Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Deadly Firefight: Fierce Battle North of Baghdad; America Votes 2008
Aired February 12, 2007 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Gathering storms. Possible tornadoes down south. A powerful system is cranking up in the Midwest. Winter storm alerts in 10 states right now and a record snow pile in upstate New York.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: An international incident. Barack Obama's brand new presidential campaign comes under fire from down under. His sharp comeback ahead.
S. O'BRIEN: Plus, chicks rule. The Dixie Chicks that is. They sweep the Grammys, go home with the last laugh on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Good morning. Welcome, everybody. It's Monday, February 12th. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
M. O'BRIEN: I'm Miles O'Brien. Thanks for being with us.
S. O'BRIEN: The weather that is leading the news today on this Monday morning, a record 11 feet plus of snow in upstate New York. Blizzard conditions, too, possible from the Midwest into the Northeast. And from Texas, across the Gulf Coast, a chance of thunderstorms, tornado, hail. It is a long and ugly list. CNN's Reggie Aqui is in Mexico, New York, this morning. Severe weather expert Chad Myers is at the CNN Weather Center for us.
Reggie, let's start with you. Good morning.
REGGIE AQUI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Yes, well, here's the good news. This lake effect snow warning is supposed to actually stop at 7:00 a.m. And these folks cannot wait for that.
Now if I can kind of compare myself here. I'm 6'4." So I'm exceptionally tall. So you can just see how high these snow drifts are and how high it is where they've ind of built these tunnels for people to walk through and to drive through. They've actually done a very good job of clearing this all out. But the folks here cannot wait for this lake effect to stop being so effective.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AQUI, (voice over): Mary McSweeney's small shovel is no match for the massive amount of snow. Six to 10 feet that fell here in upstate New York. But she's determined to make it out. MARY MCSWEENEY, OSWEGO RESIDENT: This has been surviving in the long haul. I got out twice this week. I'm working on three times. I'd like to go to church.
AQUI: John Johnston runs a snow blowing business. It's a job seemingly without end.
JOHN JOHNSTON, OSWEGO RESIDENT: It's a lot of snow and it just keeps coming and coming and coming. It isn't stopping. That's what's really the pain, it just don't seem to stop.
AQUI: The snow is so deep even the snow removal experts need backup. His seven kids, whose schools are closed, are pressed into service.
JOSHUA JOHNSTON, OSWEGO RESIDENT: Old man winter is going down with a fight.
AQUI: Joshua Johnston helps his dad clear his 50th driveway this week. At least he's on relatively solid ground. In this photo from Redfield, New York, these volunteer firefighters shovel out their roof. It's images like these that have the mayor of Mexico on edge.
MAYOR TERRY GRIMSHAW, MEXICO, NEW YORK: What's scary now is we've had a couple of buildings collapse. And that always scares people.
AQUI: And this is an area that doesn't scare easily. They're used to 150 inches of snow a year, but 100 in a week?
JOHN JOHNSTON: I never have liked winter. I don't like winter anymore. Especially after this year. It's been a bad year.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
AQUI: In fact, that gentleman says he's trying to get out of the snow business and this would have been a good year to stop all of that.
I want to show you something that's just right next to me. Actually this building. You can see what folks are going to have to deal will as icicles are forming. And eventually, as this melts, of course, that's going to all fall down. So that's a danger that people are facing now in the coming week as this hopefully all melts.
Now the good news to report, so far no, major injuries, no deaths in Oswego County. Not even a whole lot of accidents to report. The people here know how to drive in this. They know how to deal with this. They don't necessarily like it, but that is life up here in upstate New York right now.
Back to you guys.
S. O'BRIEN: Quite a mess. All right, Reggie Aqui for us this morning.
Thanks, Reggie.
Let's get to Chad Myers. There are winter storm warnings in effect right now.
And, of course, Chad, I know there's some stormy weather across the south you want to tell us about as well. Good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Soledad.
There's another big storm on the way. Bigger than the one that they had in Oswego County. Now Oswego County really was almost just one county or two counties and they're still getting lake effect snow this morning. It's not over just yet. So even though 7:00 a.m. may be the key to the warning, it will still be snowing in many areas.
Now there is a bigger storm than this one developing for a larger area. This is going to affect a lot of people from Texas and Louisiana with severe weather and the potential for tornadoes today, to one very significant weather event with freezing rain, ice, sleet, and a bunch of snow for the Northeast.
Here's where the snow starts. This is through the Midwest. We get snow through Chicago, through Moline. Everywhere that you see this darker purple, that's a foot of snow or more.
And in some spots southwest of Detroit, maybe even around Chicago, lake effect from the Northeast could set up. That's what this stripe is all about. And that could cause two feet of snow in some spots.
And look at the size of the swathe of this snow. We're not talking one county, we're talking one entire region of the country with eight to 12 inches of snow and many of those in between there, between 12 and 24.
It does look like New York City, you're going to get something frozen, freezing, and then raining and then frozen again. It's going to be one up and down forecast. We'll try to detail that hour by hour for you coming up.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Chad.
Developing news from Iraq this morning. Three explosions around central Baghdad this morning. More than 60 killed. The violence unabated as the U.S. continues pointing the finger at Iran. The military claiming Iran is arming Shiite insurgents in Iraq with bombs. CNN learning those bombs could be linked to the death of 170 coalition troops, not 170 Americans as was first claimed. The U.S. military making those claims at a briefing in Baghdad, laying out what it says is evidence the weapons can be traced to Iran. Iran saying this morning that the U.S. accusations cannot be trusted. We'll take a closer look coming up.
North of Baghdad, in the town of Beretz (ph), CNN cameras capture a showdown, U.S. and Iraqi troops against insurgents linked to as Qaeda. One U.S. soldier killed there.
More defiance from Iran this morning. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaking on the 20th anniversary of the Islamic revolution there, promising a progress report on Iran's nuclear program in April, insisting Iran will not stop making weapons-grade uranium.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, IRAN, (through translator): Today, we have gathered to confirm our right and to instill hopelessness in our enemy and to see that hopelessness on their faces. And this is the greatest victory of our nuclear efforts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
M. O'BRIEN: The Iranians insist their efforts are aimed simply at generating electricity. Diplomats say Iran is ratcheting up its nuclear fuel production as we speak.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: News from the campaign trail this morning to tell you about. Republican presidential hopefuls on the move today. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani goes to California's Silicon Valley. He was talking healthcare, crime, terrorism in Iraq before the state Republican convention this weekend in California. Now Giuliani says being the mayor of New York is good preparation for the White House.
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and Kansas Senator Sam Brownback were in Michigan. They're looking to woo the GOP's conservative wing. Romney is to formally announce his candidacy in Michigan tomorrow. It's his home state. Brownback is talking up his anti-abortion and his anti-same-sex marriage platform.
On the Democratic front, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama squaring off for what looks like a contentious primary battle in New Hampshire. CNN's Mary Snow has our story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Eleven months before the nation's first primary, voters in New Hampshire are being pulled for both their attention and their support. Senator Hillary Clinton spent two days here in living rooms and in town hall meetings. Iraq proved to be the most challenging topic. She was asked some tough questions about her vote to authorize the war and whether it was a mistake. Senator Clinton repeated what she's been saying, that she wouldn't have voted for the war if she knew then what she knows now.
On the heels of Senator Clinton's visit comes the man seen as her main Democratic rival, Senator Barack Obama. This will be his first visit to New Hampshire since announcing on Saturday he's running for president. Like Senator Clinton, he'll also hold a house party and a town hall meeting.
Mary Snow, CNN, Keene, New Hampshire.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: Barack Obama fending off fire from a distant front this morning. Taking some heat from down under. Australian Prime Minister John Howard says if he were running al Qaeda in Iraq, he'd be praying for an Obama victory in 2008. Obama wasted no time responding.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN HOWARD, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: He's a long way from being president of the United States. I think he's wrong. I think that would just encourage those who wanted completely destabilize and destroy Iraq and create chaos and a victory for the terrorists to hang on and hope for an Obama victory.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: To fight the good fight in Iraq, I would suggest that he calls up another 20,000 Australians and sends them to Iraq. Otherwise, it's just a bunch of empty rhetoric.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
M. O'BRIEN: Australia currently has about 1,000 troops in and around Iraq, many serving in non-combat roles.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Happening this morning.
The debate over Iraq is heating up in Congress, with House Democratic leaders unveiling a non-binding resolution opposing more U.S. troops in Iraq. The vote is expected on Friday. Another resolution stalled in the Senate last week.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is headed back to the U.S. this morning. Had a security conference in Munich over the weekend. He listened as Russian President Vladimir Putin called American foreign policy overly confrontational. Gates is still accepting Putin's invitation to visit Moscow, though he saying one cold war was quite enough.
Scooter Libby's lawyers begin making their case today. They could call columnist Robert Novak to the stand. Novak first published the name of the CIA operative. At the heart of the case, the judge is also weighing whether NBC's Andrea Mitchell will have to testify. Libby's lawyers say her testimony could contradict that of her colleague, Tim Russert.
M. O'BRIEN: The Dixie Chicks need a bigger mantle this morning. They were the big winners at the Grammy Awards last night, winning five statues. A big turn of events for a group once pilloried as unpatriotic. CNN's Brooke Anderson with the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Despite the controversy that has surrounded the Dixie Chicks since Natalie Maines' harsh criticism of President Bush several years ago, they were embraced here at the Grammy's by the Recording Academy. They were the top winners of the night, winning five Grammy Awards, including that of album of the year for "Taking The Long Way." The Chicks told me it wasn't really vindication for them but for the fans that have stuck beside them.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers also had a red hot night. Four Grammy Awards for these guys, including best rock album for "Stadium Arcadium." "American Idol" Carrie Underwood picked up two Grammy Awards, including best new artist. She's the first "American Idol" to win the best new artist Grammy.
OK. The top nominee coming into the night, Mary J. Blige, walked away victorious in three categories, including best R&B album for "The Breakthrough."
I also want to mention the opening act of the night. It was the Police. Yes, Sting, Andy Summers, Stewart Copeland, reunited, took the stage and performed "Roxanne." You know, it was just a taste of what may come with the Police because they are expected to announce an upcoming tour.
Another thrilling Grammy night. Reporting from the 49th Annual Grammys here in downtown Los Angeles, I'm Brooke Anderson.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: And I was very happy, the Police performed and Mary J. won. What more could a girl want?
M. O'BRIEN: And you watched the whole thing?
S. O'BRIEN: No, but I Tivoed it and that's all that matters.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes. All right. Good.
S. O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, Chad is tracking that powerful winter storm which is brewing in the Midwest.
Also, we'll meet the history scholar who's making history at Harvard. Find out why some folks, though, are seeing red that it took so long to crack the ivy ceiling.
And the U.S. military says it has new evidence that Iran is arming Shiite insurgents in Iraq, but is the evidence really new? And can it be trusted? We'll take a closer look straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning is right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: The most news in the morning right here on CNN.
Breaking news from Iraq. These pictures just in to us right now. Reports of 64 people killed at least in a series of bombings in Baghdad just a little while ago. The blast happening as Shiites mark the one year anniversary of that infamous bombing at a holy shrine in Samara which triggered so much of the violence we've been seeing over the past year.
Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, several Taliban soldiers killed overnight as U.S. troops launch a new crackdown on insurgents there.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: For the first time in its long history, Harvard University is going to have a female president. Fifty-nine-year-old Drew Gilpin Faust was picked last night to succeed Lawrence Somers. Now, Faust is a noted civil war historian and she's already a dean at Harvard. She understands, she said, the significance of her appointment. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DREW GILPIN FAUST, HARVARD PRESIDENT-ELECT: I hope that my own appointment can be one symbol of an opening of opportunities that would have been inconceivable even a generation ago. I'm not the woman president of Harvard, I'm the president of Harvard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: Four of the eight ivy league schools now have female president. Harvard joins Brown and Penn and Princeton. Overall, there is a report out today from the American Council on Education. It says 23 percent of U.S. colleges and university presidents are female. That's up 13 percent over the last 20 years. Now the report also finds that women are most likely to head two-year colleges, least likely to run colleges that award doctorates.
M. O'BRIEN: It's now quarter past the hour now. Chad Myers at the CNN Weather Center.
And they're still measuring snow by the feet up there in Oswego County. What else is in store for us?
(WEATHER REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: Another bloody day in Iraq today. Three bombs in a central Baghdad market, reports of at least 64 people killed. It comes the day after the Pentagon presented what it claims is evidence Iran is funneling weapons to Shiite fighters in Iraq. CNN's Michael Ware was at the briefing where the evidence was put on display.
Michael, first of all, let's talk about these weapons. There's a lot of jargon going around here. EFPs, explosively-formed penetrators. What exactly are they?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: OK, Miles, essentially that is the deadliest kind of roadside bomb that you have here in the war in Iraq. Essentially it's shaped like a large coffee tin and it's pointed at the road. The explosives are contains within. And when they detonate, they punch a piece of shaped metal that forms into a molten ball and punches through the heaviest American armor and devastating virtually everything that's inside the vehicle. That is an EFP.
Now the Americans say the components, one of the components, the shaped plate, has to be machine tooled in Iran. It's not done here. And, indeed, they intercepted some shipments crossing the border.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Well, how do they know it has to be machined in Iran? I mean is there something unique about the machining equipment in Iran?
WARE: Yes. Well speaking to an explosives expert, he says that, yes, it requires such fine tooling that it's simply -- or they're not available here in Iraq or the facilities where it is are being monitored. Either way, they say that they can link it back.
Now bear in mind too, there's also a body of circumstantial evidence. The way this bomb was first identified, when it first appeared here in May 2004, was by and large through the Israeli defense force. The Israelis said, hang on, we've been encountering these against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. So it turns out this is technology that Iran's revolutionary guard has been developing and sharing with a number of its proxies.
M. O'BRIEN: To use a term that was used a few years ago, is this a slam dunk as far as evidence? In other words, what's sort of being said around the periphery of this discussion?
WARE: Well, when you peel away all the cloak and dagger, the arrests of senior Iranian officers, the debriefs, the interrogations, the documents and the identification cards and what we're being told is intercepted intelligence, what it amounts to is essentially things like this, Miles. These are mortar tail fins. Now we have collected these over some time and we first aired them last year. This is precisely the kind of thing or is actually the kind of thing that U.S. military intelligence displayed yesterday. The date stamp shows it was only manufactured in 2006. It's of a particular caliber that the U.S. military says is a signature for Iran in the region, as is the make. The fact that this piece of assembly is one piece and not many parts put together, they say again is another signature that traces it back to Iran. So at the end of the day, this is the core evidence.
M. O'BRIEN: Michael Ware in Baghdad, thank you.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Happening in America this morning.
In Houston, 26-year-old Alisha Davis (ph) being remembered as a hero. He died trying to save his young cousins from a burning house. Three other family members were injured in that fire.
In Washington state, the North Town Mall in Spokane is expected to reopen this morning. Hundreds of shoppers were evacuated after reports of noxious fumes. Thirty-seven people went to the hospital complaining of eye, nose and throat irritation. Hazmat crews are looking for the source of those fumes.
Right now, Florida's turnpike near Disney World in Orlando is open, but still smoldering. A smoky brush fire burned 55 acres, shut down the turnpike on Sunday. The fire is blamed for two serious traffic accidents that injured several people, including a highway patrol trooper.
And guess who's coming to breakfast. In Maplewood, New Jersey, take a look at this. Yes, that would be a bear. A 400 pound bear in a family's back yard. Shimmed 50 feet up into a tree. Wildlife agents finally had to tranquilized the bear and, boop, there he went. He fell safely into a net, as was prepared.
M. O'BRIEN: No trampoline this time, right?
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, there was a little net. No trampoline. That wasn't such a good idea, the trampoline. A net, though, did the trick. Authorities think that the bear actually came out of a nearby wildlife preservation area.
M. O'BRIEN: Where does a bear eat breakfast? Anywhere he wants.
S. O'BRIEN: Anywhere he wants.
M. O'BRIEN: That's right. Do we have the trampoline video? Just to -- we'll show it later to you. Don't worry. Stay with us. We'll bring the trampoline video back. It's my favorite of all-time.
Coming up, another car maker is handing out pink slips. Ali Velshi is "Minding Your Business."
Plus, the Police rocked the Grammys last night. And there's hints of even bigger news to share this morning. You might want to get your Ticketmaster site ready to go, if you know what I mean. Stay with us for more AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Hey, he's still got it, doesn't he?
S. O'BRIEN: And he is so cute.
M. O'BRIEN: Well, I didn't say that.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, moving on.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes, I guess he is cute in some way.
All right. The Police reuniting, rocky the opening act at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles last night. Or granny awards when you think about them. It's like been since what the mid '50s since they were together. And not only -- it's not a one-time gig, so listen up, folks. Sting, Stewart and Andy will announce a reunion tour at a news conference today. That will be sold out instantly, I think. We'll keep you posted on that.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's talk business, shall we?
M. O'BRIEN: Let's do that.
S. O'BRIEN: One company goes against the trend and makes billions of bucks. Twenty-five minutes past the hour. That means it's time for Ali Velshi, who's "Minding Your Business."
Good morning.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm happy to give up a little of my time to hear Miles' imitation of the Police. I hear that from time to time.
S. O'BRIEN: Please, no. Please, no.
VELSHI: Here's the trend. The trend has been, we've talked about this all year. Public companies, companies that are listed on the stock exchange, going private, becoming bought out by private equity or these hedge funds. Things that the average investor can't invest in.
Well, the trend has switched because on Friday a company named Fortress Financial, you can see them here, Fortress Investments went public. It's the first hedge fund in U.S. history to actually go public. The principals of that company all under the age of 50 now, collectively five of them, worth $10 billion. More of that to come? I don't know. We'll see.
Another big story that we're looking at, this year is a year after most of the other two big Detroit auto makers, Ford and GM, laid off a lot of folks and restructured. DaimlerChrysler is expected to do that this week. On Wednesday we're expecting to hear layoffs. Up to 11,000 workers laid off, perhaps two plants closed, one in Delaware, one in Michigan.
We're waiting for that announcement from DaimlerChrysler. It will also involve restructuring. The Detroit three continue to struggle. So that will be a big thing that we're watching in the news this week.
And the other thing that we're looking at is Ben Bernanke, Fed chairman, goes to Capitol Hill. Twice a year he goes up there and offers some testimony about the state of the economy. It gives politicians the opportunity to ask him questions about what he thinks, where he thinks the economy is going. So the markets will be paying attention to that and some economic reports. It will be a very busy economic week today this week. Today we'll be looking at all of those different things. But the fallout from this hedge fund going public is going to be kind of interesting.
S. O'BRIEN: All right. Good to watch. Ali, thanks.
M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Ali.
S. O'BRIEN: Top stories of the morning are coming up next.
One intense battle caught by CNN cameras. U.S. and Iraqi troops struggling to re-take a town from al Qaeda.
Plus, Obama and Clinton head-to-head in New Hampshire. It's going to be a bruising fight for the primary. Will either one be left standing?
You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning is right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Breaking news. A deadly wave of attacks rolling over Iraq right now. Plus an exclusive view from the front lines as U.S. troops go up against Al Qaeda in Iraq.
S. O'BRIEN: Head to head. Presidential candidate Barack Obama roars into New Hampshire today, where Hillary Clinton is already taking some fire over her vote on Iraq.
M. O'BRIEN: Solid gold. The Dixie Chicks emerge from that political flare-up, celebrating a Grammy sweep on this AMERICAN MORNING.
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. It's Monday, February 12th.
I'm Soledad O'Brien.
M. O'BRIEN: I'm Miles O'Brien.
We're glad you're with us.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's start with what's happening this morning.
(NEWSBREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: In Baghdad this morning, at least 71 people were killed, at least 170 wounded as a series of bombs ripped right through busy marketplaces in the central part of the city. One bomb exploded near a popular takeout restaurant, followed shortly by the explosion of two cars that were packed with explosives -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: And as that continues, a fierce battle still under way 50 miles north of the city. U.S. and Iraqi forces fighting insurgents for control of Buhritz, a Sunni stronghold.
And CNN's Arwa Damon is on the front lines.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A fierce battle for Buhritz, a Sunni stronghold on the outskirts of Baquba. Al Qaeda in Iraq claimed control of this area in December, driving out Iraqi security forces. But now, with American support, Iraqi forces are here to claim it back.
Insurgent gunfire intensifies. The soldiers can't move. Their route is lined with roadside bombs, real and fake.
CAPT. DAMON HOLDITCH, U.S. ARMY: Yes, we've been here an hour now trying to clear this. And if they're going to be waiting for us -- and we've heard reports of RPG teams moving in.
DAMON: The sense of urgency increases. American Bradleys fire at suspicious objects, an Iraqi army soldier launches a rocket- propelled grenade at the alley where troops believe the gunfire is coming from.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, Captain, finally, let's go get them.
DAMON: Movement is rapid but cautious. Troops taking cover behind their vehicles. Right now, the biggest threat besides the roadside bombs, snipers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Slightly south but mainly east of us, all armed. An air weapon team said they went into a house.
DAMON: Buhritz has seen this before, caught in the vicious cycle of coming under coalition and Iraqi control, only to eventually fall to the insurgents.
We see few civilians. Many appear to have left in a hurry. But in this house, we find a petrified family, too afraid to appear on camera. Quivering with each explosion outside, but they tell us they have nowhere else to go.
Apache helicopters pick off insurgent gunmen on the ground, but in eight tough hours, these troops advance less than half a mile. They promise the battle will go on until the fear in these people's eyes goes away.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DAMON: According to a senior military official, in some ways the Iraqi prime minister is actually more concerned about security in Diyala Province, where Buhritz is located, than he is about security in Baghdad. Part of that because of the increasing strength and presence of Al Qaeda in Iraq there, and also partly because of reports of the reemergence of the Ba'ath Party -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: You know, we talk so much about Anbar Province as well. Is there a shift? Are the Sunni insurgents moving?
DAMON: Well, that is what some military officials are speculating about, and that is what actually Iraqi officials that we have spoken to are absolutely positive is what is happening. They're basically saying that, over the last four months, as the insurgents, especially Al Qaeda in Iraq, were losing their group on Al Anbar Province because of the ongoing military operations there, they were seeing this shift towards Baquba. In fact, Iraqi security officials going as far as to call Baquba sort of a boiling pot for Al Qaeda in Iraq and other Sunni extremist groups, something that is incredibly concerning to all of those involved -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Arwa Damon in Baghdad.
Thank you -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: And let's get you caught up on the campaign trail.
Senator Barack Obama is going to be in New Hampshire today, fresh off his weekend presidential bid announcement in his home state, Illinois, and a visit to Iowa. Now, Obama played down his lack of experience, says he's going to be bringing a fresh approach to Washington, D.C.
Senator Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, too, holding town meetings, facing tough questions about her vote to authorize the use of force in Iraq in 2002. Senator Clinton repeated her assertion that if she knew then what she knows now, she wouldn't have voted for the war. Wouldn't say that she made a mistake, though.
For the Republicans, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani goes to California's Silicon Valley today. He was talking healthcare and crime and terrorism and Iraq before the state Republican convention in Sacramento over the weekend. Now Giuliani says being the mayor of New York is good preparation for the White House.
And former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney is at the Republican convention in Michigan, looking to woo the GOP's conservative wing. He also made a stop in St. Louis at the Missouri State Republican Lincoln day festivities. Romney is to return to Michigan tomorrow. That's where he's going to formally announce his candidacy in his home state.
M. O'BRIEN: Well, the Dixie Chicks may not be ready to make nice, but they sure have reason to savor a last laugh. The group won five Grammys last night four years after they were declared a singing act non grata by the country music world. You'll recall lead singer Natalie Maines blasted President Bush about the Iraq war at a concert on the eve of the war.
Also last might, "American Idol" Carrie Underwood taking home the Grammy for best new artist. Make no mistake, though. The stars of last night's show, The Police. The legendary group back together after two decades apart. The Police keeping the party going today, expected to announce dates for a reunion tour -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: And this morning we're talking winter weather. A major winter storm is brewing. A blizzard could be on the way, too. Severe weather expert Chad Myers is tracking the storm for us this morning.
Plus, Senator Barack Obama officially is running for president. Could his relative inexperience actually help him win? That's quite a spin. We're going to take a look straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning is right here on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pop it, Sawyer. Come on, man.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): What is the best overall workout that includes cardio, strength training, endurance, and flexibility? You might be surprised. "Forbes" magazine ranks squash as the number one healthiest sport.
TOM RUMPLER, SQUASH PRO, WINDY HILL SPORTING CLUB: There's the socialness of it, of being with a buddy. There is the competitiveness of "I'm going to beat you." And then there's just the absolute flat- out hard workout of hitting the ball and running as hard as you can for an hour.
COSTELLO: Tom says squash is a game you can play for a lifetime, and it's fun to master.
RUMPLER: The object of the game is players have to alternate hitting the ball back to what's called the front wall.
LIZZY WARNER, SQUASH PLAYER: I'm pretty flexible from just playing squash over the years, but also, I run a lot, and it's just really increased my endurance. And it's just great.
COSTELLO: Sawyer says playing squash also strengthens his tennis game.
SAWYER DUNCAN, SQUASH PLAYER: You burn something like four times as many calories playing an hour of squash as you do an hour of tennis. And so it's a great workout.
COSTELLO: Carol Costello, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS: I stand before you to announce my candidacy for president of the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: That was a big moment from a very cold Springfield, Illinois, on Saturday. Ben Smith from "The Politico" was there, and he's with us this morning to review Barack Obama's official debut weekend.
You followed him around all weekend. In a nutshell, how is he going to position himself? What's the plan now as you could tell? BEN SMITH, POLITICO.COM: Well, Soledad, he went to -- he went to Springfield, which is a place with just a lot of symbolism because -- and cast himself as the inheritor of Abraham Lincoln. That was -- you know, he described himself as this gangly guy from Springfield, just like Lincoln. And he tried to, you know, sort of put his relative inexperience in national politics to say, you know, he's not from Washington, that, like Lincoln, he's coming from somewhere else to bring change to Washington.
S. O'BRIEN: Inexperience is not a bad thing. Inexperience is a good thing, is his spin on all of this.
SMITH: Yes. He hasn't been corrupted by Washington.
S. O'BRIEN: It was more contentious than the love-fest that we have seen for Barack Obama before.
SMITH: Yes. Well, you know, it turns out that he -- although he talks about, you know, the new politics and not -- you know, not playing kind of personal games in terms of smearing people, he does like to fight and to criticize, and he had no problem kind of obliquely but very clearly criticizing both John Edwards and Hillary Clinton for different aspects of their campaigns. I mean, he made a reference to John Edwards basically having, it seemed to him, borrowed parts of his health plan. And, you know, he was there first.
And then he did this funny thing. You know, Hillary, when she jumped into the race, said that she was in it to win it, or in it to win. And at some point he said, "Well, I'm in it to win, but that's not all. I'm in it to transform the country."
S. O'BRIEN: Oh, I see.
Now, there was a weird criticism I thought -- I mean, very unusual from the Australian -- on Australian TV from the Australian prime minister, John Howard. Listen to what he said, listen to what Barack Obama answered. And then I'll have you analyze it all on the other side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN HOWARD, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: I think he's wrong. If I were running Al Qaeda in Iraq, I would put a circle around March, 2008, and pray as many times as possible for a victory not only for Obama, but also for the Democrats.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: I would suggest that he calls up another 20,000 Australians and sends them to Iraq. Otherwise, it's just a bunch of empty rhetoric.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: That March, 2008 date is what Barack Obama has circled as getting U.S. troops out of Iraq.
So what did you make of his response? Quite sharp and quite immediate.
SMITH: Yes. I mean, you know, he kind of -- he loved it. Barack seemed to like being asked that question. And, you know, I mean, there's a question right now of his stature, and to be attacked by and engage a world leader is not a bad thing. And he certainly really kind of seems to enjoy the cut and thrust of it and had a very sharp response prepared.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's talk a little bit about Hillary Clinton. Over and over and over again there have been questions about her agreeing to send troops to the war in Iraq. Here's what one audience member said. His name is Roger Tilton. It was in Berlin, New Hampshire.
Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROGER TILTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE RESIDENT: I want to know if right here, right now, once and for all, without nuance, you can say that that war authorization vote was a mistake.
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: Well, I have said, and I will repeat it, that knowing what I know now, I would never have voted for it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: Now, he said without nuance, and you'll notice that that's at least, in my counting, five or six or eight or nine or 10, and I know all weekend that was a similar theme. But she won't say it was a mistake. "Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't have voted for it," which is similar but different.
How important is that?
SMITH: Well, I mean, I think there's certainly some people who won't forgive her, her vote, and particularly given that Barack Obama wasn't in the Senate, but he was against the war at the time. And whenever he's asked about his judgment or his experience, that's what he points to.
But at the same time, I mean, I think her calculation is that -- her calculation -- her feeling is that, you know, it's worse to kind of keep moving than it is to sort of just stick with it, you know, kind of stick with this stance, which in the end doesn't particularly affect what happens going forward. And I'm not sure there are a lot of differences in terms of what to do in terms of getting out of Iraq.
S. O'BRIEN: Ben Smith with politico.com.
Nice to have you. Thanks for talking with us. Appreciate it.
SMITH: Thanks for having me. S. O'BRIEN: Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: About quarter of the hour. Chad Myers is watching some snow, and he's got a pretty purple map there in Atlanta.
(WEATHER REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: Coming up, Harvard makes history. A look at the woman who finally broke the ivy ceiling. We'll hear from her, too.
Plus, a sneak peek at who could be the winners come Oscar night. Britain hands out its version of the Academy Awards.
That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Here's a look at what CNN correspondents all around the world are covering today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was "The Last King of Scotland" and the current queen, Elizabeth II, that garnered the big awards here at the BAFTAs in London. Forest Whitaker for his portrayal of Idi Amin in Uganda won the best actor category, and Dame Helen Mirren for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth in the days after Princess Diana's death.
Helen Mirren was always the firm favorite for tonight's award.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello. I'm Ben Wedeman in Jerusalem.
"Let's talk." That's what Jerusalem's mayor is telling Palestinian critics of a controversial renovation project outside the Aqsa Mosque compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount.
Last Friday, that renovation work sparked violent clashes in this holy city. The mayor has suspended the work pending public discussions of the project. Many Arab leaders had criticized the project, saying it threatens the structure of the mosque compound. Israeli leaders deny it, but clearly some feel it's not worth fighting over.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Matthew Chance in Lisbon. The people of Portugal have given their cautious approval to changes in the country's strict abortion laws. A national referendum on Sunday didn't get the 50 percent turnout needed to make the result legally binding, but the socialist Portuguese government says enough people voting to legalize abortion, that they'll push through new laws in parliament.
This traditionally Roman Catholic country has some of the strictest abortion laws in Western Europe. Campaigners say thousands of Portuguese women every year resort to back street clinics to terminate unwanted pregnancies.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: For more on these or any of our top stories, log on to our Web site, CNN.com.
S. O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, billionaire Richard Branson puts his money where his mouth is when it comes to cleaning up the environment. Ali Velshi will tell us about the very big prize as he minds your business straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
The most news in the morning right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Billionaire Richard Branson is trying to throw a lot of money at a big problem.
It's just before the start of the hour, 57 minutes past the hour. Ali Velshi is "Minding Your Business" this morning.
Good morning.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Soledad, good morning.
You know, Richard Branson is an extraordinary entrepreneur. And one of the things about entrepreneurship is, where there's money to be made out of solving a problem, they'll be there.
One of the problems is that when it comes to the environment, when it comes to carbon dioxide emissions, there hasn't been a clear relationship to the money associated with cleaning up the environment. So Richard Branson, as you may have heard, is offering a $25 million reward to someone who comes up with the way to scrub the environment of these emissions and sort of reverse the process of greenhouse gases.
That's kind of interesting. Some people said, running an airline, isn't he guilty of creating part of that problem, given that airlines spew a lot of CO2 emissions? And he said, well, if I didn't run my airline, if I shut it down, British Airways would sort of run those flights anyway.
But here is how the prize works. It's called the Virgin Earth Challenge. It's going to be open for five years, and it's going to have a panel of judges which include Branson and Al Gore and scientists and climatologists. And the winner is going to have to come up with a way of removing a billion tons of carbon gases a year from the atmosphere, for 10 years.
They'll get $5 million of the prize at the beginning and the remaining $20 million at the end. But you can imagine, if they succeed in doing this, Miles, that there will be some commercial application and people can get even richer off of it.
M. O'BRIEN: Well, there's money to be made, isn't there? Potentially there is.
VELSHI: Now there is.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes. All right.
Thank you very much, Ali.
Some of the other headlines we're looking at this morning.
(NEWSBREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Gathering storms. Possible tornadoes down South. A possible system cranking up in the Midwest. And mountains of snow making history in New York.
S. O'BRIEN: Evidence, or is it an excuse for war? The U.S. lays out what it says is proof of Iran's meddling in Iraq.
M. O'BRIEN: And the contenders. Barack Obama following Hillary Clinton in to New Hampshire with signs Iraq could make or break their White House dreams on this AMERICAN MORNING.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com
