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CNN LIVE SUNDAY

Dramatic Rescue in Dangerous New Mexico River; Young Man Listening to iPod Struck by Lightning in Colorado; Russian Jet Skids out of Control, Kills 124 Passengers; U.S. Wants World Leaders to Send Pyongyang Clear United Message About Missile Tests

Aired July 9, 2006 - 16:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Swept away and fighting for his life. We'll show you the dramatic river rescue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's what's left of the earphones. Here's the plug-in to the iPod. Apparently this is what goes in your ears.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And he was wearing that. It wasn't loud music that fried his iPod. I'll talk to the lucky teen and get the shocking story, plus, laughing out loud with the lord.

Hello and welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. All that and more after this check of the headlines.

New charges against U.S. troops. Five soldiers have been charged with an atrocity in Mahmoudiya, Iraq. Four with participating in the rape and murder of a young Iraqi girl and her family. A fifth for not reporting it. They are accused of conspiring with former private Steven Green. He's been arrested and charged with rape and murder in civilian court.

New terrors in Iraq today. Gunmen slaughtered dozens of Sunni Muslims in western Baghdad. Police say the attackers checked resident I.D.'s to distinguish between Sunnis and Shiites.

More diplomatic maneuvers today on North Korea. U.S. envoy Christopher Hill is trying to get all the Asian allies on the same page before the U.N. Security Council considers sanctioning North Korea for its missile test. China remains the wildcard. It has close ties to Pyongyang and veto power on the security council.

A Siberian jet skidded off a slick runway and crashed in eastern Russia, 124 people were killed. Dozens of others injured. A full report on the crash in 14 minutes.

First, the shameful details of alleged abuse by U.S. troops in Iraq. Today the military is charging that a group of American soldiers conspired to rape a young woman and ended up committing a gruesome multiple murder. It happened in March in the town of Mahmoudiya.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD (voice-over): Five active duty soldiers are facing charges in connection with the rape and murder of an Iraqi girl and the murder of three of her family members last March in Mahmoudiya. Four are accused of participating in the rape and murders, while another faces charges for not reporting the incident.

The U.S. military says all five are accused of conspiring with former private Steven D. Green to commit the attacks. Green was charged with rape and murder in a civilian court last week. Prosecutors say Green raped and killed the young woman whose age has varied from 14 to 25 in different reports as well as killing three members of her family, including a girl of around five-year-sold. Green has pled not guilty to the charges. Senator Richard Lugar says he's confident the truth will be found.

SEN. RICHARD LUGAR (R), INDIANA: The fact that the military is proceeding with American justice is also a very strong point in our favor.

WHITFIELD: But American justice isn't enough for Iraq's fledgling government. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has called for review of the immunity status for coalition troops under Iraqi law. However a spokesman for the U.S. State Department says agreements in place for American soldiers overseas won't change.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we obviously want those agreements to be respected.

WHITFIELD: A U.S. defense official says the newly charged soldiers are under watch at their base in Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Unidentified senior marines are singled out in a probe into civilian killings in Haditha, Iraq. A Pentagon report says the report concludes that senior marine leaders failed to properly investigate charges, that two dozen Iraqi civilians were killed by U.S. troops. The source says by failing to investigate, higher-ups in the second marine division may have been negligent and could be held accountable.

These are, perhaps the two most prominent investigations involving the U.S. military and deaths of Iraqis. Joining us from Washington to talk about how the military judicial process will proceed, Eugene Fidell. He's president of the National Institute of Military Justice and is a military law attorney. Good to see you.

EUGENE FIDELL, MILITARY LAW ATTORNEY: Nice to see you.

WHITFIELD: Well on the Mahmoudiya incident, six charged in all. How complicated can this be given that one of them will be tried in civilian court and the others in military court?

FIDELL: Oh, it's going to be a real complicating factor because you are going to have at least two trials here, one in a completely different courthouse. You don't know how many military trials -- by the way, if any, since nobody's actually been formally through the pretrial investigation process. But you don't know how many separate military trials there might be. So you might have two. You might have six different trials going on. And each of these people is going to get a lot of lawyering and it's going to be a very interesting chapter in American legal history, I think.

WHITFIELD: Well if there are trials say in the military end of it and perhaps during any kind of pretrial motions, how will this collaboration take place, meaning the sharing of evidence?

FIDELL: I am sure that the Department of Justice and the U.S. attorney's office will be working closely with the lawyers for the army. They are going to have common investigative tools, I'm confident. They're going to be sharing evidence. And on the other side of the aisle, there are going to be defense counsel, probably a public defender in the federal district court case, and military defense counsel, maybe some civilians in the courts marshal.

WHITFIELD: The Mahmoudiya and the Haditha cases perhaps might be the most notable or more prominent cases that are being involved in -- investigated that is, involving U.S. soldiers. Do you think that these investigations will also open the floodgates to other investigations where there are allegations that U.S. soldiers may have killed or abused Iraqi citizens?

FIDELL: I don't see a floodgates problem happening, but I think we are going to get a lot more information about what cases are in the pipeline, what cases are still in the investigative process. One of the things that we're going to do at the National Institute of Military Justice is try to get up a national court-martialed data docket project, so that people will be able to tell with a few mouse clicks which cases are in the system and what they involve.

WHITFIELD: All right Eugene Fidell, thank you so much.

FIDELL: My privilege.

WHITFIELD: Well today in Iraq, another blow to the hope that the new government might quickly stabilize the country. CNN's Nic Robertson has the story from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well the attacks began early in the day in a predominantly Sunni neighborhood in the west of Baghdad. Emergency police here say four to six car loads of gunmen were touring the area, stopping people on the streets, asking to see their identification papers, reading their names on those documents.

If they had a Sunni name, then they were killed. If they had a Shia name, then they were allowed to carry on and go about the rest of their day. One eyewitness in the area reported seeing piles of bodies in the road close to his house. He saw three bodies piled up near a bus stop. The Iraqi Islamic party, moderate Sunni political party says one of its politicians was killed. They say they know of an Iraqi family where the mother was killed, then the children chased in the house by the gunmen. Those children then killed.

The reports coming from the Iraqi police, 42 people total, killed in these apparent sectarian attacks, the targeting on a sectarian basis. All Sunnis killed, men, women, children, old men, old women among dead.

In an apparent tit for tat killing later in the day, two bombs went off in a Shia market, in a small Shia neighborhood in a larger Sunni dominated area. Nineteen people killed there, 59 wounded in that particular attack. It's been a weekend of sectarian violence. A Shia mosque on Saturday night targeted, 12 people killed, 18 wounded in that bombing. A Sunni mosque targeted on Friday night. In total over this weekend, more than 70 people killed in what appears to be the biggest spate of sectarian violence here for quite some time. Nic Robertson, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Phone calls from the White House, meeting overseas, and critical talks at the U.N., all of it triggered by one threat, North Korea's nuclear capabilities and intentions. The U.S. wants world leaders to send Pyongyang a clear united message about its recent missile tests. Joining us live from the White House with the latest, CNN's Kathleen Koch. Kathleen?

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka. No explanation or no I should say reaction from the White House right now to North Korea's latest explanation, where last week's missile tests calling them, quote, "routine military exercises aimed at improving its ability to defend itself."

Also no reaction to an implied threat from North Korea's ambassador to Australia, who in an article, in a Melbourne newspaper, warns that North Korea would have, quote, "no option but to take," quote, "stronger physical action of other forms, should any country take issue with the exercises."

And of course, plenty of them do -- among them Japan. Japan right now is circulating a strongly worded resolution in the United Nations that would impose sanctions against North Korea. The United States, Great Britain and France support that while Russia and China continue to resist. The U.S. envoy Christopher Hill has been making the rounds of east Asian capitals to rally support for a united response. U.S. officials are upbeat about the chances of success in the U.N., particularly with China now sending its own delegation today to date to meet with North Korea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICHOLAS BURNS, STATE DEPARTMENT: I think you will see, over the course of the next couple of days, when we get the results of this Chinese delegation to Pyongyang, I think you'll then see us want to move ahead in New York at the Security Council. We hope that China and Russia are going to support this resolution. This resolution essentially backs up and substantiates everything that we, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea and the United States have been trying to do to send a strong signal to the North Koreans that the time has come to return to the negotiating table.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Now President Bush refuses to engage in one-on-one talks with Pyongyang, instead insisting that North Korea return to the six- party talks it have installed now for several months. The pressure is increasing on the part of Democrats to try direct talks again. Many of them point out that the current policy of isolationism has only allowed North Korea to strengthen its nuclear capabilities. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Kathleen Koch at the White House, thanks so much.

Coming up, an exclusive interview with the U.S. envoy holding talks on North Korea overseas. We will tell you what he had to say about the North Korean threat and the critical role China could play in all of this.

From political hardball to the real thing, President Bush made an unannounced appearance at last night's game between the Washington Nationals and the San Diego Padres. Keeping him company, First Lady Laura Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez. They didn't help the home team. The Nationals lost 5-2.

A horrific plane crash overseas. Find out why so many children were victims of this tragedy. And a life and death situation in the raging waters of a New Mexico gully. And it's all caught on tape. Plus, he was listening to his iPod when lightning struck. This teen will join me live to talk about what happened next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A treacherous runway made worse by rain. A Russian jet skids out of control, bursting into flames, 124 passengers were killed, dozens were injured. Russia's president is calling for a national day of mourning tomorrow. Aviation investigators are examining the plane's black boxes. More now from Matthew Chance.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Recorded on amateur video, the fiery aftermath of Russia's latest air catastrophe. The ill-fated Airbus A-310 was carrying more than 200 people from Moscow to Irkutsk. Many of the passengers were children on a school trip. Emergency workers were quick on the scene and described the chaos.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We saw the plane burning, petro tanks were exploding. The plane crashed into private garages and damaged them. Something was exploding in the garages. It must have been petro. The plane itself was on fire. A lot of people with guns were running around, but we concentrated on those lying on the ground.

CHANCE: It seems to have been an uneventful flight until the aircraft touched down in Irkutsk, five time zones from Moscow. On the runway, the Siberian airlines aircraft failed to stop, overshooting the tarmac, plowing into a concrete fence and the building at a terrific speed before bursting into flames.

Incredibly, dozens survived the inferno, including six children and three crew members. Most are now hospitalized with severe burns.

A few passengers like Margarita Svetlova (ph) were able to throw themselves from the aircraft and escape the horror. "I was so scared," she says, "I heard the people screaming and saw how they burned, so I just ran and jumped out."

Siberian Airlines has a relatively good reputation in Russia but it's had more than its fair share of tragedies, too. In 2001, one of its airliners was accidentally shot down by a missile over Ukraine, killing all 78 on board. Three years later, in 2004, another Sibir aircraft was blown up by a suspected Chechen suicide bomber.

Investigators in the latest crash say the black box flight recorders have already been retrieved and they soon hope to know what caused the catastrophe this time.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Back in this country, dramatic rescue video from New Mexico. A rain-swollen gully and a raging current, a dangerous combination for a 15-year-old. He was swept away. Sasha Andrade with affiliate KOAT talks us through the tense moments as he was plucked from the water.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a man floating down the river.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of a sudden he just popped underneath the water.

SASHA ANDRADE, KOAT REPORTER (voice-over): Witnesses say it was all happening so fast, a 15-year-old boy dragged along the arroyo by raging waters. This is video you'll only see on seven, rescue workers spot the boy and think they'll be able to rescue him, but then.

EDDIE GUTIERREZ, RESCUE WORKER: The two meet right here, there's a certain point in the middle there where he went underwater.

ANDRADE: Here is that moment captured on camera. He slips under the water and doesn't come back up. Crews work frantically to find him, hoping that all is not lost. All eyes remain on the rapid water, searching for a glimpse of the victim.

GUTIERREZ: That's where he popped out close to me. We threw a rope in front of him, and luckily he was able to grab it from there.

ANDRADE: After that intense moment, the 15-year-old is pulled out of the arroyo and into safety. Amazingly, he's going to be OK. Some might call his rescuer a hero, but he says it was all in the line of duty.

GUTIERREZ: It's just doing our job, you know. Anybody else in another station would have done it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And thank goodness they did. That was Sasha Andrade from affiliate KOAT.

Well who needs a shock jock when there's lightening in the air? Next, I'll speak with the young man who had an iPod experience he will never forget.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In news across America, three suspected human smugglers are behind bars after taking the Coast Guard on this wild chase off the Florida coast. The Coast Guard says their boat was dangerously overcrowded with 31 Cuban migrants. Among them, a severely injured woman who later died. An autopsy is being performed today.

Police are still investigating what caused an elderly man to drive his car into a crowd at a festival in Connecticut. Twenty-seven people were hurt. In the crowd at the time, Senator Joseph Lieberman's Democratic challenger. Ned Lamont wasn't hurt, but three staffers suffered injuries.

And incredible pictures out of Golden, Colorado. Look at that. A huge boulder smashed into a car. Luckily no one was inside. It belonged to a rock climber who was shocked when he saw what little was left. Recent rains are believed to have triggered the slide.

And you've probably heard it before. Thunderstorms and electronics, not a good mix. Well a week ago this Colorado teen was listening to his iPod as he mowed his lawn when he was struck by lightning. Well scientists say there isn't any proof the electronics attract lightning, they can be a conductor.

Thankfully Jason Bunch survived the strike and he's joining us now from Denver. Good to see you, Jason.

JASON BUNCH, SURVIVED LIGHTNING STRIKE: Hi Fredricka, how are you?

WHITFIELD: Wow, talk about the shock of your life.

BUNCH: Yes, ma'am. WHITFIELD: Tell me what happened, you were mowing the lawn and then what?

BUNCH: Well I saw the storm, looked to me about 10 miles to the north of my house, so I figured I could get the lawn done. And next thing I remember is waking up in my bedroom. I don't remember the time, but waking up with blood coming out of my ears.

WHITFIELD: You're kidding.

BUNCH: No, ma'am.

WHITFIELD: And then here you are, you know, laying down, you wake up and you are told what happened? And apparently you have a little evidence of what your experience was like?

BUNCH: Yes, ma'am. Well my parents were actually 1,000 miles away in Illinois at the time and I called my mom when I woke up, not understanding what was going on. And then the neighbors called the house and then they called 911. And it's all -- my memory is still very fuzzy at the time, but --

WHITFIELD: And so how are you feeling right now after being struck by lightening?

BUNCH: Surprisingly, I feel pretty good, other than my hearing being damaged and some slight burns across my body, I actually feel pretty good.

WHITFIELD: Really? So what are you told your recovery is going to be like for your hearing?

BUNCH: My hearing -- my left ear is not too bad, but my right ear, we're not quite sure if it will come back or not.

WHITFIELD: So you had your iPod ear plugs in your ears, you were listening to your music and something acted as a conductor, or something attracted this lightening bolt. We're looking at videotape of your iPod. I understand you brought some of the items that were damaged, which is also evidence of what you went through?

BUNCH: Yes, ma'am. Well these here -- these pieces of green thread is basically what's left of the classic iPod white head phones.

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh.

BUNCH: And the iPod here, basically just blown. It doesn't work at all any more. And then my T-shirt is -- just showed kind of how fried I got. It's just a plain white cotton T-shirt.

WHITFIELD: And so just looking at this stuff, whether it be now or when it happened, how amazed are you that you actually survived this kind of bolt?

BUNCH: I am extremely surprised, because all the doctors keep telling me I am not supposed to be here, I shouldn't have survived something like this.

WHITFIELD: And so the lesson learned out of all of this?

BUNCH: Keep your cell phones and iPods off when you see lightening anywhere near you.

WHITFIELD: Well good advice and we're so glad that you are able to share your story and have a good sense of humor about it all in the end.

BUNCH: Well, thank you.

WHITFIELD: And good luck to you and no mowing the lawn when thunderstorms are rolling in any more.

BUNCH: Yes. Thank you, ma'am.

WHITFIELD: All right Jason, good to talk to you.

BUNCH: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Well, the U.S. envoy in Asia tells us what he's doing to try to ease a conflict with North Korea. Also what one of the shuttle astronauts has to say about his walk in space and much of the world has its eye on today's World Cup final. We will check out how fans in France and Italy are reacting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi everyone, I'm Reynolds Wolf with a look at today's allergy report. And if you happen to be in the big bend area of Texas, southern California or even Northern Plains and Central Plains, you are going to be breathing easy today. It will be a whole different story though in the Central Plains out to the West Coast and into the ArkLaTex region. You're going to be sniffing and sneezing and blowing your nose. All right folks, that's a look at your allergy report.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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