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American Morning

Fifteen Accused Terrorists Due in Court in Toronto Today; President Bush Steps Up Push for Immigration Reform

Aired June 06, 2006 - 07:00   ET

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

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: For all the new developments, let's turn right to senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre.
Jamie, good morning.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.

Well, that's what a senior military official is telling CNN. He is familiar with the investigation, the preliminary investigation done by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service into this death of an Iraqi man in Hamdaniya back in April. And according to that official, investigators have evidence suggesting that the murder may have been premeditated. They quote they were going after somebody, perhaps not this man in particular, but someone, and some of the Marines who are now in pretrial confinement have allegedly told investigators, admitted, that the circumstances around the death of the man were staged to look like he was an insurgent planning a roadside bomb when in fact he had been dragged out of his house and shot by Marines.

Now, again, this is coming from an official with direct knowledge of the investigation so far. But we should make year at this point, nobody has been charged, although defense attorneys are anticipating that could happen fairly soon.

S. O'BRIEN: And, Jamie, when are they anticipating, in fact, that could happen?

MCINTYRE: Well, some of the attorneys thought their clients might be charged as soon as last week. They're bracing for them. We have talked to the attorneys, by the way, about some of these allegations, and some of them say they have even been not apprised of what their client is going to be charged with. They're expecting though it could happen sometime this week.

S. O'BRIEN: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon for us this morning. Jamie, thanks.

The U.S. military ordered all troops to undergo core-values training in the wake of the alleged attacks. Coming up at the bottom of the hour, we're going to get more on the purpose of the training when we talk live with a U.S. Army spokesman for the forces who are in Iraq -- Miles.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A CNN Security Watch now. Fifteen accused terrorists are due in court in Toronto today. They're accused of planning to bomb landmark buildings in Canada, and Canadian authorities suggest more arrests are possible. Police say the men were inspired by al Qaeda.

CNN Homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve now from Toronto.

Good morning, Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.

A charging document indicates that some of the suspects had different roles in the alleged plot to blow up Canadian landmarks. A court appearance today should tell us more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE (voice-over): Of the 17 being held in the probe, 12 men face terror-related charges. The charges against five juveniles have not been released. Canadian authorities say the arrests capped a two- year investigation, and officials said Monday more arrests are possible.

MIKE MCDONELL, ASST. COMM., RCMP: We're following every investigative lead that we have right now. And anybody that was involved in aiding, facilitating or participating in this terrorist threat will be arrested.

MESERVE: Two of the men now charged with terrorism were already in custody for allegedly trying to import firearms and ammunition into Canada from the U.S., and a U.S. counter-terrorism official says two of the Canadian suspects had e-mail communications with two U.S. citizens, arresting this spring on terrorism charges. Sayed Haris Ahmed (ph) and Ilsana Islam Sadiki (ph) had allegedly videotaped locations, including the U.S. capital and a fuel tank farm. CNN was unable to reach their lawyers.

U.S. officials say some of the Canadians also had contact with British terrorism suspects arrested last fall, and with Islamic militants in Bangladesh, Bosnia, Denmark and Sweden. The arrests have further heightened concerns about local terror groups working independent of al Qaeda. Officials say they are much harder to detect and stop.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: although this alleged plot involved targets only in Canada, there is beefed up security on the U.S.-Canada border. Officials say people and vehicles are being looked at more closely out of an abundance of caution.

Miles, back to you.

M. O'BRIEN: Jeanne, we know how porous that border is. Let's talk for just a moment about what is alleged in this case. Do we know how this attempt to blow up the buildings using fertilizer bombs, how it was financed?

MESERVE: No, we don't have those details as yet, Miles.

That's one of those things that might come out this morning in this court hearing, but we're not absolutely sure exactly how much information will be released here today -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: These independent groups who are just simply inspired by al Qaeda, without those connections, very difficult for investigators to track them, isn't it?

MESERVE: It is, because in the past, they've been able, for instance, if they've learned about a training camp, to see who goes in and out of that camp. If they know who's a central hub in al Qaeda, they can can see who they're communicating with. When they're these local, homegrown groups, it's more difficult to find them, and they're more apt to be able to blend into their surroundings -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Jeanne Meserve in Toronto, thank you very much.

New York losing more government money meant to fight terrorism. And this time, it's more than $2 million earmarked for bioterror attacks. That's on top of the more than $80 million already cut by the Department of Homeland Security. We've already told you about that one. Mayor Michael Bloomberg says his city needs the money.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MYR. MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK: You don't have to have another disaster to be able to say I told you. Quite the contrary. The better job the NYPD does with the thousand police officers that they dedicate to intelligence and counterterrorism, the less likely there is for us to be able to proof that this was, in fact, the one place. But it is true when people get arrested, the maps they have in their pockets are maps of New York City, and not maps of cornfields.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

M. O'BRIEN: The mayor spoke with Homeland Security Chief Mike Chertoff yesterday. Chertoff didn't budge.

Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: President Bush heads to the border in the next hour, stepping up the push for immigration reform. The president's going to be in Artesia, New Mexico to tour a federal law enforcement training center. He's also going to speak on border security and immigration. Then he tours the Border Patrol headquarters in Laredo, Texas.

AMERICAN MORNING's Bob Franken at the White House this morning.

Hey, Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATL. CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. And of course, immigration is one of those issues that has really caused controversy particularly within his party base. The president is out there trying to sell the idea of comprehensive immigration reform. That is to say, as he would present it, tough, tough enforcement; tough, tough border protection. That type of thing, along with a compassionate way to deal with the immigrants, the illegal immigrants who are in the United States. It's proven to be a hard sell so the president is going to go out and have appearances on the scene in New Mexico. Then Laredo, Texas. Excuse me. Before he goes to Omaha, Nebraska.

Now in Omaha, he's also speaking about immigration. As we have reported before, it is a problem that affects the heartland, too. There are strong feelings there, so it's the president once again trying to address one of the central issues of his presidency right now -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: There are some who would say coming to policy, the president's here, and then the president's there. How's he going to pull Republicans together in time for the midterms with that sort of strategy?

FRANKEN: Well, we're watching right now. Yesterday was gay marriage day at the White House. That, of course, is a hot button issue for conservatives. The president is out there now talking about immigration. That's one that has been really divisive in his party. He's, in effect, trying to put the message out there for the midterm elections, if you don't vote for those who support me, you're voting for them.

S. O'BRIEN: That's essentially the message in a nutshell. Bob Franken for us this morning. Bob, thank you -- Miles.

A kidnapped six-day-old baby back with her mother this morning. Police in Lubbock, Texas found Little Priscilla Maldano (ph) abandoned in a car in 100-degree heat. Doctors keeping the baby at the hospital for observation understandably. The baby was stolen Sunday by a woman the family thought was a hospital nurse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. ROY BASSETT, LUBBOCK POLICE: She kind of fooled people on both sides of the fence. She went to the hospital dressed in scrubs, which caused the family, Erica and her family, to believe that she was an employee of the hospital. And because she was getting along so well with the family and spending so much time in this specific room, the employees of the hospital thought that she was a friend of the family or possibly part of the family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

M. O'BRIEN: Stephanie Lynn Anderson (ph) faces a kidnapping charge, possibly an endangerment charge. Coming up later on AMERICAN MORNING, we'll go live to the hospital to talk with the baby's mother about this ordeal. 8:15 Eastern is when we'll do that.

(WEATHER REPORT)

S. O'BRIEN: Today, new evidence Marines may have committed premeditated murder in Hamdaniya. This after the military said it was ordering troops to undergo core warrior-values training. Can a classroom lesson really troops deal with battlefield realities. We'll take a look at that this morning -- Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And talk about classroom lessons. I'm Carol Costello. Some high school students get a real life lesson in criminal investigation. They find a body, a real one.

M. O'BRIEN: And is your boss spying on you?

S. O'BRIEN: Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: You bet. You bet. Assume so. What some companies are doing to make sure employees are following e-mail rules. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Some Florida high school students won't soon forget a forensic field trip that turned into a real life version of "CSI."

Carol Costello has their story. She's live in the newsroom this morning.

Hey, Carol.

COSTELLO: Oh, Soledad. This is a field trip they will never forget. Strange enough, 29 students acting as amateur crime scene investigators were supposed to be gathering fake clues to a fake crime when things suddenly got very real. They found a man's body.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSH ROZENTAL, STUDENT WHO FOUND BODY: There are no words to describe it. I was freaking out.

COSTELLO: For a group of high school criminology students, it was a frightening lesson in forensics.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looked real, but we thought since we're here for an investigation, it wouldn't be.

COSTELLO: The summer class from St. Thomas Aquias (ph) High School in Fort Lauderdale was on a field trip Monday, conducting a mock crime scene investigation when they came across a real dead body.

ROZENTAL: We found a guy with a -- his hand wrapped around the fence, and then we -- everyone came over there, and we saw his face, and we thought it was part of the crime scene.

COSTELLO: In fact, the students thought their teach, Sue Messenger (ph), was playing a trick on them.

BILL SPRITZER, STUDENT WHO FOUND BODY: I thought she made it really look really good, I thought, because the hand was grabbing the fence, and it was -- and I touched the hand. It felt like a real hand.

SUE MESSENGER, CRIMINOLOGY TEACHER: All of a sudden, a student came running up to me and said, Mrs. Messenger, did you plant a real body? Well, I'd actually planted these cardboard skeletons. And I was like, no.

COSTELLO: The teacher and her students notified the police, who turned the area into a real crime scene.

SGT. ANDY PALLEN, FT. LAUDERDALE POLICE: Ironic set of circumstances that they were out here in a summer program for crime scene investigation when they came across the body.

COSTELLO: Police believe the victim, a man about 55 years old, died of natural causes. But the gruesome discovery was an invaluable lesson for students trying to solve a mock mystery and stumbling upon the real thing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's the first time I;ever seen a dead body, so I thought that was kind of crazy, an the smell I'll never forget, but this was a great experience.

MESSENGER: You know that old expression true life is stranger than fiction. I think this is definitely -- definitely holds true here.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Certainly fits into that category, doesn't it? An important lesson perhaps, but school officials concerned about what the students witnessed have also made counseling available to anyone who may need it. There you have it.

S. O'BRIEN: Wow, they didn't look like they were traumatized. They actually look like...

COSTELLO: Yes, one kid said it was a great learning experience.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, they looked they really -- I mea, I wouldn't be surprised if that's a little career push in the right direction for some of those kids.

COSTELLO: Well, that's what police are hoping. On the scene they said maybe this will pushes kids toward forensics.

S. O'BRIEN: Interesting. Weird, but interesting. Carol, thanks.

Coming up later in the 9:00 hour, we're going to talk with one of those students who discovered the body and his teacher is going to join us, too -- Miles. M. O'BRIEN: Some field trip.

Still to come, an ugly day on Wall Street, which probably means the buyers out in force today. Maybe.

Andy Serwer, we'll look into the crystal ball, assuming he can get his the computer rebooted.

And we know our companies can look at our e-mails, but do they really do it? You may be surprised.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Careful what you write in e-mails at the office. It is all fair game for your boss, and may one day lead to those dreaded three words -- got a minute?

CNN's Rusty Dornin visited one hospital that regularly monitors employee e-mails.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When nurse Jamie Ray sends an e-mail from her computer at the DeKalb Medical Center where she works to the outside world, she knows her bosses are looking over her shoulder, electronically speaking. If her message contains any company no-no's, the hospital now has software to catch it.

(on camera): You don't mind the idea...

JAMIE RAY, DEKALB MEDICAL CENTER: No.

DORNIN: ... That they can see what you're typing out if it triggers something?

RAY: Exactly, yes. And not a problem at all, because this is a hospital. It is a secure network.

DORNIN (voice-over): Hospital officials say they don't care about most personal e-mails about dinner plans, et cetera, but they do worry about confidential information: patient history, Social Security numbers, and the like. Since last year Sharon Finney has been tasked with keeping up with those questionable e-mails.

(on camera): How many things pop up for you in a day that you have to take a look at?

SHARON FINNEY, DEKALB MEDICAL CENTER: Probably, I would say, probably 200 plus.

DORNIN (voice-over): No one has been fired yet for violations, but a few have been counseled, says Finney.

(on camera): Do people still feel like they're being spied upon? FINNEY: I think that they're -- I think employees do have some concern when they find out that we're monitoring.

DORNIN (voice-over): So while the software alerts on confidential information, it also alerts on other things that are forbidden. Harassment, for one. So we did a test. Finney sent me an e-mail saying "if you don't respond immediately, I will be forced to take physical action against you." Sounds like a threat to me.

(on camera): Let's see, what time is it now? Let's see what time it is.

FINNEY: It's about 10:30 now.

DORNIN (voice-over): Her e-mail reached me right away.

(on camera): I just received your e-mail.

DORNIN (voice-over): Then it doesn't take long for the red flags to pop up.

FINNEY: And so it's about -- it's probably about 10:40 now. So it took about 10 minutes.

DORNIN (on camera): Right.

FINNEY: And then I get a page on my e-mail or on my BlackBerry that basically comes up and I can see that a -- what it says here, and I've got an e-mail that says I can see regarding account on here. And so I know that that is a secure message that has left the facility.

DORNIN (voice-over): Back in her office, Finney can check the exact wording of the message. Then...

FINNEY: At that point what I would do is I would notify human resources that we had an employee that sent a potentially harassing e- mail.

DORNIN: According to the proof-point survey funded by the company that makes security software, more than 40 percent of major U.S. companies have hired people to do what Finney does, read questionable e-mail. But it's tough to get most companies to discuss this publicly.

(on camera): At CNN's request, ePolicy Institute asked 8,000 companies to be interviewed on their e-mail security. Only three were willing to talk about it. So we asked our parent company, Turner Broadcasting. It would neither confirm nor deny that it monitors our outgoing e-mails. So you might say if "Big Brother" is watching, he's not talking about it. Rusty Dornin, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: You can take it to the bank. They're listening.

S. O'BRIEN: Assume the worst. M. O'BRIEN: Assume the worst.

Rusty's report first aired on "PAULA ZAHN NOW," which you can catch weeknights, 8:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, I would guess the lack of an official confirmation is confirmation.

M. O'BRIEN: Neither confirmed nor denied? They're doing it. You got it.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

S. O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, also, our series, "Paying the Price in the Heartland." Dan Lothian's on the road in Iowa for us, where drivers regularly log hundreds of miles of a day. We'll find out how they are coping with those high gas prices ahead. And then this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We weren't completely concerned the child came out with horns because he came out on Tuesday, but we were excited to find out that we were going to be able to get him before 6- 06.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

S. O'BRIEN: They weren't worried about the horns, she says. What is the issue with today's date, 6-06? We'll explain all the superstitions just ahead as we continue right here on AMERICAN MORNING.

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