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Military Misinformation?; Suicide Bombers Kill 9 U.S. Soldiers at a Patrol Base in Diyala; President Bush Speaks Out on Iraq War Funding

Aired April 24, 2007 - 10:59   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, first up this hour, the truth as a casualty of war. Right now, lawmakers focusing on the military, and questions about misinformation. Jessica Lynch among those testifying.
Live now to our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.

Jamie, powerful testimony in the last hour. Remind us again, if you would, why this hearing is being held.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's two very different and interesting cases, both the case of Private Jessica Lynch and the case of Corporal Pat Tillman. Both of them involved information from the battlefield.

One, the Tillman family particularly believes that the misinformation was deliberate, an attempt to build Pat Tillman into a hero to rally political support for what the family says was a flagging cause both in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, four separate investigations have failed to come to that conclusion, but that's one of the reasons that Congressman Henry Waxman, who we see here, called these hearings, because he believes the truth still hasn't been found.

And as we heard from Kevin Tillman, the brother of Pat Tillman who was serving with him in Afghanistan, he still believes that this was a deliberate cover-up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN TILLMAN, PAT TILLMAN'S BROTHER: We appeal to this committee because we believe this narrative was intended to deceive the family, but more importantly, to deceive the American public. Pat's death was clearly the result of fratricide. It was due to a series of careless actions by several individuals in our own platoon after a small harassing ambush.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Now, one thing that's clear from those investigations is that it was obvious from the very start that Pat Tillman's death was a result of friendly fire. Everybody there knew it at the time. So, why was the false story put out?

And I have to say that those four investigates really haven't adequately answered that question. And that's why there are these hearings today. Now, the case of Jessica Lynch is a little different. As congressman Tom Davis from Virginia put it earlier, a case of misinformation reported in the media, outstripping the Army's ability to bring it back into focus. And we heard from Jessica Lynch that even she doesn't know how the story started that she was -- went down shooting, firing her last bullet, an account that was originally carried in "The Washington Post". But she said that the American public doesn't need to be told lies, because the actual actions of her comrades on the battlefield were heroic enough.

HARRIS: What a -- what a strong statement that was.

And Jamie, listening to the testimony this morning and your reporting for us this morning, it sounds as though the credibility issue is still very much an open issue for this committee.

MCINTYRE: Well, that's the problem with all of these incidents, is they undermine the military's credibility. And the military tries to go to great lengths to make sure that information they put out is as accurate as possible, recognizing that often first reports are wrong. But when they knowingly put out inaccurate information or withhold key informing, as was the case in the Tillman case, it really undermines the credibility.

Now, again, the Jessica Lynch story is a little different.

HARRIS: Yes.

MCINTYRE: It apparently resulted from one official being confused from some initial battlefield reports. That being amplified by the news media before the facts could catch up with it. But again, the impression that was left was very damaging.

HARRIS: Yes. Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre for us this morning.

Jamie, thank you.

NGUYEN: Let's get to you the war in Iraq. Two suicide bombers, one common mission, and they achieved horrific success. Nine U.S. soldiers killed, 20 wounded. It is the single deadliest attack on U.S. ground forces in a year and a half. And for their home base back -- back home, well, the worse losses of the year yet for the war.

Arwa Damon is in Baghdad.

Bring us up to speed as to exactly what happened here.

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, the specific details, how the insurgency was able to carry out such an utterly devastating attack, that is what the U.S. military will be investigating right now, trying to plan out, once again, how to stay one step ahead of the insurgents to ensure that this doesn't happen again. But what we do know from the U.S. military is that this was a small patrol base in the Diyala River Valley, in the province of Diyala, just North of Baghdad, a very volatile area where U.S. forces have been fighting al Qaeda in Iraq and other elements of the Sunni insurgency, as well as Shia militias for quite some time.

But a disturbing trend that we have seen over the last few months is al Qaeda and Iraq fully gaining a foothold in various areas of that province. And what we have seen over the last few weeks is increase in intensity of the fighting taking place there between al Qaeda and between the U.S. military.

This entire area very much the new frontline in this battle, moving from Al Anbar Province, where al Qaeda used to be very strong, very active, now to Diyala Province. And as we saw in this attack, and having been there in the past and speaking with troops there, they will tell you that the fight there is very challenging, very difficult, and oftentimes is just not pretty -- Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Arwa Damon in Baghdad.

In fact, though, Arwa, we're going to take it now to CNN's Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, because there is new information about exactly what happened to those nine U.S. soldiers.

Barbara, what do you know?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, CNN has learned that the initial reports now coming in from Diyala Province are indicating this was a massive blast. According to the initial reports, there were two 30-ton dump trucks packed with explosives that came up alongside this small outpost being manned by U.S. troops. And now, again, according to these first reports, when the bombers detonated those trucks, it caused a huge concussion blast, a huge massive wave of blasts through the compound.

Apparently, two walls surrounding the compound, both the north wall and the west wall, completely collapsed. There are some reports that perhaps one of the roofs on one of the buildings may have collapsed. So what we want to emphasize is, while these are first reports, what we are hearing from multiple sources is that this was a massive blast.

It appears it may not even be the case that the bombers had to even approach any of the checkpoints. They may have had so much explosive power in those trucks that they simply drove up near the compound and let the -- their bombs detonate. There was so much damage caused.

Now, this, Betty, is causing very significant concern at the highest levels, because this is the second time since February there have been suicide bomb attacks against one of these small outpost-type facilities. There was one back in February at another location north of Baghdad. Several troops were wounded, a couple killed in that blast.

So the question is, suddenly, are we again seeing a new insurgent tactic? Are they going to take on these small U.S. military outposts in full-on, frontal assault?

These aren't sneak attacks. These aren't mortar attacks or IED attacks or hit-and-run sniper attacks. These are straight-on, full assault. There's two of them now in two months. That is cause something concern -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Well, yes. And there's such massive firepower here. Two 30-ton dump trucks full of explosives. How many times have we seen anything of this magnitude?

STARR: Well, this has been -- you know, it's tough to say in Iraq that anything is the first time, because there have been so many deadly attacks, so many suicide car bomb attacks that have killed Iraqi citizens in the hundreds. But what -- generally, they've been against those so-called softer targets -- marketplaces, area where's Iraqi citizens may gather.

The question, as we're now seeing from this Diyala attack, is whether the insurgents are going to turn their sights on these combat outposts where U.S. troops are out there. And they're out there, Betty, because it's part of the new security strategy, putting the troops out in the towns, in the areas, in the villages, in the parts of Baghdad and the surrounding areas that are such -- such a security risk for Iraqi citizens. Putting those U.S. troops right out there in those dangerous neighborhoods.

So it's not like there's a huge, safe security perimeter around where the U.S. troops may be operating. They're right on the frontlines with the Iraqi citizens, and that makes them vulnerable -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Yes, it's part of the buildup on the ground there.

CNN's Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

Thank you, Barbara.

STARR: Sure.

HARRIS: The fight over Iraq war funding, it is on. Democrats agreed on a spending bill yesterday. President Bush says he will veto it since it includes a time for withdrawal. This hour, the president makes another statement on the issue.

Live to our Kathleen Koch at the White House.

And Kathleen, good morning to you.

I've sort of -- I apologize. I've lost count of how many statements the president has made on this subject, but another one is expected shortly.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, he made remarks on this very point Thursday, Friday, both in out-of-town trips, then yesterday and today as well. The president realizes what's at stake.

This measure that was crafted by House and Senate negotiators last night provides some $95 billion to conduct the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but it also includes something that the White House has consistently rejected. And that is a timetable by which U.S. forces in Iraq would have to begin leaving, and that would be October 1st.

The president, in his remarks yesterday, said that's tantamount to politicians telling generals how to do their job. He says this is already hurting the U.S. military.

He points out that the Army, as a matter of fact, has had to begin transferring money from military personnel accounts to fund ongoing missions. He says that's not acceptable, that U.S. forces are caught in the middle. And he's been calling on Congress to give him a clean spending bill. And then he says, afterwards let's hash out our differences.

Democrats, for their part, say they are more than willing and insist they will give troops the money they need to do their jobs. But at the same time, they want to meet the mandate that they believe voters gave them in the midterm elections to get those forces home as soon as possible.

They're coming down very hard on the president. The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, yesterday saying that President Bush is "... the only person who fails to face this war's reality." He said the president is in a "state of denial".

The president's spokesperson, Dana Perino, fired right back, saying it is Reid who is in denial about the enemy the U.S. faces in Iraq, about the value of the president's new security plan, and also about the consequences of a surrender date. And Tony, that is the term that the White House is using for the requirement in the measure that all forces -- that combat at least in Iraq end by April 1st.

HARRIS: OK. So Kathleen, two pieces to this legislation that the president will receive, and as he has promised, will veto.

KOCH: Quite so.

HARRIS: This is a piece of legislation that will in fact have the funding that the president says is absolutely necessary to continue to fund the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but that he is willing to veto -- and just to be absolutely clear here -- because there is also language in it that calls for a withdrawal of troops timetable.

KOCH: Correct. Calls for the withdrawal, calls for the refocusing of troops' missions on things like training, but wants to get U.S. forces out of combat and get as many of them home as soon as possible.

HARRIS: OK. Kathleen Koch at the White House for us.

And once again, we are standing by. The president set to make another statement pressing Congress for a war supplemental bill as Kathleen just mentioned moments ago that is clean, a bill that he can sign, a bill without timetables for a troop withdrawal. As Kathleen just mentioned a moment ago, the House and Senate conferees have worked out the language in their separate bills, but we will get a statement from the president coming up shortly, right here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Looking at live pictures. There's the president right there on the south lawn. He is going to be speaking very shortly. Going to make a statement on the Iraq war supplemental bill.

As you know, he's been pressing Congress for a bill that he will sign, that he does not have to veto. But he wants a bill that does not have timetables. And he's going to be talking a lot more about this any second now as he steps up to this podium.

And we're going to take a listen to what the president says as he talks about the war supplemental bill.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good morning.

Seventy-eight days ago I sent Congress a request for emergency war funding that our troops urgently need. I made it clear to Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill that I'm willing to discuss our differences on the way forward in Iraq. But I also made it clear our troops should not be caught in the middle of that discussion.

Yesterday, Democratic leaders announced that they plan to send me a bill that will fund our troops only if we agree to handcuff our generals, add billions of dollars in unrelated spending, and begin to pull out of Iraq by an arbitrary date. I'm disappointed that the Democratic leadership has chosen this course.

The bill they announced yesterday includes some of the worst parts of the measures they had earlier passed with narrow majorities in the House and the Senate. They know I'm going to veto a bill containing these provisions, and they know that my veto will be sustained. But instead of fashioning a bill I could sign, Democratic leaders chose to further delay funding our troops, and they chose to make a political statement.

That's their right, but it is wrong for our troops and it's wrong for our country. To accept the bill proposed by the Democratic leadership would be to accept a policy that directly contradicts the judgment of our military commanders.

I strongly believe that the Democrats' proposal would undermine our troops and threaten the safety of the American people here at home. And here's why.

First, a proposal would mandate the withdrawal of American troops beginning as early as July 1st of this year, and no later than October 1st of this year, despite the fact that General Petraeus has not yet received all the reinforcements he needs. It makes no sense to tell the enemy when you start to plan withdrawing. If we were to do so, the enemy would simply mark their calendars and begin plotting how to take over a country when we leave.

We know what could happen next. Just as al Qaeda used Afghanistan as a base to plan attacks of September the 11th, al Qaeda could make Iraq a base to plan even more deadly attacks. The lesson of 9/11 is that allowing terrorists to find a sanctuary anywhere in the world can have deadly consequences on the streets of our own cities.

A precipitous withdrawal from Iraq is not a plan to bring peace to the region or to make our people safer at home. Instead, it would embolden our enemies and confirm their belief that America is week.

It could unleash chaos in Iraq that could spread across the entire region. It would be an invitation to the enemy to attack America and our friends around the world. And ultimately, a precipitous withdrawal would increase the probability that American troops would one day have to return to Iraq and confront an enemy that's even more dangerous.

Second, the Democratic leadership's proposal is aimed at restricting the ability of our generals to direct the fight in Iraq. They've imposed legislative mandates, they passed legislative mandates telling them which enemies they can engage and which they cannot.

That means our commanders in the middle of a combat zone would have to take fighting directions from legislatures 6,000 miles away on Capitol Hill. The result would be a marked advantage for our enemies and a greater danger for our troops.

Third, the bill proposed by Democratic leaders would spend billions of dollars on projects completely unrelated to the war. The proposed legislation does remove some of the most egregious pork barrel projects that Democratic leaders had inserted in earlier bills. Yet, it still includes huge amounts of domestic spending that has no place in an emergency war funding bill.

We should debate those provisions on their own merits during the normal process. But funding for our troops should not be held hostage while that debate unfolds.

I know that Americans have serious concerns about this war. People want our troops to come home, and so do I. But no matter how frustrating the fight can be, and no matter how much we wish the war was over, the security of our country depends directly on the outcome in Iraq.

The price of giving up there would be paid in American lives for years to come. It would be an unforgivable mistake for leaders in Washington to allow politics and impatience to stand in the way of protecting the American people.

Last November, the American people said they were frustrated and wanted a change in our strategy in Iraq. I listened. Today, General David Petraeus is carrying out a strategy that is dramatically different from our previous course.

The American people did not vote for failure. And that is precisely what the Democratic leadership's bill would guarantee.

It's not too late for Congress to do the right thing and to send me a bill that gives our troops and their commanders the funds and flexibility they need. I'm willing to meet with leaders in Congress as many times as it takes to resolve our differences. Yet, if the Democratic leaders insist on using the bill to make a political statement, they will leave me with only one option.

I will veto it. And then I'll work with Congress to pass a clean bill that funds our troops without handcuffing our commanders, spending billions of dollars unrelated to the war, and forcing our nation to withdrawal on the enemies' terms.

Thank you.

NGUYEN: You've been listening to the president speaking on the south lawn regarding the Iraq war spending bill. Essentially, he says he's met with Democratic leadership, and they are prepared to send him a bill that he says will handcuff the military generals and will set a timetable, a bill they know good and will the president will veto. Although, he says there is still time, there is still time for Congress to pass a bill or send him a bill that he will sign, that he will not veto. And he is willing to meet with them any time, as many times as possible to get that done.

So both sides apparently at this point have dug in their heels. We'll see if this heads to a veto or not.

HARRIS: Yes. It sure looks like it.

NGUYEN: The president right now, though, headed to Harlem, where he's going to be delivering a speech on No Child Left Behind. And of course we'll follow any news should that develop there.

HARRIS: And still to come in the NEWSROOM this morning, one week and counting. That raging Georgia wildfire just won't die down. We will see how it is affecting people's lives. That is coming up in the NEWSROOM.

NGUYEN: Also, a good chances of tornadoes today from Texas to Kansas. Meteorologist Chad Myers is watching the danger on the plains, and he is going to update us shortly here in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: And taken down. A college football player versus a 4- year-old. What went wrong, and how it all turned out when CNN NEWSROOM returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Betty, what do you say we check in with Chad? There he is. Chad Myers in the severe weather center.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: Well, the FDA ensures the safety of the nation's food supply, right? And lawmakers, they are looking for an answer following tainted food cases. A House panel is holding a hearing right now. Witnesses include a father whose daughter nearly died after eating a spinach salad contaminated with E. coli last year. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL ARMSTRONG, FATHER OF E. COLI VICTIM: She's now off of the dialysis but requires five medications a day. And we have to give her a shot once a week. And it's quite likely she'll need a transplant, a kidney transplant in the next several years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Goodness.

Also among those testifying before the committee, a woman whose mother-in-law became seriously ill after eating peanut butter tainted with salmonella.

Now, next month, the FDA will have a chance to respond during a second hearing.

To get your "Daily Dose" of health news online, all you have to do is logo n to our Web site. You will find the latest medical news, a health library, and information on diet and fitness. The address, right there on your screen, CNN.com/health.

HARRIS: Thank you for not smoking.

NGUYEN: You're welcome.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I planned to quit. I've told my kids, when you put me in the box, to put me in the crematory, make sure I have a cigarette in one hand and a martini in the other.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Wow. She's serious.

HARRIS: She's going to do it her way. OK. Some public housing residents now being forced to choose between their homes or their health.

That story straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And good morning again, everyone. Among our top stories this hour, two suicide bombers on a mission. The scene, a patrol base in Diyalah province. Nine U.S. soldiers killed, 20 others wounded. All members of the Army's 82nd Airborne base in Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. TOM EARNHARDT, U.S. ARMY: This is the worst incident we've had on the whole global war on terrorism. We're coping. Our paratroopers have an indomitable spirit. Our families tend to adopt that same spirit, and you know, this time to band together, and we'll hug and we'll cry, and we'll get through it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: A short time ago, U.S. military officials released early findings on the attack. They say it appears the attackers used two 30-ton dump trucks. Loaded with explosives, the massive blast brought down at least two walls of the compounds.

NGUYEN: U.S. troops on patrol in Iraq and in danger.

CNN's Hugh Riminton was with troops as they faced an insurgent attack.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HUGH RIMINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just an hour ago, this patrol of the 5th Calvary was narrowly missed by an RPG attack. The day is not about to improve.

(SHOTS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jesus.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go right. Go right. Go right. Go right.

RIMINTON: It's a buried bomb, an IED, the biggest killer of American troops. And then a second one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there one behind us too?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go, go, go, go!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to pick up the speed and we're going to go pick up...

RIMINTON: But for patrol leader Staff Sergeant Matt St. Pierre, the problems may just be beginning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is this a dead end?

RIMINTON: They're caught in a classic trap. The Humvees wheel around. If this is an ambush, they are dangerously exposed. Four years and more into this war, there is nothing safe, still, about Baghdad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Slow down, slow down.

RIMINTON: Immediately ahead of them, an abandoned car.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not passing that car, stop.

RIMINTON: Sergeant St. Pierre bellows in Arabic for the car to be moved. Someone comes. The car is not a bomb. The patrol moves on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Pick it up. RIMINTON (on camera): Now what happened just back there counts as a lucky miss, but even that gives some clues as to the insurgents' tactics and their increasing sophistication.

(voice-over): The first bomb went off seconds too early. It was designed to drive any survivors into the path of the second one. Ironically, the turn into the dead-end street thwarted that plan.

Then as we reach the main road, one final threat, a burst of small arms fire. Staff Sergeant Matt St. Pierre has spent two of the last three years in Iraq. He is pessimistic now of what might be achieved.

SGT. MATTHEW ST. PIERRE, U.S. ARMY: We've talked at length, my soldiers and myself, and a term that comes off often is this is our generation's Vietnam. I don't think this can be won. We're caught in the middle of a civil war.

RIMINTON: He says the morale among U.S. troops is still good, but he fears the United States will leave this country worse than it found it, leaving a slaughter behind it.

ST. PIERRE: We are the buffer right now. And when you pull us out, the people that support us are going to feel a wrath, and the people that were against us, and they're the majority, they're going to, I believe, ultimately win, and that's unfortunate.

RIMINTON: It is one soldier's view from the evidence of his eyes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jesus!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Which way, which way, which way?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go right, go right, go right, go right!

RIMINTON: Hugh Riminton, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And there's this -- homes destroyed, schools closed, a relentless wildfire disrupting lives in southeast Georgia, to be sure. It has burned for more than a week now, not only flames, but choking smoke, causing big problems for residents and firefighters.

More now from CNN's Sean Callebs.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN CALLEBS (on camera): This is a graphic example of what Georgia firefighters have had to deal with for the past week-plus. You can see another forest fire has kicked up in this area. Big concern, the embers that are dancing off the brush, the downed trees.

And also, look at the base of the pine tree, how it is burning. That's the reason we're asked to wear the fire-protective gear, as well as this hard hat in case trees would come down. This has been the worst forest fire in Georgia in more than half a century.

So far, 56,000 acres, about 86 square miles, have burned. Down the road, you can see firefighting teams. What they're doing right now is kind of planning a strategy. They're trying to cut fire lines in this area to keep the fire from jumping. We're not terribly far from the city of Waycross. We can tell you about 18 homes so far have been destroyed, but not all of those have been occupied. it's a very rural area, and that's been part of the problem in fighting this.

And just look up through the trees, the sky, the sun trying to peek through, the white smoke billowing up. That has been a trademark of this fire. The smoke can be seen as far away as Tennessee, well down into Florida.

Now they say they have the fire about 50 percent under control. They're going to have to monitor it, though, even once they believe they have it contained, because there's been no significant rainfall here in more than two months. So until there's a good downpour, those bone-dry conditions are going to exist, and the danger of spreading fires will linger.

Sean Callebs, CNN, near the town of Waycross, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Sean had the hat on and the shirt.

Well, one fan -- check this out -- needed pads and a helmet. Yes, a sideline slam earned a kid plenty of stitches.

HARRIS: Poor little baby.

NGUYEN: And one great story, though, for the playground. Don't think he'll be messed with. Tackled this little boy. We're going to have more on this story in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Help me, daddy.

No delivery for you. The post office has a problem with a dog named "Nugget." Mail call in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: All right, the battle over smoking, it is moving out of the office, away from the restaurants and into your home.

CNN's Allan Chernoff has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Doris Swackhamer loves her home.

DORIS SWACKHAMER, NON-SMOKING RESIDENT: I've been here in this apartment for 25 years -- or 28 -- yes, 25 years last December.

CHERNOFF: And so does Donna Gray.

DONNA GRAY, SMOKING RESIDENT: When I moved in here six years ago, I thought I'd be here the rest of my life.

CHERNOFF: Both women rent apartments at Vicksburg Halls (ph) in Marysville, Michigan. And suddenly their public housing complex is a major battlefield in a vicious war over smoking.

This is one of several dozen public housing authorities in a growing number of states that are banning smoking, not just in hallways and lobbies, but also in every room of every apartment because of growing complaints about second-hand smoke.

SWACKHAMER: I go by somebody's apartment and they smoke, I have to hold my breath to go by that apartment.

CHERNOFF: Doris Swackhamer should know. She was a smoker for 49 years and has emphysema. After several family members died of cancer, she quit cold turkey.

SWACKHAMER: So I just took my cigarettes, put them in the drawer and I didn't touch them.

CHERNOFF: About a quarter of Vicksburg Halls residents smoke. They've got 18 months to either quit or move. Doris says that's plenty of time for her neighbors to abide by the new house rule.

SWACKHAMER: Why do they need over a year to make up their mind? Just quit smoking.

GRAY: There's no one in the world more self-righteous or sanctimonious than a former smoker.

CHERNOFF: After smoking for 55 years, Donna says there's no way she's going to give up cigarettes.

GRAY: I don't want to quit. I don't plan to quit. I've told my kids, when you put me in the box to put me in the crematory, make sure I have a cigarette in one hand and a martini in the other.

CHERNOFF: So against her will, Donna is making plans to move. Smokers' rights advocates like Audrey Silk, who rolls her own cigarettes at home, says the controversy should worry all Americans.

(on camera): Is this really a smoker's rights issue here?

SILK: When they come into your private home to tell you what legal behavior you can and cannot do there, we are on a downward spiral into losing all of our freedoms. It's almost not about smoking anymore.

CHERNOFF (voice-over): Those pushing landlords to make their rental apartments smoke-free insist that it is all about smoking.

JIM BERGMAN, SMOKE-FREE ENVIRON. LAW PROJ.: Smokers are not so- called protected class like race or gender or religion are being protected classes. Smokers don't have a constitutional right to smoke.

CHERNOFF: So under these new rules, there might not be any smoke, but there is a growing amount of heat.

SWACKHAMER: We're the ones that should be shunning them because they smoke, you know? They're doing it to us.

GRAY: And the meanness and the hatefulness and the vindictiveness that is being displayed here really upsets me.

CHERNOFF: And some tenants will be moving away for good.

Allan Chernoff, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Are you ready for this? Colorado state may rethink letting families hang out on the sidelines during spring training games, look at these spring practice games, you know after a little boy was inadvertently tackled.

NGUYEN: Poor little thing.

HARRIS: We're going to show this about 50 more times. The wide receiver slammed right into four-year-old Cayden Thomas (ph), took him down. Man, Cayden suffered ...

NGUYEN: What were they doing there unsupervised?

HARRIS: Ought to be a law. Cayden suffered a deep cut on his head there and in his own words, it was kind of scary and it kind of hurt. Daddy, help me, make it better. He ended up with 30 stitches. His father says he will have a scar to rival Harry Potter. But he is otherwise OK.

NGUYEN: You see how dads turn that around, like it's a good thing.

All right, guns on campus, let's talk about that because it's a reality at one college, yes, students allowed to carry weapons and their classmates don't have to know. Undisclosed in the NEWSROOM.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. When NEWSROOM returns, I'll tell you about the end of an era in Detroit. Details on the new king of the road, next. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: "YOUR WORLD TODAY" coming up, top of the hour, oh, 13 minutes from now, right here on CNN. Rosemary Church with a preview. Rosemary, good morning.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, how are you Tony and Betty?

At the top of the hour, yes, we've a lot going on. We're going to take you to Iraq first. We'll bring up those pictures as an al Qaeda-linked group claims responsibility for the deadliest attack on American ground forces in Iraq since 2005. And new information from that attack raises fears insurgents may be using new tactics. We'll take a look at that.

We'll also have a live interview with Virgin Atlantic's Richard Branson on his airline's biggest order yet, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. It's all about running a cleaner airline. You'll find out more about that.

An intense reaction on two continents to the shocking verdict in a Japanese sex crime. A millionaire is acquitted of raping and killing a British woman. Her family speaks out. That and much more coming up at the top of the hour on "YOUR WORLD TODAY" here on CNN. Hope you'll join us.

Back to you, Tony and Betty.

HARRIS: We'll be there. Thanks, Rosemary.

Concealed weapons in the college classroom. A fact of life in Utah. CNN's Thelma Gutierrez has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dawn breaks over the University of Utah. Students pack their books for class.

Jared Sano, a computer science major, packs his .45, a Heckler & Koch, discretely hidden under his jacket.

Thomas McCrory is studying accounting. He never leaves his dorm without his .40-caliber SIG-Sauer gun strapped to his side.

THOMAS MCCRORY, UNIVERSITY OF UTAH STUDENT & GUN OWNER: I do make an easy target, being in a wheelchair.

GUTIERREZ: Everywhere that Jared goes, so does his .45. Here in Utah, if you have a permit, it's legal for anyone over 21 to carry concealed weapons on campus.

(on camera): Do you really think that you need to carry a gun on campus?

JARED SANO, UNIVERSITY OF UTAH STUDENT & GUN OWNER: I think I do. I think I have the need to carry a gun whenever I go, just for the sheer fact of self-defense.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Thomas applied for his permit last fall, when the state made it legal to carry weapons on campus -- the only requirement, a background check and a four-hour class.

BARBARA NASH, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF UTAH: In fact, I think it's outrageous.

GUTIERREZ: Professor Barbara Nash says a school campus is no place for guns. Last fall, the Utah Supreme Court ruled otherwise, saying state law trumps university policy.

NASH: The idea is, somehow, that, if you have more guns in the hands of more people in more places, we're going to have a safer society. And, you know, that's really sort of stupid. It's also a dangerous point of view.

MCCRORY: I'm a responsible gun owner. I lock up my gun when I'm not using it. I'm not some trigger-happy redneck, you know, that is going to whip out his piece if there's a disagreement in class.

GUTIERREZ (on camera): According to the Utah Shooting Sports Council, more than 500 students on this university campus alone carry concealed firearms to class.

NASH: It distresses me to know that there are that many students that have guns on campus. And I think it is a serious problem.

MCCRORY: The school can have the greatest security policy in the world, but they're not going to do you a dang bit of good if some guy walks into your classroom with a shotgun.

GUTIERREZ: In class, Jared is not required to inform his professor or classmates.

(on camera): Did you have any idea that he actually was carrying a weapon?

RANDALL BOYLE, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF UTAH: I had no idea that he was carrying a weapon at all.

GUTIERREZ: It doesn't bother you?

BOYLE: It really -- it really makes me feel a little safer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just think that we should have a university-wide rule just banning guns on campus.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Jared and Thomas say it's their constitutional right to bear arms, and wonder if it would have made a difference if students at Virginia Tech had had the same opportunity.

Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Salt Lake City, Utah.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, for the past 76 years, General Motors has held the title, World's Biggest Automaker. But that is a claim that it can no longer make. Based on first quarter sales that is.

Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange to tell us about the new king of the road, and it is not GM.

Hi there, Susan.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

HARRIS: Still to come in the NEWSROOM this morning, no delivery for you. The post office --

NGUYEN: Aw, sweet little dog or so we think.

HARRIS: Well -- yes, OK. But the post office has a problem. The dog's name, Betty, is Nugget.

NGUYEN: That's not the problem, though.

HARRIS: What's that, mail call in the NEWSROOM.

NGUYEN: That's the problem.

HARRIS: Yes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: All right, so you know how to catch us weekday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to noon Eastern.

HARRIS: Absolutely.

NGUYEN: But, did you know that you can take us with you anywhere -- yes, anywhere, on your iPod? The CNN NEWSROOM podcast, it is available 24/7 right on your iPod.

HARRIS: Classic battle, mailman versus dog. But the real losers may be the neighbors. We have the story from Marcos Ortiz. He is with affiliate KTVX in Midvale, Utah.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARCOS ORTIZ, KTVX REPORTER (voice-over): The postmaster says Nugget's been a bad dog. In December, Nugget's accused of attacking a postman delivering the mail.

GENE BRACKUS, MIDVALE, UTAH POSTMASTER: The dog came out, and the carrier was across the street and the movements of the dog coming towards the carrier, he slipped, fell down on the ice. Hurt his elbow, cracked his arm pretty good.

ORTIZ: But according to the post office, Nugget broke free again, twice in April and chased down the mailman. As a result, the post office is no longer delivering mail Rema Circle (ph) in Midvale until the dog issue is taken care of.

Nugget's owners didn't want to talk on camera, but say their dog would never bite anyone and doubt it ever happened. They claim they never received a complaint.

Meanwhile, those who live in the area are caught in the middle.

(on camera): Any mail delivery at your house today?

RICK MCGUIRE, NUGGET'S OWNER: No, none.

ORTIZ: When's the last time you saw that? MCGUIRE: About two weeks ago, a week and half, two weeks ago.

BRACKUS: The dog presents a hazard.

ORTIZ (voice-over): The post office is holding mail for residents who come in daily. They've also recommended a community mailbox so the mailman doesn't have to enter the area, all for a cost of nearly $1,000. Or they can also fence Nugget's yard completely.

CANDICE TARKESHIAN, NEIGHBOR: Disappointed with the postmaster that we've done everything in our power to try to cooperate with him to get the mail service started again and he doesn't seem interested in hearing our side of the story.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: So here we go, a temporary community mailboxes being put up at the entrance to the street. As for Nugget, the owner says the worst his golden retriever could do is lick you to death. There you have it.

NGUYEN: Well, CNN NEWSROOM continues one hour from now.

HARRIS: "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is next with news happening across the globe and here at home.

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