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American Morning

Were They Killed for Revenge?; Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in Afghanistan

Aired July 11, 2006 - 08:00   ET

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

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Were they killed for revenge? Insurgents post a new Internet message explaining the deaths of two American soldiers in Iraq.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in Afghanistan this morning, as U.S.-led forces take aim on the Taliban, trying to stop their advances.

S. O'BRIEN: Diplomacy being given a chance in Asia. The top U.S. negotiator is now meeting with Chinese officials over North Korea's missile tests.

M. O'BRIEN: More big trouble for Boston's big dig. A tunnel ceiling crashes down, a woman is dead and a major artery shut down.

S. O'BRIEN: And preparing for severe weather means more than just boarding up your windows. You have to be ready for what comes afterward. We'll learn more in our Prepare and Protect series, just ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.

Welcome back, everybody.

I'm Soledad O'Brien.

M. O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien.

Thanks for being with us.

More violence in Iraq today, offering more proof of sectarian rivalry and an active insurgency undermining efforts to bring peace and bring U.S. troops home.

In Baghdad, gunmen attacked a bus driving through a Sunni neighborhood. The passengers Shiites on their way to a funeral. Ten killed there. Just outside the green zone, a suicide bomber blew up his car near a restaurant popular with Iraqi police forces. Five died there. And an Iraqi diplomat kidnapped today driving near his home in Baghdad.

Insurgents are saying two American soldiers were killed for revenge. That claim comes in a gruesome new video on the Internet, which we're not going to show u. It supposedly shows the mutilated bodies of two soldiers killed last month. The insurgents say it was revenge for the alleged rape and murder of a girl and the killing of her family, as well, by U.S. soldiers in the same brigade in March.

CNN's Nic Robertson live now from Baghdad with more -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, the banner on this gruesome videotape says that they've decided to show this video of the bodies of the two American soldiers, they claim, to avenge the dishonor on their sister by soldiers of the same brigade.

Now, this seems to be in direct reference to the alleged rape of Abeer al-Janabi back in March in the town of Mahmudiyah.

What is interesting is that the public awareness, the public knowledge of the alleged rape did not happen until after these soldiers were actually kidnapped. This is a videotape that claims to be from al Qaeda. We have no way of proving that it is from al Qaeda. It runs clips from Osama bin Laden's latest message calling for attacks on U.S. soldiers. It runs clips from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the former al Qaeda leader killed at the beginning of June, again, urging people to attack American troops.

But this videotape itself is being released, according to Al Qaeda in Iraq, to avenge the alleged rape of Abeer al-Janabi -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: The timing on all of this is very interesting, Nic. And it's hard to really figure out whether, in fact, this was a revenge killing or not.

ROBERTSON: It is very difficult, Miles.

Is this a piece of opportunistic propaganda from the insurgents? Did al Qaeda actually carry out the killing of these soldiers?

When you look at the videotape, the video is very, very shaky. Look at the videotape of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al Qaeda leader, very professionally shot.

Could this really be the same organization?

Did al Qaeda buy this tape from another group of insurgents and put their name on it?

The other major question here is that this is claimed to be a revenge attack and killing. But the public knowledge of the alleged rape did not happen until after these soldiers were killed.

Did these insurgents really know? Did they have other information from other sources? The U.S. military says it has no indication that the two events, the killing and abduction of the two soldiers and the alleged rape have any connection -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Nic Robertson in Baghdad, thank you very much -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: U.S.-led troops clashing with Taliban fighters in Afghanistan again this morning. As many as 30 insurgents were killed by coalition troops and Afghan security forces. They raided a suspected Taliban stronghold in the southern village of Sangin. There were no coalition casualties, though a helicopter was destroyed.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the raids are a way to put pressure on emboldened Taliban forces in southern Afghanistan. He made those remarks during an unannounced visit to Kabul this morning.

Secretary Rumsfeld also said more needs to be done to slow the drug trade in Afghanistan.

And a new Defense Department memo could result in a major change in the way detainees are Guantanamo Bay are being dealt with.

CNN's Barbara Starr live at the Pentagon with more on that this morning -- hey, Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.

Well, news of this memo just now coming to light. The Pentagon has now put a memo out saying that all detainees under U.S. military custody now will, for the first time, be granted the privileges of something called Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions. That means all detainees in military custody will get those full protections of the Geneva Conventions for the first time, regarding humane treatment and other legal rights. And that now includes, of course, al Qaeda detainees.

A lot of legal sorting out here to be done. But what it does do, for the first time, is give al Qaeda those protections. That is something the Bush administration had not wanted to do, had not wanted to recognize al Qaeda as being legally subject to the Geneva Conventions, though it always said that the U.S. was in compliance with that.

All of this today, Soledad, coming in advance of a Senate hearing about that recent Supreme Court ruling saying that the administration's process for trying the detainees at these military commissions was legally insufficient.

So the administration, the Pentagon, if you will, getting a bit ahead of the curve, saying that it made this move so it would be in better compliance with the Supreme Court ruling.

Pentagon officials are expected to say that it fundamentally won't make any difference because al Qaeda detainees have always gotten what they say is humane treatment. But this memo will be looked at by human rights activists as being significant because it will, for the first time, guarantee that in writing.

And, Soledad, we're also learning that the Pentagon again now is looking at options for moving those detainees from Guantanamo Bay. We are told by multiple sources, a lot of discussion going on about what to do, can they move them somewhere? But so far, they say they have not come up with a legally viable alternative -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Huge developments, Barbara Starr bringing us from the Pentagon this morning.

Thanks, Barbara.

STARR: Sure.

S. O'BRIEN: Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: A lot of shuttle diplomacy underway this morning. Diplomats are trying to defuse that North Korean missile crisis. The top U.S. envoy on North Korea, Christopher Hill, back to Beijing after a stop in Tokyo. Meanwhile, a Chinese delegation in Pyongyang trying to find a way to stop the North Korean saber rattling. And the U.S. sees a glimmer of hope there.

CNN's Kathleen Koch joining us live from the White House with more -- Kathleen, good morning.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.

And there are actually three goals here. Get North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons program, stop testing missiles and then return to those international disarmament talks. And right now the consensus is that China has the best chance of success on all three.

It has two top level diplomats in North Korea working on the issue as we speak. That's part of the reason why Japan's very tough resolution in the United Nations, which would have slapped sanctions on North Korea, why that as been put on hold.

But still, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow says that doesn't mean that supporters of the resolution have given up on taking a tough line on North Korea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I would point out to those who are concerned about what is going on in Capitol Hill and elsewhere, the United States and Japan, there are eight parties right now. There are eight co-sponsors of this U.N. resolution. They haven't backed it off. They haven't taken it off the table. What they're trying to is to allow the Chinese to go ahead and make it work so the resolution does not become necessary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: The controversy over the North Korean missile tests is providing fodder for hawks in Japan who believe that that country may need a better means of defending itself, perhaps even the ability to take preemptive action. And that, of course, is something of great concern to the Bush administration. It's been very worried from the start of this whole controversy that the North Korean missile tests could prompt an arms race on the Korean Peninsula, further destabilizing the region -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Kathleen Koch at the White House.

Thank you very much.

A reminder here. The president talks about the nation's economy a little later this morning. His remarks 9:40 a.m. Eastern time.

We'll bring them to you live, of course -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Moving ahead with the bribery investigation against Louisiana Democrat William Jefferson, a federal judge yesterday cleared away a major hurdle in that probe.

AMERICAN MORNING'S Bob Franken live from Washington, D.C. for us -- hey, Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, it's very interesting, Soledad, this, a couple of months ago, was like the big controversy in Washington. But you know how controversies are in Washington -- they erupt surprisingly and then they go away.

The issue, separation of powers -- did the FBI cross the constitutional line when it raided the office of William Jefferson?

Well, the same judge, Chief Judge John Hogan, who had authorized that raid -- surprise, surprise -- has come out now with a 28-page opinion saying that it was the right thing to do. It was OK to do it that way. Otherwise, congressional offices would become what he called "sanctuary for crime."

William Jefferson accused of bribery. It's an ongoing investigation. The -- after the raid was conducted, there was this uproar. The president finally had to step in and put out a 45-day cooling period while this could be resolved in the court, at least at this level.

The Justice Department has sealed away the documents that it got, and the computer drives, waiting for the court to rule. Still waiting to make sure that the judge doesn't issue a stay. The attorneys for Congressman Jefferson saying they will file an appeal. That also not a surprise -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: So then what are the legal options that are left for the congressman?

FRANKEN: Well, it looks like whether the appeal would be successful, and, of course, Congress could actually revisit a controversy -- that hardly ever happens -- and come up with legislation. But that was last May's controversy. We've moved on to other things.

S. O'BRIEN: We've moved on.

All right, Bob Franken for us this morning.

Thanks, Bob -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: More trouble for Boston's infamous big dig project. A ceiling panel in a tunnel crashed down on the road, killing a woman, overnight. It happened in a tunnel connecting Interstate 93 with the Ted Williams Tunnel, which goes to Logan Airport. This morning, that tunnel is shut down for safety inspections. Federal investigators are on the way. The tunnel could be closed for several days.

A bitter divorce may be behind that natural gas explosion that leveled a four-story building in New York City yesterday. We told you about it just about this time, about a half hour from now, 24 hours ago. While demolition crews are sifting through the rubble looking for a definite cause, investigators checking out an apparent suicide e-mail by the owner of the building. He reportedly said he wanted to die in the building. A divorce court was forcing the man to sell the building to pay his wife's settlement. The owner survived the blast, however, and he is hospitalized with burns.

Let's get a check of the forecast now.

Chad Myers at the CNN Center with that -- hello, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Miles.

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: In a gruesome video, insurgents claim two U.S. soldiers were killed for revenge. Could this be another ploy to lure more recruits to the Jihad? We'll ask that question.

S. O'BRIEN: Also this question, can the state really take away a teenager who's got cancer, take him away from his parents because he's refused chemotherapy. We're going to talk to the boy and his father just ahead.

M. O'BRIEN: Plus, you pay your homeowners' premiums, you think you're covered for the worst case. Maybe not. You better stay tuned and then be ready to read the fine print, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: A videotape with some pictures so horrible we really can't show them to you. It comes from insurgents in Iraq who say they killed two U.S. soldiers as a reprisal for the alleged rape of a woman and murder of her family in Mahmudiyah by members of the same Army brigade, allegedly.

For more insights on the tape and its implications, we turn now to CNN's Octavia Nasr, our senior editor for Arab affairs, joins us from the CNN Center -- Octavia, good to have you with us.

This tape, which we're not showing out of respect to the families of PFC Manchaca and Tucker, is it clear on it that this was, in fact, revenge for what happened in Mahmudiyah?

OCTAVIA NASR, SENIOR EDITOR FOR ARAB AFFAIRS: You know, that's what the group said. You look at the video that they posted, it carries their logo. We're talking about the Mujahedeen Shura Council. This is the umbrella group that was formed earlier this year. And it comprises several insurgency groups inside Iraq, the largest of them being Al Qaeda in Iraq.

They've been speaking in the name of Al Qaeda in Iraq since the death of Zarqawi. They announced his death. They announced his successor. And on the video, as you've been reporting all morning, they showed a picture of Osama bin Laden and of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. And they also played audio of these two men. So basically renewing their allegiance to al Qaeda and these two men.

They claim that they've done this in revenge to, as you've been reporting, the alleged rape and murder -- they call it dishonor of our sister, meaning our sister in Islam, in this case -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Well, yes, as a matter of fact, let's share that little -- that brief excerpt with our viewers. It says this: "This video is issued and presented as a revenge for our sister, who was dishonored by one of the soldiers in the same brigade that these two soldiers belong to."

But there is a question we've been talking to Nic Robertson about timing on this. While this occurred after the alleged atrocity occurred, it did occur before it became widely known in the media.

I suppose it's possible this was known sort of on the street in Iraq prior to it becoming known to the authorities.

But what are your thoughts on that?

NASR: it's very possible, of course, that it was known in the streets before it became known to us in the media or authorities. What the group said, they really spoke directly to that. And they said they, in their words, they said they held their pain and moaning in their hearts as they awaited revenge. They wanted this to be a surprise, they say.

But you remember, Miles, when the two soldiers went missing, we reported on this program, in my segment, we reported that that same group was quiet about the two soldiers. And you remember, back then, the experts I spoke with said that this was a good sign. That means that group didn't have them and there was hope that the two soldiers will be found alive or dead. But they will hope that they will be found and they won't be the insurgency.

Well, now this video, when it surfaces and it shows the gruesome details of the bodies and so forth, it does show that someone in Iraq had a camera and took pictures of the bodies. But it doesn't really prove that it is Al Qaeda in Iraq or this Mujahedeen Shura Council that had them.

What it does show is that it took a while for this video to surface on the Internet. It did surface in a production complete with an open, graphics, translation and so forth. So some experts I spoke with last night and this morning are telling me that it is possible that the group obtained the tape, put it together and is trying to basically maximize their gain, through gaining support, there's -- making recruits off of this.

So basically they see this as total propaganda at this point.

M. O'BRIEN: Well, let's talk about that final point there.

Is this likely to get recruits to the cause, I mean? Or is this something that would be agreed to with some sort of revulsion in the Arab world?

NASR: Well, you know, we have to differentiate. In the Arab world, I mean it's not one big umbrella and everybody is alike. You have the moderates and you have the extreme and you have everything in between, Miles.

If you monitor the Islamist, the radical Islamist Web sites, like I do, you are going to see hate language. You're going to see video, IED attacks on U.S. forces, suicide bombings, glorifying suicide bombers. You're going to see a lot of awful things on those Web sites.

This doesn't, of course, represent the Arab street. So let's talk about those Web sites and the people who frequent these Web sites. If this tape is meant to recruit, absolutely, on those Web sites, it is getting the attention that the group intended for it.

On the Arab street, you disgust. You have anger. You have people saying that the insurgency in Iraq and these terrorists, as they call them, have hijacked their religion, basically, and have turned it into something that it is not and should not be.

So it's very important to differentiate and to understand that the Arab world is really not just one bulk of people just thinking one way or the other. It's two extremes and everything in between.

M. O'BRIEN: Of course.

Octavia Nasr, our senior editor for Arab affairs.

Thank you -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Coming up this morning, you may have insurance to protect your home from a storm, but that doesn't mean it covers all the damage. We'll have advice on exactly what coverage you need.

Then later, a wildfire is burning out of control out West. We'll take a look at the race to save hundreds of homes.

That's ahead.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Some people are calling it a disappointing new report for the Gulf Coast on hurricane protection projects. The Army Corps of Engineers is now saying that specific plans need to be put off for right now, put on hold while the government figures out how to pay for them. It could be, in fact, a decade before the coast and the levees are rebuilt to handle a category five hurricane.

A lawsuit with major implications for hurricane victims is now being heard in Mississippi. A federal judge is going to decide whether hundreds of people will get insurance money even though their claims were denied. At issue is the argument over what constitutes covered hurricane and wind damage versus flood damage, which isn't covered.

And that leads us to our special look this morning at protecting and preparing yourself for severe weather.

CNN's personal finance editor and "OPEN HOUSE" host, Gerri Willis, joins us with, really, step by step instructions on how to make sure that you get through this severe weather season intact -- good morning.

GERRI WILLIS, PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Good morning, Soledad.

Good to see you.

Look, if you think your homeowners insurance will rebuild your home if it's destroyed, think again. Two thirds of Americans aren't carrying enough insurance to completely rebuild their home. And when it comes to many possible disasters, they may not be covered at all.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

WILLIS (voice-over): Natural disaster can strike anywhere, any time. Having homeowners insurance can often provide a false sense of security. It will cover damage from a wind storm or lightning, but it won't cover damage from flooding, no matter where you live.

BOB RUSBULDT, CEO, INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENTS: Remember, in Mississippi, a lot of people 10 miles inland were not in the flood plane and they had flooding damage. Any water that comes in from the outside, from a lake, a creek, an ocean, a river or excess rain and your basement floods, those are not covered under a standard homeowners policy. And you need a flood policy for that.

WILLIS: But buying a flood policy doesn't completely cover your home.

BOBBY MIGUES, HOME DESTROYED BY KATRINA: When we got back to Mississippi, went to the insurance claim adjuster's office, they told us that we were only covered now by flood insurance, which covered way less than what the regular insurance covers.

WILLIS: The maximum payout for any structural damage to your home, no matter how big it is, is $250,000. That's a lot less than most oceanfront homes cost.

So, how much coverage do you really need?

If your home is totally destroyed, you need to know how much it will cost to rebuild. This will be different from your purchase price because your land will still be there. The equation can be complicated further if your home is older and fails to meet local building codes, which can change over time. Building a modern replacement could end up costing a great deal more.

Disasters like Katrina sent prices for building supplies and contractors up sharply. Those added costs may not be covered by your insurance company.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WILLIS: More importantly, don't wait until the last minute to get adequate coverage. All insurers wait a full 30 days to put your flood policy into effect -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: And that time line could really kill you.

What have you got coming up tomorrow?

WILLIS: Well, we've got something fun-tomorrow.

We'll tell you the smart move that you can make right now that could save you $10,000 later if disaster strikes your home.

S. O'BRIEN: I'm intrigued.

All right, Gerri, thanks.

WILLIS: You're welcome.

S. O'BRIEN: Gerri is...

M. O'BRIEN: You can't tell us now? We've got to wait until tomorrow.

WILLIS: No, you've got to wait.

S. O'BRIEN: That's the tease.

M. O'BRIEN: OK.

Thank you, Gerri.

S. O'BRIEN: Gerri's prepared.

Her tech tips are on our Web site. For more information on this must see guide on how you can save your family if a major storm hits, just go to cnn.com/openhouse.

Thanks, Gerri.

WILLIS: Thank you.

M. O'BRIEN: Coming up on the program, chilling insight into North Korea's prison camps. We're going to hear from a refugee who says he was once held in a place called the prison of nightmares.

Also, authorities in Virginia are trying to take a teenager with cancer away from his parents because he refuses chemotherapy. He'd like to stay put, though.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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