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American Morning

Prosecuting Detainees; Detainee Policy; Serial Killer Investigation; America Votes 2008; What American Dream?

Aired September 07, 2006 - 07:00   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, everybody. Welcome. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Miles O'Brien. Thanks for being with us.

S. O'BRIEN: President Bush pressing Congress now to make it legal to bring Guantanamo detainees in front of military tribunals. And just as he's revealed that 14 of the most dangerous al Qaeda suspects in custody had been sent to the Guantanamo camp, new rules are coming out about how detainees have to be treated. Let's get to both the political and security angles covered this morning. Ed Henry at the White House for us, Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon.

Ed, good morning. Let's start with you.

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Soledad.

You know the president, at the outset of these speeches, insisted he didn't want it to get wrapped up into politics, but Democrats already saying too late for that. In his third speech of this series, the president yesterday acknowledged for the first time the existence of secret CIA prisons and he tried to turn that into some political advantage by casting his administration as essentially the folks who are fighting the terrorists with these tools. He revealed that 14 senior members of al Qaeda, previously held in custody by the CIA, have now been transferred to the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay so they can finally be prosecuted.

But that's easier said than done because of that Supreme Court decision back in June which basically said these military tribunals would be unconstitutional without a legislative framework. It's now up to Congress. They're going to start with a hearing today to try to sort through the president's legislation and some competing Republican versions that have different ways to deal with these military commissions.

There is also the thorny international issue of whether or not these prisoners were tortured. The president addressed that yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to be absolutely clear with our people and the world, the United States does not torture. It's against our laws and it's against our values. I have not authorized it and I will not authorize it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Now the president claimed that the intelligence gleamed from these sessions with the detainees. He refused to get into any details about exactly how the detainees were treated, but he insisted that these sessions with the detainees greened intelligence that helped prevent terror attacks in the United Kingdom, Asia and the United States. But Democrats are complaining about the timing of all this and saying the president has now tried to put Congress in a box. Basically saying, pass my legislation or you're coddling terrorists.

Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: And is that essentially what people believe is the reason for announcing these prisons right now, Ed?

HENRY: I'm sorry?

S. O'BRIEN: The sort of the timing with the mid-term elections around the corner and looking forward to 2008, is there a sense that that timing is why the president is acknowledging the prisons now?

HENRY: The White House insists it's because the Supreme Court decision came down in June and they spent the last two months with administration lawyers combing through a way to figure out how to make these commissions work. Democrats don't buy that for a second. They say the mid-term elections are two months away. This is all about the president framing his party as tough on terror.

Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: What's the president doing today?

HENRY: He is going to have part four of this series of speeches. He'll be in Georgia. He's going to focus basically on gaps in security that led to 9/11 and he's going to talk about controversial post-9/11 changes, such as the Patriot Act, that he says have prevented more attacks.

Soledad.

Ed Henry at the White House for us.

Ed, thanks.

CNN, of course, is going to have live coverage of the president's speech today. That's at 10:20 a.m. Eastern Time.

The U.S. Army, at the same time, overhauling its interrogation manual, setting some new guidelines for the treatment and the questioning of prisoners who are in military custody. Jamie McIntyre live at the Pentagon for us this morning.

Hey, Jamie, good morning.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.

You know, these new rules have been a long time in coming. And in the end, the Pentagon decided to err on the side of international law.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE (voice over): After more than a year of contentious internal debate over how much to reveal to potential terrorists about American detention policy and interrogation tactics, the Pentagon has decided to make all procedures conform to the Geneva Conventions. The new Pentagon directive says, "all detainees shall be treated humanely and in accordance with U.S. law, the law of war, and applicable U.S. policy." And the details are spelled out in the revised Army field manual, which Congress has made the law regarding the treatment of prisoners.

LT. GEN. JOHN KIMMONS, ARMY DEP. CHIEF OF STAFF, INTELLIGENCE: The new field manual incorporates a single standard for humane treatment, as was alluded to, for all detainees, regardless of their status, under all circumstances, in conjunction with all interrogation techniques that are contained within it. And there are no others.

MCINTYRE: The manual also give examples of banned techniques, including forced nudity or sexual acts, the use of hoods or duct tape, beatings, electric shock, or other infliction of pain, so-called water-boarding or simulated drowning, hypothermia or heat distress, mock executions, withholding food, water or medicine, and the use of dogs, except for security.

KIMMONS: No good intelligence is going to come from abusive practices. I think history tells us that.

MCINTYRE: The Pentagon considered, but rejected, a secret annex that would have had additional approved techniques, but decided that would only cause suspicion. Just two hours after the Pentagon's announcement, President Bush said the same rules do not apply to the CIA, who he revealed had been holding terror suspects in overseas prisons and using tougher, alternative procedures to extract what he said was life-saving intelligence.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I cannot describe the specific methods used. I think you understand why. If I did, it would help the terrorists learn how to resist questioning and to keep information from us that we need to prevent new attacks on our country. But I can say the procedures were tough and they were safe and lawful and necessary.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: And, Soledad, as you can imagine, human rights groups, while applauding the Pentagon's new policies, are questioning the secret techniques that are used by the CIA without knowing exactly what they are. They say the secrecy itself invites abuse.

Soledad. S. O'BRIEN: Our Jamie McIntyre for us this morning at the Pentagon.

Jamie, thanks.

Ahead this morning, Jeff Toobin, our legal analyst, will help us sort out what the legal fallout's going to be. That's coming up in our 8:00 hour.

Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Phoenix police may have a potential break in the on- going baseline killer case. They announced an arrest in a sexual assault connected to the investigation of that serial case. It happened just about an hour ago. The so-called baseline killer wanted for eight murders and eleven sexual assaults. For the latest, let's go out live now to Phoenix and Chris Sign of our affiliate KNXV.

Chris.

CHRIS SIGN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, I can tell you, for the past year, since August of 2005, more than 150 Phoenix police detectives have been working around the clock chasing this man known as the baseline killer. As you mentioned, tied to eight murders and many sexual assaults.

Well, the big break came early this morning when they took one man into custody. Police are now linking that man to at least one of the sexual assaults and also charging that man with kidnapping. Earlier this morning, Phoenix Police Sergeant Andy Hill discussed the situation. Here's what he had to say about the arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SGT. ANDY HILL, PHOENIX POLICE DEPARTMENT: We did develop probable cause to make an arrest, which we did about 5:00 p.m. yesterday afternoon. A traffic stop was conducted by our special assignment unit at 28th Street and Pinshot (ph), and a 40-year-old male was taken into custody. He has been charged with one count of sexual assault and one count of kidnapping, reference a sexual assault case that took place last year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIGN: Now, I can tell you, police served a search warrant on this house. They also arrested the man as he pulled in from work, they're telling us. The S.W.A.T. team surrounded him as he pulled into the driveway of this house.

He does live with a woman. They say that she is not a suspect. Police, right now, will not discuss any of the evidence involved. They're not ruling out the possibility he's connected to the other crimes involved.

Also, here is a look at the man that we are talking about in this case, known as the baseline killer. That's because it's a road in the southern portion of Phoenix that is named baseline. His early crimes took place along Baseline Road, a total of 23 incidents linked to this man. This is the only sketch, the only look we've ever seen of this man. It's an artist rendering. And I can tell you right now, police are conducting a photo lineup and they are not releasing the man's photo as of yet. He is in jail. We will, of course, keep you updated.

Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. Obviously a developing story. Thank you very much, Chris Sign with our affiliate KNXV in Phoenix.

"Happening This Morning."

A shakeup at 10 Downing Street. British Prime Minister Tony Blair expected to announce a plan to resign within a year, but will not give an exact date.

Israel is ending the blockade on Lebanese air and sea ports. Israeli troops will hand over control posts to U.N. forces. The blockade ends three weeks after the U.N. brokered a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah.

A fire on a Russian nuclear submarine kills two sailors. It happened in the Barents Sea, caused by a short circuit. The Russian navy towing that sub back. We're told there is no risk of a radioactive leak.

Time is running out for 53 miners trapped in a coal mine in eastern India. Four were able to run out after the initial explosion. Indian officials say the remaining group has a slim chance of survival.

The family of crocodile hunter Steve Irwin says a private funeral will be held within the next week. A public memorial will come perhaps a week later. Irwin was killed by a stingray on Monday.

NASA will decide later today whether to launch the space shuttle Atlantis tomorrow. Engineers trying to decide if it's safe to fly with a bulky fuel cell. No time to fix it before the launch window closes tomorrow. Unless the launch rules are changed, the next chance to launch would be at the end of October.

And one of the world's best known sprinters free to return to the track. Marion Jones has been cleared of doping allegations. Her backup test for the banned endurance enhancer EPO came back negative.

Paris Hilton in some trouble today. She was arrested for driving under the influence early this morning. It happened in Hollywood after she failed a sobriety test. Her blood alcohol level was reportedly 0.08. That's right at the limit for California where DUI is considered a misdemeanor.

Let's get a check of the forecast now. Chad Myers with that.

Hello, Chad. (WEATHER REPORT)

S. O'BRIEN: Some big baby news to tell you about out of Atlanta this morning. The zoo there is celebrating the arrival of its first panda cub. Listen.

Yes, that's squeaking. That's little Butterstick 2.0. Remember the first Butterstick (INAUDIBLE)?

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, we do. There you can actually get a pretty good view there.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, you really see the mom. But the baby, she's moving her head. You can see the baby a little bit. The mother's name is Lun Lun. She was in labor for 35 hours. Bummer. That is the longest labor recorded for a panda. And as tradition goes, they're going to wait 100 days before they name the panda. I bet the zoo's going to have a big old contest for that.

M. O'BRIEN: Oh, yes. and in Atlanta, probably hi yall, you think that? Just a thought.

S. O'BRIEN: No.

M. O'BRIEN: No.

S. O'BRIEN: I'm sure it won't be. Of course, 100 days, that means they expect the baby's actually going to survive and it also apparently takes a while to figure out if it's a little female butterstick or a little male butterstick.

M. O'BRIEN: Or could it be margarine? You don't know.

S. O'BRIEN: Stop it, please.

M. O'BRIEN: Still to come on the program, the candidates are off and running and many of them aren't focused on the election two months from now, they're looking two years ahead. You know, we're talking presidential politics.

S. O'BRIEN: An investigative reporter took a beating. Take a look at this. This is out in California. The reporter ended up in the E.R., while the photographer rolled on. And the suspected attackers in handcuffs.

M. O'BRIEN: And the photographer didn't do a thing, except roll.

S. O'BRIEN: No.

M. O'BRIEN: Anyway. Well, what happened to the American dream? We'll show you why the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: The mid-term elections in November could cause a seismic shift in the Senate and House if Democrats win control of Congress. Still, this year's vote is just a prequel, if you will, for a piece of political theater called "Decision '08." It's not too early to talk about it, folks. Senior political correspondent Candy Crowley joins us now with more.

Hello, Candy.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. You sort of feel like you have to apologize for this, but . . .

M. O'BRIEN: I know, but we press on nonetheless, yes.

CROWLEY: That's right. Eventually every politician I've ever met says politics is all about the future. And in more ways than one, they are spot on.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CROWLEY, (voice over): In the end, the '06 election will be the beginning.

DICK GEPHARDT, FORMER HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADER: Well, it's kind of the starting gun going off for '08. And so everyone that has been looking at it, thinking about it, perusing it, has to make a decision almost the day, or the week after '06.

CROWLEY: Attention presidential candidates, the days of playing coy are dwindling down to a precious few. This man knows where of he speaks. Less than six weeks after the last mid-term election, Dick Gephardt was off and running for president. After all, there was only two years left.

GEPHARDT: If you're not in the mix, you can get far behind, just like a foot race, because the early runners will get way out ahead, have the infrastructure in place, the relationships, everything that you need to run a presidential race.

CROWLEY: But '06 is more than a launch pad for wannabes, it's a road map. Bread crumbs from voters marking a path to the White House.

JACKIE KOSZCZUK, CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY: John Kerry and Hillary Clinton and all those prominent Democrats, so situated in the Senate to be even contemplating presidential runs, have to be looking at the results of '06 to hear, what are people trying to tell us on the war?

CROWLEY: Right now the latest poll from CNN and Opinion Research Corporation shows 41 percent of Democrats will not support a candidate who voted for the Iraq War. Since that eliminates nearly every Democrat ogling the White House, expect '06 to force some Democrats into what is known in the trade as repositioning.

KOSZCZUK: Two years is a long time to be able to say, yes, I supported the president then, but now I see, and, you know, I've got this vision for getting us out of this situation in Iraq.

CROWLEY: Even the makeup of Congress will play into the '08 race. Even though Americans say they prefer Democratic candidates over Republicans, 70 percent expect a Democratic Congress and a Republican president would create stalemate. And mostly they're right.

GEPHARDT: Holding one house or even two houses when the president's of the other party really is not a prescription for an elaborate or an energetic legislative program.

CROWLEY: Divided government is no way to make law, but it's a great petri dish for campaigns. Look for the 10 to 12 lawmakers thinking about running for president to begin launching trial balloons from the Senate floor, testing out campaign agendas before taking it on the road.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CROWLEY: One last bi-product of the '06 elections -- it will mark the beginning of the end of the Bush era. As other politicians look to the future, two-term presidents begin to look to their legacy.

M. O'BRIEN: That will be interesting to watch that as well. But let's -- using history as a guide here, these mid-term elections, what impact do they really have on the presidential races that follow?

CROWLEY: They really, you know, it's called the internals, when you look at some of those exit polls coming out. You can begin to get a grip on, what are people voting on? What is it that they care most about?

Now having said that, it is two years and things can change. I mean, you know, we are expecting that people will say, I'm worried about Iraq, I'm worried about the economy. Well, you know, who knows in two years. Maybe Iraq, you know, hopefully Iraq recedes into the background. So it gives them a starting point. It gives politicians a starting point. It doesn't necessarily tell them where they're going to end up.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes. It's a snapshot and they need a crystal ball is what they need.

CROWLEY: Right. Exactly. And they want to launch big when they do it and they want people to pay attention, so they're looking for what it is the people want to know.

M. O'BRIEN: Candy Crowley, it's been great having you drop by.

CROWLEY: It's been very fun. I'll see you next on the other end of the camera, though.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. But come back any time.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, we like having you in person. It's a great. Thanks again.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. Candy Crowley, part of the best team in politics. We appreciate your time. Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, the American dream. Striving to reach middle class and beyond. Is it really a dream or more like a fantasy? We'll talk a look at that.

Also ahead this morning . . .

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not a cultural thing to walk around with your underwear displayed. That's not even a social problem. It's a mental problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

S. O'BRIEN: It's a mental problem. Pull those pants up, man! One Texas town could be taking aim at the below-the-waist baggy pants fashion statement. He can't even walk, that guy there in that shot. Take a look at that ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: America may still be the land of opportunity, but more than ever before, where you end up on the economic ladder is a function of just where you started out. Not how hard you work or how smart you are. More from CNN's Christine Romans this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Abby Suback (ph) is a mother of two from Boston.

ABBY SUBACK, PARENT: For my kids, I'm nervous. I don't know if it's a given that they'll be able to achieve their American dream.

ROMANS: She may be right. More than hard work or education, the best way to get rich in America is to be born rich.

ROSS EISENBREY, ECONOMICS POLICY INSTITUTE: It is the case that somebody who is in the upper third of income, who scores in the bottom on tests when they're in eighth grade, is more likely to go to college and finish college than a poor kid with the top scores. That's what the working person's children are up against.

ROMANS: The think tank, the Economic Policy Institute, finds it would take a poor couple with two children nine or ten generations to achieve middle class status. That's about 200 years. The hallmark of American opportunity has always been the ability to do better than your parents. But compared with similar developed countries, the United States ranks fifth out of six for so-called intergenerational mobility.

PETER MORICI, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND: If you look at the mechanisms for upward mobility that were so readily available 50 years ago, 25 years ago, they're becoming further out of reach. ROMANS: Like plentiful factory jobs with good wages and affordable education and healthcare. And white families are twice as likely as blacks to be upwardly mobile. For most people in America today, where you end up depends on where you start.

BILL BEACH, HERITAGE FOUNDATION : If you started in the middle income class, you know, about 40 to 45 percent of what you're making right now is due to the fact that your parents were in the middle income class. The rest is up to you.

ROMANS: He sides with those who believe this economy is creating opportunities for everyone.

But for the millions of people who find themselves below the poverty line and the millions more who are the working poor, their starting point for the American dream leaves them painfully far away from the middle class.

Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Christine's report first aired on "Lou Dobbs Tonight." You can catch that weeknights at 6:00 p.m. Eastern.

Self-made man, not a complete thing of the past. Here's a look at five people who are doing better than their parents did. Looking at the five richest Americans. None trust fund babies. Bill Gates, from a middle class family in Seattle. Warren Buffett's first job was as a newspaper boy.

Number five on the list, Sheldon Adelson. Have you ever heard of that guy? His dad was a cab driver. He now owns a bunch of casinos, including the Venetian in Vegas. See. So it could all work out for the rest of us.

M. O'BRIEN: Or we could play the lotto.

S. O'BRIEN: That's right.

M. O'BRIEN: Or do that, too.

General Motors is trying to boost sales and they're not offering incentives this time. It's a different approach. It kind of goes back to the old days of Lee Iacocca in the '80s. Gerri Willis here with more.

Hello, Gerri.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello. Good to see you guys.

Yes, this is an interesting story if you're a fan of GM products. They are increasing warranties for 2007 vehicles to five years and 100,000 miles. Now that is up from four years and 50,000 miles and three years, 36,000 miles, all depending on the model you buy. CEO Rick Wagoner says we're putting our money where our mouth is. He says his cars need fewer repairs and, in fact, warranty repair costs are down 40 percent over the past five years for those cars.

Wagoner also said the company's going to be -- and this is interesting -- more flexible in regard to changing gas prices. They're going to have strategies for when gas is $2 a gallon and when it's $5 a gallon. He admits to being caught with too many trucks and SUVs this year was , a big problem for that company and many others. And, of course, how many hybrids versus four-cylinder cars versus diesel engines. It's all going to be about the gas price range. And they'll need to make manufacturing plants to be more flexible. It's all in the details.

And another story today we found interesting, GM does provide the presidential limo. But former President Bill Clinton is going to be driving around in a Ford. Ford gave him a hybrid Mercury Mariner SUV. You're seeing it right here. The color is black. The extra is rear seats with extra leg room, a swing-up writing desk, small refrigerator, other secret, cool electronics. What do you think of that, Miles?

M. O'BRIEN: A refrigerator?

S. O'BRIEN: A little refrigerator?

M. O'BRIEN: A small refrigerator, wow!

WILLIS: Hybrid SUV. It's like ugly runway model. Do those two things really exist together?

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, apparently so. I guess the former president, he doesn't go to McDonald's anymore, so he probably has to carry some health food with him in the refrigerator or something. I don't know.

S. O'BRIEN: Maybe it's for the driver because the extra leg room in the back and the writing table means he's not driving. He's being driven.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, there you go. Good point. Good point.

WILLIS: And the price, of course, was right.

S. O'BRIEN: Free. Our favorite price of all.

WILLIS: That's right.

M. O'BRIEN: In exchange for this little news item, probably, essentially.

S. O'BRIEN: In exchange for this. Exactly. It all worked out.

M. O'BRIEN: What else have you got?

WILLIS: We're going to tell you an important story about racism in home lending. You'll want to hear about that.

S. O'BRIEN: All right. Looking forward to that.

Gerri, thank you.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. Thanks, Gerri.

S. O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, we'll tell you the story of that woman who was held against her will for eight years. She was just a girl when she was kidnapped. Now she's an Austrian teenager. She's trying to make up for the time that she missed, the life that she missed. Natascha Kampusch speaks publicly for the very first time.

Plus, take a look at these pictures. An investigative reporter. He's the guy in the blue shirt. You'll see him in a second. There he is. Look at him, beaten. The cameraman keeps rolling while he is attacked. The third guy there is trying to pull the other guy off of him. We'll tell you what happened in this story, straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Good morning, welcome back, everybody. I'm Soledad O'Brien.

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

S. O'BRIEN: Let's begin with the president's new plan for trying those Guantanamo detainees. It's expected to be taken up by the House Armed Services Committee today. The plan was unveiled during the president's speech on Wednesday. Also in that speech, the president acknowledged the existence of secret CIA prisons, and he said that 14 high-level detainees held in those secret prisons have been moved onto Gitmo.

AMERICAN MORNING's Bob Franken is live in Washington D.C. for us.

Hey, Bob, good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATL. CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

Secret prisons with what the president called alternate interrogation techniques. Now Congress is going to have to decide if those kind of coercive techniques can be used during the tribunals, the trials that are anticipated if they can get past all of this, at Guantanamo Bay. The president made some important moves.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN (voice-over): As tight as the security at Guantanamo Bay has been, it's possibly even more ridged now that it's the new home for the suspected terrorists the United States considers the most highly valued, the most vicious of all.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRES. OF THE UNITED STATES: We have largely completed our questioning of the men, and to start the process for bringing them to trial, we must bring them into the open. FRANKEN: Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the alleged planner of the 9/11 attacks, and 13 others had been secreted away in CIA prisons. Their trials at Guantanamo have been put on hold by the Supreme Court after one of the other defendants, Salim Ahmad Hamdan, successfully challenged the military commissions designed by the Bush administration.

Now the administration is trying to make adjustments. The Pentagon has announced new directives that prohibit coercive interrogations.

LT. GEN. JOHN KIMMONS, ARMY DEP. CHIF OF STAFF, INTEL: The new field manual incorporates a single standard for humane treatment as resoluted to for all detainees.

FRANKEN: Administration critics say this is a step in the right direction, finally.

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: If the administration had listened to their top military lawyers, they never would have used the harsh interrogation techniques which have so undermined the credibility of our nation.

FRANKEN: Meanwhile, Congress is struggling to meet the court's other mandate, to explicitly authorize these special courts, and agree on rules and regulations for them. The administration is making proposals that are very tightly drawn, and Hamdan's lawyer charges they're window dressing.

LT. CMDR. CHARLES SWIFT, HAMDAN'S MILITARY LAWYER: They send in the exact same procedures that the Supreme Court struck down in Hamdan, and now ask Congress to rubber stamp it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN: And it's important to point out that the president did not announce that he was closing the CIA prisons, nor did he announce that he was revising the interrogation techniques that can be used by the Central Intelligence Agency -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Bob Franken in Washington D.C. this morning. Bob, thanks. CNN's going to have live coverage of the president's speech. It's in Atlanta today. And the speech is expected to focus on security gaps as we approach the fifth anniversary of 9/11. That's taking place at 10:20 a.m. Eastern Time.

M. O'BRIEN: The hunt for Bucky Phillips continues in western New York. Phillips has been on the lam since April. The search took on greater urgency after Phillips allegedly shot two trooper as they closed in on him.

In many ways, Phillips' story does not add up, though. Like why did he escape prison just days before he was due to walk free?

Allan Chernoff with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The subject of one of the biggest manhunts in New York history appeared to have been close to turning his life around after spending 13 years in prison for burglary and attempted drug sales. Ralph Phillips was living in this Buffalo halfway house, holding a steady job as a machinery repairman and visiting daughter, Patrina (ph), and his grandchildren on weekends.

Dan Suitor, who didn't want to be on camera, says his old friend Buck was delighted with his new life.

DAN SUITOR, FRIEND: He was the happiest guy in the world with the fact that he was able to rekindle the relationship with his daughter.

CHERNOFF: The Division of Parole key summary said Phillips appeared to be doing well. But when a counselor at the halfway house denied Phillips a weekend pass at the beginning of the year to visit his daughter because of her concern he might attack a family member, an argument ensued, in which Phillips called the counselor a "bitch." Parole officers kicked Phillips out of the halfway house, forcing him back behind bars.

JOHN KEAVEY, ATTY. FOR RALPH PHILLIPS: His daughter and his grandchildren were basically what he lived for. All of a sudden, he's back in jail being told, you're here because you threatened to kill your family, and that just drove him crazy.

CHERNOFF: The director of the halfway house refused to talk about the incident.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have no comment.

CHERNOFF: The New York State Division of Parole told CNN Mr. Phillips violated the conditions of his parole.

In prison, Phillips was despondent, convinced, his attorney says, that he'd be forced to serve the maximum of his original sentence, all the way until 2012. Phillips wrote to Keavey, "I hope you and your kids will always be able to share the things that which make your lives most happy. At least one of us has it." And then he drew a smiley face.

(on camera): A judge sentenced Phillips to five additional months in prison. Shortly after his parole hearing, Phillips broke out of the Erie County Correctional Facility, using a large can opener to cut a hole through the roof.

(voice-over): He's been evading authorities ever since, and is the prime suspect in the shooting of three police officers, one of whom died Sunday.

KEAVEY: It's just such an incredible amount of tragedy.

CHERNOFF: Suitor says he believes his friend did kill the officer, and fears it could happen again. (on camera): How long do you think he can last out there?

SUITOR: Forever.

CHERNOFF: Forever?

SUITOR: Forever. He's just that determined.

CHERNOFF (voice-over): Allan Chernoff, CNN, Buffalo, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(NEWSBREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: Still to come on the program, held hostage in a basement for eight years. How do you put your life back together after that? we'll hear from a teenager and her powerful story.

S. O'BRIEN: And we continue our health series, for people in their 30s and their 40s and their 50s. Today's topic is menopause. What to expect and how you can get through it.

M. O'BRIEN: And in Dallas, they don't like this fashion statement. They say it's -- I don't know, what do you think? I think it's...

S. O'BRIEN: I think I can see their rear ends. Pull up the pants, guys.

M. O'BRIEN: Pull up the pants, guys! We'll tell you about the controversy in Dallas over that.

Stay with us.

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S. O'BRIEN: When a 10-year-old Austrian girl vanished on her way to school in 1998, it shocked that country. Well, now the girl, who's a young woman, escaped from her abductor last month, and she is speaking out about her terrifying eight-year nightmare.

CNN's senior international correspondent Matthew Chance has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For eight long years, she was a terrified hostage. Aged just 10, abducted by a suspected pedophile, as she walked to school.

NATASCHA KAMPUSCH, KIDNAPPING SURVIVOR (through translator): He grabbed me. I tried to scream, but no sound came out. Yes, I was in desperation and very angry. I was upset with myself that I did not change the side of the street, and that I did not go to school with my mother in her car. That was awful.

CHANCE: Now a young woman of 18, this is the first time Natascha Kampusch has spoken on camera since her dramatic escape last month the suicide of death of Wolfgang Pricklerpill (ph) soon after, the man who held her captive.

KAMPUSCH (through translator): I was fully aware that my escape would also be his death sentence, because he always threatened me with suicide.

CHANCE: This was a kidnapping that shocked Austria. In 1998, police had searched the country, but found no trace of Natascha. All along, she'd been held in this tiny underground cell not 10 miles from her home. It had a bed, and a toilet and a lot of books, but little else.

KAMPUSCH (through translator): It felt very claustrophobic in that small room. I threw water bottles against the walls, or banged against them with my fists so that maybe someone could hear me. I don't know. It was harrowing, and if he had not taken me up into the house at some point to have a bit more space to move, I think I might have gone crazy.

CHANCE: How long was it, she's asked, before he took you up to the house? Was it years? "No, after a half a year," she said. "Then I was allowed up to wash and to take a bath in the bathroom."

Over the years, Pricklerpill occasionally took Natascha out of the house, into shops, even on a skiing trip, but all the time, Natascha says, she was closely watched.

KAMPUSCH (through translator): He was very careful. He barely left my side. He would show signs of panic every time I was more than three centimeters away from him. He always wanted me to walk in front of him and not behind him, so he could keep me in view. I couldn't approach anyone because he threatened to harm them if I spoke with them. He would kill or get rid of them.

CHANCE: And she was so terrified, she couldn't even cry for help, she says.

KAMPUSCH (through translator): For example, the nice ladies in the home improvement stores, they would then ask, can I help you? And then I would just stand there, completely intimidated and in panic. My heart pounding with problems, and my circulation, barely being able to move. I then just had to stand by helplessly while he got rid of the sales people.

CHANCE: The exact nature of this relationship remains unclear, though police believe there was sexual contact. Natascha is unwilling to discuss this. It's the future she wants to talk about.

KAMPUSCH (through translator): I want to travel. For instance, go on a cruise with my family. Also, if I pass my Austrian high school graduation diploma, to go on a trip after completion of secondary school, but of course not with alcohol and partying, but a nice one. Not a summer splash or an all-inclusive, but rather something nice.

CHANCE: Something to make her life feel normal again. Now her eight-year nightmare has come to an end.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: It's quite an incredible story. Kampusch says since her escape, some of the sweetest moments have been brief getaways to enjoy ice cream, and she says it's nice to smile at people without being recognized.

Coming up, we're "Minding Your Business." That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

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M. O'BRIEN: It's Thursday. It's Thursday. What does that mean, Soledad?

S. O'BRIEN: Miles cam!

M. O'BRIEN: It's Miles cam day. And I'm all set to take your questions. The e-mails go to milescam@CNN.com. The answers are at CNN.com/pipeline. If you're not a subscriber, sign up right now. It's great. And I'll be there at 10:30 eastern taking whatever question is on your mind.

S. O'BRIEN: Do we have a focus today? What do you want to talk about today?

M. O'BRIEN: Are we married. No, we're not going to do that. No, we're going to talk about the shuttle. We can talk a little bit about 9/11 and our coverage that we're planning for next week, whatever's on your mind.

S. O'BRIEN: Okay, good. All right. Look forward to that. I always log in at pipeline to chat with Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Oh, thank you. You.

S. O'BRIEN: Have you heard this story about what's happening in Dallas? This is crazy. If a Dallas school board official has his way, city cops would basically become fashion police there. He's asking the city council to go after people, mainly young men, who wear baggy pants and expose their underwear. I am not making this up.

CNN's Ed Lavandera has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been wearing my pants right here.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's hard out here for a guy wearing baggy pants. Some people just don't get the fashion statement.

(on camera): Where are they right now?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All the way like this.

LAVANDERA: That's your thighs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

LAVANDERA: Where's your waist?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Waist is up here.

LAVANDERA: How do you walk?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just like this.

LAVANDERA: Slowly?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Out here wearing them low is called saggin'. To Keith T. (ph), it represents where he came from.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's in our blood. Our daddies do it, grandpas, all of them do it.

LAVANDERA (on camera): Is it comfortable?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that's why we do it, it's comfortable! We don't want no tight clothes all up here.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): But this man says pull up or pay up. Dallas school board member Ron Price wants people who wear their pants so low that you can see their underwear to get a ticket for public lewdness.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man, you got belt on!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It don't work.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, man.

LAVANDERA: He's asking the Dallas city council to make it happen. To him, it's about respect.

RON PRICE, DALLAS SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER: It's not a cultural thing to walk around with your underwear displayed. It's not even a social problem. It's a mental problem.

LAVANDERA (on camera): For now, the Dallas city council is only looking into the idea. Almost half the council members have said the ban is worth considering, but not all are thrilled by it. Some even said the last thing they want to see is a bunch of street cops turned into the fashion police. (voice-over): Most legal experts agree, legislating taste and fashion has been constitutionally dissed. That's why people dress like this at work, so Keith T says good luck getting a ticket.

(on camera): Do you think you're going to get a ticket for showing off your underwear?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man, we shouldn't get no ticket, man. If they give me a ticket, man, really, I'm just going to rip it up. To tell you the truth, I'm just going to rip it up and throw it away.

LAVANDERA (voice-over):: But if Dallas does baggy pants, the question then becomes, how high is too high? Remember Steve Urkel?

JALEEL WHITE, ACTOR: All you have to hitch up your pants bend your knees and stick out your pelvis I'm telling you, baby, it's better than Elvis.

LAVANDERA: Not cool.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: All right, thank you for that brave report.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

M. O'BRIEN: Top stories after a break. Stay with us.

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