto's Muslim community wanted to hear from the chief. They wanted reassurances that they wouldn't become the target of any kind of these sort of incidents.

WHITFIELD: And then Chris, later on this week a number of those suspects are expected to be in court. It's also expected that what will be revealed is a little more about the suspects and the kind of evidence that the investigators were able to get.

EBY: Yes. What investigators -- well, right now I should say off the bat that they are revealing very little. We know there was three tons of fertilizer, ammonium nitrate and apparently there was a series of attacks planned on what we're being told are hard targets, institutions here in Toronto.

Now, about the men themselves, 17 -- 12 are adults, there are five young people. And what we are trying to figure out now is what the common thread was between all these men. As I said, many are young, in their late teens, early 20s. Some are university students. There's also a couple, for instance, one man is a bus driver. Another man is a doctor's son. So we are looking for that common link. And the suggestions are that many of them may have met on-line on radical Muslim Web sites.

WHITFIELD: And also the expectation is it will be made more clear, the kind of charges that these 17 are facing. Chris Eby of CTV out of Toronto, thank you so much.

Still ahead this hour, hurricane season is here. We will tell you about reinforcements for your home so that it might stay intact. And later living in a fishbowl isn't all that bad if you're among friends in the tank. That story straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Here's what's happening now in the news.

In Iraq a brutal sectarian attack, Iraqi police say gunmen stopped two mini buses and a car then separated the Shiite and Sunni passengers. All 20 of the Shiites were killed, at least seven were students, and five were elderly men.

More details surfacing about the alleged terror plot in Canada, A U.S. counter-terrorism official says some of the 17 suspects had communicated with terror suspects overseas. Canadian police say the plot was inspired by Al Qaeda and attacks were planed in southern Ontario.

A stern warning to the U.S. from Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khomeini says if the U.S. shows any misbehavior towards Tehran then oil shipments in the Persian Gulf region would be disrupted. The U.S. and Iran are in a stand off over Tehran's nuclear program.

President Bush is urging the Senate to pass a constitutional ban on same sex marriage. In his weekly radio address today the president insisted the ban will protect marriage from being redefined by "activist courts." The Senate is scheduled to take up the issue this week.

Today is Cancer Survivor's Day. In recognition of that the American Cancer Society has released a new study on how female cancer patients are treated in the workplace, 57 percent say they are treated differently by co-workers because of changes in appearance like hair loss and skin discoloration.

And now the war tapes a closer personal look at the war in Iraq. The video diary is shot by U.S. soldiers. It's a powerful picture of life on the ground in Iraq. Two of the filmmakers talked with CNN's Paula Zahn.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): They were national guardsmen sent to Iraq. It was their first encounter with real combat. Zack Bazzi was one of the soldiers who took video cameras, Steven Pink was another. In all they shot more than 1,000 hours of footage, providing a raw, close up look at the war. Nothing prepared them for what they were about to see and do.

Describe to us what it's like to find yourself in that kind of situation?

ZACH BAZZI, U.S. SOLDIER, VIDEO PHOTOGRAPHER: It's like the lottery, you don't want to win. Sometimes patrols would go on for 15 or 20 hours at a time and you have to stay sharp and focused.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep going brother, you want to play?

ZAHN: Facing insurgent attacks on a daily basis, they say one of the hardest things was recognizing who they were fighting against.

STEPHEN PINK, U.S. SOLDIER VIDEOGRAPHER: A lot of warriors would love to know where the enemy is and how you can find them and take care of business, but a lot of times attackers in knowing the terrain and the culture better than we do, it makes our mission that much more difficult.

ZAHN: Did you at any point have to look at all Iraqis as the potential enemy?

PINK: Sure. It's very difficulty especially say a farmer at 4:00 in the morning taking his truck out to get crops, and you don't know if that truck has explosives in the back or crops.

ZAHN: With their experience they reflect on what could have happened in Haditha where marines are suspected of killing innocent Iraqis.

PINK: I wasn't there and can't justify or explain how any of that happened. But I'm sure there's a possibility that frustrations just overwhelmed this person if it did happen.

BAZZI: I think there was a lot of anger and rage involved in the moment it happened. If I had to get into their minds I think it was a reflex action where they reacted without thinking, and some level of dehumanization.

ZAHN: For these national guardsmen even between attacks and sometimes during, the camera was always there.

BAZZI: Some days were 20-hour days, sometimes stuck in a humvee with a lot of body armor on. It made it cramped. It's the right environment to be cynical.

PINK: We requested why we were keeping watch over a disabled truck that was full of office furniture. Your beliefs and your actions are two different things and can be completely separated while you are at war.

ZAHN: You might be surprised what Lebanese Bazzi had to say about the insurgents he faced.

You actually, I think, said you had an understanding of what motivated these insurgents, and perhaps while not having empathy for them, you understood what they were trying to accomplish.

BAZZI: I don't think insurgents get up and say well, I hate freedom. There's obviously something that motivated them. It can be explained in various ways, part of it is they are fighting for their values, and we are fighting for ours.

ZAHN: What is the worst thing you were exposed to?

BAZZI: To see kids crying and the look of horror on their face, you can talk politics all day long, but kids are innocent, that war is nasty business.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: That story comes to us from Paula Zahn. Make sure to join Paula weeknights at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and 5:00 p.m. Pacific.

As the U.S. military looks into alleged misconduct of U.S. troops in Iraq a former Pentagon spokesman says an investigation will be thorough, former spokeswoman Torie Clarke says no one should paint in broad-brush strokes. Clark is now a CNN contributor and we spoke this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TORIE CLARKE, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I think you have to be very careful. We are talking about a handful of incidents, whether you are talking Abu Ghraib or what seems to have happened in Haditha, but if we want to be responsible about this and be useful then we have to put it in the correct context, which clearly these are aberrations.

So, but on the credibility point, is it a blow to the credibility or the reputation, say, of the marines? If so, it is a short-term one, because the majority of the time the marines and everyone in the military handle these affairs very seriously and garner a great deal of well-deserved credibility because of that, what's going to determine how serious this is, is how they handle it going forward. So far I have seen them trying to be as transparent as possible, saying yes, something bad has happens, we are getting to the bottom of it. If crimes were committed then those people will be dealt with severely. But so far I see them making a good effort to be transparent and straightforward about this.

WHITFIELD: So the U.S. military operations in Iraq, obviously very difficult, to say the very least. Now with these reported incidents being investigated and with Iraqi leaders saying wait a minute, let's get to the bottom of this, what are the challenges now that these troops face as they patrol the streets of Iraq, making a difficult task that much more hard?

CLARKE: Sure. That's one of the reasons people in the military take these things so seriously. It's not just the atrocity may have been committed and it should be dealt with. But it's also because you don't want to do anything that will increase antagonism to people in U.S. uniforms. So that's one of the reasons they are taking it so seriously, it can raise that level of antagonism. And make their jobs harder.

But, again, it's frustrating. I know we don't have time to present the complete picture. I know we don't have time every day to focus on the good things that are happening. But some good things are happening. Nobody has asked me or talked about Iraqi security forces in months but the reality is the Iraqi security forces are doing better. Which is a very positive thing. And the Iraqi people see that, and the Iraqi people see the U.S. efforts to give Iraqi people more responsibility for what's going on in their country. Those things are helping everyday.

Do we take two steps back when something like this happens? Absolutely. But slowly but surely, I would like to think the progress is more positive than we are giving them credit for.

WHITFIELD: Victoria Clarke, thank you so much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Former Pentagon spokesperson and now CNN contributor, and of course you can hear more of Victoria Clarke in our 6:00 p.m. Eastern hour.

More than 30 years since the end of a deeply unpopular war, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived today in Vietnam en route to Hanoi. Rumsfeld told reporters, he's seeking deeper military ties with the communist government.

Security measures tight across Peru today as people choose between two leftists for president. Polls favor the centralist leaning Alan Garcia who left the office in near disgrace in 1990. A discrete crowd today at Tiananmen Square. Exactly 17 years since the bloody government crack down; China still maintains it acted properly by crushing peaceful pro-democracy demonstrators. Beijing says it (INAUDIBLE) counter revolutionary riot.

The hurricane season is here we're in it. Can your home stand up to nature's fury? We will look at the latest research into building better, stronger homes.

Plus looking for love in all the right waters, a romantic fish tale straight ahead.

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I am Dan Lothian in Iowa. We are in the heartland trying to find out how folks here are dealing with the high cost of fuel. We will talk to farmers, truck drivers and commuters. Paying the price in the heartland all week on "AMERICAN MORNING."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The first hurricane of 2006 could come any day now. And when it does, will residents in hard-hit areas be safe riding out the storm in their homes? Here's CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: A hurricane can get you killed in lots of different ways. There's the water with flooding. Or storm surge at the ocean. Then there's the wind, or more specifically the debris flying in the wind.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here we go. Watch out for that aluminum.

MARCIANO: So the natural thing to do when a storm hits is get inside. But are you sure the building you are in can stand up to the storm? We're at Texas Tech and meteorologists and engineers team up to test debris flying through the air at up to 100 miles an hour to see how it affects structures like say the wall of your home they do it by using a 20-foot long Pvc pipe and fire it like a canon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clear, three, two, and one.

LARRY TANNER: This brick wall obviously reinforced, an ideal wall in a safe room, you are on the other side of the wall you are going to be perfectly safe.

MARCIANO: But engineer Larry Tanner knows most people don't live in cement and brick homes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three, two, one.

MARCIANO: Look what happens to a more typical wall.

TANNER: It's constructed just exactly like all homes in America are built. It doesn't exactly make you feel safe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it doesn't make you feel safe. If the wind is blowing this way then the pressure is inward.

MARCIANO: Finding ways to build better homes is Ernest Kiesling.

ERNEST KIESLING: The connections need to be strong, earth to wall, wall to floor and the door must be capable of withstanding the wind pressure.

MARCIANO: Making those connections stronger, the so-called hurri-quake nail. A nail specifically designed to with stand hurricanes and earthquakes. A nail so strong that the wood will fail before the connection does, the place where most wood construction fails. Texas Tech meteorologist professor John Schroeder takes his students and their equipment into the belly of the beast.

JOHN SCHROEDER, TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY: We hook this up to one- ton pickup truck, usually a four wheel drive and then we use modified mobile home anchors that are actually screwed down into the circles there to basically hold this thing to the ground.

MARCIANO: Far from the safe dry lab, these guys get critical data long after standard weather instruments have failed.

SCHROEDER: So there are all these research questions how to build a house in a certain location and how to protect the public. That's what we are trying to answer.

MARCIANO: Answers that for residents in hurricane-ravaged areas cannot come soon enough.

Rob Marciano, CNN, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: That story comes to us from "ANDERSON COOPER 360," weeknights at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. Remember CNN is your hurricane headquarters. We will be tracking the storms all season long.

Sobering news today about the deadliest epidemic in world history. First detected in the early 1980s the AIDS virus has killed more than 25 million people and the future looks even bleaker. United Nations officials expect the number of AIDS deaths to rise dramatically over the next 20 years, 31 million dead expected in India, 18 million in China, and 100 million in Africa between now and 2025. An AIDS. walk in Boston it the 21st year the event has been held. A lot of people who did turn out for that sizable event.

And a writer is urging Christians to get involved in the fight against AIDS. In an opinion piece to appear this week at CNN.com, Kay Warren writes 25 years into the AIDS pandemic being HIV positive and still carries stigma and shame, but God cares for the sick and so must we. It is not a sin she says to be sick. Those thoughts of Kay Warren, wife of pastor Rick Warren author of the best selling book "The Purpose-Driven Life." To learn more about the AIDS crises log on to CNN.com.

His life was about imagination and animation. Now the man who brought Johnny Quest and other cartoons to life has died. Alex Toth's family says he passed away May 27th sitting at his drawing table. The cause has not been determined, but his son said the 77-year-old had been in bad shape for sometime. He worked for Hanna Barbara and such classics as space growth. But Toth's own favorite cartoons were about westerns and pirates, not super heroes.

It is one of the most precious gifts you can give but live organ donation is becoming a booming and controversial business, for more on this story watch "CNN PRESENTS: Body Parts" tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

Still ahead this hour, two's a couple, four's a party. We will meet Alice and Trixie the newest playmates at the Georgia Aquarium.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Carol Lin tonight at 11:00 Eastern, a rare interview with the great Paul Newman.

PAUL NEWMAN, ACTOR: I have done my best work in the last ten years.

LIN: A look back at the life and legend of the actor who may have another huge hit on his hands. And would you have the guts to be a whistle blower? Tonight I will talk to the woman who blasted the FBI right after 9/11, now there's a new Supreme Court ruling that may not protect her and others from speaking out that is tonight at 11:00 Eastern.

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WHITFIELD: Well, meet Alice and Trixie, two whale sharks, the largest fish in the world. They are settling into a new home right now the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta where they will have plenty of space, food and maybe even some romance. Here is Drew Griffin.

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DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The newest arrival are Alice and Trixie, two huge whale sharks, flown on a specially equipped 747 for the 8,000 mile journey from Taiwan to Atlanta. They joined Ralph and Norton the two male whale sharks that have been swimming in this huge aquarium for a year. The idea says the director Ray Davis; eventually turn these sharks into real honeymooners.

RAY DAVIS, GEORGIA AQUARIUM: We have a great opportunity with two males and two females in the long term to look how this reproductive biology comes about.

GRIFFIN: But any mating says Davis will have to wait until the large fish become larger. The females are just 13 feet long now they will need to be 20 feet more to be mature enough to reproduce. Meantime their job is to swim and eat in the largest whale shark aquarium in the world.

This tank is roughly the size of a football and it's why they can put four of these huge whale sharks inside of it. You can see one swimming right over there, just a top fin coming out. The next largest aquarium of this size is in Okinawa Japan and you can take that exhibit and place it inside of this, so these four sharks will be able to swim all through here enjoying this exhibit.

DAVIS: They've been swimming through the night so far very comfortably.

GRIFFIN: The real test of how they will do will come in the next few days when these new arrivals start to eat like their male counterparts, more than 30 pounds of fish and a jelly goo each day. They will grow as much as three feet each year.

Drew Griffin, CNN at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.

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WHITFIELD: Still much more ahead tonight on CNN, in the next hour we go to Africa where our Jeff Koinage questions the presidents of Congo about allegations of child rape in his country. It is an exclusive interview you will only see on CNN. That's next. Stay with us.

WOLF: The world's largest ocean is ringed by the planet's most dangerous zone for earthquakes and tsunamis. The pacific ring of fire is home to 81 percent of the planet's strongest earthquakes. The lethal earthquake that rocked Indonesia in May could add to the chance of an eruption on the already volatile Mount Merapi. Just 30 miles away from the quakes epicenter. The Pacific Rim is where tectonic plates collide when one of these immense slabs of earth slides under another one; tsunami's can cause mass destruction.

In 1964 the town of Valdez Alaska was wiped out when earthquakes triggered a tsunami. Indonesia has 130 active volcanoes. But on this side of the pacific, Mount Saint Helens has been rumbling and venting for the past two years.

Reynolds Wolf, CNN, Atlanta.

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