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U.S. Military Offers Proof of Iranian made IEDs, Arms, Used By Iraqi Militias
Aired February 11, 2007 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL WARE, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT: The U.S. military says these 81 millimeter mortars can be directly linked back to the Iranian military.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Mortars the U.S. military says are used to kill Americans in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the guys got hit by a grenade. It got in here, the IED went off two days ago, here, right behind our truck.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: They call their outpost The Alamo, dangers of patrolling Baghdad's meanest streets.
Will Senator Barack Obama smoke his chances to be president, if he can't quit lighting up?
(BEGIN MUSIC VIDEO)
MALE SINGER: Every breath you take, every move you make, every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you --
(END MUSIC VIDEO)
WHITFIELD: Familiar sound. You know their music. You have also heard the buzz The Police are back, and we are live from the Grammys.
Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
First this hour, explosive charges leveled against the government of Iran. The United States is alleging, today, that American troops are dying from bombs made in Iran, then smuggled into Iraq on Tehran's orders. CNN's Michael Ware is in Baghdad where U.S. experts outlined the case at a long-awaited briefing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WARE (on camera): The focus was on EFPs, explosively formed penetrators. This is the most lethal kind of roadside device currently being used in Iraq. And can punch through the heaviest American armor on its battlefields, like a fist through a wall.
The U.S. military has long claimed that these are provided by Iran. Today, examples were proven. Indeed, the explosives expert said that one component of this bomb has to be so specifically machine tooled, they can trace that back to Iran. And they are certain, says this military expert, that the components are not being made here in Iraq.
They also pointed to this elite special forces unit, the Qods Force, or Jerusalem Force, within the Iranian military, providing weapons to attack American troops; to assist Shia insurgent groups. Specifically, they focused there on mortars. Here is an example that CNN obtained and aired late last year. The U.S. military says that these 81 millimeter mortars can be directly linked back to the Iranian military.
And 81 millimeters is a particular signature of the Iranian armed forces in the this region, they say. The make and model, this single piece, tailfin design, is particularly a signature of the Iranian armed forces as are the geometrics, says the explosive expert, another direct link to the Iranians.
They also claim that in the arrests of Iranian officers, here in Iraq since December the Americans claim they found proof that they are providing weapons to a prominent Iraqi political organization. That political organization says the weapons were being given for its own defense. However, the U.S. military counters and says that mortars and sniper rifles of the kind being provided are not for defense.
And finally, among the Iranians whose were arrested, in Urbil (ph), just a few weeks ago, in the north of the country, the U.S. military now claims one of them was the senior operations officer for the Iranian Qods, that special forces unit answering directly to the supreme leader guiding the attacks against the Americans. Michael Ware, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: We heard it before. U.S. forces drive insurgents out of a city only to have them return when the Americans pack up and leave. Today a U.S.-Iraqi contingent went to reclaim a town near Baquba, just north of Baghdad. A CNN crew is with them. Just moments ago, this is what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(GUNFIRE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mike.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, Mike. It's (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am focused on that gun.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, and lots of sniper fire, PKC fire, several IEDs. (END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: In this CNN exclusive, our Arwa Damon has been with that unit all day today. She will be along later this evening to join us in the newsroom to describe that ferocious battle.
The Alamo, a nickname the U.S. troops have given to a small dangerous outpost in the middle of Baghdad. CNN's Michael Holmes introduces us to the men who are based there, Charlie Company.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Adamea (ph) is one of Baghdad's oldest neighborhoods, birth place of the Baath Party, once very upper class, home to kings.
(On camera): But not anymore. This is a Sunni stronghold. And it is surrounded by Shia areas. Now, both of those areas have hard-core insurgents who fight each other and target the Americans.
SGT. KENNETH HEDRIX, U.S. ARMY: A lot of hand grenades, and a lot of improvised explosive devices.
HOLMES: So many hand grenades tossed from buildings that the men have built homemade protection for their exposed gunners.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of our guys got hit by a grenade, and it got in here. The IED went off two days ago, here, right behind our truck.
HOLMES: We're with Charlie Company 126th Infantry, based at Forward Operating Base Apache. Although, it's not really a base, it is actually a house, 120 men in the middle of probably the city's most dangerous area.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some guys just call it The Alamo. You know, it is a house in the middle of Adamea (ph). Nobody else around. No other units.
HOLMES: They are fired on regularly by insurgents, both Sunni and Shia. The house shows the scars. A couple of months ago insurgents attacked here. Charlie Company killed 38 of them. Around here, something as simple as leaving a house after speaking with the owners requires smoke grenades for cover.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unfortunately we learned some hard lessons.
HOLMES: Since arriving in August, Charlie Company has never left, never stopped patrolling 24/7. They've lost five men, two dozen wounded, and earned a fistful of medals for bravery.
(On camera): Is there a day here where something doesn't happen?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. No.
HOLMES (voice over): One soldier, 19-year-old Specialist Ross McGinnis (ph), is being nominated for his country's highest award. The Medal of Honor after throwing himself on a grenade that had been tossed into his Humvee, saving the lives of four comrades.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have four killed in action due to sniper attacks and roadside bombs, and four wounded in action.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take it slow.
HOLMES: But Lieutenant Ryan Maravia (ph) say those losses that brought the men that live and work here even closer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You would never have thought that we lost four guys. It is not because we don't remember them. We don't think about them. It is just that we know we have to carry on.
HOLMES: Carry on in place where the camaraderie might be ever present, but so, too, the urban warfare that is Adamea.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I look back on it, as probably -- probably the hardest tour I have ever done. Hopefully this is my first, and only year in Adamea (ph).
HOLMES: Michael Holmes, CNN, Adamea (ph), Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Barack Obama's hat has officially been in the ring 24 hours now. And now one of President Bush's top allies is trying to stomp all over it. Why is Australian Prime Minister John Howard slamming the Democratic hopeful? And what is Obama's response? Our Ed Henry has the story.
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ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Just one day after Democrat Barack Obama launched his bid for president of the United States, a blast from down under.
JOHN HOWARD, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA: If I were running Al Qaeda in Iraq, I would put a circle around March, 2008, and pray as many times as possible that -- for a victory not only for Obama, but also for the Democrats.
HENRY: A fierce ally of President Bush, conservative Australian Prime Minister John Howard was firing away at Obama's call for pulling all U.S. combat troops out of Iraq by the end of March of 2008, the senator quickly fired up.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So if he's ginned up to fight the good fight in Iraq, I suggest he calls up another 20,000 Australians and sends them to Iraq.
HENRY: A two-fer. A shot at the fact that about 1,000 Australian troops are in Iraq. And a poke at the plan to send more U.S. troops being pushed by the president, who is tight with Howard. GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Somebody said don't you -- you and John Howard appear to be so close, don't have you any differences. I said, yeah, he doesn't have any hair.
HENRY: White House aides express surprise over Howard's criticism of Obama. But one official weighed in with support for the Australian. Saying "Prime Minister Howard knows that setting a timeline for a withdrawal sends the wrong signal to our enemies."
Democrats, however, told the Aussie to butt out of the U.S. debate.
SEN. RON WYDEN (D-OR): The most charitable thing you can say about Mr. Howard's comment is, bizarre. You know, we will make our own judgments in this country with respect to elections.
HENRY: But a Republican presidential candidate declared that given their own sacrifice in Iraq, the Australians have a right to speak out.
REP. DUNCAN HUNTER (R-NB), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that John Howard, while it was not a very complimentary statement, he's basically stating the truth. And that is that what we say on the Senate floor, or on the House floor, goes to our world audience. And it has an impact not only on our allies, but also our adversaries.
HENRY (on camera): The back story is that John Howard is facing a tough re-election because of his support for the war. Vice President Cheney is heading to Australian later this month to try to help. The White House can hardly afford to have another friend of the president go the way of British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Ed Henry, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: In fact, the vice president, Dick Cheney, and Mr. Howard are also good friends. Cheney is heading to Australia for a visit next week.
Senator Hillary Clinton escaped any public slams from Mr. Howard today. She's still on the stump in New Hampshire this weekend. Her first visit to the Granite State since she launched her campaign.
Here she is, earlier today, pressing the flesh in Manchester. And right now she's in Keene, where CNN's Mary Snow is joining us, as well, at a high school there where all are awaiting this conversational get-to-know the senator.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fredricka.
We're at Keene High School in New Hampshire. As you can see behind me, the crowds waiting for Senator Clinton. Earlier today, the setting was much more intimate. She went into the living rooms of New Hampshire residents. She had two house parties where she sat and talked with residents only pool reporters were allowed into those events because they are so small. Once again, for a second day, Senator Clinton was asked some tough questions about Iraq. One woman at a house party earlier today asked Senator Clinton if she thought it was a mistake to have voted for the war in 2002. Senator Clinton responded saying she understands the anguish and outrage of people, but she said she thinks the mistakes were the president's mistake.
Earlier today, reporters caught up with her, and asked her about the fact that she's being peppered here in New Hampshire by questions about Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's all part of the conversation. And I want people to have a chance to ask me questions and I want to, you know, talk about my views and positions. That's part of (AUDIO GAP) the voters make up their minds. I enjoy that. Because we have some serious challenges facing our country. I want people to understand that we have got to be smart about how we deal with them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: On another topic which she received a applause for in Nashua, New Hampshire, earlier today, a woman asked her how she would combat the campaign techniques or tactics of Republican guru Karl Rove and other Republicans, Senator Clinton said -- I'm quoting her -- "I'm the one person they are most afraid of. Bill and I have beaten them before and we will again." That brought applause from the crowd in that house party.
This is going to be her last scheduled event for this weekend. And then tomorrow, no time wasted, Senator Barack Obama will be coming to New Hampshire -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Mary Snow, thank you so much, from Keene, New Hampshire.
We will check back in with Hillary Clinton has her town hall goes on this evening. More from New Hampshire later on in the NEWSROOM.
Plus, something that Senator Barack Obama would rather you didn't see. Could he ever get elected president if he can't quit smoking?
And this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you don't speak English how can I make you feel bad? You don't know what the sign says.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Hateful or not. That is the debate surrounding a sign at this Philadelphia business. You are watching CNN, the most trusted name in news. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: New details in the wake of Anna Nicole Smith's death that may elicit more questions in the coming days. Take a look at these photographs. The web site TMZ.com has acquired and says it verified as authentic of Anna Nicole Smith's refrigerator in the Bahamas.
Most notable is the white colored bottle labeled methadone. Alongside a pair of vials of undetermined ejectable medicines, additionally a couple of cans of Slimfast were found above the methadone. Also pictured on the refrigerator door, yogurt, Worchester sauce, spray butter, and a bottle of nutritional supplement known as Miracle 2000.
You will recall methadone was noted in the death of Smith's son, Daniel. Some five months ago. According to TMZ, Bahamian law enforcement is aware of the refrigerator contents. Again, we want to reiterate these photographs are from Smith's home in the Bahamas and not from the Florida hotel room where she was found dead last week.
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DARRYL PARIS, PASSREBY: The whole street was closed. There was smoke, there was flames coming from the top of the roof.
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WHITFIELD: Philadelphia firefighters are shaken after finding four children and a woman dead inside this abandoned house fire overnight. The officials believed the woman and the kids had taken refuge in the boarded up building, and had been there living unbeknownst to neighbors. All four children were less than 10 years old.
The small town of Bardstown, Kentucky, packs their high school gymnasium to remember the 10 members of well-known extended family who died Tuesday in a house fire. Six of the 10 fatalities were children. The fire was Kentucky's deadliest structure fire in nearly 30 years.
The city of Brotherly Love is known for Philly Cheese steak sandwiches, right? Well, now one of the city's most famous cheese steak joints finds itself in a legal pickle for insisting customers speak English. John Rawlins of CNN affiliate WPVI has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOEY VENTO, GENO'S OWNER: The sign stays up. I gave my word, my word is my bond.
JOHN RAWLINS, REPORTER, WPVI TV: This is the sign at the center of the controversy. It reads "This is America, when ordering, please speak English." It is affixed to a window of Geno's Steaks.
Is it a form of discrimination? The city's Human Relations Commission now says there is, quote, "probable cause Geno's violates the Fair Practice Ordinance Act, meaning the sign could make a customer feel unwelcomed.
But Vento fires back, how could a sign in English make a non- English speaker feel bad?
VENTO: Now we go back to my question again. If you don't speak English, how can I make you feel bad? You don't know what the sign says. I mean, it is common sense.
RAWLINS: Vento is an unabashed critic of illegal immigration, but he says he has never refused anyone service at his shop because of the language they speak. He claims he wants English spoken because customers can be served more quickly. As for his critics, particularly editorial writers, he asks:
VENTO: Excuse me. What part of your papers are in Spanish, you hypocrites? You want to chastise Joey Vento for coming out, and saying, speak English.
RAWLINS (on camera): They print their newspapers in English, is you point?
VENTO: Right. Now, you're silently saying, if you don't speak English can't read my paper. Who is the hypocrite? Who's the bad guy here?
RAWLINS: The steak shop owner maintains he's not the bad guy, and welcomes the chance to defend his sign at a yet unscheduled public hearing before the Human Relations Commission.
(On camera): Vento vows he will not back down. For him this is a First Amendment issue, and he will fight to the end.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Yikes, all right.
One Iraqi mother struggling to make ends meet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome to the Hamza household, with its cloth walls, makeshift kitchen, and tiny room for Alquath (ph), and her two children.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Why this woman feels she must depend on militias for her survival and the survival of her children. That story is just 15 minutes away.
Next, digging out, we head to a town in New York sitting under a whole lot of snow. You are in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Parts of upstate New York, buried in snow. Not six feet under but up to 10 feet in some areas. Despite the snow, some people are finding a way to make best of it. Reggie Aqui is with one family. Very inventive there, in Oswego, New York.
REGGIE AQUI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They sure are, Fredricka.
What do you need when you have anywhere between 7 and 10 feet of snow? You need a shovel, right? Apparently, according to these folks, you need a little bit of alcohol.
What they have done is set up a bar. They are calling it the Willbern Bar. It is all made out of the snow they had over the past week here. And it is called Willbern because it is actually a combination of two of the neighbors, who are living in this area.
You are 1/2 of Willbern, is that right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's correct.
AQUI: You are?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jim Berness.
AQUI: OK, Jim, so this is your idea?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it was. It was my idea and started out as a joke. I called my wife and said I was sick of the snow, so I was going to build a bar out of the snow. My neighbor has been over snow blowing, helping us out. I brought him into it, and we built this bar.
AQUI: And you have actual drinks back mere.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we do.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All kinds of drinks.
AQUI: Which, apparently, I guess you need after a week like this, that you've had here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. It helps relieve the winter blues. The whole neighborhood is out here, eight families, together. We're just out here on Dominic Street, having a great time.
AQUI: I know you guys are having a good time with this, but at the same time, this has been some serious stuff here. More snow than you are ever used to. What has it been like living through this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You just deal with it. Get up in the morning, you see a lot of snow, you go clear it out, and start back the next day doing the same thing. Nothing you can do with it.
AQUI: I see, let's look up at your roof for a second. There's a lot of snow up there still. Are you having to clear that on a daily basis? What's going on with that?
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It has been cleaned today. Maybe tomorrow, after we have this party we will get to that.
AQUI: Too busy with the bar, huh? I see how it goes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's getting really busy, yeah.
AQUI: I see how it goes here in Oswego.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bar has taken off on us.
AQUI: It has. And you even added -- if we can step back just a second. You can see, you've added what here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a disco ball up there, we have a dance floor.
AQUI: And you didn't forget the kids. Look.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, we have a kids section out back for all the kids to dig forts and bomb each other with snowballs, and have a good time.
(LAUGHTER)
AQUI: If you can see it says "kids area." So, they have not been forgotten here. Now, I know that you are on duty right now, so I can't offer you -- let's see what you have back here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can hook you up with a nonalcoholic beverage. We have some water for you.
AQUI: We have some water for you.
WHITFIELD: Maybe a chilly water would be nice.
AQUI: OK, well, it's ice cold.
WHITFIELD: I believe it. Everybody is freezing --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We got our grill, so we could call it a bar and grill.
WHITFIELD: But warm in the heart. What was that he said?
AQUI: What did you say?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a grill also, over here. We have our Chef Bruce.
AQUI: Oh, yes, Fredricka, in addition to the water, we also have a meal for you.
WHITFIELD: OK!
AQUI: They have burgers and hot dogs, and veggie burgers. I don't know if you are a vegetarian.
WHITFIELD: Sounds good to me. I like that.
AQUI: They have that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've got a fire pit going so, if anybody gets cold we can -- AQUI: Come on down here.
WHITFIELD: Sign me up. If planes are flying I will make my way.
AQUI: OK, we'll see you later.
WHITFIELD: All right, Reggie Aqui, thanks so much.
Our Jacqui Jeras is in the Severe Weather Center. I love to see they are making the most of it. They are having a good time.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is. You know, it is a Sunday. It is the weekend. Yeah.
WHITFIELD: They're not sweating it.
JERAS: Exactly. If you have to be in it, you may as well have fun. But did you notice what was missing from the picture, Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: Falling snow.
JERAS: Exactly. It has really been all weekend since we have seen that break. Really, a very nice break here for those folks for today. They are still under the warnings. The winds have shifted from the southwest now and that's why we are seeing it farther up to the north towards the Watertown area.
That's where the heavier snows will be. We think the winds will shift later on tonight. And maybe another four to eight inches on top of Reggie and the Willbern Bar here. Then we think things will be over and done with my tomorrow. Winds changing direction again and this will be the end, finally, of what's been one of the biggest storms coming in off of Lake Ontario.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WHITFIELD: How about this? Overseas, in Iraq, if you are a single mother, who do you turn to?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We've only have God and the Mehdi Army. They come by once or twice a week to check on us. They give us money and rations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: When everyone has guns, how do you pick sides? Her story of survival next. Plus a surprising side of Senator Barack Obama that you rarely see. If he can't quit smoking, could he ever be elected president?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: CNN cameras capturing the coalition's fight against the Iraqi insurgency. Up close, this is a video of a furious battle just in Buhritz just outside of Baqouba. The U.S. military says al Qaeda in Iraq fighters gained control of the town back in December. We will have more from our embedded reporter Arwa Damon later on IN THE NEWSROOM.
Australia's conservative Prime Minister slams presidential hopeful Barack Obama for calling for the pullout of U.S. troops from Iraq. In response, Senator Obama's campaign says maybe Australia should contribute more than just 1400 troops to the war so some American forces can come home. We heard those words directly from Obama that is.
Howard K. Stern, Anna Nicole Smith's partner has flown to the Bahamas to reunite with baby Dannielynn. There are conflicting reports that the two were staying in the disputed mansion where they had lived prior to Smith's death. Stern and another man, Larry Birkhead, are locked in a paternity battle over the baby.
The security situation in Iraq has made daily life a struggle for many families. Add to that no money, no home, and no help raising your children. You have one single mom's plight. CNN's Arwa Damon has her story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Being a poor single mother anywhere is tough. But with Iraq's relentless violence and lack of government institutions, it is much, much tougher. Welcome to the Hamza household with its cloth walls and makeshift kitchen and tiny room for Ikhlas and her two children. Ikhlas used to live in Sadr City a sprawling Shia (INAUDIBLE) but she divorced her husband about a year ago.
IKHLAS HAMZA, SINGLE MOTHER OF TWO (Translator): When I got divorced I should have gone back to live with my family. But they said the kids have to stay with their father and I wouldn't give my children to him.
DAMON: Rather than give up her kids, she came to live here, a warehouse turned squatter camp. No power, no gas, no water, the bathroom filthy. Government assistance nonexistent and Ikhlas earning just $100 a month cleaning houses, whatever extra help the family receives comes from local militiamen. The Mahe (ph) militia loyal to radical Shia clerk Mahmound al Sadr blamed for much of the sectarian violence but here they provide Ikhals and her family something the government can't or won't.
HAMZA (Translator): We have only got god and the army. They come by once or twice a week to check on us. They give us money and rations.
DAMON: It is something militias do routinely, winning minds the government often fails to achieve. Because of the poor security situation, there's not much for children to do for fun here. Eight year-old Ilea (ph) does not go to school. Instead he helps out at a mechanics shop making 30 cents a day and plays rough with his kid sister.
Just being seen talking to westerners can be a death sentence in Baghdad. But Ikhals says it is worth the gamble. She wants her story told, she says, a desperate cry for help to anyone who will listen.
Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Here in this country presidential politics. Now Senator Hilary Clinton making her last scheduled appearance there in New Hampshire this weekend. Right now she's talking to folks at Keene High School. This is part of her conversation with the senator encouraging people to give questions, she answers them and during this open exchange town hall-style setting. More on what she said in the next hour of THE NEWSROOM.
One of Hillary Clinton's biggest competitors right now, fellow Senator Barack Obama. Throwing his hat into the presidential ring just Saturday. The Illinois Democrat vowed to change the ways of Washington. Obama is also preparing to make a major change in his personal life. Maybe to help put out any fires before they start.
Here's CNN's Keith Oppenheim.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Barack Obama!
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The 2004 Democratic National Convention, Barack Obama catapults to the national stage, describing himself this way.
BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too.
OPPENHEIM: That was then when we knew little about him. This is today when we are learning more. Barack Obama smokes, that's right. Obama, the man who would be president, smokes cigarettes. This week he told the "Chicago Tribune" he usually smokes fewer than ten cigarettes a day. Obama said he smoked more when he was campaigning or writing. Otherwise, he has been more of a social smoker, friends say.
KIRK DILLARD, ILLINOIS STATE SENATOR: He played poker with a number of legislators from downstate Illinois after hours. He would have an occasional drink, he would smoke a cigarette. Bum a cigarette from legislators. OPPENHEIM: Because of pressure from his wife, Michelle, Obama says he's now trying to quit all together. The question is, in the brutal arena of presidential politics, does smoking cigarettes matter?
PROF. IRVING REIN, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY: It is like a hint or a tell about his character.
OPPENHEIM: Communications Professor Irving Rein says because Obama is still relatively unknown, small details about character can have a big impact.
REIN: Smoking is kind of a nasty habit to most Americans. It does give some insight into the fact that perhaps he got some behaviors that has another side of him.
OPPENHEIM: Keep in mind smoking was a side to many presidents, FDR smoked cigarettes publicly and proudly. Ronald Reagan before his White House years was a pitchman for Chesterfields. Many others from Kennedy to Nixon to be Clinton smoked cigars. But clearly, in 2007, tolerance for tobacco has changed.
PAUL GREEN, POLITICAL SCIENTIST, and ROOSEVELT UNIVERSITY: Health is going to be a big issue. If you are talking about universal health care and you are smoking, it does not look good.
OPPENHEIM: Strange as it may sound, some think Obama's vice or his struggle to overcome it could be a plus.
DOUG HATTAWAY, DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL CONSULTANT: People see him as a regular guy that connects to him and had struggles in his life. Whether or not you smoke or like smoking, that humanizes them and that's helpful to any candidate, I think.
OPPENHEIM: For now Obama can be counted among an estimated 45 million Americans who smoke. Some, like the candidate himself, are trying to kick the habit.
Keith Oppenheim, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Flying high. The Airbus A-380 opens its doors and its stairways. That's right, stairways, up high. Opening up to journalists. Our Richard Quest is among them who gets to take a ride.
That wasn't the right video or sound. We want play music of the Police. They are back. We caught up with the group at a Grammy rehearsal. We are live from the red carpet straight ahead.
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WHITFIELD: Stairways in the skies. The super jumbo is putting air travel on a whole new plane. Our Richard Quest takes a ride.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Two years overdue and billions of dollars over budget but for this group it does not matter for an hour or so. We have been waiting for this day for years. Or chance to fly on this super jumbo. Hello, captain. Where will you be taking us? The plane is a giant from whichever way you look. Back, front, up, down. And today's view is different. It's birds eye from the inside looking out. As we fly for the first time. Takeoff. Attempting to say that this is just like any other plane. Today there are just 200 of us onboard. We could only imagine what it will be like with 550 passengers, possibly more.
The plane is unique with its staircases at either end, wide and sweeping at the front, cozy and tight at the back. And then this flying building there are hidden treasures. The quarters where the crew will rest on long transoceanic flights. The lifts that will ensure passengers on both decks are fed and watered. So far in the demonstration planes we have seen there have been few bars, gyms and spas onboard the 380. That's because the economic reality of this very expensive plane means that you need to put as many seats in as possible. So far, only 166 have been sold. That's way too few for the plane to make any money. And Airbus can't really say when the 380 will break into profit.
JOHN LEAHY, CEO, AIRBUS: This market is a market for 1660 aircraft over 20-year period. We are essentially the only one in the market who gets half of that market.
QUEST: Many of the journalists on board have been covering the ups and downs of this plane for years. So it is difficult to be completely unbiased about flying it important first time. In the end this will probably become the most famous part of the a380. It is the wide sweeping staircase at the front of the plane. The 380 undoubtedly will usher in a new era of travel. It may be years overdue and slightly over budget. But the aircraft is coming to an airport near you.
Richard Quest, CNN, flying aboard the a-380.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I guess what happens in space doesn't stay in space.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once we take back the White House.
WHITFIELD: You knew it was coming. An astronaut goes off the deep end and who is there to catch her? Every comedian in the country of course.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the early 1980s they were one of the most popular rock 'n' roll bands in the world. Now they are back. Details on the Police, their performance, and their future plans coming up when the CNN NEWSROOM returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: The buzz is drumming up for tonight's 49th Annual Grammy Awards. The reunion of the legendary rockers, The Police. Our Brooke Anderson is in Los Angeles at the Staples Center. So is the idea that they are opening for the show or are they buried somewhere else within?
ANDERSON: No, these guys are not buried. They wouldn't do that. They are the opening performance of the Grammy Awards. And the Grammy telecast every year aims to please. Very quickly before we get to that, I want you to take a look at one of the big nominees here, this is Imogen. He talked about a girl with unique sense of style. She looks great, very talented. Imogen is nominated for best new artist. But now we go back to The Police. One of the most popular rock 'n' roll bands ever. They are here and they are back at the Grammy's, reunited and taking the stage after decades of being split apart.
THE POLICE: Roxanne.
ANDERSON: Twenty-two years after breaking up The Police are reunited.
THE POLICE: You don't have to sell your body --
NEIL PORTNOW, RECORDING ACADEMY: We are looking for something that would be eye opening and earth shattering and I think we arrived at it.
ANDERSON: Stewart Copeland, Andy Somers and Sting will take the stage tonight at the Grammy's.
PORTNOW: People are thrilled with this band that they are back in business and reuniting and going to be out there and playing the music that people loved so dearly for so many years.
JOSS STONE, SINGER: I love Sting. God, I love him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is it with Sting?
STONE: He's never going to age. He's ageless.
DREW BARRYMORE, ACTRESS: I used to go and buy all their albums on vinyl. I had a huge crush on Stewart Copeland. So, yes, I'm really excited to see them play again.
ANDERSON: The Police skyrocketed to fame in the late 1970s. But in 1984, six years after their first album, the group split up amid reports of feuding between the band mates. Stewart Copeland, who directed a documentary about the group's early days says rumors about the band's differences have been greatly exaggerated.
STEWART COPELAND, THE POLICE: There's a myth we fought all the time. The Police are always fighting. I believed it myself except when I look at this footage I realize we actually were very -- we were very fond of each other and we enjoyed each other's company.
ANDERSON: And their impact stretched from music to movies like "Another 48 Hours."
THE POLICE: Roxanne.
EDDIE MURPHY, ACTOR: Yes, I love Sting and The Police. I would love to go see them.
ANDERSON: A chance many will get tonight at the Grammy's.
This will be the very first time The Police will have performed at the Grammy's. They were last seen together in 2003 to commemorate their induction into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. And Fredricka their reunion won't be over tonight. Because tomorrow The Police are holding a special press conference to make a big announcement and it is widely believed that announcement will be about an upcoming tour. Everyone is very excited about these guys tonight.
WHITFIELD: People will be tuning in just important the preview of what folks will be expect to be that upcoming tour and the tickets are going to sell just like that. You know it.
ANDERSON: Oh like that. Exactly. We are very excited here. I can wait to see the opening performance.
WHITFIELD: You and me both. Thanks so much, Brook Anderson.
Coming up in our next hour, Mary J. Blige joins us live on a Grammy night that could be huge for her. She's up for eight awards tonight. She will be with us to talk all about it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First words out of Leno's mouth are --
JAY LENO: Houston, we have a problem. Oh, my god!
WHITFIELD: This is the kind of fame you probably don't aspire to. Hey, at least she made it on Leno.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm Jacqui Jeras in the CNN Weather Center with a cold and with the cold and flu report for you. The green states across the Rocky Mountain region into Ohio and then Vermont and New Hampshire doing the best, the lowest cases of the flu. But very high with widespread activity into the southern Plains and into the Tennessee River Valley and also into parts of the upper Midwest and the number of cases of the flu is up yet again this week compared to last week. Stay healthy. CNN NEWSROOM will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Headline writers, reporters and comedians have gotten a lot of mileage out of an arrest of an astronaut, Lisa Nowak. As our Jeanne Moos reports the bizarre space case proved fertile ground for punsters.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Like the runaway bride, the out of this world astronaut is hiding her face. You would hide, too, if you were being called names like this. Astro-nut is a favorite in the tabloid press. As puns go, 2007, a space oddity is mild.
REGIS: "The Post" says "lust in space."
MOOS: None of this is lost on comedians.
CRAIG FERGUSON, THE LATE LATE SHOW: I guess what happens in space doesn't stay in space.
MOOS: Letterman illustrated his top ten lists with the shuttle.
JAY LENO: Top ten signs an astronaut is trying to kill you. She poisons your Tang.
MOOS: When the first words out of Leno's mouth are --
LENO: Houston, we have a problem. Oh, my god!
MOOS: You know you do have a problem if you are the butt of that joke or this headline.
REGIS: "Dark Side of the Loom."
MOOS: As "People" Magazine editor Larry Sutton notes --
LARRY SUTTON, EDITOR, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: It is a cheap laugh but part of the reason we are attracted to the story.
MOOS: Even the straight news reporters can't resist the word play.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who was once on top of the world --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whether she will ever be able to escape this atmosphere again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Re-entry probably never looked so bad.
MOOS: But there is one word in particular that has captured the public's attention.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you have a diaper on, special space diapers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In a bizarre display of NASA ingenuity diapers.
MOOS: A calmness for "The Detroit Free Press" writes, the diaper did it. It is the diaper that will turn this tale into one of 2007's top jaw-droppers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She wears Depend diapers because she's going the drive 900 miles.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, wait. That to me was the first sign of warning! Danger! Warning!
MOOS: On "THE VIEW:" Barbara Walters jumped in to defend what suited up astronauts do.
BARBARA WALTERS: When they wear those suits, you know, they cannot go to the bathroom so they wear a kind of diaper thing that --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So she is used to that.
MOOS: But on this subject --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By the way, Bush, maybe you can hook me up with one of those heavy-duty astronaut diapers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Depends.
MOOS: One joke led to another.
DAVID LETTERMAN: The astronaut drove 900 miles wearing a diaper so she wouldn't have to stop. What kind of car gets 900 miles to a tank of gas?
MOOS: Looks like there is a lot more mileage left in this story.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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