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Britain Demands Release of Its Troops; Further UN Sanctions on Iraq
Aired March 25, 2007 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Tough talk, Prime Minister Tony Blair issues a warning for Iran. Man overboard, make that, woman and man overboard. We'll tell you about an amazing survival story at sea. And no swimsuits, no beach, no beer, no problem. This is not your typical spring break.
Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
The British-Iranian standoff intensified today. British Prime Minister Tony Blair is warning Tehran he expects the swift return of 15 sailors and marines who were captured by Iran on Friday. For its part, Tehran won't say where the Britons are being held and is refusing British requests to see them. The latest from CNN's Robin Oakley in London
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR (voice-over): The 15 British sailors and marines, one of them a woman, were captured Friday by the Iranian revolutionary guard corps navy. Tehran alleges they trespassed into Iranian waters as they patrolled the Persian Gulf on anti-smuggling duties. On Sunday the affair took a new turn with Tony Blair using a meeting of EU leaders in Berlin to warn Iran's leadership they must swiftly release the captives.
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: This is a very serious situation. And there is no doubt at all that these people were taken from a boat in Iraqi water. It simply is not true that they went into Iranian territorial waters. And I hope the Iranian government understands how fundamental an issue this is for us. We've certainly sent those messages back to them very, very clearly, indeed. I hope that this can be resolved over the next few days. But the quicker it is resolved, the easier it will be for all of us. But they should not be under any doubts at all about how seriously we regard this act which was unjustified and wrong.
OAKLEY (on camera): Mr. Blair's been strongly supported by other EU leaders, by while British ministers remain hopeful of an early release for the men, the prime minister's intervention will inevitably ratchet up the tension. That's already been increased the by the U.N. Security Council vote to intensify sanctions against Iran over its uranium enrichment program. Robin Oakley, CNN, London.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Tensions are rising today on another front in Iran. Tehran responded to newly-approved U.N. sanctions by announcing plans to limit cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog group. From the Iranian capital now, here's CNN's Aneesh Raman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Calling the U.N. Resolution illegal, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a statement posted on his website said that Iran could not be stopped even for a second in its pursuit of peaceful civilian nuclear energy. The Iranian president also warned that the country would not forget those who backed this resolution that brought about a second round of sanctions on Iran, and those who voted against it. He did not specify, though, what that would mean, as he planned for a policy down the line.
Separately, a chief spokesman for Iran's government says the country will now limit its cooperation with the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, the IAEA. The spokesman said that Iran would basically stop short of the subsidiary arrangements it had made with the IAEA. Iran has warned before that it could kick out IAEA inspectors that are here as sanctions continue to come over its nuclear defiance and pursue its nuclear program in secret. Now among the Iranian people, the reaction to this vote has been subdued, the reason twofold. First, when you talk to Iranians about sanctions, their eyes sort of gloss over. They have faced sanctions since 1979.
But secondly, the sanctions that have been voted on by the U.N. are targeted sanctions. Not targeted the Iranian people, but instead individuals involved in Iran's nuclear program, so broad based support still remains for Iran's desire for peaceful civilian nuclear energy. And despite this second round of sanctions from Iran's president, no sign the country will back down. Aneesh Raman, CNN, Tehran.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: President Bush has said he hopes that Iran can be persuaded through diplomacy but his administration isn't taking options off the table. Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton spoke today with CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN BOLTON, FMR. U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: I don't think the military option really applies to regime change. I think that's something that we want to see Iranians themselves do. And as I've indicated, I think there's reason to think that can happen. Not overnight and not without some difficulty but it can happen. The military option is really a last resort, if it looks like Iran really will get complete domestic mastery over the nuclear fuel cycle and is moving toward a weapon's capability. I don't advocate it at all early or first but I do think that faced with the prospect of a regime, such as Ahmadinejad's with the capability to inflict nuclear devastation on friends and allies of us, and to give these weapons to terrorists groups that could even bring them to this country that the military option has to be there.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And this just in to CNN from Iraq. Four U.S. soldiers were killed north of Baghdad today when an IED, an improvised explosive device, went off while they were on patrol. Two other soldiers were hurt in that attack.
The new commander of U.S. forces throughout the Middle East is making his first trip to Iraq. Admiral William Fallon was welcomed today by Iraqi officials in Baghdad and held talks with Iraq's defense minister. Fallon replaced General John Abizaid as the head of the U.S. Central Command.
Finding common goals between two deeply-divided sides. That's the strategy Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is taking, as she tours the Middle East in pursuit of an Israeli Palestinian peace deal. She's meeting with Israel's prime minister at this hour. Earlier, she heard what Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: When you get to the extremely important to begin to establish in parallel a common agenda to move forward toward the establishment of a Palestinian state. And in order to do that we have to begin a discussion of the political horizon so that we can show to the Palestinian people as well as to the Israeli people, that there is indeed hope for the kind of peace that will come when the Palestinians have their own state, their own Democratic and peaceful state.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Rice heads to Jordan tomorrow for meetings with King Abdullah and a second round of talks with the Palestinian president.
A powerful earthquake rocks the northern coast of central Japan. At least one person was killed earlier today. Some 160 were hurt. The quake, with the magnitude of 6.9, knocked down buildings, cut power, and triggered a small tsunami. People on the quake zone are still on alert for any aftershocks.
Meantime, two strong quakes also hit the pacific island nation of Vanuatu today. The quakes had a magnitude of 7.2 and 6.0. No reports of damages or injuries there. And police say a tsunami alert passed without incident. That's good news.
And in Moscow, a nightclub turns into a death trap. Ten people lost their lives after a fire broke out at the club early this morning. Investigators are checking to see if safety regulations were violated.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WHITFIELD: Yeah, coming up, we're going to tell you about a couple who actually fell overboard from a cruise ship and then tread water for four hours before being rescued. It's an amazing survival story that is straight ahead in the NEWSROOM. Ok! Well, even if she's no Rocky Balboa, she stood her ground against a heartless mugger and that's why you're hearing the music. This is the heartless mugger. Honoring a 101-year old hero who survived this horrible beating.
And Daytona Beach, Acapulco, Cozumel, some pretty favorite spring break destinations, well not this year. Just like last year a lot of students are returning to the Gulf Coast to help rebuild there. That's how they're spending spring break this year. We'll be talking to two students coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A dramatic rescue in the Gulf of Mexico. Two cruise ship passengers, who fell overboard, are alive and well after a four- hour search and rescue operation. The ship was sailing from Galveston, Texas, to Cozumel, Mexico. The passengers, a male and a female, in their 20s fell off a balcony on the "Grand Princess." CNN's T.J. Holmes talked with another passenger who saw it all.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
KEVIN SHAW, CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER: The woman was brought out as they say about 25 minutes to, it would be 25 minutes to 6:00 Texas time. She was a little cold, bundled up, had her head down as they took her off the rescue craft on the seventh deck I guess that would be and brought her into an elevator and while they were bringing that boat up, T.J., on the side of the cruise ship the rescue craft we actually saw the man in the water as well and we're yelling at the rescue boats to get over there along with the Coast Guard helicopter that was on scene. And right then, they pulled him from the water as well. As I say, he was naked at the time but he was yelling and waving to us in the water and when he did come off the rescue craft on the seventh floor, as I say, he was in a wheelchair and he looked to be in better shape. But as you know I'm not a medical expert, neither are you. We just don't know the condition of these two at the moment. They are being looked at no doubt in the hospital here on the ship.
(END OF AUDIO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Carnival says the rescue passengers appear to be in satisfactory condition. They plan to stay on the cruise. Well, what would you do if you were lost at sea in rough waters? Our Rick Sanchez has some survival tips for you. He's with the Coast Guard to show you what a search and rescue mission is like.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got a visual. Start your bow, coming down, coming right, coming to starboard.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Got him on the radar.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coming up!
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The U.S. Coast Guard demonstrating their precision. A boat, a boater, is lost at sea. Their job is to search and rescue. As they peer toward the horizon, they know that somewhere, out there, someone is desperately hoping to be found.
MIGUEL SANTOYA, COXSWAIN, U.S. COAST GUARD: Sometimes the information's not accurate. Sometimes we'll get a search, where the communications get cut off before we get all of the details and we don't know exactly what we're looking for, or where we're looking for.
SANCHEZ: And then it's really, like, finding a needle in a hay stack?
SANTOYA: Right.
SANCHEZ: And the odds get even worse, if they're looking, not for a boat, but for a person. We experienced it firsthand. By going out about a mile offshore and jumping overboard. Nothing more than a life vest. It's amazing when you get here, your line-of-sight is literally covered or obstructed by most of these waves. You can't see what's on the other side of the waves. And unfortunately in a rescue situation, it's harder for them to see you as well.
SANTOYA: The rougher it is, the harder it is to spot it, especially because, if it gets choppy up here you may think you saw something for a second and then it gets behind a wave and you may not see it again for another five minutes.
SANCHEZ: That is why it's important to wear a life vest that's approved by the Coast Guard. Bright reflective colors like orange that stand out against the blue/green surface of the water. Experts also advise that you conserve your energy. Don't splash. Try to keep both arms folded and legs crossed. The longer you're out here, the more you increase the chances of dehydration, hypothermia, and exhaustion. Together, those three things make it more difficult for you to be able to help yourself while the Coast Guard are trying to find you. As planned, the 41-footer has spotted me in the water and is in the process of executing a rescue operation. Because we're out so far from shore, I'm figuring, they couldn't get to me soon enough. As a human being, once you're in the water for a long period of time, you start to realize that you've just dropped at the very bottom in the food chain. It's about a thousand feet of water under you. And who knows what kind of animals. For us and Coast Guard officials, it is a worthwhile exercise that can save lives. For people who've actually lived through this ordeal, it is a moment frozen in time. Rick Sanchez, CNN, off the coast of Florida.
(END OF VIDEO TAPE)
WHITFIELD: Well, talk about survival, take a look at this. She is feisty and she is 101 years old. And she was mugged in New York City. Well now she's getting a well-deserved hero's welcome. Details of that coming up.
Plus, Anna Nicole Smith's long-anticipated autopsy, its due out tomorrow. We'll look ahead in about 20 minutes from now. You're in the NEWSROOM. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: So here are the videos that you're watching on cnn.com. Controversial skywalk, environmentalists are criticizing a new skywalk over the Grand Canyon. The Native American tribe that built it is hoping for an economic and tourist bonanza.
Prank phone call gone wrong. Two Tennessee teens face charges after a prank phone call caused a woman to have a stroke. And British sailors seized, a diplomatic war of words today over those 15 British sailors and marines seized by Iran. Both countries trying to seize the moral high ground.
And jailhouse rock. A prison in Arizona staging the first-ever inmate "Idol" competition. The contestants sang their hearts out.
And so remember this story, two weeks ago the surveillance tape that literally angered a nation. A 101-year-old woman attacked for about $30 in her wallet, by a cowardly mugger. But as you'll recall, both Rose Morat and the 87-year-old woman who was robbed by the same suspect just minutes later, are no patsies. They are both pretty tough. And for that, both were honored. Jim Dolan from affiliate WABC has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM DOLAN, WABC (voice-over): They gave Rose Morat an entrance befitting a 101-year-old woman who took a street thug's best shot and lived to tell the tale.
ROSE MORAT, 101-YEAR-OLD MUGGING VICTIM: We're still alive and we're still going strong.
DOLAN: And that, in itself, is some kind of miracle. This is Rose getting robbed and mugged a couple of weeks ago. 101 years old, beaten and left in a pool of blood. It is video that shocked even the most hardened New Yorker.
MORAT: But I guess they're just bad at heart. They don't have any heart at all. They're cowards, I would say
DOLAN: The same night Rose was mugged, 87-year-old Solange Elizee was beaten by the same man, it was savage. She had already been hurt, hit several times.
SOLANGE ELIZEE, 87-YEAR-OLD MUGGING VICTIM: And when I was crying, he say to me, if you don't stop crying I will do you something worse.
DOLAN: The ladies got plaques from the city today, and applause from their friends at the Ridgewood Senior Center. They are bonded together forever now. They have not caught the man on the tape. And a lot of seniors here are worried about that, fearing that he may strike again. Oddly enough, rose is not worried.
MORAT: No, I haven't changed and I don't intend changing. I have a lot of friends and I love people, and I talk to people.
DOLAN: In Ridgewood, Queens, Jim Dolan channel 7 "eyewitness news."
WHITFIELD: Problems for the U.S. attorney general. Does Alberto Gonzales have a credibility problem? Ed Henry is in Washington with the latest on that. Ed?
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Three Senate Republicans today said the attorney general does have a credibility problem. What's the president saying and not saying? That story straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WHITFIELD: Also ahead, there's nothing easy about spring break in the big easy. We'll talk to two college students who spent their week helping out the folks in New Orleans. That's straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: This is what's happening right now, five more U.S. soldiers dead today in Iraq. The military said they were killed in two separate roadside bomb attacks, one in Baghdad, the other in Diyala Province. Four other soldiers were wounded.
Defiant words from Iran's president, MahmoudAahmadinejad, lashes out at a U.N. resolution that imposes sanctions against Tehran for its nuclear activities. He called Saturday's vote illegal and warns that countries supporting the sanctions will, quote, suffer a greater damage.
WHITFIELD: Indiana residents are struggling to keep flood waters at bay. They're piling up sandbags after heavy rains turned their neighborhoods into rivers. The tide is turning, though. Officials expect floodwaters to recede today. And forecasters say the threat of more rain has now diminished. Well now to the nation's capital, where fury over the firing of eight federal prosecutors is growing even more intense. Much of that anger is aimed directly at Alberto Gonzales. The U.S. attorney general lost support today on Capitol Hill, even more by the hour, it seems. Let's go live now to CNN White House correspondent Ed Henry. Ed?
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Fred. That's right, today three senate Republicans, Arlen Specter, Lindsay Graham and Chuck Hagel, all raised sharp questions about the attorney general's credibility. But it's important to point out that all three stopped short of actually calling for Alberto Gonzales to resign. In fact, they all said they want to wait and give him a chance to testify.
We learned for the first time today that testimony to congress will come in mid-April, after their Easter Recess. I shouted a question to the president today about his attorney general as he returned from a weekend at Camp David. The president did not answer or acknowledge my question, but yesterday in his weekly radio address, he did offer yet another vote of confidence for Alberto Gonzales, despite these newly Justice Department documents Friday evening showing that, about ten days before these U.S. Attorneys were fired, the Attorney General attended a meeting that lasted about an hour that laid out the general outline for these dismissals. That seems to contradict what the attorney general has claimed himself, that he was basically out of the loop about all of this. Republican's Senator Orrin Hatch today on CNN's "Late Edition" backed up the Attorney General while Democrat Bill Nelson added his name to the long list of lawmakers urging Gonzales to resign.
SEN. ORRIN HATCH, (R) UTAH: I called the Attorney General on that. And he said, well, we did have a meeting but it was a general meeting, it wasn't about specifics. And I don't think his comments are inconsistent at all. I think people are trying to make them inconsistent.
SEN. BILL NELSON, (D) FLORIDA: I don't see what all this fuss is about people coming forth and raising their hand and saying they're going to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. We're -- that's what the American people deserve and that's what we ought to get to. What's the truth?
HENRY: Senator Nelson, referring of course to the fact that the White House, thus far, refused to make Karl Rove another White House aide available for testimony, sworn testimony under oath. That they don't even want a transcript of whatever testimony they offered to Congress. A battle that obviously could make it all the way to the Supreme Court.
In the meantime, all eyes on Thursday will be headed and looking at the Senate Judiciary Committee where Kyle Sampson the former chief of staff to the attorney genera who since resigned of course, amid this controversy. He's going to be testifying voluntarily for the first time Thursday before the Senate. There is going to be a lot of people looking at that wondering whether Kyle Sampson will contradict the attorney general or whether he will implicate White House aides as well.
Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, Ed Henry, thanks so much.
While the U.S. Attorney General seems to be in deep water, well apparently a lot of deep water in the central part of this country, more, literally as opposed to figuratively. Jacqui Jeras is in the Weather Center and hopefully things will clear up after that water recedes for the folks in Indiana.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes well you know it takes a time doing so. It takes a couple of days. And once it's crested for the river to get back within it's banks and slowly get back to normal a bit more. Now the good news is that as you can see in the radar picture behind me. Cornbelt states looking nice and dry. We are really not anticipating any precipitation today. Tomorrow, maybe a couple light rain showers and that's it. Now the rivers, many of them have crested but will slowly recede over the next couple of days up here into Hamilton and Madison Counties, this is the area that we've been watching very closely where some of the worst flooding has occurred. We've got pictures of that to show you. Many homes have been flooded and there are a lot of roadways, which are closed as well.
And now the river, the White River, that is what we're looking at here, it's crested now for Muncie, it is sitting down toward the Noblesville area. The Riverwood neighborhood that you're looking at there has many homes flooded. The river's now cresting in Nora and will be gradually receding over the next couple of days. And we are anticipating that the White River should be in its banks across the Indianapolis area, we think by Wednesday. So that's what we'll watch for those improvements.
Now we've got other weather to talk about here today. In addition to the flooding, we're concerned about severe weather. We do have a tornado watch, which has been issued now, across parts of the Midwest. Includes, you, in the twin cities here across northwestern Wisconsin and northeastern parts of Iowa. That will be in affect until 10:00 local time here for tonight. No severe thunderstorm warnings or tornado warnings at this time, but we're watching this area near Amery, very closely as these thunderstorms have been roughing pretty rapidly over the last couple of hours. Could expect to see a lot of lighting with these and maybe some small hail. We'll watch them as they continue to get stronger and of course if we get any tornado warnings, tornados on the ground, we'll bring that to you.
And also a slight risk of severe weather here in the Rio Valley across Texas and we'll break-in with that if we need to as well.
Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Jacqui.
Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans and a surprising transformation. A battered city becomes a spring break haven for college students. Wanting to help those recovering from the storm. Ty Axson and Alexis Logan are two of some 500 Howard University students who are now back from their second working vacation. Having done the spring break there last year. Now they're joining us from Washington where Howard University is based. Hi, Alexis, good to see you.
ALEXIS LOGAN, HOWARD UNIVERSITY STUDENT: Good to see you.
WHITFIELD: So Ty, you and I spoke last year when you were doing this spring break in New Orleans. How is it different this year from last year?
TY AXSON, HOWARD UNIVERSITY STUDENT: Well, as you can imagine with it being almost two years now since the storm, the mood is a little different in New Orleans.
WHITFIELD: In what way?
AXSON: Well last year, I experienced a lot of sorrow and grief as residents were returning home. In many cases, for the first time, not knowing what it expects. However this year, while the mood is still solemn, I experienced a lot more anger on behalf of the residents. And proactive measures to get people down there and to get answers to some of their questions.
WHITFIELD: Anger, because a lot of folks have been feeling like they're forgotten or not getting the resources that were promised or they think are deserving of them?
AXSON: Right, of both. I feel of those -- the residents were angry because they don't know exactly what's going on as far as the levy system. A lot of things are still kind of cloudy, muddy down there. Plus they feel as though people have forgotten about them. So they were very happy it sees 500 Howard University students. In many cases, we were on the streets and residents would come by in their cars and honk at us, or even stop off the highway, roll down their windows, and say "hello." They were very appreciative.
WHITFIELD: Alexis, how about for you? Do you feel that you were very proactive? That you were helping to promote some change? Or did you feel like you wish you could do more, and that people felt like they were forgotten?
LOGAN: I definitely wish I could have done more. But the law school students, the over 60-law school student and faculty that who attended, we all felt that we were being very proactive. We realized that it wasn't just about the homes that were destructed but it was about the insurance claims that hadn't been answered. It's about being people being denied their right to counsel. It's about people just wanting to share their stories and just wanting to be acknowledged and that's exactly what we did. I think the people of New Orleans they just want to be listened to. They want someone to hear their story. What I learn is when you hear their story, you have no choice but to help and you have no choice to make sure that this is all taken care of.
WHITFIELD: Alexis, it's a lot more than developing that relationship and talking. We're looking at these still pictures of many of you and other students who are hammering, who are tearing down. Did you think after all of this time passing, that perhaps the job wouldn't be as laborious as it ended up being? Did you think that you would get a chance to do a lot more of the establishing a relationship and a lot less of the rebuilding? Did it seem like time has kind of been standing still?
LOGAN: Yes. I thought about it. I thought billions of dollars later, thousands of volunteers later, over 18 months later, and some of the homes haven't even been gutted out. And we worked, mostly in the laddering fill. So we were going over people's insurance claims. We were going over their claims for property. To see they had been unanswered for almost two and three years was, it was kind of depressing. It's like, what's been going on this whole time? Where are the people? Why aren't we helping our people in New Orleans?
WHITFIELD: Alexis, you're a first-year law student at Howard University. Ty, you are broadcast journalism major there. So as you are, you know trying to help out people and at the same time getting a taste of trying to get comfortable with your own craft there, what kind of story did you see, Ty that perhaps needs to be told or the story you're going to help tell now that you're returning back to the school of communications?
AXSON: Wow, I met some interesting people. I call this the people's experience. Because once you get the chance to talk to the residents, you really get the chance to know how people feel and what really happened. I met a lady by the name of Mary Frazier. She was 80 years old and she demonstrated her appreciativeness for the students who removed debris from her house by cooking red beans and rice for all 30 volunteers at her site.
WHITFIELD: That's nice.
AXSON: She cooked it in her FEMA trailer, which was very tiny, in a big pot. And she showed her appreciativeness that way by feeding all 30 volunteers.
WHITFIELD: So how do you suppose, Ty and Alexis, this has changed you? This experience of reaching out to help people in New Orleans, encounter all that they have, weighing on their shoulders right now? Alexis, how is this changing you, you think?
LOGAN: It's definitely changed me. It's helped me it realizes that it's not about just throwing money at people. It's not about, even rebuilding their homes. But it's simply about giving people the opportunity to share their story. And being able to hear someone's story and how they survived has inspired me. It's inspired me as a lawyer. It's inspired me as a person to want to keep going on. Because these people, no matter what, they are still striving and they have great lives and we need to acknowledge that and listen to their stories. So I urge people to go down to New Orleans, listen to the story. And by doing that you're going to make sure that what's happened is taken care of.
WHITFIELD: Ty do you think you guys will be at this again next year?
AXSON: We hope so. I don't have a final word yet. But many of the students have expressed concern to go back. So hopefully we can get another team back. May be 1,000 students this time.
WHITFIELD: All right. Ty Axson, Alexis Logan, you make Howard University and the rest of us alumna very proud. Congratulations on the hard work.
AXSON: Thank you.
LOGAN: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: All right, well, he says he saw the lights in the sky. But didn't admit it for ten years. Why is Arizona's former governor coming out now as a believer in UFOs?
A flare of outer space coming your way. Plus, a rare look inside one of the nation's top trauma centers. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta reveals "Grady's Anatomy." You won't want to miss that straight ahead in THE NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A bizarre rescue this weekend along the U.S.-Canadian border at Niagara Falls. Authorities say a man was plucked off an ice flow less than a mile up stream from the falls early Saturday morning, guards from a nearby power plant heard the man screaming for help. Rescuers in boats were called in; they pulled the shivering man off of the floating chunk of ice and got him ashore. And get, this police say the 42-year-old man is an undocumented immigrant who was trying to sneak into the U.S. illegally. He's now being treated for mild hypothermia and he's facing immigration charges.
Well, some of the questions surrounding Anna Nicole Smith's death may soon be answered. Authorities in Florida plan to release details of Smith's autopsy tomorrow. The former model, actress, and professional celebrity died February 8th in Hollywood, Florida. The autopsy was expected weeks ago, but it was delayed after police came up with more evidence. The sudden nature of Smith's death, along with a suspicious circumstances surrounding her son's death, have led to intense speculation. Plus, we still don't know who the real father of Smith's baby daughter is. DNA tests are under way.
Long hours, constant stress, life-and-death reasonability's, and everyday realities for medical residents, working in hospitals across the country. It's something CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta knows a lot about. When he's not in the newsroom, Sanjay is often in the operating room at Grady Memorial Hospital here in Atlanta as an attending physician training residents. This weekend he takes us behind scenes of "Grady's Anatomy." Here's a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: How are you doing? Living the dream.
I know every Monday; I've got my time. I have my OR and it's all ready for me to go. I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta I'm attending of neurosurgery at Grady Memorial Hospital. My job is to perform operations, take care of patients, but simultaneously, and I think in some ways equally importantly, to train residents. Step and drape, suction, incision.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An attending neurosurgeon hands you the scalpel, you're almost more excited.
LOU (ph): My name is Lou; I'm a fifth year neurosurgery resident at Grady Memorial Hospital.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I'm doing the (INAUDIBLE) next to the spinal cord. I don't know if that apprehension will ever go away.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are the odds? Really busted up, man.
GUPTA: I'm glad to hear that Lou is nervous. I'm nervous. I think everybody should be nervous.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're losing too much blood.
GUPTA: I think if you're not nervous, you might be a little too cocky and I think that's the biggest enemy of all.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This patient was in a deer stand 15 to 20 feet up in the air and must have given way.
GUPTA: His bones look pretty nice and also his bone just gone, crushed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're bracing ourselves for Pandora's box that we open every time we go into surgery. We try to position everything perfectly. We try to study the films perfectly. We can't control what variations of anatomy may be.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give me another weapon. I'll try this one again.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's this, cushion?
GUPTA: A lot of times, no one even has to say a word in that operating room. I know exactly what's going through their minds. I know Lou's feeling at any given moment without him saying a word. I know exactly what's going through his head because I was there. So we're not going to put any screws in a 4/5, right, Lou?
LOU: No, I'm trying to expose right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As a younger surgeon, you want to say what would I do if I didn't have a net? But I can tell you it's nice to have a net. Because Sanjay will tell you how many jams he's gotten me out of.
GUPTA: Goals to get them mobilized, up to a wheelchair, he's not going it walk again. He's a paraplegic. We want to get him to a wheelchair and continue the use of his arms.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's going to work, Sanjay.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That case could have not gone any better.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was awesome.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was, that's what we show up to work for.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we'll number good shape here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: "Grady's Anatomy," a CNN special investigations unit special airing tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern only on CNN.
Well once retired from office, politicians often feel they can talk more openly. Well Arizona's former governor drops an out-of-this- world bombshell and thousands of people back up his vision. Be among us, next in THE NEWSROOM.
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WHITFIELD: Some severe weather conditions in Lubbock, Texas. Let's check in with Jacqui Jeras.
Jacqui.
JERAS: We just got some incredible pictures in; these are from about an hour ago. Some cold air funnels across the area, it looks like a tornado to you and me and basically it is. There's been some thunderstorms developing across the area and we've got very cold air aloft. We got warmer air at the surface and that's been rising. You mix those two things together, and sometimes you get little spinners like that. You usually stay up in the clouds and usually don't touchdown, but once it a blue moon they will do that. It could cause maybe some minor damage but these generally are not strong or severe tornados. There continue to be more thunderstorms moving through that area. So this risk will be ongoing for maybe the next couple hours. But as the temperatures cool down in this surface later on this afternoon, that threat will be diminishing.
So really great video from our station there at KLBK TV. Some cold air frontals and I can show you here on the map behind me too, to take a look at that where the thunderstorms are that are moving in they are also producing some very heavy rain. There you could see Lubbock, we had a few storms move through in already and there are couple more moving in from the south and west. They are also dumping some really heavy rain, too. Urban and small stream flooded advisory has been issued for the Lubbock area. You've had about two, three inches in the last 24 plus hours, and could see a little bit more, about another two, three inches on top of that. So flooding across not just the Lubbock area but also much of Texas is concerned. Kind of have a stalled out low-pressure system. We'll talk about that later.
WHITFIELD: All right, look forward to that, thanks a lot, Jacqui.
Well, how about from Arizona, the former governor, says he's coming clean after ten years of silence. Claiming he is one of the thousands who saw UFO hovering over the Phoenix skyline about a decade ago. CNN's Gary Tuchman has more on the ex-governor's less than timely admission.
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GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Is now a businessman. He was the Republican Governor Symington of Arizona for six years. Elected when the first George Bush was president. Now a decade after leaving the statehouse, he takes me to a Phoenix park and discloses something unlike anything uttered by any other high-leveled politician.
FMR. GOVERNOR FIFE SYMINGTON, (R) ARIZONA: If you'd, if you'd been here ten years ago and standing out here and looking out at the lights and the view, you would have been astounded. You would have been amazed.
TUCHMAN: Governor FIFE Symington is referring to what is now known as the Phoenix lights. An object videotaped by many and seen by thousands over several nights in the Arizona sky in 1997.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Major sighting here.
TUCHMAN: It was described by witnesses as larger than a football field and silent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a giant v, all right? And the right side of the "v" went over us. The left side was, like a couple of blocks over it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just didn't know what to do, you know? It was like, my god, how big is this thing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The great state of Arizona, Fife Symington.
TUCHMAN: The former governor had never publicly acknowledged seeing it until now.
SYMINGTON: And I suspect that, unless the Defense Department proves us otherwise that it was probably some form of alien spacecraft.
TUCHMAN: So why didn't he say anything then? Partly, he says, because he didn't want people to panic.
SYMINGTON: I think as a public figure, you have to be very careful about what you say because of people can have pretty emotional reactions. And I said my goal wasn't it try to stir the pot.
TUCHMAN: And he went to humorous and controversial lengths not to stir the pot. He held a news conference after the Phoenix lights to announce the mystery had been solved.
SYMINGTON: And now I'll ask officer Stein and his colleagues to escort the accused into the room so that we may all look upon the guilty party. Don't get him too close to me, please.
TUCHMAN: In the alien costume, the governor's chief of staff.
SYMINGTON: This just goes to show that you guys are entirely too serious.
TUCHMAN: UFO enthusiasts were not amused especially because the governor was believed to have not seen nothing but now he's coming out.
SYMINGTON: The lights were really brilliant. And it was just fascinating. I mean it was -- it was enormous. It just felt otherworldly. You know, in your gut you could just tell it was otherworldly.
TUCHMAN: Symington will be talking about this in an updated film about UFO's called "Out of the Blue." He's also talked with an organization that wants UFO information more open.
LESLIE KEAN, COALITION FOR THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION: If is very significant that someone of that stature of a governor would come out and say that they acknowledged that they experienced a UFO. Because it brings a lot of credibility and strength to the case.
TUCHMAN: Governor Symington says he did tell his family, friends and staff about what he saw early on.
SYMINGTON: I still behind the scenes, tried to investigate it. But I got nowhere.
TUCHMAN: So what were the Phoenix lights? Well frankly we don't know. What we do know is that it's as much of a mystery today as it was a decade ago.
Gary Tuchman, CNN, Phoenix.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Well, if you don't believe that, maybe you believe this after your hear the answer to the question, what has 34 legs and knows how to sniff out trouble? You want to stick around for the answer and the story on these canine crime fighters. Kind of giving you part of the answer there.
And remember we told you about the free land up for grabs in Alaska? Well, we're following up on that. In the next hour of THE NEWSROOM you'll meet one of the lucky new owners.
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JERAS: Hello everyone I'm CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras with today's cold and flu reports. The number of cases of cold and flu across the county continue to decline, that is good news as we are now officially in our first full weekend of spring. We've seen quite a bit of improvement here across the nations mid section and also across parts of the west. We are still seeing a lot of red into the northeast which means it is still pretty wide spread for you from New York to Pennsylvania and into Ohio.
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