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Dealing a Deathblow to Insurgency in Iraq; Michael Richards' Remorse; Millions Gather in Turkey to Protest Pope Benedict's Visit; Warning From Marines' top General
Aired November 26, 2006 - 16:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Carol Costello, in for Fredricka Whitfield, at the CNN headquarters in Atlanta.
Coming up in the NEWSROOM, a Baghdad military base under fire just days before President Bush discusses the war in Iraq with NATO leaders.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL RICHARDS, ACTOR: The African-American community is -- I mean, the leadership has -- has opened up the healing. And for that I'm grateful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Comedian Michael Richards appears live with Jesse Jackson, trying to make amends with African-Americans.
Plus, you are looking at live pictures of U.S. highways, some packed with travelers heading home for the holidays.
And as you see on your screen, we are monitoring the weather and airports to help you on your way. That's why we are in the squeeze- back. Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras will join us shortly.
But first, a look at some other stories making news right now.
A plume of smoke above Baghdad from a fire at a U.S. military post that was struck today by mortars. No casualties being reported. North of the capital, Iraqi security forces fought battles with Sunni insurgents.
A NATO soldier killed in fighting in central Afghanistan. The alliance says troops were attacked by insurgents. NATO called in airstrikes and claims at least 50 insurgents were killed.
Israel says it's abiding by a Gaza cease-fire despite rocket attacks by Palestinian militants. Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has reportedly ordered thousands of troops to deploy near the border to prevent violations from the Palestinian side.
The New York City police commissioner says he still doesn't know whether his force was justified in shooting three men on Saturday morning. One of the men died in the hail of gunfire that numbered some 50 rounds. More on that in a moment.
And the Reverend Jesse Jackson hosted Michael Richards today on his syndicated radio program. The comic issued another mea culpa for his racially-charged meltdown at a comedy club in Los Angeles.
And now, dealing a deathblow to the insurgency in Iraq, world leaders will discuss the best way to do that during two critical meetings this week. The first will happen in Tehran tomorrow between Iraq's president and his Iranian counterpart. The second comes two days later in Jordan, a summit between President Bush and Iraq's prime minister.
For more on that, let's turn to CNN White House Correspondent Ed Henry.
Hello, Ed.
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Carol.
What makes the situation in Iraq even more dire is that there are two other spots in the Mideast right now that are teetering on the brink of civil war.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY (voice over): Fresh killings and kidnappings in Baghdad just as President Bush preps for a midweek summit with Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki. But the host of the talks, Jordan's King Abdullah, is warning that Lebanon and the Gaza Strip may also soon be engulfed in sectarian violence.
KING ABDULLAH II, JORDAN: We could possibly imagine going into 2007 and having three civil wars on our hands.
HENRY: In a sign of the urgency, Vice President Cheney engaged in shuttle diplomacy in Saudi Arabia over the weekend, setting the stage for the president's face-to-face meeting with the Iraqi prime minister.
ABDULLAH: We hope that there will be something dramatic. The challenges obviously in front of both of them are immense.
HENRY: The radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is threatening to boycott parliament if al-Maliki goes ahead with the Bush meeting.
DR. MOWAFFAK AL-RUBAIE, IRAQI NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: This is all political posturing. It's all red herring. It's an anti-threat. This is a very stable government.
HENRY: Mr. Bush faces competing pressure within his own party, with Republican Chuck Hagel Sunday calling for a phased pullout of U.S. troops, declaring, "We have misunderstood, misread, misplanned and mismanaged our honorable intentions in Iraq with an arrogant self- delusion reminiscent of Vietnam."
Other Republicans are urging a massive increase in U.S. troop levels.
SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R), TEXAS: We're talking about 20,000 to 50,000 additional troops to embed them with the Iraqis so that when we clear areas we can actually secure them. Then we need to disarm the militias, we need to arrest al-Sadr.
HENRY: But leading Democrats scoff at that idea and are skeptical about the president's summit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What I'm afraid of, it's going to be a photo session, they'll talk, they'll leave, and nothing will be done consistently. We've got to follow up on that meeting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY: A lot riding on this summit for the president as he heads into his final two years in office. His legacy will rise or fall in large measure based on whether Prime Minister Maliki can turn around the sectarian violence in Iraq -- Carol.
COSTELLO: We'll see what happens.
Ed Henry reporting live from the White House.
Thanks.
Defeating the insurgency, of course, is just one challenge facing Iraqi leaders. To achieve real and lasting peace, they say their countries religious leaders must be on board.
More now from CNN's Arwa Damon.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: marching in military formation, thousands of supporters of radical Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr took to the streets in Najaf, carrying mock coffins, flags and banners to commemorate the death of al-Sadr's father, a revered Shia cleric. The show of force a reminder of al-Sadr's power, the same power that helped give Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the country's top job. But now al-Sadr's political bloc is threatening to suspend its activities in the government if al-Maliki meets U.S. President George W. Bush next week in Jordan.
The Iraqi prime minister, trying to stop his nation and government from disintegrating, held a joint press conference with his fellow Shi, Kurdish and Sunni leaders. And for the first time, echoed what we have long been hearing from the Iraqi people.
NOURI AL-MALIKI, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Let's be totally honest. The security situation is a reflection of political disagreement.
DAMON: Coming from the man who usually insists his government is one of national unity, this signals a shift in the Iraqi government's public face. And with that, comes an acknowledgement. AL-RUBAIE: Last year, have our constitution ratified. And we hoped that would have been the national contract, if you like. But now obviously we need to review that.
DAMON: More than just a review, the Iraqi people are demanding action from their government.
AL-RUBAIE: If they don't agree and the level of violence gets worse, then the country will split. So they have to get their act together. The political leaders, the religious leaders, they need to get their act together and agree on a formula how to divide the economic and political power.
DAMON: And he warned that now was the time for the government to take unpopular decisions before everything slips away.
(on camera): According to Iraqi officials, dozens of fellow Shias pelted the prime minister's convoy with stones as he was visiting the relatives of bombing victims in Sadr City. And the government curfew has done little to curb the violence, which has now escalated into a mortar war between Sunni and Shia neighborhoods.
Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Are U.S. troops in Iraq stretched too thin? The former head of the National Security Agency weighs in on that controversial question. A live interview with retired Army Lieutenant General William Odom coming up in the NEWSROOM.
Some angry New Yorkers want some answers from the city's police, and they're not getting them, actually. Today the Reverend Al Sharpton addressed an impromptu rally called in response to the shootings of three men on Saturday morning.
A groom-to-be was shot dead, two of his friends were wounded, when undercover cops launched a hail of bullets outside a strip club in Queens. The police commissioner, Raymond Kelly, says the club was under surveillance and there were suspicions one of the men was armed. He says police opened fire after an officer followed the three men out and was struck by their car.
Sharpton wants more of an explanation than that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. AL SHARPTON, ACTIVIST: It is reckless. Anybody could have got killed that night. And somebody did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right.
SHARPTON: This young man should have been at his wedding last night!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir! Yes, sir!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come on now!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not going to stop!
SHARPTON: Nicole Paultre and her husband should be on their honeymoon this morning. That's why we are here. So don't act like we're the troublemakers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And I must tell you, no gun was found. Authorities do say the five police officers fired their guns. And we have just learned that all five have now been placed on administrative leave and have had their weapons removed. Police investigators cannot interview the five until the district attorney completes an investigation.
Comedian Michael Richards is still reeling from the rant heard 'round the world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you seen someone, or are you going to see some one?
RICHARDS: Yes, I'm in -- I'm in -- I'm seeing someone now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: This morning he appeared live with Jesse Jackson. Find out what he said.
Plus, emotional protests over the pope's planned visit to Turkey.
And take a look at this. This is a live picture. All night long we're going to monitor the roads for you, the airports, the train stations, as thousands head home for the holidays.
You are watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: He says he is shattered by his racist outburst at a Los Angeles comedy club. Today Michael Richards tried to do more to convey his remorse. Richards apologized again, this time on the Reverend Jesse Jackson's nationally syndicated radio show.
CNN's Brooke Anderson listened in.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARDS: I know I have hurt them very, very deeply. And now I can -- I can -- I can say I am deeply sorry for this.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Michael Richards is apologizing once again for his racist rant at a comedy club in Los Angeles. (on camera): Richards came here to Premiere Radio Networks to sit face to face with Reverend Jesse Jackson on his nationally syndicated radio show "Keep Hope Alive" to personally ask for forgiveness from the African-American community.
REV. JESSE JACKSON, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: You used the word "Nigger," and then the -- then the lynching scene. I mean, have you been here before?
RICHARDS: No, no, no, no, no. It's a first time for me to talk to an African-American like that. That's a first time for me.
I'm really busted up over this.
ANDERSON: But this isn't the first time he said "I'm sorry." This latest act of contrition comes nearly a week after Richards' appearance on the "The Late Show With David Letterman."
It wasn't well received.
SINBAD, COMEDIAN: That was the worst apology I have ever seen. That apology is -- it was a piece of trash. You can't go on "Letterman." That's the punk way out.
ANDERSON: CNN was the only media outlet allowed in to Jackson's radio show, which included a call from Al Sharpton and featured comic Paul Mooney and two NAACP leaders in studio. We were asked to film the interview, but at the very last minute before the show went on the air, Richards became extremely uncomfortable with the presence of the cameras and we were told they were no longer permitted. Richards did allow brief filming only during a commercial break.
(on camera): Do you see yourself as a symbol of this bigger issue now?
RICHARDS: Perhaps a voice that got it in motion.
ANDERSON (voice over): Following the show, Richards spoke exclusively to CNN about what he plans to do next.
RICHARDS: Personal work. Deep personal work.
ANDERSON (on camera): As in therapy, psychiatry? What?
RICHARDS: Yes, to get to the depths of my -- of anger, the issues of anger. I'm seeing someone now.
ANDERSON: How do you think this went this morning?
RICHARDS: The African-American community is -- I mean, the leadership has -- has opened up the healing. And for that I'm grateful.
ANDERSON (voice over): Community leaders hope the healing extends to everyone, not just Michael Richards.
WILLIS EDWARDS, NAACP: We have to begin at home, too, within our own community. And begin today stamping out using that word, called the "N" word. We hope that everybody across America would join us in never allowing their children, allowing themselves to use the "N" word.
RONALD HASSON, NAACP: This word has no place in our society.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Carol, I was the only reporter actually allowed inside Reverend Jackson's radio show this morning. The atmosphere was quite tense.
Everyone was very serious, very somber. And Michael Richards seemed extremely nervous and uncomfortable. When I spoke with Richards after the show he didn't indicate that another public apology would be forthcoming, but he did say he hoped to meet with the two men who were the targets of his racist tirade.
Back to you.
COSTELLO: You know, I just talked to the Reverend Jesse Jackson, and he doesn't really believe much of what Michael Richards had to say. So at some point do you wonder, I mean, is this helpful?
ANDERSON: Right. Well, it seemed to be a very constructive conversation at the time. It was a two-hour radio show.
Michael Richards was there for the entire two hours. The first half- hour Reverend Jackson spent a great deal of the time talking to Michael Richards. But after that, there were a lot of other people who participated -- NAACP leaders, comic Paul Mooney, Reverend Al Sharpton called in.
So Michael Richards didn't really say much for the last hour and a half of the show. And the people I spoke with afterwards, to them they seemed to think it was a satisfactory apology and a good start to working towards healing. But as you said -- and I listened to your interview with Reverend Jesse Jackson -- he didn't seem convinced by a lot of what Michael Richards did say.
COSTELLO: Wow.
Brooke Anderson, thanks. Great report, actually. Very interesting.
Is Richards being accountable enough to the black community? Coming up at 7:00 p.m. Eastern, we'll hear what Charles Steele, the head of the SCLC, thinks about Richards' apology.
Well, the pope's comments about Muslims are having a profound impact on his upcoming trip to Turkey. Take a look.
Thousands are protesting his visit. The story coming up in the NEWSROOM.
Plus, new concerns that U.S. forces in Iraq are overworked and stretched too thin. A military analyst live coming your way next. (WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Tens of thousands of people gathered in Istanbul today to protest the planned visit of Pope Benedict. They denounced him as enemy of Islam. Tensions are running high in Turkey tonight, a mostly Muslim country with one foot in the West.
CNN's Delia Gallagher has more for you from Istanbul.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN FAITH AND VALUES CORRESPONDENT: A crowd of about 10,000 have gathered here in central Istanbul to protest Pope Benedict's upcoming visit to Turkey. They are members of a conservative Islamic party upset about the pope's remarks in Regensburg when he connected Islam to violence.
They are wearing headbands saying, "Pope, go home," and "No to the crusader alliance." There are signs here saying, "We have accepted Jesus as a prophet. Why don't you accept Mohammed?"
So a voice being heard here in Turkey in advance of the pope's visit. He still isn't due to arrive until Tuesday. But certainly these people are making themselves heard that they do not welcome his presence here.
Delia Gallagher, CNN, Istanbul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Anderson Cooper will be live in Turkey following the pope's visit. His weeklong series begins tomorrow night at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. And then starting at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, CNN will have a full day of special coverage: "When Faiths Collide, Christians & Muslims."
That's all day Tuesday only on CNN.
Planes, trains and automobiles, they're all jam-packed today with people making their way home after Thanksgiving. AAA predicting a record number of Americans are traveling more than 50 miles this holiday weekend. And if you want an exact number, that would be 38 million.
Except for some storms in the Pacific Northwest, the weather seems to be cooperating, with mild temperatures and dry skies prevailing over most of the country.
At the airport in Los Angeles, though, travelers are going elbow to elbow with strikers. A union representing thousands of architects and other technical professionals is planning to stage a strike at LAX within the hour.
Joining us live from the airport, CNN's Kareen Wynter. Hi, Kareen.
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Carol. Good afternoon to you .
Let me set the backdrop a bit of what we're seeing here because that takes precedent over any strikes, say airport officials. They want to make sure that passengers have a very smooth time flying in and out of one of the nation's busiest airports.
And as you can see, right behind me, we're right in front of the America West terminal, and it's very, very quiet here. A little further down you may be able to see some activity. That's the Southwest terminal.
They're expecting about 200,000 passengers to fly in and out of Los Angeles International Airport today. So far, really all weekend long, there have been no security breaches, we are told. Also, those recent bans on carry-on liquids and gels, they say that passengers have been adhering to them.
There are extra law enforcement officials here to assist with the traffic flow. Police officers are also keeping an eye on something you mentioned off the top, Carol, that strike which begins about an hour from now below the terminal where we are standing. And it involves a union representing some 7,500 city employees.
And what they're striking, what they're protesting, are contract negotiations. They're fighting for more wages.
But according to a Los Angeles International spokesperson, they tell us it's not supposed to cause any disruptions here at all, if any. They're going to be in a removed staging area. So we'll have to monitor that, again, when it begins at the top of the hour.
Besides that, again, smooth sailing for many passengers, but of course you're going to have routine headaches for those traveling on one of the busiest days of the year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Obviously I came back at the wrong time because it's like a Thanksgiving nightmare. And it just took me like an hour and a half to get out of the international customs. And I'm -- I don't know if I will make my next flight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WYNTER: And just so there is no confusion, Carol, those workers who are striking are workers who typically aren't scheduled to work on a Sunday, for example. They're not the front-line workers who man the runways or transportation security officials. These are administrative roles, people who work inside the office.
So we'll have to see if it has any impact, for example, on traffic, since they'll, again, be staging in an area not far from where we are -- Carol.
COSTELLO: We hope not.
Kareen Wynter live at LAX.
Thanks so much.
Hey, let's go to Jacqui "Delay" Jeras.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's my middle name.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: The warnings seem to be coming with more frequency. Are U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan overworked?
A military analyst live right here in the NEWSROOM next.
But first, did you know that you're a close cousin to some pretty odd- looking animals? We're speaking genetically. And some amazing new research aims to harness the power of the salamander for human benefit.
Here is CNN's Miles O'Brien with today's "Welcome to the Future."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My body and all my organs inside are the same as anybody else's. I just look a little bit different on the outside.
When I was 6 years old, I stepped on a downed power line. As a result, I lost my left leg and both of my arms. I basically had to learn how to do everything over again.
I now where a C-Leg, which stands for computer leg. But even with that, there's still frustrations and limitations with it. It's just never going to be as good as having your own.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: But what if Elizabeth could have her own limbs? In response to the hundreds of troops returning home from Iraq as amputees, the U.S. government is spending millions on research that could change their lives in ways we never imagined.
(voice over): Believe it or not, all humans carry the genes needed to regrow body parts, but for some reason, those genes get switched off at birth.
DR. STEPHEN BADYLAK, UNIV. OF PITTSBURGH: How can we reset that switch so that the body thinks its job is to regrow a body part rather than to simply form scar tissue to heal the wound?
O'BRIEN: University of Pittsburgh professor Dr. Stephen Badylak and a team of scientists from across the country are working to answer this question. They are studying regenerative species like salamanders to figure out the specific sequence of events that makes the regrowth process occur so it can be mimicked in humans. If successful, Badylak says the future possibilities are endless.
BADYLAK: If we can understand how to send the right stimulus, the right initiating signals to make the body believe it needs to regrow rather than to heal, I think that the chances of us identifying those signals for virtually any tissue or organ -- a kidney, a liver, a heart -- are just around corner from that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Here's what's happening "Now in the News."
Black smoke pours from inside a U.S. military base in eastern Baghdad. Military officials say insurgents fired two mortar rounds from the nearby Sadr City slums this morning but won't say what, if any, casualties were suffered.
In Afghanistan, a firefight between coalition soldiers and Taliban militants leaves at least 50 Taliban dead, along with NATO fatality. It happened yesterday in southern Afghanistan.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says his country is practicing restraint after Palestinian militants violate an hours-old cease-fire in Gaza by firing rocket volleys into Israel. Thirteen thousand Palestinian security forces are en route to the border to help enforce the troops.
A week after Michael Richards hurled racial slurs at hecklers, today he's asking for forgiveness on Reverend Jesse Jackson's radio show. Richards says his racist rant was fueled by anger not bigotry.
And it's very likely you are someone you know is heading home today. You are looking at a live picture of roads in New Haven, Connecticut, and right here in Atlanta.
The Sunday after Thanksgiving always one of the most busy travel days of the year. And with that in mind, we've got holiday travel information right on the screen. You see it there on the side there.
Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras will join us in a moment with any weather that could impact your travels.
The strain of war and a warning from the Marines' top general. Iraq and Afghanistan are pushing the corps to the edge. We talk live with retired General William Odom about a potential breaking point. But first, Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre has more on the strain on the Marine Corps.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Just one week into the job, the new Marine Corps warns the burden of repeat tours on Marine families is too much.
GEN. JAMES CONWAY, MARINE CORPS COMMANDANT: I think we may lose some of those folks. I think that the families, the young Marines, the sailors will say that's -- that just more than I think -- you know, I'm willing to bear. And it could have some negative consequences for us in that regard.
MCINTYRE: General James Conway says something has got to give. Either send fewer Marines to war or recruit more to increase the size of the corps.
Currently there are roughly 180,000 Marines on active duty. And unlike ground troops in the Army, they serve seven-month combat tours, not a year. They're supposed to get 14 months to recover. But the interval is more like seven or eight months, basically because the unrelenting violence in Iraq has prevented planned U.S. troop withdrawals.
The strain is not just a personal hardship, it's forcing the Marine Corps to forego other critical missions as it concentrates solely on counterinsurgency operations.
CONWAY: We're not providing to the nation some of the other things that we should be able to do. And in virtually any other nature of contingency.
We are not sending battalions like we used to for the mountain warfare training, the jungle training. We're not doing combined armed exercises that we used to do for the foreign maneuver types of activities that we have to be prepared to do.
MCINTYRE: At his confirmation hearing this summer, General Conway found an ally in Democrat Carl Levin, who will soon take over as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: I believe there is quite justifiable angst in the Marine Corps that the supplemental funding will not keep pace with its needs, especially as the war drags on and equipment is used up.
MCINTYRE: Currently there are about 23,000 Marines in Iraq, all in Al Anbar Province, one of the most dangerous parts of the country. That includes 2,200 reinforcements just dispatched to the area to try to help keep insurgents in check.
(on camera): General Conway is not ready to make any bold and expensive recommendations to increase the size of the Marine Corps. For one thing, he's waiting to see what new strategy might be in store for Iraq. If it calls for fewer Marines instead of more, then he thinks he can manage with the Marines he's got.
Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: That story first appeared on "AC 360," seen weeknights at 10:00 Eastern.
So we know there is some validity to the notion that American troops in Iraq are stretched too thin, but we want to put the question to the former head of the National security Agency, retired Army Lieutenant General William Odom, presently -- presently a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute.
Thanks for joining us, General.
LT. GEN. WILLIAM ODOM, U.S. ARMY (RET.): Thank you.
COSTELLO: So, the Marine Corps stretched too thin. What should the recommendations be?
ODOM: Well, if the Marines want to pull out, that makes good sense. The Army is even more stretched than the Marine Corps.
The Marines were cut almost none during the 1990s. The Army was cut about 40, 45 percent.
Army troops are staying there for a full year and turning around to go back within a year. So they're spending as many days there. And the Army has far more commitments that are not being met. For example, there are very few U.S. ground troops still in Europe, where they're needed to train up the new NATO members.
COSTELLO: And I know this kind of plays into your theory that American troops should withdraw from Iraq, and I really want to talk about that because, you know, a lot of people are on board with that idea right now, that there should be a slow withdraw over the course of three to six months. But I'm wondering, if troops withdraw, where would that leave Iraq?
ODOM: It will leave Iraq where Iraq is now and where it's headed. And if we stay there, we won't make it better. We'd make it worse. If we had withdrawn in late 2003, things would be less bad than they are today.
COSTELLO: Well, when you talk about withdrawing the troops, General, are you talking about all troops or leaving...
ODOM: Yes, all.
COSTELLO: All troops.
ODOM: Yes, get out completely. We are just in harm's way there. We're doing nothing that serves U.S. interests.
We're primarily serving the interest of Iran and al Qaeda. We have broken up Iraq. It will be very hard to put it back together. I doubt that it can be put back together. Anybody who can rule Iraq will inherently be anti-American, inevitably be anti-American.
COSTELLO: Well, let's talk about that right there, because you were the director of the National Security Agency. And if you withdraw all American troops out of Iraq and leave no American presence there whatsoever, you lose any intelligence advantage you had.
ODOM: We don't need -- we can find out as much or more about Iraq if we are outside as if we are in.
COSTELLO: But how can you say that? Because there are no Americans in Iran, right? There is no American embassy within Iran, we don't know -- we don't know anything that's going on in that country.
ODOM: Well, that -- we know quite a bit about that country. But the point is, do we need to have troops staying in Iraq just to know what's going on there? If you are going to have that kind of standard, than any country we want to know about we ought to occupy. So I think that is -- that's a nonsense argument for keeping troops in there.
The real fundamental issue is, do U.S. forces in Iraq serve any objective U.S. interest? And the answer was no before we went in. It was -- it's no today. And it will be no a year from now.
COSTELLO: So when do we start?
ODOM: As soon as possible.
Now if you want to understand what's going on in Washington, read the news clearly. Remember, people here, neither Democrats nor Republicans, are dealing with how to get out. They are dealing with passing the blame to each other.
So, that's -- dealing with our troops in Iraq and how to get them out is a second priority issue. The first priority is passing the blame around.
COSTELLO: Well, you know that Dick Cheney went to Saudi Arabia, President Bush is going to meet with Iraqi prime minister next week. What do you suppose they're -- do you think that they have a plan and that's why they're conducting all of these meetings?
ODOM: I doubt it very seriously. They have had three-plus, nearly four years to develop a plan. And if they haven't developed one that is effective in that period of time, they're not going to do it now by having a few visits with leaders in the Middle East.
COSTELLO: General Odom, thanks for joining us.
ODOM: Thank you.
COSTELLO: We appreciate it.
More now on the shaky hours-old cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians in the Gaza territories, where a reported 13,000 Palestinian security forces are going to enforce the truce. Some question the timing of the halt of hostilities.
CNN's Paula Hancocks has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Sunrise over Gaza bringing a new day and fresh hope of a suspension in violence. Israel pulled all of its tanks and troops out of the Gaza Strip early Sunday. And Palestinian militant leaders said no more rockets would be fired into Israel.
With just one hour into the cease-fire, the Israeli town of Sderot once more came under attack. The mayor says nothing has changed.
MAYOR ELI MOYAL, SDEROT, ISRAEL: They took in a lot. But we are seeing right now at least four attacks in Sderot since the cease-fire was enforced. So there is no cease-fire if you ask me.
HANCOCKS: Hamas and Islamic Jihad cells claimed responsibility, but Hamas leaders are insistent the rockets will stop if Israeli operations stop.
Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh says all the Palestinian people are looking for is their freedom, rights and dignity, and they want to live like the rest of the people of this world in an independent state with a governing power.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has called for his military to show restraint. He said Sunday, "This could be the beginning of a serious, true and open direct negotiations between us and the Palestinian Authority."
Up to 13,000 members of President Mahmoud Abbas' security forces are patrolling the border with Israel to try and prevent further rogue rocket attacks.
This cease-fire, agreed by Olmert and Abbas in a telephone call Saturday night, could spell the end of five months of Israeli military action in Gaza. It started in late June when Palestinian militants kidnapped an Israeli soldier. Gilad Shalit is still in captivity.
More than 300 Palestinians were killed in that time. Some of them civilians. And five Israelis also died.
(on camera): Some of the Israeli media are speculating that the timing of this cease-fire is no coincidence, coming just days before U.S. President George W. Bush visits neighboring Jordan. Now, there are no plans at this stage for Bush to meet with either the Palestinians or the Israelis, but some hope that that may change if the cease-fire holds. In any case, it does improve the chances of Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas meeting sooner rather than later.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: It's not exactly the welcome Pope Benedict was hoping for in Turkey. What's at stake with this historical visit next in the NEWSROOM.
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COSTELLO: The sounds of anger filled the streets of Istanbul today. Thousands of people gathered to protest the planned visit of Pope Benedict XVI. Turkey's secular government sees the visit as an opportunity to showcase the country's pro-western stance.
I asked Turkey's ambassador to the United States what's at stake.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NABI SENSOY, TURKEY'S AMB. TO U.S.: This is a very, very important visit for everybody concerned. I think it's going to be the right message to the right people.
It is important because this is the fifth visit of the pope. And it's being made to a country where the population is predominantly Muslim. I think this is -- this really augments the importance of this visit.
Secondly, this is a democratic country, this is a secular country, and a country where there is a rule of law. So it's just normal that in these countries and in any democratic country there will be protests of one kind or the other.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Anderson Cooper will be live in Turkey following the pope's visit. His weeklong series begins tomorrow night at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.
And then starting at 6:00 a.m. Tuesday, CNN will have a full day of special coverage, "When Faiths Collide: Christians & Muslims." That's all day Tuesday, only on CNN.
Let's look at other stories from around the world. A health scare for former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Shanon Cook has the details in our "Going Global" segment.
Hey, Shannon.
SHANON COOK, CNN L ANCHOR: Hey. Thanks very much, Carol.
Yes, Berlusconi is recovering in northern Italy after almost collapsing while giving a speech. We have some video here of what happened. You'll actually see -- there you go. You actually see him kind of slumped over at the podium there, and his aides had to rush in to help him.
Berlusconi later blamed the incident on exhaustion and also on antibiotics he was taking for knee surgery. But there are reports floating around that he has been diagnosed with a minor heart complaint. After his collapse, though, a little while after it, Berlusconi said he was feeling fine but would spend 24 hours in the hospital in Milan just as a precaution.
Well, about 300 people in London have come forward to say they may have been exposed to radiation that caused the death of this former Russian agent. Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned by radioactive Polonium-210, and traces of the substance have been found at his London house, also at a sushi bar where he met a contact on November 1st, and at a hotel he visited earlier that day.
The Health Protection Agency says the risk to the public is extremely low. But they are going to test those who said they may have been exposed.
It would been her 46th birthday. Instead, a memorial concert is being planned to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Princess Diana's death.
According to reports, her sons, princes William and Harry, are planning this huge charity concert. It's rumored that artists like Madonna and Elton John may take part. And it's also being said that the princes may host the event themselves.
The concert would take place on July 1st, Diana's birthday. An official statement about the event is expected pretty soon.
And it was lights on in Lisbon, Portugal, as crowds gathered to witness an annual holiday tradition, the lighting of Europe's tallest artificial Christmas tree. Get this, it's almost 250 feet high. That is incredibly tall.
In fact, it's about the height of a 25-story building. And the tree is adorned with more than two million light bulbs.
Carol, it might not come as a huge surprise that you can pretty much see that tree from every vantage point around the city of Lisbon. It is huge.
COSTELLO: The tallest artificial tree. They don't use -- OK.
COOK: I know. It's kind of a weird description.
COSTELLO: Exactly.
COOK: It's hard to be proud of being the tallest artificial tree.
COSTELLO: Yes.
Thanks, Shanon. We appreciate it.
COOK: Thank you.
Carol Lin is here with a preview of what's ahead.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: I can't top that. Very good point. Nothing gets past you, Carol.
COSTELLO: Oh, yes. Sure.
LIN: Anyway, coming up tonight we have two programs tonight, 7:00 and 10:00 Eastern Time.
At 7:00, I'm going to be speaking with the head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference on Michael Richards, the comedian's mea culpa on Jesse Jackson's radio show. You talked with Jesse Jackson earlier today.
COSTELLO: He wasn't buying anything.
LIN: No, he wasn't.
COSTELLO: Nothing.
LIN: He was trying to be diplomatic. But then towards the end he really got heated.
So we'll see what the head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference has to say about this, whether he, too, believes Michael Richards or not.
At 10:00, all right, to get you to go to church, if you saw an ad that said -- and I'm quoting here -- OK, a picture of a can of whipped cream.
COSTELLO: A picture of a can of whipped cream?
LIN: Yes. Well, you're looking actually at a picture of a squirrel.
COSTELLO: OK.
LIN: They had an easy answer squirrel, also involved. You will understand at 10:00. But how fun can sex be before it's a sin?
All right. This is an ad campaign that's trying to get young people to get back into church, debate the hot issues of the day. I did try to get an answer to that question, by the way. So you'll have to watch at 10:00 to see what came out of that.
COSTELLO: I will be glued to my set.
LIN: All right. And the -- the answer squirrel. Ask the answer squirrel anything.
COSTELLO: Ninjas last night. Squirrel today.
LIN: I know. We're on it, I tell you.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Carol.
Thousands are on the roads right now. An update on delays and your travel forecast next in the NEWSROOM.
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COSTELLO: Here are some of the most popular stories on CNN.com.
Two Maine teenagers are charged with setting off two homemade bombs inside of a Wal-Mart store. There were no major injuries. The 15- year-olds, however, were arrested after photos from the store's security cameras were shown on TV newscasts.
And a fan of "A Christmas Story" -- you know, the movie -- has a gift for lovers of that quirky holiday film. A man in Cleveland, Ohio, has restored Ralphie's three-story house to its appearance in the movie. It opened for tours yesterday and he's hoping to make lots and lots of cash.
Click on to CNN.com for more details.
Retailers actually are smiling today as the first Black Friday sales figures come in, hinting at a robust holiday sales season. More than 140 million shoppers hit the stores on Black Friday weekend. They spent an average of $360.15. That is up 18.9 percent from last year according to an industry sales group.
This year, men outspent women on the first day of the holiday shopping season because of some hard-to-resist deals on consumer electronics.
I thought it was going to be on gifts for women, but no.
JERAS: It's because they won't find the sales. They're just going to go find it and buy it. "I don't care what it costs. That was gift. I'm done."
COSTELLO: Exactly.
JERAS: We go bargain shop, don't we -- $3.60.
COSTELLO: And we're much more thoughtful and warm.
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COSTELLO: Still much more ahead on CNN.
Up next, "LOU DOBBS THIS WEEK" with a look at the chaos in the Middle East and the deadly week in Iraq.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
Today's top stories in about three minutes, and then "LOU DOBBS THIS WEEK."
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