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American Morning
U.S. and Iran Face Off: First Formal Meeting in 27 Years; 'The Reagan Diaries'
Aired May 28, 2007 - 07:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): Historic diplomacy. The U.S. and Iran meet for the first time in 27 years, coming together in Iraq.
RYAN CROCKER, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: I laid out direct, specific concerns about their behavior.
ROBERTS: Will it help the U.S. find a way out of the war?
Street fight. Protesters and police clash in Venezuela over a television station taken over by the Chavez government.
Plus, honoring America's fallen troops. Pride, sacrifice and service on full display.
Memorial Day 2007 on this AMERICAN MORNING.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: And there's a picture of the Washington Monument from the reflecting pool here at the new World War II Memorial. It's the newest of the big Washington memorials, the only one from the 20th century on this area of the Mall.
It was dedicated in 2004. And there you can see a couple of park service employees laying a wreath here in honor of those who fought, served and died in World War II.
And, of course, on this Memorial Day we are remembering all of those who gave their lives in defense of this country, all of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. And in the background there you can just hear "Taps" being played as they lay the wreath. That is Air Force Tech Sergeant Patrick McDermott (ph) from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Let's listen in real quickly.
"Taps" echoing through the World War II Memorial and across the Mall on this Monday, May the 28th.
Good morning to you. I'm John Roberts, live from the World War II Memorial in Washington on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Good morning to you, Kiran. KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kiran Chetry, here in New York.
Good to see you, John.
And wow, just a great moment to hear the beautiful song being played and to see the background. You can also hear the falling water going on in the background, as well.
And in just about seven hours from now this is when they'll be doing the national moment of silence there of remembrance, 3:00 p.m. It's going to be taking place there. Also, the flags will be flying at half staff from dawn until noon local time, and there will also be volunteers placing flags on each grave site located in the national cemetery. But really, just a beautiful day in Washington, D.C., and a day full of sadness and also hope for many who either have loved ones serving or who have lost loved ones in the past fighting to defend our country and our freedom.
Also "On Our Radar" this morning, a revealing glimpse into former president Ronald Reagan's life, especially the journal that he kept of every day of his eight-year presidency. The release of those diaries, we're going to be talking to the man editing those entries and hear from him about what stood about Reagan's writings.
ROBERTS: To our big story this morning.
For the first time in 27 years, the U.S. and Iran sitting down for formal talks. It took place in Baghdad. The focus was Iraq -- Iraq security. All the other issues were off the table, issues like Iran's nuclear program. The U.S. ambassador to Iraq was talking about the meeting just last hour, saying that he called for an end to Iranian interference in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CROCKER: The Iranians know what they're doing. Our point was simply to say we know, as well, this is dangerous for Iraq. It contravenes Iran's own stated policy, and it is dangerous for the region because it can produce widespread instability.
So, we were not there for the purpose of trying to lay out a judicial case on this. Simply to say, look, this is what's happening. This is what -- this is what needs to stop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: CNN's Paula Hancocks is live for us in Baghdad.
Paula, the message from Ambassador Crocker to his Iranian counterpart this morning was we want to see actions, we don't want to see words. Message delivered. Was the message received?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what Crocker said in that press conference was he did lay on his cards on the table and said, obviously we agree on policy, we want a stable, democratic Iraq. But what is happening on the ground through Iran is not proving that. And he said there was no response from Iran itself. They just criticized the U.S. for not having equipped and trained Iraqi soldiers well enough.
Now, we also heard one interesting thing from this press conference. That there were considerations of a trilateral mechanism for security on Iraq. That would be Iran, Iraq and the United States. Obviously, the three of them working together.
Now, this is just one idea that has come up this afternoon. And what Crocker said was that would have to go back to Washington and be discussed. Iraq also said that it is likely to invite the two to Iraq once again to continue these discussions. So the first meeting is finished, but it looks like Iraq would like this to be a more regular occurrence -- John.
ROBERTS: The way that Crocker put it, Paula, he said this was not a meeting about having future meetings, this was a meeting about laying out some grievances and getting some action. But if the U.S. is not considering future meetings at this point, will anything really come of this dialogue?
HANCOCKS: Well, Crocker said in his press conference that Iraq was going to extend an invitation to both sides to come back, and they would seriously consider that invitation. I mean, obviously, it was not a definite yes, it was not a definite no. Crocker, in his position, probably is not authorized to say a definite yes. He has to go back to Washington, and a couple of times he said that that is exactly what he would do.
But certainly he said it was positive the fact that both sides have the same policy in that the political sense of what they were saying is they wanted a democratic, stable Iraq that was not going to threaten its neighbors, was not going to destabilize the region. But the crucial point was he was saying that is not what he is seeing from Iran on the ground, and he's certainly going to be watching what happens on the ground to see if there's any more than just words in this.
ROBERTS: Well, it would certainly seem to make sense that if you're going to go out of your way to meet with him for the first time in 27 years that you would have more than one meeting.
Paula Hancocks for us live in Baghdad.
Paula, thanks.
CHETRY: U.S. troops freed 42 kidnapped Iraqis in a raid on an al Qaeda hideout north of Baghdad. According to the U.S. military, some of the captives had been hung from ceilings and tortured for months. It happened in Iraq's Diyala province.
All were Iraqi citizens. And as we said, some showing extreme signs of torture, including broken bones. The U.S. military says it was acting on a tip from an Iraqi civilian.
Meanwhile, the search continues for two missing American soldiers now into its third week. Soldiers spent the weekend looking at the banks of the Euphrates River, south of Baghdad. It's the same area where the body of Joseph Anzack Jr. was found last week. The U.S. military says it now has detained 16 people directly related to that ambush.
ROBERTS: Happening on this Memorial Day 2007, President Bush will take part in the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. That's going to happen just before 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, and we'll be watching it and we'll bring it to you live right here on CNN.
And bikers from the 20th annual Rolling Thunder Motorcycle ride to the wall will be among those at the Memorial Day event at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Thousands of motorcycle riders from across the country converged on Washington for Sunday's Rolling Thunder Parade.
President Bush met with some of the organizers at the White House just shortly after noon yesterday, right after he got back from Camp David. There they are pulling up at the south portico of the White House. They wanted to raise public awareness about missing U.S. service personnel and veteran issues, one issue of which is that these wounded veterans coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan who are in these hospitals and rehabilitation facilities aren't getting their pay on time.
CHETRY: You see the president hugging them there, John. Does the president ever ride?
ROBERTS: No, he doesn't. He did sit on a Harley-Davidson at an appearance in York, Pennsylvania, once, but to the best of my knowledge, he rides a bicycle. And that's as far as his two wheel experiences go.
CHETRY: All right. Unlike you, who -- you know, you would enjoy a little time off with the Rolling Thunder every now and then. You didn't do it this year though because you were too busy with this job.
ROBERTS: Correct.
CHETRY: Well, Venezuela's oldest and most popular TV station off the air after opposing the country's president. Thousands in Caracas protesting the decision by Hugo Chavez not to renew the station's license.
Police dispersed the protesters with water cannons. One official said 11 policemen were wounded in the clashes, including eight who were seriously hurt. It looks like you can see a little ding at the screen, even. The television station an outlet for political opposition. It was replaced by a state-run channel 20 minutes after it went off the air.
Some "Quick Hits" now.
Gay rights, antiwar and anti-abortion organizations listed as groups that could include terrorists on a Web site operated by the Alabama Department of Homeland Security. That page was then taken down after the agency received complaints. The site described the groups on the list as "single-issue extremists".
Delta and Dawn, the mom and baby whale who ended up in the Sacramento Delta three weeks ago, are on the move, yet again, about 50 miles from the Pacific now. And they're getting some encouraging signs. The rescuers, that is. Over the weekend, veterinarians injected the whales with antibiotics to ward off infection on the injuries that the whales suffered likely from boat propellers.
So, what is happening with the troop buildup in Iraq? How is the search going for the missing soldiers? Those questions and much more coming up when we speak with General Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on this Memorial Day.
You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning is right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Welcome back to this Memorial Day edition of AMERICAN MORNING.
Some "Quick Hits" to pass along to you now.
New York City's WABC TV is back on the air this morning after a smoky fire forced the station off of the air last night, just before their 11:00 news. No one was hurt. Witnesses say a light bulb exploded and a curtain caught fire, which forced them to evacuate.
Tony Award-winning comic actor Charles Nelson Reilly has died. He was a favorite on television game shows in the 1970s and '80s. Nelson Reilly died on Friday in Los Angeles of complications from pneumonia. He was 76 years old.
And memorabilia from the Jackson Five is going on the auction block in Las Vegas this week. Eleven hundred lots from clothing to contracts expected to fetch millions from bidders around the world.
Maybe, Kiran, you can finally bid on that sequin glove that you've always wanted.
CHETRY: The sequin glove. How about the jacket from -- was it "Beat It," I think? Or the red jacket. I love that one with the leather, and the wrap-around sunglasses.
Rob, that kind of has your name written all over it. You should go for those glasses.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm more into the whole "Thriller" makeup thing.
CHETRY: You like that?
MARCIANO: You know, that was a good one. Twenty-minute videos.
CHETRY: It was, wasn't it?
MARCIANO: It was crazy.
CHETRY: It was like a movie set.
MARCIANO: Good times back when the King of Pop was the King of Pop.
CHETRY: And normal.
(LAUGHTER)
MARCIANO: Easy. She said it, not me.
Hey, let's talk about Memorial Day weather. We have a couple of items to discuss.
First off, where the weather is going to be best. Well, it would be across the Southeast, but best is -- you know, relatively speaking, that's where the dry weather there, an ongoing drought. The West Coast actually looks great.
All right. Let's zoom in to a particular spot of interest, and that's the northern plains, the Dakotas, specifically. And the storm's prediction center has put out a moderate -- or a slight risk of seeing severe weather there, likely in the form of hail and damaging winds. There is a chance of seeing isolated tornadoes, but that will mostly take place later on this afternoon and evening.
All right. A couple of radar stops for you.
Big-time rain across Oklahoma and Texas. We've been showing you that video for days now, and flash flood watches remain open for business today, because the same situation is set up. A flow of moisture off the Gulf of Mexico, and then rain moving in that way.
Could see a couple of showers across the Northeast today, but after about lunchtime I think is when it will start to clear out. And it should be a nice day.
CHETRY: What about that poor zoo in Kansas where they had to actually evacuate the animals?
MARCIANO: Yes, those bison didn't look too happy.
CHETRY: Is it better for them today at least in Kansas?
MARCIANO: Eastern Kansas and Oklahoma will still see some showers, but not nearly as heavy as yesterday.
CHETRY: Rob, thanks.
MARCIANO: OK.
CHETRY: John.
ROBERTS: Coming up now to 15 minutes after the hour.
What is the Bush administration's current strategy for the war in Iraq? There is currently a troop buildup, a so-called surge, but there has also been talk in recent days of an eventual drawdown of troops.
General Peter Pace is the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He joins us this Memorial Day from the Pentagon.
General Pace, thanks for being with us. Appreciate it.
GEN. PETER PACE, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: Good morning, John. Thank you.
ROBERTS: General Pace, there has been talk that the White House is kicking around the idea of a 50 percent troop redication some time next year in Iraq. Is that something that you can sign on to?
PACE: John, happy to answer that question. But if I could, on Memorial Day, let me start by just saying thank you to the millions of American men and women who have served our country over the years, helping to keep us free. And especially to the families of those of the fallen, who have sacrificed in such a special way that the rest of us could live in freedom.
Today is a very special day to remember them, and for those of us in uniform to rededicate ourselves to the performing art duties the way that our lost comrades performed theirs.
With regard to...
ROBERTS: Absolutely.
PACE: Thank you.
With regard to your question, as you would expect, we are doing what we're doing in Iraq right now with the plus-up and the surge. And, as you would also expect, we're looking at the follow-on things that we might do. A, either to reinforce success. Or, B, to change the way we are doing our business. But I think the way it's been portrayed in the press is a little more definitive than it really is. It is a whole spectrum of thought that is going on, as it should, to ensure that we're probably prepared to take the next steps once we receive the assessment from the ambassador and the general some time in September.
ROBERTS: General Pace, of course the Democrats have long before calling for a troop withdrawal from Iraq. It's something that Republicans have so far resisted. But take a look at something that Senator Jeff Sessions said yesterday on the CBS News program "Face the Nation".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JEFF SESSIONS (R), ALABAMA: By September, when General Petraeus is to make a report, I think most of the people in Congress believe unless something extraordinary occurs, that we should be on a move to draw that surge numbers down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: So, Senator Sessions is saying that by September, if nothing concrete happens in terms of progress, that the surge numbers should be dropped down.
And take a look at what the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, said about it. He said, "I think the handwriting is on the wall that we're going in a different direction in the fall. And I expect the president to lead it."
Do you have any question, General Pace, that there is a significant change coming to the U.S. strategy after General Petraeus reports on this so-called surge at the beginning of September?
PACE: Well, I can tell you that my responsibility and all of us who wear the uniform have responsibility to give our best military advice to our civilian leaders. And we are going to assess the situation. We're going to make a recommendation about the best way forward from a military standpoint with regard to the mission that we've been given.
ROBERTS: Well, I was talking with Barbara Starr about this just a couple of minutes ago. Do you see any initiative on the part of the Iraqi government to really put in place a political solution to this? Because whether you're a military leader there at the Pentagon or you're a political leader there at the White House, everyone has said that this is not just a military solution. It has got to be a political one, as well.
Are the Iraqis responding?
PACE: Well, it does have to be a three-prong surge. One is the military, which allows us to provide security. The other two are good governance and economics.
And I think the clock in Baghdad is running a little slower than we would like it to on the political side of the house. They need to stand up to lead as the Sunni sheiks in Al Anbar province have done.
They decided as local leaders that they were tired of having al Qaeda, and they have teamed up with the Iraqi and coalition security forces, and helped clear that province of most of the problems that they had this time last year. The National Unity leadership in Iraq, Prime Minister Maliki and his team, need to stand up and do the same thing for their nation nationally.
ROBERTS: And General, one more quick question if I could. Democrats have been pretty clear in saying that this so-called surge has failed. Is it working?
PACE: We are in the middle of the surge right now. The final brigade of 3,500 troops will be in position and operating by the 15th of June. It's way too early to make predictions, good or bad. We've seen positive signs of progress, as I just mentioned. There have also been the very explosive examples of bombs going off that have been on the negative side.
So, we shouldn't be making specific comments, good or bad right now, until we have a chance to see how this works out, allow General Petraeus to do what he needs to do, give him the time to get to his assessment report in September, and then let's see what he says and let's see what we should do next.
ROBERTS: Yes. It looks like he has got the time. The question is, I think, how much time will he have after he makes that report.
General Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Thanks for joining us on this Memorial Day, sir.
PACE: Thank you, John.
CHETRY: And on this Memorial Day, you can help America's vets and their families by donating your frequent flyer miles as Hero Miles to the Fisher House Foundation. Fisher House provides a stay, a place for families to stay when they're visiting veterans being treated at V.A. hospitals around the world. And there's also some extra incentive if you do it today.
Ten major airlines will be matching the donations of frequent flyer miles for the Hero Miles program. That runs until midnight tonight.
You can go to CNN.com to find out how you can donate your miles and also help reunite soldiers and families.
Well, Duke is in the NCAA lacrosse finals, just a little more than a year after their season was canceled following false rape charges against three of its players. Today they face Johns Hopkins in the championship game. They got there by beating previously undefeated Cornell Saturday.
And Dario Franchitti won the Indy 500. It was cut short by rain. His wife, Ashley Judd, by the way. Only 415 of the 500 miles were completed. Danica Patrick, who we talked to Friday here on AMERICAN MORNING, finished seventh for the second year in a row.
And whether it was ordinary or extraordinary, Ronald Reagan marked each day of his presidency the same way, with notes in his journal. We're going to show you some of his handwritten notes and hear what they say about the president ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Ronald Reagan one of the most popular presidents in recent memory. And as it turns out, he kept a diary, dutifully writing down his thoughts and feelings nearly every day of his eight years in office. And now you can read them in a new book that is just out.
Historian Douglas Brinkley edited "The Reagan Diaries," and he joins us today from Washington.
Thanks for being with us.
DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, EDITOR, "THE REAGAN DIARIES": Thanks for having me.
CHETRY: It's really extraordinary, and it's a rare look at a presidency and the man behind it. And when talking about this, you wrote that Reagan was the master of the art of summary. Explain that.
BRINKLEY: Well, you know, back during the 1950s he used to give speeches for General Electric, and he wanted to always seem a little bit spontaneous, but he would keep these note cards and have these pithy one-liners and short sentences. And you see that in the diary. At any meeting he could find a kernel of what was important that he'd put in the diary. They might have been a two-hour meeting, but Reagan could summarize what was of historic significance from that particular meeting.
CHETRY: Let's go through some of the interesting entries.
On March 30, 1981, he writes of the assassination attempt that nearly killed him. Reading from page 12, he says, "I walked into the emergency room, was hoisted onto a cart. It was then we had learned I had been shot and had a bullet in my lung." He writes, "Getting shot hurts."
He also writes about how "I opened my eyes once to find Nancy there. I pray I'll never face a day when she isn't there."
And when you read some of those passages, you see this love affair, just how much he loved his wife.
BRINKLEY: Well, it's historic and almost mythological love story now, Ronny and Nancy Reagan. And the diaries just builds on it.
She's in it throughout. It's very personal at times, the diaries, parts you just read. And he misses her.
If she leaves, you know, for six minutes he misses her. They really truly had a co-dependency on each other.
CHETRY: Also from the journal entry of the assassination attempt he went on to write, "Whatever happens now, I owe my life to God and will try to serve him in every way I can."
How did that brush with death change him?
BRINKLEY: It's a great question. It changed him profoundly, and it changed him in the sense of faith.
Many times people say Ronald Reagan didn't have a friend, but when you read the diaries you feel he had a friend in God in the sense that that's who he is communicating to all the time. And I was surprised by that element of it, how much he used the diaries almost like a confessional booth.
CHETRY: In 1983 he attended a memorial service for the Marines who died in the suicide bombings in Lebanon, and he wrote from page 194, "Sometimes widows or mothers would just put their arms around me, their head on my chest and quietly cry." He also wrote about feeling a lump in his throat at times, and actually saved clippings of newspaper articles about the deaths of some of the U.S. troops.
What was -- what does that reveal about how he felt about the U.S. troops?
BRINKLEY: During his presidency he really saw himself as one of his roles as a spokesperson and the leader of not just active service people, but veterans. And he -- whenever an American soldier would die abroad on his watch, he would reach out to the family in one way or another, often by a telephone call, and he did record that conversation in the diary and say just what you said, "the lump in my throat," or, "Boy, did it just make me wobbly."
At one point a mother asked him, "Is it worth it? Did my son lose his life for a reason?" And he said it's so hard to answer those questions. But he felt part of the responsibility of a president was that if a soldier died on your watch, you had an obligation to make an outreach to the family of the deceased.
CHETRY: "The Reagan Diaries," edited by Douglas Brinkley.
Thanks so much for giving us some insight on that today.
BRINKLEY: Thank you.
ROBERTS: Coming up now to 28 minutes after the hour.
Some "Quick Hits" now from today's campaign trail.
Senator Barack Obama and his family campaign around New Hampshire, including a rally at Dartmouth College, while Senator Joe Biden attends events in Iowa today.
And GOP presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani is in his home town of New York on a fund-raising swing, also celebrating his 63rd birthday today. Tomorrow he is holding a $250 per head fund-raiser on Staten Island.
Coming up, it's one of the most popular videos on YouTube, and it was made by a 15-year-old girl. Her tribute to the troops ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
The most news in the morning is on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: A live picture this morning from the Tomb of the Unknowns, in Arlington National Cemetery; a lone soldier walking there. President Bush will be there in about two and a half hours time to lay the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns, as he does, American presidents do every year.
Another picture for you today from the Vietnam War Memorial. This was dedicated back in 1982. Today 58,249 names are on The Wall. And, of course, it's a tradition for Vietnam vets, survivors, and their families to come and take a piece of paper and find the names of one of their squad mates and just etch it out there on a piece of paper and take it back with them.
Of course, the Vietnam War Memorial, the scene of the Rolling Thunder Ride To the Wall, arrived yesterday. And members of the Rolling Thunder Organization will be taking part in a memorial service there today.
And now looking at a picture through the World War II Memorial. The flags at half staff, just on the other side of 17th Street, right beside the Washington Monument.
Welcome back. It's Monday May 28. I'm John Roberts live from the World War II Memorial in Washington.
Good morning to you, Kiran.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: Good to see you. I'm Kiran Chetry here in New York. You know, here in New York, for the past 20 years Fleet Week has also been part of the Memorial Day celebrations, a little more of the upside, a little bit more fun for the 3,000 some sailors, as well as Marines, that get to get some leave and get to enjoy themselves.
Coming up, talking with three sailors, as well a Marine, about what they did to celebrate for the week they spent here in New York City. That is coming up in a couple minutes.
Meantime, historic talks between the U.S. and Iran taking place. The U.S. describing the four hours of talks as positive, business- like. It was the first time the two countries have sat across the table in 27 years. Despite the rising tensions, the only topic on the agenda was the future of Iraq. U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker saying that he told Iran, stop interfering.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN CROCKER, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: Iranians know what they're doing. Our point was simply to say we know, as well, this is dangerous for Iraq. It contravenes Iran's own stated policy. And it's dangerous for the region because it can produce wide-spread instability.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: (AUDIO GAP) respond directly to his request but did propose a trilateral mechanism, as they're calling it, to coordinate on security matters. ROBERTS: On this Memorial Day America is honoring its fallen soldiers and U.S. troops are remembering their own. Earlier today, CNN's Arwa Damon attended a memorial service at a U.S. military forward operating base in Iraq. She joins us now from Yusifiya.
What was the memorial service for, Arwa?
ARWA DAMON, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT: John, this was a memorial service for five fallen Americans, and the one killed Iraqi from that May 12th attack that took place there; still two American soldiers in captivity.
Today on Memorial Day men from 2nd Brigade 10 Mountain Division remembering those who died in that attack. It was a very touching, very moving, very somber memorial. These soldiers out here are tragically very used to death, but you rarely see their pain in their faces. This is one of the few moment where they're given the time. They are able to grieve for their fallen comrades.
Other than that, they still do have to continue to go out there. The mission does go on to look for those two soldiers that still missing, and to bring those that carried out this attack to justice.
But to redo the words of the platoon leader, Lieutenant Morgan Springlaze (ph) he said, "These men all fought and died with honor, but now we must look to tomorrow. For the fallen we will avenge you; for the lost, we'll find you."
This is a very difficult time for all of these men, John.
ROBERTS: Arwa, any hope that the remaining two soldiers still missing will be found alive?
DAMON: Well, John, that is the hopes amongst many of the soldiers I have spoken to. They're out there literally conducting these missions 24 hours a day. The conditions out here are brutal. And many of them do hope that the two remaining soldiers are still alive.
What they say to us, is that whether they find them alive -- which is, again, everyone's hope -- or whether they find them dead, they have all vowed -- promised -- that either way they will find them and they will bring them home.
These soldiers, they say that their comrades out here are like their brothers. Oftentimes they feel closer to them than they feel to family. One of the unique things about the military, everyone tells us, is this bond that is created between the soldiers out because of the hardships they go through together. Because of the strength they draw from one another to get through these very trying times, John.
ROBERTS: Leave no one behind. Arwa Damon for us live this morning just outside of Yusifiya, an American forward operating base. Arwa, thanks.
CHETRY: And some quick hits now: Spanish police arrested 14 suspected Islamic terrorists today. The suspects said to be recruiters looking for militants to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those arrests were made mostly around Barcelona.
Israel hit several targets in Gaza overnight. Retaliation for a weekend attack that left one Israeli man dead. Dozens of Palestinians and two Israelis have died in two weeks of fighting.
World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz putting a little spin on his departure from the bank, telling the BBC it was overheated emotions that forced him out, not a lack of support. Wolfowitz steps down at the end of the month in a scandal over arranging a pay raise and promotion for his girlfriend.
Coming up, more than 8 million people have seen one girl's tribute to the troops on YouTube. We'll be speaking with her coming up next. You're watching AMERICAN MORNING, the most news in the morning is on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: It's called "Remember Me", a video tribute to American troops posted on YouTube by a 15-year-old girl. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(PHOTO MONTAGE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: As of this morning, this video has been viewed more than 8 million times. Lizzie Palmer made the video and she joins us from Columbus, Ohio.
Hey, Lizzie, good morning to you.
LIZZIE PALMER, POSTED TROOP TRIBUTE ON YOUTUBE: Good morning.
ROBERTS: I took a look at this yesterday afternoon, Lizzie. It's really quite mature, really quite moving. And this is one of a number of video that you've done and posted on YouTube. Why are you doing this?
PALMER: I have an extreme passion for my country and I support my troops.
ROBERTS: Right. And but why did you want to make these videos? What was it about these videos that you thought could express that compassion and that passion that you have for American forces?
PALMER: Being a 15-year-old girl, I feel like I can't do much, but this is my thanks to them.
ROBERTS: This "Remember Me" video that we're playing images from. What is the message that you're trying to get across there?
PALMER: To remember our troops and not forget about them in your day-to-day life, because people tend to take it for granted that they can go to a movie theater and watch a movie or call their best friend on the phone because not everybody can do that and there's soldiers fighting for their right to do that.
ROBERTS: You have a tremendous number of pictures and they're all very descriptive, some of them very moving. Where do you get the pictures from? Are they sent to you by these soldiers or Marines, or do you get them off the Internet? Where do you get them from?
PALMER: I'm constantly searching Google and Yahoo! images and just find stuff I like and save it.
ROBERTS: Do you have any connection to the military? I understand a couple distant members of your family were in the military, a couple of grandfathers?
PALMER: Yes. And I have a friend who left for Iraq on Friday.
ROBERTS: Right? How old is the friend? What service is the friend serving in?
PALMER: He's in his 20s. He's in the Army.
ROBERTS: What about you? You're 15 years old now and tremendous fascination, as you said, passion for the military. When you turn 18, are you planning to enlist?
PALMER: Absolutely. Very soon after I turn 18.
ROBERTS: All right. And one other point I wanted to make as well, there is a comment section on YouTube, that goes with any video that's out there. And your videos have attracted a large number of negative comments. What do you think about that? And what do you try to do to stop that?
PALMER: I try to brush them off because it's just not something I need to focus on. And last night I ended up having to turn off the comments because there was just such a large number every day, of people insulting each other, and debating with each other. That I just decided that I needed a break from it, so I turned off the comments.
ROBERTS: And your intention, all along, was just your own tribute to the troops. Lizzie Palmer, thanks very much for joining us this morning from Columbus, Ohio.
A very interesting video "Remember Me." More than 8 million hits on YouTube.
Thanks for joining us on this Memorial Day. Lizzie, good to see you.
"CNN Newsroom" is just minutes away now and Melissa Long is at the CNN Center, she has a look at what lies just ahead.
Good morning, Melissa. MELISSA LONG, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Good morning, John. Have a preview now of some of the stories we'll cover for you in the "Newsroom."
U.S. and Iranian diplomats in their first formal talks in almost three decades. The Bush administration is calling on Iran to help stabilize security in Iraq.
Europe's expressing alarm after a gay pride demonstration turned violent. Fists fly as Moscow police detained protesters.
Foreclosure revenge: How about this? An Oregon man leaves three pigs shot inside his home. The boorish behavior causing a pigsty.
Tony Harris joins me in the "Newsroom" today on this Memorial Day, at the top of the hour on CNN, John.
ROBERTS: All right. Thanks. Hogzilla just about everywhere today. Thanks, Melissa. We'll see you at the top of the hour. But wait until you see what Kiran has lined up next.
Hey, Kiran.
CHETRY: Hey, there. One of the Memorial Day traditions here in New York C City, Fleet Week, of course. And we have with us, some sailors and Marines who are stopping here in New York City. They have their pictures. They'll tell us all about their experiences when CNN and AMERICAN MORNING come right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. I don't know if you had a chance to see the pictures over the weekend, but a little boy, an 11-year-old -- he's not really that little -- but he's 11-years old. He ended up shooting and killing a 1,000-pound wild boar when he went out hunting with his dad.
There is a picture right there. This little kid, Jamison Stone, talked briefly about exactly what it was like. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMISON STONE, KILLED GIANT HOG: I was scared, little excited. It was pretty nerve wrecking at first, knowing I was about to go after that big ol' hog.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Meantime, though, "The Legend of Hogzilla" is actually a movie in the making about a previous humongous hog that ended up being killed after terrorizing some people in a town in Georgia. And joining us from Enigma, Georgia today, Rick Trimm, as well as Daniel West. Rick is the producer, Daniel West the director and writer of the "Legend of Hogzilla."
RICK TRIMM, PRODUCER, "LEGEND OF HOGZILLA": Thank you for being with us.
DANIEL WEST, WRITER/DIRECTOR, "LEGEND OF HOGZILLA": Thank you for having us.
CHETRY: So, you know, Rick, this couldn't have come at a more opportune time. We see plastered all over the news this little boy bagging this enormous hog when you are about to make a film about the "Legend of Hogzilla". What do you think?
TRIMM: Yes, Ma'am, his dad, Mike, actually contacted us to let us know about this monster that he killed over in Alabama. Like you said, it couldn't have come at a more opportune time. We talked to them about maybe having Jamison do a small bit in the film. He's just excited about it and we're excited to have him.
CHETRY: All right. Tell me, Daniel, what was the original Hogzilla that you guys were doing a film about?
WEST: Well, Hogzilla was shot in Lappaha (ph), Georgia, about three years ago by Chris Griffin. And it got a lot of media attention and National Geographic did an excerpt about it to just dispel some of the legends that were going around about it.
CHETRY: What was it exactly?
TRIMM: It was an 800-pound wild boar. Tusks over 39 inches, could have easily dragged off a small child. And, you know, between that one, and Jamison's, and there was another one killed recently I think they are coming out of the woods on purpose.
CHETRY: I think most people who see the picture, I mean a lot of people I talk to they say its it doesn't look real. These humongous beasts like this are just roaming around in Georgia?
WEST: Oh, they're definitely real. The one shot in Fayetteville, we had a chance to see the hog head, when it was mounted, after it was mounted. And it's humongous the size of a vehicle, easy.
CHETRY: Your "Legend of Hogzilla." your Web site got about 3,000 hits, and that went up to about 90,000 hits after we heard the news of Jamison and his humongous hog. You're putting this into production. What is it going to be like? This horror film about Hogzilla?
WEST: It's going to be very campy, lots of fun. It will have loads of gore and body count, but at the same time, it's a character- driven story and you'll have a lot of emotion. It does have Chris Griffin, the man who shot Hogzilla will be featured in it very prominently.
CHETRY: And maybe Jamison Stone, the little boy who shot the other one with a cameo of sorts?
WEST: Definitely.
TRIMM: Definitely. CHETRY: All right, Daniel West and Rick Trimm, "The Legend of Hogzilla", producer and director, thanks for being with us this morning.
WEST: Thank you.
TRIMM: Thank you.
CHETRY: We want to let you know it's, of course, Fleet Week here in New York City and just in time for Memorial Day. We'll talk to some of the men and women who are serving in our Armed Forces. Take a look right now. We'll be seeing some of their pictures. Some of their memories, and see what they did on this Fleet Week, when AMERICAN MORNING comes right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: This is a beautiful show out there on New York Harbor, on the West Side of Manhattan right now, a look at the amphibious assault ship, U.S.S. Wasp. That is one of the ships docked and in town for Fleet Week. Thousands and thousands of people coming from all over the East Coast, and beyond, to get a chance to take a tour of that ship.
Joining us right now -- well, one person who was on the ship, is Corporal Gary Lysik, of the U.S. Marines. He was stationed on the U.S.S. Wasp, and as well we're joined by Petty Officer Jason Davis, Petty Officer Gwen Clark, and here, Seaman David Hernandez.
Thanks to all of you for being with us. Having fun so far at Fleet Week?
(CROSS TALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Having a great time, great.
CHETRY: For David, this is a homecoming because you're from Brooklyn, New York. What was it like to be able to get some leave and come back?
SEAMAN DAVID HERNANDEZ, U.S. NAVY: It's great. Great time. The people are great to us. Hospitality is amazing.
CHETRY: What is the reaction when people see you walking down the street and you're wearing your uniforms?
PETTY OFFICER GWEN CLARK, U.S. NAVY: Everybody asks, can we take our picture with you. You know, thank you, thank you for serving.
CHETRY: Does it feel good to hear that?
CLARK: Yes, it does.
CHETRY: Definitely a lot of support when people see you guys, it really is a source of pride for everyone. You have a couple pictures from your favorite part so far. You say it was seeing the Statue of Liberty that close.
CLARK: Yes, I've always wanted to see it.
CHETRY: Well, let me see. That doesn't look like the Statue of Liberty. There you go, it sure is. It's very close, it's the torch. There we have Lady Liberty's toe.
CLARK: Yes.
CHETRY: That's great, Gwen.
All right. Let me ask, Jason, you are originally from Knoxville, Tennessee?
PETTY OFFICER JASON DAVIS, U.S. NAVY: Yes, ma'am.
CHETRY: Thirteen years of service in the Navy.
DAVIS: Thirteen years and keeping it going.
CHETRY: We're going to show some of your pictures. You had a chance to check out the bull on Wall Street?
DAVIS: That's right. We got off the ferry and it was the first thing we saw, was Wall Street -- and it was just like -- it had almost an immediate impact, wow, we're in New York. You know, I had never been here before. We just kept it going.
CHETRY: You also had a chance to check out some shots from the Empire State Building.
DAVIS: Sure did, yes.
CHETRY: What was that view like?
DAVIS: It was awe inspiring. And the history of the building, itself, and just the fact that the staff -- top notch. I mean, they were so nice to us. They helped get us up to the top real fast.
CHETRY: Very good. I'm glad you had a chance to see it, because it's very interesting.
And Corporal Gary Lysik, from the U.S. Marines, you are actually just back from Iraq. You haven't even been back for a month.
CPL. GARY LYSIK, U.S. MARINES: Yes, Ma'am.
CHETRY: How does it feel to be back here in America?
LYSIK: It feels awesome. Especially being in a great city like this, right when we get back. It's been great.
CHETRY: You also brought some pictures to show us, not from your trip in New York, but from your tour in Iraq. So, let's take a look. Explain that picture for us. LYSIK: That's me and my friend Dave Tannis, Corporal Dave Tannis, with our bomb-sniffing dogs over in Iraq. We're sitting there getting a little (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
CHETRY: Then you also have a picture with the Iraqi army soldiers?
LYSIK: Yes, ma'am.
CHETRY: You guys have been a lot trying to train them, and get them ready. How do you think it's been going?
LYSIK: Excellent. Nothing but great stuff. They are taking over their own patrols, they're helping us out a lot, so it's been good.
CHETRY: And there is a chance, a possibility, that you have to go back, as well?
LYSIK: Possibly, ma'am. I wouldn't be -- I -- I wouldn't have to go, I would volunteer.
CHETRY: You would volunteer to go. And, of course, the all- volunteer Army and these are the people who keep us safe. And our hats off to you, for sure. Thanks so much. And hopefully you get to have a little bit more fun. And enjoy yourself on this Memorial Day, while you're here for Fleet Week.
Thanks so much. My colleague John Roberts, I think, also wants to say hello.
ROBERTS: Hey, just wanted to say thanks very much for your service, folks. Really appreciate the sacrifice you're making. Particularly, young man, if you go back to Iraq, all of our prayers are going with you. Thanks for the terrific job you've been doing.
ROBERTS: He says thank you. And says anyone who has to go back to Iraq and serve again, his prayers, all of our prayers are with you. Thanks so much for coming by.
(CROSS TALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're very welcome.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
ROBERTS: Hey, Kiran, I'll tell you, it's really been an honor and a pleasure doing my part of the show from down here in Washington. Because when you're in the immersed in all of the history here, and all these memorials, you really get a sense of just how much of a sacrifice so many people have made in defense of the freedom of this country.
As people go out today for their barbecues, or have a day off, keep in mind that if it weren't for the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of people, young men and women from this country, fathers, sons, daughters, uncles, aunts, you wouldn't be able to go out and enjoy that barbecue this afternoon. So, just keep that in mind as you enjoy your day today.
I'll see you tomorrow, Kiran.
CHETRY: That's very true. John's going to be back up here in New York. As you said, for all the people that came before us and those that we see standing next to me now, that are currently serving -- hat's off. And we hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day. We'll see you back here tomorrow.
Right now, CNN "Newsroom" starts.
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