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American Morning

Fatal Train Derailment in Valencia, Spain; Taliban Offensive Still Raging in Afghanistan

Aired July 03, 2006 - 09:30   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CO-HOST: Coming up, the director of "The Sixth Sense" is back with a new flick. But will audiences warm up to the baby in the water? Our summer movie preview just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MILES O'BRIEN, CO-HOST: A little bit of breaking space shuttle news. And we say "breaking" with two meanings in this case. Engineers inspecting the Space Shuttle Discovery in the wake of those two launch attempts over the weekend that were thwarted by bad weather discovered on the base of the mobile launch platform -- there you see the Space Shuttle Discovery from yesterday there -- and that gray device that it sits on top of, they found a small piece of that orange insulating foam from the external fuel tank. That got them to looking at that tank a little more closely. As they did they discovered a four to five-inch crack in the so-called intertank region.

That is right about just south of where the nose of the shuttle sits, half-way between the liquid oxygen tank, which is in the top part of the shuttle's tank -- there are actually two tanks inside. Liquid hydrogen is down there. This is the intertank region as they call it. And there is a little pipe here, not in this model, there's a pipe. And apparently there's crack in that region there.

What happens is when this it lowed up -- you know, liquid hydrogen is the coldest substance known to man, minus 400 degrees, causes all kinds of flexing. Any astronaut you've talked to who has been out there on a fully fueled shuttle says it just positively creeks and moans. And a concern, of course, has been this falling foam and the possibility for falling foam. They found this crack. Now they're trying to decide what to do about it, meeting as we speak.

Let's go back to the last Discovery launch a year ago. You'll recall happened. Not too long after launch a fairly significant piece of external foam fell off the fuel tank. There is goes. Did you see that? There is it goes. Harmlessly falling, fortunately.

Two-and-a-half years earlier, in the case of the space shuttle "Columbia," a piece of foam about the same weight, fell off, hit the leading edge of the wing, caused a fatal breach in that heat shield killing the crew of seven, 16 days later when they came back to earth. So, falling foam remaining a huge issue for the space shuttle team. We'll let you know how this affects the intended launch tomorrow at 2:38 p.m. Eastern, as soon as we know about it -- Carol. COSTELLO: We're also following a developing story out of Spain in the city of Valencia. A subway train has derailed. Officials say at least 30 people have died, 150 others have been evacuated. Some of them are seriously injured. No word on what caused the train to derail but they don't think it is terrorism at this point.

The Israeli government rejecting an ultimatum from Palestinian militants holding an Israeli soldier hostage. The group ordered Israel to begin releasing Palestinian prisoners by tomorrow morning or face consequences.

The CIA has confirmed a new audio message posted on the internet from Osama bin Laden is indeed authentic. The al-Qaeda leader calls for Sunni Muslims to fight Shiite Muslims in Iraq and he endorses that country's new al-Qaeda leader.

Mexico's presidential election on hold. Electoral officials say it's too close to call. An official count will begin on Wednesday. Until then both candidates are claiming victory.

A shutdown and showdown in New Jersey, most state offices closed there today. The legislature and governor still miles apart on a budget, the government shutting down all but essential services.

Rapper Lil' Kim, she got out of prison in Philly earlier this morning. Lil' Kim, who's real name is Kimberly Jones served nearly 10 months on a perjury conviction.

Movie critic Roger Ebert is recovering this morning after emergency surgery. Doctors say he had a complication after an earlier cancer operation. Ebert's wife says it may be some time before he is giving his signature "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" for movie reviews, but he is doing pretty good this morning.

Let's check on the forecast. Head down to Atlanta, check in with Chad.

Good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Thank you very much, Chad Myers. See you in just a little bit.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban offensive is still raging. U.S.-led forces are clashing with insurgents in the southern part of that country. The military confirming an attack earlier this morning. Barbara Starr watching things from the Pentagon.

Good morning, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you Miles. Well, now almost daily firefights especially across southern Afghanistan. In the latest report, the military is saying that they killed up to 20 extremists earlier today in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan after they were attacked -- the coalition forces were attacked with small arms an mortar fire. Two coalition forces were wounded in this attack. But listen to how it all unfolded.

The coalition U.S. Forces had just completed a cordon and search operation, they'd been out on patrol, they came under attack, they returned fire. And as that firefight unfolded, they extremists, potential Taliban, then launched another attack with a second group of fighters.

All of this coming just a day after in Kandahar yesterday, also in southern Afghanistan, a U.S. Army Apache helicopter crashed at the Kandahar airfield. Now one service member was killed in that crash, another was wounded. The U.S. is saying it does not believe the Apache crashed due to enemy gunfire, but that they were responding to an attack on the airfield at the time. Sources are saying that it's not entirely clear everybody that they're coming into contact with are actually members of the Taliban.

There's a lot of criminal activity down there, a lot of the drug, the poppy trade, but coalition commanders are also saying that they are seeing fighters, Miles, in southern Afghanistan with more command and control, more organization, and fighting in larger groups, larger numbers, than the U.S. might have expected -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Meanwhile, on kind of another front, but sort of on the same theme, an explosion at the university in Herat. Tells us about that one.

STARR: Miles, this is now becoming very reminiscent, of course, of what is going on in Iraq. Afghans, like Iraqi civilians suffering as these wars go on. In western Afghanistan in Herat, eight coeds were injured in an explosion at the Herat University, according to sources, there as you see, the aftermath there. These were students that were learning English and local police are saying this bomb at Herat University was one planted by extremists who do not want to see Afghan women get an education -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right. The Taliban resurgent in Afghanistan. Barbara Starr who has been there many times knows an awful lot about that. Thank you very much.

Coming up next on our program, we're going to give you an update on that subway accident, coastal city of Valencia, Spain, on the Mediterranean coast. A derailment with 30 dead, we're told it is an accident. Authorities believe that at this moment, but we're get some more information on all of this and check in with a journalistic the scene in just a moment. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: We got a developing story, some breaking news coming to us from Valencia, Spain. That's about 220 miles east of Madrid on the coast of the Mediterranean, where this morning, we are told, a subway train in the center of the city derailed. About 700 or 800 people involved in that train accident, but we are told right now upwards of 30 people dead, perhaps more than 20 seriously injured. Those numbers are guaranteed to change, but let's try to get a handle on what exactly has happened there. So far, the authorities indicating this is an accident, but to get some more information we go Enrique Pallas, who is Valencia's television station there, TVE.

Mr. Pallas, good to have you with us on the phone. First of all, do you know at this point what authorities are saying about the number of dead and the number of injured?

ENRIQUE PALLAS, TVE REPORTER: Hello, good afternoon from Valencia. Well, the numbers that you just talked about, 30 people have died in this accident according to the authorities, more than 200, 250 approximately, passengers have been injured and moved to the general hospital here in Valencia.

O'BRIEN: All right. And do we know the early indications are that this was a terrible accident. Why do authorities believe that is? Is there some suspicion there might be terrorism involved?

PALLAS: Well, the option of the terrorism was speculated at the beginning of the information because as you know, the pope, Benedictine, is coming to Valencia this same weekend, so maybe the speculation talked about terrorist action again the subway of Valencia, but the authorities talked about an accident because of the council of the central station in Valencia, the consults, all the trains that take place against Valencia and they talked about an accident because of a wheel had broken off this train. It crashed against the wall and then the wall came down over the train and caused the accident.

O'BRIEN: Oh, I see. So they have a fairly specific indication, pretty early in the game here, as to what they think happened. The pope is due there on Saturday for two-day world meeting of families and that would raise some questions about that. Tell us about what authorities are doing right now on the scene, have they gotten everybody out of there, first of all?

PALLAS: Well, we are still waiting for some information about the people that may have come out of the place of the accident. Those 200, 250, approximately, injured people have been taken to different hospitals in Valencia. The 30 bodies have been taken to a bigger place to detect about and they are now checking out inside the accident place, the place that the accident took place to see if there are any people trapped inside the underground, there are any people trapped inside the station, so we still cannot talk about if there are many people or any people trapped inside this station.

O'BRIEN: And this is a big station in the center of the city, probably would find an awful lot of students there, for example. Just give us a sense of precisely where this happened and how many people would likely have been on the platform, for example, when this happened.

PALLAS: OK. Fortunately, now in Valencia there's not many students because of the, well the -- well the processes (ph) have been closed down and there are not many students going out and using the subway, fortunately. But, still the time where the accident took place, about 2:00 in the evening, in the afternoon, it's a time here in Valencia where people get out of their respective jobs and go to their houses to have lunch, so many people, many hundreds of people, use the subway, the underground in Valencia, to go to their homes and this is a very important station.

Just in the center of the city in Jesus Street (ph), it's called the way, just in the center of Valencia, maybe 800, 900 people use this train, maybe in an hour's place. So, it took place very near to the station, so maybe not only the people that were inside the train got involved, but also the people that were in the station got involved in the accident. We have to say that the accident did not take place just in the station, but just a few meters before inside a tunnel. So, fortunately, not -- the people that were waiting for the train in the station were involved in the accident. If this would have happened it would be much worse.

O'BRIEN: Enrique Pallas with the Valencia television outlet, TVE, thank you for your time -- Carol.

COSTELLO: "CNN Live Today" coming up next. Daryn I'm sure going to have more on that big train accident in Spain. What else are you working on?

DARYN KAGAN, CHH ANCHOR: That we will, all the breaking news, also including the latest on the shuttle. And we're also, though, on the lighter note, we are a showing our holiday spirit a day early here on "Live Today."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: It was part of the soundtrack of a generation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: You'll meet the original "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" from Company B.

And I'll talk live with "Seinfeld" actor, Jason Alexander he's hosting this year's Capitol Fourth on the mall in Washington. That's tomorrow night, and hold on...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: The feeling of your stomach dropping out is a great feeling.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: How funny is that? Gary Tuchman takes us on a stomach churning roller coaster ride.

And speaking of stomach churning I will talk to this man, he is America's best hope for the Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest, tomorrow. Go USA!

Rah rah rah! COSTELLO: Just ask him why. Why?

KAGAN: I enjoy hot dogs.

COSTELLO: Yeah, but not that much.

KAGAN: Yeah, exactly. Everything in moderation.

COSTELLO: Exactly. Bye, Daryn.

KAGAN: You bet.

COSTELLO: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, the "A.M." in "AM Pop" today stands for ahoy, maties. Johnny Depp's back to take over the box office in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest." Find out if you should fork over your hard-earned debooms (ph) to see it. That's next in "A.M. Pop."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: In this morning's "A.M. Pop" a new batch of hot summer movies. Bradley Jacobs from "United States Weekly" is here with a preview of what Hollywood has in store to this month, and it's a lot.

BRADLEY JACOBS, "US WEEKLY": Absolutely. Summer is just getting started in Hollywood.

COSTELLO: I am psyched about this! And I'm really psyched about the Johnny Depp movie, "Pirates of the Caribbean II."

JACOBS: Two, exactly. All the same people are back, the same cast: Johnny, Kyra Knightly, Orlando Bloom, the same director, the same screen writers, picks up where the first one left off. The first one was the biggest hit of Johnny's career, Johnny got an Oscar nomination, which he'd never had before. After all the weird left of center movies that Johnny depp has done over the years he's basically emerged as a Disney star. And this movie, you know, really delivers. Kyra and Orlando take their relationship to the next level, they're trying to get married, but Johnny depp pulls them into his latest adventures.

COSTELLO: Aren't you giving too much away?

JACOBS: Well, we've already done it so -- no, not too much. Not too much.

COSTELLO: Owen Wilson, he's in a new comedy this year. He was in a big hit last year, "Wedding Crasher."

JACOBS: Right.

COSTELLO: Will this match up to that?

JACOBS: This is called "You, Me and Dupree" and he co-stars with Matt Dillon and Kate Hudson. Matt and Kate play a recently married couple and Owen is their best man, this kind of fun-loving lay-about named Dupree who moves in with them and basically destroys their lives. It's directed by some of the people behind "Arrested Development," so we'll see if it does emerge as one of the big comedies of the latter part of the summer.

COSTELLO: I don't know, it sounds sort of recycled to me. But perhaps I'm wrong. Because you know Hollywood never does that.

Uma Thurman is in a strange movie and I'm trying to wrap my mind around it but I just can't at this moment.

JACOBS: Well, everyone wants to be a superhero these days. Of course we have "Superman Returns," everyone's talking about Brandon Routh, so Uma Thurman gets her chance to be a superhero in "My Super Ex-Girlfriend."

COSTELLO: She's a spurned woman, though.

JACOBS: Well, that's how the movie starts. At the beginning she is dissed by her boyfriend, Luke Wilson, brother of Owen Wilson -- they have two movies coming out, two separate weekends -- so she's dissed. He says that she's too needy. So then she uses her heretofore hidden superpowers to make his life miserable and she emerges as this incredibly glamorous superhero, herself.

COSTELLO: Wow! How unusual.

OK. This one I'm pretty excited about because I like scary movies. It's a thriller. And it's supposed to be not as scary as other movies, this particular director has made.

JACOBS: Right. The latest one M. Night Shyamalan it's called "Lady in the Water." He's the same guy who did "The Sixth Sense," "Unbreakable," "The Village," all those movies with that crazy catch ending that everyone got used to. So, this one's a little different, it's catered to a little bit of a younger audience. It's based on a bedtime story that he wrote for his daughters. He turned it into a movie.

It stars Paul Giamatti and Bryce Dallas Howard, Ron Howard's daughter, and she plays a sort of nymph, like a mermaid who Paul Giamatti, a janitor, discovers in a pool one night. So, kind of goes from there. We're not -- I'm not sure if it's as scary as the first ones. Probably just as creepy, you're already in stitches.

COSTELLO: I find nymphs very scary, just sounded funny to me. All right, let's move along to the next "Miami Vice."

JACOBS: "Miami Vice." what hasn't been said about this movie? This is, of course, Jamie Foxx and Collin Farrell playing the Crockett and Tubbs characters from the very famous mid '80s show. What's interesting is that that show was created by Michael Mann 20 years ago and Michael Mann has returned to direct this movie after all these years.

There has been a lot written about this movie. Apparently there was a lot of ego clashing on the set, some budget problems, we'll see if the movie ends up, you know, being worth it for the studio, because there -- it seems, reportedly, to have been a little bit of a problem for them. But who knows? Audiences might really like it.

COSTELLO: (INAUDIBLE) Thank you, Bradley Jacobs, as usual.

JACOBS: Thank you, Carol.

O'BRIEN: Coming up at the top of the hour, the fourth is a good time to declare your financial independence. We invite you to know your rights. Gerri Willis takes a look in your "Top 5 Tips." And then there's this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wouldn't come if they shut the casinos down, no, not -- I wouldn't come. It'd be a waste of time. Everybody wants to come down and see if they can get lucky.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Oh, yes, they play for keeps in New Jersey. A high- stakes budget crisis shuts down government offices all across the Garden State and the casinos could be in the crosshairs of all of this.

More AMERICAN MORNING right after this.

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