Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Bush Bashing; Blitzer and President Bush; Shuttle Atlantis; Hostility In Houston

Aired September 21, 2006 - 07:00   ET

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

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The president the devil no less than eight times. And many in the audience laughed and applauded. President Bush hasn't commented, but former President Bill Clinton calls the comments a mistake. It's only hurting Mr. Chavez and his own country. Our senior United Nations correspondent, Richard Roth, is here now.
Richard, you have been covering the U.N. for how many years now?

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thirteen years.

M. O'BRIEN: Thirteen years. Have you ever seen a spectacle like that?

ROTH: No, I have not seen a world leader call another world leader the devil. I don't know if he saw the movie "The Devil Wore Prada," or what was going on in Hugo Chavez's mind. But we've seen Castro made very passionate speeches. Castro hit the table, while Chavez hit the roof.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His excellency, Mr. Hugo Chavez.

ROTH, (voice over): It is one of the most shocking, undiplomatic moments in United Nations history. The president of Venezuela telling the U.N. General Assembly that it was not President Bush who spoke from the same podium Tuesday, but Satan himself.

PRES. HUGO CHAVEZ, VENEZUELA, (through translator): The devil is right at home. The devil. The devil himself is right in the house. And the devil came here yesterday. Yesterday, the devil came here. Right here. Right here. And it smells of sulfur still today.

ROTH: President Hugo Chavez' criticism of the United States reached new levels as he personally attacked the leader of the U.N.'s most powerful country.

CHAVEZ: The president of the United States, the gentlemen to who I refer is as the devil, came here talking as if he owned the world. Truly, as the owner of the world. I think we could call a psychiatrist to analyze yesterday's statement made by the president of the United States.

ROTH: President Bush did not mention Venezuela Tuesday, even as he outlined other countries posing a threat to peace and security. Reaction from the Bush administration.

JOHN BOLTON, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: We're not going to address that sort of comic strip approach to international affairs.

ROTH: The U.S. has linked Venezuela to supporting terrorism movements and using its oil money to foment instability. Chavez drew applause and laughs in the hall because he serves as a prominent and easy outlet for many U.N. member countries who can't publicly vent against Bush administration policies.

CHAVEZ: I have the feeling, dear world dictator, that you are going to live the rest of your days as a nightmare because the rest of us are standing up. All those of us are rising up against American imperialism. We're shouting for equality, for respect, for the sovereignty of nations.

ROTH: Another president, who was not in the hall, prefers a different speaking style.

PRES. HAMID KARZAI, AFGHANISTAN: Get it together. This place is for that. For unity. Not for disunity.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROTH: Still to be determined, the impact on Venezuela's campaign for a non-permanent, two-year seat on the prestigious U.N. Security Council. The secret balloting, Miles, comes up on October 14th in the U.N.

M. O'BRIEN: Well, it will be interesting to see. Now on the one had you saw that applause, you saw the laughter. You might think he has a lot of support there. But that applause also, or the laughter especially, could be laughing at him as well.

ROTH: It's probably a combination. He is able to say what many countries really want to be able to say. It also shows how the U.N. is the great equalizer. This is the one place, no matter how powerful a country you are, weak, poor, you're on an even playing field up on that roster, at least during this week, of General Assembly.

M. O'BRIEN: It's interesting, he referred to the U.N. as worthless, and yet there he was using the U.N. for that purpose.

ROTH: That's right. He was also a book reviewer holding up author Noam Tomski's (ph) book about the imperialists, the United States, and recommending it to the people in the hall.

M. O'BRIEN: Fascinating. Fascinating. All right, yes. Richard Roth, we'll have you back in a little bit. We'll talk some more about this.

Former President Bill Clinton says Mr. Chavez's comments didn't do anyone any good. Mr. Clinton sat down with CNN's Larry King where he said the Venezuelan president isn't helping himself by spouting angry rhetoric.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think Chavez would be much more effective if he would say something that's true. Like, whether you believe in trade or not, it doesn't solve all the problems and a lot of people in Latin America are still living below the poverty line who bought into our democracy agenda and our trade agenda. And, therefore, I'm going to try to find a better answer that's more equitable for all these hard working people. You know, to me, that would be a much cleverer thing for him to do, where he'd really be doing something good and he could say, I disagree with President Bush, instead of calling him the devil.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Chavez was kind of over the top, but there's another world leader who's been quite a thorn in President Bush's side who is softening his language. Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, sat down exclusively with CNN's Anderson Cooper. He says he wants peace with all countries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, IRAN, (through translator): Our message is a message of peace and brotherhood with all nations. With all people. And we, like all nations, we're against oppression and injustice. And we love the American people as we love our own. We respect everyone.

And to clarify issues, I would call Mr. Bush to a debate. I propose that we sit and have a debate to talk about our positions, to discuss issues, and allow everyone around the world to hear the debate. This was a great suggestion, I think, because I believe that, after all, it's the public opinion, the world public opinion, that must have information and decide.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

S. O'BRIEN: Some describe the Iranian leader as on a charm offensive since his remarks to the U.N. You can catch "Anderson Cooper 360" every weeknight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

So the chorus of anti-American rhetoric at the U.N. this week hasn't seemed to deter President Bush, who took a break to talk exclusively with CNN's Wolf Blitzer about Iraq, Ahmadinejad and Osama bin Laden.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): With New York's scarred skyline behind us, President Bush made it clear he still wants Osama bin Laden dead or alive. And he says he'd order U.S. forces to go inside Pakistan to get him and other top al Qaeda leaders.

If you had good actionable intelligence in Pakistan where they were, would you give the order to kill him or capture him?

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Absolutely.

BLITZER: And go into Pakistan?

BUSH: Absolutely.

BLITZER: Even though the Pakistanis say that's their sovereign territory?

BUSH: Absolutely. We would take the action necessary to bring him to justice.

BLITZER: A quick and angry response from the Pakistani president, Pervez Musharraf.

PRES. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTAN: No, we wouldn't like to allow that at all. We will do it ourselves. We would like to do it ourselves.

BLITZER: I sat down with President Bush a day after he and the Iranian leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, gave dulling speeches at the United Nations. Mr. Bush defended his decision not to meet with Ahmadinejad, saying the U.S. will talk to Iran only if it suspends its nuclear activities.

Do you think they would drop a bomb or launch a missile on Israel?

BUSH: Wolf, my judgment is, you've got to take everybody's word seriously in this world. You can't -- again, you can't just hope for the best. You've got to assume that the leader, when he says that he would like to destroy Israel, means what he says.

BLITZER: Ahmadinejad is working to strengthen his ties to Iraq, embracing the Iraqi leader, Nuri al-Maliki, on a recent visit to Tehran. But Maliki still gets a vote of confidence from President Bush.

BUSH: These people want a unity government. The unity government's functioning. I'm impressed by President Maliki.

BLITZER: Here at home, President Bush appears to be giving new ground on immigration. An issue that has divided his party. A bill to build a 700-mile fence along the Mexican border is making its way through Congress.

Even though it's not part of what you want, comprehensive immigration reform, if the Senate passes what the House has passed, will you sign it into law?

BUSH: Yes, I'll sign it into law.

BLITZER: The president, clearly hoping to strengthen the hand of Republican candidates in the lead-up to the November election.

Wolf Blitzer, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Be sure to tune in for more of Wolf Blitzer in "The Situation Room." That comes your way weekdays at 4:00 p.m. Eastern.

There's a new poll out, has more proof that voters are not happy with their elected leaders. According to a CBS/"New York Times" poll, President Bush's approval rating is at 37 percent. Fifty-six percent of people polled disapprove of how the president's doing his job. Think that's bad? Well, take a look at how Congress is doing. Twenty-five percent of people polled approve the job that Congress is doing. Sixty-one percent say they disapprove. Everybody's looking toward that next election. Which, by the way, is on November 7th.

M. O'BRIEN: So I've heard, yes.

After a journey of 4.9 million miles in 12 days, the shuttle Atlantis and her crew of six safe and sound on terra firma in Cape Canaveral. The mission a success. The crew attaching a key truss and solar array to the International Space Station.

Let's get right to the Kennedy Space Center now. That's where we find Daniel Sieberg who watched the landing.

Daniel.

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Miles.

Yes, the sun coming up here at Kennedy Space Center. A short time after shuttle Atlantis touched down at 6:21 a.m. Eastern Time. We can show you some video of what that was like as they brought down shuttle Atlantis to runway 33 here at Kennedy Space Center. Commander Brent Jett bringing it in like a glider. Basically they described it as landing a falling brick. They come down on to that 15,000-foot- long runway with a little bit of an extension. A 1,000 foot long extension there. Touching down right at 6:21 a.m. Eastern Time.

It was a picture-perfect landing as far as everybody at NASA was concerned. They were very happy with how things went. Over the last couple days, they had further inspected that protective heat shield and cleared it for landing after they had spotted some mysterious debris floating nearby.

You mentioned the success of the mission. They installed these solar arrays up at the International Space Station. So pretty impressive hardware they put up there. These arrays, when unfurled, get to about 240 feet, glimmering in the sunlight up there. They double the power of the International Space Station, give it some more juice up there.

They had three space walks. And those solar arrays will actually track the sun as the International Space Station's orbiting the earth, once every 90 minutes. It follows the sun to make it more efficient in terms of gathering that power and storing that solar electricity.

So all in all, a very successful mission as far as NASA's concerned. A few glitches during the launch. Almost a month ago. A, you know, a delay on this end as far as the landing. But, overall, NASA very happy.

You can't see it, I think, from our vantage point right here, but the shuttle is just a few hundred yards to my left right now. We're expecting to see the crew getting into that mobile transport vehicle very shortly, Miles. And I guess going through some further system checks right now. And I guess they'll have a brief medical exam before they get checked out.

M. O'BRIEN: Next one on the barn is Discovery in December. Yet another ambitious Space Station construction mission. They have a lot on their plate there at NASA, don't they?

SIEBERG: They do. I believe it's another 15 missions between now and when they retire the shuttle fleet in 2010. Pretty much all of them designed to continue the assembly of the International Space Station and complete it before that time frame.

Yesterday program manager Wayne Hail was talking about the next one possibly going off as early as December 7th to give the crew and some of the folks on the ground the Christmas holiday vacation time off. In any case, it is a very demanding schedule they've got for the next several years.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. Pearl Harbor day is as good as any day for a shuttle launch. Daniel Sieberg, we'll see you then. Thanks.

Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: In America this morning, that spinach recall is widening. RBJ Food in New Jersey says it's recalling some of the spinach that it sent to the east coast. Two other companies have already announced recalls. The E. Coli outbreak has spread now to 23 states.

Developments in Colorado where police have made an arrest in that horrible story we told you about yesterday, the dragging death of a woman, being pulled behind a car. No word, though, on who that woman was. The woman's horribly disfigured body, an autopsy showed that she was alive when the dragging began. And 36-year-old Jose Luis Rubi- Nava, an illegal immigrant, is now facing a first-degree murder charge.

A plea deal for the owners of a Rhode Island nightclub. That was the scene of a deadly inferno. Jeffrey and Michael Derderian are going to plead no contest to that fire. It killed 100 people back in 2003. The fire was set off when pyrotechnics lit the club ceiling on fire. The victims' families are now outraged. One owner is only going to serve four years. The other one's not going to go to prison at all.

Police in Holland, Michigan, say they have solved a 27-year-old murder of a hotel desk clerk. Janet Chandler was kidnapped, raped, killed back in 1979. And now five people have been arrested, including Chandler's former roommate and boss at the hotel. What lead to the big break? Well, police say a recent documentary on the murder brought out witnesses who helped them solve the case. And from Texas, near the Mexican border, a huge manhunt is underway for six escaped prisoners. A former cop facing drug charges and five alleged members of a violent drug gang escaped from the East Hidalgo Detention Center in La Villa. They overpowered a guard at the privately run facility and then cut through at least four fences.

And in California, police and prosecutors pretty embarrassed after they lost a key piece of evidence in the child pornography against John Mark Karr. Remember, he was the one-time suspect in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case. The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office can't find the computer that contained the pornography that they seized from Karr's home back in 2001. Investigators say they've got a copy of the hard drive, though. And prosecutors have offered Karr a plea deal, which would put him on probation for three years and make him register as a sex offender.

Also in California, two "San Francisco Chronicle" reporters are going to find out if they've got to go to prison. Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada have refused to reveal just who leaked secret testimony from the Barry Bonds, and others, in the government's steroid probe.

In Ohio, a high-wire act in an ultra light. Oh, yes, that's not what he was hoping to do. He was trying to land. But actually, last night, workers were able to rescue the guy who was in the ultra light. He got ensnared in some power lines. He was trying to land on his own property near Cincinnati when that happened. Apparently he's OK.

M. O'BRIEN: Let's get a check of the forecast now. Chad Myers at the CNN Center with that.

A little chilly this morning, Chad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: Coming up, tragedy compounded for some military families. Their sons killed in battle when they were scheduled to be back home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He said, mom, he said, I hate to tell you this, but he says, those people are trying to kill us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

M. O'BRIEN: A closer look at the dangerous and sometimes deadly duties of one army brigade kept in Iraq longer than expected.

And next, a call to arms by a Houston gun dealer and radio host. What's the threat? He says it's Katrina evacuees. We'll explain on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: In Louisiana, the husband and wife owners of a nursing home where 35 patients died when Hurricane Katrina hit have been indicted. A grand jury cited Salvador and Mabel Mangano with 35 counts of negligent homicide and 64 counts of cruelty on Wednesday. They're now out on bail.

Well, rising crime is leading to hostility toward the Katrina evacuees who are living in Houston. A radio commercial gives the evacuees a new name -- Katrecians (ph), and it's urging Houstonians to arm themselves. CNN's Sean Callebs has our story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Houston gun shop owner Jim Pruett is fed up with the rise in violent crime in the city.

JIM PRUETT, GUN SHOP OWNER: This is called a looter shooter.

CALLEBS: A spike in robberies, assaults and murders, Houston police blame in part on Katrina evacuees. For Pruett, the final straw was listening to a radio interview with an evacue who he says dropped a not so veal threat.

PRUETT: He said that if he doesn't get some rent money, if the FEMA money runs out, then the level of crime is going to go up in this neighborhood because I'm going to have to get me some money.

CALLEBS: For gun enthusiast and part showman, Pruett is also a local talk radio host. He put out a commercial warning Houstonians to arm themselves.

PRUETT: When the Katrecians themselves are quoted as saying, the crime rate is going to go up if they don't get more free rent, then it's time to get your concealed handgun license.

CALLEBS: It's no secret that most of the so-called Katrecians are evacuees from New Orleans. People like David Turner who proudly boast a tattoo reading sixth ward.

DAVID TURNER, KATRINA EVACUEE: It's my hood where, you know, where I grew up in New Orleans.

CALLEBS: It's an area near the French Quarter. Turner says when people in Houston see his dreadlocks and tattoos, they think one thing.

TURNER: It's -- they're like, dog, that's the first thing coming in line, like dog.

CALLEBS: And that's something echoed by Tanishia Nicholas, who says evacuees are being unfairly singled out.

TANISHIA NICHOLAS, KATRINA EVACUEE: But there are three guys from New Orleans and there's 100,000 people here. I mean, you can't -- you just can't have a weapon for everybody. CALLEBS: A large majority of the 130,000 or so Katrina evacuees in Houston are unemployed, according to the city.

TURNER: See, I'm willing to work. I'm willing to get, you know, a nice job out here, but I don't have like transportation.

NICHOLAS: You can't find a job and you just really don't know what to do.

CALLEBS: And the last of the government benefits are running out.

Is that loaded?

PRUETT: This is loaded. It's cocked and locked.

CALLEBS: After handing out about 8,000 concealed weapons permits in both 2004 and 2005, Harris County, home to Houston, is on track to issue 11,000 so far this year. Pruett offers no apologies. Only a final salvo.

PRUETT: In Texas, we don't carry handguns because we have to, it's because we get to.

CALLEBS: Sean Callebs, CNN, Houston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: Coming up on the program, he's the youngest mayor in any major city in America. But can a politician barely out of college handle a job he basically inherited? We'll take a look.

And later, an AMERICAN MORNING exclusive, my interview with the world's first female space tourist, live from space. Well, live on tape, at least. How's her out of this world vacation been so far? Was there a mint on the pillow? That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: The Federal Reserve has spoketh and it sayseth that interest rates are just fineth. Our Gerri Willis is here. They don't really talk that way.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They do talk that way.

M. O'BRIEN: They do?

WILILS: That's not very different from Ben Bernanke, actually. They're kind of tough to understand.

M. O'BRIEN: A bit stilted, you might say.

WILLIS: Yes indeed. But you've got to right, the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged yesterday. It's the second time, second consecutive meeting with no rate change, after 17 straight rate hikes. You feel my pain if you're a consumer. You've seen this and consumer rates go higher.

Ben Bernanke and company still concerned about inflation, though, but they've seen recent declines in oil prices. Inflation pressures have eased a bit. They always have their eyes on it. But oil has fallen from $77 a barrel to $61 in the past two months.

The Fed also says the housing slowdown indicated that economic growth is moderating. He admitted the slowdown in housing picked up steam since the last meeting.

The Fed, of course, is trying to engineer a soft landing for the economy. That's what they really care about. And for consumers, of course, it's critical, because it ultimately impacts mortgage rates. That's a very big deal for people in adjustable rate mortgages, right, because they don't want to see those rates move higher.

Consumer rates for credit cards, you name it, other things as well, also tied to the prime, so we all keep our eyes on those numbers.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. So soft landing. We hope for a smooth takeoff sometimes soon, but that's not going to happen right away, is it?

WILLIS: Well, you know, growth has not been that bad. I've got to tell you. The economy has percolated along. It's only recently slowed. Oil prices are the things that have really been a threat to the broader economy. So it's really a wait-and-see kind of attitude right now to find out which way it goes. It seems to be kind of poised . . .

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, it's been that way for a long time, too, though. It's kind of hard to cipher it out.

How did the market react to all of this?

WILLIS: They loved it. You know, I mean, this is good news. You know, bad news for savers. If you're trying to save money out there, if rates start coming down and you get less return, less bang for your buck for your savings. But the markets were pretty happy about it. The Dow closed up 72 points. Right now it stands a little more than 100 points from its all-time high for the Dow.

Futures pointing to a higher opening this morning. So we'll check back with you and let you know what's going on.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. What's next?

WILLIS: Next we're going to talk about -- you've heard of the Boston Tea Party. Clearly you weren't around for that, but . . .

S. O'BRIEN: Miles was, but I wasn't.

WILLIS: Yes, you're so much younger.

Anyway. So we have the Illinois Tea Party.

S. O'BRIEN: What's that?

WILLIS: And I'll tell you all about that.

M. O'BRIEN: All right.

S. O'BRIEN: It doesn't have the same ring to it, I have to say.

WILLIS: You don't like that? Chicago's not doing it for you?

S. O'BRIEN: Well, I don't know. I don't know what the story is but it just doesn't sound the same. We'll see.

Thanks, Gerri.

WILLIS: You're welcome.

M. O'BRIEN: We'll see, though.

Coming up on the program, an army brigade that was scheduled to be home by now. Instead they're still in Iraq and still in harm's way. We'll see how their families are holding up.

Plus, my interview with the world's first female space tourist from aboard the International Space Station. There she is. She says she's having a great time. But there's more to it than that. Like you ever wonder what it smells like up there? We have the answer. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Welcome back to the program. I'm Miles O'Brien.

S. O'BRIEN: And I'm Soledad O'Brien. A new U.N. report out this number. It's got some pretty staggering numbers. It shows that more Iraqi civilians are dying than previously thought. That report puts the number of dead at just under 6,600 in July and August. More than 5,100 of those in Baghdad alone. So that comes out to more than 100 deaths every day of Iraqi civilians. The majority of those deaths coming by sectarian attacks, both Shiite and Sunni death squads there. And stopping the attacks now is becoming a top priority for U.S. forces in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. JOHN ABIZAID, CMDR., U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: Success will be judged by the level of sectarian violence, murders in particular, in the areas where we're operating being less. And it's certainly -- look, it's a program that involves not just putting military forces on the street, but it also requires that Iraqi and U.S. special forces go after the death squads. We have to target them. We have to do the intelligence work necessary to know where they are, then we've got to go after them and take them out of action.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

S. O'BRIEN: That was the head of CENTCOM, General John Abizaid, talking with Jim Leher there. The report also says torture is becoming a big problem. Brutal attacks leading to more than 200 deaths last week alone.

General John Abizaid, the commander of U.S. forces in the Mideast, said this week that the number of troops in Iraq will stay the same, or even grow over the next few months, and that could mean extended tours of duty.

Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr joins us with the story of what really that means for troops on the battlefield.

Hey, Barbara, good morning.

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

Well, the 172nd Stryker Brigade out of Alaska has already been extended four months, and tragedy has struck.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STARR (voice-over): These soldiers should have been home by now, back with their families. But the Army's 172nd Stryker Brigade drew the ultimate short straw. Just as they were headed back to their base in Alaska last month from a year-long tour of duty, they were ordered to stay in Iraq.

Now they are patrolling, and sometimes dying, in Baghdad's toughest neighborhoods.

Sergeant Joey Davis was killed when his Stryker vehicle struck an IED. Now Joey's brother, Andy, will meet his new sister-in-law for the first time at his brother's funeral.

ANDY DAVIS, BROTHER OF FALLEN SOLDER: I got an e-mail said, hey, I got married, right before he shipped out.

STARR: And he knew his brother was in danger.

DAVIS: I guess the last time my mom spoke with him, two weeks ago, the part of the city where he died, he was telling her he was going there, and he described it as the ghetto, the worst -- one of the worst places to be.

STARR: Candace Jordan was hearing the same thing from her son, Corporal Alexander Jordan, after the unit was ordered to stay in Iraq.

CANDACE JORDAN, MOTHER OF FALLEN SOLDIER: I think that's where I really became alarmed.

STARR: Alexander's e-mails were grim.

JORDAN: He wrote me an e-mail about a week ago, and he said, mom, he said, I hate to tell you this, but he says, those people are trying to kill us.

STARR: She knew what had happened when there was that knock at the door. JORDAN: I know exactly what to expect. I know who to expect. And that was my worst nightmare. I think it would be any mother's nightmare. I never, ever expected to see them at my door.

STARR: And Staff Sergeant Eugene Alex, killed on patrol in Baghdad. Three soldiers scheduled to have been back home with their families, ordered to stay in Iraq, killed in the last three weeks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: And, Soledad, the news that the Stryker Brigade was going to spend an extra four months in Iraq was so tough on the families, that a few weeks ago, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld flew up to Alaska to meet with them and try and explain the decision -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: That's just brutal. And I'm not sure any explanation is going to make it any better. Now is that new deadline the final deadline? Do they get to come home now soon?

STARR: Secretary Rumsfeld in that private meeting with the families, Soledad, said he would try and do everything to get them home by Christmas. But, indeed, there were no promises -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: That is such a sad story.

All right, Barbara Starr for us this morning. Barbara, thanks.

Some Air Force jobs are soon going to be going off into the wild blue yonder, so to speak. The Air Force say it's going to speed up its plan to cut 40,000 jobs. Originally the cuts were supposed to be made by 2011. A spokesman now says the Air Force is going to make those cuts by 2010 -- I'm sorry, 2009. The cuts are part of Pentagon's plan to reshape the military, and what it calls a more agile fighting force.

M. O'BRIEN: Smooth landing for the space shuttle Atlantis. Take a look at live pictures now as we take a look at the NASA feed coming from the Kennedy Space Center. There you see the ground crew as they begin the process -- actually they're pretty far long into it now, about an hour into it -- of getting the orbiter ready to go back in the hangar and start the process of getting it ready for its next flight, which will be in February. Back up to the International Space Station. You see all that apparatus around there. A lot of that has to keep the shuttle cool and making sure there aren't hazardous vapors associated with all that rocket fuel, which is associated with all the things that keep it orbiting in space.

Take a look at the landing, 6:21 Eastern Time, a little more than an hour ago, the shuttle dropping at a rate 20 times faster than an airliner, 19 times steeper, landing ever so gingerly, kissing the runway, as they say, at precisely the right time. Commander Brent Jett at the controls. Five crew members onboard with him; 4.9 million mile journey. They conveyed it was a success. They managed to put a huge truss and solar array on the International Space Station, and came back despite those concerns about those unidentified floating objects we were talking about yesterday. Everything was fine with the heat shield obviously.

The dream of a lifetime realized for one well-heeled trailblazer. Anousheh Ansari arrived at the International Space Station just a day ago, the first female space tourist on a $20 million trip. Ansari fled Iran in 1979, made her way to Texas and made a large fortune in the telecommunications business. I spoke with her as she flew over some Russian ground stations a few hours ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: Anousheh, this is a dream of a lifetime for you. How has the reality jibed with your dream?

ANOUSHEH ANSARI, 1ST FEMALE SPACE TOURIST: It's been unbelievable experience for me. I arrived here yesterday, and it already feels like home. I wasn't feeling well on the ride up here, but as soon as I got here, it was extremely nice. And the feeling is hard to describe.

M. O'BRIEN: Tell me about what you're doing with your time up there. I know you're blogging. I know you're e-mailing people. What else are you doing in your free time? I assume you're looking out the window a lot?

ANSARI: I'm trying to make some time for myself. And most of it, I'm watching out the windows, and basically taking pictures and videos. And I'll ask at the end of this if maybe we can show you some of the reels out the window.

M. O'BRIEN: Tell me a little bit about what the space station is like, the things that we here on earth don't understand, or can't possibly have a sense of. For instance, what does it smell like?

ANSARI: It's a very unique smell, actually. When they opened the hatch, they told me, take a big whiff, because this is the only time you get to smell space. So it's hard to describe, something between burnt food and cooking.

M. O'BRIEN: I'm curious, how is the rest of the crew treating you? do you have any specific responsibilities onboard the space station, and are they treating you fairly well? Is it like being at a five-star hotel?

ANSARI: If anyone has ever any doubt about the hospitality of the Russians, I have to tell you, they're the best hosts. And they've been extremely nice to me and provided me with everything I needed, and some more. And it's been a great experience here.

M. O'BRIEN: How has the food been, and have you had much of an appetite while you've been in space?

ANSARI: I didn't eat much on the flight up here, but ever since I've arrived here, i've been eating normally. They have everything. I have a sweet tooth, so there's all kinds of chocolates and sweets, and I have been eating most of the food here. But the food is great. It's American menu, and there's Russian menu. And people up here share everything. It's truly an international environment, and everything is fed, all resources are fed.

M. O'BRIEN: You are wearing on your jumpsuit there an American flag and an Iranian flag side by side. You're proud of your Iranian heritage. As you fly over the earth, the Iranian president was at the United Nations speaking, and relations between the two countries are strained. What words do you have -- the whole world is watching you, literally. What words do you have for the Iranian people?

ANSARI: I think Iranian people, like all the people around the world, are looking for peace.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: And with that, the transmission ended. Now, we called Russian mission control in Korolev, there in Moscow, and we asked them if that was a coincidence, that the live feed ended as we turned to international affairs, shall we say. They said it was, that the station simply went out of range at that particular moment.

Now, a little later in the program, we'll talk to the man in charge of Space Adventures, the company that brokered that deal. We'll ask him what's next for tourism to the space. How about a trip to the moon, Alice? maybe. And you can see the entire interview with Anousheh Ansari on Pipeline, CNN.com/pipeline, 8:30 Eastern. They're going to run that whole thing.

And of course, it is Thursday.

S. O'BRIEN: It's Miles-cam day.

M. O'BRIEN: Thank you very much.

You didn't know that? Thursday is Miles-cam day? Now you do.

S. O'BRIEN: Now you know. Don't forget it.

M. O'BRIEN: E-mail your questions to milescam@CNN.com now, and I will answer them for you live on the Pipeline product at 10:30 Eastern, and we've got a new thing going on in the Miles-cam.

S. O'BRIEN: Do tell us, yes.

M. O'BRIEN: If I can't answer the question, we just dial up whoever in the country, that company has the answer. So last week we spoke to Jack Womack, one of our big bosses, about news source. We called up Delia Gallagher.

S. O'BRIEN: You didn't have a lot of answers last week, is what you're saying.

M. O'BRIEN: In other words, I -- I'm admitting my...

S. O'BRIEN: OK.

M. O'BRIEN: Inability to answer things.

(CROSSTALK)

M. O'BRIEN: I do have a phone. I do have a phone.

S. O'BRIEN: You know, I wonder how you train to be a space tourist? Like, did she have to workout and do all that?

M. O'BRIEN: She had to go through a lot of medical tests and training in the vehicle. But, you know, basic conditioning is OK. You don't have to be a...

S. O'BRIEN: That is so cool. I'd even want to do that, and I'm not even a space nut.

M. O'BRIEN: Really? You have the $20 million to do it, huh?

S. O'BRIEN: No, no, no.

M. O'BRIEN: It's too bad that thing ran out, I was going to ask her if I could borrow $20 million. I mean, she's got it.

S. O'BRIEN: I can give you the answer right now. No, you can't.

Ahead this morning, we're going to talk about running a U.S. city, a major city. It's certainly no easy job. But what about if you are the new mayor and you're barely out of college?

Good morning. Alina Cho has a look at that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. In addition to Miles-cam, Soledad, just out of college and now the mayor of Pittsburgh. We spend the day with him, and Keeping up isn't easy. You'll meet him when AMERICAN MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Did you know the mayor of Pittsburgh is the youngest of any major American city? So how young is he? AMERICAN MORNING's Alina Cho knows the answer to that, spend some time with the kid.

CHO: The kid mayor is what some people are calling him -- 26. Can you believe it? You know, Soledad, at 26, many people are just thinking about what to do with their lives. Not Luke Ravenstahl. At 23, he was elected to the Pittsburgh city council, at 25 he was city council president, and now, at the tender age of 26, he's running city hall.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MYR. LUKE RAVENSTAHL, PITTSBURGH: Hi. Luke.

CHO (voice-over): He's not much older than these college students. But Luke Ravenstahl is the mayor of Pittsburgh. At 26, the youngest big city mayor in America.

RAVENSTAHL: Twenty-six is that number, and to me, it's just a number.

CHO: That number has vaulted Ravenstahl into the national spotlight. Last week he was in New York to see Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He also paid a visit to David Letterman.

DAVID LETTERMAN: An appearance like this, does it interfere with your homework?

RAVENSTAHL: It doesn't, and I....

(APPLAUSE)

LETTERMAN: I'm sorry.

RAVENSTAHL: There are times when I sit back and reflect on how fortunate I've been and how grateful I am for this opportunity.

CHO: Ravenstahl, however was not elected to office, he inherited it.

RAVENSTAHL: I, Luke Ravenstahl...

CHO: The new mayor was sworn in earlier this month, just hours after his predecessor, Bob O'Connor, died of brain cancer. As president of the city council, Ravenstahl was next in line. Bob O'Connor only spent eight months in office, but he was a popular mayor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome to Pittsburgh!

CHO: And Ravenstahl never forgets it, in his office, and on the streets.

RAVENSTAHL: He's a tough act to follow.

CHO: Pittsburgh, once known as the Steel City, no longer makes it. The city lost half its population, and is now home to just 300,000 people. Even though it's consistently ranked one of the country's most livable cities. Ravenstahl is trying to bring people back, by revitalizing the downtown area and relying on his more experienced staff.

RAVENSTAHL: Certainly I'm not as experienced as somebody that has been around for 15, 20, 30 years. But I'm willing to listen.

CHO: Ravenstahl's critics say he's too green to run a big city, and that his most valuable asset is his family name. His father is a district judge. His grandfather was a state representative. Ask the baby-faced mayor what he thinks, and he'll tell you the criticism rolls off his back.

RAVENSTAHL: I just ask people to wait and see. Give me that chance. Give me that opportunity. And all those questions about my age will be answered.

CHO: For now, the new mayor is taking it day by day, working on the city's budget, keeping track of appointments, and managing a much larger staff. He's so busy, he hasn't found the time to properly move into his new, much larger office.

RAVENSTAHL: When the spotlight goes away, in fact, I'll probably enjoy it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHO: We'll see.

One big question surrounding Ravenstahl right now, is just how long he'll serve as mayor. Some say he should face voters next year. Others say, according the to the city charter, his term won't expire until 2009. Ravenstahl has said he will let the courts decide this, and in the interim, he said his focus is running the city, Soledad, and taking it day by day, as you heard.

RAVENSTAHL: Well, if he wants the spotlight to disappear, he's not a very good politician. He might want to rethink that.

CHO: How do the people think, you know, seriously of the job he's doing?

S. O'BRIEN: I mean, is he getting thumbs up, thumbs down, or is it too hard to early tell?

CHO: Thumbs up. And remember, this is a guy who has been, in local politics at least, for a while now -- 23, he was elected to the city council. Twenty-five, he became Pittsburgh's youngest city council president. And he said, there were questions about his age at that time. And he proved himself. And so he says, you know, give me a little bit of time, and I think by early 2007, people won't be talking about my age.

S. O'BRIEN: I feel sort of underaccomplished.

CHO: I know, don't you?

S. O'BRIEN: Alina, great story. Thank you -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Coming up, a modern-day version of the Boston Tea Party in the Midwest, has the postal service a little upset. We'll explain in "Minding Your Business." Stay with us.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

S. O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, the fallout from the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's speech at the U.N. This is the speech where he called the president the devil, many, many times, and got applause. Take a closer look ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com