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American Morning

Search Intensifies for Two Missing Soldiers in Baghdad; Debate Over U.S. Troops Leaving Iraq Expected to Heat Up; Wildfire Spreading in Arizona; North Korea Wants to Perform a Long Range Missile Test

Aired June 19, 2006 - 06:30   ET

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


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening this morning, a search under way for two U.S. soldiers missing after an attack at a roadside checkpoint in Iraq. You can see pictures of a checkpoint right there. Thomas Lowell Tucker and Christian Menchaca have been missing since Friday.
North Korea being warned not to go through with a long range missile test today. North Korea reportedly wants to test a missile that could hit part of the U.S. Good morning, welcome everybody, I'm Soledad O'Brien.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm John Roberts in for Miles O'Brien. Good Monday morning to you.

Some developing news here on CNN that we're following for you this morning. The prosecution has rested its case in the trial of Saddam Hussein by asking for the death penalty. The court has adjourned for the day. The defense will begin presenting its case on July the 10th.

The search for two American soldiers missing in Iraq is expanding. They were reported missing after an insurgent attack on a U.S. checkpoint.

CNN's Kyung Lah is live in Washington now with the latest. Good morning, Kyung.

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning John. The latest from the U.S. military command is that there has been a massive operation in that immediate area. Some 8,000 U.S. and Iraqi troops have swept through 12 villages, there have been seven soldiers who have been injured in this search operation. Despite this massive effort, there has been no sign yet of the two missing Americans.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAH (voice-over): The war arrived in Natchez, Oregon, were one of its sons, 25-year-old private 1st class Thomas Tucker grew up and graduated from high school. The military says he is one of the soldiers missing from a weekend attack.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We heard that this morning in church and everybody was asked to pray, so of course we did pray for his safety and for his family that everything's going to turn out okay. LAH: The other soldier is 23-year-old Christian Menchaca of Houston. They were manning a checkpoint near Yusafiyah, southwest of Baghdad. Iraqi police say according to eyewitnesses, mass gunmen attacked, killing one soldier and seized Menchaca and Tucker, their vehicle was found abandoned, blood in the back and boot prints on the ground nearby.

HOSHYAR ZEBARI, IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER: There are efforts under way to look for them by the multi-national forces and by Iraqi security forces. We hope they will be found and join their units safely.

LAH: The military expanded its search saying it's using all means at their disposal.

TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Rule number one is you don't want to leave anybody. And that's certainly the determination here.

LAH: Democratic representative John Murtha says he's concerned that the soldiers didn't have enough support at the checkpoint.

REP. JOHN MURTHA, (D) PENNSYLVANIA: That's worrisome that these three young soldiers were out there by themselves at one of the most dangerous checkpoints in Iraq.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

LAH: Menchaca's family in an interview with the "Associated Press" says he wrote home about the dangerous job of manning these checkpoints. Tucker's friends this morning also say that he joined the military hoping to do something positive for his country. John?

ROBERTS: Kyung, thanks very much. A story that we'll have a lot more on this morning. Kyung Lah live for us from Washington. Soledad?

O'BRIEN: Some heated debate over the war in Iraq expected this week in the Senate. That's because leading Senate Democrats have a line behind a resolution calling for a new plan for the troops. This while President Bush prepares to address the merchant marines.

CNN White House correspondent Elaine Quijano has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Bush heads to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy's commencement later today in New York. It will be the first time a sitting U.S. president has delivered remarks there since its dedication by Franklin Roosevelt in 1943.

Merchant mariners are responsible for delivering most of the military supplies to U.S. forces and U.S. allies overseas. Mr. Bush's trip there comes one day before the Senate is expected to take a debate over whether there should be a fazed withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.

Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein says three years after the war began, she believes it is appropriate now to discuss a time frame. But Republican Senator Pat Roberts insists a timetable would send the wrong message about America's resolve. A message that President Bush himself has sent many times in the past. Elaine Quijano, CNN, the White House.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Happening in America this morning, will the powerball winner or winners please step forward? The winning ticket was sold in Oklahoma, the jackpot worth nearly $102 million or the winner can take a lump sum payment of $46 million we're told.

ROBERTS: I'd take the lump sum.

O'BRIEN: Always.

ROBERTS: I'd go for the lump sum.

O'BRIEN: Too bad you didn't win.

A marine stationed in Iraq is the proud papa of a new daughter this morning. Even though Corporal Terrence Lambert is half a world away, he witnessed Katherine Anali's birth in Alabama on Father's Day, through a satellite hook-up. Corporal Lambert will return home this fall.

The odds are going up for Kentucky derby winner Barbaro. It's been a month since Barbaro shattered his back right leg. A new photograph shows the colt in his intensive care stall at the New Bolton Center in Pennsylvania. He's been fitted with a new fiberglass cast and a special shoe that helps distributes his weight more evenly.

Hundreds of people being evacuated in northern Arizona, a quick moving wild fire near Sedona is growing to more than a thousand acres. Officials describe the fire as very active. Kevin Kennedy from affiliate KPNX is on the ground with some details for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEVIN KENNEDY, KPNX REPORTER (voice-over): Fire trucks roll in and look what they see, a massive cloud of smoke and fast moving flames.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Winds come up, high temperatures, low humidities, drought, that's just a bad mix coming together, and when it gets started, makes it tough.

KENNEDY: This fire battle being waged in a rugged area, much of the work being done from the sky. Air tankers and helicopters splash the flames. It's helping but the fire continues to march.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It started on Brims Mesa, seemed to stay there, it wasn't too bad. As we look at it some more, it's climbed up to the top and it's starting to move.

KENNEDY: That's where these guys are headed. Those living up here are headed out. It's just too close for comfort.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our concern is that the fire may be going one way but we don't want it to either spark or work its way backwards and kind of whip back into town.

KENNEDY: The fire heading away from these homes but creeping closer to Oak Creek Canyon, so close sirens and a radio message warn residents.

Highway 89A through Oak Creek Canyon is closed and everyone needs to get out of Oak Creek Canyon immediately.

KENNEDY: It's get up and go time for some. This fire is a long way from contained.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: That was Kevin Kennedy from our affiliate KPNX. A type one fire team is expected to take over tomorrow. Type one teams are brought in to fight the most difficult fires. Brings us all right to Chad Myers at the CNN Center. Chad, good morning to you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

ROBERTS: Still to come, a CNN security watch. There is word that North Korea may be ready to test launch a new missile, one that has the potential to reach part of the United States.

O'BRIEN: Then we'll tell you why lawyers for convicted Enron chiefs Jeff Skilling and Ken Lay were able to delay sentencing. Andy is "Minding Your Business" with that story.

ROBERTS: And are Republicans trying to clip Democrats on the issue of Iraq. We'll take a look at the debate over the war just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: North Korea may be ready to test fire a long range missile, one that could reach the west coast of the United States. It would be the first long range test for North Korea since they fired a missile over Japan eight years ago.

CNN'S Atika Shubert is live in Tokyo right now. She's got the latest for us. What's it look like from where you are, Atika?

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well definitely increasing nervousness, there's been a flurry of diplomatic activity here. Japan of course would take this very seriously, because it would be straight in the path of any missile test John.

ROBERTS: Now my understanding of it is that they have fueled this missile, put a booster on the launch pad. Is this giving people real concern that they could go ahead and push the button on this?

SHUBERT: Definitely. Those reports are definitely increasing tensions here because that would be the final stage before an actual launch. Now Japan has said it would take very stern measures, in fact if any part of that missile actually fell into Japan, the foreign minister here said Japan would consider it as an attack.

ROBERTS: Right. Okay, so that's if a part of the missile fell onto Japan, but what about just the idea that North Korea would test fire a missile that I'm sure would probably go over Japan, what's their response to the threat of that been?

SHUBERT: Very stern measures that's what Japan's prime minister has said, the foreign minister also echoing those statements, saying Japan would take this very seriously. Japan is considering imposing sanctions if the test was conducted and also bringing their case to the U.N. Security Council. So again, this is a very serious concern, very nervous. And not just Japan, in the region China and South Korea have separately also urged North Korea to reconsider but so far no response.

ROBERTS: Atika Shubert for us from Tokyo this morning. Atika thanks very much. Soledad?

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning on AMERICAN MORNING, New Yorkers are reacting to a report that Al Qaeda wanted to attack New York City's subway system with cyanide. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Okay Greg, I'm going to cleanse you today with an essential cleanser and this is really good.

HOLLY FIRFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This might just be the new version of the gentlemen's club.

Put these cool, compresses.

FIRFER: Facials, hot stone massage, manicures and pedicures. Surprise? You won't find any pampered women here at this spa. It's all about taking care of men.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From the minute you walk in the door you know you're in a day spa for men. Because you see dark woods, you don't see any floral things. Everything we're doing is focusing on what men need.

FIRFER: And that need is growing. According to the International Spa Association, men account for nearly 30 percent of spa goers in 2003.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think every now and then you need to treat yourself to something. I work hard to make a living and I work long hours and this is just one of the things that I can do for myself that I enjoy and it's something strictly for me and that's why I do it.

FIRFER: Holly Firfer, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Coming up to 49 minutes after the hour now. The congressional debate over Iraq and Karl Rove freed from a possible indictment. Now free to take the fight to the Democrats, those items on our political radar this morning and John Mercurio, senior editor of "The National Journal"'s "Hotline" joins us from Washington, as he does each Monday.

Good morning to you, John.

JOHN MERCURIO, SENIOR EDITOR, HOTLINE: Good morning to you John.

ROBERTS: So what's the upshot of this debate last week over Iraq, do you think, politically?

MERCURIO: Well it's hard to say. This resolution was designed by the Republican Party for maximum political advantage. Going into this election year obviously they've just come off of two very good weeks in Iraq, which is pretty rare for the administration coming out of this. Did it work? I don't know, I mean there's a couple of different ways to look at it. Yes, I think the Republicans were able to expose some pretty serious divisions within the Democratic Party on the issue of Iraq, and that works well for them especially in terms of the debate over which party is more unified on a specific message going into the election.

But at the same time, I think you also saw polling over the weekend that showed that a majority of Americans at this point are willing to vote, actually vote for a candidate who supports at this time a troop withdrawal, which is something sort of unheard I think a year ago. So a lot of work to do on the issue of Iraq. A very risky strategy I think for Republicans going into November.

ROBERTS: The problem for the Democrats is though that they're split on this issue of troop withdrawal. You've got 112 of them, just a little more than 110, I can't remember the exact count that we're saying, yeah, there should be a troop withdrawal, but then you got 42 who sided with the Republicans to say no there shouldn't be.

MERCURIO: Exactly. Well I think it was a hard resolution to vote against. There are a lot of Republicans -- a lot of Democrats, I'm sorry, running in competitive races who really couldn't afford to vote against it. But look, I mean I think the other issue you have to look at with troop withdrawal is that the numbers are rising in terms of people who over the past year have signed on to such a commitment.

ROBERTS: So what's Karl Rove's role in all of this, John? I was quipping last week that this wasn't so much a get out of jail free card that he was handed from Dennis Fitzgerald as much as it was a license to kill. MERCURIO: I don't know about that. But I do know, I mean look, he escaped the indictment of Patrick Fitzgerald, he definitely didn't escape the indictment of the Democratic party, of Howard Dean. And I think a couple of things are happening at the same time. You're seeing Rove freed from indictment at the same time that you're seeing Tom DeLay, the former house majority leader, step down and sort of step out of public life at least for the near term.

Democrats for a long time have relied election year strategies on boogiemen, as have Republicans. But Democrats need a boogieman going into this election, they need something to help them fundraise, to help them rally the base. Tom DeLay now out of the picture, he had served as a good boogieman. Karl Rove I think now ends up being sort of the main boogieman along with people like Dick Cheney and the president himself.

ROBERTS: All right. On that part of the boogieman, let's take a quick listen at what Congressman John Murtha, Democrat from Pennsylvania, had to say about Karl Rove yesterday on this issue of troop withdrawals.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MURTHA: He's sitting in his air-conditioned offices, a big fat backside, saying stay the course. That's not a plan. I don't know what his military experience is but that's a political statement. This is a policy difference between me and the White House.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: Whoa, big fat backside. Sounds like John Murtha's painted a target on it.

MERCURIO: I saw Karl Rove a couple of weeks ago. I have to say in the issue of fairness, I think he's lost a little bit of weight so I'm not sure Murtha's statement is accurate. But yeah, this is what you'll see, I mean it's not going to be on the policy issues or on the substance, it's going to be on Karl Rove the person and their ability to vilify him. You saw Democrats came out last week and called him the poor sign political strategist. So a lot of reference to his weight.

ROBERTS: They love that alliteration. I wanted to ask you about some presidential contenders but apparently we're out of time. We'll have to wait for next week to get into that. But thanks very much. "Hotline" senior editor John Mercurio as always on this Monday morning, good to see you. We'll see you next week.

MERCURIO: Good to see you.

ROBERTS: Soledad?

O'BRIEN: Andy is taking a look at business news straight ahead this morning. What you got Andy, good morning?

ANDY SERWER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning you guys. Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling, you know them, the Enron guys, the latest wrinkle, they get to avoid prison for a while, we'll tell you how long. Coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Well, it just shows you that things can somehow be different when you're accused of a white collar crime. Convicted Enron executives getting an extra couple of weeks before they head off to jail. Andy Serwer "Minding Your Business". Good morning.

SERWER: Good morning, John. I mean these two guys we're talking about Jeff Skilling and Ken Lay, the two Enron honchos, are going to go away for decades. So where do you come off on this? Judge Sin Lake in Houston late Friday granting a defense motion, allowing these two convicted felons six more weeks before he sentences them. You may remember, they were supposed to be sentenced on September 11th, the fifth anniversary of 9/11.

Some people thought that was not a very good day to do this deed. Now, we find out that they won't be sentenced until October 23rd. To get their affairs in order John, maybe to buy a new toothbrush, that sort of thing. You have to wonder, of course, if someone is just busted for a minor drug offense, some young kid say in East St. Louis, would he get the same treatment, I don't think so. Lay, 64 years old is looking at 165 years, Skilling, 52 years old is looking at 185 years.

ROBERTS: So how old would they be when they got out then? 200 and...

SERWER: Deceased. It's interesting to see how long they will actually serve. An interview in the "Wall Street Journal" over the weekend, speaking of the Enron guys, Jeff Skilling, talking about his state of mind, as this scandal unfolded, of course, Enron hit the skids in late '01. In 2002, Skilling said he actually contemplated suicide. Now, he says, I've come to the conclusion that life is the better alternative, which wasn't clear to me for a period of time.

You may remember, too, in January, '02, one of Skilling's best friends, vice chairman Clint Baxter did commit suicide. He was an Enron executive. So that was probably close to his mind as well.

ROBERTS: Alright so more coming up. Oil profits?

SERWER: Yeah, oil executives John are going to tell us why we're not paying as much for a price of gas.

ROBERTS: You see it's so shocking, you can't even get it out.

SERWER: Yeah, it's hard to actually say, but I try.

ROBERTS: Thanks, Andy.

SERWER: Thanks.

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