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American Morning
Fall of Baghdad; Border Battle; Racist Radio?; Snowed Under; Pope Weighs In; Your American Home, Minding Your Business; McCain's Claims: Iraq Fact Check; British Sailors Cash In
Aired April 09, 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: Target USA. A powerful call to drive America out of Iraq with protests today, the fourth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Imus under fire. Growing calls for Don Imus to resign or be fired after racially charged remarks on his radio show. He meets with the Reverend Al Sharpton today.
S. O'BRIEN: Arson and murder. A nurse is now charged with starting a deadly fire. And her excuse is shocking.
M. O'BRIEN: Whatever happened to spring? A record cold freezester (ph) in South Carolina. Two feet of snow buries baseball in Ohio.
We're live from Baghdad, London, Cleveland and New York City on this AMERICAN MORNING.
S. O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome, everybody. It's Monday, April 9th. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
M. O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien. We're glad you're with us.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's begin this morning in Iraq, four years after U.S. troops took control of Baghdad. In Najaf today, tens of thousands of Iraqis are rallying. Anti-American cleric Muqtada al- Sadr ordering his militia to oust the American military. Now security is tight across Iraq, with no vehicles allowed in Najaf and Baghdad for the next 24 hours. Ten U.S. forces were killed in Iraq over the weekend. CNN's Kyra Phillips is live in Baghdad for us this morning.
Kyra, good morning to you. So what's it like there today?
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Soledad.
If you look at these pictures of this demonstration, you see thousands and thousands of people on the streets there in Sadr City. And here's what's interesting. If you were sitting back in the United States at home, you're probably seeing all these people. You're seeing this peaceful protest. You're seeing all these Iraqi flags and you're think, wow, freedom is working in Iraq. People want democracy. Look at them all gathering.
But actually there's a very interesting message going on here. Political theater, as Michael Ware and I were discussing earlier today. That's how he likes to phrase it. I think that's an interesting way to put it.
Muqtada al-Sadr, the most powerful Shiite cleric, somebody who has been going head to head with the U.S., apparently has fled allegedly to Iran. This is what he is saying to the U.S. government, to Maliki, the prime minister here in Iraq, and to everybody that is keeping their eyes on this war. He has said, look at what I can do when I'm not in Iraq. Look at the power that I have. I can have people come out and basically say we are against the U.S., we are against what's happening here, we are against the quote/unquote occupiers and create this peaceful protest. So it has a lot of underlying messages.
S. O'BRIEN: Four years, as we've mentioned, to the day that U.S. forces took Baghdad. Remember that big statue that fell. What did they replace it with? What's there now?
PHILLIPS: We could never forget it. Remember that day four years, Soledad, that you saw all those Iraqis and the U.S. military pulling down the statue of Saddam Hussein right there in Firdous Square. By the way, that word meaning heaven or paradise. Well now sits this sculpture. We had a chance to go shoot some video of it the other day. And it's of a man and a woman and a little boy, representing a family, holding up the sun and the moon, which is supposed to represent the new and the ancient Iraq. And the artist that made this, they call themselves The Survivors. It's actually a very pretty sculpture. I've had a chance to look at it and observe it.
S. O'BRIEN: It looks pretty nice from here too.
Kyra Phillips for us this morning. Thank you, Kyra.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Senator John McCain this morning sticking to his guns, insisting the U.S. is making progress in Iraq. McCain facing a lot of criticism for remarks he made after a carefully choreographed, high security photo opportunity in a Baghdad market on April 1st. On "60 Minutes" last night, McCain insisted he was not glossing over reality but he did admit he miss spoke when he said the top general in Iraq is able to ride around in an unarmored humvee.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: But I can tell you, if it had been two months ago and I'd have asked to do it, they'd have said under no circumstances whatsoever. I view that as a sign of progress.
There is no unarmored humvees. Obviously that's the case. I'm trying to make the point over and over and over again that we are making progress and there are signs of progress. That it's long and it's hard and it's tough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
M. O'BRIEN: McCain has made five trips to Iraq now. Coming up, we'll check his claims of progress with our reporters in Baghdad.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Those 15 British sailors and marines held captive in Iran are under fire today for selling their stories. The only woman held is already speaking out this morning. The usually strict royal navy said the ex-captives can negotiate book deals and television appearances. Well, Seaman Faye Turney, who wrote a letter during her time as a captive that was critical of the British government, reportedly made six figures in her deal with "The Sun" newspaper. Here's a little bit of her interview with ITV.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FAYE TURNEY, ROYAL MILITARY SEAMAN: And then they wanted me to write what was written about the British/American troops. I felt like a traitor to my own country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But you did write them?
TURNEY: I had no choice. If I didn't comply, I was looking at being charged with being this spy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: In the meantime, Iran released its own videotape. It shows the troops smiling and watching TV and playing games. The Iranians say it proves that the captives were treated well. Other sailors say they don't plan to profit from selling their stories. That the money is going to go to charity.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Get ready for another chapter in the bruising debate over immigration reform. The president, today, will try to spur Congress to do something about illegal immigrants. And, once again, the rub is over the volatile issue of amnesty. Ed Henry is with the president in Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: After spending the Easter weekend at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, the president, on Monday, heads to Yuma, Arizona, to deliver a speech on immigration reform. The president will be meeting there with U.S. border officials, showing him the latest technology, the tools they use along the U.S./Mexico border to track down illegal immigrants. Then the president's speech will be focused on trying to get ahead of the U.S. Senate debate that's coming up in mid-May on the highly charged, emotional debate over immigration reform here in the United States.
Now, ironically, with Democrats now running Congress, the president's comprehensive immigration plan actually has a better chance because the president's plan is more in line with what the Democrats have been calling for. Basically border security, plus a guest worker program that will put illegal immigrants who are here in the United States, some 12 million of them, on a path to U.S. citizenship. The problem for the president, the reason why this will be an uphill battle, is that many conservatives in his own party believe that that's amnesty.
The president has denied it. But that is the rub. And, in fact, there may be some Republican senators planning a filibuster against the president's plan.
Ed Henry, CNN, with the president in Crawford, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: CNN will have live coverage of the president's speech from Arizona, 1:25 p.m. Eastern Time.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: A nurse is in jail this morning. She's accused of setting a fire in an office building in Houston that killed three people. Investigators say they now know why she did it. Thirty-four- year-old Misty Ann Weaver faces three counts of felony murder, one count of arson, in connection with that fire on March 28th.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROY PAUL, HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT: She was concerned, if the audited the doctor, that she would lose her job. And I don't think she could even foresee the destruction here of what was going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: The investigators claim that Weaver set the fire because she hadn't finished a report that was due to her boss, who is a plastic surgeon working in that building. Now she apparently helped buy herself a little time to get done. Her boss tells "The Houston Chronicle" this morning that Weaver was a model employee. That her job would not have been in jeopardy over a late report.
M. O'BRIEN: Don Imus heading into the lion's den this afternoon and it's likely to be must hear radio. Imus will appear on the Reverend Al Sharpton's program. Sharpton is among the crowd demanding Imus be fired after he made racist and sexist comments on his radio and TV show. CNN's Jim Acosta reports on the ripple effects of all this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): It was a restrained form of protest on Easter Sunday as Rutgers women's basketball coach Vivian Stringer sat in church and let her pastor make the case for talk radio host Don Imus to step down.
DEFOREST B. SOARIES JR., FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF LINCOLN GARDENS: We intend to, at the very least, demand the resignation or termination of Mr. Imus. ACOSTA: That followed louder criticism from the Reverend Al Sharpton, who warned of continuing protests outside the broadcasters' studios.
REV. AL SHARPTON, CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER: If he still has a job next Saturday this time, we will lead this rally and we will head down to that station and we will picket that station and we'll picket that station as long as Don Imus is on that station.
ACOSTA: Imus ignited the firestorm that now threatens his 40- year career last week when he and his executive producer ripped into the Rutgers women's basketball team.
DON IMUS, TALK RADIO HOST: That's some nappy-headed whores there. I'm going to tell you that now.
ACOSTA: It took two days for Imus to apologize.
IMUS: My characterization was thoughtless and stupid, so -- and we're sorry.
CLARENCE PAGE, "CHICAGO TRIBUNE": I'm just disappointed.
ACOSTA: Columnist Clarence Page was understandably disappointed. Six years ago he had asked Imus to stop making racist humor a part of his program.
PAGE: I had him hold up his hand and take a pledge, like in AA or a 12-step program. And he went along with it. Unfortunately, as we can see now, he's fallen off the wagon, which I think is unfortunate.
ACOSTA: If Imus survives, the big question is whether his show can still draw political heavyweights, such as presidential candidates Mitt Romney, Barack Obama and John McCain, who is a frequent guest.
PAGE: I think that any candidate who goes on his show now has to answer for it just like if they belong to a country club that discriminates.
ACOSTA: CNN tried to contact several of the major presidential candidates over the weekend. So far, only one "no comment" from Mitt Romney's camp.
Jim Acosta, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: "The Imus Show" is simulcast on radio and MSNBC, which says it regrets his comments were aired on MSNBC and Imus, once again this morning, apologizing.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, instead of admiring the tulips and the flowers this morning, some people in Ohio are digging out from a foot of snow. CNN's Reggie Aqui is in Chardon, Ohio, about 40 miles outside of Cleveland.
Hey, Reggie, good morning. How is it?
REGGIE AQUI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Well, at least I'm not up to my waist with snow, which is often the case when we're doing snow stories. Today, only about two and a half feet. Yes, two and a half feet at Easter. It definitely shocked a lot of people in this area. And if you look up here at the town square here in Chardon, you'll see that it's 30 degrees today. Not exactly what people want when we're talking about springtime temperatures.
So even in an area that gets a lot of snow -- and by the way, this is all lake effect snow -- this came as quite a shock to people because it was all this snow in a very short amount of time. Just three days.
As you can probably see behind me, some folks are finally waking up and getting out here and realizing that at least the streets are clear. But as far as all the areas surrounding the streets, well, there's a lot of snow still to clean up.
Now over the weekend, there's supposed to be the home opener here for the Cleveland Indians. And folks who went to the game on Friday found out that it was canceled because of the snow. Saturday canceled again because of the snow. They tried again to play a double header yesterday and all they could do was go out on the field, some of the players, doing some snow angels out there in the field, but no game to be had yesterday.
So today they're going to try again with that double header. And there may be an very unusual move that baseball is pulling because of this very late snow here in the season. The commissioner of baseball, Bud Selig, is going to decide later today whether he's going to just cancel the rest of the games happening here in the Cleveland area this week and move the games to Los Angeles where there's no chance of snow, at least there shouldn't be any chance of snow, happening in California.
So today a lot of folks, even though as I said they're used to all of this snow and living in an area that is right next to Lake Erie and gets all this lake effect, Soledad, they are certainly hoping that this is going to be a dry rest of the April and that it's going to get a little warmer, because this is not exactly the spring break they were hoping for.
S. O'BRIEN: And you never really get used to it. Grab a shovel, Reggie. You know, dig yourself out there.
AQUI: Next time I will.
S. O'BRIEN: Reggie Aqui for us this morning. Thank you, Reggie.
Miles M. O'BRIEN: So how do you hold off a charging tiger? With a few birdies. Virtual unknown Zach Johnson beat Tiger Woods to win the green jacket at the Masters yesterday. Johnson pulled away from Woods and the rest of the pack with three birdies and a crucial four-hole stretch along the back nine of Augusta National. Boy, that's the time to get hot isn't it. It was only the second victory of Johnson's career. Tiger was hoping to win his fifth Masters but had to settle for a three-way tie for second.
We're moving into peak season for real estate. One of the rockiest in recent memory. Find out what your money can buy in this market just ahead.
Survivors of a disaster at sea speaking out about the crew and captain of that sunk Greek cruise ship.
And is the war in Iraq justified in the eyes of God? We hear from the pope and others on that.
You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning is right here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: An update this morning on that cruise ship that slammed into the rocks off the Greek island of Santorini and then sank on Thursday. The captain and five crew members are now charged with negligence and violating international maritime rules. Sixteen hundred people had to be evacuated off the ship. It sunk within hours.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM GATCH, RESCUED FROM SINKING SHIP: I stepped outside of my cabin and looked and the water was coming down the hallway.
KATIE SUMNER, RESCUED FROM SINKING SHIP: We heard a big shudder and then the whole boat started to tilt.
BARBARA NEIL, RESCUED FROM SINKING SHIP: All the dishes started to fall out in the kitchen. That didn't sound good. Then when we saw all the crew with life vests on, we knew something was really not good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: That's the understatement of the year. A father and a daughter from France are still missing. Ahead this morning, we talk to a professional diver about the search for those two and what happens now to that shipwreck.
It's 15 minutes past the hour. That means it's time for Chad Myers. He's at the CNN Weather Center watching winter in springtime.
It has a lovely little ring to it, doesn't it, Chad, but it's pretty miserable. Good morning. (WEATHER REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: So what does God think about the war in Iraq? It depends on which religious leader you ask.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPE BENEDICT, (through translator): Nothing positive comes from Iraq, torn apart by continual slaughter as the civil population flees.
REV. JERRY FALWELL, CHANCELLOR, LIBERTY UNIVERSITY: What Mr. Bush is doing in Iraq and Afghanistan is a just war against terror. God hates war, but there are Biblically established just wars.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
M. O'BRIEN: AMERICAN MORNING's faith and values correspondent, Delia Gallagher, joining us now with more on that.
Delia, good morning to you.
DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
M. O'BRIEN: To what extent do those two religious leaders reflect a division in their flocks?
GALLAGHER: Well, I think Christians, like the rest of the world, have been divided on whether or not it was a good idea to go into Iraq, whether it was a just war, with the Vatican leaning towards the position that it was not. So, you know, that's the kind of division that you see reflected. But I also think, you know, you could possibly hold both of those positions -- in other words, that it was a just war and nothing good has come out of it. So I think it's simply reflective of what's the conversation in a lot of other areas.
M. O'BRIEN: But the pope didn't say it was a just war. He, instead, focused on things that he perceived to be negative about the war.
GALLAGHER: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: Is this new for him?
GALLAGHER: Well, I think, you know, from the beginning, the Vatican has raised questions about whether or not it was the right thing to do. The pope was focusing on now the moral dilemma of the aftermath because there is a legitimate question to be made if you have not made provisions for the people that you went in to rescue, can it really be a just war? So I think that they're re-looking at that whole definition of what is a just war. ]
And the Vatican, from the beginning had said, you know, have all diplomatic means been exhausted. You know, they have these criteria for what makes a just war. And so this is what they've gone through. Have the diplomatic means been exhausted? Is there a reasonable chance of success? Are the means that you're using to go in there proportionate to the evil that you're trying to get rid of? So there were a number of questions on their part from the beginning.
M. O'BRIEN: It seems that all of this plays into the notion among some people that this has really become a holy war.
GALLAGHER: Yes, well, this is the thing, of course, that you want to avoid, this clash of civilizations and so on. And one of the concerns certainly for Christians is, are the Christians in the Middle East and the people that are living there that are displaced by war. Of course, the concern is for all people in the Middle East, whether you're Christian or Muslim, but in particular for the Christians and for Christian property and Christian churches and really just the Christian life to be able to continue in the Middle East. It's already dwindling. And there are mass exoduses of Christians. So that's why there's a continual kind of focus on this on the part of the Vatican and other Christians.
M. O'BRIEN: Delia Gallagher, thank you very much. Delia's our faith and values correspondent.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Thank you.
What kind of home are you going to get for $300,000 these days? Well, it is all about, duh, location, location, location. AMERICAN MORNING's Chris Lawrence kicks off our special series for home buyers and sellers this morning.
Hey, Chris, good morning.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Soledad.
Do you ever wonder how much home you can get for your money in another part of the country? Wonder no more. We're going to go shopping all over the country when this hour of AMERICAN MORNING continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Looking at "Your American Home" this morning on the heels of a sub-prime mortgage meltdown. It comes at the peak season for home buying and home selling. So all this week we're taking a closer look at the real estate market. According to the National Association of Realtors, the median U.S. home price last year was $221,900. So what can you get for more or less that amount? AMERICAN MORNING's Chris Lawrence is live for us this morning at a new housing development in downtown L.A.
Chris, good morning to you. What's for sale?
LAWRENCE: Good morning, Soledad.
Well, we took that 221, which is the national median, and admittedly we rounded up to a number we thought, well, was relevant no matter what part of the country you live in. And even $300,000. Armed with our check, we went shopping.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE, (voice over): We start our search in sunny south Florida with a single mom and first-time buyer.
DORIS CHIRINOS, FIRST-TIME HOME BUYER: After working so hard, I think I deserve it.
LAWRENCE: Doris Chirinos sees a three bedroom townhouse 20 miles from the ocean. For about the same price, she could afford a two- bedroom condo two blocks from the beach.
CHIRINOS: This is a range that I can pay for, $300,000.
LAWRENCE: But look what that same money gets you in suburban Detroit, four bedrooms on half an acre.
DAWN MUELLER, REALTOR: And that's quite a lot for this area.
LAWRENCE: Wow. You don't get this kind of room in Florida.
MUELLER: Oh, no, and certainly not in L.A.
LAWRENCE: Realtor Dawn Mueller showed us a seven-year-old home with a classic front porch and a corner house with 2,600 square feet.
MUELLER: I believe this area was selling right around the $320,000, $325,000 range a couple of years ago and this house is priced at $280,000 now.
LAWRENCE: Even with everything upgraded, she'd only offer $240,000.
MUELLER: And if they don't take it, we'll walk away and we'll do it to the next house. Twenty-six houses in that subdivision, someone's ready to move.
LAWRENCE: And so are we, on to L.A.
AMBER CHRISTIAN (ph), REALTOR: We are going to see a condo, which is a one bedroom, one bath, about 650 square feet.
LAWRENCE: Open spacing, wood floors in the heart of west Hollywood. And then an even smaller studio at the base of the Hollywood Hills.
Wow, the kitchen's pretty small.
CHRISTIAN: It is a small kitchen. Functional, but small. And you could reach it from the bedroom.
LAWRENCE: Realtor Amber Christian says Korea Town gets a little less expensive. Still a one bedroom, but with upgrades and a walk-in closet. CHRISTIAN: For the price, $279,00, if you want to live in L.A., that's pretty darn good. You're not going to get much better than that.
LAWRENCE: So you can live the glamorous life, walk to a Florida beach or spread out in suburban Detroit. Look what $300,000 will get you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE: And somewhere far off I hear people in Manhattan just kind of laughing to themselves and probably people in Texas going, wow, that's a lot of money. Just shows what you can get. You know, we managed to make it through L.A. without ripping up our check in frustration, but, you know, we found some good deals. Even here in a very high priced market. But, overall, it was amazing kind of what -- we knew there would be a difference, but to see what you could get in suburban Detroit, that one house, the brick corner house in Canton, Michigan, was just amazing for the price coming in well under $300,000. Just a very, very surprising study.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: It's nice to see, but I've got to tell you, in New York, $300,000, you'd be living with your parents if you wanted to live in Manhattan.
LAWRENCE: I know.
S. O'BRIEN: Chris Lawrence. As always, thanks, Chris.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: I guess that would get you a walk-in closet maybe or something like that.
S. O'BRIEN: No, not even.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes, maybe not.
Well, stocks are set to go up and so are gas prices. Those should be at odds somewhere in theory. Andrew Ross Sorkin is in for Ali Velshi this morning.
Andrew, good to see you.
ANDREW ROSS SORKIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
And gas prices are going up. Soledad, I don't know, you're a New Yorker, so you're not probably not a driver.
S. O'BRIEN: I have a big old SUV. I've got four kids, man.
SORKIN: Oh, so you know. OK.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, I do. SORKIN: Well, the prices have been creeping up on us. I don't think people necessarily appreciate it. But literally in the past two weeks we have gone up 18 cents a gallon. Since January, up 60 cents a gallon. So this is serious stuff. Up on a national average to $2.79. For those of you looking for cheap gas, by the way, I should say, you should drive yourself out to Salt Lake City where you can get some gas for $2.58.
S. O'BRIEN: Thanks.
SORKIN: And if you want to burn a hole in your pocket, you can go up to Portland, Oregon. That's about $2.95.
M. O'BRIEN: So you've got to live in Detroit, get your gas in Salt Lake and work here in New York. It works perfectly.
SORKIN: And you know why it's going up, by the way? A funny reason. Daylight saving time. The switch in daylight savings time has more people on the road today, which I had not thought of.
M. O'BRIEN: That was not what Congress had in mind.
SORKIN: I think they had the opposite in mind, frankly.
M. O'BRIEN: Now Friday the markets were down and there was a good jobs report.
SORKIN: Yes. A good jobs report. People actually expecting this week to be a big week. Stocks to go up, frankly. Alcoa was reporting on Tuesday, which is a bellwether, and then on Friday. General Electric doing the same thing. And for all the fears of sub- prime meltdowns and everything else, this roller coaster seems to keep going on and up. So we'll keep a watch on the stocks.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. And when I said down, I meant down and out. Closed.
SORKIN: Down and out.
M. O'BRIEN: They weren't down. They were out.
SORKIN: That's true.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. We'll see you in a bit.
Andrew, thank you.
SORKIN: Thanks.
M. O'BRIEN: Top stories of the morning are coming up next.
The free British sailors are selling their stories and this morning we're hearing from the only woman who was held. Reaction from her outraged countrymen, as well.
Plus, Senator John McCain again points to signs of progress in Iraq. A closer look at his claims point by point just ahead.
You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. It's Monday, April 9th.
I'm Soledad O'Brien.
M. O'BRIEN: And I'm miles O'Brien.
Thanks for being with us.
Some developing stories right now we're looking at.
Some back and forth from Senator John McCain sticking to his guns on some components, backing away from that unarmored Humvee claim.
We'll give you the latest on where he stands on the Iraq war. He's out with four examples of what is working. We'll check them point by point with out team in Baghdad.
S. O'BRIEN: Also this morning, we're watching a shocking development out of Houston. A nurse in jail charged with setting this fire. Remember we covered the story here in the morning on AMERICAN MORNING? The fire killed three people, and what is truly surprising to investigators is why she says she did it.
M. O'BRIEN: Anger rising in the U.K. today over sailors held captive in Iran selling their stories. Plus there's new video from Iran disputing their accounts about how they were treated.
S. O'BRIEN: In fact, we begin this morning in Iraq.
Today is the fourth anniversary of the U.S. capture of Baghdad. There are new threats to U.S. troops to tell you about.
The anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr organizing a huge march in the holy city of Najaf, ordering his militia to do whatever it must to force U.S. troops out. The Iraqi army responding by ordering a 24- hour ban on all vehicles within Baghdad and within Najaf.
And Senator John McCain says he is cautiously optimistic about the situation in Iraq. In a "Washington Post" editorial which is called "The War You're Not Reading About," McCain lays out what he calls the positive signs that progress is, in fact, being made.
We're going to do a little fact checking with you this morning, the senator's claims, with Kyra Phillips. She's live for us in Baghdad this morning.
Good morning to you, Kyra.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: The senator writes this fairly long op-ed. And then toward the end he lists as what he sees as moments of progress, including this one -- "Sunni sheikhs are fighting al Qaeda."
True or not true?
PHILLIPS: It's definitely true. And this is actually really interesting, because these are the same Sunni sheikhs, the same tribal leaders that were fighting against U.S. troops, killing Americans, killing Iraqis. And now you're seeing this shift, they're seeing -- they're seeing that they can gain power, that the tribal leaders can gain power now.
It's a new concept. It's probably something that should have been implemented years back, but they are turning around and fighting al Qaeda.
These are the same sheikhs that U.S. military officials have told me they have seen meeting with the prime minister of Iraq, Nuri al- Maliki, in sort of closed quarters. They've wanted to keep it secret, they didn't want to make a really big deal out of it. So, it's interesting to see this shift.
And in Anbar, specifically, it appears to be working. Iraqis are starting to trust Iraqis, and they're starting to trust the tribal leaders now because they're working with the police. And local intelligence is helping them track down and kill off al Qaeda.
S. O'BRIEN: All right. Let's get to another point that he writes about. He says more than 50 joint U.S.-Iraqi stations have been established in Baghdad. He goes on to say there's been a significant increase in security and actionable intelligence.
True or not true?
PHILLIPS: That is true. And the question is, are all 50 stations working, Soledad?
I can tell you I went to one. I went to the Dora district. This is an area that's just been haunted by a death squad. Al Qaeda as been very active in this area.
But when U.S. troops and Iraqi troops came together and worked together side by side in these buildings right there smack in the middle of the market area, they -- both the Iraqi commanders and U.S. troops said to me the Iraqis are starting to trust us. They're coming to us, they're giving us intelligence, and that's what has helped us get a handle on the death squad that's operating right here in this area.
S. O'BRIEN: Another claim, Muqtada al-Sadr is in hiding. We've certainly seen big pictures of the rally today. He's in hiding still?
PHILLIPS: Yes, and apparently he's hiding in Iran. And what's interesting about those demonstrations, Soledad, you and I talked about this earlier, is you see the demonstrations, you see how peaceful it is. You see the Iraqi flags. And from the outside you're thinking, oh, freedom is working. OK. They're all marching toward democracy. But actually, Muqtada al-Sadr called for that peaceful protest to show his power, to show his influence that whether he's here in Iraq or in Iran, close to a country that is supplying weapons and support to extremists, he can still hold a rally like this. It's a big nose up at the prime minister here of Iraq.
S. O'BRIEN: All right. Let's read the final point.
"The Iraqi army," he says, "and police forces are increasingly fighting on their own and with American forces. Their size is growing. Their capability is growing."
And I guess here's the important part -- the reason for casualties, it's because they're fighting more. Increased casualties because they're actually engaging more.
True or not true?
PHILLIPS: Well, that's a bit of a gray area, because it is true that there are more Iraqi army members. There are more policemen. Like, in Anbar province, there were 200 police officers, and now there's 10,000 because things are tarting to work, the security is working. They're getting trained. They feel more confident to operate in that area.
But at the same time, there's issues with checkpoints that are being manned by Iraqis, that you're not sure if there are good guys or bad guys at those checkpoints, not sure if they're safe. The training, not every Iraqi policemen and member of the army knows how to use their weapons and their trucks with new technology.
It's really hard to say that they are doing it on their own and doing a good job, because U.S. forces are still working with them in so many different ways. And I sat down with the head of all Iraqi policemen, Soledad, just a couple of days ago, and I said to him -- I said, "If U.S. troops left tomorrow, would you be in trouble?" And he said, "We need the U.S. troops. We're not ready."
S. O'BRIEN: The answer is, yes, they certainly would be.
All right.
Kyra Phillips in Baghdad for us this morning with a fact check.
Thank you, Kyra -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: In Great Britain this morning, there is growing criticism of those 15 sailors and marines that were held captive in Iran. A lot of folks upset that they will be allowed to sell their stories to the media. Couple that with some seemingly damning video released by the Iranians.
CNN's Matthew Chance watching it all in London -- Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Miles, thanks very much. Growing anger, growing resentment, as well, towards these 15 sailors and marines who were released from nearly two weeks of captivity in Iran last week, with news that British defense officials have permitted them in a very unusual move to make profit out of their experience by allowing them to sell their stories individually to media organizations. Let's take a look at the front page of one of Britain's best-selling tabloid newspapers. You can see a photograph of Faye Turney, the only female captive amongst the group, splashed over the front.
"Faye: My Ordeal" it says. She talks in quite intimate detail about what was going through her mind during her period of captivity.
This, as you mentioned, coming at a time when Iranian television has released new images of the 15 sailors and marines in captivity apparently enjoying themselves.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHANCE: These latest images of the British sailors and marines are only fueling controversy. Broadcast on Iranian television, they show the captured Britons together and relaxed, playing Ping-Pong, even laughing. It's clearly meant to contrast with their own accounts of rough treatment at Iranian hands.
Then now, revelations they're being allowed by the British Defense Ministry to profit from their experience by giving media interviews usually strictly banned.
BOB STEWART, FMR. BRITISH ARMY COMMANDER: It really does compare very badly against the six people that have died in the last week, against the Royal Marines who are currently fighting a very serious battle in Helmand Province in Afghanistan, and because, quite frankly, vast sections of the armed forces feel it's not fair.
CHANCE: There's been a strong reaction, too, from families of British service personnel who have died in combat. Fathers like Mike Aston, whose son Russell was killed in Iraq nearly four years ago.
MIKE ASTON, FATHER OF CORPORAL RUSSELL ASTON: I know how I felt three years, 10 months after the even watching the rejoicing. I couldn't watch it for a second time. Very upsetting. And now to find out that they can sell their story, it's tacky and it's sordid.
CHANCE: And it may be lucrative. Faye Turney, the only woman captive, singled out by the Iranians, is reported to agree to a six- figure sum for her story.
FAYE TURNEY, BRITISH ROYAL NAVY: I was offered a lot of money for this kind of -- my story. I've taken -- I've not taken the biggest offer. I've gone down, because I wanted to speak to yourself, "The Sun," because I knew my point would get across.
I want everyone out there to know my story from my side, see what I went through. When it comes to money, the ship, HMS Cornwall, is getting a percentage of that money to go towards helping the personnel on that ship and their families.
CHANCE: Given what Faye Turney and her comrades went through, there are those who believe a little cash is justified.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's going to suffer for years to come, I suspect, because they were talking about -- you know, one time they thought they were going to be shot. They're going to have to live through those nightmares. And I think if it means it buys a holiday for her and her family, I have no problem with it.
CHANCE: The British Defense Ministry says it's allowing the interviews because of the exceptional media interest in the events, but the fact those embroiled in a less than glorious episode for the British military should get special treatment has riled the many whose tales of heroism and combat may never be told.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHANCE: Well, Miles, in their defense, British officials who made this decision to allow these media interviews say that they believe the details of this ordeal could come out anyway. At least now they can some keep control over what's being said -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Matthew Chance, in London.
Thank you -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: A nurse is in jail this morning. She's accused of setting a deadly fire in an office building in Houston.
She is 34-year-old Misty Ann Weaver, and she now faces three counts of felony murder and one count of arson. Police say Weaver set the fire because she hadn't finished a work project. She had a report that was due to her boss, a plastic surgeon, and she was afraid of losing her job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROY PAUL, HOUSTON FIRE DEPT.: She was concerned if they audited the doctor that she would lose her job. And I don't think she could even foresee the destruction here of what was going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: What happened was three people were killed. Weaver's boss tells "The Houston Chronicle" this morning that Weaver was a model employee, that her job would not have been in jeopardy over a late report.
Ahead this morning, it's the battle of the artificial sweeteners, Equal versus Splenda, and it's all in court.
Plus, danger zone. A volcano is blowing its top. A seismologist calls this the eruption of the century.
You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning right here on CNN.
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M. O'BRIEN: Incredible pictures of one of the world's most active volcanoes blowing its top. Take a look at that.
Lava shooting 600 feet into the air. This is the Mountain of Furnace on the French island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean.
I did my best.
And scientists say they've never seen it erupt quite like this. A few hundred people were evacuated. Some of them had breathing problems, as you can see with all the smoke there. But by and large, the lava is flowing into the sea. So the panic is kind of abated there.
It's cold outside. Chad Myers is at the CNN weather center about quarter of the hour now.
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S. O'BRIEN: Two of America's most popular sugar substitutes, Equal and Splenda, are going to do some battle in court today. Equal is suing Splenda. It accuses its sweet rival of false advertising by claiming that the product is made from sugar.
Well, the makers of Splenda argue that sweetener is made from sucralose, which is a chemical ingredient that is made from table sugar. We'll see how it all ends up in court.
M. O'BRIEN: Holy mackerel, have we got a fish story for you this morning. Listen up.
I Florida over the weekend, one fish decided to try to get even with us air breathers. The king mackerel lunged at fisherman Josh Landon's (ph) chest. The fish knocked him over and then bit him in the leg.
The mad mackerel was about five feet long, weighed 57 pounds. Landon (ph) needed more than 100 stitches, but in the end Landon (ph) got the food chain back in order, feeding the scaly attacker to some crabs.
Coming up on the program, Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee is firing off a blast at his rival Mitt Romney, and it's all over a hunting license.
Plus, can that crazy comedy "Blades of Glory" hold on to the gold and hold on to who knows what else? A look at the top five movies at the box office this weekend.
Stay with us for more AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (NEWSBREAK)
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M. O'BRIEN: The Tribune media company has announced an $8 billion sale to media tycoon Sam Zell. And the question is, were there a lot of conflicts?
Andrew Ross Sorkin, who writes about deals for "The New York Times," you've written about this. It was in the paper yesterday.
ANDREW ROSS SORKIN, "NEW YORK TIMES": Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: There's always a lot of chumminess in close quarters there, aren't there?
SORKIN: There always is, but, you know, in this case there's a lot more questions than answered. Sam Zell, who won -- the Tribune -- you know, the Tribune owns the "L.A. Times," "The Chicago Tribune" -- won this auction with the exact same bid that a competing offer had come in at from Ron Burkle, who owns a piece of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
M. O'BRIEN: So they flipped a coin? What did they do?
SORKIN: Well, that's the real question. And frankly, if you -- if you really get into it and look at it, the most interesting part is that Tribune was advised by Citigroup and Merrill Lynch, supposed to be in their corner, telling them the right thing to do. Except that we found out that Merrill Lynch and Citigroup also happen to be working for Sam Zell.
M. O'BRIEN: Both sides of the deal.
SORKIN: Both sides of the deal.
M. O'BRIEN: Wow.
SORKIN: And, in fact, Merrill Lynch had...
S. O'BRIEN: Is that unusual, or know? Don't they often...
SORKIN: Well, you know what? Increasingly, it's becoming more and more usual. But I think more and more people are asking more and more questions.
But, you know, Sam Zell just sold Equity Office Properties, which is a mega LBO, earlier this year. A real estate deal for $45 billion. His adviser? Merrill Lynch as well.
So, you have this confluence of bankers all working for the same guys. And as I said, more questions than answers.
M. O'BRIEN: Andrew Ross Sorkin, we'll see you in just a few minutes. Thanks.
SORKIN: Thank you.
M. O'BRIEN: Let's go to Chad and get a quick check of the weather.
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