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American Morning
U.S. Attorney Firings: President Bush vs. Congress; Bombers Use Kids as Decoys; Missing Scout OK
Aired March 21, 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: Chilling tactic. New worries this morning that Iraqi insurgents are using children as decoys now in deadly suicide bombings.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's a standoff. President Bush and Senate Democrats draw battle lines over the fired U.S. attorneys. A new attempt to subpoena the president's closest advisors just hours away.
S. O'BRIEN: It's a boy's best friend. Gandalf the search dog finds that lost Boy Scout. We're learning more this morning about why that young boy wondered off.
M. O'BRIEN: And Al Gore's moment in the sun. His return to Washington today on the topic everyone is now talking about.
All that ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.
S. O'BRIEN: Good morning, everybody. Welcome. It's Wednesday, March 21st. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
M. O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien. We're glad you're with us.
S. O'BRIEN: All right. Let's begin in Washington, D.C., this morning. The next move there. House Democrats will meet, could vote to subpoena the president's top aides to testify under oath about the firing of those federal prosecutors. Now President Bush is standing firm, kind of firing a warning shot of his own. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It will be regrettable if they choose to head down the partisan road of issuing subpoenas and demanding show trials.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: CNN's Dana Bash now with a look at where we go from here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Democrats here on Capitol Hill are flat-out rejecting the president's proposal to allow his top aides to talk to Congress about why eight federal prosecutors were fired, but only to do so in private. Democrats are also going to defy a warning from the president later this morning because they're going to vote to authorize the House Judiciary chairman to actually issue subpoenas for top officials if these negotiations completely collapse.
Now, publically, Democrats say the only thing that they will accept is testimony. A hearing in public with top Bush officials, including the president's senior political advisor, Karl Rove. But, privately, they do say they expected some kind of compromise offer from the White House. But the problem they say they have with this particular offer is that it doesn't allow them to have Karl Rove and others under oath and it also doesn't allow them to actually have transcripts of their discussion. So right now what Democrats say they're going to do is go back, regroup and figure out what kind of counter proposal they're going to send to the White House.
Dana Bash, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo is a Republican presidential candidate and he's now calling for the resignation of the attorney general, Alberto Gonzales. Tancredo says the firings of the U.S. attorneys was not enough to warrant resignation, but he says Gonzales' mishandling of the affair should cost him his job. Tancredo also cited what he called Gonzales' leadership failures on illegal immigration.
Later this hour, we're going to take a closer look at those fired U.S. attorneys who are in the middle of this political and constitutional firestorm. We'll take a closer look at just who are the people behind all these headlines.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Also on Capitol Hill, that showdown now for the war in Iraq is coming to a boil this morning. House Democrats scurrying to coral support for a $124 billion emergency war spending bill that would bring the troops home from Iraq by August of 2008. But there's a lot of division among Democrats. Perhaps a dozen now say they will vote against it.
In Iraq this morning, the U.S. military is shocked by a sick, new twist in terror tactics. They say terrorists driving a car bomb use children as decoys. Seeing two kids in the back of a car, soldiers waved the vehicle to a checkpoint. The military says the adults then ran from the car, setting off the bomb with the children still inside. They and three other bystanders died.
S. O'BRIEN: The FBI is getting a stern warning from lawmakers this morning. One that threatens to cut into its spying ability. It comes as debate rages on Capitol Hill over whether the agency abused The Patriot Act to illegally gain access to personal information of Americans. AMERICAN MORNING's Bob Franken live for us from Washington this morning.
Hey, Bob, good morning.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
And you'll remember, Soledad, that when The Patriot Act when was being originally debated, there were warnings that it could run roughshot (ph) over individual freedoms. But they were really quite drowned out by the clamor to do something.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN, (voice over): The agony of the September 11th attacks was almost immediately followed by furious calls for action. And in just 45 days, lightening speed for Congress, the nation had a new Patriot Act, authored by the then assistant attorney general, with marching orders from the president.
VIET DINH, FORMER ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: All the tools that is necessary and only those that are essential to prosecute, the investigation in the short-term and win the war against terror in the long-term.
FRANKEN: But now, after an FBI report found agents abused the power to collect private, personal information, and a controversy in late 2005 over domestic wiretapping, there is a growing clamor to scale back.
SEN. PATRICK LEAHY, (D) SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: The report indicates abuse of the authority. That needs to change.
FRANKEN: After intense debate last year, the Republican controlled Congress agreed to make The Patriot Act permanent, with just a few limitations.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It will improve our nation's security, while we safeguard the civil liberties of our people
FRANKEN: Critics argue those safeguards have been eroded by over zealous government agencies.
SEN. DICK DURBIN, (D) ILLINOIS: To many times in The Patriot Act there is no one who's taking a look at a decision made by the Justice Department or the White House. And as a result, some bad things occur.
FRANKEN: But The Patriot Act's author believes that it has helped prevent the worst from happening again.
DINH: It is a great privilege to know that now, sitting here a number of years later, we still have not experienced a repeat of 9/11 or another domestic terrorist attack.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN: So there are clearly two sides to this debate. One saying the priority has to be on national security. The other one saying civil liberties should be the priority. And both sides ask each other the same question, at what price? Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Bob Franken for us this morning.
Thank you, Bob.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: That Boy Scout missing in the North Carolina woods three, long, cold nights is waking up safe and sound at home this morning thanks to some dedicated volunteers, human and canine. Twelve-year-old Michael Auberry found about a mile from the campsite where he disappeared Saturday. His dad says Michael's good pals didn't show up for the Scout camping trip and so he was homesick. He was apparently trying to go home. CNN's Randi Kaye caught up with rescuer Misha Marshall and her Shilo Shepherd, Gandalf, who saved the day.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How did you and your dog spot Michael?
MISHA MARSHALL, SEARCH DOG HANDLER: He was upwind of us. He started air scenting him. And dogs do what's called a head pop. Then he popped his head three times in one direction. We came around the corner and he spotted Michael.
KAYE: What was the first thing he said to you?
MARSHALL: He asked for some water. He asked for a snack. He asked if a helicopter could take him out. So, yes, so that -- we said, well, I don't think so. But he'd obviously heard the helicopters.
KAYE: Typically 12-year-old boy, huh?
MARSHALL: Uh-hmm.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: Misha Marshall and Gandalf will join us live in just a little while. So stay tuned for that.
S. O'BRIEN: I always love the interviews with the dog.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes, panting questions.
S. O'BRIEN: Here's what's happening in America this morning.
The Louisiana governor, Kathleen Blanco, says she is not going to run for re-election come in the fall. She was heavily criticized, you'll remember, for her role in the truly pathetic response to Hurricane Katrina. Early polls have showed that she was 25 points behind the Republican who's running to replace her. In suburban Philadelphia, an eight-year-old girl is suspended, could even be expelled from school for bringing a toy gun to school. She says she brought it because she's afraid to walk home alone from her school bus stop. Police say the toy looks like the real thing. They are not filing any charges against the girl.
In Georgia, lawmakers are voting to ban the sale of marijuana flavored treats. Have you heard about these? Names like Chronic Candy and Pop Suckers. Minors will not be able to buy them. Sellers would face fines of up to 1,000. Critics say the lawmakers are trying to legislate taste.
In Los Angeles, a return trip for the world's largest airplane. The AirBus A-380 took off last night from LAX for its home in France. If you get a chance, look over the sky in New York, you'll see another A-380 just circling around, showing it off, I guess. Later, that plane is going to fly on to Dulles International, which is near Washington, D.C., and then on to O'Hare in Chicago.
M. O'BRIEN: Ali Velshi's on board.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, that will be fun.
M. O'BRIEN: We'll find out about that tomorrow. I wanted to be, but I'm here.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh -- with me. That's a good thing.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes, that's better (ph). I'm glad to be with you.
S. O'BRIEN: And from Arizona this morning, that Grand Canyon Skywalk. This is where I want to be. It is officially open for business this morning. We told but the controversy yesterday. Members of the Hualapai Indian tribe were testing it. Kind of hopping up and down on this thing because it can be scary. They're looking down below the glass. Visitors walked 70 feet out and look down 4,000 feet right into the Grand Canyon. I'm sure this is one of those things where TV pictures do not do justice to how amazing that looks. $75, right?
M. O'BRIEN: Yes. I mean, it's quite a view. I can only imagine. I think I'd be reaching for the railings is all I can say.
S. O'BRIEN: Los Angeles now. Britney Spears. These are old pictures of her back on February 22nd when she shaved her head, remember?
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: But she's out of rehab this morning.
M. O'BRIEN: Again?
S. O'BRIEN: Again. Out of rehab again. But her publicly says this time around Spears successfully completed the program and would like a little privacy now. M. O'BRIEN: OK. Privacy it is.
Serious spring showers today. Chad Myers tells us where coming up next.
Also, you know they were fired, but do you know really who they are? We'll have a closer look at the dismissed U.S. attorneys at the center of this big showdown in Washington.
And how Al Gore went from singing solo to leading the band on global warming.
You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: The most news in the morning right here on CNN.
A sick twist in terror tactics in Iraq. The military says car bombers used two children as a ruz (ph) to get though a checkpoint. They ran from the car, triggered the bomb, killing the kids and three others.
And lawmakers today deciding whether to issue subpoenas for Karl Rove and other White House officials on the firings of those U.S. attorneys.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: High-stakes showdown that's playing out today between the president and Congress began with the firing of those eight U.S. attorneys. Let's take a closer look this morning at just who they are.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN, (voice over): Bud Cummins of Arkansas. A life-long Republican who ran for Congress in 1996 and worked on the Bush-Cheney vote recount team. Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty told Congress Cummins was pushed out to make room for a protishay (ph) of Karl Rove.
: The evidence now seems abundantly clear that some of these decisions were made for other reasons that may not be too attractive.
S. O'BRIEN: Justice Department officials say the dismissals of at least seven of the attorneys were based on performance or managerial problems.
David Iglesias of New Mexico. A former Navy lawyer. His dismissal burst the story into the national headlines. He testified before the Senate that Republican politicians, including Senator Pete Domenici, called him, asking if indictments would be brought against local Democrats before the November election.
In an op ed piece in the morning's "New York Times" Iglesias writes this. "A few weeks after those phone calls, my name was added to a list of United States attorneys who would be asked to resign, even though I had excellent office evaluations, the biggest political corruption prosecutions in New Mexico history, a record number of overall prosecutions and a 95 percent conviction rate." Iglesias also says he'd like a written retraction from the Justice Department to set the record straight on his performance.
Carol Lam. The first Asian American and first woman to be U.S. attorney in San Diego. She led the investigation and conviction of disgraced Republican, former Congressman Randy Duke Cunningham.
Margaret Chiara, spent eight years preparing to be a Catholic nun before she became a lawyer and a U.S. attorney in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In recently released e-mails, she defended her work as exemplary, asked that any reference to poor performance be dropped regarding her dismissal.
San Francisco's U.S. attorney, Kevin Ryan, a star running back in high school, prosecuted the BALCO steroids case and investigated baseball star Barry Bonds.
Dan Bogden of Las Vegas has a record that includes boosting fire arms prosecutions and overseeing cases against county commissioners convicted of taking bribes. Nevada Republican Senator John Ensign strongly defended Bogden afer his firing.
Paul Charlton of Phoenix. Spearheaded efforts against substance abuse among Native Americans and a crackdown on illegal immigrants. The main disagreement between Charlton and Washington centered on when to seek the death penalty in federal murder cases.
And as U.S. attorney in Seattle, John McKay oversaw the case against terrorist Ahmed Ressam, sentenced for the millennium bomb plot. Supporters praised McKay's performance. Justice Department e- mails just released criticized his handling of a terrorism information sharing program.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: Though, of course, technically, U.S. attorneys are political appointments, the president has the right to fire them for any reason.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: It is quarter past the hour. Chad Myers at the CNN Weather Center watching big temperature dips in the Northeast.
What's that all about?
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: This morning, Consumer Reports is backing often even further from its infant seat crash test results. They say they made a mistake. They're now retracting a request to recall the Evenflo Discovery car seat, retracting the not acceptable rating they gave that seat too. Now back in January, you'll remember, Consumer Reports took back those tests they did on the infant seats after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found the side impact crash tests were done wrong. Way, way wrong. The cars were going, in fact, nearly twice as fast as the 35 miles an hour the magazine said that they were going.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: A good news/bad news milestone for the new privately-funded space race this morning. This is the island of Quajalet (ph) in the South Pacific and that is a rocket called Falcon 1. Well, Falcon 1 did OK. It's launched by a company called SpaceX. It successfully made it to about 200 miles in altitude. Let's watch it launch, shall we? There it goes. Off it goes.
But then as it got to higher altitudes, it ran into a little bit of trouble. Things went well initially. You see the picture there. The second stage separated properly. But then you see these wild oscillations. There was an apparent fuel leak that caused the craft to spin out of control. It reentered the atmosphere. Apparently broke up. Not quite sure how that all finished out. They're working on that.
The SpaceX project is funded by the deep pockets of Elon Musk. He is the billionaire who gave the world PayPal. And he is hoping before to long that regular folks will be able to buy a ticket to ride to orbit on one of his rockets.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Miles.
The Fed ready to make its interest rate announcements today. Is it going to hold steady or is a cut on the way. This morning, Stephanie Elam is "Minding Your Business." That's coming up next.
Plus, Al Gore's message about global warming is getting a warm reception these days. And he is making a triumphant return to Washington, D.C. Got a preview for you.
You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. We're back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: And now or ongoing series, "Melting Point." A look at how the world is responding to global warming. In Washington today, the guy who started it all returns. Al Gore appearing before House and Senate committees looking into the issue of global warming. And Gore returns more profit than politician.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN, (voice over): Talk about a climate change. Al Gore is back home, singing the same old tune, but no longer an off-beat, off-key solo.
DONNA BRAZILE, GORE 2000 CAMPAIGN CHAIRWOMAN: When Al Gore arrives on Capitol Hill, he will be the green carpet treatment.
M. O'BRIEN: After all, he just stashed his statute from his red carpet glory in Hollywood. And his long-burning issue, global warming, is finally on the marquis in Washington. It wasn't even in previews in the Gore presidential campaign.
BRAZILE: No one was paying attention to this issue in 2000. Most voters felt the country was, you know, moving in the right direction.
M. O'BRIEN: Certainly no one was paying attention when Al Gore first started talking about global warming when he ran for president back in '88.
AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When it comes to cleaning up the environment, the next president must be prepared to offer leadership.
M. O'BRIEN: And in '92, while running for vice president, his then newly published "Earth In The Balance," invited some trash talk.
GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You know why I call him ozone man? This guy is so far off in the environmental extreme, we'll be up to our neck in owls (ph) and out of work for every American.
M. O'BRIEN: The snicker factor is now long gone. Today candidates in both parties are trying to make political hay in the hot sunshine.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Our old dependence is threatening not just our pocketbooks, but the safety of our planet.
JOHN EDWARDS, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: To do something about the huge moral issue facing our planet of climate change.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We can stop global warming.
M. O'BRIEN: Among Republicans, John McCain is leading the climate change charge.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We've got to start reducing these greenhouse gas emissions before our planet is inalterably heated.
M. O'BRIEN: So why the change? Well, 9/11, the war in Iraq and rising gas prices made Americans stop and think about the foreign oil we burn. Everything from melting glaciers, to Hurricane Katrina raised big questions about the climate. And some governors, lead by Arnold Schwarzenegger in California, signed tough anti-global warming regulations. It's all a convenient truth for Al Gore as he savers his moment in the sun.
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: He's decided that if he's not going to be president of the United States, he wants to devote the rest of his life to doing something very important. So he's rediscovered an issue from early in his career and it's an issue that's taken on a great deal more urgency.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: A lot of political observers wonder if Gore might leverage his leadership on this issue into yet another run for the Oval Office. Gore denies he is running, but the questions keep coming. And take a look at this poll. Without even entering the race, this is one of our polls, the former vice president is in third place with about 14 percent.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: And he's not even in.
M. O'BRIEN: Not even in.
S. O'BRIEN: Bank merger talks across the Atlantic have Wall Street wondering, is banking buyout mania upon us once again. It's 25 minutes past the hour and Stephanie Elam is "Minding Your Business" this morning.
Good morning.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you both.
Well, this is something we saw in '98. We saw all these banks coming together and merging. And now we're seeing it in Europe. And that has people really wondering about what's going to happen here with the bank.
Yesterday we heard about that big deal with ABN AMRO possibly being bought out now by Barclays. Barclays being a British bank. ABN AMRO out of the Netherlands. This is an $80 billion deal. And at that rate, it would be the biggest banking deal in history if that goes through.
Well, obviously, that's got other banks thinking, hey, should we get in here? It looks like earnings aren't going to be as strong for banks. So now mergers look like a good way for them to go. So some of the banks looking to go into mergers. Perhaps Citigroup could try to get in there. Bank of America as well. As well as HSBC. So, obviously, a lot of people around the world, not just in Europe, will be looking to see what's happening in banking.
And, obviously, that story did help the markets yesterday. Taking a look at the Dow, it was on the up side by almost 62 points, closing at 12,288. The Nasdaq was better at 13 at 2,408. Another thing that was helping out the markets yesterday was a strong housing report.
And the last thing that we've got to talk about, obviously, that two-day Fed meeting wraps up today. So at 2:15 Eastern Time today, we'll find out whether or not the Fed is going to hold rates steady at 5.25 percent. Now, of course, we've been thinking that over this time we were going to see that the Feds would stay steady for the rest of the year, but that was before that whole sub-prime lending thing jumped into the pool here. So it will be interesting to see if moving forward we'll see interest rates staying where they are. Looking for clues today when we get that report.
S. O'BRIEN: You guys are always look for clues in all these reports.
ELAM: We need clues. Where's those clues.
S. O'BRIEN: We need clues.
All right, Stephanie, thanks.
Top stories of the morning are coming up next.
President Bush drawing a line in the sand. Democratic lawmakers say they might just push that line aside. A major showdown is coming to a boiling point today in Washington, D.C. We'll tell you all about it.
Plus this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It has 2,800 milligrams of sodium. You should get no more than 2,000 in an entire day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: Ah, pass the soy sauce, please. A startling look this morning as what's really in your favorite takeout.
You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning is right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everyone. It's Wednesday, March 21st. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
M. O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien. We're glad you're with us.
We're following several stories coming in, including what could be a disturbing, new tactic in Iraq. Children used as decoys in a deadly suicide bombing. It's happened already. What's to stop it from happening again?
S. O'BRIEN: Also ahead this morning, a new fight over those fired U.S. attorneys. Members of Congress could decide today on subpoenas for Karl Rove and other White House officials. The president, though, already drawing a big battle line. We'll talk about that.
M. O'BRIEN: Are you thinking about Chinese food for lunch today? Well, wait until you see what we found mixed into the ingredients. Even the vegetable dishes might make your doctor cringe.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh.
M. O'BRIEN: That will ruin the fun.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, maybe I won't have the Chinese food today for lunch.
M. O'BRIEN: It could ruin the fun, yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's begin in Washington, D.C., this morning, this morning, and really the next move over the firing of those federal prosecutors. President Bush drawing a defiant line in the sand against having his top aides testify under oath.
CNN's Elizabeth Manresa is live for us in Washington, D.C.
Good morning.
ELIZABETH MANRESA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Soledad.
Talk about a showdown. The president appears ready for a fight, vowing to go all the way if Democrats follow through with their threat to subpoena presidential adviser Karl Rove and former White House counsel Harriet Miers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will not go along with a partisan fishing expedition aimed at honorable public servants.
MANRESA (voice over): What the president calls a "fishing expedition" congressional Democrats call a legitimate investigation.
SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D-VT), CHAIRMAN, JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: We have high-ranking Bush administration officials who have misled Congress and the American people about the details and the design of a secret plan to fire these prosecutors.
MANRESA: Lawmakers want to ask key White House advisers about their roles in the firings of eight U.S. attorneys, something the president says he is willing to do, but only on his terms. Mr. Bush says he will allow Karl Rove and former counsel Harriet Miers to be interviewed by congressional committees, behind closed doors, with no recordings and not under oath. A deal some Democrats say is no deal at all.
SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D-NY), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: It's sort of giving us the opportunity to talk to them, but not giving us the opportunity to get to the bottom of what really happened here.
MANRESA: Democrats are now pushing to subpoena Rove and Miers, something the president says he'll fight. BUSH: And if you call somebody up in front of Congress and put them in oath and, you know, all the (INAUDIBLE) and all the questioning, to me it makes it very difficult for a president to give good advice.
SCHUMER: If there's nothing to hide, nothing wrong with the transcript, what is the objection to an oath?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MANRESA: Now, later today, it is expected that the House Judiciary Committee will meet to authorize John Conyers to issue subpoenas if needed.
Elizabeth Manresa, for CNN, Washington.
S. O'BRIEN: All right, Elizabeth. Thanks -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Also on Capitol Hill, that showdown over the war in Iraq coming to a boil this more. House Democrats scurrying to coral support for a $124 billion emergency war spending bill that would bring some of the troops home by August of 2008. But there is a lot of division among Democrats. Perhaps a dozen now say they will vote against it.
A sick new twist to the Iraq war. Some car bombers using children as a way to achieve their bloody goals. It's just one startling tactic as insurgents try to thwart that security crackdown in Baghdad.
CNN's Barbara Starr with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the already violent streets of Iraq, the U.S. military was horrified by what happened at a busy eastern Baghdad marketplace on Sunday.
MAJ. GEN. MICHAEL BARBERO, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF OPERATIONS: We saw a vehicle with two children in the back seat come up to one of our checkpoints, get stopped by our folks. Children in the back seat, lower suspicion. We let it move through. They parked the vehicle. The adults run out and detonate it with the children in the back.
STARR: And in Al Anbar province in the West...
BARBERO: Over the weekend, we had three suicide bombers detonate trucks loaded with chlorine in Al Anbar province.
STARR: That makes six chlorine attacks since January and a very mixed picture whether the security crackdown around Baghdad is working. Sectarian killings are down, but suicide and car bomb attacks are not.
BARBERO: So brutality and ruthless nature of this enemy hasn't changed. I mean, they're just -- they are just interested in slaughtering Iraqi civilians.
STARR: There are signs of progress. Iraqi security forces are stepping up. For the first time units now arriving in Baghdad are fully ready to fight. But the man who oversees Billions of dollars of contracts to rebuild Iraq sounded his own dire warning on Capitol Hill that there are many threats facing that country.
STUART BOWEN, SPECIAL INSPECTOR GENERAL: Corruption within the Iraqi government is a serious problem inhibiting all progress in Iraq. We have called it the second insurgency in our reports.
STARR (on camera): Some other positive signs? General Barbero said that hundreds of Iraqi families are now returning to the country. And on the streets of Baghdad, U.S. troops are getting a record number of tips from Iraqi civilians about insurgent activity.
Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: Meanwhile, the Army is hoping some silicon soldiers could help U.S. troops stay out of harm's way. They're looking at sort of robo privates. One robot can carry the equipment for a nine- soldier squad. Another is designed to spot a roadside bomb. The manufacturer trying to sell the robots to the Army says troops will find lots of ways to use them on the battlefield.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON NIMBLETT, LOCKHEED MARTIN: You can send them in before the soldiers go in, let them take the hits. You can use them for casualty evacuation. And the soldiers could use them for cover as they -- if they get into an ambush.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
M. O'BRIEN: The military is already using about 800 robots in Iraq and Afghanistan -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Now to that joyous news in the North Carolina woods to tell you about. A Boy Scout who was missing for three very long and very cold nights is waking up safe and sound at home this morning.
Twelve-year-old Michael Auberry was found about a mile from the campsite where he disappeared on Saturday. His father says Michael got homesick on the camping trail, walked away because he was trying to walk home.
CNN's Randi Kaye caught up with the woman who spotted Michael with the help of her Shiloh German Shepherd Gandalf.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How did you and your dog spot Michael? MISHA MARSHALL, SOUTH CAROLINA SEARCH AND RESCUE DOG ASSOCIATION: He was upwind of us. He started air-scenting him. And dogs do what's called a head-pop. And he popped his head three times in one direction. We came around the corner, and he spotted Michael.
(on camera): What was the first thing he said to you?
MARSHALL: He asked for some water. He asked for a snack. He asked if a helicopter could take him out. So, yes. So, that -- we said, well, I don't think so. But he had obviously heard the helicopters, so...
KAYE: Typical 12-year-old boy, huh?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: We're hearing that Michael is doing well, that he was thirsty and he was hungry, but other than that, he was pretty much just fine.
M. O'BRIEN: And we're going to hear from both of them in a little bit.
S. O'BRIEN: The searcher and the dog.
M. O'BRIEN: Well, we'll see -- we're not sure if Gandalf is going to talk. We'll see.
Spring has sprung, but not for everyone. Severe weather expert Chad Myers is in. He'll tell us about that.
Plus, Newt Gingrich weighs in on whether the personal lives of presidential candidates should be an issue. You'll remember some of the baggage he is contending with there.
And a new study of ancient Chinese dishes. Just what is in that eggplant and garlic? It's good for you, right?
S. O'BRIEN: It looks good.
M. O'BRIEN: It looks good, it should be good, but we've got a little twist for you there. It's in your fortune cookies.
You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. The most news in the morning is right here on CNN.
A House committee meeting today over whether to authorize subpoenas forcing Karl Rove and other White House officials to testify under oath about the firing of those eight U.S. attorneys.
And we're watching the Fed for you this morning. What is chairman Ben Bernanke going to do about interest rates today? Right now they're at 5.25 percent -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Time to check the political ticker. Newt Gingrich says the personal lives of the candidates shouldn't be a campaign issue. Gingrich, on his third wife now, of course recently admitted to having an affair at the same time he was probably skewering then President Clinton over his dalliance with Monica Lewinsky.
Hillary Clinton will be spending the day in D.C., but she'll be thinking about New Hampshire, where she had some good news. Her campaign apparently snagged one of the state's top political operatives. His name is Bill Sheehan. He's the husband of the former governor. He will serve as cochairman of her campaign in New Hampshire, a role he played for Al Gore and John Kerry.
No one has yet come forward to claim responsibility for an anti- Hillary, pro-Barack Obama ad on YouTube. It's a takeoff of the famous Apple 1984 ad.
The ad -- in the ad, Clinton says -- which she hasn't seen -- it skewers her pretty well. A video of her singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" somewhat off key is also well featured on YouTube.
And now there's a version on YouTube that is dissing Obama. This one has a woman smashing a picture of Obama, a reference to Senator Obama's "Monday Night Football" appearance. It says, "The Bears lost and so will Obama."
Do you follow me on all that? The point is, YouTube is becoming a place for all kinds of political trash talking.
And, of course, all the day's political news is available any time of the day or night. CNN.com/ticker is the place to find it.
S. O'BRIEN: Forty-two minutes past the hour. Chad Myers is at the CNN weather center watching it all for us.
Good morning. How is it looking today?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's looking a little chilly compared to yesterday.
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S. O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, a new warning out about Tamiflu and why your teenager needs to beware. We'll tell you about that.
Plus, Chinese food for lunch? You'll want to choose carefully.
Greg Hunter is in Chinatown for us.
Good morning, Greg.
GREG HUNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Soledad. I'm in Chinatown in New York City. It's dead here now, but this place is going to be hopping later. And one of the great things about Chinatown, the food. It's yummy, but it may not be too healthy. I'll tell you about it coming back here on AMERICAN MORNING.
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S. O'BRIEN: Some health headlines for you this morning.
A new study says it looks like a high fat diet increases the risk of breast cancer. Now, previous tests have been somewhat murky on this.
The new study, though, comes from the National Institutes of Health. It looked at nearly 200,000 middle-aged women, found that those who ate a lot of fat, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, all versions of fat, were, in fact, more likely to develop invasive breast cancer.
More than 10 million does of flu vaccine are scheduled to be chucked in the trash as of midnight on June 30th. That expiration date is set by the Food and Drug Administration, and believe it or not, it has less to do with the vaccine's shelf life than with the desire to sort of tweak the vaccine each year to cover a new flu strain. Some people have said, hey, donate the vaccine to poor nations, push back the expiration date, hang on to it at least until the new vaccine is available, but lawmakers would have to weigh in. This year, lots of the vaccine is left over because the flu season was so mild -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Are you thinking about Chinese food for lunch today? And you may be thinking it's a healthy alternative to fast food burgers and fries. But as the fortune cookie might tell you, wise man double checks ingredients.
AMERICAN MORNING'S Greg Hunter has word on a new study. He's up and running in Chinatown, even if the restaurants are not.
Good morning, Greg.
HUNTER: Well, I'll tell you what, you come down here to Chinatown, there's lots of great food choices down here, but a lot of them -- or some of them are full of sugar, fat and salt. And when it comes to eating Chinese, well, in this study, it's all about choices.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTER (voice over): Chicken in Black Bean Sauce, one of the saltiest dishes on the menu.
BONNIE LEIBMAN, CHIEF NUTRITIONIST, CSPI: It has 3,800 milligrams of sodium. You should get no more than 2,000 in an entire day.
HUNTER: That's equal to one and a half teaspoons of salt. Chicken Chow Fun is another high sodium dish, which is also loaded with 1,200 calories.
LEIBMAN : And again, a teaspoon and a half of sodium. It's like going to Subway, getting a chicken sandwich, and then getting four bags of salt and vinegar potato chips.
HUNTER (on camera): This equals this...
LEIBMAN: That's right.
HUNTER: ... in fat and salt?
LEIBMAN: That's right.
HUNTER (voice over): Vegetables are better than meat, but there's trouble there, too.
(on camera): All right. Now we head to vegetables. And these bowls look pretty good. Eggplant and green beans?
LEIBMAN: You can't assume that vegetables are low in calories. This eggplant and garlic sauce, 1,000 calories without rice.
HUNTER: Oh, I can see. Look at that. Is that oil?
LEIBMAN: That's oil, and it's also got a lot of salt in it.
HUNTER (voice over): Some Chinese appetizers are filled with salt and fat, but there are ways to avoid them.
(on camera): So let's empower some people with some healthy choices.
Vegetables, noodles?
LEIBMAN: Vegetables are better.
HUNTER: Stir fry, deep fry?
LEIBMAN: Go with the stir fry and vegetables.
HUNTER: Big, small?
LEIBMAN: Small is better?
HUNTER (voice over): Also, order more brown rice instead of white. It's more nutritious. And if you really want soy sauce, use the low sodium kind, usually with a green top. That will cut the salt almost in half.
One Chinese-American community leader says unlike most Chinese takeout, authentic Chinese food is actually low in fat and salt. Customers just have to choose wisely.
WELLINGTON CHEN, CHINATOWN PARTNERSHIP LOCAL DEV. CORP.: We all know, you know, the right thing to do. Whether we do it or not is another issue. I think ultimately it's the consumer making the choices.
(END VIDEOTAPE) HUNTER: Well, you know, when you're down here in Chinatown, the salt and fat and the sugar -- and there's sugar in food down here, too -- it varies from one restaurant to another. It's not really standardized. But a couple things you can do.
A, you can order the sauce on the side, no matter what it is. B, you can get the white sauce instead of the brown sauce. The sauce is brown because it has soy in it, and that's high in sodium. And here's a heartbreaking fact -- at least for me, anyway -- one of the fattiest appetizers, the worst for you in salt and in fat, are the Chinese spareribs.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh.
M. O'BRIEN: Oh, man.
HUNTER: So watch out for those -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: You're killing me. What about the dumplings? How are the dumplings?
HUNTER: The dumplings -- oh, here is the thing they found ott. They tested fried and they tested steamed dumplings.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes?
HUNTER: They found out it was only about 10 calories more for the fried, as opposed to the steam. It's what's inside the dumpling that adds all the calories.
M. O'BRIEN: Right.
HUNTER: Not really the frying when it comes to dumplings.
And another surprise. You know, Lo Mein and Chop Suey and -- listen to this. A news flash -- General Tso's Chicken, they're all American inventions. They are not from China. Another surprising and shocking thing.
Back to you guys.
M. O'BRIEN: Really? Really? So you go to China, you can't get General Tso's Chicken?
HUNTER: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: Or Lo Mein? All right.
HUNTER: No, you can't...
M. O'BRIEN: All right. There you go.
HUNTER: You can get Cashew Chicken, but the Cashew Chicken was invented in America and exported to China.
(CROSSTALK) M. O'BRIEN: The world is flat, as they say. All right.
Thank you very much, Greg Hunter.
In the next hour, Dr. Sanjay Gupta will join us, and he'll look at what all this means for your health.
It's not good, obviously.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, I was going to say, bad thing probably.
M. O'BRIEN: In a word, not good. Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Doctors in Japan are being warned about giving Tamiflu to teenagers. The health ministry there now issuing the warning after several teenagers exhibited dangerous behavior.
Two 14-year-olds were killed, two 12-year-olds seriously hurt, when they jumped from their high-rise apartments after they had taken Tamiflu. Now, it could be a problem here in the U.S. The FDA says it's investigating at least 100 reports of unusual behavior in children who are taking Tamiflu.
Ahead this morning, the music business takes another hit. Stephanie Elam is going to join us with a look at that. Plus, more on the rescue of that Boy Scout from North Carolina. You'll meet the woman and the search dog who found Michael Auberry.
Plus, it's looking like it's going to be a show down on U.S. soil. Iran's president is coming to America to make his case to the U.N.
You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning is right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: A chilling new tactic. There are new worries this morning that Iraqi insurgents are using children as decoys in deadly suicide bombings.
M. O'BRIEN: It's a standoff. President Bush and Senate Democrats drawing battle lines over those fired U.S. attorneys. A new attempt to subpoena the president's closest advisers is just hours away.
S. O'BRIEN: Coming to America. What Iran's president is really hoping to accomplish when he makes the case for his nuclear program in New York.
M. O'BRIEN: And a boy's best friend. Gandalf, the search dog, finds a lost Boy Scout safe and sound. We're learning more this morning about why he wandered off.
We're live in Washington, Atlanta, and New York City on this AMERICAN MORNING.
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. It's Wednesday, March 21st.
I'm Soledad O'Brien.
M. O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien.
Thanks for being with us.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's begin with the next move in Washington, D.C. As House Democrats meet this morning, they could vote to subpoena President Bush's top aides to testify under oath about the firing of those federal prosecutors.
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