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American Morning

Premediated Murder?; Canadian Terror Plot

Aired June 06, 2006 - 08:00   ET

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

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: I'm Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon.
There are suggestions this morning that the killing of an Iraqi man in Hamandiyah might have been premeditated murder. I'll have that.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Jeanne Meserve in Toronto, where we may learn more about the alleged Canadian terror plot when some of the suspects appear in court this morning. I'll have more on that.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And this little baby right there now safe and sound. She's back with her mom just a day after being kidnapped by a fake nurse. We're going to talk live with the baby's relieved mom in just a couple of minutes.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Bob Franken at the White House, where the president is about to leave to an area just north of the border with Mexico-to talk about dealing with those who come in from the south.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And the Senate debates same-sex marriage. But for some people far away from Washington, it's about more than political football, of course. That story is ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

Good morning to you.

I'm Miles O'Brien.

S. O'BRIEN: And I'm Soledad O'Brien.

M. O'BRIEN: Some U.S. Marines under lock and key are apparently telling a troubling story this morning to military investigators. A killing in April they had reported as justified now looks more and more like premeditated murder in the Iraqi village of Hamandiyah.

Word of this comes as a separate investigation still aims to get to the bottom what happened when Marines allegedly shot and killed two dozen civilians in Haditha last November.

For more on this, we turn to Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon -- Jamie, good morning.

MCINTYRE: Good morning, Miles. Well, it appears that those seven Marines and one Navy corpsman who are in the brig at Camp Pendleton could face some pretty serious charges.

A senior official with direct information about the ongoing Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigation says that there is evidence that the murder of an Iraqi man in Hamandiyah last April may have been premeditated. The official said: "They were going out to get someone, perhaps not this person in particular, but someone." And the official also says that some of the Marines have essentially admitted that the circumstances surrounding the death were staged.

A note, a letter, a document signed by a Marine sergeant given to the family and posted on a Web site by Knight Ridder News Service suggests that the Marines said the man was killed when he was seen digging a hole by the side of the road and that the Marines authorized the ambush because he was an insurgent.

But investigators have concluded that an AK-47 and a shovel were planted next to the man to make him look like an insurgent after he was dragged from his home and shot. At least that's the conclusion of the investigators.

Defense attorneys are crying foul about this, saying they haven't even seen the charges yet and that their clients are being tried and convicted in the press -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Jamie, this case seems to be moving a lot faster than the Haditha case.

Now, in that case, the Marines implicated, they're not even being held, are they?

They're at Camp Pendleton, but they're not being held under lock and key.

MCINTYRE: They're not in pre-trial confinement. This is kind of how it's supposed to work. What happened here was there was a meeting with the tribal elders on May 1st, a regular meeting where they air grievances. They complained about this incident. The Marine Corps looked into it immediately, said that there was evidence to suggest wrongdoing, shipped the Marines home, put them in the brig, continued the investigation. And now, just over a month after that, it looks like we're going to be getting charges against some of these Marines some time this week.

M. O'BRIEN: Do you think that this investigation is, in some sense, a reaction to what has happened post-Haditha?

MCINTYRE: Well, I think that you saw that they took the allegations seriously right at the beginning, unlike in Haditha, where the tendency was to dismiss the idea that U.S. Marines could have killed innocent civilians.

M. O'BRIEN: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, thank you very much -- Soledad. S. O'BRIEN: A CNN Security Watch now.

We should learn more this morning about an alleged terrorist group's plans for attacks on several Canadian buildings. At least 15 members of the group are due in court today.

CNN homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve is with us live from Toronto -- hey, Jeanne, good morning.

MESERVE: Good morning, Soledad.

A long line of media has now snaked into the courthouse for this bail hearing, a hearing that could tell us more about this alleged terror plot.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

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 MCDONNELL, ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE: 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 arrested this spring on terrorism charges.

Syed Haris Ahmed and Ehsanul Islam Sadequee had allegedly videotaped locations, including the U.S. Capitol 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 VIDEO TAPE)

MESERVE: One law enforcement source in the U.S. says this case is being taken very seriously and as a precaution, vehicles and people entering the U.S. from Canada are being given more scrutiny -- Soledad, back to you.

S. O'BRIEN: Jeanne Meserve for us.

Jeanne is about to run-into court.

We'll get the latest from her in a little bit.

Thanks, Jeanne.

You want to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: President Bush stepping up his push for immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for illegals. The president now heading to Artesia, New Mexico, home of a big federal law enforcement training facility.

He'll speak on border security and immigration there.

The president then visits the Border Patrol headquarters in Laredo, Texas.

AMERICAN MORNING'S Bob Franken at the White House with more -- good morning, Bob.

FRANKEN: Good morning, Miles.

And it is that path to citizenship which the president supports that is causing an uproar among what is usually called his base, the conservatives who don't want that in there.

So the president, in his trip -- he just, by the way, took off a minute ago from the White House on his way to Artesia, New Mexico-and then Laredo and then Omaha, the next state, to also talk about immigration.

He's going to be emphasizing the tough enforcement part of this legislation, saying to the conservatives that he takes care of their desires, but, at the same time, maintaining compassion.

This, of course, is part of a larger picture. The president has really caused, as I pointed out, the uproar in his conservative base. There are many people who worry that this is an issue, Miles, that could undermine the midterm elections for the Republicans -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Bob, tell us about -- it seems like it's a policy issue of the day for the president.

What is -- what's at the root of this with the midterm election ahead of us?

FRANKEN: Well, the midterm election, of course, is months away, although there is going to be a little bit of a test tonight when the California primary is held. The -- one of the things that's going to happen is an election to see who replaces Duke Cunningham, the congressman, the Republicans congressman from San Diego who has gone to prison for corruption.

But there is a Democrat running in what is a district very, very Republican. And we're going to see, at the end of the day, whether the issue of immigration, which really resonates in that particular district, can change things around and give the Democrats a big victory. It would be a huge, huge upset if the Democrats win and people would certainly consider that a barometer of what to look forward to in the elections coming up in November.

M. O'BRIEN: Bob Franken at the White House.

Thank you very much -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: The Senate could vote on a same-sex marriage bill as early as tomorrow. In the past, the issue of same-sex marriage has gotten conservatives right to the polls.

Today, we take a look at Tennessee. That's Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's home state and a place where Republicans need a high turnout this November to secure their seats in the Senate.

CNN's John King has our report this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JOAN VANREECE, RESIDENT OF TENNESSEE: It's the thought that matters.

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Joan and Nancy met in Tennessee 18 years ago and have been partners ever since. Their politics admittedly a bit out of step in a place that is unmistakably Bible Belt.

J. VANREECE: She's definitely more on the front lines than I am. I'm the silent partner behind. But...

NANCY VANREECE, LESBIAN: The silent partner. Yes, right.

J. VANREECE: But, you know, it's a risk.

KING: The risk is taking a leading role in the real front lines of the gay marriage debate, campaigning against a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage.

Tennessee is one of seven states with proposed amendments this year, along with Alabama, Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia and Wisconsin. Nineteen states already ban gay marriage, a movement Christian conservatives like Tennessee State Senator David Fowler says will continue to expand if there are not enough votes in Congress to advance a nationwide ban. Fowler disputes critics who say Republicans used gay marriage initiatives to drive up conservative turnout in the 2004 presidential cycle and are hoping for a repeat this November.

DAVID FOWLER (R), TENNESSEE STATE SENATOR: Many of us, people like me, we, deep down, do believe that marriage is not one of those things we can define any way we want to. And it has nothing to do with politics. If it makes for good politics, fine. But to me, it's not about politics.

KING: White Evangelicals are the major force behind the anti-gay marriage movement here in Tennessee and across the country.

Many African-American pastors, like Henry Coles of Nashville's Word of Faith Christian Center, also oppose gay marriage, and are striking odd alliances this election year.

PASTOR HENRY COLES, WORD OF FAITH CHRISTIAN CENTER: It's a fundamental, doctrinal precept of my -- my faith in Christ Jesus. And -- and for me, as a representative of -- of Christ, unions begin with a man and a woman.

J. VANREECE: My name is Joan Vanreece.

N. VANREECE: And my name is Nancy Vanreece.

KING: This testimonial in favor of same-sex marriage was delivered at a gay pride festival.

But Joan and Nancy met in Bible study, and bristle when God is brought into the political debate.

J. VANREECE: And I know that my God loves me. And I don't understand why that has to be...

N. VANREECE: Should we actually vote to include discrimination into our constitution, ever? And that's a legal question. It's not a faith-based question.

KING: Joan and Nancy promise not to be outworked between now and November. But as they make their views abundantly clear, they concede around here, they are likely outnumbered.

John King, CNN, Madison, Tennessee.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: John's report first aired in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

You can catch Wolf Blitzer there weekday afternoons starting at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time.

M. O'BRIEN: Time for a check of the forecast.

Rob Marciano in for Chad Myers today -- hello, Rob.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Miles.

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: The longest day was today. D-Day plus 62 years now.

And we will pause to remember the sacrifice of the greatest generation at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.

S. O'BRIEN: also this morning, an abducted newborn is back with her happy family today. Up next, we're going to talk to the mom about the ordeal. Those stories all ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

We're back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Some pictures just in to CNN.

This is Andrews Air Force Base and that, of course, President Bush. He is just about to board Air Force One. He's heading to Artesia, New Mexico-to the federal law enforcement training center there, where he'll be discussing and examining our border control issues.

Some pictures just in to CNN of the president heading on Air Force One to New Mexico--- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: A CNN Security Watch right now.

Fifteen suspected terrorists due in court today in Toronto. They are charged in a plot -- al Qaeda-inspired -- to blow up landmark buildings north of our border with fertilizer bombs.

Among the targets, the Canadian parliament in Ottawa.

Authorities promising more arrests, an investigation would could extend into as many as a half dozen other countries, including our own.

CNN security analyst Richard Falkenrath.

A former homeland security adviser, he's now the Brookings Institution and he guides us through these difficult issues a lot of times.

RICHARD FALKENRATH, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: Good morning, Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Richard, good to have you back with us.

I want to share with you, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Peter King, had some interesting things to say about what's going on in Canada right now.

Let's listen for a moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: Americans should be very concerned because Canada is our northern neighbor and there is a large al Qaeda presence in Canada. I think there's a disproportionate number of al Qaeda in Canada because of their very liberal immigration laws, because of how political asylum is granted so easily and, also, the previous government, quite frankly, in Canada, I don't think was tough enough, as far as going after terrorism.

(END VIDEO CLIP) M. O'BRIEN: Let's talk about that comment.

Is al Qaeda more prevalent in Canada?

FALKENRATH: I don't know if I'd say al Qaeda is more prevalent. But we have had more evidence of Islamic extremism and militancy in Canada than we've had in the United States.

It's a relatively small population. It's about maybe 600,000 Muslims in Canada. The vast majority, of course, have no terrorist activity or intention. But they have been a few.

It goes back to the millennium, when al Qaeda -- this was a known al Qaeda terrorist who tried to infiltrate the United States through Seattle and Vancouver. His name was Ahmad Ressam. He was intercepted. And they have been a number of other cells, plots, networks that we've become aware of over the last five years. Some, like this one in Toronto, far more dangerous than anything we've seen here domestically in the United States.

M. O'BRIEN: Well, I guess it begs the question, then, are we focused -- we've been focusing so much on illegal immigration, are we focusing on the wrong border?

FALKENRATH: Well, certainly from a terrorism perspective, the northern border and our northern neighbor is the country we need to be worried about. I think illegal immigration on the southwestern border is basically an economic and social issue. It's not driven by the threat of terrorist attack infiltrating through Mexico, since that's something we've never really seen.

M. O'BRIEN: Is it likely, though, we would see that? Or is the northern border what we should be focusing on as it relates to terrorism?

FALKENRATH: Well, nothing is impossible. It's theoretically possible that some terrorists would infiltrate the U.S. through the U.S.-Mexican border. But I think it's a very remote possibility.

If we're interested in -- when you're interested in protecting the country from external terrorist attack, Canada is much more dangerous and deserves a whole lot more focus from our Homeland Security and counter-terrorism and intelligence officials.

M. O'BRIEN: And yet, and yet, we're told, fewer than 10 percent of the nation's Border Patrol agents -- about 1,000 of 11,500 -- are stationed on that Canadian border, which is -- extends 4,000 miles, about double the U.S.-Mexican border.

Is that an appropriate allocation of security resources?

FALKENRATH: Well, you know, it's hard to say yes, because it is a very lightly patrolled border. There's no question. It's the longest unmilitarized border in the world. It's also the most economically significant border in the world. More trade moves across that border than any other border in the world. But it seems to me the odds of ever getting a really strong barrier between the United States and Canada are rather slim, just given how intermingled our societies are and how interdependent our economies are.

The real game, I think, is Canada's external border to the rest of the world. How good are Canadian immigration laws? How good are their asylum laws? Are they taking fingerprints from people who apply to come into Canada? Who can get an asylum entry visa into Canada? And are they monitored when they -- when they are granted asylum?

Those are the sort of things that we need to be working with the Canadians on more effectively. And, frankly, we need more from Ottawa on.

M. O'BRIEN: Well, but the Canadians are apt not to respond kindly to pressure on the part of the United States to change their laws. There's some long history there of feeling as if they're -- their status as a country is sometimes overshadowed by the U.S.

FALKENRATH: That's true. But we don't have much alternative but to work with them on it. I really don't think we can put up a curtain or a wall between the United States and Canada. I mean, we're trying to do it between the United States and Mexico-and you've seen how difficult that is.

Up in the north, it's so much longer and so much more economically significant, and there's so much more peaceful, perfectly legal traffic between the two countries, I don't know if we can get there.

We have been working with the Canadians since 9/11. There have been some improvements. I think Representative King is right when he says we should expect more from Canada. But we closed that border for 48 hours after 9/11 and the Canadians were terrified by the economic possibility of a continuation of that closure. And that motivated a lot of action in Ottawa.

M. O'BRIEN: All right, just a final quick thought here.

Homegrown al Qaeda inspired type of plots -- no necessary links to al Qaeda. These are very difficult for investigators to root out, aren't they?

FALKENRATH: That's exactly right. They are the hardest plot to detect. If they have no communications with any other known terrorist network or extremists, then it's very hard to locate them. You have to rely on informants and sources within the cell or the mosque or wherever it may be to get them.

This is one of our biggest nightmares and it actually is the pattern that we saw in Madrid and we saw in London and maybe we're now seeing in Toronto.

So we have to assume it's a real possibility here in the United States. M. O'BRIEN: Richard Falkenrath, thanks, as always.

FALKENRATH: Thanks, Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: And stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, a horrible attack. A woman set on fire by her husband. She lives to tell the tale. She is not just blaming him, though, for the attack. She's blaming a judge, too. That story is coming up.

And remember the old beta versus VHS wars? Well, welcome to the 21st century. Now it's Blue Ray versus HD-DVD. We're going to compare the two for you, just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Well, it wasn't so many years ago -- at least for many of us -- that the battle was beta versus VHS.

Well, this is the next generation -- which high definition DVD format will win?

CNN's Sibila Vargas tells us about two rival formats competing for your pixel pleasure.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Remember the old VHS versus beta VCR battle? Another format war is beginning between two high definition DVD players. Both have more than twice the resolution of traditional DVD players.

It's Sony's Blue Ray versus Toshiba's HD-DVD. HD-DVD has less features, but it's cheaper.

JODIE SALLY, TOSHIBA: It offers the best manufacturing, the most economical manufacturing costs for both hardware and software manufacturers.

VARGAS: HD-DVD players cost around $500, half as much as Blue Ray. But Blue Ray has twice as many studios behind it, which means more movies will be available on that format. Plus, it plays discs, which can hold a lot more material.

ANDY PARSONS, SONY: You're going to have enough room for the very best picture that we can possibly get out of today's technology, as well as enough room for all the bonus features and extra features that people expect to see on today's DVDs, only with a little more sophistication.

VARGAS: Brian Cooley, from the consumer electronics Web site CNET, says wait until February 2007 before you consider making a high def DVD purchase. BRIAN COOLEY, CNET.COM: because by then, we'll have the after holiday price cuts, when inventory needs to be cleared. We're going to have the kind of buzz is over with -- you know, consumers are spent out, they're marketed out. And retailers and manufacturers know this and they start to bring prices down to reality.

VARGAS: Whoever wins, this war may be short-lived.

COOLEY: Well, we're rapidly going to get close, in a few years, to a very viable model where you can download high definition movies from legitimate commercial sources and studios, watch them that way, instead of having to go buy a bunch of new decks, replace all your discs.

VARGAS: So the future of high def DVD is anything but clear.

Sibila Vargas, CNN, Hollywood.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: And here's a vivid sign of the times. An estimated 25 million American homes will be high def equipped by the end of this year.

S. O'BRIEN: That's a shocker, really.

M. O'BRIEN: It's starting to ramp up.

Do you have it?

S. O'BRIEN: No.

M. O'BRIEN: Oh, you've got to get it.

S. O'BRIEN: I'm not sure I want to see anybody...

M. O'BRIEN: It's going to be a career ender for us.

S. O'BRIEN: I don't want to see anybody in high def.

M. O'BRIEN: It's going to be bad when we go high def.

S. O'BRIEN: It can't be good.

M. O'BRIEN: I'll have to quit.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: I won't be able to afford my high def anymore.

S. O'BRIEN: Handsome you? Don't be ridiculous.

Anyway, good news to tell you about this morning.

A kidnapped newborn back with her family. Still to come, we're going to talk to her mom -- her very relieved mother -- about the ordeal and the reunion and how the baby is doing today.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And good morning from New Orleans, the home of the National World War II Museum.

Until this past weekend, it was actually called the D-Day Museum.

And look right down here. We can tell you exactly why. This is one of the famous Higgins landing craft that brought all the troops across the Channel and they came the 12 miles ashore on that day, 62 years ago.

Well, we'll tell you about this museum and how it is faring, what it means for tourists and what it means for this economy in the wake of Katrina.

It has been tough. This area was looted, but the exhibits were not touched. We'll give you a shot up there real quickly at just some of the aircraft here. And we will be back and walk you through this phenomenal facility in just a minute, when AMERICAN MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Good morning to you.

I'm Miles O'Brien.

S. O'BRIEN: And I'm Soledad O'Brien.

Lots to get to this morning.

Let's begin with Carol Costello.

She's in the newsroom with an update of the top stories -- hey, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.

Good morning to all of you.

A new development into the investigation into the shooting of an Iraqi man in Hamandiyah last April. A source close to the investigation tells CNN there is evidence the killing was premeditated. The source says some Marines are now being held in a military brig at Camp Pendleton and they've admitted to circumstances around the man's death and they admitted some were staged.

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