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American Morning
The Fight for Iraq; President Bush on Terror; Out of Bounds; 'Croc Hunter' Mourned; Security Chief Attacked; Congressional Agenda
Aired September 05, 2006 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome, everybody. It's Tuesday, September 5. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Miles O'Brien. Good morning to you.
Here's a look at what's happening this morning.
Mourners paying tribute today to "The Crocodile Hunter." We're now learning his death was captured on tape. He died Monday after being stung by a stingray. Irwin stayed conscious long enough to pull the stinger out of his chest.
S. O'BRIEN: A roadside bomb wounded the deputy head of Lebanon's security forces, killed two men in his convoy today. The apparent assassination attempt targeted Colonel Samir Shehade. He was responsible for last year's arrests of four security officers connected to the murder of the former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri.
Cuba's Fidel Castro says the worst is over and he's satisfied with his recovery. Fidel Castro says he's lost 41 pounds since his intestinal surgery that took place a month ago.
M. O'BRIEN: Congress getting back to work today. The Senate will gavel in a session and the House will do that on Thursday. Republican leaders planning a focus on terrorism in the run-up to the midterm election.
A key primary election today in Florida, Katherine Harris, the congresswoman, likely to win the GOP Senate nomination. The former Florida secretary of state presided over the disputed 2000 presidential election.
And with Governor Jeb Bush up against his term limit, both parties will be choosing candidates for governor.
S. O'BRIEN: President Bush will deliver a key speech today in Washington, D.C. It's part of a new push by the White House to highlight the fight against terrorism leading up to the fifth anniversary of 9/11. CNN is going to carry the speech live at 1:20 p.m. Eastern Time. That's this afternoon, of course.
And more immigration rallies today. Marchers came out for Labor Day, plan to continue, they say, all week. Congress is not expected to act on immigration reform for Election Day, though.
M. O'BRIEN: Chad Myers at the CNN Center watching the weather for us and a tropical depression.
Good morning, -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Still depressed out there.
Good morning, Miles and Soledad.
No name for this storm just yet right there under the word Atlantic Ocean. The storm still moving to the north and northwest, though, and so by Wednesday, Thursday and even into Friday, it is forecast to be a tropical storm. It will be Florence as a storm and then possibly even Florence as a hurricane late Friday into Saturday. Right now, though, only 35 miles per hour.
(WEATHER REPORT)
Back to you guys.
S. O'BRIEN: All right, Chad, thanks for watching it.
MYERS: Sure.
S. O'BRIEN: The Iraqi Parliament has voted to extend the country's state of emergency. The action comes after Iraqi police found the bodies of 33 men all blindfolded and tortured. President Bush is attempting to win more public support for his war on terror today. What's the reality in Iraq?
CNN's Michael Holmes is in Baghdad for us.
Hey, Michael, good morning.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.
Yes, it's instructive, I think, to take a look at the country as a whole every now and then. All we see is the violence, most of it around Baghdad. Large areas of the country comparatively quiet, although the word peaceful is a relative term here.
The south of the country sees violence, but a lot less than other parts. Many observers will say that's partly because of the tight control of militias and Shia politicians, many of whom are said to be under considerable Iranian influence.
Now in the north, let's talk about Kurdistan. It's virtually another country, a building boom under way, people walking the streets freely, Kurdish peshmergas keeping things under control there, but it's the center of the country.
A little bit south, a little bit west, that's problematic. Places like Ramadi, Baquba, Hilla, Mahmudiya and of course Baghdad. This is where no matter what the president says, Soledad, Iraqis are going to say what progress. And the death tolls, as you say, speak for themselves. Forty-three bound and shot bodies, they were all tortured by the way, found in the streets of this capital just yesterday. S. O'BRIEN: Michael, let me ask you some questions. First of all, is there a sense that there are enough Iraqi police being trained? And I should say Iraqi police who are not corrupt? I mean I know that some of the civilians are terrified of the police.
HOLMES: Indeed, yes. You go into Sunni areas of Baghdad, and as I have done with the U.S. military, and they say where Operation Together Forward is happening, they say, great, everything is getting a little bit better here. But when I say to them well these guys are going to leave, the police are going to come in, they say no, no, we don't want the police here. Quite simply, the Sunni population, in particular, see the police as really death squads.
Now that's bad press in some ways and true in others. Certainly police have been accused and even arrested for murders and death squad activities. But also the ubiquitous nature of uniforms. You can go anywhere here and buy a police uniform. And a lot of the insurgents are doing that, showing up at people's houses, taking them away and killing them.
Police are being trained. There's about 130 police now -- 130,000 police, rather. And it's very interesting, there's a new interior minister in town and he's conducting a real sweep of the interior minister -- ministry. He has fired 2,000 people so far -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Michael Holmes is in Baghdad for us this morning.
Michael, thanks for the update -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: President Bush with part two of his pre-election pep talks in the war in Iraq. He speaks today on the heels of the Pentagon report that offers a grim picture of the situation in Iraq, the military acknowledging conditions exist that could lead to a civil war there.
CNN's Ed Henry reporting from the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Labor Day was the official kickoff of the final stretch of the midterm election season and the president used the occasion to deliver a speech on the economy. But today he'll immediately turn back to national security, launching part two in his latest series of speeches on the war on terror.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino says the president will focus on -- quote -- "the state of the enemy," how the White House believes they have weakened terrorists around the world and are spending all resources necessary to finish the job.
But Democrats insist the president's policies have actually made the country less safe, pointing the finger of blame squarely at Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. And interestingly, now some Republicans are starting to call for the secretary's head. The Republican Senate candidate, Tom Kean Jr., in New Jersey saying the secretary should step down. But the White House insists that Secretary Rumsfeld has the full confidence of the president.
Ed Henry, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: Of course CNN planning live coverage of the president's speech today at the Military Officers Association in Washington due to begin 1:20 Eastern Time.
This is the third time the president has staged a series of speeches aimed at lifting sagging support for the war. And a new CNN poll shows why the White House is concerned. Forty-one percent of those surveyed approve of how Mr. Bush is handling his job, 55 percent disapprove. And Congress is fairing even worse, only 31 percent approve of how congressional Republicans are doing their job, 35 percent happy with Democrats. The discontent is deep in bipartisan, 64 percent unhappy with Republicans in Congress, 57 percent displeased with Democrats.
The poll conducted for CNN by the Opinion Research Corporation.
Our senior political analyst Bill Schneider will join us in about 30 minutes to talk more about the polls and what voters are looking for in November.
Happening in America.
In New York, near Buffalo, authorities say they are tightening the noose in the hunt for Ralph "Bucky" Phillips, the escaped inmate accused of shooting two troopers last week. One is dead now, the other is serious condition. Police warning hunters to stay out of the woods in western New York, they fear they might -- they could be mistaken for the fugitive.
In Rhode Island, a trial under way in that horrible nightclub fire three-and-a-half years ago that killed a hundred concert goers. The owner of the club, Michael Derderian, facing involuntary manslaughter charges. Jury selection begins today. The fire was sparked by the band Great White's pyrotechnic special effects.
Also in Rhode Island, check out this video. Police say the man in the video snatched a $20 bill from that 7-year-old girl and took off. She was with her mom and on her way to get some change in the laundromat. The man ran off. But thanks to the girl's description, police arrested a suspect and charged him with second-degree robbery.
Nice guy, huh?
S. O'BRIEN: Gosh.
M. O'BRIEN: In California, a youth football coach is facing child abuse charges after he allegedly hit a boy on the opposing team. My gosh, that is dramatic. We get more on this dramatic tape from Rich Ibarra of our affiliate KCRA.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RUDY GARRIDO, STOCKTON BEARS COACH: Once he seen him charge and hit him like that from the back of the head, I mean...
RICH IBARRA, KCRA-TV REPORTER (voice-over): Stockton Bears Coach Rudy Garrido shows how the assistant coach from the opposing team put the hurt on one of his players, rushing out to hit the player from behind and knocking him to the ground.
GARRIDO: For a parent/coach to come out and attack one of my kids, it's just something that -- just terrifying.
IBARRA: The Stockton Bears in the dark uniforms faced the Redskins from Riverbank. It was towards the end of the game, less than a minute to play, the score had the Redskins leading 16 to 6. And then a second after the play ended, a late hit, the Redskin player hit by a Stockton Bear. And right after that, the Redskin player's father, who is also an assistant coach, runs onto the field to deliver his own knockdown tackle.
(on camera): Immediately after that, fans from both teams crowded onto this field and they started to trade punches.
(voice-over): Among those at the game was Jose Santillanes and his 11-year-old son, Joseph, who was playing for the Bears.
JOSE SANTILLANES, PARENT OF BEARS PLAYER: The majority of them were just trying to get all the -- everybody just rushed in all at the same time and they were just trying to get everybody away from everybody and trying to make sure that the kids are safe.
JOSPEH SANTILLANES, STOCKTON BEARS PLAYER: It was just scary. Just -- a guy just grabbed that kid and threw him and everybody just rushed in. I was scared.
IBARRA: The assistant coach made a getaway over a tall fence, but later surrendered to police.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: That's insane.
M. O'BRIEN: That -- yes, that -- yes.
S. O'BRIEN: That is craziness.
M. O'BRIEN: It's a crazy story. That report came from Rich Ibarra of our affiliate KCRA.
We should tell you the boy's father says his son suffered bruises to his stomach and jaw. The coach could face up to six years in prison if convicted. S. O'BRIEN: And then there was a melee afterward, and all the parents rushed onto the field and started trading punches. Are these people out of their minds?
M. O'BRIEN: It's almost like a hockey game.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: Gosh, jeez. All right.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's talk about Steve Irwin today. Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo has now reopened because, as one of the park workers said, it's what he would have wanted. Fans have been adding flowers to a makeshift memorial at the park. They've been doing that really since his death yesterday.
Max Futcher of Australia's Network 10 is in Port Douglas this morning.
Max, nice to see you. Thanks for talking with us. More details are coming out about exactly what happened. What do we know now?
MAX FUTCHER, NETWORK 10-TV REPORTER: Well this morning there was a press conference that involved the police and also Steve Irwin's manager, John Stainton. Now John has seen the footage of the final moments of Steve Irwin's life because, of course, he was out filming stingrays.
Now he's told us a bit about those final moments. He says that Steve was swimming over the top of a stingray when the stingray lashed out and speared him through his chest with its barb. Now the -- we now know that the barb went into his chest and into his heart.
He incredibly told us that Steve was able to grab a hold of that barb and rip it out of his chest. And I guess anyone from around the world who has watched Steve Irwin probably isn't surprised by that. But sadly, this time it was too late because the venom had already gone into his chest and indeed into his heart. And John Stainton thinks it was only seconds later that he died.
S. O'BRIEN: My god, what a shocking, shocking update. I have to imagine that today again the mourning is just continuing and overwhelming, not only in Australia, but around the world.
FUTCHER: Yes, well we're hearing reports from right around the world. And it's an amazing thing that yesterday we were all in shock, no one was prepared to believe that one of our favorite sons had been killed in such fashion. But today of course, as you say, the mourning has kicked in and it's been a very sad day.
I heard you mention the Australia Zoo where -- which Steve owned. And of course all day today flowers have been turning up. Floral tributes from people who have never met Steve but were inspired by him, they turned up to the zoo. And of course, as you also said, the zoo was open. And we spoke to one of the employees at the zoo and she said that Steve would have kicked their butt if they closed the zoo because he wanted -- would have wanted it to be open.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, I bet he would have. That is such a sad, sad story. Two small children he leaves behind.
Thanks very much for the update, Max, we appreciate it.
Ahead this morning, going to take you live to Lebanon where a top government official survived an assassination attempt. We'll tell you what happened.
M. O'BRIEN: Also, when it rains it pours in Florida. Heavy rain there came so fast it popped manhole covers off the street.
Plus, Japan's heir apparent or not? The country waiting for the birth of a newest royal, but is it a boy?
S. O'BRIEN: They certainly hope so there, don't they?
M. O'BRIEN: Yes, they do.
S. O'BRIEN: Carrie Lee has our business headlines as well this morning.
Hey, -- Carrie.
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, everyone.
Another laptop battery recall to tell you about. This is the third one. And Wall Street gets back to work today. We'll have an early market check and more coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: In Lebanon south of Beirut, the deputy security chief for that country's security attacked, an assassination attempt in a roadside bombing.
CNN's Anthony Mills live in Beirut with more, -- Anthony.
ANTHONY MILLS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, security sources here in Lebanon are telling us that a roadside bomb targeted the convoy of the deputy chief of the intelligence service of Lebanon's internal security forces, Colonel Samir Shehade, as he made his way northwards from the southern city of Sidon. That roadside bomb, they say, killed two of the bodyguards traveling with him and injured another six people, some of them seriously.
Now Colonel Shehade had been playing an important role in the investigation into the murder, into the assassination in February 2005 of Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Anthony, do we have any concept if this could be linked to Hezbollah?
MILLS: Well, no, no indication at this stage, certainly not anything in terms of evidence. But I can tell you that this is the latest in a series of more than a dozen assassinations and attempted assassinations that have rocked Lebanon. And they have targeted almost exclusively anti-Syrian politicians and public figures.
And in each case, the anti-Syrian politicians in the country who form a majority in Parliament have been quick to point the finger at what they say is a Syrian security regime of intelligence agents set up in this country and still operating here despite the withdrawal of Syria's Army forces -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: And just shifting gears slightly here, that cease- fire still continues to hold?
MILLS: It does continue to hold, Miles. It has been described by fragile, but it does continue to hold. Let's not forget that Hezbollah must answer to a sizable chunk of the Lebanese population. Indeed, it must reckon with the Lebanese population as a whole, not just with its supporters, many of whom have lost homes, but also with the rest of the Lebanese population who have been asking whether it was all really worth it -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Anthony Mills in Beirut, thank you very much -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Eighteen minutes past the hour, let's check the forecast with Chad at the CNN Center.
Hey, Chad, good morning.
MYERS: Good morning, Soledad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
Back to you.
S. O'BRIEN: We don't want a heat index of 100. Does this mean that, you know, do you think summer is over now?
MYERS: Pretty much.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes.
MYERS: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: OK.
MYERS: Time to close the pool, you know, and all that kind of stuff. No, no, I'm joshing (ph). I was just kidding (ph).
S. O'BRIEN: Thanks, Chad. Thanks for nothing, man.
Still to come this morning, here we go again, another company is recalling its notebook computer batteries. We'll tell you what brands are affected.
Also, do you owe back taxes? If so, it's not just the government who is looking for you. We'll tell you who else. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody.
Here's a look at some of the most popular stories at CNN.com this morning.
"The Crocodile Hunter," Steve Irwin, may have a state funeral if his family is willing. It's one of the Australia's highest honors. He was killed by a stingray near the Great Barrier Reef on Monday.
San Diego Chargers' Steve Foley is going to miss the season after he was shot by an off-duty police officer. We'll update you on that story this morning.
And Jennifer Aniston has settled a lawsuit over topless photos. Aniston sued a photographer last year. She says he invaded her privacy by using a special long-range lens to photograph her inside her home.
That is just creepy.
M. O'BRIEN: That's over the line.
S. O'BRIEN: Come on, that's gross.
M. O'BRIEN: Inside the home, over the line.
All right, here's the question, are there any batteries for laptops that are good, -- Carrie Lee?
LEE: It doesn't seem that way. The number is dwindling as we speak.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
LEE: Well we have news of another battery recall, this one for 6,000 Panasonic laptop computers in Japan only. But still, remember we also talked about battery recalls recently for Dell and Apple. Six million notebook computers affected there. As I said, this recall only affects Japan.
Here's what's interesting. We know the batteries are not made by Sony, which was the case with Dell and Apple. However, Panasonic isn't saying which company made the batteries. They have an agreement with the manufacturer. A little odd. That probably wouldn't fly here. But this is what we know so far.
M. O'BRIEN: I wonder what the -- if it's the same flaw or by coincidence or do we know?
LEE: This has something to do with the battery latch.
M. O'BRIEN: Different. LEE: So if it's not closed correctly, then the battery could become a little bit misshapen and overheat.
M. O'BRIEN: I see.
LEE: So the overheating issue, yes, pretty similar, pretty similar. So that's what's happening there.
Meanwhile, Wall Street gets back to work today. Futures looking flat so far for this Tuesday morning, but we are coming off of a strong week last week. You can see Dow, Nasdaq, S&P all up at least 1 percent. August was a very strong month. Techs, as represented by the Nasdaq, up 4.5 percent. And if you take a look at the Dow, the industrials just short of a 6.5-year high hit back in May. So pretty nice gains recently.
It's going to be another relatively slow week for economic news, but investors now looking forward to the Fed meeting on September 20. And of course we'll get profit reports coming out soon. That could shake direction going forward.
M. O'BRIEN: All right.
LEE: That's it.
M. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, -- Carrie.
LEE: Thank you very much.
M. O'BRIEN: All right, we'll see you later.
LEE: OK.
M. O'BRIEN: This morning's top stories are straight ahead, including "Crocodile Hunter." We'll have more on his death. His last moments caught on tape.
Iraq extends its state of emergency. What does it mean for U.S. troops? We'll go to Baghdad.
And one of the most anticipated births since Brangelina, Japan's royal couple is due tomorrow. Will it be a boy to take the Chrysanthemum Throne? It's hard to say at 6:25 in the morning.
Stay with us for more AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Happening this morning in Iraq, a state of emergency continues. The Iraqi Parliament voting to extend the extra powers that the government feels it needs to stop the violence.
In Lebanon, an assassination attempt, a top security officer in Lebanon attacked in a roadside bombing today. He arrested four officers last year suspected in the murder of the former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri. Colonel Samir Shehade was slightly injured. Two others died in that bombing.
Mourners are paying tribute today to "Crocodile Hunter," Steve Irwin. We're now learning his death was captured on tape. He died Monday after being stung by a stingray diving off the Great Barrier Reef. Irwin stayed conscious long enough to pull the stinger out of his chest.
Good morning to you, I'm Miles O'Brien.
S. O'BRIEN: And I'm Soledad O'Brien.
The Senate gets back to work in Washington, D.C. today. The House returns on Thursday. This session, though, going to be a short one, with midterm elections just weeks away, lawmakers are pretty eager to get right back on the campaign trail.
CNN congressional correspondent Andrea Koppel has our story this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: When lawmakers start returning from their August recess today they'll have a very full agenda. By the end of this month, Republicans say they'll debate whether to authorize warrantless wiretaps and legalize military tribunals for Guantanamo detainees. They'll also try to complete a bill to authorize defense spending for next year and wrap up negotiations on getting more money for homeland security. But privately, Republicans admit, only days away from the 9/11 anniversary and weeks before midterm elects, their primary goal, to remind voters Republicans are strong on national security, while Democrats are weak.
One Republican leadership aide said they'll have three priorities: security, security, security. It's a strategy that worked well in the last two elections, but this time around, Democrats plan to push back hard. Democratic leadership staffers tell CNN they intend to go toe to toe with Republicans on security and will keep up a steady drumbeat with events planned for every day this week.
Another plan in the works, to offer a no confidence motion on Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. The Democrats' strategy is twofold, to present themselves as unified on Iraq, while forcing Republicans in tight races to part ways with or endorse one of the most unpopular members of the president's cabinet.
Andrea Koppel, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: Happening "In America" this morning, in Red River Parish, Louisiana, the school board meets tonight to review a situation in which a bus driver allegedly ordered black students to sit in the back of the bus. The school board's expected to hold closed-door meetings before they announce what they're going to do.
In North Carolina, the Duke men's lacrosse team back at practice again today five months after the scandal that forced the cancellation of their season. The Blue Devils begin a five-week training camp under a new coach. That happened yesterday. It's the first time the team's practiced on campus since those rape allegations surfaced against three players back in March.
Cleanup this morning in parts of Tampa, Florida, after too much rain fell just too fast. All the rain caused a two-block area of the city to flood. Cars stalled out in the high waters. Residents worked to prevent a pretty dangerous situation, putting manhole covers back in place after they popped out.
And heavy rains flooded parts of Rockford, Illinois, as well. Police say residents are most likely going to face standing water on many streets once they get out and about this morning. Fifty thousand people lost power yesterday at the height of the storm.
Near Big timber, Montana, nearly 800 firefighters are battling the Derby Mountain fire. It's considered the nation's number one fire-fighting priority. Luckily, the wind didn't cause the problems that the crews were fearing yesterday. As of last night, officials say about 180,000 acres have been burned. It's 25 percent contained at this point.
West of South Lake Tahoe, in the Eldorado National Forest, crews are trying to get a 12-acre wildfire under control before it becomes too big of a threat. Some cabins and other structures are already at risk. Firefighters on the ground and in the air are going to be back at it again today.
In Las Vegas, Nevada, the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon -- look at those numbers -- raised a record $61 million to fight Muscular Dystrophy. Good for them. The International Association of Firefighters gave the largest donation, $23.5 million.
That's really what put them over the top. It helped them beat the old record of $60.5 million, which was raised back in 2003.
M. O'BRIEN: Let's get a check of the forecast now. Chad Myers at the CNN Center doing that for us.
Hello, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Miles. Good morning, Soledad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: Still to come in the program, Congress back in session today. What would you like from your lawmaker? Would you like him to become unemployed? New poll numbers out this morning suggest...
S. O'BRIEN: That's what they say.
M. O'BRIEN: ... that may be it. Bill Schneider breaks it down for us next. S. O'BRIEN: And is it going to be a boy, or will it be a girl? Japan is now waiting the birth of an heir to the throne.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Here's a look now at stories that CNN correspondents around the world are covering today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANTHONY MILLS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Anthony Mills in Beirut.
An explosion has targeted the convoy of the deputy chief of intelligence of Lebanon's internal security forces. A year ago, Colonel Samir Shehadeh oversaw the arrest of four of Lebanon's top pro-security chiefs on suspicion of involvement in the assassination in February 2005 of Lebanon's former prime minister, Rafik Hariri.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Michael Holmes in Baghdad.
Despite official praise for a reduction in violence here, the body count continues to mount. Just yesterday, 40 Iraqis, their bodies found, their hands bound, all shot in the head and bearing signs of torture.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Atika Shubert, outside of the imperial palace in Tokyo, Japan. The country is waiting in suspense to find out if Japan's Princess Kiko will have a baby boy or a baby girl. She's due to deliver on Wednesday morning via C-section, and it's a matter of national importance.
Japan has the world's oldest royal family, but it is also having a succession crisis. No new male heirs to inherit the throne. If Princess Kiko has a boy, he will become third in line to inherit the throne and he will also be the only male heir born to the family in more than four decades.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: Wow. That's a lot of pressure on your Cesarean.
If you want more on these or any of our top stories, you can go right to our Web site, CNN.com.
M. O'BRIEN: Still to come on the program, voters fed up. A new survey does not bode well for incumbents. Our political guru, Bill Schneider, brings us the thinking behind the latest poll numbers on Congress and the White House.
Plus, pay up or face the consequences. Uncle Sam gets a little help collecting those unpaid back taxes.
Stay with us for more AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Happening this morning, tributes for "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin at the zoo in Australia that he owned. Irwin's fatal encounter with a stingray was videotaped. He apparently stayed conscious long enough to pull the stinger from his chest.
In Jordan, police say a suspected gunman who fired on Western tourists acted alone and has no terrorist connections. One man was killed in that attack yesterday in Amman.
Tropical depression number six is brewing in the Atlantic. Forecasters say it's large and not organized. If it gets itself together, however, it will be named Tropical Storm Florence.
In Iraq, a lot of violence west of Baghdad in Anbar province. That's where the U.S. latest deaths are reported. Two Marines killed in combat.
CNN's Michael Ware is embedded with a Marine unit in Ramadi. He joins us live -- Michael.
MICHAEL WARE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, what we see here very much is the war on terror being fought out day by day, street to street.
Here in Ramadi, this is the al Qaeda frontline. Al Qaeda owns the insurgency here, and it's they who are guiding and funding the attacks against U.S. Marines and soldiers day in, day out.
Last night we went out with a combat patrol to search what's generally known as Ramadi's central park, akin to what you find in New York. There, however, in the last few weeks there's been the emergence of new graves. They've been digging into the ground and burying what's expected to be al Qaeda fighters.
Today we visited the governor's center from where the governor of Al Anbar province tries to administer some kind of governance across this province, but he's unable to do so. We see the rate of attacks continuing from al Qaeda. However, they changed markedly in the past two months.
So what we see here is the war on terror continuing with an al Qaeda force that U.S. commanders say has been disrupted but has not been disturbed or depleted. And it very much remains as strong as it always has been -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Michael, how are the troops there able to tell the difference between attacks that have the al Qaeda imprint on them and the local homegrown insurgency? WARE: Well, there's a number of indicators, but when you talk to the young Marine or the young soldier in the gun pit, he's very frank. He says, "I don't know who that guy is that's shooting at me and, quite frankly, I don't care. I'm just going to kill him. And I'll kill anyone else who steps out to take his place."
But there are ways to tell. I mean, there are certain tactics and methods which are purely al Qaeda, such as the suicide car bombs and the chest vest suicide bombers. There's also other indicators, but also there's what's known at atmospherics.
What we have learned here in Ramadi, particularly, is that whilst there's a swirling mix of local Iraqi insurgent groups -- they call themselves nationalists -- drawn from Saddam's former military and intelligence apparatus, these groups have been hijacked by al Qaeda because of its money and because of its ideology. And it's al Qaeda that guides the fight. So, whoever it is, al Qaeda is pushing the buttons.
M. O'BRIEN: So the insurgency is, in essence, taking orders from al Qaeda?
WARE: In Ramadi, absolutely. This is the central node of al Qaeda. Baghdad for al Qaeda is one theater of the fight, but this now is their base.
There's areas here just north of the Euphrates River which cuts across the top of the city where Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al Qaeda in Iraq leader, would stay, would move, would plan. His replacement now does the same thing.
This is a major funnel for al Qaeda, and it's their headquarters. Yet, this is an area the size of New Hampshire. And U.S. forces are only able to put in a few hundred troops. They can't hope to stop al Qaeda out here -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Michael Ware embedded with the United States Marines in Ramadi.
Thank you very much -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's turn to Washington, D.C., now, where lawmakers are returning from their August recess. They won't have too much time to focus on the congressional agenda because, of course, midterm elections are just a few weeks away. This morning, though, several new polls are out that could indicate which way voters might go.
CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider joins us. He's in Washington this morning.
Hey, Bill. Good morning.
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning, Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's talk about the anger of the American public, because when you look at the poll numbers, boy, they are angry.
Throw them up on the screen there.
When they ask people about their feelings about how things are going in the country, an overwhelming 76 percent say they are angry. You've got a Republican president, you've got a Republican-controlled House, a Republican-controlled Senate.
Do you think this is a Republican issue or do you think this is more of an incumbent issue?
SCHNEIDER: Well, a lot of that anger is directed at Republicans because they control everything. Anti-incumbent sentiment is anti- Republican sentiment, is what we found.
This anger, this three-quarters of Americans angry at the way things are going, this is comparable to the angry voters of the early 1990s. You remember term limits, Ross Perot. They threw out a Republican president, the first President Bush, and then they threw out a Democratic Congress.
Well, it's that same sense that Washington is out of touch, it cannot get things done that's really driving this midterm campaign.
S. O'BRIEN: We really have almost two months to go before the actual election. Do you think it's still not close enough for these polls to really have relevance at this point, Bill?
SCHNEIDER: Well, it is, of course, early, a lot can change the next two months. But at this outset of the campaign season, it's very clear what voters want. They want change. And when they want change, they overthrow the incumbents. And most of the incumbents are Republicans.
The desire for change is very powerful. Our latest poll shows among likely voters -- that's the roughly half of registered voters who are most likely to vote in the midterm -- the Democrats start out -- that is, start out with a good lead.
Now, look, 55 percent of voters by 2-1 say that they prefer the challenger to the incumbent. And those who say they are going to vote for the challenger overwhelmingly say that is the Democratic candidate.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's talk poll ratings when it comes to approval. First, for the president, he's at 41 percent, which, as you well know, is up 10 points from the spring. We're talking about an election, though, that he's not running in.
Why is that number important?
SCHNEIDER: Well, the president's job rating has a tremendous impact on the way his party does in the midterm. Even if he isn't on the ballot, it's mostly seen as a referendum on both Bush and on Congress. Forty-one percent is not, by any means, safe for the Republicans. When Bill Clinton's Democrats lost the House in 1994, his ratings were in the mid-40s, around 45 percent.
Bush has picked up. He's picked up mostly over the past four months or so by rallying his base. But he can't make any inroads really so far. He hasn't among Independents and certainly not among Democrats.
S. O'BRIEN: The congressional approval numbers are just shocking. I mean, wow!
Let's throw them up on the screen there.
The number of p people who say -- the percentage, I should say, who say they are satisfied with what the Congress has done this year, 12 percent. Eighty-four percent say they are dissatisfied, they wish Congress had actually done more.
Do you think that this is just going to add to that getting rid of the old incumbent sort of energy?
SCHNEIDER: It certainly feeds the desire for change tremendously. What people see is that Congress has failed to act on immigration, and apparently it's not going to take that up, according to the latest news. Gasoline prices out of sight, Congress can't seem to do much about them. Healthcare is a big problem for growing numbers of Americans. The economy, people are worried about wage stagnation.
People are angry mostly about Iraq and the economy. There are two issues out there. "It's not just the economy, stupid." It's Iraq and the economy, and they are very worried about the fact that Congress doesn't seem to be able to do much about any of them or even about cleaning up its own house, like lobbying reform hasn't made much headway there either.
People are very, very frustrated with Congress, not just with President Bush.
S. O'BRIEN: We'll see how that anger and that frustration plays out when the midterm elections roll around.
CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider this morning.
Thanks, Bill, as always.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
M. O'BRIEN: Gerri Willis is in for Andy Serwer this morning.
What's coming up, Gerri?
GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, guys. Good to see you.
What is worse than having the IRS come after you? We'll have details.
More AMERICAN MORNING is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back. A look now at some of the stories we're working on for you this morning.
President Bush is preparing for another speech about the war on terror. Is he going to be able to convince critics that the administration is on the right path?
The fall campaign season kicks off. Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley tells us which races are the ones to watch.
The manhunt for a suspected cop killer in New York is getting bigger. We're going to tell you what police want you to do.
And a youth football coach is facing child abuse charges for something he did on the field during a game. We're going to tell you about this bizarre story and show you the pictures, too.
And honoring the "Crocodile Hunter." We'll take a look back this morning at Steve Irwin's life and his legacy.
M. O'BRIEN: So, what would be worse than the IRS calling you, asking for money? The mob maybe? I don't know.
Gerri Willis -- Gerri Willis has some thoughts on what's going on right now.
WILLIS: Hey there, Miles.
Good to see you, Soledad.
This week, the IRS is turning over some cases to private debt collection agencies. Now, the people who are targeted here, some 12,500 taxpayers who owe less than $25,000. They have not disputed this debt.
And I've got to tell you, there are concerns for safety out here. This has been fought for some time, turning this debt over to private organizations. That's because these people could become a target for fraud as people pose as private debt collectors.
The opposition to the program in Congress has been mounting, but the IRS says it only focuses on smaller cases which its agencies normally wouldn't go after. There's a big profit motive here. The debt collectors would keep up to 24 percent of what they recover. But the IRS says it expects to get $1 billion from the program over the next 10 years.
M. O'BRIEN: So the concern is that other debt collection agencies would get involved and say they're collecting for the IRS when they're not. WILLIS: That's right. Exactly.
Lots of fears out there. And, of course, one of the big problems, too, is that you worry about your information being shared with other people that you don't want it to be shared with, right?
M. O'BRIEN: Yes, exactly.
What else you got?
WILLIS: Well, switching now to the stock options scandal, "The Wall Street Journal" says that in 1999 Tyco backed away from backdating options on a warning from an outside compensation consultant. Tyco hasn't been connected to the options scandal, but this brings to light that many companies and consultants did know that backdating could be illegal. Currently, about 80 companies are being investigated for backdating stock options to make them, of course, more lucrative for executives.
M. O'BRIEN: It's a pet peeve of Andy Serwer's, backdating options.
WILLIS: I'm telling you, it's a sneaky thing.
S. O'BRIEN: In fact, Andy's company of the day -- it's a segment for Andy, practically.
WILLIS: Exactly.
M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Gerri.
WILLIS: You're welcome.
M. O'BRIEN: We'll see you in a little bit.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's get a check of the forecast this morning at 57 minutes past the hour. Chad's at the CNN Center for us.
Good morning, Chad.
MYERS: Good morning, Soledad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MYERS: Back to you guys.
The next hour of AMERICAN MORNING starts right now.
M. O'BRIEN: With an election looming, the president takes aim at critics of the war in Iraq. Will it help his party hold the Congress?
S. O'BRIEN: New CNN poll numbers out this morning. Fresh headaches for both parties. We're going to tell you what it all means for the midterm elections.
M. O'BRIEN: The elusive hunt for that escaped convict in western New York. He's wanted for murder, but he still may be getting some help.
S. O'BRIEN: And there are new details to tell you about, the death of "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin. We know why he was so popular, but what exactly made him such a thrill-seeker? We'll take a look.
M. O'BRIEN: And talk about unnecessary roughness, a young football player gets cold-cocked by a parent. What penalty will he face on this AMERICAN MORNING?
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
M. O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien.
Thanks for being with us.
S. O'BRIEN: President Bush is going to keep his focus on terrorism today. He'll give the second in a series of speeches on the global terror threat, leading up to the fifth anniversary of 9/11.
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