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Fleeing Ramadi; Hamdaniya Probe; The Changing Episcopal Church

Aired June 21, 2006 - 11:31   ET

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

(NEWSBREAK)
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: A crackdown is under way in a volatile city west of Baghdad. Coalition troops are trying to rid Ramadi of insurgents, but the battle is frightening every-day Iraqis. They're streaming out of the city to get out of the way of the bullets and the bombs.

Here now is our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Yusef (ph) helps load his TV on the family truck. They're packing up and leaving east Ramadi, salt, pasta, gas stove, satellite dish, and seven children all aboard.

(on camera): So, why is he -- why does he have his family packed up here?

(voice-over): An Iraqi army captain helps translate. A new U.S. and Iraqi army checkpoint is bringing insurgent attacks close to their home, they say.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Now my house is very danger, because now I must stay in the crossfire. If this place take -- get attack, I would be from too far coalition force and the terrorists.

ROBERTSON: The captain, who fears insurgent retribution for being in the army, hides his identity behind his helmet and sunglasses.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This road, we close this road, because very, very danger. And we can consider this area a dead area.

ROBERTSON: At the new checkpoint, he tells me, insurgents have already killed two of his soldiers since it opened less than two months ago. But they need it to be there to stop insurgents getting in and out of the city.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just one...

ROBERTSON (on camera): Just one family left today?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, today.

ROBERTSON: This is -- the number is -- the number of families is going down or going up?

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Going down.

ROBERTSON: It's going down?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: yes.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): In the past few weeks, Iraqi soldiers have recorded about 300 Ramadi families leaving the city, fleeing in fear of a U.S. and Iraqi crackdown on insurgents, similar to a massive U.S. offensive on the nearby insurgent holdout of Fallujah a year-and- a-half ago.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Me and my soldiers, we try explain that for them, to no operation, no nothing they -- happened like Fallujah.

ROBERTSON: But, he says, insurgents are telling people to leave, as they will stay in Ramadi and fight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That people now is confused who believe, the government or the terrorists, because they lose the trust both the terrorists and the government. They lose the trust. That's the -- the main issue.

ROBERTSON (on camera): This is one of the checkpoints back into the city of Ramadi. And although the number of families leaving the city has dropped off significantly, Iraqi army officers here at least say, so far, they're not seeing any of those families coming back just yet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In one month, we should have an answer, yes or no.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): At the nearby U.S. civil military affairs office, people forced out of their homes by the new checkpoint come to get compensation. It's a two-month process. And most say they are now desperate for the cash.

SERGEANT ANTHONY PIKE, U.S. MARINE CORPS: Any return fire that we do, if there's any collateral damage, we want to go in there and -- and right the wrong that we did.

ROBERTSON: But, as he shows me a map of the checkpoint, civil affairs officer Captain Driscoll explains, there are limits to compensation.

CAPTAIN WILLIAM DRISCOLL, U.S. MARINE CORPS: We can't pay because people are scared. People throughout Iraq are scared. What we do pay for is people who physically, because of the way we have set the checkpoint up, cannot get to their house.

ROBERTSON: Cold comfort for Yusef (ph) and his family, as they set off to try and find a safer place to live.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Ramadi, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: A major development into a military investigation.

Our Jamie McIntyre has news that as many as seven Marines may be charged with a serious crime -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, seven Marines and one Navy Corpsman have been waiting in the brig in Camp Pendleton, California to find out their fate. And we're told that this afternoon there will be an announcement about charges against them for the allegations that an Iraqi man was murdered back in April, dragged from his house and shot, and then made to look as though he was an insurgent planting a roadside bomb. That's the allegation. Pentagon sources say that the announcement this afternoon at 1:00 Pacific Time, 4:00 p.m. Eastern, will be to announce what charges investigators have found. The fact that these seven Marines, one Navy corpsman have been held in pre-trial confinement is an indication of the weight of the evidence that criminal investigators believe they have against them.

Their attorneys have been complaining loudly that their clients have been held under very stringent conditions with no charges being filed. But we are told today those charges will be filed. And one Pentagon official says he expects the charges will, at least in some cases, include murder.

Now Pentagon sources earlier said that the investigators had collected some evidence to indicate that there might be premeditated murder. But we'll have to wait and see when the charges come, what exactly they include and whether all eight are in fact charged.

KAGAN: And just to be clear, this is separate from the investigation into what happened at Haditha, where 24 civilians were killed.

MCINTYRE: It is indeed. And it's also separate from another investigation in which some Army soldiers are accused of shooting prisoners that ere in their control. And there's a number of separate incidents that are under investigation. And again, the fact that these Marines from the 3rd Brigade of the 5th Marine Regiment were brought back from Iraq and put in pretrial confinement is, again, an indication of the advanced stage of this investigation. We've been expecting these charges for a while, and we're told they'll come this afternoon.

KAGAN: 1:00 p.m. Eastern, and I'm sure we'll see that news conference live right here on CNN.

MCINTYRE: 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

KAGAN: OK, thank you for that, 4:00 Eastern.

Also other news, Jamie, the two soldiers who were brutally killed in Iraq over the weekend, I understand their bodies have arrived back here in the U.S.

MCINTYRE: Right. And as you know, the state of the bodies was such that they needed to do DNA tests to confirm what they believe is the identification of the two, Kristian Menchaca and Thomas Tucker. Their bodies were flown back to the U.S., arriving at Dover this morning for those final medical tests to make sure that there's no question about the identification.

But again, the U.S. military has every reason to believe that they recovered of those two soldiers -- Daryn.

Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon once again, 4:00 p.m. Eastern, 1:00 Pacific. You'll see that news conference live right here on CNN. Thank you.

And we'll have health news just ahead. We're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Well, you know how mom likes to give you advice. Turns out she was right when she said eat your vegetables. But if you want to stay cancer-free, some doctors now say it's not so much what you eat but how much and how often you exercise.

Judy Fortin has details on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JUDY FORTIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Colorful fruits; green, leafy vegetables and hearty whole grains and legumes have long been touted as important for cancer prevention. But Dr. Arthur Willett, Harvard nutrition specialist and co-author of "Eat, Drink and Weigh Less," says they just don't offer the big bang researchers once thought.

DR. WALTER WILLETT, HARVARD NUTRITION SPECIALIST: So far, there's not really any super food or super group of foods that's emerged for cancer prevention.

FORTIN: Dr. Willett says up to 35 percent of cancers in the U.S. are due to nutritional factors, but most of those cases are related to obesity and inactivity, not a particular diet.

WILLETT: We've known for years that obesity is strongly related to the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Even minor overweight is also a risk factor for many important cancers. s FORTIN: The American Cancer Society also says maintaining a healthy weight and being active are important for cancer prevention. It recommends limiting intake of high fat foods and alcohol, and choosing most foods from plant sources. Dr. Willett advocates a low- calorie, balanced diet.

WILLETT: A balance of healthy fats, healthy forms of carbohydrate -- meaning whole grain, high fiber forms of carbohydrate -- plenty of fruits and vegetables.

FORTIN: Dr. Willett says focusing on high quality food over quantity will go a long way toward good health.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And to get your "Daily Dose" of health news online, logon to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. The address is cnn.com/health.

Conflict in the church. Episcopalians struggle for unity after a vote on gay bishops.

And burned out and following her faith, she got out. Leaving church. An Episcopal priest talks about her journey. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: And we have a lot of international news coming up at the top of hour. Colleen McEdwards gives us a heads up on that -- Colleen.

COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Daryn. How you doing?

We're going to be following President Bush on his trip to Europe. Are attitudes towards the U.S. president changing a little bit there? We'll take a look at that.

We're also going to take a look at what life is like for ordinary Iraqis who end up working inside the heavily fortified green zone in Baghdad. Some are now saying in a private memo that they fear for their lives when they go back to their own neighborhoods. We're going to take a closer look at that.

Also, mind your manners. We're going to look at which cities in the world have been named as the most polite cities. People who are from New York may be a little surprised, a little proud. My former hometown of Toronto makes the list. We'll fill you in on who's there and who's not, and where you'll find the most mannerly people on Earth -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Looking forward to that. Might affect some future travel plans. Thank you.

Well, could one of the biggest churches in the world be splitting up? Episcopal leaders are seeking a last-minute compromise on gays. It is happening at the church's general convention, which wraps up today in Columbus, Ohio. Delegates have voted against a ban on electing openly gay bishops.

Some conservative Episcopalians have threatened to split since the 2003 election of Gene Robinson as New Hampshire bishop. Robinson is openly gay. The Episcopal Church is part of the 77-member Anglican Communion. Many of these churches broke ties with the Episcopal Church over Robinson's election, and the Anglican Communion may also feel challenged by this week's election of a woman as Episcopal Church leader. Many Anglican provinces reject female priests. The right reverend, Katharine Jefferts Schori, supports an inclusive church.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. KATHARINE JEFFERTS SCHORI, PRESIDENT BISHOP-ELECT: I believe that God welcomes all to his table, people who agree and people who disagree. And the Episcopal Church has always been a strong voice for including a variety of theologies, a variety of opinions and insisting that all of the marginalized are most especially welcome at the table.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Joining me to talk about inclusiveness and her own experience in the Episcopal Church, Barbara Brown Taylor. She has a new book out, a fascinating story of her journey of faith. It is a book called "Leaving Church." And we'll get to her own personal journey in just a moment.

First I want to get to comments on what's happening to the church now. So much to get to. First of all, there was up for a vote to put a ban on approving any more gay clergy. They put off that ban. That did not pass. Do you think that was a good move?

BARBARA BROWN TAYLOR, EPISCOPAL PRIEST: I rejoice in both the election of a woman presiding bishop and the failure of this ban. Because my life has been enriched by the ministry of women, gay and lesbian priests. But also because I look forward to the day when the church's energy is freed up to turn its attention to other, more pressing issues. .

KAGAN: Let's talk about a female leader of this church. How do you think it will affect the Episcopal Church?

TAYLOR: I have no idea. I'm not a visionary in that way. I know the first woman was ordained in the Worldwide Anglican Communion in 1944 in Hong Kong. That was Florence Li Tim-Oi. So it's been 62 years.

KAGAN: And a lot has changed. Now, you served a number of years as a female priest and only recently decided you needed to walk away, not from being a priest, but from heading up your own congregation. Why was that?

TAYLOR: It's true. It's been actually nine years that I've been a full-time teacher now. But I did make the switch in 1998. I served ten years in a big downtown Atlanta church, and then moved to the country, which is the setting for my new book. And I guess I ran out of gas. If the book is a story of my love affair with God and my finding the most direct, obvious path to pursuing that relationship, I found myself at mid-life with a conflict between my role and my soul. And it seemed like time for a time out.

KAGAN: How was it, though, being a woman and a priest in a church where that was a relatively new phenomenon? TAYLOR: It was relatively new. I was ordained in the second wave of women in 1983/'84. So people had had practice at welcoming women clergy before I ever showed up. And to tell the truth, the life of ordained ministry is so busy you don't have time to think about whether you're a man or a woman doing it.

KAGAN: You're just doing, doing, doing.

TAYLOR: You're doing, doing, doing.

KAGAN: And was it the right decision to step away? So you didn't leave the church, per se.

TAYLOR: That's very insightful. I did not leave the church, per se. The church of the title is Grace-Calvary Church in Clarksville, Georgia, a church with an address. But the larger church, the body of those walking a Christian way, I'm still very much a part of that and a part of my Episcopal Church.

KAGAN: And when you watch what is happening to the Episcopal Church, not just across the country, but as a part of a greater international community, do you see a struggle there to stay together as one?

TAYLOR: There is a struggle that is part of a long legacy: that we respect one another's autonomy under the guidance of the spirit, and yet try to stay in communion with one another. And that's 500 years old. So there is a struggle. We're a very small part of the worldwide Anglican communion, though. You're right, it's 77 million worldwide, and the American church is 2.3 million. So we're a small body.

KAGAN: And do you think it will stay together? Will it stay a part of that community?

TAYLOR: If I had a crystal ball, I would tell you.

KAGAN: Yes, you would be in a different business, I guess. Well, do you think it should?

TAYLOR: I would love for it to stay together. But I do believe these issues before us now are issues of justice, and that if there were ever a time to risk a rift, it would be now. I, again, rejoice in these decisions, but I don't rejoice in the pain they'll cause people in this country and around the world.

KAGAN: Well, so a personal -- I guess personal advice then. They're -- individually, there are going to be people -- you're going to have individual churches, you're going to have individual members of the Episcopal Church, questioning is this where they belong?

TAYLOR: True.

KAGAN: What would you suggest, as a priest, what people should consider if this is the place that they belong as a place of worship? TAYLOR: My answer will be shaped by my membership in the Episcopal Church, which is a communion that's not based on doctrine. Our book is the Book of Common Prayer, and not a book of common doctrine. So my staying a part of that church is based on the premise that what brings us together is our prayers, our worship, our kneeling, standing, singing before God, and not our agreement on beliefs and doctrines. So out of that comes my deep hope that we can stay together and pray together.

KAGAN: It is an interesting time to see how the church unfolds here in the U.S. and across the world.

Barbara Brown Taylor. Once again, the book is called "Leaving Church." Good luck with that, and thank you for sharing your story here on CNN in print.

TAYLOR: Thanks for having me.

KAGAN: Thank you. Appreciate it.

It's one of those issues that a lot of people are talking about, but not everyone agrees on -- immigration. Now you can share your thoughts with the federal government. We're going to tell you how that's going to happen, just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Two important news conferences coming up very soon, one out of Tallahassee, Florida where we expect to learn more about a different situation there. Federal agents showed up there earlier today to arrest six guards at this federal prison in Tallahassee. They were going to be indicted -- they had been indicted on corruption charges that allege they brought in drug contraband as part of a sex ring where they were having sex with female prisoner there. But when the federal agents showed up, one of the guard opened fire. Two people were killed, including one of the federal agents and one of the guards that was about to be arrested. A third person was shot. That news conference expected shortly out of Tallahassee.

Then at 4:00 p.m. Eastern, 1:00 p.m., a news conference from Camp Pendleton, in Southern California, with news that a number of Marines, seven Marines and a sailor, are expected to be charged in connection with the alleged killing of an Iraqi in that village of Hamdaniya. This happened on April 26th, and the allegation is that Marines pulled an unarmed Iraqi man from his home and shot him to death without provocation. So that's coming out of Camp Pendleton in about four hours. We will listen in for that as well.

A new and unexpected move in the battle over immigration. Republican House leaders say they will hold a series of hearings around the country this summer on immigration reform. The decision means it's highly unlikely that lawmakers will reach a compromise bill on the hot button issue this year. President Bush is pushing for major policy changes, but House and Senate lawmakers are far apart on details. Many house Republicans oppose the Senate's bill, which includes guest worker and citizenship provisions. Well, you love golf, how about this? The world's hotspot teeing off in the shadow of an erupting volcano. Talk about pressure. Intrepid golfers are enjoying this spectacular view as Indonesia's Mt. Merapi spews steam and ash. The Merapi golf course is one of the area's biggest tourist attractions. Most visitors are staying away right now, though. So are thousands of residents. They've been evacuated since the volcano became active back in April. Talk about a sand trap.

I'm Daryn Kagan. International news is up next. Stay tuned for "YOUR WORLD TODAY. And then I'll be back with the latest headlines from the U.S. in about 20 minutes.

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