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Lebanon Violence; Search for Missing Soldiers; Immigration Battle

Aired May 21, 2007 - 14:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The sounds of war in Lebanon, echoes of a civil war that lasted 15 years.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: The Lebanese army bombards Islamic militants in the worst internal fighting since 1990.

Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

And we're waiting for a live news conference out of California, as this wayward mother whale and her calf were nearly halfway back to the Pacific Ocean with several obstacles still to overcome a week after taking the wrong turn and turning inland to the state capital. The humpbacks, nicknamed now Delta and Dawn, were stalled briefly overnight when they began heading upstream in the Sacramento River on their 90-mile homeward journey.

It forced scientists and the Coast Guard to sort of position boats in front of them and try to turn them back around. Earlier today, we're told, though, they are back on track.

We are waiting for that news conference. So are a lot of other people there trying to get a glimpse of Delta and Dawn. We'll take it live when it happens.

LEMON: Lebanon shaken by the worst internal fighting in years, and it's unfolding before us. Explosions, smoke, automatic gunfire turning a Palestinian refugee camp into a battleground near the northern city of Tripoli. Lebanese troops are taking on Islamic militants suspected of ties to al Qaeda. Dozens of people are dead, and the toll is sure to rise.

CNN Beirut Bureau Chief Brent Sadler is in New York right now, but keeping a close eye on Tripoli.

Hi, Brent.

BRENT SADLER, CNN BEIRUT BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, hi, Don.

This indeed has been a day, a second day of intense gun battles for really an attempt by the Lebanese army to defeat this group of Islamic extremists known as Fatah al-Islam that have a stronghold in one part of that camp teeming with about 40,000 Palestinian refugees. You can only imagine the plight those civilians are suffering in the crossfire as the militants use rocket-propelled grenades and mortars to attack the army, inflicting heavy casualties on the Lebanese army soldiers themselves.

Now, this is all about trying to defeat a growth of Islamic extremist jihadists that have been able to take strangleholds on some parts of Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. This has not happened overnight, Don. This has been a process that's going on for the past several years, groups bringing able to bring in money and, more importantly, bring in arms into these Palestinian camps, which essentially are islands to themselves.

The army, the authorities cannot go in there under a 1969 Arab agreement. So that's why these places have become breeding grounds for these kinds of terrorist groups -- Don.

LEMON: So, Brent, you've given us a little bit of history about the fighting in all of this. What was the -- what was the flash point, though, behind this latest round of fighting? What set this off?

SADLER: This has been an explosion that's been waiting to happen since this group appeared about a year ago. It was blamed -- accused by the Lebanese government of planting bombs back in January that killed commuters in a Christian village in mountains overlooking Beirut. These are people led by Shakir al-Abssi, the militant leader who had associations with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was killed by U.S. troops in Iraq.

He was the al Qaeda head in Iraq when he was alive. This is his connectivity in terms of the other extremists he's worked with.

What sparked this round of vicious fighting off was an attempt by the Lebanese army to follow this group who had been allegedly engaged in a bank robbery to get funds for their underground terrorist-style activities. This is what is alleged by the authorities. This is the spot that really triggered off this fighting. But as I say, this has been building for some time -- Don.

LEMON: CNN's Brent Sadler.

Brent, thank you so much for your report.

PHILLIPS: As you know, we've been following the story out of Iraq, that search for those missing soldiers since that ambush more than a week ago.

On the phone with us now, Major General Rick Lynch. He's actually the commanding general of those troops that are searching for their comrades.

Sir, I appreciate you calling in. Can you just update us right now on the search?

MAJ. GEN. RICK LYNCH, U.S. ARMY: Yes. Thanks for this opportunity.

You know, we're day 10 into the search, and we're pursuing it with the same passion we did on the first day. We've got, you know, 37 company-level operations that are taking place. We've got 4,000 U.S. soldiers, 2,000 Iraqi soldiers. And we're not going to stop until we find our fallen comrades. That's part of our war ethos.

PHILLIPS: And sir, just over the weekend, General David Petraeus coming forward saying he believes that those men are still alive.

Do you believe that? And tell me why you are standing up and saying that in a time where, of course, there are a lot of people here and overseas concerned about those men.

LYNCH: Well, no one is more concerned about these men than we are. We have about 249 intelligence reports we're following, the majority of which tell us our soldiers are still alive.

So we choose to be cautiously optimistic. And we're pursuing all leads with a passion. But right now we believe that our soldiers are still alive. Each day that passes when we don't see proof of life, it causes us concern.

PHILLIPS: Sir, where are those leads coming from? Do you feel like you're getting good intel from Iraqi civilians, from Iraqi military? Where do you think you're getting that good intelligence?

LYNCH: We're getting most of the leads from the Iraqi population. A hundred and ninety of those leads are human (ph) leads from the Iraqi population, where folks are trying to come forward and give us some intelligence that allows us to find our missing soldiers.

PHILLIPS: Have you found any evidence? I know that a number of things have been picked up along these searches. What stands out to you? What do you think is an important sign of something that has been found that may lead you to these men?

LYNCH: Well, you know, we've detained over 1,000 individuals for tactical questioning, and we're talking to each and every one. Two of those individuals have confessed to being part of the attack a week ago Saturday, so they're giving us actual intelligence that we continue to follow through.

PHILLIPS: So you actually have men that are detained that were involved in that ambush that are giving you good intel?

LYNCH: Yes, that's exactly right. And they have known ties to Sunni extremist organizations. They're providing us actionable intelligence.

PHILLIPS: And sir, why would they extremists want to keep these men alive? What would be the purpose of doing that?

LYNCH: I have no idea. I just hope and pray that they do keep them alive so that we can recover our missing soldiers.

PHILLIPS: Major General Rick Lynch, commanding officer of those troops on the ground searching for those missing comrades.

We'll stay on top of it, sir. Thanks so much.

LEMON: Reforming immigration, the very idea has sparked huge demonstrations across the U.S. Today it's fueling a formal debate on the Senate floor.

Live pictures now of the Capitol.

At issue is a fragile bipartisan compromise forged last week, a sweeping measure already undersiege by bipartisan critics. Supporters say the bill offers a fair but tough path toward legal status for millions. Opponents call it amnesty.

Here's how the bill breaks down.

It offers temporary legal status to most of the estimated 12 million illegal immigrations in the U.S. by allowing them to see, a so-called Z visa. Now, the bill also provides an eventual path toward permanent residency, a process that could take years and involve thousands of dollars in fines and fees.

Now, before starting that path, heads of illegal immigrant households would have to go back to their home countries. They're guaranteed a return to the U.S. The bill also toughens border security and cracks down on employers who continue to hire illegal immigrants.

The bill took shape in weeks of talks behind closed doors. Now it's out in the open and the hard part starts now.

Here's CNN's Elaine Quijano.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Battered by critics on the left and right, top Bush administration officials staunchly defended the immigration deal they helped broker with members of the Senate.

CARLOS GUTIERREZ, COMMERCE SECRETARY: It is not amnesty. We've said it's not amnesty. We have the impression -- I have the impression that perhaps for some people the only thing that would not be amnesty is mass deportation.

QUIJANO: The White House's defensive posture is due in large part to conservative Republicans who argue that offering illegal immigrants any chance at citizenship amounts to amnesty.

REP. BRIAN BILBRAY (R), CALIFORNIA: The worst thing you can do if you try to control illegal immigration is reward 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens with -- with citizenship and permanent residency.

QUIJANO: But the deal's backers insist people who have broken the law by entering the United States illegally will face punishments. MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: I think we've squared this circle. We've had real penalties. We've put people at the back of the line.

QUIJANO: The deal is also drawing criticism from some Democrats, who say it places limits on family reunification in favor of the needs of future employers.

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: It does not promote family reunification and, instead, gives, apparently, a preference to those specific skills. So that is a troubling feature of it, and may be changed on the Senate floor.

QUIJANO: Despite disagreements, a key Republican predicted enough GOP support in the House to pass the measure.

BILBRAY: I think it passes if big business is able to basically put the pressure on and say we do give Republicans a lot of money. We want you to deliver us the cheap folk.

QUIJANO (on camera): The Bush administration stresses the legislation also includes increased security measures, including more agents patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border.

Debate on the issue starts in the Senate on Monday.

Elaine Quijano, CNN, Crawford, Texas.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

PHILLIPS: Former presidents generally try to be tactful about current presidents. I said generally. Not always.

You may have heard that Jimmy Carter told an Arkansas newspaper the Bush administration was the "worst in history" in its impact around the world. The White House fired back, calling Carter irrelevant, and just about an hour ago, the president responded to CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You know, I get criticized a lot from different quarters. And that's just what part of what happens when you're president.

And I will continue to make decisions that I think are necessary to protect the American people from harm. I will continue to make decisions based upon certain principles, one of which is my strong belief in the universality of freedom. We're at war with an enemy that is relentless and determined, and it's essential that the decisions I make protect the American people as best as we can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Brianna Keilar has been following the exchange. She joins me live from Washington with the latest -- Brianna. BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Kyra.

And yes, you know, Jimmy Carter is really no stranger to criticism, both dishing it out and receiving it. And we have heard he's backing off of these comments, these very critical comments that he made over the weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES CARTER, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you look at the exchange, it was a comparison between Nixon's foreign policy and President Bush's foreign policy. And I did compare favorably towards what Nixon did in international affairs, there's no question about that, but I should have avoided the question and been more careful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Now, we've heard Carter speak out many times. Back during the Clinton administration, right at the very end there, when Bill Clinton pardoned financier Mark Rich, Carter said that that brought disgrace to the White House. And then during the presidency of George H. W. Bush, he was very much a critic of the first Gulf War. But a lot of the scathing criticism has been reserved for the current Bush administration.

Back in 2003, before President Bush -- before troops ever invaded Iraq, Carter was already very critical, and also he's been critical of U.S. support of Israel, especially last summer when the U.S. was supporting Israel as it was engaged with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

And then there's also Guantanamo Bay. This is another issue of Carter's. He says that Gitmo should be closed, that it sends this horrible message on human rights to the world.

And those are just some of the criticisms, Kyra, of President Bush's foreign policy. He's also targeted his domestic agenda as well -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: And we don't normally see a former president attacking a president. I mean, this was sort of -- it caught everybody off guard.

KEILAR: That's right. It is unusual, but we've certainly seen it from Carter before.

Now, we spoke one -- well, one expert on these relations between presidents told CNN that, you know, privately the presidents who have followed Carter have been quietly annoyed by the fact that he is so vocal. But also something that's really interesting, Kyra, Carter wasn't exactly the most popular president when he was president, but post-presidency he's been very popular, and that's given him some leeway where he can voice these criticisms.

PHILLIPS: Brianna Keilar live from Washington.

Thanks.

We want to know what you think. What's your reaction to President Carter's comments? E-mail us. The address is cnnnewsroom@cnn.com. We'll read your responses throughout the afternoon.

LEMON: Well, Kyra, you're from California. You know the Sacramento River. It's a beautiful place, but it's no place for whales. They deserve to be in the Pacific Ocean and open water, don't you think?

PHILLIPS: Unless you're whale watching.

LEMON: Unless you're whale watching.

PHILLIPS: It might be kind of cool to get a glimpse of Delta and Dawn now, OK? But it's not good for the whales.

LEMON: Delta and Dawn had us all singing that song, "Delta Dawn, what's that flower you have on?"

The picture you see there, that's a news conference from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They're expected to tell us about those whales.

Let me just tell you the latest on this as we wait for this news conference to get under way. And I see some folks there walking up to the podium. So it should start very shortly.

But they think they're in a holding pattern as they make their way down river to the community of Rio Vista. And they've been swimming back and forth under the Rio Vista Bridge, that bridge that you've been seeing the live pictures of earlier. The Coast Guard has -- they've got several vessels in the water.

That news conference is expected to get under way shortly. You see the guy there. And so while he prepares, I'll continue to talk to you and tell you about this.

They have a number of obstacles. The bridge is nice, it's great, but it also provides some obstacles for them, the pylons and what have you. So, one of them is injured. We don't want them to get injured anymore, and I'm sure the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration would probably think the same thing.

And then also, once they get past that, they have to go by the Golden gate Bridge, which will be another obstacle.

So, they're in a holding pattern now, but at one point they went back the wrong way. But right now they just seem to be holding.

So we're going to wait for this press conference to get under way. You're not going to miss any of it. As soon as they -- the guys step up to the podium and they say something, we'll bring it to you live right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Delta and Dawn, you're not going to miss anything.

Missing since May 12th, but presumed alive. CNN's Arwa Damon is embedded with the U.S. troops as they search for three of their own. An update from the field is just ahead.

PHILLIPS: Plus, a serious blaze guts a classic British clipper ship. But the Cutty Sark may not be sunk.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Will the humpbacks nicknamed Delta and Dawn get back to where they should be? We're listening now to a live news conference out of Sacramento.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

STEVE EDINGER, CALIF. DEPT. OF FISH AND GAME: So far, since yesterday at 2:30, they have traveled approximately 25 miles down the channel. And they are in the Sacramento River right now.

Approximately 15 minutes ago when we got an update, the whales were in the Sacramento River channel. They're approximately half a mile north of the Rio Vista bridge, near mile marker 33 -- or, excuse me, 36 on the Sacramento River. So far today, approximately three times these whales have come underneath the Rio Vista Bridge, and then they have gone back up north past the Rio Vista Bridge, which is where they are right now.

We have approximately 21 boats that are on the water that are assisting in this operation, boats from the U.S. Coast Guard and Coast Guard auxiliary, Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento County, West Sacramento P.D., and many other agencies that are assisting on this. A far as our underwater operations, we are monitoring the whales' movement. We are encouraging, but we are not prodding the whales along.

We are enforcing a 500-yard restricted area for private craft, keeping private craft away from the whales. And we're also working to make observations to keep any aircraft away from the area. And we do have a temporary flight restriction of 1,000 feet and one mile away from this operation.

We are using the best science that we have. We are using science whale experts from all over the world to get these whales back to where they belong, which is the Pacific Ocean. We are doing everything we can in a coordinated fashion. It is the United States -- or the U.S. government, the state government, and local resources that are all working in a unified fashion to go ahead and get these whales back where they belong.

I will go ahead and introduce from NOAA Rod McGinnis, who will talk about some of the observations that they have about the whales and the whale operations that we have right now.

QUESTION: Can you spell your name first?

EDINGER: Yes. It's Edinger, E-D-I-N-G-E-R, with the Department of Fish and Game. And my title is assistant chief -- Steve.

ROD MCGINNIS, NOAA: Good morning. I'm Rod McGinnis from National Marine Fisheries Service, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

We've had a busy morning keeping watch on the whales and ensuring that we don't lose the progress that we've gained during the first run that they made yesterday and last night. The whales have been observed by a veterinarian, and they're still watching the wounds that the whales had incurred earlier. The whales are swimming normally, and at this point they're circling and doing essentially a meandering move.

The vessels are trying to discourage any movement back up the channel, and we haven't -- we haven't -- we have deployed the equipment, as much equipment as we had at the time. We've deployed that among the boats, the pipes that would be banged with a hammer in order to discourage the whales from moving in that particular direction. Those have not been used as of this moment. Our concern, main concern, has been keeping them out of side channels and making sure that we -- as much as possible we don't lose the ground that's been gained.

National Marine Fisheries Service has authorized the tagging of the mother whale. It will be -- if the opportunity presents itself, a tag -- a satellite tag will be attached.

The satellite tag will be useful to us, it will have limited utility here, but it does have a life of about 100 days, I believe. And that tag will allow for the potential of relocating the whales if we lose them somehow in the delta. And it will also provide an opportunity possibly for when they're back in the ocean, as we hope they will be, relocating them and getting another sighting on the wounds that they experienced and see how those are healing.

The tags are attached with a barbed anchor. It will be shot from a crossbow. And the location -- the target location is just at the base of the dorsal fin of the whale.

That's the standard location for tagging the whales, and the reason for that is that it provides a good anchor, but it also is an area that has little in the way of nerves in it. And so the whale will not experience any significant pain. It will be essentially a pinprick to the whale. And the tag itself will -- it corrodes and will be lost after a period of time.

QUESTION: Can you tell us why you think they're stuck at the bridge?

MCGINNIS: No, not really. There was concern that they wouldn't pass under the bridge if there was traffic on the bridge. Reports that we have are that they've passed under the bridge in both directions while there was traffic on the bridge. And so that doesn't seem to be the controlling factor. They may be -- they may be just -- just resting.

QUESTION: What are you going to be doing here...

MCGINNIS: Can we -- I think we're going to take -- I'm sorry. I broke protocol. I think we're going to take questions afterwards.

QUESTION: Oh, OK.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually, just about to open that for questions here.

PHILLIPS: Listening to the head -- actually, the Coast Guard just stepped up to the podium. This represents all the parties involved in trying to get these wayward whales back to the Pacific Ocean.

Still a lot of obstacles to overcome, but you can see the Coast Guard and NOAA, Fish and Game, also the local police department there in Sacramento, all involved with boats trying to keep the area there around the whales from about 500 feet -- also the air -- clear of any kind of helicopters or planes and recreational boats out in the water, so these whale can just relax and try to make their way back to the Pacific Ocean.

They're resting now, according to the scientist you heard there from NOAA.

Our Dan Simon is actually at the Golden Gate Bridge monitoring all of this.

Dan, what are you able to see from where you are? And how do you think this is going? And maybe we should also talk about the tagging process as well, these satellite tags, and how they're going to make sure these whales don't get lost again once they're out where they're supposed to be.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, the whales are many miles away from where we are. We are at the entrance to the Pacific Ocean. We're right here at the Golden Gate Bridge.

This is where they would go through to actually reach the Pacific Ocean. And Kyra, I think you got a real sense in terms of the incredible amount of resources devoted to these whales -- 21 boats. That's really amazing, and this story has really gripped much of northern California, and it's really easy to understand why.

After all, here you have a mother and her baby calf, both lost, both injured. And crews just doing everything they to get these whales to safety -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So they're actually going to have to swim underneath the Golden Gate Bridge, correct?

SIMON: They're going to have to swim underneath the Golden Gate Bridge. That is the entrance to the Pacific Ocean. That's where they need to be.

These particular whales don't do too well in fresh water. Their natural habitat is in the salty water.

We talked about those wounds. They were wounded by a large ship propeller, and those wounds can heal a lot better in the salt water. And, of course, that's where all the small fish are, that's what the whales feast on. They feast on small fish, so that's really where they need to be -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Dan Simon, we'll keep checking in as we monitor Dawn and Delta, trying to make their way from the Sacramento River, to where Dan Simon is right there, by the Golden Gate Bridge, finally off into the Pacific Ocean, where all the scientists want to see them.

We'll follow it.

LEMON: More than 100 years of British naval history erupts in flames, but don't give up the ship just get. There's still some good news about the Cutty Sark.

Details straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon.

We know what one ex-president said. We know how the current administration responded.

PHILLIPS: Now we're going to hear from you about the verbal dispute between former president Jimmy Carter and the Bush administration.

Your e-mail straight ahead from the CNN NEWSROOM.

LEMON: Well, there's no refuge today in northern Lebanon, where a Palestinian refugee camp has turned into a war zone. We're following breaking news here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Lebanese troops taking on Islamic militants allegedly linked to al Qaeda. It is the worst internal fighting Lebanon has seen in years, and the Bush administration is watching closely.

Let's go straight to Zain Verjee at the State Department.

What's the reaction there, Zain?

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPT. CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Don.

Well, the U.S. says that the upscale and upshot of violence here is extremely worrying. However, it does go on to say, too, that it's actually a good thing that we're seeing military action taken in this forceful way by the Lebanese government. U.S. officials have also said this could unite the Lebenize people. State Department, Sean McCormack, just a while ago at the briefing, had this to stay about the al Qaeda-linked group Fatwa al-Islam.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN MCCORMACK, STATE DEPT. SPOKESMAN: This is a group of people that will use violence, use terror in order to achieve whatever ends they are hoping to achieve. And they have managed to embed themselves in this Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, essentially using it as a -- base of operations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VERJEE: Sean McCormack also pointed out at the briefing, Dawn, that the leader of the group Fatah al-Islam, his name is, Shakir Abasi, (ph) he was sentenced to death in absentia in Jordan back in 2002, accused for assassinating a U.S.A official in 2002, Laurence Foley.

Don?

LEMON: And Zain, the U.S. has always supported the Sin Yorra (ph) government, hasn't it?

VERJEE: Yes. It's always backed the Sin Yorra government, it's been a fragile and weak government, but it's been a democratically elected government. What the U.S. is hoping is with the military action we're seeing on the ground against this group, that it could strength are Fahd Sin Yorra's hand.

LEMON: Zain Verjee, thank you so much.

In the center of fighting, the Nahr el-Bared refugee camp is opened to -- it opened to displaced Palestinians back in the 1950s. More than 31,000 are registered today. The camp, basically a small city, has just one health center and handles almost 500 patients a day.

PHILLIPS: Assumed alive, three missing soldiers still the subject of an all-out search by thousands of their comrades in Iraq. CNN's Arwa Daman is on the move with some of those troops.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, JURF AL-SAKHR, IRAQ: We're right along the banks of the Euphrates River, in an area known as Jurf al-Sakhr. It is right across the water from Karkuli Village where the attack aginst U.S. forces took place, that attack leaving four soldiers dead, and another three kidnapped.

Soldiers from the 123 Striker Battalion moved into this area in the early hours of the morning, following information from detainees and other sources that family members of individuals associated with that attack came from this area, but unlike the reception that U.S. forces often receive across the water, here residents actually appeared to be friendly and welcoming. Though all did say they had no information that could have led the American to their missing men, they did speak about gunfire they heard as recently as yesterday. They spoke of armed men moving through this area, though they said they did not know who they were. Many told stories of their own family members being killed at the hands of the terrorists, one woman saying that at least 30 to 40 men had been killed, at least ten of their bodies never recovered. The U.S. military did not find anything again that could lead them to thier missing men, but all of this, part of the promise that was made never to leave any of their men behind.

Arwa Daman, CNN, Jurf al-Sakhr, Iraq.

LEMON: Former President Carter criticizes the Bush administration, the White House fires back, Americans take sides, as the presidents take shots. We'll hear what they're saying, straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. BILL RICHARDSON, (D) PRESIDENTAL CANDIDATE: I'm running for president because this nation needs a leader with a proven track record, an ability to bring people together to tackle our problems here at home and abroad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, that was the official announcement, but we have known for months that New Mexico's governor is running for the White House. A short time ago, Bill Richardson made it official, touting his resume, arguably the best in the race. Congress for 14 years, ambassador to the United Nations, energy secretary and diplomatic troubleshooter. Richardson has said if he weent in politics, he would like to play center field for the Yankees. Perhaps not so farfetched, maybe awhile ago, right? Because he was scouted by the pros while a pitcher in college.

PHILLIPS: Former President Jimmy Carter gives a blistering critique of the Bush administration, he told an Arkansas newspaper quote, "I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, the administration has been the worst in history." The White House fired back, calling Carter irrelevant. I spoke with CNN's Political Correspondent, Candy Crowley, about the flap.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I think if you're the president and have been called the worst administration in U.S. history, it probably feels pretty personal. I imagine it felt personal to Carter when the White House fired back and said this is sad, you know, he's increasingly irrelevant. You know, terms like this do feel personal, despite everybody saying this isn't personal.

PHILLIPS: Of course Carter came right back and responded. This is what he had to say.

JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT: What I was actually doing was responding to a question, comparing this administration's foreign policy with that of Richard Nixon. I think Richard Nixon had a very good and productive foreign policy. My remarks were maybe careless or misinterpreted, but I wasn't comparing the overall administration, and I certainly was not talking personally about any president.

PHILLIPS: So Candy, is that true? Or is he back-pedalling?

CROWLEY: When you use words -- a politician uses words like careless, misunderstood, taken out of context, they tend to be backing off. I think this is the case here. This ratcheted up pretty quickly. I imagine the former president was a little surprised that the White House took him on.

PHILLIPS: Alright. You have got Jimmy Carter, the Iran hostage crisis, Richard Nixon and Watergate, you've got President Bush and the Iraq war. Nobody has the right to point fingers at anybody, right?

CROWLEY: No, probably not. They all had their down periods. I suspect that's why the White House felt free to kind of hit back, because Jimmy Carter, as a president, was not all that popular, as you know, because of the Iran hostage situation, so I think the White House felt free -- it's pretty unusual for this kind of dialogue going back and forth. One of the reasons, the White House did it was this is a pretty good foe to hit back on.

PHILLIPS: If you were to look at each president historically, and their controversies, let's take Nixon and Carter and Bush, for example, that's what's involved in this discussion. Can you even say that one situation has been worse than another?

CROWLEY: At the time they were, as you recall some of them I'm sure, they were the worst situations ...

PHILLIPS: For that moment.

CROWLEY: Yes, for that moment. But, you know, history has a way of moving into the future and ratcheting things up. It's very hard to compare what these presidents have been through. They all meet their challenges, they all have these peaks and valleys. These three presidents you mentioned, in particular, had some pretty deep valleys.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, many of you have been e-mailing us about what President Carter said.

LEMON: Our first e-mail is from Michael and he writes, "If Jimmy Carter was irrelevant, the White House wouldn't have bothered to respond to his comments, expedically on a weekend on not at a regularly scheduled news conference."

PHILLIPS: And Gordon had this to say, "President Carter speaks the truth. Bush is harming this country more than any other president, all for corporate profit."

LEMON: And Joe was deeply upset with President Carter. He writes, "I am shocked Carter has the nerve to say anything. His administration is to BLAME for all this rage in the Middle East. If he had a backbone in 1979 our American people would NOT have been hostages for 444 days."

Keep your e-mails coming. We'll read them later. Thanks for the e-mails.

A famous tall ship ravaged by fire. Is it beyond repair? Saving history in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Two-forty-four eastern time, here are three of the stories that we are working on in the CNN NEWSROOM this hour.

It's the worst internal fighting Lebanon has seen in years and it's happening right now. Lebaneze troops battling militants in a Palestinian refugee camp near the northern city of Tripoli. Fighting over the weekend left dozens of people dead and the toll is expected to rise.

Police in Moscow, Idaho, have identified the gunman that went on a rampage in a courthouse and a church yesterday, killing a police officer and another man before shooting himself in the head. They say his name is, Jason Hamilton, with a history of criminal violence. They also say his wife was found shot in their home.

And Bill Richardson says he's ready to fix the ravages of the Bush administration and he has the resume to do it. The New Mexico governor has just officially announced his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. He's pledging to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq.

LEMON: Well, here's a sight that cuts history buffs to the quick, the Cutty Sark smoking. The London landmark caught fire this morning, it was undergoing a $50 million restoration, but it will cost a lot more now. Investigators aren't sure how the fire started. The ship's owners say they can get the clipper back in shipshape, but a lot depends on how the iron frame withstood the heat. The Cutty Sark was a Ferrari of the sea in the late 19th century until steamers came along and it's been a tourist attraction for decades.

PHILLIPS: He starred death in the face and didn't even blink. So why should life be any different?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW KINARD, MARINE: To wake up every morning and make a choice, hey, I'm going to get up today and improve myself and get better and continue to push. So I'm going to have to make that decision for the rest of my life.

(END VIDEO CLIP) PHILLIPS: Ahead in the NEWSROOM, a marine's new reality, and how he copies with determination and humor.

I'm A.J. Hammer in New York. Coming up, Angelina Jolie unveils her new movie at the Cannes Film Festival. That story is next in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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LEMON: He is still a crowd pleaser, of course, Shrek the Third, racked up, get this, $122 million at the boxoffice this weekend. The biggest opening ever for an animated film and the third biggest movie opening of all time. Yikes. Shrek bumped Spider-Man 3 down to number two, followed by 28 Weeks Later, Disturbia and Georgia Rule. One movie that will open up later this summer probably won't bring in those kinds of box office numbers -- they probably don't want to hear that, the makers of that movie -- but it's the talk of the cannes film festival. "Showbiz Tonights'" A.J. Hammer is here to take us through all of the entertainment news. That's quite a shirt, A.J.

A.J. HAMMER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT: Why, thank you.

LEMON: What's going on at the Cannes Film Festival?

HAMMER: If I don't capture your attention with the entertainment news, that's why I wear the shirt, Don. Certainly one of the most prestigious film festivals around is the Cannes Film Festival, and one of the most talked about, buzzed about, films made it's premier at that festival today. We are talking about "A Mighty Heart" that's the film that tells the story of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl who was, of course, kidnapped and later killed by Islamic militants in Pakistan. The film follows Pearl's pregnant wife, Mary Ann, as she tries to save her husband and deals with his murder. Mary Ann Pearl is played by Angelina Jolie, who is also a producer for the movie. Jolie says she and Pearl became very close during the filming and she was drawn to to the movie because of Mary Ann Pearl's spirit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTRESS: For me, so much of why this film was important to do is because there is -- I highly doubt there is anybody in this room who has more reason to hold hate inside herself Mary Ann, and she doesn't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Now, Don, the film is set to open here, in the United States, on June 22nd, so it is coming around the corner, but Angelina Jolie has gone on the record saying this is the most difficult role she ever had to play. And one can certainly understand why.

LEMON: Certainly can. So let's stay with Hollywood stars over seas, but tell us about the trouble -- man, Sylvester Stallone got himself into trouble. Did'nt he A.J.?

HAMMER: Yes, Sly did, and he's paying a fine now in Australia, for trying to bring restricted steroids into that country. Here's what happened. Stallone was caught back in February with dozens of vials of human growth hormone and testosterone by Austrailian customs while he was entering the country. Well, the actor has since provided a prescription for those hormones, saying he uses it to treat an undisclosed medical condition, but since he didn't declare the drugs when he entered the country and he wasn't carrying his prescription at the time, he now has to pay $10,651 in fines and court costs. Medical condition or not. Back in February the action star was busy promoting his latest Rocky film and heading off to shoot the next Rambo movie and he was quoted in the court documents as telling Australian officials that this stuff really gives your body a boost, a boost that the 60-year-old might need as he also told the Aussies doing Rambo is hard work, you know, he's out there saving the world.

LEMON: Ten thousand dollars is quite an amount to pay for a boost, don't you think?

HAMMER: I think so, but I also think a relative drop in the bucket for Sly Stallone.

LEMON: Maybe you're probably right. You know more abou this entertainment stuff than I do. It wouldn't be entertianment news if there wasnt another celebrity in trouble, as well. But this one is right here at home, yes?

HAMMER: We're talking about former Creed lead singer, Scott Staff. He was arrested on Sunday, he was charged with assault related to domestic violence. Staff's wife, Jackelyn (ph), told police that Scott came into the house and appeared to be disoriented. According to the police report when she asked him if he was doing drugs, he lost his temper. He threw a glass Orangina (ph) at her. It narrowly missed her and shattered on the floor. The rock star later went on to spend the night in jail. His fate will now rest in the hands of state attorney's office. Staff's record label did release a statement that said Scott and Jackelyn are well and asking everyone respect the couple's privacy. Something that most of the tabloids probably won't be doing.

Now, coming up tonight, on "Showbiz Tonight," related to that. Farrah Faucett, outraged that she is forced by tabliods to announce that she is once again battling cancer. Just where is the line between being a public figure and dealing with private pain? And has it, in this case, been crossed? "Showbiz Tonight" is asking the tough questions it is TV's most provocative entertainment news hour. You'll find us at 11:00 p.m. eastern and pacific on CNN headline prime.

LEMON: Absolutely. And, do you rember, who was your favorite angel? Was it Farrah Faucett?

HAMMER: You know, I got to tell you, I only watched the movies, I never really watched the TV show.

LEMON: A.J., are you kidding me?

HAMMER: I didn't have the posters. LEMON: Jill Monroe, Farrah Faucett was my favorite angel. I didn't watch after she left, she was only there for one season. I had the poster and the mug and all the stuff. I remember the swimsuit. Everybody in the control room is going, what is he talking about?

HAMMER: Did you try to do your hair like that?

LEMON: Have you seen my hair lately, it's not much! I don't think I could do that, I'd have to wear a wig, but you know. Don't get me started on your shirt.

HAMMER: Maybe it's time to move on.

LEMON: A.J., have a good one. We'll be watching tonight.

HAMMER: Alright, Don.

LEMON: Thanks a lot.

PHILLIPS: Going hog wild is it wild hog? Boars roam a city park, and you don't want too meet one, trust me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If he was to bite you, if he didn't break the bone, too, he would at least pull all the meat off the bone. And if he got you buy the hand, you'd just have bones.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Isn't that a lovely thought? The new city slickers, straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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PHILLIPS: Call Andrew Kinard a hero and inspiration doesn't do him justice. Despite being badly wounded in Iraq, near death in fact, the marine has recovered his health and his sense of humor. Here's CNN Pentagon Correspondent, Barbara Starr.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Six months ago, Lt. Andrew Kinard stepped on an IED in Iraq, bleeding, in shock, and with massive abdominal injuries, he still was all marine, giving orders to establish a security perimeter.

LT. ANDREW KINARD, WOUNDED MARINE: I was told that I was saying it so much that my marines said, sir, be quiet, we've got it, do something else. So then I started telling jokes.

STARR: Few can imagine the physical and emotional pain this 24- year-old now endures.

KINARD: My left leg was taken all the way off completely, and my right leg, I have a small little portion remaing above the knee so that hopefully one day I'll be able to walk on prosthetics and, you know, hopefully be able to stand as tall as I used to be.

STARR: He talks with remarkable candor.

(on camera): Do you have any different feelings about Iraq now, having come back, than you did before you went?

KINARD: I don't think so. I had the same feeling before, you know, maybe sometimes bitter thoughts about it, you know, that's when I'm just feeling down.

STARR (voice over): This extraordinary young man is blundt about what he says the years ahead will bring him.

KINARD: A decision to wake up every morning and to make a choice ...

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